Private The Lengths That Were Went

[Darth Strosius]

It wasn't difficult to tell from Revna's expressions that His efforts to convince her to see the truth would be an uphill battle. Like father like daughter He supposed. She seemed rather emotionally invested in Korriban's machinations, stalwart in her belief that what she had said was the reality farther than the fiction as He tried to tell her. An argument was no doubt brewing but Darth Strosius was just as determined as she was in this arena. He'd already lost her once, He wasn't about to let her slip through His fingers so easily a second time.

The masked man couldn't help but cock His head to the side when she responded and mentioned one of her apprentices would no doubt try to kill Him in His attempt to rescue them, she was somewhat stating the obvious there. He did straighten up when she grew more irate as she addressed her second point, setting His shoulders and standing firm as she took a breath to steady herself. While He was tempted to offer a rebuttal, He decided to let her continue and speak her piece so as to not enrage her into doing something drastic to hinder her recovery.

As such Darth Strosius also bit His tongue when she declared Him wrong about the circumstances which had resulted in her arrival to Korriban, although He failed to see how she didn't see through the guise of charity that Caedes provided her in such a vulnerable moment. When had she become so trusting? He had taught her better than that. His apparent tomb in the Valley of the Dark Lords was what really killed her argument though, that was the most obvious ruse of them all. He wasn't worthy of being counted among the Valley's honored dead, not until He had succeeded in steering the Sith Order back onto the path of prosperity at least.

"Deserving respect and receiving it are two very different things my dear." He noted but didn't otherwise intercede as Revna took another breath. Better to let her finish her thoughts before He moved to counter them, otherwise all He'd succeed in doing was inciting her even further. He idly wondered if she was this angered when He was killed. Darth Strosius did recoil somewhat when she revealed that the affection came from her input first, although He didn't respond. She definitely knew better than that. She had practically handed Caedes the key to her heart, of course He had seized it without hesitation.

"You are well within your right to hold scorn for me for my failings Revna, but do not use my demise as ammunition for your blind trust." He hissed out, sounding both offended and somewhat hurt by her firey remarks. "If I had known that you were there at the Kaggath I wouldn't have hesitated to get you out of there and skewer the Zambranos rather than dealing with Malum. You know that." Just as she should have known not to trust the kindness of strangers, especially when those strangers were apparent Sith. At least in official title of nothing else.

"And to answer your question," The masked man reached into His robes and produced her ring, the one that Caedes had shown Him on Korriban. "He said that you two were close and showed me this to prove it, but of course I saw through his lies." He offered the ring to Revna in His gloved palm. "Just as I wish you would see through them." Darth Strosius paused as a thought hit Him suddenly, one which would hopefully pierce through Revna's stubbornness and into her reason. "But then, you mist have some reservations yourself yes?"

He cocked His head to the side, her harsh stare reflected in His visor. "After all you did go on your own to face Prazutis without him, and he let you go despite knowing or at least being able to infer where you intended to go and how you sought to confront. Yet he wasn't the one storming Dromund Kaas to ensure your safety and return, now was he?" He leaned forward, to twist the knife until He found her logic beneath her passion. "Does that sound like what a 'partner' would do? Because to me it sounds and awfully lot like someone getting rid of a loose end. No support, no reinforcements, and certainly not moving to endanger himself in an attempt to aid you, oh no."

He sneered as disgust crept into His tone, His "wings" growing tense and sharpened once more as hatred seeped into His words. "He did as he has done since Korriban was handed to him, he sat and hid away from the galaxy. Growing decadent on the achievements of real Sith and playing politics to pretend as though he has some value." He scoffed and reared back, gesturing wildly. "He's no better than the fething corpse Revna! Whether he 'cares' about you or nor he was more than willing to let you die in the face of Prazutis! I was the one that came to save you, I was the one that everyone attempted to halt, I was the one that had to piece you back together!"

His wings frayed as His tone grew more unsteady, more emotional yet less seething. "I had to watch you waste away before my very eyes! To pray and hope and work to ensure that you survived despite everything. I was the one that held your broken body in my arms and had to have faith that you could recover. No one else believed me. No one else thought it could be done." A bitter scoff escaped Him. "Not even your kin, Malum is with us Revna. Do you know what I learned shortly after my revival? Who he was in league with?!" He reared back and stepped away shaking with a potent concoction of rampant emotions. "Srina fething Talon."

With a flourish He threw a rolling tray across the room in a growl, turning back to face His daughter with a fury so intense that His golden gaze could be seen even through the visor. "HE BETRAYED US! We have no allies, we have no kin, we have no partners Revna! I watched that brat grow from Acolyte to Dark Councilor and he still chose to side with the corpse in the end! Caedes is no different! He sold you out just as Malum did with me, all we have is eachother. All we have is Wonosa!" He let out a seething breath and gestured wide once more. "Everyone else? Everything else? An obstacle. An enemy. Nothing more."

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

​

Despite speaking a little further about the topic of respect, Strosius held His tongue until Revna had finished firing off her own retorts to Him. Her anger was stirred, but the crackling energy in the shadowed chamber only seemed to grow. She knew then that this…discussion…was far from over. If anything, it had only just begun - and she could almost feel the simmering indignation and rage that coiled within the Sith Lord.

No doubt…He had plenty more to say to her, and because she was respectful - she would let Him spew whatever venom He was holding back in her direction. He had just better be prepared to take it back in return, if He was so willing to dish it.

Revna inhaled a slow and deep breath, watching her Father with sharp and cool eyes…waiting. She didn’t have to wait long, for almost as soon as she had finished, then He began His response back to her. She steeled herself, prepared for the storm that was to descend. Her ears were still ringing with the sudden rise of her emotions, but she wanted her mind to be clear to hear what He had to say…even if it hurt. She knew she wouldn’t be able to process if she was emotionally compromised, and so she pulled back the emotion that was there, shut it away for the time being. Her face smoothed until it was blank, expressionless - though her eyes still glimmered with the remnants of the fire that simmered within.

He started off by saying that had He known she was there at the Kaggath - He would have refocused His efforts on getting her out of danger, rather than on His fight with Malum. Revna's eyes narrowed slightly; “...And expose to everyone just how much we cared for each other, in this Empire full of monsters that would love nothing more than to use us against one another? Had You figured out I was there, You would have made both of us a target for everyone who wants to see You ripped to shreds, humiliated, or worse.” Revna responded back, unable to help herself, her voice low and lethally soft as her eyes lowered to watch His hand as He dipped into His robes and procured something - extending it out to her for her to take.

What He dropped into her palm…was a ring.

Her ring. The one she had left for Caedes when she disappeared. Revna blinked as her somewhat hazy mind worked to piece everything together, before her face snapped back to her Father’s visor as He explained how He’d found out about her and Caedes. He had gone to Korriban, before going to Dromund Kaas, apparently.

Had he arrived just a few hours, maybe a day prior…He would have caught her before she had left.

Revna scoffed softly, not at Strosius, but at how fate had seemed to play yet another cruel game with her. In the end however, it didn’t really matter. He had gotten her back…but now they were here, tempers flaring and raw hurts and vulnerabilities being exposed and poked and prodded.

She tilted her head slightly when Alisteri told her that He wished she could “see” through Caedes’ lies, like how He supposedly could. Asked her if she had felt some sort of reservation. She was about to respond, when He pressed onward…an idea apparently burning a hole in His mind. She listened, quiet and still, as He tried to tell her the “reason” behind why she had gone to face Prazutis alone…making assumptions, again.

One of Revna’s eyebrows lifted as she pinned Him with a cold stare with His barbed question about Caedes being a partner, or rather, how apparently poor of a partner he was; she was, again, about to respond when He continued, hatred seeping into His tone now. She sat mutely as He ripped Caedes apart with His venomous words, making it very clear to her about His opinion of the King of Korriban. Slowly, His emotions began to get the better of Him, and she could tell He was coming more and more unstable as the seconds ticked by. Awareness, despite the venom, despite the rising tempers between them both - made her catch onto the fact that His outburst may be due to what He had to endure to get her back. And the more He spoke, the more He revealed this to be the case.

The little Sith woman was silent as her Father came apart at the seams as His anguish at nearly losing her finally surfaced and along with it, His venomous spite with Malum whom He learned had been connected with the Empress. Revna went very still at the mention of Srina, working hard to keep any emotion out of her face that might connect her to the other woman. Darth Strosius did not need to hear or know that she, too, held the Empress close to her heart.

Revna flinched again, though only slightly, when He tossed one of the rolling trays across the room with a loud and ear piercing metallic clang and clatter. He rounded her then, His fury unleashed as what walls of control He did have crumbled. Darkness battered against her, but she endured it. His rage wasn’t directed at her, at least not entirely.

A heavy and tense silence fell between Father and daughter, Master and Disciple - when the last of His words were spat forth. Dismay and other emotions she hadn’t felt since His death crawled back over her. What was she going to do now? What could she even say? All she could really do was stand her ground, stand firm in what she knew for herself…even if He viciously denied it. Long moments passed by as she remained silent, processing, having torn her gaze away from the irate Sith Lord so she could collect her thoughts and try to respond back. Finally, she returned her gaze back to Him, her expression neutral, if a little somber.

“I didn’t leave Korriban to fight Prazutis, or Carnifex. I was summoned by the Shadow Hand, and I left Korriban to heed his summons. I knew that it was coming, I just didn’t know when. And I left before anyone could stop me, because I knew they would try. I didn’t want anyone to follow me, Father. I took precautions to ensure that no one did. And I left my ring behind, for Caedes, in a measure to keep him on Korriban for a reason. He did exactly what a partner is supposed to do: he trusted me, even though I broke a promise I made to him. Besides, he was only a single call away for me, if I felt that I needed his help.” She eyed the Sith Lord for a moment, though she didn’t elaborate on how Caedes had only been a ‘call’ away. She didn’t think it would be prudent, in the moment anyway, to share with her angered Father that she shared a soul-bond with someone He considered a bitter enemy.

“I didn’t…because the Dark Lords chose not to execute me, as I expected them to. Instead, they tested me, each of them in their own way…and then Knighted me. Only then did I learn that You had arrived…and, well…You were the one who saved me in the end. And I am glad that You did…and I am very sorry that I put You through that hell. I…I had alternatives to securing my freedom. But…I chose my pride over any offer of aid I had been given, because I wanted to earn my freedom with my own strength.” For a moment, Revna returned to silence as her eyes gazed off into the distance, and she looked like she might shut down completely, but she found the courage to move forward and turned her attention back to Him.

“I will never, ever…discount the experiences that You’ve had with others. But I want to make something really clear to You: what You have experienced, and what I have experienced…are different. What has happened between You and all the other Sith You call Your enemies are not my experiences because I frankly haven’t lived Your life. I didn’t get to go through the bantha chit that You did. And I won’t pretend to know or understand what happened to You, the betrayals You endured, the lives lost of people You cared for.” Revna stated softly, making sure all hints of stronger emotions were gone as she gazed into the mask.

“I just want the same in return from You…and so far, a lot of the things You’ve said…make it sound like You know better, even though again…You weren’t there with me. You didn’t see or experience anything that I did, and I’m not talking about while I was on the Malsheem. And it is hurtful to hear You tell me what You think happened to me, when I experienced it myself.” She sat forward a little more and turned a bit more in His direction, hoping to get a point across to Him.

“Just because You believe these things aren’t possible…that You have no kin, no allies, no partner, whatever…doesn’t mean that I can’t have these things. You have made choices and decisions in Your life that impacts whether You have allies, partners, or not. Those are Your choices…not mine.”

She sighed heavily and rubbed her face before turning her attention back to Alisteri and though her expression looked tired, drawn out…there was a glimmer in her eyes that hinted at murder, of hatred and betrayal.

“We can at least agree on one thing and that is Malum’s betrayal. He is a snake; it is in his nature to slither his way into positions of opportunity, positions that work best for him, his allies be damned. His affiliation with the Sith Empress does not surprise me.” She kept her face composed, keeping the truth about her own ties to Srina hidden and buried deep. “He showed his true colors when he challenged You to a Kaggath. You know…He told me, right after the events of the wedding You crashed, it was to save You from the mess You had gotten Yourself in with Taeli. I knew that Kaggaths usually end in the death or total submission and servitude of the other Sith in question…and I knew You would never submit to him…I voiced my concerns. He promised me he wouldn’t kill you…and yet I watched him use fire against You. I know that Sangnirs are weak to fire, and I know that he knew that too.” Her voice trailed off for a moment, a shadowed frown crossing over her face as she saw flashes of those moments dance before her eyes. The aura around her dropped as a deep chill settled in around her, and a distinct ripple of hateful fury emanated from her for a moment.

“Had I not fled to Korriban…who knows what would have happened to me then. I would never have submitted to him. Ever." Revna all but snarled, defiant and fiery as more emotion now poured into her eyes as she lost just a little bit of her own composure and self control. It appeared that the topic of her cousin was a rather touchy one for her.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Despite her rather grim and chilled response, Darth Strosius found Himself scoffing at it. Revna spoke as if none of that had happened already. As if she hadn't just regaled Him with how she had been subjected to attempts to turn her against Him, as if they hadn't just had to fight for the amusement of her captors in a pitiful gambit to get one of them to slay the other. He was already more than enough of a target and evidently so was she. His display of rescuing her for all to see would have gone to show that He was not to be trifled with, He didn't at all see what she was concerned about.

Perhaps that notion was exactly what sat at the root cause of their current argument and predicament, a lack of mutual understanding. Or a perceived one at the very least. He didn't at all understand this odd connection and relationship that Revna had with Korriban's inhabitants, and she clearly didn't believe His keen observations and predictions regarding them. Not if her unsettled and spiteful visage was any indication at least. A rather infuriating situation indeed when both believed themselves to be right.

Unfortunately this composed outlook had deserted Darth Strosius when He let His emotions get the best of Him, the past weeks blurring into a slurry of potent wrath and anguish which had been simmering since His revival. Fueled more and more until the tipping point was finally reached, at the moment when He expected His daughter to be grateful for His aid only to throw His concern and wise words back at His face for no reason at all other than a fondness for her more gentle captors.

In the aftermath of His outburst He simply stood there, His outstretched arm twitching and shivering with the embers of hatred that had just been used to toss the table earlier, before it fell back to His side in a rather limp movement. The masked man slumped over somewhat as He heaved out a few more seething breaths to calm Himself, His "wings" shuddering as they were reigned in by subconscious acknowledgment of their overextension. Now wasn't the time to toss away His composure and yet He had done it all the same.

So easily allowing simple words and notions to slip beneath His skin and ignite His smothered turbulence into an uproar that had stunned Revna into silence. He couldn't blame her of course, He had made quite the unsightly display indeed. Darth Strosius sighed and raised a hand to press against His mask in a manner similar to how one would touch their forehead in exasperation. Mostly at Himself truth be told, but also for the whole situation at hand as well.

Thankfully in the midst of His recomposing, Revna began to speak again and lifted the burden of breaking the silence between them. She started by apparently clarifying why she had left to face Prazutis, that she had been summoned rather than going to strike down one of her captors. As she had said such a summons was inevitable even without His revival factoring in to the equation. Tyrants rarely gave up their little pet projects so freely even if their focus did switch to another.

The masked man clicked His tongue at her assertion that Caedes was respecting her unspoken wishes, but He chose to not interrupt and instead gave His fidgeting hands something to do by crossing His arms. It better hid their clenching and unclenching cycle as she rebuked His statements. Thankfully the occasional twitch of His eye and His grimace was already well hidden enough by His mask, small consolations and all that. What in the world had Korriban done to earn her loyalty and trust so thoroughly?

"I doubt any of those alternatives were worth pursuing, whatever sordid deal the Kainate offered would always bite back in the end. They aren't to be trusted to be anything more than the vile monsters that they are." Revna was all too right to dismiss whatever "generosity" might have been supposedly offered to her, although she credited it to pride rather than wisdom or caution as He would have. Still it had all worked out in the end as it were, more or less. She had remained true to her principles and had been rewarded for it in the end. Many couldn't say the same.

He visibly twitched when her tone became softer and more placative in a sense, despite His outwardly stalwart posture. There was a subtle sag to His shoulders, a greater lean on one leg over the other, a general sway to Him. Darth Strosius was tired. Exhausted. Worn down by decades of trials and tribulations and then some. Of losses and failures and setbacks. Of pain and scars that no amount of regeneration could heal. And yet He still stood with His head held high. Defiant as ever even as the past weighed Him down.

A sigh escaped Him as she continued her assertions that He was wrong, that He had missed details or simply hadn't believed what had been told to Him. But could He be blamed? Was she so hurt by assumptions that were so natural and clear to make? It sounded so but He couldn't quite believe it. Or He didn't want to at least. Yet Revna was clearly so attached to what she had experienced and seen, too attached to entertain the reality that He posed at all.

So with a heavy heart, He hardened His a bit. "I do know better." He set His shoulders back to look more presentable, more akin to the composed and confident leader that He had to be for His followers. "I know exactly how this little dalliance with Korriban will end. In pain. In betrayal. In suffering. In memories that will make you crave that what you believe now, in this moment, was true and certain. Because I've been where you are now. And I've lived with the ache that you will have by the end of it."

His gaze drifted down somewhat but He quickly recovered and looked back at Revna. "You don't seem to understand. It isn't our choices that matter, Revna, it's theirs. Their pride. Their lust for power. Their greed. Eventually it will turn them against you so long as you have any sort of principles or morals. It's not an 'if', it is a 'when'. And when Caedes and all his ilk turn on you just so that they can step on your head to climb but one rung higher on the ladder of the Sith, I will still be there for you."

Darth Strosius sighed and strolled back over towards the bedside, arms still clutched against His chest to keep His stride steady. "But if you insist on seeing this through to the end, on making your own mistakes in spite of my wisdom and caution, then I won't stop you. Entangle yourself with Korriban's leadership all that you like, but remember what I've said. You will be hurt. You will be betrayed. They aren't like us Revna, no Sith is. All others are self-absorbed and dangerously egotistical, they don't care about you or me or the wider galaxy so long as they sit comfortable."

He stood by her bedside and glanced at the machines next to it. "And when the time comes to sever the betrayers, fear not. I will be there to make the incisions and removal. Just as I did with that wretched device in your spine. But I will wait. I will watch. Even though it pains me to see you led down this path of ruin that I've walked before, if you truly wish for me to stand aside and let you walk it then so be it." She truly was far too stubborn for her own good.

Revna's malice and resentment of her cousin was understandable, even more so with an apparent broken promise involved, but surprisingly Darth Strosius didn't immediately respond in kind. "Do not hate Malum for the actions he took, hate him for why he took them." He shrugged. "Were the situations reversed I'd have done the same to secure my own life. He knew well enough that I had no qualms seriously injuring or even slaying him outright in the Kaggath if I had to, he'd have been foolish to not do the same."

In such a fight all that mattered was who emerged victorious, the methods by which they did so were secondary considerations. "I admit I would have liked to see you have a go at him though. No doubt you would have been more even with him power wise than I proved to be, even if not as experienced in the art of the blade." He chuckled in an attempt to lighten the mood somewhat although He was being genuine. He had been fully confident that He could swipe away Malum as easily as batting a fly.

That His newfound power sourced from His followers would have easily trumped anything that could have stood against Him. Darth Strosius had been proven incorrect of course. Painfully incorrect. A hard learned lesson that in the realm of raw power, His own limitations were still holding Him back from being able to achieve the results He sought. Unfortunately for the wider Sith Order, Malum had been foolish enough to ensure that He had been resurrected in spite of His grievous error. One that He wouldn't repeat again. "But yes, better that you didn't tear his head off at that time I suppose."

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

​

Though she remained fearless in the face of her Master’s wrath, Revna was nonetheless thankful when His fury seemed to run its course and He all but sagged in its aftermath. A gauntleted hand lifted to press against His mask, exactly as one might place the hand on their forehead in frustration.

Thankfully, Darth Strosius listened as she divulged further, though she could tell that He certainly had things to say in regards to her statements. She didn’t say anything on the matter of the ‘alternatives’ she had set up in case her first attempt at freedom failed; of course, He didn’t know the other options and alternatives she had set in place…but in the current moment and situation, Revna didn’t think it mattered if He knew of them or not.

Her attempt to placate, using a softer tone than she had in her earlier statements, seemed to have the desired effect - though He was still unhappy with some, if not all, of the things she had to tell Him. At least He wasn’t frothing with rage or throwing things across the medical chamber anymore.

When her Father finally responded, it was with a stern and firm voice as He pulled Himself together to appear as the leader that He was; more confident and sure of Himself. Despite her own frustrations, Revna remained quiet as He responded back, telling her that He knew how her “dalliance” with Korriban would end. She gritted her teeth, but held her silence. She could hear the pain, the concern, in His words: in His eyes, all He was trying to do was spare her from what He believed to be a for sure outcome of what she was experiencing on Korriban. Betrayal, pain, heartache. Being cast aside as little more than a piece of trash when all was said and done.

He wanted to spare her the pain that He had gone through, the experiences that He had endured.

Revna inhaled deeply and released her breath slowly as she turned her gaze to a point in front and beyond her, eyes roaming various items and objects draped in shadow. While her own stubborn will and experiences told her that He was wrong…there was a part of her that urged caution. What if He was right about all this in the end?

…But what if she was right, too?

That was perhaps the most frustrating part about their disagreement. Both of them were stubborn and too adamant about their side of things. So it was a surprise to her, when she heard her Father relent. He would still be there for her, even if everything crashed down around her head. He wanted to stop her from making mistakes…but He was begrudgingly willing to step aside and let her figure it out for herself. He’d still be there, waiting and watching, ready to step in should ruin find her in the end.

On the topic of her cousin, Darth Strosius was strangely quiet for some time. When He did respond, it was to encourage her not to hate Malum for the actions he took, for the reasons behind why he did them. Her jaw set hard, and her golden eyes were hard as stone…but she listened to Him share His side of the issue, that He would have done the same, if the roles had been reversed. And He admitted to her that He would have killed her own kin, if it meant saving His own life. She knew it to be true, and knew the situation they both had found themselves in to be a lose-lose. A damned if you did, and damned if you didn’t.

Her resentment, her bitterness and anger and vitriol, left her in a heavy exhale of breath - though a small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips when Strosius said that He would have liked to see her make a go at Malum. His chuckle helped ease the tensions that had been brewing, and she relaxed a little bit more.

“Yeah, it is a good thing I didn’t rip his head off. Otherwise I don’t know how we would have gotten out of Dromund Kaas in one piece. I’m still angry at him though, for the whole Kaggath mess to begin with. I’m angry at You too about it all…but I don’t think I need to harp on it any more than I have.” she grumbled, shifting on the bed to find a more comfortable position to sit in, as she pulled her thoughts together once more. She wanted to respond to Him, but she wanted to do so with wisdom and not emotion. She wasn’t sure if it was possible, but she would try.

Finally, she returned her gaze back to Him, speaking in the same softer voice she had used before. “...and what if those things You believe will happen, never do? What if…it’s genuine - what Caedes feels for me? Would You so happily destroy a chance that I have for happiness? For…experiencing what love actually is?” she paused, searched His mask, before she continued. “Every relationship we form with another, especially as Sith, carries the risk of pain, suffering, and betrayal. I could betray You, hurt You, bring untold pain and suffering upon Your head. And You could do the same to me as well. And yet…does that stop us? Did that stop You from risking Your second life to save mine? Did that stop us from…recognizing how important we are to one another, that we are family?”

Revna sighed and looked down at her hands once more, spinning the ring He had returned to her around between her fingers. “I understood the risks that I was taking when I told Caedes the truth about how I felt about him. I understood the risks when I formed a…a connection with his Lord Seer, A’Mia. I understood the risks that come when one swears an apprentice to one’s self. And I didn’t just do it once, I did it twice. But if I live my life based on what might happen and it stops me from moving forward…then I’m not living life at all. I’m just…wasting away somewhere because of fear. I’m not a slave to my fear, Father. I face it and I conquer it.”

She returned her attention to Darth Strosius, content to be silent for several heartbeats as she let her words settle, and while she gathered her thoughts further. “You absolutely could be right about what may happen. And I know that I am extremely fortunate that You are even remotely willing to be there should everything come crashing down around my head. I don’t take that for granted, and I never will. But…there is a chance that You could be wrong about what may happen, even if in Your eyes that chance doesn’t exist. The only way to tell…is for time to take its course and prove out the truth of the matter.”

Revna kept her gaze on the mask, weighing her words, her thoughts - trying to stay as neutral as possible, but still try and stand her ground. “I am not expecting You to get along with those on Korriban, I’m not asking You to. But I do want the chance to show You, even if it takes years…my entire lifetime if I must…that I found something precious and I’m not letting it go so easily.” She inhaled and steadied her breath. “If what You say “will” happen, does occur - You can hold it over my head for as long as I live and say ‘I told you so’, every day if You feel like it.”

She finally tore her gaze away from Him, closing her eyes as if she was trying to find a moment of calm in the midst of the storm that still turned within and around them. “I can almost feel You cursing my stubbornness; You should be cursing Yourself for it…I learned it from You, You cranky bastard.” She grumbled, smirking slightly in an attempt to lighten the atmosphere a little further. Revna opened her eyes and looked back at Darth Strosius, a somewhat sour expression on her face. “You need a big meal and a nap…A week in Your stasis casket or whatever it’s called.” Her eyes narrowed suddenly, almost as if she was glaring at Him.

"Or maybe a vacation. Yeah...You definitely need one of those."

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Your anger isn't misplaced at either of us for that whole affair, I still wish that he had seen sense and stood with me rather than against me. But what is done is done." The Kaggath was a mistake in the grand scheme of things however given the context of Malum's apparent alignment with the likes of Lady Srina it was an inevitable clash in the end. The Eternalist's status quo couldn't be threatened after all. Or at least not without severe and public consequences to dissuade future threats to it, such was the Kaggath's purpose in the end.

Fear would keep the disparate Sith in line as it had done Malum and the wider Order. But fear was a simple tool, fickle and fragile. All it needed was one crack in the manufactured facade of power and it would shatter soon after, then fear would give way to resentment and rage as it rightly should. For now Malum couldn't be trusted but in time he would see the error of his ways and would follow in the destruction of the status quo as he should have done before declaring the Kaggath. All in due time.

Darth Strosius perked up slightly when Revna looked back at Him after a few long moments, although He did let out a huff in frustration as she began to delve into the ever destructive question of 'what if?' He had made far too many of those over the years. What if He had said something differently here, what if He had taken a chance there, what if He hadn't hesitated then, hadn't done that, hadn't failed there, what if He had simply done better? Been better? He had long since dismissed such questions for the simple fact that they hadn't happened. They weren't the reality.

Just as the questions that she asked Him now, the reality that she proposed to Him, didn't exist. Couldn't exist. Or at least not for very long. She was quite right about the riskiness of any form of relationship between Sith being the source of both internal and external risks, carrying any number of endings with so few of which being positive. Yet despite knowing such a risk she didn't seem to mind taking it in this instance in spite of all that would inevitably go wrong with her entanglements.

Caedes was destined to turn on her in favor of advancing his position and prestige, he'd already shown a willingness to bend the knee to the likes of the Kainate just to secure Korriban for himself. Whether he liked them or not hardly mattered, he'd bent before and he would bend again. Lady Madrona on the other hand...she was inscrutable. Whatever interest she might have in Revna couldn't be discerned and her intentions were even less so. That made her dangerous in and of itself.

Revna's apprentices weren't something that He could judge as of yet but they could indeed very well prove to be her downfall if she had chosen poorly. If their ambitions outgrew their loyalty to her, or at least outgrew her usefulness to them. It depended on how transactional their apprenticeships were in the end and that much He couldn't tell as of yet. The masked man would have to watch closely and determine how much of a threat these apprentices might be in the future but for the moment He had no reason to think them outright betrayers as of yet.

"Do you now?" Darth Strosius hummed at her remark on conquering her fear, recalling her earlier remarks regarding her captors. She thought Him a fool for challenging them, thinking them unassailable in their power. That sounded awfully afraid and unconquered to Him. "Perhaps not entirely, but you will. I'll see to it that you conquer every fear you hold my dear, especially that of the Zambrano filth. But, and I cannot stress this enough, conquering your fear and needlessly throwing away caution aren't the same thing. You'd be wise to know the difference."

The Korriban matter was decidedly an example of the latter in that regard. Revna was abandoning all reason and suspicion for the chance of something genuine, but genuine was far too rare within the ranks of the Sith to ever be found. It was crafted, molded, but never so freely given or found as she had supposedly done. This was destined to only ever end one way and it most certainly wouldn't be in her favor. "You'll find yourself disappointed in due time Revna." He spoke with a click of His tongue, breaking their shared gaze for a moment to shake His head. "Sith will always disappoint you. Even after all these years I still find new depths that those within our Order sink to."

Darth Strosius simply hummed in response to her desire to prove Him wrong, no matter how long such a task might take or even if it wound up being beyond her lifespan. He highly doubted that their true colors would take all that long to be revealed. With Himself back in her life and His watchful gaze the cracks in their facade would be easy to spot, as long as Revna actually listened to Him for once. "Oh you won't ever hear the end of it when that day comes, I can promise you that." There was no 'if' in question in this matter, it would always be a simple matter of when.

The masked man scoffed at the blame being put on Him for her attitude, albeit with a hint of humor evident in the overly exaggerated gesture of His head that accompanied the noise. As if He could be held responsible, if attitude was the only thing that Revna had learned from Him then He was a very poor teacher indeed. "I've had quite enough sustenance and slumber as of late you know, there hasn't been much else to do while you were unconscious." He might have lied a bit on the slumber part, rest never came easy for Him anymore, but He was well fed to be sure. There was no shortage of blood bags in the med bay after all.

"Vacation?" Darth Strosius let out what could best be described as a brief cackle of sorts, and one that was entirely humorless at that. "Sith don't take vacations. Not proper Sith such as we at least, there's far too much to be done." Where would He even go on vacation? What would He even do on vacation? The only relaxing activity He could think of was visiting some ancient Sith site to study it but there was almost always some form of spirit or beast to guard them from intruders. There was always Nar Shaddaa perhaps, running wild on the criminal scum without any fear of innocents being caught in the crossfire. That did sound rather pleasant actually now that He thought of it.

But such thoughts could be entertained later, when He had the time for frivolous ventures. If He ever had the time for frivolous ventures. "I would recommend you remain onboard the Harbinger during your recovery period at least. Moving you back to Korriban in such a delicate state could prove detrimental." Darth Strosius knew that once His daughter was out and about under her own steam again she would likely go where she pleased, but until then He had no intentions of letting her go so soon.

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

He seemed to doubt her comment about facing and conquering her fears, His hummed words and voice indicative of that much. Revna frowned, though she didn’t bite back at Him for the doubt - though she did wonder where it came from. He told her that He would ensure that she conquered every fear she had - but also impressed a bit of wisdom upon her: she needed to know the difference between conquering fear, and needlessly throwing caution to the wind.

“I…am not afraid of the Zambranos for myself. I do fear what they can do to those I care about, however.” she responded back to Him softly, still eyeing the ring in her hand. “...You are right, of course. Conquering one’s fears and throwing away caution are not the same.” she looked back at Him, somewhat guarded. “I don’t expect You to believe me when I say that the decisions and choices I had to make over the course of my captivity, I didn’t do without great thought or consideration. The Zambranos punish carelessness mercilessly; I couldn’t afford to be careless, or throw caution to the wind, around them.”

Darth Strosius told her that she’d inevitably find herself ‘disappointed’ in time, especially in regards to her dealings with Korriban. He broke their gaze with a shake of His head, saying further that other Sith would always disappoint her. I’m already disappointed… echoed a quiet and sullen voice in her mind - one she didn’t say aloud. Her Father’s stubborn stance and refusal to budge even a smidge on this topic vexed her. She had to pick and choose her battles here, so it would seem.

Of course, the Sith Lord had no qualms about confirming that He would indeed make sure she never heard the end of it, should what He so firmly believed would happen, did come to pass. She scoffed softly and shook her head; she knew He would make good on that promise too. She just hoped and prayed that He was never given the chance to do so. If He did, then it meant that everything He was telling her here now had been right. That He had been right all along - and she’d been a Bogan-damned fool to ignore Him or push back His warnings. Should that day ever come, she would be a broken soul - one that would never disregard His warnings ever again.

But even now, despite her stubborn stance and her insistence to prove Him wrong…the seeds of doubt had been placed. What if she had made a mistake and was just too blinded to see it? She didn’t like that feeling…it made her feel something she hadn’t felt in some time: mistrust.

He scoffed at her placing the blame of her stubbornness back on Him, told her that He had had ‘plenty’ of sustenance and slumber, and to that she pinned Him with a hard, flat stare. “Oh that’s bull and we both know it; You never sleep. Knowing You, You were probably handling other matters - reports or whatever… You’re always busy. Always doing something.”

His reaction to her ‘vacation’ remark made her smirk wider and she rolled her eyes at the comment that “proper Sith” didn’t “take” vacations. “No wonder why You’re always wound up and ready to go to war with everyone then. You don’t give Yourself a chance to stop and breathe. Smell the karking flowers or something.” she grumbled. “Yes, there are things that have to be done, I won’t disagree or argue with You on that. But something I have learned is that…if you don’t take care of yourself, then you will crumble and fall and fail those that rely on you.” She lifted a hand and tucked a lock of silvery, raven black hair behind her ear, exhaling heavily as she did so. “I’m not saying You should live a decadent lifestyle like many of the Sith in our Order and outside of it - I am well aware of how You feel about all that. I’m just saying…maybe take a moment to breathe, rejuvenate Your mind and Your spirit. Hard to hear the will and voice of the Force, when You’re too busy looking and listening elsewhere You know.”

Revna let that settle for a few moments between them, though she already had a feeling He would dismiss it. Maybe He’d surprise her, but she wasn’t holding her breath for it. She returned her attention back to Him when He recommended she stay aboard the ship for her recovery time, at the very least. She blinked at His comment about moving her back to Korriban - though He didn’t wish to do that when she was still in a fragile state of repair.

Still, His comment caught her off guard. He had every right, as her Sith Master, to demand she remain where He was. But He was willing…begrudgingly or so it seemed…to give her the option of going back.

“I will stay here. I am in no condition to go anywhere right now…I know that. Besides…even if I was able to leave right away, I wouldn’t do so. I was just reunited with You…why would I want to leave so soon? I fought hard to return to Your side…not run away from You.” She let her eyes roam the mask, the hidden face beyond, before she continued.

“The time will come when I do want to go back…and I would like You to go with me. I would love for You to meet them, the boys - Lysander and Varin. And there is something that rightfully belongs to You that I hid away there, and now that You live I would like to return it to You. And I’d rather do that together - once I am healed enough to travel. The sooner it is back in Your possession, the better. And don’t even bother saying You’ll go get it Yourself. Only I know where to go, and only I can take You there.”

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

"I-" The masked man let out a noise which was some combination of a huff and a scoff, a sharp exhale of frustration that had Him glancing away from Revna for a moment as His fingers flexed and clenched. "I have rested just fine. I'll have you know that pouring over reports and data is a welcome and relaxing activity." She had naturally hit the proverbial nail right on the head as it were. He still wasn't much for any sleep of note, certainly not in one sitting. Productivity was far more important than trying to get some unnecessary slumber here or there.

Darth Strosius clicked His tongue and inclined His head at the sight of her rolled eyes, crossing His arms over His chest as she commented on His apparent lack of self care and recreation. There hadn't been time for such things before His demise and there certainly wasn't any to be spared for them now. "When we have moments that can be lax and freely spent, then they will be. But that isn't how things are at present." At present the Order of Wonosa was still in too fragile of a state to be left unattended. His return had given them a second life of its own as it were but His continued presence was what kept them united and coordinated.

Not to mention cautious and aware of the seemingly endless threats and enemies arrayed around them. Their scattered disparate territories were without any real centralized hub of activity and authority without Faldos or Formos to fall back on. Darth Strosius was the lone beacon that kept Wonosa as one entity rather than various cells and bands of fanatics and until they had some world or system to rely upon for that purpose then He would have to serve that role without pause or failure.

Revna was quite right that He couldn't keep up this pace forever, that even He did need some time for Himself to decompress and find some proper relief from the strain of the galaxy's sins and weight. For the moment there was no such time however. Once Wonosa had been settled and secured then He could allow Himself some time to get proper rest and ease His mind, to commune with the Dark Side as He used to back on Formos. That could only happen once Wonosa was settled. Not before, not during. Afterwards.

Darth Strosius glanced back at His "wings" as they curled and unfurled behind Him not unlike how His fingers had done earlier. His metaphysical wound could only be mended through careful and exhaustive effort, the kind that they couldn't expend with the Order of Wonosa being in its current state. He simply couldn't afford to be away from His cult for such long periods of time as it would take to cure Him of this condition. It was disheartening, tiring in levels both physical and mental that were not so easily dismissed.

But He was a single soul and there were hundreds relying upon Him, thousands and far more if one counted those still in chains that Wonosa had yet to reach. He had wilted somewhat in the past few moments as He lost Himself in thought but He was quick to recover and set His shoulders straight once more as He looked back at Revna. Darth Strosius could bear the weight of Wonosa for as long as He needed to, He was but a single soul after all. His fatigue was irrelevant when the alternative was the suffering of so many more.

The tension riddling the masked man's form did relent somewhat at her agreement to remain in the Harbinger's care and more importantly her spoken desire to remain by His side for some time. Given how readily she defended Korriban He had naturally had doubts about that latter point. He hummed at the mention of her wanting Him to accompany her when she did eventually return to Korriban, but He did perk up at the prospect of meeting her apprentices during such a visit.

Lysander and Varin. The names were committed to memory easy enough, if they were anything like Revna then there was a fairly good chance that they would wander far from Korriban and cross paths before any official meetings were had. Darth Strosius cocked His head to the side when she mentioned something of His being hidden away somewhere on the world, trying to think on what she would have had during her capture that would have been His to reclaim. Nothing came to mind.

"I am a Sith Lord Revna, I do go where I please and I can find anything I wish." A fact that He had proven to be true when He waltzed into Dromund Kaas's corrupted heart and pulled her out of it. "But of course if you insist to bring me there yourself then I will follow you when the time comes. I wouldn't even know what to look for to retrieve there." Perhaps it was some gift or sentimental object that Revna had prized in His demise more than He had in His life? He wasn't certain and doubted that He would be until the time came to actually retrieve it. Whatever it might be.

"For now though, your healing is all that you should be concerned with. Your recovery process won't be nearly as swift as I'd have hoped however it will be a steady and fruitful matter I think." He paused and fixed her with a stare. "So long as you pace yourself properly and don't overexert your weakened body in the meantime." An unfortunate trait that He knew they both shared and would undoubtedly hinder her recovery if she gave into it. Like father like daughter He supposed. "There is one other matter we have yet to address that has impacted your recovery and our efforts to expedite it however. One that I hoped you could enlighten us on. The...void within you."

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Revna couldn’t help the smirk that filled her face to see and hear her Father become flustered and frustrated with her blunt observation, before she snorted at his comment. “Relaxing? Really?” she stared at Him, an eyebrow raised in an unamused manner. “Dear Bogan, You need a better hobby, Father.”

The Sith Lord crossed His arms over His chest when she rolled her eyes at Him, and for a brief moment Revna was smacked by memories from her past, from before she ever met the Lord of Wonosa. How many times had her own mother done the same thing to her? The young woman blinked for a moment, feeling a strange tightness in her chest. He may not have brought her into the world…but Alisteri nonetheless had stepped into the role as a parental figure. She imagined, for a moment, that this - all of it, their embrace, their argument, the back and forth and push and pull - was exactly what it was like to have a father in her life. She didn’t have anything really to fall back on to know for certain, but it just felt right.

It felt…natural. As if this was always meant to be.

She returned her focus back to Him when He told her that, when there were moments to relax, then they would. But that wasn’t how things were at the moment, according to Him anyway. He didn’t divulge to her why that was the case…but she really didn’t need Him to. She understood that He had His work cut out for Him for the time being; His loss had nearly caused the Order of Wonosa to fall apart and no doubt He was still trying to put out fires and bring them back under His banner once more. No doubt there were rebels, rogue elements running around and causing more headaches than anything. She felt a tug of responsibility, of duty, but there was not much she could do about any of it. She wasn’t of much use or help to her Father in her current state.

Over the course of their more lighthearted discussion, she noticed the tension slowly start to ebb away from Him. It seemed, at least for now, that the heated emotions involving Korriban and her ties to it were dying down. She was no fool, however; she knew that this would be a point of contention for them both for the foreseeable future. Until He could see with His own eyes and hear with His own ears the truth of the matter.

Only He could convince Himself of the truth at this point, and come to terms with it.

Darth Strosius hummed when she asked that He join her on her return trip back to Korriban - a sound that told her He was not interested in such a thing - which she knew would happen and which was why she mentioned Him meeting her apprentices, as well as getting back the item she hinted at. She knew that would entice Him to be more agreeable to her request. And it seemed that it had worked.

A smile crossed her face once more when He told her, with such certainty and confidence, that He could go anywhere He so wished and get anything He wanted because He was a Sith Lord. She was about to snark back when He continued however, agreeing to follow her back when the time came and she felt strong enough to travel. Her smirk widened further as her eyes glimmered with mischief. Wise decision, Master - she thought to herself.

He made it clear in the moment, however, that the only thing she truly needed to focus on was healing and recovering - something she wouldn’t argue with. She was a breath away from agreeing with Him, when He fixed her with a stare she could feel through the mask He wore as He drove the point home that it would only happen if she paced herself, and didn’t overexert her weakened body.

Revna scoffed and returned the stare He was giving to her in the moment; “You’re one to talk. I can see just how exhausted You are, You know. You’re not fooling me.” She stated in a flat tone of voice; she was growing a bit more bold now that she had begun stepping into the role of daughter versus Disciple. But there was still a great amount of respect she harbored for Him. Father or not, at the end of the day, He was still a Sith Lord. And He was still her Master.

Her more bold attitude was tempered a heartbeat later, however, when Darth Strosius mentioned that there was still a matter they had yet to discuss that was seemingly impacting her recovery, and she immediately became alert.

Then, He mentioned it - the Void - and her entire body when still as a cold chill raced across her skin. She suddenly became acutely aware of that cold, empty place that resided within her soul…and the fiery attitude she had carried a moment prior switched to one of fear.

She swallowed and tore her eyes away from Him to stare at a point beyond the bed. “Oh. That.” Revna was silent for several heartbeats, before she inhaled a shaky breath. “I…I’m sorry for using it on You, on Dromund Kaas. I…I was so close to death that I needed something to hold it off just a little longer.”

Revna turned her attention back to Him, her golden eyes cautious and fearful, even. “Very little truly frightens me, Father. But that…” she shook her head slowly. “...I don’t understand it, and that is what scares me the most.” She inhaled another breath, releasing it heavily before closing her eyes for several moments as if she was pulling her thoughts together, or composing herself.

“...It came into existence at the moment I felt You die. Whatever bond we shared, which was powerful from my side, due to how strongly I was attached to You…when it snapped, it rebounded and then…turned into a sort of black hole. It drew me into it, tried to consume everything. I stared into the very expanse of oblivion, and yet I felt it. Its presence, its eyes, on me. Watching and waiting. It called to me, beckoned me to just fall into it and surrender.”

Revna opened her eyes and searched the mask. “I wanted to escape the pain I was feeling. I wanted to let it consume me and wipe everything away. But…Caedes pulled me back from that edge. Brought me back to reality. Hate him all You want, Father. I am alive right now, my mind and soul mostly intact, because of what he did in that moment.”

She turned her attention back to her hands, suddenly going very still - as if she had become frozen in place. She didn’t even blink, nor did her ribs move or expand to indicate she was breathing. The only indication to say that she was still alive was the monitor that beeped with her continued pulse, a pulse that was now rising steadily.

“I didn’t realize anything was amiss, or different with me…until I touched a living being on Korriban, a servant that was attending to me - and watched them wither from my touch. I felt their life, their essence, seep into me…and it awakened a hunger so fierce that it nearly drove me insane.” She turned to look at Him then, the expression on her face raw, drawn tight with tension. “I did everything I could to ignore it, push it aside, shove it back into that dark place in my soul. For a time, it seemed to work. It was only a whisper, clawing at the edges of my mind but never truly filling me to the point where I could think of nothing else. But...that changed when I obeyed the summons of the Shadow Hand."

She paused for several long moments, still staring directly into His mask. “Darth Prazutis forced me to face it, to feed it. I wasn’t ready…I...I drained them all...” her voice softened then trailed off as her expression became blank, her eyes distant - as if she was suddenly reliving memories that only she could see. "I have never felt so much power as I did in that moment. Nothing was beyond me...the more I fed the more powerful I became. There was so much relief...but it never lasted. The Hunger came back..."

A glimmer of shame shined in her eyes as she regarded her Father. "It took everything in my power to not drain You dry. I almost caved...and that scares me. This Hunger scares me, Master. I don't know what to do with it...how to live with it."

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius let out a small displeased hum at her little jab at His relaxation as it were, but she wasn't wrong. He did miss His time in His workshop, weaving metal around to form incense burners or little adornments and jewelry. Helping draw up schematics for architecture and designs for new styles for His cult's buildings. There was never peace of course, but there was times of respite that He could use to pursue Sith culture and help it flourish within His ranks. Times of respite that He hadn't had since Formos fell.

He had no home to indulge in hobbies in nor did the vast majority of His Order, only the handful of enclaves scattered across the Rim had any real settlement and even then those were fragile and hidden things. Until His people had a home once again there could be no respite for any of them. Least of all the Prophet Himself. They couldn't remain fleet bound and scattered forever, they would need a proper base and residence if any of their plans were to come to fruition. With Revna safe He could direct His attention towards such a task now and amend that gap.

"Exhausted yes, but the difference between you and I my dear is that I have endless stamina and regeneration to soothe my strain. You don't." Darth Strosius was well aware that He wasn't quite up to His full form, even in its reduced state, but the needs of the many outweighed what little need He had for rest. Physically He was fit and well enough, if a bit fatigued now and then, to continue carrying out His duties as He saw fit and with all the investment that they required. Mentally and spiritually were two entirely separate matters of course but they would fall in line as they always did.

Revna didn't have that luxury. None save a very small handful of His followers and Himself of course did. It was no boon being a creature like a Sangnir, not in their circumstances and situation. It was simply a path to more labor and burden upon oneself as He had always exemplified. A shame that some only saw the benefits of His condition and none of its grievous costs. Perhaps Kasir wouldn't have readily become on himself if He had been more open about His condition with him. Perhaps, but what was done was done.

Her mood had switched the moment He brought up the void within her, to the point that He leaned forward slightly in concern to give her a brief onceover to inspect for any physical causes of distress. Darth Strosius wasn't sure what had disturbed her so suddenly but evidently the topic of her own unusual condition was a bit more sensitive than He had initially thought. "There is no need to apologize, you did what you had to to survive." Revna was a survivor above all else, it was simply in her nature. He could say the same of most others within their ranks.

The look in her eyes made a deep knot within His core tighten uncomfortably, the genuine dread and fear written across her features stunning Him into a concerned silence as she hesitantly continued. A silence that He didn't break even when she joined in it herself, pausing and breathing to compose herself. The masked man wasn't sure what words of consolation He could offer, if any, and as such He decided to simply say nothing at all and let her further detail this fear of hers. Even if it did churn His stomach to see her do so.

Evidently another burden that He was responsible for it seemed, albeit one that He couldn't carry as He did with the rest. Evidently the sheer distress and potent emotional shockwave from His demise had formed some sort of metaphysical wound within Revna just as it had done with Him. Yet hers was far more contained, in a manner of speaking. Too contained it seemed. An abyss which had sought to devour her whole to soothe it, somewhere in the back of His mind He idly pictured what she was speaking of. He saw His own condition much the same, the thirst of the Sangnir species was similarly potent and encompassing. Yet far less destructive than hers.

"You would have been fine without intervention I'm sure, you're stronger than that Revna." It was something of a knee-jerk reaction as it were. A thoughtless consolation that was half to comfort and half to dismiss the terror that gripped her now. Revna was a survivor above all else. It was simply in her nature. But whatever this void was, it was beyond nature. Beyond His understanding at the very least and evidently hers as well. Quite disturbing and distressing indeed.

At the mention of Prazutis He grew tense, His previous wilting and leaning straightening in a moment as He clung to her next few words with a scrutinous yet hidden gaze leveled at her own stare. A grim hum of acknowledgement punctuated her trailing words, the shame in her eyes forcing Him to glance to the side as He let her recollection sink into His mind. He could certainly understand what it was that Revna had apparently been cursed with, at least in the overall sense and notion.

His affliction was incurable, He had been changed at a cellular level to become hollow and hungering as He was now, there was no change for Him. But Revna was different. Her condition was dire to be sure, some spiritual or metaphysical wound that had taken root in her being and could be apparently fed to the point of empowering her. But surely if it could be fed then it could be starved as well? The soul was so much more malleable than the flesh, as He had learned firsthand. He was incurable but she might have a chance.

"Then we shall endeavor to see that you won't have to." Darth Strosius reached out to take His daughter's cheek into one of His gloved hands, a deliberately slow and cautious movement that could all to easily be avoided or dismissed by her. "This Hunger of yours is doubtless an insidious and perilous thing, and I won't lie when I say that I too have no real concept of how best to handle it. Or even really define it in any applicable sense..." He cleared His throat, His words having grown somewhat choked for a moment before He did so.

"However I can promise that I will do everything in my power and knowledge to remove this curse from you. Prazutis was a spiteful fool to play with such a thing so recklessly, heedless of how it could grow. We'll undo his meddling and in time find a way to relieve you of this void entirely." The exact methods of how they could accomplish such a feat were naturally unknown at the moment, but only the moment. He'd let the Councilors fix His ailment, He would focus on curing Revna's instead. "Just remain strong and resist it as you have done so already, valiant and stalwart as you are." A smile slipped into His words for a moment. "Let's channel that stubbornness of yours into something productive for once, shall we?"

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Darth Strosius brushed off her apology, indicating to her that He understood why she had done it - had taken some of His life essence on that terrible day. She was a survivor, a fighter, and she would do just about anything in order to keep herself going. She felt some relief, knowing and hearing that He was not upset or angry at her for putting Him in such a vulnerable position. So many things could have gone wrong on Dromund Kaas, and yet by a sheer miracle they both made it out of there.

The Sith Lord was quiet as Revna divulged a bit more about her Void - but she could feel His tension, His worry, over her. He didn’t like what He was hearing, no more than she liked telling Him about it. He gave a knee-jerk response when she mentioned how Caedes had been the one to pull her back, and for a moment she fought back a surge of anger. Was it so hard for Him to believe or accept or even be thankful that someone had been there with her, had saved her life, her sanity?

As quickly as the anger reared its ugly head, however, it vanished. Yes…she was stronger than most gave her credit for…but she was the one who held the Void in her soul; she knew exactly how dangerous and destructive it was, and that scared her. She let His comment go, letting it fade into the background as she continued telling Him what she had done, what the Void did, how she felt about it.

Her Father tensed, visibly, when she mentioned how Prazutis had made her feed the Void, feed the Hunger. How, in the process of that, she had unlocked and gained access to power far beyond anything she thought possible. But Darth Strosius seemed to understand, if somewhat, the condition she now bore.

Her curse.

She told Him of the Hunger…in hopes that He would understand, because she knew that He too felt something similar. She was not a Sangnir like He was, but Hunger was universal - especially when caused by something that was beyond the realm of what was normal.

In response to her fearful comment about how the Hunger scared her, and how she wasn’t sure how to live with it, the masked man surprised her by reaching out a gauntleted hand to rest it on her cheek; the movement was slow, and done in such a manner that she could avoid or pull away if she wanted to…but she didn’t. The gesture was comforting, and helped ease the fear and dread she felt about the Void, and sharing it with Him.

Revna turned her golden gaze towards Him as He made a promise to her that He would do everything in His power to help remove her curse. He rebuked Prazutis for his part to play in the activation of her Hunger, but despite her Master’s words - she knew that the Shadow Hand knew exactly what he was doing at the time. She’d been there, after all. Had seen and felt and heard his words, his power, his judgment in that terrible moment when an entire city died because of what she had been pushed to do. She couldn’t have denied him, told him no, for to do so would have meant her execution by his hands.

Survival, at any and all costs. And in order for her to live, so many had to die. They fed her, fed the Void, gave her power. Power she used to create a Force Storm of continental proportions, far greater than anything she had ever done before. That planet, that world…would never be the same. It was a husk now, a reminder of the truly terrifying depths the Dark Side could take one.

The young woman blinked at Alisteri as He encouraged her to continue being strong, to resist the Void as she had been doing. To remain as valiant and stalwart as she could be in the face of this. To help further take the edge out of her fear, He suggested that she take her stubbornness and channel it into something else that was 'more productive'.

She couldn’t help but agree with that - it wasn’t very productive to try and convince Him of all the things she had tried to do in their argument. She was quiet for several heartbeats, just staring at the mask as she tried to find a way to tell Him about her doubts, about the things she knew in her heart to be true. In the end, she chose to be blunt and direct. She reached up and took His hand in hers, held it tightly as if it were a lifeline. Her attention on Him was direct, her expression serious and solemn.

“If only that were true. This Void, this Hunger…isn’t going away. It is infused into my being…to get rid of it, would be to kill me. That is the only way, and I know this in my soul. Just as You know down to Your bones that You are a Sangnir, and You will never be able to go back to what You were before.”

Her eyes stared deeper, harder, into the mask - as if she could see through it and to His face and eyes beyond. “Any hope that I had about keeping it hidden away in the depths of my being, disappeared the moment I was forced to drain an entire city of its inhabitants. It was at that moment that I realized that no matter how far I ran, how much I tried to ignore it…it would be right there, waiting for me.”

Revna fell silent for a moment, simply gazing at the mask and her reflection, the words of Prazutis echoing through her mind and the growing dread that whether she wanted to admit it or not, he had been right. “I...believe I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength, the courage, to do so. But if I don’t, then I will be too dangerous to be left alive. This will turn me into another entity, like Nihilus was if I do not learn how to master it, bend it to my will, make the Hunger mine.”

A heavy silence befell the two of them as her expression bore the weight of how serious this was for her, on why this gave her so much dread. Revna had a feeling, deep in her soul, that the only way to master the Hunger was to use it - allow it to come forward, so she could exercise her will over it. She could start small...but she had to start somewhere, and soon.

She spoke her next words carefully, slowly, so that He understood the gravity of what she was saying, of what her plea was. “I think, part of the reason why we were re-united, is because You are someone who could truly help me with this - because of what You are. No one else that I know understands like You do. Yes…I am strong…I am stubborn, resilient, and a plethora of other things. But I, we, would be wise to channel that strength into bringing the Hunger under my control, then trying to find a way to resist it. Please tell me You understand.”

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Revna's response was as hopeless as He had been expecting, no doubt a cultivated perception of her affliction to make it seem like an issue without solution. Perhaps it had no simple solution, that much He was certain of, but it had to have some cure. A thought that was halted as it formed in His mind the moment that she compared the void to His own Sangnir condition. Darth Strosius actually recoiled for a moment, not much more than a subtle wrench of His shoulder back as though it had touched something too hot to be handled.

For that brief moment, the mask had slipped. The hand that had just been touching Revna's cheek was trembling, gloved fingers twitching as they shook before He quickly grabbed onto it with His other hand to force the movement to still. He took a breath to steady Himself as she continued, stretching His fingers as a sort of test before letting it His hand fall back to His side. It looked as though Darth Strosius was about to respond to her statement but whatever words He seemed to be thinking of never left His mask.

A whole city's worth of inhabitants drained to fuel the void within her was a staggering thought. While He had little knowledge of the exact details of her affliction or even how many souls she must have...consumed, He did have some inkling of the process of drawing power from others. He had done so in an attempt to win the Kaggath after all, so confident that a handful of people could fuel Him to heights tall enough to shatter the powers-that-be from their thrones. People that were damned to death alongside Him when He found Himself lacking in the power He had thought He gained.

Whereas He had bound them to Himself, later to be amalgamated into His resurrected being, Revna's void had no doubt sapped the city's inhabitants for all that they worth. Burning everything into raw power as it consumed countless lives. A horrid fate for those people and a wretched burden for her to be saddled with, although in the back of His mind there was a thought that had cropped up just as quickly as it would be quashed and forgotten. A miniscule hint of an idea, an inkling of envy and inspiration. He couldn't do that to Revna and He had no idea how He would even begin forging something resembling her void within Himself.

Although her apparent resolve to mastering her hunger, conquering its will to match her own, did incur the thought's resurgence for a very brief moment. The Malsheem had no shortage of souls. No shortage of lives that were bound to cruel and corrupt leaders, lives which would be far better spent cutting down the heads of the Dyarchs rather than serving them. It was a deviously tempting thought. A solution to their problem without the need to expend countless Wonosan lives to do it.

If Revna could indeed resolve the void's battle for dominance then it could be done. The Kainate's strongest weapon and their leaders cut down in one fell strike, of course it was tempting. It was exactly the plan that He could only dream of pursuing since He'd first seen that accursed station looming over Him and His followers. How fitting it would be for the Zambrano pride and greed to fuel their demise. It was almost too perfect. Too tempting. Revna was better than that, more than a simple weapon to be wielded against their foes.

She was putting her faith in Him even now as He idly considered using her affliction for His own ends, to use her to account for His failings. Darth Strosius dismissed the tempting notion with an incline of His head, followed by a quick nod when He realized that she had asked Him a question. "Yes, I understand completely." Of that He was certain, a brief memory of blood and fangs and regret flashing across His mind as He cleared His throat and recomposed Himself properly.

"Where you may falter in your strength to see this task to its end, I will be there to aid you. This...blight upon you is a grim one and we cannot ignore it lest it gain an advantage that we can't match. I will begin researching and studying on the specifics of Darth Nihilus and a handful of other aspects that your condition reminds me of without delay." The Lorekeepers wouldn't bat an eye at His sudden interest in a different topic, they never did. They knew better than to question their leader's fascinations.

The masked man clasped His hands together in front of Himself, straightening His standing posture slightly so that His "wings" were less visible behind Him. "You already have some idea of what must be done I imagine, at least in the broad strokes. I can figure out the specifics and I shall indeed do so, but I believe we should be clear on what to expect from this task overall. The mastery of this void is the desired result, naturally, however you are of course more familiar with this than I at the moment."

He paused and seemed to consider His next words carefully, cocking His head to the side as though silently debating something before speaking again. "If you are...willing, then we can discuss what you need to do now. Although I can only guess and speculate at how best to assist you for the moment. If you'd rather rest and have some time to think then we can let the matter lie for now as well however. A topic to return to when I am better informed and you are more composed and less ailed."

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

It seemed as though the direness of her words struck the Sith Lord rather hard; He recoiled and she could feel a tremble in the hand that rested against her cheek in the moment. He was disturbed enough, or so it would seem, that He withdrew and tried to shake off the tremble, before dropping His hand back to His side.

There was a brief moment in time where Revna feared He might balk at her words, might push back against them, even outright deny what she told Him. But to her immense relief, He made it clear to her that He did understand what she had said, what her predicament was. Darth Strosius told her that He would be there to aid her as she sought to master the Void Hunger, and He readily agreed with her that this was not something they could ignore or push aside.

The masked Sith Lord stated that He would begin research into the late Darth Nihilus as soon as possible, but told her that it would be wise for them to become clear on what to expect from the overall task of mastering the Void. He paused for a moment, seeming to consider what He would say next. He introduced the thought of discussing what needed to be done now, but gave her the option of choosing to rest and think about the matter at hand first. A very tempting thought for sure as her energy levels were crashing, but she felt she had enough energy to continue the discussion for now.

“I am willing to discuss what needs to be done now - though I won’t lie, my energy is waning. A lot has happened over the last…however long I’ve been awake thus far. A lot of…energy was used in all the heightened emotion.” She murmured, exhaling heavily as she blinked back the growing tug of sleepiness that had begun to creep up on her.

“This is a blight, yes. It is a curse…though some might call it a blessing or a gift. I see this affliction of mine as a sort…tool. One that I need to learn, need to grow in, and master…so that I can use it effectively when and where I want or need to. The first time I allowed it to…surge through me, I suppose…I could tell almost instantly that I was barely scratching the surface of what this Void can do through me.”

She glanced sideways at Him, her golden eyes swirling with some sort of inner darkness that came and went in the blink of an eye - as if something else appeared then vanished in the same moment. “The only way I can truly do that is if I let it come forward. I have to…exercise it by using it. That means I have to drain others of their…life essence. But that is where the greatest danger lies.”

Revna turned her head and looked at Darth Strosius directly, a careful expression upon her face as a thought slipped into her mind. She knew, almost by instinct, that if she could feed the Void, then her recovery would be expedited. Her energy would be restored, her vitality…but at what cost? She spoke the thoughts cautiously to the Sith Lord, knowing that He would understand. “I am…tired, weak, frail - right now. But if I had someone or something to…consume - I would recover much faster. It is tempting, I won’t lie. I do….Hunger. But I am too afraid to do anything about it.”

Her dread that surrounded the Void and its insatiable depths was something that she would have to conquer if she was going to learn how the Void worked within her. She knew it was inevitable: she would have to channel it, use it, and destroy lives in order to gain mastery over it. Thankfully, there was no shortage of riff raff and scum in the Outer Rim and enemies of the Sith - so she had a near inexhaustible resource to tap into.

“I can’t allow this fear to rule me. I think, if we work closely together on this…then I could take those steps towards mastering this. But I will need Your guidance, Your strength…to pull me back from the edge. At least until I can do so on my own. I imagine it is much the same for freshly turned Sangnirs...isn't it?” She trailed off for a moment and fell silent as she stared off to a point beyond Alisteri for several long moments before she returned her attention to Him. There was a touch of sadness in her pale golden eyes, but there was also the growing fire of determination and fierceness. She would conquer this; not only would she do that, she would master it and become something that not even Nihilus could have been. Though what that looked like to her was a mystery.

“I know You didn’t…want this for me. Yes, this came into existence when You died but…I don’t blame You for it. I think this is something that has been there, waiting, a lot longer than I’ve known You and Your death was simply the trigger for whatever this is to manifest. I have no proof of that…just my own musings. But since it is here to stay…then let us take this and shape it to serve our own purposes. This opens up a realm of possibilities, and there is still more for me to learn and unlock with this. Imagine what could be done with this...”

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Perhaps you would consider resting instead then?" Darth Strosius knew that His words would fall on deaf ears even before He spoke them, but it was an attempt nevertheless. Even if she hadn't admitted to her fatigue, Revna was clearly exhausted in more ways than simply physical as the readouts from the various machines around her signified. Yet she carried on all the same and the masked man resigned Himself to listening closely so that He knew what to pursue regarding this condition of hers. Hopefully she would have sense enough to say her piece and rest. Hopefully.

She was right that many would see it as a boon rather than the curse it was, a tempting power which could fuel one's rise to prominence and position so long as they could wield it effectively. While Revna wasn't prideful as those that would see it in such a way she did have a point on needing to learn to wield it at all if she was to live with it. Such a hunger had to be kept in check and managed carefully. But to do so it would have to be indulged, one way or another.

A fact which she of course was well aware of when she turned to look at Him properly. "I understand. The option of restoring your vitality and capability dangles before you, easy to seize." Too easy. Darth Strosius knew that all too well. He had few qualms about feeding His own hunger in order to sate His recovery, such was simply a fact of life by this point. Decades of living in such a manner had made Him almost numb to the reality of it. Almost. He never quite pitied His victims for the horror and death He inflicted in His feeding, He pitied Himself for needing to do so at all.

The price of power was always paid in blood and despite His best efforts so little of it over the years was His own. An issue that His daughter may soon face herself. There was a part of Him that desperately wished that she could be proven wrong, that He could find some cure for her condition and seal the void before she forced herself to become something unrecognizable. Before she couldn't stand the sight of herself in the mirror as it was a constant reminder of everything that she wasn't. Before she became anything like Him.

But life was not so kind as to offer such an alternative, and they both knew that. Darth Strosius simply had enough ignorance to hope for something different, but His daughter knew her own condition and the fates that it would bring already. A dreadful certainty indeed. "It is." His words rang in a hollow voice, almost trailing off as though He was muttering to Himself rather than talking to her. The slight drift in His gaze certainly reinforced such a fact, sway off before being abruptly snapped back towards her as she spoke again.

"You think it may have been something dormant, waiting to be triggered and unleashed?" It wasn't at all unheard of for some to bear unique gifts or abilities from the Force, although it wasn't something that He had experienced personally. Typically this would manifest simply as a stronger connection or more inherent capability with the Force but of course it could take many forms and variations. If this was indeed something which Revna had possessed within herself all along then it reframed quite a bit and would need some reflection to understand the full implications of.

"I'd rather imagine how we're going to tame it instead, if I'm being honest." He admitted with a slight sigh. "While it could prove useful, ensuring that you won't suffer from it is my primary concern and shall be the focus of my research and efforts. Feeding this...Void may be the only way to bring it into line, but it could just as easily result in it growing too unstable and uncontrollable for you to handle. We must be cautious and gradual with our work in this manner. These things are very fragile."

Any metaphysical phenomenon was fragile and exceedingly temperamental, He had no doubt that this void of hers would be much the same. Revna already knew that she was apparently capable of draining a whole city in order to empower herself and she had proven that she could do the same to Him if she so chose. It wouldn't take much of a leap in logic at all to presume that if she lost control of such hunger or let it overtake her judgement that she could easily replicate the sheer destructive power that she had already exhibited before.

Containing and better understanding this void would be their first task in His mind, they could get around to seeing if it was usable in any meaningful sense later. It was a weapon that could cut both ways after all. It had to be handled with care and a full understanding of the danger that it could pose to its wielders, and any around her. "When we're confident that we know enough to begin...feeding the void without causing any new strains or dangers then we can work on...limit testing. As it were." He didn't like that wording at all in spite of how accurate it was.

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

​

Would she consider resting…?

His words, though they did indeed fall on deaf ears for the moment, did sink into her mind even as she pressed onward. Maybe, after they had come to some sort of understanding about this condition of hers, then she could rest. She would need to soon anyway, if she wanted to recover more quickly. The truth of the matter however, was that she didn’t want to see Him go. She didn’t want to close her eyes and drift off to sleep and not know if He would be there, or if this was all just a dream. Part of her pushing forward through her exhaustion was done to just keep her newly anointed Father there with her - but she kept that sentiment to herself.

As she explained further, the masked man that she was so familiar with indicated that He did indeed understand where she was coming from, and understood very well the temptation the Hunger presented her in the moment. Revna reflected, in the moment, about the dark irony that out of everything they could have come to terms on, and found agreement with over the course of their discussions thus far - it was the hunger they were both cursed with. In a strange way, knowing that her Father understood this and was willing to be her guide as they moved forward with this, brought her relief of a sort she hadn’t expected.

Revna observed quietly as her Father seemed to grow somewhat distant for a moment, as if lost in thought or memory. He muttered words, confirmation to her assessment but it was almost as if He had been speaking to Himself in the moment. His attention returned to her however when she shared her thoughts that the Void within her had been there for a while, and He responded back with His own inquiry on that.

“I do. Do… You remember when I would sometimes mention a ‘Voice’ that spoke to me? I thought it was the Voice of Bogan, of our god, guiding me forward…teaching the Dark Side before I even knew what it was. Well…when the Void came into existence, the Voice ceased speaking to me completely…but I still feel it there, and it is far more potent now. I…my conclusion is that the Voice and the Void are one and the same, and it was simply waiting for the right moment to evolve.”

To her musings about how her new ability could be harnessed and used in their favor, her Father unsurprisingly wanted to try taming it instead. He didn’t doubt that it could prove useful but He expressed His wish to not see her suffer due to the machinations of the Void Hunger. He agreed that feeding the Void may bring it in line but it also had the equal chance of pushing it beyond her control, or anyone’s control for that matter. She nodded in agreement with the Sith Lord’s cautionary words; she indeed knew just how fragile this was. It could easily tip one way or the other for her, and one simple mistake could cost her everything.

Though the younger Sith woman had expressed a stubborn attitude just a short while ago, she relented to the wisdom and insight of her Master in regards to how they would proceed with the Void and its Hunger that crept ever further through her mind. Revna dipped her chin and cast her eyes downward briefly in what was her version of a bow, before returning her attention to Darth Strosius once more.

“I understand the concerns and I agree with You, and I will abide by Your wish and will moving forward with learning and figure all this out. I will…hold off the Hunger as long as I can but I will have to give in at some point before it takes over my mind completely. I was able to hold it off long term before Prazutis forced me to feed it but I can’t do that anymore. It is very…” she closed her eyes for a moment and clenched her jaw as she felt it swirl and stir within, an impossible cold place that wanted to consume all things. “...persistent.” she said with a heavy sigh.

Revna knew very well that the greatest battle of her entire life lay before her…and it wasn’t a battle that could be fought and won once…it would be something she would have to fight constantly. And she knew that, in the end, perhaps at the very end of her life…it would ultimately claim victory over her. The grim truth, the harsh reality that faced her, was knowing that at some point she would have to be destroyed before she turned into something that no longer resembled who she was. There was the brief temptation to feel anger towards her cousin and her Father, for it was their fight and His death that triggered the Void’s activation - but she knew it wasn’t their doing, nor their fault. Expressing that anger would help neither her nor Strosius figure out a way to bring the Void under her control.

The young woman gazed at the robed and masked figure, her focus somewhat distant as she remained silent and reflective for several long moments, before she decided it was time that she listen to His early gentle encouragements to rest.

“I…I think it would be wise for me to rest now, Father.” she murmured, before a strange and almost childlike or uncertain expression passed over her pale and drawn face. “Will…will You stay here, with me? I don’t want to be alone and I don’t want to wake up by myself…”

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

The masked man perked up slightly at the mention of the voice, a topic that they hadn't discussed in some time. Even with all things considered. "Is that so?" It would definitely seem to prove the idea that the Void had been a dormant or latent aspect just waiting to be fully ignited within Revna, although that did make the matter of suppressing it somewhat more complicated. In His experience it was quite difficult to repress anything which had already grown into a new stage of itself, as it were. And it would more than likely be impossible to remove entirely.

Disheartening to be sure but not as much of an obstacle as one might think. With this Void having been some sort of blessing or aspect granted by the Force and having been latent within Revna presumably since birth, triggered later by an overwhelming emotional outburst, then the answer to taming and utilizing it relied entirely within her as well. If it were a curse or some other enhancement of a kind then it would be different of course but as it was so long as the source was inherent then so was the solution.

That did soothe His concerns and tension somewhat even if it would still be a long road ahead before they could comfortably manage the Void itself. Self discipline may be the key element and it was one that He knew Revna was more than capable of already. Darth Strosius had no doubts that it was quite so simple as that of course but any starting point or progress was welcome in this regard. This was unknown territory and any familiar notions that they could grasp would have to be seized.

Thankfully she seemed willing to listen to His words of caution and abide by them, although with the warning that she couldn't simply disregard the Void's hunger forever. He could imagine the dire consequences already. "I can imagine." The Force's gifts could be very demanding indeed. Another facet that He knew all too well, in addition to His own experience with such an all consuming hunger. Although Revna's would more than likely be far more deadly and disastrous than His could ever be, if He had to guess.

"Once we have a better understanding then we can begin...sating the Void as is necessary. The last thing we want is to act too rashly and encourage it rather than stifle it, but it will handled in time I assure you." Darth Strosius knew that they couldn't quite starve the Void out but if it had any form of will or control as it seemed it might then it could be trained, for the lack of a better term, in theory at least. Conditioned to wait and relent in its ceaseless demand to be let loose and devour. As much as it could be anyway.

There would never be a total control over it, in spite of their best efforts, of that He was certain. But hopefully with the right techniques and dedication they could find enough of a balance for Revna to live without fear of letting the Void overtake her entirely. With the caveat of keeping it sated enough to not want for more than she was willing to provide of course, but that would be of little issue. They had no shortage of enemies and worthless souls riddling the galaxy that they could put to a better use by letting the Void take them.

Such wasn't at all an uncommon or new practice for their likes after all, Darth Strosius Himself and what few Sangnir did adorn His ranks had to feed on the vile inhabitants of the Outer Rim and Wild Space themselves on a regular enough basis. While He loathed the idea of having to include Revna in such a practice in any way, it seemed as though it may be a necessity going forward. He would have to make the arrangements sooner rather than later just in case the Void proved more tumultuous than they already expected it to be.

The masked man was pulled from His musings when she finally heeded His earlier advice of resting, evidently having decided to finally give in to the exhaustion which had weighed on her for this latter half of their conversation. The expression she donned and the question that she asked made Him pause, blinking in surprise behind His mask before a small smile tugged at His own hidden features. "Of course my dear, I've sat beside you this long after all."

He crossed back over to the chair which had housed Him many long nights these past few days and shifted it a bit closer to her bedside before sitting back in it once more. One of His gloved hands reached out to take one of hers, giving a brief squeeze as He sat back and made Himself comfortable. "I will be here all throughout your slumber and when you next wake, have no fear Revna. I'll not be leaving your side anytime soon." Not until she was able to move about her own speed somewhat.

Not until He knew how best to aid in managing the Void which afflicted her, which would afflict her for the rest of her days. Not until He had made up for allowing her to be held captive so long, for dying before her very eyes and leaving her alone. "Get some rest, we can talk more when you awaken next." Darth Strosius would make use of the time until then by doing what research and reading He could from His spot there, just as He had done so for the affairs of the Order of Wonosa. A change in reading material was rather welcome all things considered.

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

What remained of Revna’s tension drained away when He agreed to remain there with her, keeping a watchful eye over her as she rested. She gave His hand a squeeze of appreciation as He said further that He would not be leaving her side anytime soon and she couldn’t help the tired half smile she gave Him. He took His seat in the chair that was nearby and Revna drew the blankets closer around herself and shifted so she was laying on one side, tiredly watching Him for a moment longer before she finally closed her eyes and allowed the darkness of sleep to gently pull her under its waves.

Time passed, minutes slipping into hours. Revna’s form was still, and had her vitals not been chiming with her steady signs of life, one might have thought she was dead. She didn’t twitch or move at all for a very long time, and she appeared peaceful and at rest. Slowly, strength and vitality returned to her, at least partially - and her body healed just a little more.

Nearly twenty-four standard hours had passed since she had fallen asleep, and still there was no sign of her waking up. That was until she started to twitch ever so slightly, and the monitor that read her pulse spiked suddenly. Her mild twitching then turned to slight spasms, as it became clear that she was in the throes of some nightmare she couldn’t escape. Her face, once serene and peaceful, contorted in fear and pain. She seemed to struggle for several long moments, before she finally awoke and sat up with a harsh gasp, her eyes wide as she looked around her surroundings with a panicked expression on her face. It was several moments before it dawned on her where she was, especially after settling fear stricken eyes upon the masked man seated nearby, before she dropped her head into her hands and shuddered with a brief release of emotion. Revna took deep gulps of air as she focused on calming her racing heart and allowing her mind to slowly come back to her and recognize that she was living in the present, and not in the events of her nightmare.

“C…could I have s-something to drink, please?” Revna murmured after several long moments, her hands finally falling away from her face to reveal a pained and haunted expression.

Darth Strosius ​