Private The Lengths That Were Went

[Darth Strosius]

An amused hum left Darth Strosius at the comment of the irony of Thocha's mask, finding it a surprisingly apt addition to their conversation as well. "Yes it is rather coincidental is it not?" While he was indeed on an errand for the Prophet, Thocha's mission had nothing to do with Revna's condition nor with His research and reading on Darth Nihilus. Not at the moment at least. Perhaps in the future He may endeavor to send the cleric to retrieve something relevant to her predicament but He had no real idea of what that could be currently.

Another hum, this one more in agreement, met her murmur in spite of it not quite being meant as a remark for Him to respond to. A very apt assessment indeed. When she mentioned not wanting to overwork her healing body however, she was met by a quick glance that wasn't quite indicative of confidence in her assurance. He simply knew Revna far better than that. Reaching beyond her capabilities was a trait that she exhibited in earnest, it was one of the things which had sparked His initial interest in her after all. Darth Strosius was much the same in that regard.

She was similarly disappointed by His lack of findings thus far but He still had hope, it had only been a day of reading after all and even if the records proved to be devoid of usable information then some minor experimentation could still provide answers. A notion that Revna herself noted as well. "Indeed, a pity that. I wouldn't mind having such a language to use for ourselves, it would certainly make interceptions of our transmissions far less threatening at least." Having most of their more important messages done in Ur-Kittat had only somewhat diminished such a risk unfortunately. Were it not for those accursed holonet translators and the nature of their foes within Sith space, it would almost be a perfect solution.

In His little moment of musing He didn't notice the self-examination that His daughter underwent, only the culmination of a rather concerned expression and a question which had His masked gaze return to her properly. Darth Strosius glanced her up and down for a moment in what appeared like a simple motion of His head but which was altogether a more critical and particular gaze hidden beneath His visor. Over the past few days He had kept a close eye on Revna, noting her recovery and improvement over the course of her unconsciousness both for practical reasons and to soothe His own worries.

Being bedridden and only taking in nutrients through drips had naturally resulted in Revna growing a bit petite and frail in appearance, her body weakening from proper movement and nutrition as one might expect. Upon a more watchful gaze however, it became very apparent that she wasn't just a bit pale and thin from too much bed rest. Her skin tone was off, far too off to be a simple result of being cooped up inside the med bay, her features more gaunt than they should have been and the blackened veins around her eyes much too prominent.

His previous cursory glances and fretting hadn't quite stopped to take in the full picture as it were but now it was clear to see that she was unwell. And not at all in the manner that He had assumed. The long silence after her question was finally broken, signaled by a subtle twitch of a barely visible tendril over His shoulder before Darth Strosius spoke. "Sixteen days." His response was clipped and intentionally neutral in spite of the sense of dread that underlaid His words. An impending sense of concern was beginning to take root in the back of His mind and with a thought the holocommunicator was back in His hand.

"How many?" Darth Strosius pressed a gloved finger against the call button but didn't push enough for it to actually be activated, the dour nature of His question necessitated that it be answered before He did so. "I know for a fact that we have five prisoners onboard for interrogation at this moment, I can have them here within three minutes and have a dozen more on the way within six." Depending on the state of His injuries He could drain the lifeblood from half a dozen damned souls before He was fully sated. Revna hadn't indulged in her affliction at least since her rescue, more than likely before.

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Much of her comments were met with hums, some in agreement with her statements, and one of which was accompanied with a look that she could feel, especially towards her comment about not overexerting herself. She tried to feign an innocent look, but she was well aware that Strosius knew her all too well. It was just in her nature to go above and beyond her own capabilities, to test herself to see where her own limits were. But wisdom and caution tempered her this time. She knew that if she pushed herself too hard right now, she could do irreparable damage to her body.

Her Father seemed to agree that it was a pity they couldn’t decipher or understand the dead language used by Nihilus; it certainly would have been a benefit to their Order, and He seemed to slip into His own musings when she began her self-examination. The Sith Lord didn’t seem to notice this until she spoke up once more and pulled His attention back to her. He gave her an up and down look, one that was more critical this time. His long silence seemed to stir up a bit of anxiousness within Revna as she waited for Him to make any remarks, to confirm or deny if they were seeing the same thing.

Finally, He responded to her question on how long she’d been aboard the ship - how long it had been since He had rescued her. She blinked hearing that it had been sixteen days…just a smidge over two weeks…a look of surprise crossing her face. She’d been unconscious for most of that time, so of course it hadn’t felt like it was that long.

Still, it gave her some idea as to the nature of her Void Hunger. She had been on Dromund Kaas for a few days, undergoing testings and trials before she had received her Sith tattoos, and with that in perspective it meant that she could roughly go half a month to twenty days before she needed to feed the Void. She’d been wounded, nearly killed, and no doubt that had some negative impact upon her in regards to the timeframe of the Hunger. She must have used up much of that stored energy and power while in her coma…or at least, that was her suspicion. If she hadn’t been wounded…then perhaps she could have pushed off the Void for a month before needing to feed it.

She would have to starve herself again to truly see if that was the case or not.

But right now, something needed to be done to reverse the Void’s interaction within her body. It seemed to be targeting her now - leeching away her own life energy to feed itself. A horrific and terrifying thought, for sure. And just another reminder that this affliction of hers was still so much of a mystery to her - one that could have disastrous consequences if she didn’t pay attention to it and study it closely.

Darth Strosius seemed to realize the gravity of the situation they currently found themselves in, as the communicator He carried with Him was suddenly in His hand. He asked her ‘How many’, and then revealed the reason behind such a question. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized He was ready to bring living beings to her bedside, for her to drain. Prisoners, of course - no doubt individuals who would have met their end one way or another, sooner or later. Be it as prey for the Highblood Sangnir staring her down, or by other means of execution.

Revna swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry and parched, as she considered the number He presented to her. Was five enough? A dozen? She wasn’t sure, truthfully.

Only one way to find out. This…is unfortunate but perhaps this is something that needs to happen. So we both can learn from this.

“I…I don’t know how many, really. We can start with the five…I suppose. And if I need more I can tell You...” she said, her voice somewhat strangled. “You said they were here for interrogations? Is that…important? I don’t want to destroy anyone that could provide information for You. But if You feel they can be sacrificed then…I won’t say no.”

It would be good to have some relief from the ever present Hunger that clawed at the edges of her sanity. If only for a brief time. Maybe, too, it would help accelerate her healing. She just didn’t know for certain about any of it - but the thought that this opportunity could provide answers was just too significant to pass up.

Darth Strosius
​

 

[Darth Strosius]

The moment that Revna voiced her agreement, the masked man rose and turned away to start the call. A rather curt exchange followed, beginning and ending within one sentence once the call was answered. "I need the criminals brought to the rear of the medical bay at once." He didn't bother waiting for the acknowledgement or confirmation of any form. The containment level was relatively close to the med-bay anyway, a necessity given the purpose of the few captives that the Harbinger housed.

"Whatever meager scraps of information and intelligence they could offer will be no great loss if they haven't already given them up. There is no shortage of scum and villainy to interrogate in the galaxy and all of them boast to the rest." While the prisoners had been there for some interrogations their fates would have been the same regardless, His own workshop was in dire need of materials. Materials sourced from unlucky and sinful souls such as the prisoners and their ilk. While this would set back His own tinkerings somewhat He supposed that they were more useful in this manner.

His daughter had siphoned a fairly meager amount from Him during her rescue, enough to keep herself alive through the whole ordeal but not enough to damage Himself or to restore her to any significant degree at the time. As such this would be the first time that Darth Strosius would witness the Void consume anything, or rather anyone He supposed, properly. His wings flickered at the thought, a brief lash of motion not unlike how one would stretch a strained limb.

It would be fascinating to witness yet undoubtedly disturbing in equal measure. He wasn't at all fond of the similar notions that kept cropping up between Revna's dreadful condition and His own Sangnir one. The need to consume was similar enough and the ever-present hunger in concept was nothing short of a mirror that He couldn't stand to look into. These five souls may very well sate His daughter for now, just as they would have done so for Him in another manner, but they wouldn't be the last.

His grip on the deactivated communicator tightened as He took a breath and looked back at Revna, idly hoping that He hadn't been quiet for too long so as to not arouse suspicion. It was a steady hand that she would be in need of now, not the doubt of a regretful being. "We can hope that even if not quenching your hunger fully, this little affair could at least expedite your physical recovery somewhat." With any luck her more obvious signs of the Void's gnawing presence would diminish or fade so that they wouldn't hinder her any more at least. So He hoped anyway.

The door to the room would slide open with a pressurized hiss a few moments later and Darth Strosius would adopt a somewhat formal stance with His arms crossed behind His back by Revna's bedside. To the untrained and unlearned eye one would easily miss the distress that the masked man had undergone even just a moment before. Some personnel would enter into the room dragging, literally, five disheveled and somewhat injured individuals in restraints alongside them.

While their march and helmets were clearly that of typical Legionnaires, the rest of their attire wouldn't be as familiar to the Disciple of Faith. Their usual protective tabard and armor having been substituted for dark Zeyd-cloth uniforms that must have been more practical for simple shipboard tasks and patrolling. Evidently proper marine forces hadn't been implemented as of yet. The prisoners were unceremoniously left on the floor in front of the bed, the guards saluting or bowing behind them towards their Prophet.

"Thank you Decurion, that will be all. We will handle the prisoners from here." The Legionnaire which had entered first, distinguished somewhat from their peers by an armband wrapped around their left arm, rose from a bow to nod and gesture for the other soldiers to file in and follow them out. Just as quickly as they had arrived the Legionnaires marched out of the room as requested, leaving the five groggy and semi-unconscious prisoners in their wake.

Clearly their time on the Harbinger hadn't been spent comfortably, all of them riddled with minor bruises and cuts that suggested rough treatment. Darth Strosius cared little for their well-being however. He moved forward and grabbed the nearest prisoner, a Zabrak bearing more than one broken horn, and hefted them up by their throat with one hand. He dragged them over to the bedside where He had been stood and let them fall out of His grasp into a sprawl on the floor there. "Do as you would please my dear, I shall dispose of what's left and bring in the next."

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

As soon as she voiced her agreement, Darth Strosius was ordering five prisoners to be delivered at once to the medical bay where she had been contained for the last two weeks or so. Her stomach suddenly knotted, a flutter of anxiety that rippled through her and brought a chill racing over her skin. There was a sudden vulnerability there, knowing that within a few short minutes, she was going to have to drain the souls delivered to her. In front of her Master. Of course, He wasn’t the first individual to witness such an act - but for some reason she felt more shy knowing she’d be doing this in front of Him verses when Darth Prazutis made her feed the Void.

Maybe it was because she didn’t want Him to see the monster that she was, now.

Darth Strosius laid her concerns aside about whatever information her to-be victims could possibly have. If they hadn’t divulged the information by now, then they probably didn’t have anything of use for Him anyway. That told her that they were being kept for other reasons - and she knew from experience that prisoners were often utilized as sacrifices back on Formos in the Cathedral, and they were utilized by the Sith Lord for other purposes as well - alchemical or otherwise.

There was a twinge of guilt for taking such a resource away from Him - but He was right: there was no shortage of scum within the galaxy.

Revna’s gaze, unfocused for a few moments as she tried to deal with her inner turmoil, lifted to gaze at Alisteri as she sensed a sliver of His own discomfort. He inhaled a deep breath, as if to steady Himself, before returning His attention to her. There was silence between the two of them - she couldn’t see past His visor, and yet she felt like she could anyway. Despite the sudden anxiousness she felt and the vulnerability that was creeping over her, she found strength in His presence there with her.

Just like she had back on Formos, when she had started her training, when she had begun to spread her wings and fly under His ever watchful eye and guidance. Despite the situation, Revna smiled. Formos was gone, but those memories remained. And it was what allowed her to find strength and assurance in His presence in that moment.

Alisteri voiced the thought that, even if the five souls that were to be delivered didn’t fully satiate her Hunger, then perhaps it would give her enough to accelerate her healing somewhat. She was about to respond when the door sliding open with a hydraulic hiss snapped her attention away from Him as her eyes settled instantly upon those that entered. She didn’t miss the shift in her Father’s stance or presence as He adopted a far more formal appearance - standing straighter and with His arms drawn behind His back as He easily stepped back into the role of being the leader, the Lord of Wonosa.

The figures hauling in the five battered and bruised prisoners appeared to be Legionnaires, but their uniforms were different from what she recalled them to be. Once they had entered, they all rendered due respect in the forms of salutes or even deep bows - something that would have bothered Revna once upon a time, but now didn’t seem to phase her.

Darth Strosius thanked and then dismissed the Legionnaires, and Revna watched in silence as they rose and filed out in proper military fashion. As soon as they were gone and the door sealed behind them, Strosius was striding forward to grab a hold of the first of the five prisoners, hoisting up the Zabrak by the throat as if he were nothing, and unceremoniously dropping him down by Revna’s bedside.

Revna shifted her position on the medical bed, the movement certainly slower than she would have liked, as a grimace flickered across her face from the pins and needles feeling that flashed down her legs and into her feet. One, ashen hand gripped the rail that prevented her from falling or rolling out of the bed, as she peered over it to get a better look at the tan skinned Zabrak, studying him for a moment.

Clearly, he hadn’t seen the best treatment aboard the Harbinger; he was bruised and battered and blooded and more than one of his iconic horns was missing - broken off or even cut off in some cases. He was barely conscious, a mercy, really - or so she told herself.

Revna cast a somewhat uncertain look towards her Father, before returning her attention to the man on the floor between them. For several heartbeats, all she did was stare at him, watching the rhythm of the Zabrak’s sides move with his breathing. Then, somewhat hesitantly, she reached out an ashen and slightly bony hand and lightly laid the tips of her fingers against the first section of exposed skin she could reach, reaching into the Void Hunger to awaken it.

The reaction was instantaneous; something stirred, no - roared - a presence that eclipsed her own as if she was a mere star in the presence of a cosmic black hole, and the temperature in the chamber dropped enough so that one could see their breath. The figure, though unconscious, tensed as a blackish mist-like substance seemed to connect Revna to the patch of skin she was touching, and a thin red and coiling tendril was drawn up and around her hand, giving it a faint red pulsating glow. Blackened veins pulsed to life underneath her skin and snaked up the length of her arm, disappearing underneath the sleeve of her medical robe. The Zabrak’s body shuddered as he began to wither, his skin growing pale then turning an ashen hue…the skin wrinkling as life was drawn from every part of him, rapidly aging him…or so it appeared on the surface. Death followed not long after and was quiet - a final exhale of breath - before the desiccated corpse collapsed in on itself - the body drained of anything that resembled life.

Revna squeezed her eyes shut tightly, even as she felt the last of the Zabrak’s life essence seep into her body. There was relief there…but it was like a sip of water when one was oh so thirsty. The Void pressed against her mind, her thoughts, seeking to take over her so she could drain everything nearby to finally have some damn relief from the constant ache that always lingered at the very fringes of her sanity.

It was so very tempting.

It was in that moment, too, where she learned just how dangerous starving the Void really was. Had she gone another day, maybe two…then she wouldn’t have been able to fight back against the temptations. She was barely holding on as it was, especially with what little experience she did have in containing the Hunger. It took every ounce of her strength, her willpower, to not drain every soul aboard the Harbinger of their life.

She knew, too, that there was only one way to prevent disaster: she needed to keep feeding the Void, she needed more. And she needed it now.

“Another…please. Quickly.” she uttered in a strangled voice, the strain she was undergoing evident in her tone, as was her fear in the moment. But despite her fear, Revna pressed forward. She was committed now; there was no going back, no stopping...no matter how she felt about it in the moment.

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

The glance that His daughter gave Him met His usual impenetrable visor, His head tilted so that she could see her own reflection in the dark glass of it. Darth Strosius was expectant one might say, or simply resigned. As far as He was concerned the Zabrak and all the rest of his ilk were dead the moment they crossed paths with one of His followers, their obituaries written in each moment spent within captivity aboard the Harbinger, and now they'd finally earn their keep by sating Revna's condition.

An act of sacrifice that He would make on their behalf to grant them one last act of utility in a life of wrongdoing and malicious behavior, the most mercy that He could grant them. A blessing really, even if it was all for the betterment of Revna in the end. He didn't even deign to spare a second glance towards the Zabrak nor to any of his compatriots, keeping His gaze firmly on His daughter as she reached out to begin draining the prisoner at her bedside.

She seemed apprehensive and He could certainly understand the hesitation, He certainly didn't enjoy an audience when feeding. Such delicate matters were meant to be a secluded affair for the most part. A luxury that Revna would have in the future of course but for the moment in order to better understand her condition He unfortunately had to witness the event in motion. Darth Strosius idly recalled His own limited experience with her draining, the hollow grasp on His very being which had stripped Him of some strength.

However what glimpse He had with her Void's hunger was nothing compared to what He saw then. The Zabrak seemed to quiver entirely then began to almost decay in real time, becoming little more than a withered husk within moments before she was finished and withdrew her hand to let what remained crumple to the floor. Darth Strosius had reared back somewhat, recoiling almost as He took a reflexive step back. His wings curled in on themselves in what must have been some measure of fear or caution, as though they were concerned about being the next to be withered.

Revna's physical signs of the hunger had become more pronounced in the process, the Void making itself fully apparent as it were now that it could freely sate its hunger on the poor souls that were within the room. Himself probably subconsciously included. Whatever words of comfort He might have had to offer His daughter in this dreadful circumstance turned to ash on His tongue as He shifted His footing and glanced down at the remains on the floor at His feet.

He had soothed the concerns of His Sangnir kin before, assured and reassured them of the need and the simple practicality of their feeding habits. Of the deserving fate of their victims after lifetimes of misdeeds and sins. Yet now no such assurances seemed to quite fit. None came from the masked man at all, in spite of how He wanted to give Revna something to hear and take heart from. What could be said? What could He say? He wasn't certain, and that terrified Him more than witnessing the deed itself.

Thankfully He was saved from any further floundering by the request for another to be drained and to be done so swiftly, and almost reflexively He provided. The next prisoner, some Near-Human with some pale green features, squirmed as they were pulled across the room without the Sith Lord Himself moving. Tugged right into His waiting hand before being all but slammed into the bedside railing as the masked man took a step away to give some more room for Revna to do her work.

By now even in their groggy and injured states the prisoners had seen enough of the gruesome display to begin attempting to wrench themselves free of their bindings, fearful looks and muttered curses filling the room as they futilely struggled in their restraints. Restraints that wouldn't be so easily bent or broken free from, they'd only die fatigued in the end. The sentiment rang a slight bit more hollow than it would have before but Darth Strosius knew the necessity of this just as much as He did the necessity of anything.

Even if it was a very grim display indeed. Without waiting for another request or even for the Near-Human to be drained fully, Darth Strosius pulled the next one in line into His grasp and held them there in front of Himself. One might say almost like one would with a shield of sorts even if He wasn't actively hiding behind them. He'd funnel them in one after another if need be, whatever was required to ensure that His daughter's condition improved. Preferably with Himself just out of range for the duration.

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

​

Revna didn’t notice her Father recoil when the Hunger surged forth to claim its first victim. She didn’t sensed the flair up of His alarm or discomfort, nor did she see the curling of His pale wings as life was ripped from the Zabrak. He was unusually silent, a silence she hardly registered as she fought to maintain what little control she had in the moment. Her plea for another was met swiftly and without argument as another victim was practically shoved against the bedside railing and well within her reach. Revna, or whatever she had become now, didn’t hesitate - hands that delivered the touch of death cupped the near-human’s face on either side, almost as if in an intimate or endearing gesture - and within the space of a heartbeat, the man’s eyes turned white and milky as his faintly green skin paled and turned to a sickly grayish-green hue as skin tightened over bones, mummifying him within moments.

Just as his body dropped to a crumpled pile on the ground, another victim was directed towards her and the cycle repeated…another living soul turned into a desiccated pile of leathery skin and clothes in the space of a heartbeat or two, but with each feeding, life began to return to her. Her skin slowly began to return to its normal hue, fullness returning to her hands and face as the deep cosmic chill that surrounded her deepened. Power…beyond what her Master would have ever felt from her in the past…began to radiate from within her and outward, a tangible essence that even the Sith Lord could tap into if He so desired.

And it was barely a drop compared to what she had felt that day when Prazutis had forced her to feed upon that doomed city.

Whatever this was…held both power and promise as well as ruin and utter destruction in equal measure. It was limitless…or so it seemed.

One after another, the prisoners met the same grim fate - some begged for their lives, their pleas for mercy to be met with utter mercilessness before the Void. It embraced them and pulled them into its depths, consuming all that they were. Relief flooded through every part of Revna with each feeding, each killing. The edge of the Void’s ravenous Hunger softened, and by the time she fed upon the very last individual, she was able to finally pull the Hunger back and resist its call. It took some effort still, but she was able to lay back on the bed and close her eyes, the chill sensation slowly fading away as she took some time to come back to her senses and out of the frenzy that had clouded her mind. The blackened veins slowly disappeared from her skin, and by the end of it Revna appeared perfectly normal.

Healthy, even.

Finally, she inhaled a deep and slow breath before sitting up once more and turning her attention towards her Father, a haunted expression upon her face - humiliation, pain, regret, uncertainty. He’d seen the monster that she was, that she had become. It was a moment of profound struggle for her - she was acutely aware of the fact that Darth Strosius no doubt would blame Himself for this. She couldn’t deny the truth, the fact, that it had been His death that had set things in motion…but deep within her soul, she knew that this would have happened at some point in her life, regardless on if it had been His death or something else. It was just unfortunate that He had to be the one to carry the burden upon His soul, the knowledge that this had happened at the Kaggath. It could have been anyone…and yet for some unknown reason, the Force chose His death to be the triggering point.

“I-I feel a lot better now…I don’t think I need anymore. Not right now anyway.” she muttered, her voice neutral but it held the tremor of nervousness. “...I didn’t hurt You did I?”

Of course she hadn’t hurt Him, she knew that already. He’d be a pile of desiccated flesh on the floor if she had. But she still wanted to hear the words out of His mouth, His voice…something to make her feel better in the moment.

"I...I hate that You had to see me like this, turning into the monster that I am."

Darth Strosius
​

 

[Darth Strosius]

While the actual time between her victims must have lasted mere moments, to Darth Strosius it felt like He was seeing a lifetime pass by each time that Revna laid her hands upon one of the prisoners. The process was all but identical, for better or worse, which allowed Him to notice and make silent observations of the specific details of the condition that she inflicted. It was jarring to be sure, even after the final one was in her grasp He still was no more comfortable watching the withering occur.

Yet for the purposes of better understanding her ailment He had to watch. As though He could tear His gaze away anyway. Each siphoning was a chance to learn in spite of how grim it appeared and how it made something within His very being recoil on a level deeper than simple physical aversion. Still, this wasn't for His sake so He could hardly turn away. His daughter needed Him to help manage this...condition that she had been saddled with and if enduring some ghastly scenes was what He had to endure then He would do so.

And so He did, prisoner after prisoner until they were all naught but withered husks and for once in a long time He felt no real inklings of the eternal thirst at the edges of His mind. Revna herself was thankfully looking better after the ordeal, her coloring and gauntness seeming to improve with each corpse that she left on the floor. All in all she seemed to have positively perked up as it were, much to contrast His own slightly hunched and withdrawn stance that He wound up in by the end.

Most notably beyond visible signs of her recovery however was the veritable well of power which seemed to be growing just beneath her fairly placid surface. His daughter had always been more bless by the Force than some, Himself included, however this was something else entirely. A strength that strained at the edges of her form and expanded far beyond what it should have given her relatively lax and fatigued state, more potent than He had ever felt from her before. It was intriguing to be sure and it was perhaps the main silver lining to the haunting display but it was a small comfort really.

Revna could indeed gain much power from simply siphoning the lifeforce of a handful of fairly unremarkable beings, which naturally begged several questions. Chief among them being, how powerful could she grow by draining a being that was far more saturated and blessed with the Force as she was? How close to death had she been before she sapped such little strength from Him during her rescue when such a miniscule drain seemed potentially capable of blooming into a roaring strength?

Darth Strosius chose not to dwell on such questions and instead shook off the stiffness and tension in His muscles to return to her bedside once more as she sat up. It was His fault that she was in such a state after all. Kidnapped, cursed, and now sated. For now. For now that would have to be good enough. When she spoke He felt a bit more tension slip from His shoulders as He exhaled a sigh of relief, quite frankly He wasn't sure what to do if she hadn't been satisfied with just five souls. It would take hours before any other criminals could be shipped in after all, if not a whole day.

"I'm fine my dear," He steadied His hand before reaching out to rest it on her shoulder. "Are you alright? How are you feeling? How much have you improved do you think? Do you need dinner?" The masked man channeled His hesitation into a flurry of anxious questions, not really leaving any time at all for answers to them as He idly gave her another once-over. Her next words chilled Him to His bones however, with Him visibly stilling and tensing before suddenly wrapping His arm around her shoulder.

"Revna Sharr." There was a hint of admonishment to His words but more than anything they boiled with something more akin to raw care. "You. Are Not. A Monster." He was so certain that He shocked even Himself, He never believed such words when He muttered them to His reflection yet now they seemed to echo in His mind as He peered at His daughter and rested His chin on top of her head in an embrace. "You are safe and healthier than you've been in weeks. That is all that matters right now, and that's the only thing that you should concern yourself with. Recovery."

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

She felt some of her tension slip away when Strosius told her that He was fine; He rested a hand on her shoulder, asking her one question after another, not leaving much time between them for her to answer. She was still overwhelmed and reeling from having to fight for control against the Void Hunger, still trembling with the after effects of feeding and expanding her pool of power and energy.

The Sith Lord went very still when she uttered her last statement - having Him see her like that, see her become the monster that lurked within. Then, she was wrapped in an embrace as a rather gentle admonishment was administered to her. She blinked in surprise when she heard the man use her original last name, Sharr, her eyes widening slightly as if she’d been caught red handed committing some crime. She hadn’t gone by that name since she discovered the truth of her lineage. That she was, in fact, a Marr by blood.

A tie that somehow felt hollow, since the events of the Kaggath.

Her Father examined her for a moment, then tucked her head under His chin and she leaned against Him as best she could, simply existing for the moment in that embrace. He had stepped into that fatherly role so quickly, that it made her heart warm on the inside. Like it was always meant to be that way. His voice rumbled through her as He pressed home the fact that she was healthier now, and it was all that mattered. She needed to focus on her recovery - and if sating the Hunger helped her heal faster, then it would be tended to.

The young woman inhaled a deep and steadying breath, one of relaxation and contentment. To know that she was still accepted, despite what had just happened and the danger she posed not only to Alisteri but to all those around them, relieved much of her inner anxiety and fear.

“Thank You…for helping me with this.” She murmured. “I do hope You were able to glean something from watching…that. To answer Your questions I uh…I do feel better…stronger. I’ll still need that physical therapy but…I definitely needed this. Honestly it was kind of a guess on if feeding like that would actually help heal me. I had my suspicions but…now I know it to be fact.”

It was as if their life and health had been sacrificed to bolster her own. She could still feel the essence of their life swimming around underneath her skin; she felt tingly, electrified, and she even felt a sense of euphoria. It would pass, and sooner than she would like. Then the raw edge of the Hunger would return to gnaw at her.

Her eyes drifted to the husked corpses that were still on the floor, still yet to be cleaned up and disposed of. They were little more than mummies now; whatever race, gender or age they had been before death was now wiped away. Revna turned a bit reflective for a moment, weighing on if she should speak aloud the thoughts that circled her mind. She decided to do so, to give her Father a glimpse into another facet of the Void Hunger that both fascinated and disturbed her.

“...Sometimes I see glimpses of their lives…memories…the last thoughts before they fade.” she whispered somewhat absentmindedly. “Sometimes it happens so quickly that they don’t have time to register what is happening and there is nothing but shock and denial before they are erased from existence. But if they see or know it's coming…” she sighed softly, her voice carrying the weight of that dark truth.

Her eyes landed upon one of the bodies…one that had been a female before the Void erased any semblances of that. She stared at it for several heartbeats, replaying those faint memories in her mind that she had seen. “...that one there…she had a child - a young girl who is staying with a grandmother. Eliana…that is the girl’s name. The woman…she - she knew she was going to die and her last thought was that of her daughter.”

Revna gently pulled away from her Father’s embrace to look at him, a somewhat haunted but curious expression on her face as she stared at her reflection in His visor. “Do…do You or the other Sangnirs see memories or anything like that when You feed?”

​

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

At her thanks and the hope that He had learned something from the display, Darth Strosius gave only a hum in response. He had learned so much and yet knew so little. That Revna's condition was something beyond His understanding yet riddled with a familiarity that He winced at acknowledging. That the Void's hunger stripped lifeforce itself from a body. leaving a brittle husk devoid not only of utility but even identity itself in the wake of its feeding. That He had absolutely no idea how He'd ever be able to stifle or cure her of it, only the certainty that she had nothing to thank Him for yet.

"Confirmation is an important step in the road of understanding." The masked man agreed, relieved that at least some benefit had come from the disturbing display. Of course Revna's body wasn't as attuned to the Void as His was to His own Sangnir nature, and otherwise, and more traditional means of recovery would still be necessary. Thankfully. Truthfully, though He'd never admit it, He was very relieved to see that her condition hadn't progressed to the point that it could wholly sustain her. That meant there was still some hope for reversal. In theory at least.

In the brief silence Darth Strosius moved to release His daughter from His embrace although He didn't drift far enough away to do so, mostly due to her whisper stopping Him from moving any further. "...Oh?" There was a hint in His tone at how the admission had chilled Him to His core but it was faint and easily dismissed as simple curiosity rather than dread. Had Revna not suffered enough? Must she also be tortured by these flashes of others' lives as well? Evidently so, as unfortunate as it was.

Darth Strosius was silent in even during her pauses as He soaked in her remarks and muttered unheard prayers for the sake of His daughter, reluctantly allowing her to part from Him only so that He could study her expression to measure her own thoughts of such an awful side effect of an already distasteful condition. Her question seemed almost hopeful in a macabre sense, perhaps with her desiring to know that she wasn't alone in this regard. Thankfully for Revna she wasn't quite unique there either.

Although given the gap between her question and His answer, He didn't want to admit that. "Sangnir do not, no." He finally spoke with a small shake of His head. "Sangnir do draw the lifeforce of their victims out alongside their blood, however it is pure and without any traces of their specific victim aside from differences of...taste depending on the victim's lifestyle and some other characteristics." It wasn't at all a hidden fact that the masked man clearly didn't wish to discuss this matter at all, His choice of words and His overall tone betrayed a hesitancy that only increased when He continued.

"I, however, have had such an experience myself." Darth Strosius sucked in a breath and looked away from Revna, His gaze running down the bed and then to the now discarded restraints from the prisoners. "During the Kaggath I was...drawing power from some of our siblings in faith, as you might have seen. I learned how to do so when I took the power that we had been cultivating beneath the Dresuoti's cathedral into myself. At the time it was simply a method, but when I died it became something...different."

His "wings" became more apparent, curling around His shoulders and draping down as though to enunciate His words. "As I said before, their souls aided in tearing mine in two and when I was reunited and revived they became one with me. In doing so however I experienced not only snapshots of their lives and memories, but also those of every soul that we sacrificed to empower the Dresuoti's reservoir. Every wicked one that we purified in death, and every faithful follower that gave their lives that day we lost Formos."

His tone had been grim and dour throughout the whole explanation yet it trembled ever so slightly near the end of His remarks. The slightest crack of composure that Darth Strosius relied upon so very much. "It is...frightening to see yourself from an outside perspective. Like watching through a window instead of a mirror, seeing the physical yet with none of the context of yourself as you act. I...I have never regretted what we do to the stained souls of criminals and vagabonds and slavers. Yet in those moments, those times of fear and agony...I felt...sympathy. In a sense."

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

​

She could tell the topic of discussion was not one that Darth Strosius wished to have with her. And yet He continued, despite that fact. As she suspected would be the case, He told her that His kind did not see the memories of their victims. Instead, said prey had a ‘taste’, so to speak - something that was an indicator of what sort of life they led or other characteristics. Revna nodded somewhat absentmindedly; this also made sense to her. She did not exactly ‘taste’ her victims - not like how a Sangnir would anyway, simply because the method of draining the life force was different. Hers was more of an emotional and physical sensation than anything. More…intimate. Especially when she was able to see the memories of her own victims as they passed.

However, Revna went still and listened intently when Darth Strosius admitted that He, personally, had had an experience where He had seen or felt the memories of others who had died with Him. She recalled that part of the Kaggath rather well - despite the fact that she didn’t really want to recall any of it. She remembered the way her brothers and sisters in faith, who had been intermingled with the crowd, so willingly gave their lives to their High Priest. Willing sacrifices, that were now bound to Him.

And it wasn’t just them either; it was the collective souls of all those who had been offered as tribute and blood sacrifices in the Cathedral. A solemn and somber expression filled her face as she imagined what her Father had to endure in those moments, seeing and hearing the memories, the pain, the fear of all those who had died either for Him, or because of their sins.

The slight quiver to His voice was not missed by the little woman; her golden eyes shifted over the mask and hidden features of His face, remaining quiet so He could say what He felt needed to be said. He confessed how frightening it was to see one’s self from an outside perspective. He didn’t regret doing what He had done when sacrificing the criminals and slavers and ridding the galaxy of their filth, but he admitted that in the more painful moments - He felt the stirrings of sympathy. It was truly a strange thing to hear, coming from Him. Before her capture, one of the harshest lessons He had drilled into her skull was not showing mercy to their enemies. To not feel any sort of emotion tied to their destruction - except perhaps righteous indignation and satisfaction that another sinner had met their fate.

Revna was quiet for a rather long time - longer than she wanted. She just simply didn’t have the proper words to say to Him at the moment. But there was a small comfort that He at least understood what it was like.

After her long pause, Revna inhaled and sighed heavily, reaching out to give one of His hands a brief squeeze - something to tell Him that she saw the cracks in His composure, and she wasn't there to mock Him for it, that He could reveal such things before her and there would be no judgment for it. Bogan knew she had revealed her own vulnerabilities in front of Him too, and would continue to do so as time went by.

“I'm sorry that You've had to face that, have to live with the memories. I feel it too, You know…the sympathy and pain that comes with knowing and seeing things I was never meant to - especially when I was forced to drain the innocents of the city. I feel it even more harshly when I drain someone who was just…caught up in the wrong place at the wrong time…” Once again her eyes drifted to the husked corpse of the woman, piled in with the others. “...I guess its just a part of this curse we both now carry, hmm?”

Silence fell once more, and Revna was content to let it persist, at least for the moment. Then, she decided that perhaps it was time to change to subject, or attempt to. “Well…now that I am not being driven mad by the Hunger, at least not for the moment…I can actually focus on something else for a change."

She glanced over at Darth Strosius and felt a frown crease her brow with admittedly wary curiosity. The next topic she wanted to discuss was still painful, still dredged up memories and feelings of recent trial and trauma. "What…what exactly happened to the Order of Wonosa after You fell? I tried to learn what I could while I was in the Holy Worlds, tucked away on Korriban. I tried to intercede where I could too but, it was dangerous for both myself and the Wonosans and I had to be very careful about my involvement. Also, I know Formos was directly attacked but I was taken before it had truly begun. What...what happened there, exactly? Who all is still with us? Is...Is Salneva okay?"

Darth Strosius ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

The consolation that Revna offered was much appreciated, even if the only signifier of it was how tightly He held her hand when she squeezed His. At least the pair of them could provide some solace in companionship. Darth Strosius didn't know if there were any others that could truly relate or understand what it was like to see such things through eyes that weren't yours. The toll that it took, even if it was an unfortunate necessity in her case. At least He only had to experience it once.

"So it would seem." His solemn agreement rang somewhat hollow on the grim topic, Revna's own experience with the costs of her condition souring the expression behind His mask even further. Hers was a much more prevalent issue and one without any inklings of a solution that He had found as of yet. She had to endure such a dreadful experience each time she had to stave off the hunger of the Void it seemed, an all too common occurrence that she wouldn't be able to halt any time soon.

Darth Strosius had to find some method of dampening the Void's hunger if not outright eliminating it. Anything to spare His daughter some ounce of tribulation. For the time being though, and after a few more moments of silence, Revna mentioned shifting her focus to something else. Preferably a far less grim matter. Although the topic of Wonosa's struggles in the aftermath of His demise wasn't quite an ideal one, it was certainly preferable to dwelling too long on her condition and its seemingly inevitable status.

"Revna my dear, one question at a time." It was a gentle chide but one spoken with some semblance of humor. Darth Strosius knew how eager she could be for information after all, and this had undoubtedly been a topic that had rested heavy on her mind throughout the course of her detainment. "Let us go from simplest explanation to the most complex then, shall we?" It was perhaps the easiest method, easing her into the more unsettling and undesirable parts of the tale.

"Salneva is alive and well, she's on her way to visit you actually. She had been by when you were first recovered but with my presence here she was needed to act in my stead in some places." There were some duties that only Salneva could be trusted with, for only she would act in them as He would have. She wasn't a perfect replacement by any means of course but when it came to tending to the heart and soul of the Order of Wonosa there were none better. Not even Himself in some instances.

"Formos was assailed by the forces of that wretch Raaf in search of her little brats." The masked man paused and clicked His tongue before continuing, forcing the venom from His words in favor of giving a proper recollection rather than devolving into ranting. "She unleashed plagues and sabotage before her main assault came. We managed to evacuate the majority of our citizens off-world, the ones that weren't infected at least, but she forced my hand. I absorbed the reservoir beneath the Cathedral in order to be able to throw off the attack."

A deep sigh escaped Darth Strosius, the sights of the ruined streets and destroyed homes filling His mind's eye. "We...we lost a lot of good siblings in faith that day. To stem the tide until we had finished the ritual in the Cathedral. Most of our Sith died first, throwing themselves at her beasts in order to spare the others..." His hidden gaze had trailed off to the corner of the room in some mixture of shame and resolve. "...I'm going to destroy that fething company of hers. It's the only thing she holds dear, she taught me that so thoroughly. And once she's surrounded by the ashes of her life's work...I'm going to tear her head off."

He took a moment to soothe Himself with a few idle breaths, rolling His shoulders with a grunt. The impending demise of Taeli Raaf aside, there were more pertinent questions to answer as well. "Between the loss of Formos and my demise, the Order of Wonosa was rather understandably reeling. The survivors of Formos had been moved to Faldos and there the Inquisition put the system into lockdown, I'm told they left their garrisons across Sith space in quite a state in the process of their withdrawal."

He chuckled at that, proud of whatever inconvenience His followers may have caused in the wake of His death. "By and large the Order tore itself apart. The main contingent on Faldos bunkered down, but the holdouts and outposts outside of Sith space were incensed. They decided to keep up the good work they had been doing already, scouring dens of criminals and throwing whole slave markets into riotous uproars. Drawing far too much attention with little to no real organization or planning." In spite of His critique it wasn't hard to hear the smirk in His words.

Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Despite the grim and somber nature of their discussion and understanding of the Void and the events that had just taken place, there was a bit of relief in the form of humor when Alisteri gently chided her to only ask one question at time and her cheeks blushed as a sheepish expression crossed over her face. She had always been one to pepper Him with half a dozen questions at a time; she’d done so since the very beginning, when they first met face to face.

Revna visibly perked up when she heard that dear Salneva was not only alive and well, but was on her way to visit Revna. The young woman had become rather fond of the Exarch, and she had pondered many times during the course of her captivity just what might have happened to Salneva.

“I am relieved to hear that she is okay and is doing well. I look forward to seeing her again!” the young Vahla woman exclaimed, before falling silent to hear what else Strosius had to say on the topic of her questions. Next was Formos and the fate it had suffered; her Father’s venom towards Taeli did not surprise her in the least, and it stirred old emotions attached to memories within her too. Briefly, the memory of Taeli’s visit to Korriban resurfaced, put she pushed it aside to focus on what He was sharing with her in the moment.

To hear that the evacuations had been mostly successful was a silver lining to the dark cloud, though she still felt pain lance through her heart when He told her that many others had died that day, mostly the Sith of their Order. She had known most of them by name, had worked with them on many occasions…and to hear that they were now gone was like a punch to the sternum.

She wasn’t sure if Sith ever found peace in the afterlife - if such a thing even truly existed - but she hoped that those who had given their lives had found some semblance of rest.

Once more, Darth Strosius unveiled the depth of His hate for Taeli, aiming His spoken desire for vengeance against her and her company. She didn’t dare chide Him for speaking so viciously about the other Sith Lord, for she too still held grievances against the Dark Councilor. Revna remained quiet and listened as her Father vented His rage and grief and whatever else simmered beneath His skin.

After a moment taken to compose Himself once, Alisteri explained to Revna what exactly had happened to the Order of Wonosa itself after He had fallen in the Kaggath. Survivors had been relocated to Faldos, where the Inquisition locked the place down, while the others beyond the Sith border all but descended into total mayhem. She nodded along with the information, for this was something that she had heard too from allies and friends made, who acted as Revna’s eyes and ears while she remained bound in chains.

Despite the Wonosans nearly committing self-destruction, Revna could hear the touch of prideful amusement within her Father’s voice as He spoke about what they had done. She wished she could share in the humor, but at the time she’d been so stressed about their suffering and enraged when she heard about their bold attacks and antics across the Outer Rim.

“As much as I hate to say it…the life of a Sith and those that follow said Sith are not without their dangers. We are creatures of conflict, often taking offense at the slightest thing.” the young woman murmured in thought after a moment of silence. “So it does not surprise me that many died, or that any of this happened in the first place. Regrettable…but…it was going to happen at some point, sooner or later.” She turned her golden gaze upon him, her expression more than a little severe.

“Especially where You are concerned. You aren’t exactly the friendliest of Sith, You know. There is literally a line of people and organizations that would love nothing more than to see Your head, the heads of all Your followers, on spikes decorating their front lawn.”

It would be clear, by her expression and the tone of her voice, just how she felt about all of that. Revna sighed softly before dropping her eyes back to the hospital bed and the blankets. She looked around the room once more, lost in thought for a few moments. She decided it was time to confess something to Him.

“Taeli visited me on Korriban after Your demise. Came to give her condolences for the loss, and to maybe try and justify her actions. She told me she never wanted You to die - only to learn a lesson. It led to a rather…heated discussion between the two of us. I-I almost attacked a Dark Councilor that day. Instead, I unleashed my fury in words, called her out on things that frankly were just stupid on both her part and Yours. Things I wanted to say for so long. She… conceded in some areas but defended her ground in others. Eventually she left and I…haven’t seen her since. Not in person, anyway.”

Revna exhaled sharply and felt her entire body tense as a sudden wash of anxiousness flooded through her. She lifted her hands and covered her face, inhaling deep breaths to calm her suddenly racing heart. She hadn’t told Him the full story - but that wasn’t what was bothering her. She wanted to plead with Him, beg Him, not to keep up the feud with Taeli. But she knew her pleas would fall on deaf ears, so why try? And it was this grim understanding that made her stomach twist into knots. It took her a few moments to compose herself again, to push the near overwhelming sense of hopelessness aside for the moment. She would try to shift His course of actions, His need for vengeance…but she wouldn’t do it here or now.

“I-I am just glad all that is done and over with, now. We are reunited with our Family again…we can heal. Rebuild. Find a new place to call home. I…I can help…once I’m feeling better and I’m stronger…if one hasn't been found yet, that is.”

Darth Strosius ​