Private The Otherside

[Darth Strosius]

While Lady Ovmar was gaining a slight lead on them it was nothing too significant, not this far outside of the Forest at least. Perhaps once within it would be a different story entirely. Thankfully given the smile on His daughter's face it seemed as though Darth Strosius would have His answer summarily, then they could join their guide as expected. Were it so easy. His eye twitched at her response, finding some strange mixture of both satisfaction and confusion at the fact that His understanding of the remark in question had in fact been accurate.

Before He could formulate some dismissive response of His own however, the linking of arms implied some further words that Revna wished to share. And share she most certainly did. It didn't take long for Darth Strosius to be stunned into a silence similar to how He had been earlier, albeit this time He was being pulled forwards alongside Revna so He wasn't quite as stiff and still. His first reaction was to simply assume that her assertions must have been part of the odd fog which had clearly clouded all of their minds however something in the back of His mind kept Him listening. Intently at that.

Naturally He had no idea what could be going through Lady Ovmar's head at any time but there was some truth to her remarks on His own conduct in that moment. His hesitation, His allowance, His weakness. Why hadn't He caused any such fuss or disruption? Freezing in place wasn't typically His style. Darth Strosius always had something to say, some reaction, some act to upkeep. Yet for that brief moment earlier He hadn't done any such thing, not even a single sly word.

As requested, He was indeed thinking on what Revna had said. To the point that He was still silent even as she slipped away and moved to close the distance between herself and Lady Ovmar, although He did keep following along all the same. It was certainly an...interesting reality that she had proposed. One that He would have disregarded if He was in His right mind, without a second thought in fact. Was He in His right mind? Darth Strosius wasn't sure if He could tell at the moment, as concerning as it was.

The Forest loomed large and already He could feel the prying fingers and half-heard exhales of elusive notions. Each step alongside the rope only seemed to draw the three of them towards what one would assume to be the source of the tugging whispers yet they seemed to be in every direction at the same time. Disorienting indeed, although His own musings did keep Him somewhat insulated from such whispers until He realized that He was starting to fall behind somewhat. Darth Strosius quickly moved to rejoin the group, His wings pulled tight against His back as His golden gaze swept over the passing trees and His clawed hands dug into the dark rope in His grasp.

He couldn't wait to get out of this realm and they hadn't even crossed paths with the beast of the hour yet.

Lina Ovmar / Revna Marr

 

[Lina Ovmar]

At first, the whispers were incoherent, like the rustling of leaves carried on a non existent wind, lulling them into a false sense of security. Lina knew better, she had made that mistake the last time she attempted to pass through, her hubris had gotten the better of her. Revna's voice slipped across her mind, a welcome voice in the growing noise. Yet it did not ease her apprehension.

Lina glanced back, managing a tight smile to the Vahla before her eyes drifted back to settle on the glowing form of Strosius, his golden eyes scanning the forest, clawed hands digging deep into the rope and she wondered for a moment what demons would plague him. Who would whisper to the Sith Lord. So much of him was a mystery. As his eyes began to sweep back she looked forward again focusing on the way ahead, the path lit by grey light that reminded her of a rainy day on Jutrand.

The buzz of unintelligible noise increased peaking to a point it made Lina wince until suddenly it stopped, deadly silence following in its wake that absorbed everything including the soft sigh of their footfalls.

Caliiiinaaaa
​

Her name was sung, in a breath right behind her ear. Lina sucked in a sharp breath, her steps faltering for a moment before she shook her head. Her mother would not hold sway over her here. She hadn't held sway over her for three decades. Her voice was just that, a voice, a disembodied illusion meant to steer her off course. the lightsabres at her hip hummed with malicious delight.

"Fuck off." she whispered.

A soft chuckle resonated in the base of her skull, making her hairs stand on end.

Revna Marr Darth Strosius

 

[Revna Marr]

Lina Ovmar // Darth Strosius ​

The whispers Revna heard came and went like the ebb and flow of a tide and, at first, she was able to push them off or outright ignore them. But then she began to see flickers of images out of the corner of her eye, but every time she would look - nothing would be there except for one of the bone white trees. The tiny hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she turned her focus back on the rope, and the woman, in front of her.

Somewhat concerningly, she hadn’t heard a single peep out of her Father - even after she had laid out everything for Him to hear and digest, and so she glanced back at Him to ensure He was still following along behind. It seemed as if He had fallen behind somewhat as He was just catching up to her and Lina. She noticed how He gripped the shadowy rope in His clawed hands, noticed the shifting of His golden eyes behind the mask. He was wary…as they all ought to be.

Wariness could save not only their lives, but their souls too.

Revnaaaa....

She gasped suddenly as a voice spoke directly into her ear - a feminine voice that sounded familiar and yet not at the same time. She looked around herself but saw no one, but as soon as she brushed it off, she heard the voice calling her name again…but this time, it wasn’t her chosen name…it was her birth name.

Daraaa…

There was only one woman that had been in Revna’s life, who had known her by her birth name.

“M…mother?” Revna asked softly, a frown on her face as she glanced around herself once more.

I’m hereee… the voice whispered again, calling to her from beyond the pathway, amongst the trees. When Revna looked, she could have sworn she saw a figure standing out there, a familiar figure. Daraa…I miss youuu…

Revna’s frown deepened; she knew this was a trick, and yet…something familiar tugged at her heart. A pain she’d fought so hard to bury deep within her soul. Silently, she continued forward, her grip on the rope tightening even further. She did not like this one bit…but she had to press forward. She glanced around the Forest, then turned her face forward once more, only to hear the voice of her dead mother call out to her yet again...this time it was all around her, and oh so enticing.

Daraa…come to meeee. Leave them behinddd. Join mee...

“No…No you’re dead.” Revna muttered - though she wasn't sure if she said it aloud or just in her mind...this place was playing tricks on her.

....And whose fault is that? ....yourss...REMEMBER?

Suddenly, memories of that terrible day flooded through Revna’s mind - the pleading, the begging, the screams of anguish. For a moment, Revna didn’t know what was real and what wasn’t anymore. “No…go away! Leave me alone..."

Laughter was the only thing she received in response...mocking, cruel and hateful. Revna inhaled a deep breath, shaking her head as if to clear the memories and the voice of her dead mother from her mind. She blinked and looked around herself, trying to find something familiar to remind herself that she wasn't suddenly losing her mind.

She had a sick feeling that this wouldn't be the last time someone from her past came to haunt her. And she had a truly grim feeling that the Forest would try harder next time as it pried at the cracks within her soul and preyed upon her fears and sorrows.

 

[Darth Strosius]

His stride quickened when He saw Lady Ovmar's steps falter, He broke almost into a sprint when Revna's gasp reached His ears. Yet before Darth Strosius could reach either of them there was another noise which forced Him to halt in His tracks. The telltale crack of a blaster bolt. His head whipped around to find the source of the shot but the ivory trees provided no such origins for the sound. It was soon joined by a steadily rising cacophony of blaster bolts and ringing explosions.

Those weren't what really kept Him still however, the sounds of battle were a familiarity and one that He had grown accustomed to long ago. What made the Prophet freeze in place fully were the calls that accompanied them. Cries, shouts, pleas. Cries of pain and anguish as bolts found their targets, shouts of incoming enemies on the flanks or over the barricades, pleas for help as wounded tried to drag themselves away from their foes with broken fingers and unusable legs.

A hundred battles flickered through His mind at once as the voices clawing at His mind became ever more familiar, faces of wounded soldiers which had moments before been resolute and determined but which then were slaked with blood and pain. Dozens of lifeless eyes peering at Him from corpses which were meant to be His peers and allies in the combat at hand. Darth Strosius shook as final breaths and yells cut short echoed in His head, sinking to His knees as they turned from pain to accusations.

Who was He to stand there now? Who was He to persevere while they suffered? Who was he to live while they died around him? "No..." And what had He done to bring their murderers to justice? Why had He not brought low Jedi and foul tyrant alike which had damned them to this fate and scorned Him to live with the memory of it? Night after night of repetitions of war had haunted Him for years and what had He done to avenge them? Even now He was out and about with His daughter and a woman with inklings of interest, even now He neglected His duties.

They cried out for blood, for vengeance, in pain and in agony not only at their own deaths and mutilation but at Alisteri for not doing his part to save them or at least avenge them in death. "I-I'm trying damnit!" He hissed through clenched teeth, although that did little to sate the calls that reverberated in His head. Countless faces flashed through His mind as their jeers and insults and screams filled His ears, dominating His senses with a cloak of dread and anguish.

"I'm-" He choked and shivered with another great boom from some distant impact, one which resulted in more cries and sickening cracks as bodies were sent scattered from it. "I'm trying!" Darth Strosius rose from His knees and flexed His wings, the gilded tips of His wingspan nearly touching the trees around Him as He caught His breath. "You have no fething idea what I've done for you." The cries and battles receded as His memories of His own sacrifices strengthened His resolve.

Of days spent regenerating lost limbs and chunks of flesh, of nights spent sleeplessly pouring over archives and plans of action, of moments spent in agonizing pain as He remade His form to be stronger. Again and again and again. Tireless and thankless work for the dead that He would never forget. Could never forget. For the dead that He saw each time He was cursed to set His eyes upon those such as Carnifex or Prazutis or Raaf.

He had yet to avenge them properly, but He had taken each and every step to do so without hesitation each time. No matter how much it hurt. His clawed hand found its way back to the rope in a vice grip once more as He steadied His breathing. The dead could wait for the moment, the living still needed Him now.

Lina Ovmar / Revna Marr

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Look at them, how they bend to the noise.​

Lina did not turn around, keeping her eyes on the path ahead, even as Revna's gasp and mutters reached her ears. Anaya Fen was playing with her, as she always had, she knew turning to look would only allow her mother to dig deeper, to find a crack in her resolve. That was what she excelled at, breaking her. The shout from Strosius made her draw in a breath, but light from his wings told her he was still up, he was still moving.

"Brace yourselves." she called back to them. "We still have a ways to go. Hold fast to the truth of here and now." Was she reassuring them or herself?

They are going to die, you know, either that or they'll betray you. That's what always happens, isn't it?​

She could see her now, the translucent visage of the red skinned twi'lek black ink decorated her skin was ahead of her, leaning against one of the trees, watching them with a gleeful look. Lina avoided her gaze, refused to give her the attention she demanded. One foot in front of the other, keep a hand on the rope.

Maybe, I'll kill them for you, before you get to attached. ​

She'd vanished from her sight her voice behind her now. Lina couldn't stop the panic rising in her. This was what she wanted, to unsettle her, make her lose focus.

I bet the silver in this ones hair would look wonderful stained red.​

Lina spun then, her hand slipping from the rope as she turned back and found herself staring at Revan crumpled on the floor, blood pooling beneath her. "No." the whispered word carried weight the fear clutching at her chest even as she denied the sight before her. The lie vanished, replaced with Revna, her hand still holding the rope, unharmed.

What about this one? You won't mind if I kill this one.​

Lina's heart skipped as she shifted her gaze to Strosius, his wings stretched from him as he battled his own demons. She took a step, wanting to go to him. Her laughter filled her ears again and she forced herself to turn away, her hand finding the rope. She couldn't afford the distraction, she had to lead them through, to get them to the other side. Yet as she looked up she found herself staring up at Carnifex, his formidable form towering above her as he always had, his eyes cold. The familiar snap-hiss of a lightsaber igniting reached her ears.

I have let you live, for far too long.​

"This is not real." Lina was frozen to the spot, unable to move forward with him in her path. If she drew her own lightsabers, she risked hurting Strosius and Revna. "You are not real." So why couldn't she move? Her mother was at her side again, her voice against her ear.

You will fail. They will die.​

Lina closed her eyes, fingers digging into the rope as she tried to move, to step forward. "I see you in my nightmares, this is no different. You do not hold sway over me. You will not break me. You never managed it before when you were alive, you will not do it now." Energy crackled around her, sparking between her fingers. "Now, get out of my way."

When she opened her eyes, they were gone. Her shoulders relaxed and she let out a breath and took one step, and then another yet on the third something slammed into her knocking her from the rope, she hit the forest floor. Rage contorted the face of the twi'lek as she advanced, a face she'd seen a thousand times before. Lina scrambled, looking past her to the rope, to Revna and Strosius as she tried to get to her feet.

You dare dismiss me! I made you! I own you! You are MINE!​

Lina closed her eyes as the last syllable fell from the ghost of her mother, the lightning she knew was coming coiling around her, searing across her skin. It wasn't chaotic, it was concentrated controlled and meant for only one thing. Pain.

Lina screamed.

Darth Strosius Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Lina Ovmar // Darth Strosius ​

It soon became clear to Revna that the forest was working its fell sorcery against not only herself, but her two companions as well. Not long after she managed to push the whispers of her mother back, she heard and felt both Lina and Alisteri confront their own demons. Revna turned to look over her shoulder at her Father and noticed how He had stopped dead in His tracks, caught up by something she could not see nor hear. Anxiety rippled through her as she beheld Him shake and tremble, before He sank down to His knees as His own private hell consumed Him. He began to whisper back to whatever He was seeing or hearing, and the pain laced within His voice tore at her heart. She wanted to help Him, wanted to say something to help push the darkness back.

But then she heard Lina call out to them both - encouraging both her and Alisteri to remain steadfast, to brace themselves. They hadn’t gone too far into the Forest, and already it was trying to rip them apart.

Fear squeezed her heart as she was torn both ways between them. Lina was still clawing her way forward, but Alisteri was still down on His knees. Revna couldn’t leave Him, but she didn’t want to be too far from Lina either.

“Alis - Dad…get up!” Revna urged, her voice taut with the fear that made her chest ache. “PLEASE. Get up!”

And then, Lina screamed in utter agony - a sound that pierced through Revna’s ears and made her heart start racing even faster. “Lina? …Lina! Chit…chit! I’m…I’m coming! Just hold on…please…” Revna said, her voice trembling as she turned from her Father to try and reach Lina, to draw her back to the truth of their reality.

…and then she heard laughter…dark and cruel laughter that was oh so familiar and made her freeze in place. And then a voice reached her ears: “...what a disappointment you are.”

“...what?!” she breathed as she turned around, and saw Darth Strosius standing there, staring at her. “What did You just say?”

The Sith Lord advanced on her slowly, each step was one that promised malice. “Running away to court those wretches. I know what you’ve done. You betrayed Me...betrayed US.”

“What are You talking about?! Betray- I would never.”

Memories of those she had butchered, her own Wonosan brothers and sisters she had slaughtered under Prazutis's orders while wearing the armor and carrying the banner of their enemy, flashed through her mind - as did the haunted final expressions of those she had been forced to kill or enslave again. Had Darth Strosius discovered her dark secret? Learned the ugly truth? She hadn't told Him yet about any of that...hadn't found the courage to do so.

But what if this was, indeed, just another cruel trick of the Forest?

A lightsaber ignited in one of His hands as He took a step closer to her, and she involuntarily took a step backwards. “F-Father?! What are You doing? Hey…stop!” she snapped, urgency in her voice as He stepped closer to her, the heat of the blade dancing across her skin. This…this couldn’t be happening, couldn’t be real. And yet He appeared exactly as He always was - crimson eyes filled with hate and disgust for her shining through that visor. Genuine fear poured through her veins...what if this wasn't part of the Forest's tricks? What if this was real and her Master was now ripping away the veil and punishing her for her sins? A chill flashed throughout her entire body, wrapping her heart in ice as one of her hands drifted to her lightsaber that was attached to her belt. “Master - Stop! I don’t want to fight You.”

“You couldn’t defeat Me anyway - we both know I am the better duelist. You’re weak, you're nothing…like the Kainite filth you chose to side with. I should have known you would turn against Me in the end - everyone does. No matter, you will die like the rest of them.”

Her hand hovered over the hilt of her lightsaber as she stared down the advancing Sith Lord. Her eyes narrowed, a glare of thought. This…this wasn’t Darth Strosius, not the real version of Him anyway.

Or…was it?

Revna ran out of time as His crimson blade flashed towards her, faster than she could react. She didn’t move, didn’t flinch - just closed her eyes, expecting to feel heat and pain...and yet she felt nothing. She couldn’t hear anything except a sudden loud ringing in her ears, and that faded away to the quiet sounds of sobbing, as memories of some of her past missions with her Master flickered through her mind - some missions she failed in.

...I’m so sorry I’m so sorry I didn’t mean to disappoint you, to fail you…I-I’ll do better next time…please don’t hurt me! Give me another chance! Please!...

Revna frowned; something didn’t make sense here. Darth Strosius had never physically hurt her - even when she had failed Him or let Him down. He had always used such moments to teach her valuable lessons…wisdom that continued to shape her. So then why was this memory and this voice that was echoing through her indicate that He had hurt her?

“No…No this is…not true. Lies…all lies.” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. She forced her mind to recall a different memory, and the chaos drifted away into silence as she found herself sitting in a darkened pew within the Cathedral upon Formos. “My Father would never hurt me. And whatever you are…you can’t take away or destroy the truth.”

Revna opened her eyes…and found herself clutching the shadowy rope, surrounded by bone white trees. Alisteri was still there, as was Lina. The woman’s scream still echoed through her mind, and Revna forced herself forward and towards the other woman.

“Lina! I’m here…we’re here…with you. Whatever it is…it’s not real.” she said as she reached for Lina’s hand, wanting to take it into her own and hold it as if it were a lifeline - one that wasn't just for Lina...but for herself too.

 

[Darth Strosius]

More siren calls of the lost echoed in His ears yet two voices rose above the din and urged Him onwards as He clung to the rope. Lady Ovmar warned that there was still more of this accursed forest to endure, perhaps with the worst of the trials that it presented yet to come the deeper they were enveloped by it. Darth Strosius was already dreading the thought of having to tread any deeper within such a horrid place yet Revna's own desperate words made any thoughts of retreat vanish.

He began all but sprinting to close the distance between Himself and His daughter yet an all too familiar laugh drew His gaze away from her and back to the trees. "Oh you've got to be kidding me-" Ali~ Oddly enough He never remembered her voice being all that affectionate, but the brief glimpse of blonde hair in the corner of His vision was definitely something that He had seen before. And He didn't care to see it again. Can't let go can ya? "As a matter of fact,"

He snarled as He balled up a hand into a fist, summoning what strength He could in such a grim place. ", I think you'll find that I've moved on from you." He cast His hand wind, fingers splaying open and with them He loosed a dark blade towards the tree that He had caught in the periphery of His gaze earlier. It carved into the ivory tree and severed it from the base, sending it crashing down as Darth Strosius rolled His shoulders and heaved out a sigh. "I hate this fething forest."

When the masked man tore His gaze back to the path ahead He was rattled by Lady Ovmar's scream, watching Revna rush to her side to attempt to pull her back from whatever it was that haunted her now. He wasted no more time in idling as He moved forward along the rope and did His best to ward off any further intrusive voices from distracting Him from walking ahead. Yet in spite of everything He still found Himself slowing to a halt when He heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber igniting behind Him.

«This is the truth, whole and unfiltered...»

"Of course." Darth Strosius turned on His heel to see the looming form of His former master, Darth Ophidia, standing behind Him with her blade at the ready. A blade which He held the heart of within His own lightsaber. Though that fact hardly seemed relevant with her glowering at Him from the confines of her hood. As though to reassure Himself of it still He plucked the lightsaber from His hip and ignited it in kind, His wings pulling back against His form as He pointed His crimson blade towards the phantom.

How many times had He been ridiculed and belittled for having Malum assist Him in her inevitable end by the ignorant? By those that couldn't and would never know the full truth of His victory over her in the Ouroboros Crisis, but that lingering question always remained. Could He have beaten her alone? Naturally the masked man had assured Himself that He could, of course He could. Yet now what if He could prove it against her phantom here? It was a tempting idea to be sure.

Lina Ovmar / Revna Marr

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Revna’s voice sounded miles away, a whisper in the wind. But it was enough, enough to remind Lina that she was the master of her own mind, that she needed to see them through this. That Revna needed her, just as much as she needed Revna. A groan of pain escaped her as she tried to focus beyond her assailant, to see the woman she was coming to see as a daughter. The scent of seared flesh burning her nose. A copper tang filling her mouth as she bit her tongue.

Anaya stood over her, eyes full of madness, her assault unrelenting. But Lina had done this before, she had survived this before. Pain was an old friend and she had long learned how to harness it. Darkness seeped out from beneath her, spreading across the path as she drew on the pain, lifting her head to look up at her creator, her tormenter, her mother.

“You. Are. Nothing.” she snarled with heavy breaths, pulling a leg underneath her. “You may have created me, but I have surpassed anything your limited mind could ever imagine.” The darkness began to coil around the image of her mother, the lightning coming to an abrupt halt as she tried to escape as Lina drew herself back up to her full height, anger pulsing from her in waves.

“Now, get the feth out of my way.” A flick of her wrist and the darkness rushed upwards devouring the image, silencing the scream it emitted. Lina stepped towards Revna, taking the outstretched hand and pulling her into a hug as the shadow continued to spread, fuelled by her fury. This forest was not going to stop her, it would not beat her, nor would she allow it to beat them.

The darkness spread beneath Strosius’s feet, stretched till it reached the trees, creeping up them like an infection. They groaned under unseen pressure shattering into splinters that filled the air. Lina drew back from Revna, freeing a hand as she cast the splinters away from them, back into the forest whose whispers had become screams of rage.

Lina responded, her voice echoed with whispers that were not hers. “Mis ru unsin zi dzis ri sosûtari. Nayi winasi!” They quieted, leaving an eerie silence in their wake, she didn't believe for a moment that it would last. Lina needed to get them through the other side.

Her gaze drifted back to Strosius, the saber in his hand alight, his back to them, facing an unseen foe.. Keeping a firm grip on Revna’s hand she reached for him, seeking to grasp his hand.

“Alisteri…” she said softly.

Darth Strosius Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Lina Ovmar // Darth Strosius ​

Lina’s groan of pain wasn’t missed by Revna, but she didn’t let that deter her from reaching out to the other woman, from offering her aid and support against whatever Lina was battling against. The woman’s snarled words reached her ears, but it quickly became apparent to Revna that Lina was not speaking to her, but to whatever memory had assaulted her. Then, the woman was on her feet, anger rolling off of her in great waves - but Revna was not afraid. The anger was not there for her. Lina reached out to Revna’s outstretched hand and drew her in for a tight embrace, one that Revna returned without fear or hesitation. She hugged Lina tightly, an anchor for them both, as darkness spread from Lina and outward beyond them to the rest of the Forest.

Revna hardly flinched when Lina’s wrathful darkness shattered the trees it touched, though she was thankful that sort of anger wasn't directed towards her. The young woman let Lina step out of the embrace when she was ready, watching how the Sith Lord cast the splinters away from them with ease. The forest seemed to scream in its fury against Lina, and she responded by rebuking it in High Sith, her voice echoing through the white trees with an authority that Revna felt in her bones.

The Forest responded - the screams dissipated, and silence fell over the trio and their surroundings. Revna, still haunted by her own experiences, was relieved to at least see Lina was back in her own mind. Now they both could turn to the more pressing matter: bringing Darth Strosius out of whatever memory had consumed Him.

Revna’s gaze followed Lina’s and found Alisteri standing there facing some unseen foe, His crimson saber ignited in His hand. Revna felt a prickle of fear dance over her skin upon seeing the red blade in His hand, considering what had happened in her most recent memory, but she pushed aside that fear for the moment. Lina reached out with a free hand to take a hold of His, calling His name softly in an effort to bring Him back to the present. Revna watched, tension coiling through her entire body, and waited to see if He would respond to Lina calling His name and feeling her hand in His. She was praying that He would return to them...but prepared herself in case He didn't. Lina could easily fend for herself - but Revna wasn't going to let her fight Him alone if it came to it.

"Father? Whatever it is...it's not real." Revna called out after a few moments. "Come back to us. We need You...I need You. Please..."

 

[Darth Strosius]

The duel on Fiviune replayed in His mind as He raised His lightsaber, watching His master adopt the same stance that she held then before He and Malum leapt at her. If everything had gone to plan then Malum wouldn't have been there at all, not needed at all. It would just be Him standing over Ophidia and the corpse as He granted them the deaths that they had earned. His hidden gaze narrowed and He moved His other hand to join the one already clasped around the hilt of His weapon.

Yet it never made it that far. Another hand had grasped His, stopping it and delaying what was meant to happen. Darth Strosius snapped His head to the side at a speed that was simply unnatural to behold, discomforting to any that had some basic semblance of anatomy, yet no venom or vitriol escaped Him as one might expect. Instead His hand trembled in her grasp and His lightsaber clattered to the forest floor as He gasped. His clawed gauntlet was buried in Lady Ovmar's side, her choking words ringing in His ears. "I just wanted a friend."

She had just set fire to half of His capital on Faldos, had just married a Zambrano for Bogan's sake, so why did He tremble at the sight of her dying before Him? "Lina!" His weapon forgotten, His free hand came around to desperately grab her shoulder and pull her close. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't-I didn't mean to-" Darth Strosius took in a sharp breath as Revna's voice reached Him, stirring Him and shaking Him back to His senses. His hand wasn't buried in Lady Ovmar's side, it was clasped in her own and she wasn't at all dying on Him due to His brash actions.

His daughter was standing right there next to her, just fine as well. And He was still holding onto Lina in all the moments that it took for everything to click into place. He stepped back and pulled Himself away from His rather embarrassing predicament, gaze glued to the rope as He reluctantly tugged His hand free from Lady Ovmar's and held it tight against His own chest. "I...forgive me. I'm...I'm more haunted than I thought." But He couldn't afford to be, not here when He was needed by His daughter and Lady Ovmar alike. Not when they were still in the depths of this accursed forest.

Lina Ovmar / Revna Marr

 

[Lina Ovmar]

The sharp angle and speed with which his head snapped around made Lina tense, bracing to intercept an attack, but none came. She felt the tremble of his hand a heartbeat before he pulled her close, drawing a gasp of surprise from the woman as she released her grip on Revna’s hand. She folded into the embrace. “It’s alright.“ she said softly, her heart hammering in her chest, the anger that had fuelled the spreading darkness ebbed away.

Revna’s voice drifted over them, calling out to her father pleading with him to come back from whatever horrors he saw. She felt him pull away, drawing with him any warmth she felt, leaving an impossibly cold space between them as he stuttered an apology, eyes downcast. Lina was rooted to the spot, for a beat longer than she should have been, quiet for a moment too long.

She cleared her throat, arms wrapping around herself. “Yes…well... I could have told you that.“ Lina stared at him, wondering what he'd seen to draw such a reaction, the question was on the tip of her tongue when a high pitched animalistic cry echoed from deep with the forest, answered by another drawing her eyes, gaze narrowed.

"We should move." She had never lasted long enough to see what else dwelled in the forest besides Kirazi. Casting one last searching glance at Strosius she swept away, taking Revna’s hand again as she passed her, retaking her lead, her other finding the rope beneath her fingers once more.

Take you father's hand, we all need an anchor in reality. Don't let him pull away.

The message was a quiet plea, one she did not want him to hear. Only when she was certain they were ready did she move again, leading them closer to their goal. Praying to Bogan that they'd reach the lair, before whatever was coming reached them.

Revna Marr Darth Strosius

 

[Revna Marr]

Darth Strosius // Lina Ovmar ​

Darth Strosius’s reaction to Lina’s touch reminded Revna that her Father was no mere mortal; only a Sangnir could move like that without snapping their neck or tearing muscles from the swiftness of their movements. The motion caused both Revna and Lina to tense, prepared for any aggressive or otherwise hostile actions from His side - but no such thing occurred.

Instead, something more wondrous and strange took place - something Revna wouldn’t have believed unless she witnessed it with her own eyes.

The lightsaber in His hand clattered to the ground and in one rather fluid motion, He drew Lina in for an embrace as waves of abject horror rolled off of Him. He stuttered as He tried telling Lina that He was sorry for something, but Revna couldn’t see nor understand why He would be apologizing for anything.

It must be whatever vision or memory He’s seeing…

That was when she called out to Him, hoping her voice would reach through to Him and pull Him back from that edge. And thank the Force, it seemed to work. He inhaled a sharp breath that even she heard through His mask, and He went very still indeed. He seemed to almost process what was happening - separating reality from fiction. He still held onto Lina like a lifeline…and had the situation been any different, Revna might have cried tears of joy at seeing the scene. But they were in the Nether, in the Forest that was trying to rip them all apart and was torturing their minds.

But something else took root in Revna’s mind - another observance that told her something truly was there between her Father and Lina. He hadn’t pushed her away, even while in the throes of whatever memory had assailed Him. No…He had pulled her closer, in a manner as if to offer comfort for whatever it was He had done. And for her part, Lina hadn’t resisted that embrace. She had practically melted into it.

If Revna hadn’t been so tight with tension and stress…she would have leapt up and down in joy. But that joy could come later - once they all made it out alive and in one piece.

But one thing was for certain as Revna watched Darth Strosius reluctantly pull away from Lina, she was not going to let her stubborn fool of a Father brush whatever this was under a rug.

"I...forgive me. I'm...I'm more haunted than I thought." the Sith Lord murmured towards both Revna and Lina.

“Yes…well... I could have told you that." was Lina’s reply as she wrapped her arms around her midsection. Revna remained quiet a moment longer, simply glancing between the two of them - reading their body languages and picking up on things that perhaps others might miss.

A high pitched cry echoed through the Forest, and pulled the trio out of whatever seemingly uncertain or awkward moment that might have transpired next. Lina didn’t hesitate; she told them that they needed to move and she reached out and took hold of one of Revna’s hands as she stepped past, her other hand grabbing a hold of the shadowy rope. She passed a mental message along to Revna, encouraging her to take her Father’s hand and to not let Him pull away. The young Vahla woman didn’t hesitate; she glanced back at the still somewhat shell-shocked Sith Lord and reached out for His free hand, her grip surprisingly strong for being a smaller person.

“Do not let go of my hand.” Revna murmured to Him, the serious expression on her face enough to get the message across to Him - or so she hoped, anyway. “And if anything else tries to distract You or confuse You…squeeze my hand. Okay?”

Revna turned her gaze back to Lina and gave a small nod to indicate she was ready to continue. The sooner they got through the Forest and towards their intended target, the better. For now, the Forest seemed cowed by Lina’s authority - and it would be wise of them to take advantage of the silence while they could.

But she sure couldn’t wait to get the hell out of the Forest; Revna decided that she rather hated seeing both Lina and Alisteri suffer from whatever nightmares and memories that plagued them.

 

[Darth Strosius]

In spite of the evident solemness in Him at the moment, Lady Ovmar's quip did earn an amused huff from Darth Strosius. A subtle bit of warmth that seemed to override whatever embarrassment clung to Him, if only briefly. Were it not for the forest around them and the task at hand still heavy in His mind even with the flickers of memory assailing Him, perhaps He'd be able to save face a bit with some remark or little gesture to make up for the uncomfortably long time that He'd been clutching onto her.

Before any such hypothetical saving of face could be done however His attention, as well as all of theirs really, was drawn back to the forest as a cry rang out and through the short silence between the three of them. "That we should." As ever Lady Ovmar was on point thankfully. Darth Strosius summoned His lightsaber back into His grasp and deactivated the crimson blade as He slid it back into His robes, reaching to grasp the rope once more only to pause when He noticed Revna reaching out to Him.

He cocked His head to the side at her request yet the tone of her words left little room for argument or bravado and He didn't hesitate to take her hand into His own. "So long as you do the same, my dear." In truth Darth Strosius was doubtful that He'd intentionally give her any sort of indication that the forest was hindering Him, if He could help it at least, but He could try. He knew well enough that Revna's life hadn't been any easier or less haunting than His own though and that concerned Him far more than what other ghosts from His own past He'd have to face.

With any luck the worst had been thrown their way already. He sincerely hoped so at least, and most certainly not just for His sake. When they resumed moving forward they were grouped together, right on each other's heels and theoretically ready to intercept if one of them began drifting off the path again. Although Darth Strosius wasn't quite certain how they would fare if all three of them were subjected to visions and hallucinations at once again, yet He didn't pay any heed to such thoughts. Not when His gaze was focused on shifting between Revna and Lady Ovmar to watch for signs of distress.

Lina Ovmar / Revna Marr

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina picked up their pace, all but pulling Revna and Lord Strosius forward. She wanted to get to the other side, she wanted to be free of this forest taunts, to get them free of it. She didn't like the way His hands had trembled when he'd pulled her close, and she dreaded to think what horrors it was making Revna relive. The keening cries grew in number, a hunting pack calling its excitement, drawing more and more in.

She could hear the beat of leather wings as they drew closer, swiftly followed by the groan of wood under pressure, creaking and cracking. Lina looked up and drew them to a halt. Clinging to every tree in sight, were a dozen bat like creatures. Their skin was pale grey, stretched so thinly across its skeleton you could see the muslces an veins beneath. Where eyes should have been were hollow pits, yet they seemed to have no issue seeing all three of them. Their long faces ended with a star of short tentacles, no doubt for gripping on to whatever they bit. they reminded Lina a little of mynocks, only twisted and clearly far more interested flesh than power supplies.

"I do not know these beasts." she said softly, scanning the trees, more and more approached the din of their cries almost deafening until suddenly it wasn't, until there was a moment they all seemed to lean forward. Warning trickled up her spine. Lina let go of Revna's hand, her sabers slipping into her palms.

"Run."

The moment the single syllable left her lips they took flight, diving straight down for the three of them, the keening cry became an angry scream. Lina's sabers flashed, carving one from the sky as it swooped too close, the smell of sulphur burning her nose.

Darth Strosius Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Darth Strosius // Lina Ovmar ​

Revna didn’t fight against Lina’s pull as the woman guided her and Alisteri further and deeper into the Forest. Whispers still tugged at the edges of Revna’s awareness, but she kept her focus on Lina and the feel of her Father’s hand in her own - something to ground her and keep her present and aware. Beyond them, the rallying cry of some sort of Netherworld hunter filled the air, a warning sign to them all that something knew they were there and now the three of them were being hunted.

The woods groaned and cracked, and Lina stopped in her tracks to look up. Revna followed suit, and felt her blood freeze in her veins. Staring down at the three of them were strange batlike creatures, gray skin stretched over their bodies. They had no eyes - just pits, but the creatures seemed perfectly capable of tracking them despite this seeming drawback. Revna’s own blackened eyes traced the creatures, and stared perhaps a little too long on the tentacles that adorned their faces.

The deafening sound of the creatures suddenly came to a halt as they all seemed to tense. At that moment, Lina told them all to run, but it was too little, too late.

The creatures dove towards the three Sith, their cries erupting into angry screaming. Lina’s lightsaber was ignited and she sliced into one of them almost instantly, cutting it from the sky. Two dive bombed Revna, and she reacted out of instinct by releasing a stream of purple-red arcs of lightning from her free hand to fry them and whoever else flew into the lightning’s line of fire, her other hand releasing her hold of her Father’s hand in order to grab her own saber.

Already, more were swooping in on them, and the more she looked the more she realized that they were way outnumbered. She probably should have run…but she wasn’t leaving Lina behind to face all these creatures alone. Another swooped down and Revna’s crimson blade flashed, cutting off half the creature’s face in the process. The odds seemed impossible…but then something stirred within Revna’s mind.

The Void.

She felt it pressing against the confines of its cage, eager to be released. Revna hesitated for a moment, her fear of what she might do to both Lina and Alisteri at the forefront of her mind. If the Void worked here, then she could amplify her power tenfold, and perhaps even have enough to share that power with her two companions for the fight that was to come.

Alisteri would feel Revna’s mind reach out to Him, and with it came her soft inner voice, though it was edged with fear and uncertainty: -Anchor me to reality. If You feel me start to slip away, pull me back by any means necessary-

It would be the only warning her Father would get as Revna dropped her restraints, and the Void surged to the forefront. It took all of her will power to direct the shadowy black and red tinged tendrils that erupted from her form upwards and towards the batlike creatures - tendrils of Hunger seeking out prey. With each one they touched, the creatures withered and turned to dust that drifted down over all three of them like gray snow. Beneath Revna’s feet, black lattice-like ice seemed to grow and crystallize and the very atmosphere around her became so cold, a kind of aura that sucked any form of heat or life or light around it and into itself.

Like a cosmic black hole: ever hungry, ever devouring.

With each feeding, Revna could feel herself swell with power. It was intoxicating, and she wanted more, longing to feel the edge of the Hunger fade away, if only for a little bit. With it came an exhilarating sensation of euphoria - but it was a razor’s edge. If she reached too deep, then she ran the risk of killing those she cared about.

Shadowy tendrils, which seemed to have a mind of their own, raced upward and outward, seeking the batlike creatures - even wrapping around or crawling over the trunks of the trees around them. And, unbeknownst to her, spindly needles of the black frost-like substance beneath her began to creep towards both Lina and Alisteri - eager for their life essence too.

Through the connection of her mind to her Father’s however, the Sith Lord would sense something ancient but strangely familiar watching Him. It carried the same presence with it as the strange thing that had been with Revna the day she had bled her first lightsaber crystals on Formos...

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius was content to let Himself be guided and pulled along deeper into the forest, His own gaze still on a swivel around them and then back to the two of them. The cries hadn't been left behind however, rather they were growing all the more near and present it seemed. Heralded by what sounded like wings flapping which would certainly explain their haste in catching up. He idly wondered why He hadn't thought of flying over the forest before but that thought was cut short when Lady Ovmar suddenly came to a stop.

He fixed the creatures with a golden glare, tightening His grasp on Revna's hand as He surveyed the unusual beings. They were like something pulled out of a nightmare, wretched and twisted little beasts that seemed to leer down at them with an unmistakable hunger. That Lady Ovmar apparently didn't know what they were and thus what they were capable of was rather concerning indeed. He wasn't quite sure what to expect but when they began diving down He knew there was little time to waste in observations.

Unfortunately being a glowing being in front of a bunch of vicious flying creatures was inadvisable as it turned out, as several dove straight for Darth Strosius. Lightsabers and lightning flashed but He didn't have time to draw any weapons or summon forth any powers of His own, not when they were already start to latch onto the tips of His wings with their claws and odd mouths. Already He could feel sharp spikes of pain that reverberated throughout His entire being and He didn't care for it one bit.

So He simply did what came naturally.

His wings flared as they flapped into one another, crushing the little beasts which had sought to gnaw into them and letting them crumple to the ground. He leapt up and snagged another one from the air, slamming into the ground with a sickening splatter. The tips of His wings jutted forward as He flexed them, skewering another of the creatures and batting one to the ground in the same movement. He reared back and caught a particularly bold one with a backhand, sending it flying into a tree. "Horrid little wretches!"

Darth Strosius tucked His wings back and readied Himself to leap into action once again but the unspoken words of His daughter filtered through to His mind and forced Him to pause and cast a glance back at her. The power that erupted forth from Revna made Him wince and recoil almost instantly, drawing His wings back against Himself as though afraid that a stray tendril would catch them. The pests were being drained and dragged from the sky more and more with each passing moment but it didn't take long for some stray strands to begin drifting towards Him and Lady Ovmar as well.

He spied the creeping substance and felt cold fear and dread sink into the very pits of His soul. He didn't know if Lina had seen them moving her direction as well but He knew that they had to be stopped and quickly. Whatever was left of the creatures could be mopped up easily enough, but He knew there was no undoing or recovering from a full drain from the Void. Especially not in a place like this where there was no barrier between soul and body.

"Revna that's enough!" There was no real authority or bite to His words however, the choir trailing them actually seeming to fall silent and allow for His own abject horror to be heard amidst the screeching of the creatures. Darth Strosius could sense something unusually familiar about the Void here. Something that He hadn't felt since.... "Oh chit."

Lina Ovmar / Revna Marr

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina’s lightsabers blurred carving morenfrom the sky as the dove for her, aware of her companions fighting to keep them off themselves. One found purchase on her arm tentacles coiling around her bicep and needling pain shot tore through her arm. She hissed, her blade flashing as she decapitated it, its body fell away though the head remained locked in place. She dropped a saber to pull it free when she felt the surge of power beside her.

Her head swivelled round as dark energy erupted from Revna, red tinged tendrils began snatching the creatures from the sky turning them into dust. This was what she had felt in Revna, what she had always sensed stirring beneath the surface and it was beautiful.

She took a step forward, the head latched to her arm forgotten, entranced by the power and beauty of it. Something crunched underfoot drawing her gaze down to the black lattice work of ice that spread from beneath Revna's feet. "Fascinating." She whispered.

Terror in Lord Strosius's voice made her look up her mouth opened to ask him what was wrong when she felt the cold creep up her leg pulling more than just heat from her. She felt the drain, the pull at her life essence, her eyes widening.

"Revna..." she said softly before closing her eyes and doing the only thing she could to stop herself being consumed. Lina opened a door letting a hunger deep within her stir and began to pull back, draining just enough to keep herself from being lost. Her mind brushed against Strosius's.

Stop her.

Darth Strosius Revna Marr

 

[Revna Marr]

Darth Strosius // Lina Ovmar ​

She hardly noticed the actions taken by Darth Strosius or Lina in her current state; oh she was certainly aware of them, or rather, the Void was.

The Hunger noticed the pulse of life that thrummed under their skin, though one of them appeared different in the eyes of the Void. Life of its own sort animated Alisteri, but not in the same way it did with Lina. She was human…the other was certainly not.

But life was life - both could be drained to feed the Hunger, even if one of them was a Sangnir...

Distantly, Revna heard her name echoed and the voice sounded familiar - but the driving need to feed kept her from focusing too closely on the voice that called to her. Darkness, cold and eternal, wrapped its wings around her in a possessive manner. Red eyes bored into the mind of Darth Strosius - and a distinct impression of possessiveness would be passed through that connection between Revna’s mind and that of Alisteri’s. As if the Void was telling the Sith Lord that she belonged to it. Like she was nothing but a slave to it, a vessel for its will…and there was nothing He could do to stop it from consuming her. From owning her. From bending her to its will and feasting until there was nothing left to consume in the galaxy…

Revna recognized the cold and detached thoughts a moment before it was too late, and she wrestled control over the Void’s will with her own and redirected its focus to the winged creatures still attacking them. No sooner had she done this, however, than she felt power and life seep into her - a flicker of a memory that wasn’t her own, that carried Lina’s face.

Then she felt a drain on herself, a tug of war that reminded Revna of her first interaction with the entity known as the Lord of Hunger. Instinctively, she reacted by turning her focus on that which was trying to drain her, seeking to neutralize it so she could continue with what she was doing.

Revna realized that something was going wrong; the control she had over the Hunger, while she had some control - it was not anywhere near as strong as it should have been. It was as if the Netherworld was empowering the Void itself and any hope she had to master it here was slipping through her fingers.

Chit…

She had to cage the Void again - before she killed both people she cared so deeply for. Her body wobbled, then she slipped to her knees, the black ice cracking and crumbling underneath her. Small and pale hands lifted to clutch the sides of her head as her face contorted into a grimace, not of pain but of sheer concentration. She tried to find the safe place within the depths of her mind and memories: the garden and its water fountain. She sent a silent plea to her Father to meet her there, as the Void couldn’t penetrate that sacred space…but it would require Him to dive into her mind, and it would leave her memories open and vulnerable for Him to see.

But it was perhaps the only option left now to pull her back from the edge of utter oblivion.

 

[Darth Strosius]

It was difficult to discern the barrier between His mind's eye and what He saw with His golden gaze within this realm, a fact which hadn't seemed all that apparent until now. Darth Strosius found Himself blinking at the leering red eyes that seemed to exude the void's pitiless aura and deadly extensions, squinting to peer past them and at Revna herself. Yet their presence was still heavy within His senses, all of them, to the point that He could almost hear the withering that it brought to the small creatures in real time and feel the chill seeping through His robes.

It wasn't until Lina's mind brushed against His and uttered two simple words that He realized He'd almost backed right off of the path and into the treeline around them during His little retreat. Darth Strosius shook His shoulders and took a breath to steady Himself and still His legs before they could carry Him any farther back. His daughter had collapsed to her knees within the center of the unusual black ice spread by the Void and seemed to be doing her best to attempt to reel it back under her control.

An effort which hadn't borne much fruit as of yet from what He could tell. The silent plea reached Him and He cast Lady Ovmar a glance before nodding towards Revna. "Get back, this may take a minute." Casting Himself into the minds of others wasn't unfamiliar to Him at all of course but it was a technique of the Force that He personally didn't enjoy making use of. The mind was the only real sacred and solitary place in the cruel galaxy, only those that had earned His ire and contempt would have it invaded by His own will.

Yet Revna evidently couldn't quite finish the struggle over the Void alone and He had no intentions of getting close enough to attempt any other methods of doing so, so no matter how distasteful He readied Himself and focused. "Just keep those wretched little beasts off of me, if you would." With another breath He closed His eyes briefly as His mind stretched out. Past the point of no return and into the grip of the Void where His daughter's presence lurked within its core.

Lina Ovmar / Revna Marr

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina felt the pull on her essence increase, like the creature within and realised she was pulling back. She knew this wasn't Revna, she knew that the woman she had chosen as her daughter would never hurt her willingly.

Daughter.

Her daughter.

The revelation of emotion she had not yet given a name struck her like a chord, sending a wave of warmth washing over her, followed rapidly by fury. Whatever this thing was, it was hurting Revna. She maintained her own drain out of necessity as Strosius moved forward telling her to get back. Her gaze travelled down to the ice creeping up her calf and inching its way over her knee.

“I'll be fine.” She told him through gritted teeth, finally tearing the head away that was still clamped to her arm, before reigniting her second saber.

Sensing vulnerability and a shift in the energy of their targets, what was left of the flock began a desperate dive for the three of them once more. As Strosius closed his eyes Lina's shadows surged, spreading under his feet and growing around him in a lattice shield the beast's could not penetrate.

Holding the shield, maintaining the force drain and keeping the creatures off her own back was rapidly eating at her energy. Her lightsabers flashed, the red blur carving another creature from the sky as the ice began to bite into her thigh.

Revna Marr Darth Strosius