Private The Siren

[Tara Willows]

THE SIREN​

It was finally happening. Tara Willows was becoming a Sith. She had wanted this her entire life; she just didn't know it at the time. Through the Empire she would learn all that she could about the Force and use its abilities to make sure she lived a life of comfort and security. Power was what the white haired girl craved. Power and strength. Tara didn't want to answer to anyone ever again. Well, except for her new master. There was no getting around that.

Sith lord Alina Tremiru had decided to take on Tara as her third acolyte. Tara wasn't sure how comfortable she was with the thought of two other people learning alongside her. She really didn't like competing, even for attention. She'd grown up with two younger sisters and hated the fact that she felt like she was being compared to them, and vice versa. Tara just wanted to be her own person and not what everyone else expected of her.

Today the new acolyte would meet her master face to face. There had been some holovid interactions previously, but never in person had they met. That changed today. As Tara entered the great halls on Dromund Kaas she found herself in wonder at the size of it all. The great tall statues depicting lords of old. It was truly a sight to behold. She wondered if one day someone would make a statue out of her. That might be weird. But then again, she craved that power that came with clout.

Tara was wearing a brand new outfit today: a black suit and ripped pants with a long overcoat strung over her shoulders. She wanted to feel powerful. And so she did. She bought herself a fancy new attire to show she meant business. And no one would ever tell her not to do something. She was a Sith now. That came with its own authority. All she needed now was a lightsaber, and she had a few ideas in mind for that. Tara wanted to be different. She didn't want some run of the mill sword. Tara wanted to stand out and be memorable. Hence the jacket slung over her back.

Walking into the meeting hall she saw the woman who'd been on the receiving end of her holo messages. She knelt down on one knee and would bow her head. "Greetings my master."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Training the new generation of Sith. It wasn't something she had exactly planned to be doing, but it proved to be one of the best ways for her to work on controlling the Sith herself. Their paths, who they became. She could shape the next generation and avoid any more monsters like Vulcanus. Break traditions that murdered so many of the young before they had a chance to truly become strong. Tara Willows was the third, but far from the last of the apprentices she would take on.

She wore the usual work out attire she had, hands clasped behind her back. Saber hooked to her waist. In truth, this was the first time she'd meet a Sith who hadn't been brought up as one. A learning experience for them both.

"You can stand. I'm overseeing your training, but I am no Sith Lord. Not yet. Call me Alina while we're alone." Yeah, that confirmed it. She really didn't like the term master. Given the person she was closest to was an ex slave, it wasn't much of a surprise.

"We'll get started immediately. Why are you Sith?"

 

[Tara Willows]

Tara would rise as she was instructed, and told not to call the woman standing before her master. Tara wouldn't mind this. She didn't really like the idea of submitting to someone anyways. Though calling the woman by her first name was a little much too. There wasn't a good way to compromise it seemed. Maybe she could get away with teacher?

As she stood there with her hands behind her back she would ask the white haired Sith why is it she wanted to become a Sith. No easy question. "I want to be a Sith for power." she said simply. "I've lived a life of subjugation. A life of nothing. I'm tired of it. All my life I've known that I was something greater and never got the chance to prove it. I want to lead. I want to be in charge. I want to show the world what I am capable of."

She hoped that would be a good enough reason. It was selfish for sure, but wasn't that what the Sith code was all about? Follow your passions? Be free to do as you desire. Well, this is what she desired. Power.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"And what is it you're capable of?" The aspiration to rule was one that was often overlooked. Decent, but was that it to her desires and wants? Alina watched Tara Willows with a cenacle eye, quite literally judging her worth in this moment. The Knight wanted, no, needed those who could serve her well if she was to take over the Empire. The Sith.

"Show me."

 

[Tara Willows]

Of course her master would ask her the most difficult question of all. What are you capable of? Well tara could make a list of things, like Force Jump, Force Pull and Push, all the basics really. But she had a feeling Alina wanted more than that. Looking around Tara tried to think about what she could do. Her first thought went to her saber. She'd been getting pretty good with that.

Taking the front side of her hilt, she would unclip it from her belt and unfold the blade so it was now a double saber. She ignited both beams -orange in color- then tossed the blade. It spun rapidly as it arced around one of the nearby pillars. Tara rushed towards it as it came back around and flipped at the last second to catch the blade underneath her. She landed with a twist and then held her pose for effect. It wasn't much, but it was a show. Now, if only Tara could show her the Forced Drain. That was her first gift she'd learned to perfect. The first one she'd used to kill.

Done with her saber, she extinguished the blades and put the collapsed hilt back onto her belt. She looked around again, trying to think of more things to do. She looked over at one of the training racks where there were a host of weapons. Tann reached out with both hands and focused. The blades and the knives began to shake until they rose up from their placeholders. Tara had a good dozen of them in her control. She brought them over to her with some difficulty, but without dropping them.

Tara would then lower her arms as she focused more intently on what she was doing. The blades began to spin around her in an organized loop. Tara exhaled. This was taking a lot of concentration. And for an Acolyte, she was showing a lot more control than what one might expect of her. Tara didn't have any formal training. Not with the Dark side. Or any side technically. But she believed. She taught herself to unlearn what she had learned. All her life she imagined what the Force could do for her and now that she unlocked it, it was like she'd been practicing all along. She just didn't have the experienced.

And then something even more wonderful happened. Tara would raise her hands as the Dark side billowed and swirled around her. Ever so slowly, her feet would leave the ground. Not too much, just but a few centimetres. But it was enough to claim she was levitating. It only last for a moment for her concentration broke and both her and the weapons came crashing down with a loud rush of sounds.

Out of breath and stamina, Tara rose her head up to look at Alina. "How was that?....."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina watched Tara Willows in silence at the small show. In truth, she hadn't meant actually showing what the acolyte could do, but the display did show far more than a simple q and a would. The Acolyte was strong, for being so untrained. For a moment, Alina smiled. But that was it, and it fairly quickly left.

"You understand the Force and your lightsaber well. But that's not what I wanted to see." The report on Tara had mentioned her ability to drain another. It was a power she wanted to see first hand. Her gaze shifted over to a corner in the room. A click of a button, and a vornskyr would step out of a cage there. Slowly stalking forward.

"Show me your power, or be eaten. You are not allowed to us any other method to survive."

 

[Tara Willows]

To her dismay, Alina was not pleased. Tara had not shown her what she wanted to see. It wasn't obvious enough that she wanted to see her Force Drain. If only she had said that then perhaps Tara could have shown her. Well, not she had that chance.

With the click of a lock, a vornskyr would step out of a cage to the side of them. Tara's eyes widened as she saw the hound. It's razor sharp teeth were a problem for sure. Tara reached for her lightsaber again when she heard her master tell her not to use any other method. Tara looked away from the beast for a moment to look at her master with disbelief.

Tara groaned in frustration and turned to rush the hound. She stepped around the swords and knives that she'd dropped. The vornskyr jumped at her. At the last second she dodged to the right and rolled back up to her feet. The vornskyr was quick to turn and look at her. It snarled, teeth showing and drool spilling out. Tara was itching to grab her saber. How else could she defend herself?

Reaching out, Tara tried to grab the beast with her mind. The vornskyr dodged to the side and came up swiftly to Tara's side. It tackled her to the ground. Tara's hands barely managed to hold the powerful jaws back. She struggled and squirmed under it. Its jaws snapped shut, clamping at air, desperate to get hold of its Force-sensitive dinner. Panic had taken over the white haired Sith. She didn't know what to do.

Fear. Fear was her ally now. Instinct took hold as Tara's hands wrapped around the vornskyr's neck. The Force swelled around her as she began to execute the Force drain. The hound got more aggressive, trying to fight off the painful draining technique. Finally it's motions began to weaken and Tara took over. She used its weight to push it onto its side so she could flip over and straddle it, still draining it of life and essence. She continued to pull its life force out of it until there was nothing left but a dried corpse.

Out of breath and still in the fight mode of flight verses fight, Tara took several deep breathes. She looked to Alina with anger in her eyes. "You could have killed me!"

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina watched in silence. In truth, if Tara Willows looked to be on the verge of death she would have intervened. Her whole body was tense, ready to go in and stop the Vornskr from landing a killing blow. The feeling of helplessness was one she learned on the battlefield, staring down monsters and abominations. If she could, she would spare her apprentices from having to learn when they truly could die.

Not that they'd ever know there was no real danger.

And yet, it was shown that she needed no such worry. The woman was able to harness the raw emotions and show her gift all at the same time. The power to drain away life.

"If a mutt like that could of killed you, you'd have no place calling yourself Sith. But you survived. Overcame. You felt it, correct? That fear. It is one of the stronger emotions for Sith to use. And, more often than not, you will be in situations where your life will be on the line. We are at war with many. Remember how that felt. And how to use it." Alina nodded once as she stood taller.

It felt nice to be the master.

"Now try and do the same to me."

 

[Tara Willows]

Alina would carelessly and unsympathetically tell Tara that she should not have felt any danger; that, if she was foolish enough to die so easily then she had no place here among the Sith. She made Tara feel rather shitty for even having difficulty at all. She wouldn't have felt that way if she'd been allowed to use her saber. The battle would have ended much sooner had that been the case. Though, a Sith didn't need such a barbaric tool when it came to the power of the Force. That was the lesson. It didn't go unheard.

Tara listened further as Alina Tremiru reminded her of the fear she'd just felt. Fear: a powerful ally within the Dark. That fear she should hold close to her heart for it would not be long until she was in a position where her life was actually in danger. It also didn't get unnoticed that she mentioned the fact they were in war. Tara knew there was struggle. But she hadn't thought about the reality she'd need to be out there on the front lines eventually and killing someone. It was the actual fighting part that scared her. She...wasn't one for conflict.

Now the test would change tactics. Alina told Tara to try the technique on her. Tara stood and reached for her blade unconsciously. Then she remembered -as her fingers ran along the metal hilts- that her master probably didn't want her using them now either. Tara pulled her hand back. Questions rambled in her head. Did Alina want her to attack now? From this distance? Or, did she expect her to run up and grab her? Alina didn't know Tara could only perform this while making physical contact. For that matter, she'd never tried to use it when her life wasn't in danger either.

More questions kept coming. Was Alina going to attack her? Would she just let Tara grab hold of her? What sort of test was this? Tara didn't know what to do. She decided to start walking over to Alina -carefully watching her for any signs of hostile movement. She got a good five feet from her before lunging forward and trying to grab Alina's arm. If her grapple was sucessful, then she'd try to Drain the woman like she was told to do. If not, well then she'd have left herself wide open....

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Watching the hesitation Tara Willows Alina figured she might of said something wrong. Perhaps she should of been more clear, but the lesson would be learned soon enough. When it came to a fight to survive, there were no rules. The Knight made no move to strike back or even attempt to dodge from Tara's grasp. She kept an almost blank expression, watching.

All at once the Force around her died. Alina's will reached out, it's unique connection creating a dead zone. She let the reality settle in. Here, Tara would have no ability to feel or use the Force. An important lesson for all Sith, in Alina's mind. The Force made them powerful, but to be powerless without it was a weakness.

"Do you understand the lesson I am showing you?" Any other master might of taken this moment to strike. To beat the lesson into their apprentices. But that wasn't Alina's style. She reached up to take Tara's hand, lowering it to the side with surprising ease. "Forgive the trickery. But when it comes to life or death, use everything you can to stay alive. Do you know how to fight without the Force?"

 

[Tara Willows]

To Tara's surprise, Alina did not strike back. She didn't even dodge. Cross that worry off of her list. That didn't mean she didn't have a defense of her own already prepared though. Somehow, Alina managed to completely suppress Tara's connection to the Force. It was a cold and uninviting feeling. Tara felt lonely, empty. To say she was afraid of this feeling was an understatement.

Drilling the lesson in, Alina would ask her if she understood what it was the Sith was trying to show her pupil. What would Tara do now that she'd lost her magical power? Well, Tara had a surprise for her master.

"I've been fighting without the Force my entire life!"

Tara brought up her right leg for a powerful kick to the girl's shoulder. If her attack failed, she'd try again using another punch. Her stance changed to that of an Echani martial arts stance, taught to her in the Academy. Strike after strike she would go after her master using this style until the woman told her to stop. Either way, Tara would prove that she wasn't a totally powerless girl without the use of that powerful ally.

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Oh?"

Now that was an interesting admission. The usually expressionless face Alina had suddenly came to life with a small grin. Especially as the kick came around. No hesitation. Straight into it once Tara Willows realized what happened. The Knight brought up her arm, catching the kick in a simple defense. Before the change, the kick would of likely knocked Alina off balance.

But she wasn't human anymore.

She watched Tara take a stance, one she was familiar with.

"Good. Then there's nothing I have to show you with that." The Force suddenly returned as Alina's grin turned to a calm smile. "I will teach you everything I can to keep you alive. The Sith are too eager to let the young and untrained die. In exchange, you will help me change the Sith."

 

[Tara Willows]

Tara didn't need to continue her onslaught. The Force returned to her just as she took her Echani stance. Tara stayed poised for another moment still; she didn't want to drop her guard in case Alina was actually going to start sparing with her. Not something Tara was looking forward to in the slightest. She then spoke to the white haired Sith, telling her that she would do everything in her power to keep Tara alive. Those words were most welcome to hear.

All she had to do in exchange was help Alina change the Sith. Whatever that meant. Tara lowered her arms and straightened up her back to a more relaxed postion. "I can do that," she offered her assistance. "There is much wrong with the way things are now. How they've always been. I've seen Sith kill one another for power. That's why we've lost so many times before. We should be united. Stronger. More capable. But..."

Tara turned her head away. "...the code is what the problem is. Strength. Passion. Power. We crawl over one another to get it. We should be more focused on the Dark side as an ally. A way to get stronger. Not just stabbing one another in the back." She had realized she was rambling so she stopped and shut up. Letting the awkwardness of her conversation just mull there.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You are correct, but only in some of what you've said." Alina retook her original stance. Hands clasped behind her back as her expression fell to expressionless. "It is not the code that is the problem. It is how it is taught. Enforced. There is nothing in the code that says you need to kill everyone you meet. There is nothing in the code that tells you to betray your allies. The code only tells you how to break the chains that hold you back. Peace is a lie."

Alina held up a hand, one finger signifying the first step. "There is only passion." A second finger was brought up. "Through passion, I gain strength." A third. "Through strength, power." Fourth. "Through power, victory." Fifth. "Through victory, my chains are broken." The hand lowered, once more set behind the Knights back.

"The Force shall set me free. Tell me, what does the code mean to you?"

Tara Willows

 

[Tara Willows]

"I wholeheartedly agree. Sorry, I couldn't think of the words."

Tara listened to her new master go over the Sith code. One she'd memorized a hundred times over. She then asked her what it meant to the white haired woman. Tara smiled. Now was her time to shine. To really show how she saw the Dark side. She coughed to clear her throat before also talking with her hands and counting on her fingers.

"Passion is about following your beliefs. It's about knowing the truth about something and following it with determination and devotion. Peace can never be an option. You become stagnant. You become empty and void of emotion. Emotions are what give us our strength. Fear, anger, hatred. They are powerful powerful tools. But, I do understand being calm in battle. You make mistakes when you are angry. A calm fighting will always win against an angry one. But that being said, you can't be calm in life."

If there was such a thing as a grey Jedi, then Tara had the mindset of a grey Sith.

"My passions give me strength. I believe in the Dark. I believe in my emotions and those give me the strength I need to overcome whatever obstacle comes my way. That strength gives me power. That power gives me victory. And I cannot be held back. The chains. That is what the code means to me. In no way does it mean to betray someone. Power can be achieved with friends. With allies. We are stronger together."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Exactly right. There will be Sith who will say that is false. There will be traitors who will try to kill you for such beliefs. Allies. Hold these beliefs close, but do not show them. Not yet. The Sith need to change, but until they do beliefs like that only put you in danger." That was her biggest worry. The Sith were still as they've always been. Tara Willows ' beliefs were good, but she'd be killed if she thought the rest believed the same.

"I will tell you of Sith who share a similar belief that can be counted on. Unless I do, do not show weakness. This doesn't mean out right betraying those you work with. Just be prepared for them to betray you. I've no intention of loosing an acolyte under my training. Don't prove me wrong on that."

 

[Tara Willows]

Her beliefs were right alongside that of Alina's. Which was good. Tara felt like she could confide in the woman. It also didn't hurt that they had the same ideals for Tara really didn't want to get beat for thinking weaker thoughts -as some might say. She warned Tara -however- that her thoughts on the matter were dangerous to have. There would be plenty of Sith who believed otherwise. And, they would not hesitate to cull the weaker Acolyte.

Tara furrowed her brow. Hearing that someone might be out to kill her wasn't exactly a warm thought. Alina would promise that Tara would not be destroyed under her training; that was a little more of a welcomed thought. But she did warn that she still needed to be careful. Alina wasn't all powerful. And some things were just out of control as they were for Tara. Who knows what the future would bring.

"Yes my........I mean, Alina. I understand. I will not fail you."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You will fail, at some point we all fail. What I'm asking is you survive and help me bring about the change." Best not get Tara Willows ' hopes up on just what she might accomplish. Alina's own pride blinded her to her weaknesses, and it cost her her arms. But from that, new strength. That's what mattered. Learning from failure to grow stronger.

"Take up your saber. What I can do and what you can do are vastly different. But I can teach you some. Namely how to use a saber. Do you know the saber forms?"

 

[Tara Willows]

Her master would inform her that she would fail at some point. Well Tara knew that. She'd faced plenty of hardships in her life. It didn't mean she wasn't perfect. Nor would she ever be. At least she understood that. In that same regard, Tara knew there would be plenty of things she would fail at. Fighting being one of them. As her master asked her to take out her saber she asked if she knew the saber forms.

Tara plucked her hilt off of her belt and unfolded it, then lit both ends of the saber. The orange beams brilliantly expanded once more. "I've trained with a Bo staff. But I've never learned the ways of the sword. That's why I chose this weapon as my lightsaber."

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Go with what you know. It's not a bad thing to do. But the saber forms can be adapted to various weapons. At their core, some of the forms are little more than a frame of mind. Example." Alina stepped over to a corner where she'd placed her own stuff. She had a lightsaber on her hip, but the weapon she preferred to use was the Lightspear. Her lightspear. She ignited the red blade as she stepped back over, holding the weapon in a loose grip.

"And they're still used by your opponents. To learn and recognize at least what form someone else might be using is a good way to adapt to their style and overwhelm them. Or undermine, depending on how you choose to fight. I will show you the basics of Juyo. Do you at least know what the form is on paper?"

Tara Willows