Private The Wake of Morrow

[Darth Morrow]

Mustafar
Beneath the Surface
-----------------------------

The fall of the empire came and went, and so did time. A decade had passed since Darth Morrow walked the surface of any planet, since she had seen the vast expanse of space stretch across the galaxy. Her allies, enemies, the galaxy itself saw change, evolution, and the test of time itself, but not Morrow.

A decade ago is when she saw her final battle, in her recovery she was ambushed, her guards dismantled, and her companions slaughtered as she was ripped from her pod. Blood still clung to her body in disarray, from a previous fight she so narrowly escaped; and over her weak form stood an enemy of no renown, with nothing but a determination to make a name. One of the wives of an Emperor fallen, slaying her would surely grant him power, no? Wealth beyond imagine? The bounty on her head by the Republic, the Empire itself, there was money to be made, fame to be claimed and glory to revel in at the tales of his mastery. To slay a Sith Lady was a tale in and of itself.

That was the Knights plan, though another more devious thought crawled through his mind, she was a weapon. A weapon of mass destruction to bend to his will, killing a Lord was one thing, but to corrupt her to do his bidding was another, stripping her of resistance, torture for an eternity... It was a fever dream that would land him in legend. Darth Morrow, bending the knee to a Knight, he could be great, made a lord of his own. Look at how weak she was, such easy prey....

Her fate was one of fine craft, meant to hold the very spirit which held her non corporeal form together. Pedestals atop a dias spilled runes of magic towards a pillar, dripping with force energy it contained what little power the woman had left, sapped by crystals that bound her in this prison, her own eternal suffering. The knight that was to break her was slain in the very fall of the empire she never knew, her own eternal hell. It was somehow worse than the death she had so narrowly escaped on many occasions, her very being sapped away from her, weakened muffled for what felt like eons of darkness, torture. All of this was powered by her own connection, her own magic, power, fueling this atrocity in a viscous cycle, sapped by the crystals around, poured into the pedestals and converted into the very energy that sealed her spirit away. Her own damnation.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

There existed numerous ore collection complexes on Mustafar, most of them owned by subsidiaries of larger mining corporations that operated throughout the galaxy. One of these subsidiary groups happened to be staffed by members of the Kainate, the followers of the Dark Lord Carnifex. They owned about a dozen mining facilities across Mustafar, each one located over rich deposits of ore hidden within the volcanic crust and streams of lava that crisscrossed the landscape. The facilities performed like clockwork, a convoy of cargo freighters arriving every week to pick up tonnes and tonnes of excavated ore to be taken to processing facilities off-world.

By necessity of their occupation, the miners of these facilities dug deep into Mustafar's surface to uncover new deposits and veins. Often they would uncover subterranean caverns, a bygone product of when Mustafar was a lush world with bodies of water. When this happened, they would dispatch probes into the cavity with scanning equipment to map out the tunnel network. Then the mining droids would enter and harvest the uncovered ore.

But this time was different.

The cavern they opened up wasn't carved by ancient rivers, but by skilled craftsmanship. Routine protocol was suspended by the overseers of the facility, and all miners were moved away from the site of the opening and placed on work suspension. An encrypted holotransmission was made out-system, and new orders were relayed from the highest echelons of power. For the next several days, the entire mining facility halted production and came to a stand-still. The other facilities continued to work as though nothing had happened, and the routine pick-ups went on as normal. A ship still arrived at the shut-down facility, as to not arouse suspicion by any wandering eyes.

It was around that time that a new ship dipped through Mustafar's atmosphere, a sleek black shuttle invisible to scanners with bright purple sublight engines. The shuttle slipped down to rest on the mining facility's landing pad, a boarding ramp lowered from beneath the craft as a single individual emerged. They were wreathed in a black cloak that obscured their features, a wide hood pulled low over their face so that you only saw their jawline. The glow of two eyes, bright molten halos, peeked out from under the hood to survey the grime of the platform with the crushing weight of indifference. Walking alone into the facility, they moved with a preternatural sense of direction towards the uncovered opening.

Without a word, Darth Carnifex dropped into the darkness.

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

The cavern cracked into by the ceaseless barrage of drills and excavation was dark, oddly so, aside from the glowing runes fueling the site in a vicious cycle, over and over again it passed the same route, monument, crystals, pedestals, and began again. It was a ceaseless motion, having operated for what felt like millennia, if not only a decade, and only now after being unearthed did it seem to shudder, only ever so slightly.

There was an energy signature that filled the chamber, darkness in more a way than just levels of illumination. Though it felt, resigned, dulled by however long this ritual had taken place undisturbed.

It would be clear to the man that the site was sealed for quite a long time, dust covering surfaces only somewhat blown away by the operations it took to enter. Though with the extent of the efforts put into this places creation, it was unclear what its purpose could be, only that whatever it was, was masterfully crafted for a sole purpose. The center monument was carved up the entirety of its surface, runes and wards etched into the black stone as force cycled and coursed through it, and under all of this, one might feel the small glint of a presence, caught somewhere indescribably between life and death.

He would feel the crystals begin to sap at his own life, the longer he stayed it became more and more evident what the chamber was built for; containment. His own energy helped fuel the containment of whatever creature was being held, the light shifting in the cavern from pale to dark crimson as it was fed more and more.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The sensation was immediately identified.

Carnifex's eyes narrowed as He descended onto the stone floor of the cavern, eyes drawn up to the large monolith at its center. He could trace the tendrils of power that tethered the crystals to the monolith, and then from the crystals to Himself as they began to sap away at His life. He had encountered similar rituals before, but none that were exactly like this. The entire chamber was constructed around the incapacitation and imprisonment of one being, one that He could sense trapped within the monolith in a state of deathless oblivion.

A lesser Sith might have turned around, daunted by the sapping energy field that made every step incrementally more difficult than the last. Another might have raged against it, destroying everything in a fit of anger. But the Dark Lord was quite the analytical mind, and He was fascinated by the crystals and the monolith. Reaching out with the Force, He could envision the hidden leylines of the ritual. Carefully, it had been prepared many years ago, but had suffered from just as many years of neglect.

All it needed was the right adjustment...

Carnifex manipulated the lines, but very gently, very gently. Any overt or clumsy act was liable to cause the magic infused into the ritual to collapse in on itself, destroying the chamber and potentially Himself. So He stood there for several agonizing moments, redirected lines and drawing new ones with the magic of the Dark Side. A final adjustment turned the crystals back on themselves, cannibalizing their own energy and destabilizing their hold on the monolith. With that done, Carnifex approached the monolith directly.

He reached out with one hand, placing it against the monolith as He reached in to feel the entity trapped within. For a moment, nothing happened, but then recognition dawned on His face. "Well, well, well," He spoke aloud to the empty chamber. He then applied pressure to the obelisk through the hand directly touching it, the stone cracking beneath the sudden force. "It has been a long time, has it not?"

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Under the weight of this own oppression, the crystals began to crack and shatter, shard clashing to the ground as the energy fled from them and out to the surrounding. Without the power they possessed the room grew dull, the pedestals now dark and the runes they emitted falling silent.

The pedestal slowly began doing the same, his strength slowly imposing itself on the black slate, cracking, the sound filled the chamber as it slowly began to shatter, black smoke gathering at the top of the monolith seeping from every gap. He could feel it was weakened, different than he last knew; though who the being trapped was clearly that of Darth Morrow, or what remained of her after all these years.

The energy cascaded down to a pool on the ground, struggling to find its own form once more, the unfamiliar feeling of being unrestrained difficult to grasp at first.

"I had begun to already accept this fate." The familiar voice of the woman called out as the darkness began taking shape, the giant of a woman slowly forming in shadows, accented by what seemed to be her dark sulfuric eyes staring into him. "You are... different, than I remember.." She called out to him before she finally began taking a more permanent shape, smoke still clinging as it was forced to become corporeal through great struggle.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Many things have transpired since we last saw one another."

He walked towards the materializing woman, stopping about halfway from where He started and where she now stood. Reaching up with both hands, the Dark Lord pulled back the hem of His hood to reveal His face. Bright molten eyes, buoyed in a sea of black, stared back at her from beneath a brow inked by a red Sith tattoo. His hair was noticeably grayer, and there were more scars etched into His tanned skin than before. His facial hair was neatly trimmed, well-framed against the sharp lines of His face.

"The Sith Empire has fallen." There was little care given to how that message was delivered, the Dark Lord's tone flippant and dismissive. It was evident that He held no great remorse for the Empire's fall, or any other emotion other than indifference. "Chaos reigns now, war engulfs the galaxy. You have missed many things." That was not even to mention the full extent of the Great War that ravaged the galaxy, the destruction of Csilla, Solipsis' folly on Tython, and the destruction of the Worm Emperor on Odavessa.

"The Jedi are stretched thin now, whittled down by conflict and mistrusted by their own governments. Those who remain are strong and resilient, they are not easy to destroy." His mind conjured images of Valery Noble , a relic of a bygone age of heroes brought to life to fight on the side of the Light. She was perhaps His greatest adversary now, thwarting many of His plans and even turning one of His sons to the side of the Jedi. For that, she would pay most dearly.

"I am not the same man from all those years ago, Morrow, I have adapted to new conditions. The struggles of this new age have taught me much."

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

There was a long pause after his words, thoughts drifting through her mind aimlessly, untamed and wild from her self discipline many moons ago. How much had she missed, how much was so different than she remembered. Pain wracked her as she remembered everything, it all coming to mind, what the Empire was like before her final fight, her flee to safety to recover after her duel. The knight....

Her form solidified finally, the pain gripping her, holding a constant after so long of being stripped of her power. Morrigan, Katherine, did the two survive everything that transpired... Cara Dorniarn , Her as well, her long forgotten apprentice....

"Impossible." Morrow called out, taking a step towards the man and examining him under great scrutiny. "The Empire couldn't have fallen... its only been a short while... I was to recover and join back..." There was hesitation in her voice, like she knew the truth but wished not to face it. "Chaos cannot be left to rule if that truly is the case."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"No, it cannot." Carnifex agreed, gently nodding His head in assertion. "After the Empire fell, the Sith fell into factions vying for control. One of those factions is currently embroiled in a war with the Galactic Alliance, the Brotherhood of the Maw. The others have banded together in an alliance, myself included. We do not pursue territorial ambitions just yet, but we wield vast influence across the galaxy." With the Empire's fall, Sith power had to be concentrated through other avenues. The criminal underworld became a staunch ally of the Sith, with many syndicates secretly aligning with the Order alongside the renewed Hutt Cartels. "Even Alliance senators answer to us."

He watched her just as closely as she watched Him, their last meetings had not gone well. Through His desire for control, He had sought to manipulate Morrow by targeting her children; even killing one of them. That hadn't enamored her to Him in the slightest, but that had been over ten years ago. Would she still harbor such vengeance against Him? It was very likely, she was a Sith just as He was, and the Sith always clung to their hatred regardless of time or distance.

He wasn't yet sure if she wouldn't attack Him.

"The Order could use a Sith like you, Morrow. Our numbers were reduced during the Civil War, those Sith who allied with the Imperials were in turn betrayed by their allies on Bastion. None who fought on their behalf survived as far as I am aware. Other conflict shorn our ranks to the bone, especially conflicts amongst ourselves. But that time has mostly passed, for an accord was struck, and a triumvirate formed. For now, we do not fight one another, but unite against our common enemies."

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

There was indeed the hatred in her eyes that he could see, though it had been a long time since she sought revenge. Morrow herself was much different than she was a decade past. Whether she remembered the torment of her prison or not was one to be seen, though it was clear she was thinking her next words carefully.

"The Empire, is what should rule the galaxy. We are not kind, or benevolent, but it provides order were their otherwise is none." He would be able to feel her power strengthening once more, even in the short time since she had been freed it already began to return to her. "I refuse to fight under you once again, but I will help in reclaiming order. Else we will all be doomed regardless another outcome. But do not think you are forgiven just for freeing me from this cell." Her eyes burned into him.

"Do any of my apprentices yet live?" She asked calmly, though underneath boiled with hatred she had let this happen.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

" Cara Dorniarn yet lives, but as for the others, I do not know."

As suspected, she still harbored great resentment against Him for His past transgressions. He doubted that she would ever truly move past them, for they had rendered one of her children dead and herself subjected to torment for many years. Nonetheless, she was evidently eager to return to the Sith and bring about their re-ascension to power, and that would be enough for Him. "A pity, Morrow. You would be more than welcome back into my ranks, but I cannot fault you for being so adverse to the idea."

Turning away from Morrow, the Dark Lord appeared to consider what He was about to say next. There was sudden movement in the hole through which He had entered the chamber, several dark-robed individuals slowly appearing from the passage and lowering themselves down into the chamber. They paid neither the Dark Lord nor Morrow any mind, instead moving to inspect what remained of the monolith and the crystals with a fixated curiosity.

"I can take you back to the Order, or I can leave you with a ship. I leave that decision to you."

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

"Bring me to the heart of the Order." She said as she paced, her form shifting and changing under the restraint of new found freedom. "I need to see who is still in the fight. Once I'm there I will see what of my forces remain. And my daughters? I have no doubt you kept an eye on them." She said turning an eye to him, looking for an answer on their status.

"Should they yet live, I have faith they will be of use, as well as any of my wayward apprentices." Morrow commented, looking to the robed figures keenly as they examined her former prison.

"For now, I want off of this rock." Her fists clenched, knowing her saber and weapons were stripped of her eons ago, though she still had her powers, at least there was that.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"I have ensured that no harm has come to them, no doubt they will be delighted to see you again." It was true, the Dark Lord of the Sith kept rigorous tabs on Morrow's daughters ever since her disappearance and even before. He had done His best to steer them away from potentially threatening situations, ensuring that their latent powers were allowed to mature. Though plans had been made to eventually induct them into the Kainate, there had never been a suitable time to focus on such efforts with everything else going on in the galaxy. In the end, it appears that the Dark Lord will have to discard such plans in order to curry more favor with the renewed Morrow.

When she expressed her desire to leave, the Dark Lord agreed. "Then come, let us depart. I will bring you to Malsheem, you can see for yourself what our efforts have wrought." Facing the cavern entrance, the Dark Lord levitated Himself up and out of the hole. With His feet landing on the metal floor, Carnifex briefly looked back to watch Morrow follow after Him. The acolytes that descended into the cavern would remain to collect data about Morrow's prison, to see if anything useful could be extracted from what remained.

From there, it was only a short walk to the Dark Lord's shuttle on the landing pad. Entering the shuttle, Morrow would first be struck by the luxuriousness of Carnifex's transport, a feeling that would bring her back to the days of the Empire when He yet ruled as Emperor. The shuttle's ramp closed as the ship began to take-off, pivoting in the ash-clogged air and soaring up into the atmosphere and into the space beyond. A few moments later they were in hyperspace, standing in the same cabin together as a servant came forth to bring them refreshments.

"It will take a few hours until we have arrived, all of my ship's amenities are open to you. There's a holonet terminal in the adjoining room, as well as a refresher. You may as well make your time comfortable."

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Her heart rested ever so slightly hearing her daughters were safe, they were the last thing she had in this universe after the fall of Amaranthine. Watching Kaine leave she followed behind in a trail of smoke to the entrance, reforming at the top all the more a bit dizzy. Her power was a mere fraction of what it once was, and the man could likely sense it, it would be awhile before she fully recovered, though any would be wrong to underestimate her even as so.

"How many of us remain allied with the same goal? A dozen? More?" She asked as she followed. Turning back she watched her prison for but a second more, realizing just how long it truly was.

Stepping onto the ship she eyes the extravagance, shaking her head at the though of how even in disgrace the man didn't live in anything else than wealth. "A place to rest is more than enough. Once we arrive I will need time to craft a new saber and sword. Then we can begin plans in full swing."

"The galaxy will be brought to heel, and all those who refuse will be crushed under the might of the Order." She commented as she made way to find a quiet chamber.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"There is Darth Ophidia , she has stepped out from the shadows to lead." Carnifex sat back in one of the many seats placed throughout the shuttle's cabin, each one perfectly proportioned for someone of His stature. "The other is Darth Empyrean , although you might have known him as Darth Maliphant. He is the recipient of the Worm Emperor's strength and has become something far greater than he had been before." If inclined, the Dark Lord might have told Morrow about Empyrean's former existence as The Slave, but despite their ideological differences, He still possessed enough integrity to keep such things hidden. "Together, we are the Triumvirate, the three pillars."

After that, Morrow retired to a quiet chamber to reflect on her newfound freedom and where it would take her. Carnifex let her go without protest, watching her leave before turning in the chair to look at one of the many bas-reliefs that lined the interior walls of the shuttle. It depicted the ancient struggle between the Jedi and the Sith, the Light and the Dark, but was a recreation of a far older carving that had since been destroyed by time and war. Scholars believed it specifically depicted the Great Hyperspace War, when the legendary Naga Sadow ruled the Empire from Korriban and Ziost. That time had long past, and the holy worlds had again fallen into enemy hands.

Feeling contemplative, Carnifex centered His body and His mind and allowed Himself to drift into deep meditation. He pictured the number one in His mind, moving onto the number two, and so on until He reached the number seven. At that moment, His mind detached from His body and everything around Him melted away into shadows. The ground beneath His feet was water, though He did not sink, and the far horizon was a thin line of light demarcating where the ground met the sky. He reached out with His mind, His power in the Force more than substantial, and His environment shifted as the darkness retreated, and cool clear stone emerged to replace it.

Walking into the grotto, Carnifex regarded the pool at its center with some measure of trepidation. This was always the most dangerous part because He had lost many visionaries to the pool, their bodies withering away as their minds became submerged within it. He had learned to avoid such catastrophes, but it was always a risk. Kneeling at the pool's edge, the Dark Lord steeled Himself and mentally repeated the enumerations that would steady His mind. Then, with clear thoughts, He pushed His face into the dark waters...

Hours later, the Dark Lord's eyes opened. The proximity alarm was ringing, alerting them that they were nearing their destination. Rising from His chair, and ignoring His stiff joints, the Dark Lord strode confidently to the door leading to Morrow's temporary room. "We have arrived," was all that He said, turning away and returning to the main cabin as the shuttle dropped out of hyperspace. Ahead of them was a massed collection of warships, dozens upon dozens of battlecruisers meandering through the void. At their center was a space station unlike any seen in eight hundred years.

As large as the ancient Death Stars, Malsheem was a dazzling megastructure outfitted with advanced technologies beyond most of the galaxy's reckoning. It was guarded by several defense fleets and studded with tens of thousands of defensive gun turrets, making it one of the most well-protected locations in the galaxy. Beyond that, it was outfitted with state-of-the-art propulsion systems and robust hyperdrives, allowing the massive station to appear anywhere in the galaxy. The shuttle pushed past the defense perimeter, having transmitted the necessary clearance codes to do so, and moved to dock into one of the smaller bays located near the station's polar region.

The ship settled down softly, only a faint clank noting that they had even landed at all. Carnifex would be the first to emerge from the shuttle, two lines of red-clothed guards awaiting in neat formation as He exited. Banners with the emblem of the Kainate fluttered in the recycled breeze on the far wall opposite the magnetic shielding protecting them from the vacuum of space.

"Welcome," Carnifex announced, "To the ark of the Sith, welcome to Malsheem."

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

"Maliphant? He yet lives? It's a surprise, I haven't seen him in a great time... How was he the one to attain the Worm Emperors strength? And much more concerning unchallenged?" She remembered the times they had spent, time as slaves together under Imperia, the fights they had for dominance, and the far more recent delves into ancient ruins, complexes and the general spats. The easiest way to describe Morrows mentality was shocked, truly that one such as his self remained alive after all that occurred, where others stronger than him faulted. Perhaps he was different now than she remembered.

"I shall think on what has happened, I need to regain my strength before making any sort of moves to help." She commented before leaving for her own chamber. In the time she meditated, gathered the force in her and focused on the hatred that kept her alive in her own personal hell. In that time she could have given in, let it drain away her mind and break her to nothing more than a toy, but she didn't; At no point did the thought even occur to her to give in, because she had a purpose to fulfill.

Despite the history of the Empire she remembered what originally brought her into its midst, the rage she felt toward the galaxy and the way it changed her so; she remembered Imperia, her betrayal and her death at her hands, at Valeska's hands. She was different back then as well. Her own death changed her, formed her into who she was. Betrayal, that was the center of it all. How every organization of the galaxy betrayed the proper order of the things. It was that that fueled her hatred.

Even the Empire was twisted and corrupt in a way, she saw that with her own eyes, her former husband, the way he treated those loyal to the proper order the Sith attempted to establish; herself punished by the death of a child forced by his hand, a son who could have one day ruled the galaxy the way it was meant to be.

Anger fueled her as her strength returned, her visions focusing on the burning of Iridonia, Amaranthine, her new bastion of order, the denizens of which knew their place in the universe, contributed, and continued to aide in their Lady's visions. It all burned while she fled, fled from the very man who now freed her from eternal suffering in a loop of mind numbing torture that would have lasted for the rest of time. She wouldn't let it all happen again, than Morrow was sure of.

Hearing the doors open her eyes snapped open to view Carnifex before her, sulfurous yellow burning holes in him before he departed. Exhaling deeply she stood and exited the well furnished chamber. Watching the station pass by rather unimpressed she waited for the shuttle to land on firm ground, the moment the ramp descended and her escort was out of the way she too followed, her hate filled eyes scanning the banners and men dressed in uniform.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"I had begun construction on Malsheem over forty years ago, long before I had become Emperor. It came as a premonition, the Dark Side showed me the future of the Sith. I was warned that if the Sith surrounded themselves to the rule of excess, then our Order would consume itself from the inside out." As the two of them walked, the scarlet guards lining the path knelt down as the Dark Lord neared them, and stood back up after He had passed them. Even bereft of an Empire, Darth Carnifex still carried Himself as an absolute monarch, a sovereign above reproach. Those that pledged their lives to Him still considered Him such, and would eagerly seek death in His name.

"So I built an Order so rigid in its dogma, so tightly wound that it would have no other choice but to fracture. You and I witnessed this during the Civil War, and now the Sith have scattered to the far corners of the galaxy. But the splintering of the Sith was not my only objective, for the Rule of Order served another purpose." They passed through a massive archway, a pair of equally large doors sliding open as light spilled out from the corridor beyond. The hallway was large enough to drive three columns of repulsortanks side-by-side, banks of electroluminescence panels ensuring that the pathway was perpetually illuminated. "Within the Sith Order, I had cultivated a loyal cadre that shared my vision for the Sith. Lords and Ladies that had understood, as I had, that if the Sith were allowed to stumble forth without direction, they would plummet into the abyss."

The corridor eventually terminated in a large turbolift, which both of them boarded before the entire platform began to descend further into the station. As they passed by level after level, the vastness of Malsheem became ever more apparent. Storehouses packed with provisions and armaments, great automated factories pumping out thousands of armor and weapons every hour, and training grounds for endless legions of identical soldiers.

"I am that guiding hand, Morrow. Only through my vision can the Sith avert destruction."

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Morrow listened to his words, anger building in her at each passing one. The thoughts coming to mind were far worse, but started with her stringing him up by his privates for allowing such a thing to happen. The man once considered a ruler for the sith, no wonder he had fallen out of power. Carnifex saw a premonition of everything that was to come and simply sat on his hands waiting for its downfall.

"You sat here, and did nothing, knowing the fall of the Empire was coming to hand. You do not deserve to ever see the seat of Emperor again Kaine." She spoke out his true name, clearly in a bit of scorn, symbolically stripping him of his titles as venom dripped from her words. "You allowed the fall of order, cast it aside to play some twisted game with the galaxy. You could have solved this all before it happened if you truly saw its fate before its downfall."

She stopped following him, standing on the ledge overlooking the training grounds, hatred seething through her like no other. "I will help the galaxy fall back into its proper place, but I will see that you never rule it again. You do not deserve that right if what you say is true."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

There was mischief in His eyes as she spoke, and His laughter rang out through the air.

But His mouth never moved, nor did His expression shift. Another presence made itself known, a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness, before the being which they belonged to stepped out into the light. It was as if a mirror had been held up to Carnifex, but that reflection moved on its own volition. There were several distinct differences between Carnifex and this doppelgänger, the most evident being the lack of tattoos, the retention of the whites of their eyes, and a slimmer build.

"Ah, I can see why you chose her, she's a fiery one." The voice that wafted out from past the doppelgänger's lips was just like that which came from Carnifex, but with greater emotional inflection. He took several steps towards the pair, a big smile plastered over his face as he came closer into view. "An immeasurable pleasure to make your acquaintance, Valeska." He did a short bow, his eyes never leaving Morrow's, before slowly straightening his back.

"I am Demiurge."

Then Carnifex spoke, "You will help the galaxy fall back into its proper place, but my vision shall be realized. It is inevitable."

Darth Morrow ​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Her sulfuric eyes narrowed as she heard the laugh, wisps of black smoke floating from her as it did so frequently when he form altered, instability, it was still present as she finish regaining her strength. Her eyes drifted from Carnifex to his lookalike, unimpressed in any way.

"Use the name Valeska again, and you will lose your tongue. I do not care who or what you are, but you will not be allowed to rule once more, even if I have to sit on the throne myself to keep it from you." Her eyes bore into the copy, and then unto Kaine himself.

"I have served this Empire faithfully, whether it in shambles or not. And right now everything in me is saying what is best for the rise of it once more is for you to be eradicated. Be thankful I show restraint, as I am sure many others feel the same." Her form faltered once more, her anger showing through her words, though she did indeed hold back, after all, she was without weapon or armor as well.

"I will restore the galaxy to order, with or without your aide, you are not its rightful ruler any longer."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"It will be amusing to watch you struggle, Morrow, to fight so desperately against the tide of destiny but failing to stop the inevitable." Though Carnifex expressed no emotion as He spoke, there was still the sharp glint of malevolent glee shining in His eyes. One of the great pleasures He yet retained in His half-existence was watching His adversaries struggle against His machinations, especially when they spent so much of their own blood only to come up short in the end. Their successes, scattered as they were, didn't matter either. Victory emboldened them to keep trying to thwart Him at every turn, drawing them deeper and deeper into His web until they couldn't escape.

Then Demiurge spoke, "You may yet serve us in the end, by desire or compulsion. Our strength has only multiplied since you were last set free upon the galaxy, and it grows more with every passing moment." This version of Kaine smiled, a fiercely predatory grin that was unsettling by design. "But it would be an annoyance to contend with you as you are now, weakened from your long captivity. So we offer you a challenge, a friendly wager."

Carnifex now looked to His ex-wife, "Go forth into the galaxy and assemble all those you can to your side, train as many apprentices as you can. Build fleets, raise armies, all that you can achieve in your power. Then come and challenge us, a final bout. If you win, our destruction will be in your hands alone. All of our plans will become ash in our mouths in the wake of your victory. But should you be defeated, should all your efforts amount to nothing in the end against us. Then you will bend the knee and serve us, never again to stray from our guidance."

"What do you say, Lady Morrow?"

Darth Morrow ​