Private The Wolf and The Disciple

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner ​

Perhaps one of the greatest privileges that had been extended to Revna since her arrival on Korriban, was her ability to go wherever she pleased in the Sith Holy World. Few, if any, doors were barred to her now; she had as much access to the throne room of the King as she did her own personal chambers within the Palace - a freedom extended to her by Darth Caedes , the longer she had remained in his domain…and the longer she continued to show him her worth and who she was, both on the inside and the outside. It was not something she took lightly, and though she had been given the power to go where she wanted - she still abided by the ritual of hierarchy. She only went places where she was summoned, or knew it was safe for her to come and go without reprisal.

Her ability to go and roam where she wanted, also gave her the unique ability to see just who came to and from the Sith Holy World. Besides the Kainate, there were others from the Empire who came here, for one reason or another. Jedi, some in disguise and others not so much, also came to scout and get an idea of the rising Sith activity here. The Valley of the Dark Lords was a famed and deeply historical location, and it often drew in those who would dare to brave its dangers and wonders, not to mention it was often a place where the students of the Academy were tested and tried.

Still, some figures she spied upon Korriban took her by surprise - like visitations from the Dark Councilors. First it had been Lady Raaf, who came to see and speak with Revna after the loss of her Master. And now her ember gaze spied the sight of a Sith Lord she had only met once in person, and seen a handful of times.

Gerwald Lechner, the Emperor’s Executioner.

Curious, she thought. Why was he here on Korriban? Was he looking for a student at the Academy? Was he here on business with the King? Clearly, his business was his own, but that didn’t stop her from being intrigued by his presence here. Her fiery eyes narrowed as she watched him from her perch near the Palace of Vardin; things were shifting within the Sith Order. She could feel something coming, a distant storm brewing beyond the horizon of the future. She could feel the Dark Side shifting and moving, as mysterious as it always was.

And the presence and positioning of various Sith of power was her clue that things were indeed moving in the background. What it was, exactly…she didn’t know. But she didn’t want to be caught unawares, churned under the wheel of the Sith war machine like so many others. Like the huntress she was, she was ever watchful for opportunities that could perhaps prove to be a benefit to her. Maybe…maybe…he could help her seek vengeance against one of the other Councilors. It was a dark thought in the back of her mind, and for now she chose to keep it there.

“Lord Lechner…fancy seeing you here, of all places.” Revna called out to the Dark Councilor, lowering the hood of her robes that had been shielding her from the brisk wind that so often blew across the deserts of Korriban, so that he might recognize her - though she would have changed a bit since the last time he’d seen her in the meeting that had taken place above Anoat some time ago. Though still young, there was a certain age to her that came after one endured the fires of testing, trials, and tribulations. Her eyes burned with an inner fire, but a deep coldness radiated from her being. With her was another presence that Gerwald would recognize, that of Lord Strosius’s powerful Force signature, though a fragment of it, that pulsated from the necklace she wore underneath her robes. A utility belt holding a single lightsaber hilt was seen on her hip, and she wore gloves that covered her hands.

Though her gaze was direct and bold, she still showed due respect, bowing her head more deeply towards him than she would to most others. She recalled that Lady Talon was rather fond of the man and held him in high regard, and that was enough for Revna to show her respects - though she did not kneel, as most might have, or should have.

“It has been some time since we last crossed paths, hasn’t it? The meeting above Anoat, if I recall correctly…”

​

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

The Dread Wolf had opted to remain on Korriban for a time. He did not give value to the opinions of others, and as Madrona A’Mia had suggested, he wanted his own experience to inform them. Thus far his opinion was still reserved. Korriban had been a world which the Dread Wolf had avoided in his youth due to his uncontrollable desire to kill the murderer of the woman he loved, his torturer. Once, Gerwald had seen the man, to stop him from unleashing another Devourer on the living. The act was one of desperation, a desire to wipe his enemies out in one swing of his weapon. The Lord Commander had stood up to him, somehow reaching to the small part of him which would understand reason.

His ship remained in orbit as the Dark Councilor surveyed the planet and learned what he could of its history since the fall of the The Sith Empire. His own research thus far did not endear him nor anger him. The stain of what happened the last time he was on Korriban still painted his perception of its leaders. His mate had spoken true that what had happened was not their way, it was not who they had been. Gerwald had never been the one to condone senseless and needless death. He did not shy away from it, and had sent many to their graves. Every one of them were necessary. Perhaps it was the pragmatism of his mistress which had rubbed off on him, but her actions on that day had proved to be more noble.

Gerwald was not the kind to see life or potential wasted. It was why gathered those who remained from the Confederacy to his cause. There were still those who would follow their Lord Commander, and the Dread Wolf gave their lives the meaning they lost when the Confederacy fell. Others that were by his side were new. Those who saw him as a way to access the emperor, or thought they could ascend as he did, attached themselves to his path.

The arid wind of the desert world whipped about him, tossing his robes as he observed a figure approaching him. Her frame was recognizable, and the Dread Wolf closed the distance between them when she called to him. When she lowered her hood, Gerwald nodded, recognizing the young woman who had addressed him.

“It has been some time. I hope that you are doing well here?”

His concern was valid. If she was not flourishing the Councilor would simply use his authority to remedy the situation. Gerwald had learned a valuable lesson, one which Darth Carnifex had made clear to him the day they met on the Malsheem that Sith took what they wanted. If the Dread Wolf wanted to ensure that Revna advanced, especially after the death of her master, it was within his power to do so.

“Tell me what it is like here.”

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
​

She made her approach quietly, calmly, but with caution - especially when Lord Lechner closed the remaining distance between them, though she came to a stop at a respectful distance. She had to look up at him, the difference in their height obvious, but he was nowhere near as tall as Darth Carnifex or Darth Prazutis. Still, the Dark Councilor was an imposing man and though she showed no fear before him, she still exercised a measure of wariness.

A faint smile graced her lips when he confirmed that it had been some time, and said that he hoped she was doing well here. He followed it up with a probing question, no - a statement. He wanted to hear her thoughts about what it was like on Korriban. Her smile widened a little further, as a brief gust of wind blew her silken raven locks from her face.

Not too far from them was an elegant table and chairs, arranged outside of a small eatery/caf house. It was one of her more favorite places to visit on Korriban; she could people-watch for as long as she wanted, and no one could tell her otherwise.

Without asking, she moved to take a seat, then gestured at an empty chair near the table. She crossed a knee over the other and folded her gloved hands in her lap as her eyes lingered on the Sith Lord, before shifting to the area around them, her eyes inevitably being drawn to the distant Valley.

She pondered for a few moments how she would respond to Gerwald. So much had happened in a short amount of time. “Am I doing well here?” she gestured to the area around her, indicating Korriban itself. “Yes - far better than I have in a long time. Being here sure beats being trapped on the Malsheem, that’s for sure. I have quarters in the Palace here, and it certainly is an upgrade to the small apartment I live in when I am not fighting for the right to exist.” she finished, a dark rumble to her voice as she watched a group of people walk past them. “Though I really shouldn’t complain. My room aboard the worldcraft is far better than the Black Cell I spent time in. I’d take sleeping on rocks before I ever go back to the Cells.” She paused, in thought as she breathed in the cool air of Korriban. “I know I will be recalled back the Dark Lords, at some point. Perhaps to finish my training, perhaps to take up whatever role they assign to me. So I am enjoying the freedom that Lord Caedes has granted to me to its fullest extent while I can.”

Her attention returned back to the Sith Lord as she pondered further how best to answer his inquiry on what it was like on Korriban.

“As for what it is like here... Hmm. A good question, and one that has a multifaceted answer, depending on who you ask. Some see a dead tomb world of the ancient Sith, and others feel a connection to this place, as it practically sings with Dark Side. It is…a realm of the Sith, but not in the same manner that Jutrand is. It is like…home. A place where you can be yourself, and no one can tell you otherwise. It is…like a realm, a kingdom, that is all on its own - or at least it is for me. So…what brought you all the way out here, my Lord? Come to make a pilgrimage? I’ve noticed that many in the galaxy come here for that purpose…”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

A cafe on Korriban, open air none the less. The Wolf had thought he had seen everything. It seemed as though the ruling class of the planet wanted the world to have some taste of civilization. Many came for the pilgrimage which Revna had asked about, and the Dread Wolf supposed there was an untapped form of economical gain to be made from it. However, his mind did not see the planet as one to be caught up in the tourism industry. It was a harsh and unforgiving world, and always would be.

Gerwald took the seat across the small table from the girl. Her mention of the Kainites, and the insinuation that she had been a prisoner among them brought back unpleasant memories. The Dread Wolf knew what the Zambranos were capable of, and being Sith did not make one immune to their brutality. Their kind were raised by fire, and those who they touched were tested by it. If one failed, they were consumed.

It seemed for now the young Sith had been given a respite at the hands of Darth Caedes. That would not come without its own cost. The Dread Wolf had half a mind to take her from the situation entirely. Who would challenge him? Certainly none would fault him for taking any action which would show the Kainite hold was not as strong as it once was. The Dread Wolf was privy to certain political shifts in the Order. They happened with guidance from his hand and his will. He was a silent partner and ally in shaping the Order according to the way he wished to see it fashioned. His contributions would be revealed in time, but for now, the Dread Wolf kept his machinations to himself.

"So you are still a prisoner then."

Gerwald did not ask, he observed. Whether Revna booth she was free or not, it was clear by her own words that Prazutis and Carnifex still had her bound. He rested his left hand on the table, raising it slightly at the wrist as he motioned in her direction.

"I wonder what your generous host would say if you asked to leave without guard or supervision?"

It was a test to see if she understood that she was only allowed the illusion of freedom rather than the reality of it.

"As for a pilgrimage, no. I am here to see for myself if the Holy Worlds have indeed returned to our fold or if the talk of it is exaggerated. Wounds from a friend can be trusted but an enemy multiples kisses. Beware the one who strokes your ego without having the kindness to expose your weaknesses."

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner ​

She weighed the Wolf’s observation that she was still a prisoner, before shrugging. “I assume so. I’ve heard nothing from my overlords since the Kaggath, but neither have I been released.” Even after the death of her Master, she was still bound. Why? She wasn’t so sure. She wasn’t privy to the machinations of the Dark Lords; maybe they were waiting for her to bend the knee and become a Kainite herself? It was possible.

Yellow-orange eyes flickered to his hand that he laid upon the table between them, and a faint smirk tugged at her lips when he asked what her “generous host” would say if she asked to leave without guard or supervision. She already knew the answer to that. There was much she wanted to say here, but she had to be very careful with what she shared. The wrong thing being said to the wrong person, could have devastating effects if such things were exposed, and that was not something she was ready to risk.

“I am not the prisoner of the King, of that he has made very clear to me.” She turned her head to the Dark Councilor. “However - that does not change the fact that I am still bound to the Shadow Hand, and by extent to Lord Carnifex as well. That wouldn’t change, even if you were my generous host, Lord Lechner. There are things at play that not even you are aware of. Very few are - unless I allow them to be privy to that knowledge.” She said coolly before she sighed heavily and rubbed her face with a black gloved hand. “But true freedom is an illusion. Right now, it does not exist for me - no matter where I am, no matter who I am with. It is quite possible that the only thing stopping me from being set free is…well, myself.”

Revna clasped her hands in front of her and looked at Gerwald in silence for a long moment as he responded to her inquiry as to his reasons for being on the Holy Worlds. Her facial expression remained neutral, even as she absorbed what he had to say, as well as the wisdom he shared, cleverly interwoven into a proverb, and that brought a small but brief smile to her face.

“Your wisdom is valued, Councilor - especially for someone who is wary of the intentions of all those around them. But, sometimes what you see on the surface, is not reflective of what is underneath. There are many, for example, who despised my late Master for how He presented Himself - but there are many who came to know the man underneath all that, and why He was the way He was. Why He had such faithful followers." The little woman paused for a moment, tilting her head in thought. Could Gerwald perhaps be a source of information for her, that she could take advantage of? Certainly it was worth at least asking... "Speaking of which…what has become of my Master’s people…my Family? Has Malum butchered them too? I’ve heard whispers that he has tried to force them into his fold, like he did with the Inquisition…but I can’t verify anything. And I don’t want to go searching for answers on my own - I can’t risk giving them away to those who watch me. I’d never forgive myself if I led Prazutis straight to them and he used them against me to further break me. I refuse to give him the opportunity, nor the satisfaction - if I can help it.”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

Gerwald smiled at Revna’s attempt to play the clever girl. The Dread Wolf had been around those who played in the realm of shadow and secrets longer than Revna had been among the Sith. She was naive if she trusted the words of her host without actually testing them.

Sith lied.

It was not a fact to be debated. Many of the younger Sith seemed to have a more glamorous view of the Sith, as though they were upstanding.

They were not.

Gerwald was under no illusion that trust was not something which he could freely hand out to anyone loyal to the Sith Order. Even of those who had his loyalty, only one truly could claim to have his trust. Revna seemed to be learning this lesson. Her dealings with the Kainites, Marr, Alisteri, had left her captive. It was an insult to the Sith Code. Through victory her chains would be broken. The force would make her free. Yet, she was still nothing more than a prisoner.

Would the Wolf interfere? He could. Nothing was stopping him from taking the woman from Korriban to test the boundaries no one would speak of. If Carnifex and Prazutis had allowed her to travel to Korriban, what would keep her from traveling to Jutrand?

“And yet in all of that, you still did not answer my question. Would he let you leave? It is not a test of whether you are his prisoner, but rather it is a question of who holds his leash. Korriban is but one world in a region of space which was given to the Kainites to control. Does he fear retribution if he allows you to go, or does he not?”

It was straight forward. Gerwald did not know how to be anything else. He was a rare kind of Sith which did not deal in deception or manipulation. Weak minds were manipulated by weak individuals. The Dread Wolf commanded loyalty because he refused to trick people into it. His enemies would be forced to take him head on if they wished to remove him because of it. It was also the reason why he had been taught the art of politics, negotiation, and representation. He had always been a warrior before he was anything else, but much of what he did required him to know when to speak his mind and when to stay his tongue.

In this instance, Gerwald chose to speak. He did not care if it leaked from their meeting. Part of his journey was to assess the leadership of Korriban. This was one of many methods to do so. Gerwald would employ them all before leaving the tomb world.

“True freedom,” he retorted, “is certainly possible. Your master failed you if that is what you believe. Our code teaches the force will make you free. You may be correct that you are keeping yourself bound, but if that is the case the question then is why?”

The conversation shifted to her former master. Revna expressed a curiosity as to how Malum had dealt with those that had followed Darth Strosius, especially those among her family. In truth, Gerwald had not paid attention to that detail. His mind was focused on other matters. In his opinion the Kaggath was nothing more than a show of two young Sith which used it for something it was not intended for. Provided Taeli had been satisfied with the outcome, Gerwald cared little. He would remain removed from it provided Malum’s honor remained intact.

Gerwald shook his head.

“I do not know. However, that is likely good news as opposed to bad.”

His hand raised at her comment about Prazutis. The name brought a flash of red to his eyes. Anger burned within him and the blue hue of his wolfish eyes shifted to the corrupted golden and bloodshot gaze of a true Sith.

“You will give him nothing more, even if he were to shatter your body only to mend it a thousand times over. The Mountain may be able to destroy your body, but never let him break your soul. A day will come when he perishes by my hand. Until then, give him nothing else.”

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner ​

“And yet in all of that, you still did not answer my question. Would he let you leave? It is not a test of whether you are his prisoner, but rather it is a question of who holds his leash. Korriban is but one world in a region of space which was given to the Kainites to control. Does he fear retribution if he allows you to go, or does he not?”

Revna studied Gerwald in silence for a moment, as he bluntly pointed out that she had not answered his question. She appreciated his no bantha-chit personality; if he was going to be blunt with her, then she was going to return it. It had been some time since she had been her spitfire self.

“Yes, he would let me leave, and I’ve already done so. I was gone for a standard week, before I returned. I even commandeered a ship from the shipyard. I wouldn’t have done such a thing if I feared retaliation. And there was no punishment or repercussion for it. Darth Caedes brought me to Korriban at the Kaggath's conclusion, and I chose to go with him. He did not seek permission from Lord Carnifex or Prazuitis to do this. He simply did what he wanted to do, despite how they felt about it. So clearly, he does not fear them - or he simply doesn’t care about their opinions.” She eyed him more sharply for a moment. “But if you really want to know who holds his leash, then go ask him directly yourself, Lord Lechner. He can’t refuse you; you are a Dark Councilor. Well, he could, I suppose. If he were unwise.”

Lord Lechner was respectfully quiet while she shared her views on freedom, and he retorted back in his blunt manner which brought a small smile to her face.

“True freedom,” he retorted, “is certainly possible. Your master failed you if that is what you believe. Our code teaches the force will make you free. You may be correct that you are keeping yourself bound, but if that is the case the question then is why?”

Revna really did appreciate his candor; it made her feel like she could return the same and not be chastised, or tortured, for it. It was like breathing in new air. When she replied, she did so openly and without fear - it was as if she was unafraid that what she had to say could be carried to the ‘powers that be’.

“Power and knowledge, Lord Lechner. That is why. I am a student of the Dark side, more so than to any Sith master - and I would be a fool to turn away an opportunity where I could learn something new, something that would benefit me in the long run. I will never learn what I want to, if I run away from or hide in fear from painful lessons or less than ideal situations. When my…captivity turned into what it is now, I saw an opportunity to further myself, despite the circumstances that surrounded me.” She said, perhaps peeling back the veil so the other Sith Lord could see a glimpse of her ambition, what she was willing to do to satisfy the ever burning hunger that lived within her. There was another reason why she had chosen to stay bound, but the truth of that would reveal itself when the time was right - be it sooner or later. “Yes, the Force will make you free. I used the Force to break me from my chains of enslavement, and the Force will free me from my current bondage to the Kainate - in time. I am…working on finding a solution to the biggest issue that keeps me from my freedom.”

She shifted the conversation, asking if he knew anything about her Family, the Wonosans. She was curious to see if he had anything that could be useful for her, something that she could use to perhaps coordinate her own actions on their behalf, even from afar.

“I do not know. However, that is likely good news as opposed to bad.”

She hid her brief feeling of disappointment, but she nodded thoughtfully as she came to agree with him on that. If he were aware of them, then they would likely already be dead. Such was his job, wasn’t it? To be the Emperor’s executioner? Though he had nothing to truly give her, information wise - this knowledge alone seemed to ease some of her concerns.

Revna’s mention of Prazutis seemed to… elicit a rather strong reaction from the Dark Councilor, and her ember eyes narrowed slightly in curiosity as she noticed the golden flecking of corruption color his otherwise blue eyes. She felt the flash of anger ripple through the Force, a deep anger that was seated in something…personal.

“You will give him nothing more, even if he were to shatter your body only to mend it a thousand times over. The Mountain may be able to destroy your body, but never let him break your soul. A day will come when he perishes by my hand. Until then, give him nothing else.”

The smaller Sith woman stared at Gerwald in silence for a long few moments. The mention of the Dark Lord shattering or destroying her body, only brought forth memories she tried to keep buried away - and a seething hatred simmered through her. This only deepened further, and anger flared through, when she heard the Wolf say that he would be slaying Prazutis.

But it was gone as quickly as it had come, and a coldness settled back over her.

“It seems…like me…you have history with that bastard as well. Did he cook you with Sith lightning too, for refusing to bend the knee? Did he burn you alive with blue flames from his hands, melt your armor to your flesh, for fighting back? Shatter your spine, because he could? Leave you chained in the Black Cells with no light, no sense of time? Take away your choice, and force his will upon you? Force you to kill slaves, force you to watch people you swore to protect, be ripped apart in front of your very eyes?”

She fell silent again, her normally fiery eyes darkened and shadowed as memories of being under the power of the Shadow Hand returned to her in full, and she did nothing to hide her hatred for the one the Wolf called The Mountain. “I want vengeance. I don’t care how. Even if I have to sell my soul to a Nether demon, or fight you, to take my pound of flesh…I will. For what he did to my Family, to my home, for what he did to me. For what he continues to do. Everything I do now…every move I make, every act I commit to…is to give me that chance. I’ve done things that I hate myself for...done things I swore I’d never do. All to rise, to grow stronger - so that I can face him on his level, and never feel weak and helpless again. Never again.”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

She answered directly. Once again the Dread Wolf found himself offering a small smile. He could not necessarily agree with her assessment yet, but it did not mean she was wrong. Gerwald knew enough of her movements and those of Caedes from the Kaggath to know that her perspective on the matter was not untrue, even if it was possibly biased. Gerwald had been at the Kaggath, hidden and observing.

“He may not fear them, but he also has not directly challenged them. I suppose that is something. I will meet with Caedes all in good time. All of this is simply… preliminary.”

It was not often that Gerwald chose his words precisely. In this case he thought it was wise. Revna would know by his comment he was there to evaluate the King of Korriban. Oh how the Wolf hated the title. He dated Malum’s use of it as well. So many wrongs had been perpetrated against his kind by those who opted to use such a moniker. There were too many that used title and prestige as justification for evil and atrocity. Gerwald would not hide behind such titles, and often discouraged the use of honorifics in his presence. Of those holding seats of power among the Sith, he was one of a small number that was known by his own name rather than the title of Darth.

Her language still suggested there were certain things about being Sith Revna still did not understand. Primarily that a Sith did as they wished. It was rarely wise to act and behave in such a way. While his mistress, Srina Talon taught Gerwald the lesson, he witnessed it to a new degree where Darth Carnifex was concerned. While he still could never agree with the Kainite position on slavery, the Dread Wolf understood why the Epicanthix maintained it was his right.

Because he could.

Gerwald opted to let it go. Revna would learn with time that among the Sith it was often the case that might often made right. Those who stood unopposed, or proved victorious, often shaped the way of things among the Order. It was the sole reason why Gerwald aspired to rise among them. He believed he could shape the Order into something better. Perhaps it was the same hubris he accused others of having, but Gerwald justified the actions he took were for others, those he loved and cared for.

He chose a modern way.

Gerwald would prove a modern Sith could be more than what the galaxy painted them to be without having to break from what made them what they were. It was different from those among the Order who behaved much more like Jedi than Sith. Gerwald knew the difference, and he refused to be anything close to the kind. Even among the Knights Obsidian his path of balance often leaned toward the Dark Side. It took him longer to embrace what Naedira had been the first to introduce him to.

Through strength I gain victory.

Revna’s answer again… pleased the wolf. His nod was a simple one of affirmation as he silently listened to what she continued to say.

Her reaction to his declaration caught him off guard. Gerwald knew what Prazutis was capable of personally, but to hear it from her perspective, the ways he spoke of it as though it had been her experience, only enraged him further. She questioned him. He answered when she fell silent.

“And more.”

She would know, but as she spoke of vengeance, the wolf frowned. Revna did not want vengeance. She wanted revenge, and it was as plain as a full moon on a clear Stewjoni night. He masked his disappointment. It was born from the fact she did not seem to realize the truth of what rested in her heart. Gerwald saw a reflection of himself in her in that moment, and without warning he impressed his memories onto her mind.

Revna would feel as the Mountain flayed him, peeling him back. The pain of dark side healing, just for him to start again would run down her back. Her ears would hear the taunting words of how he had killed Naedira, then how his voice would change to the woman Gerwald had loved as he used it to plead with the Wolf to save her. Revna would feel the way his body crumpled on the ground as it had been discarded after days of the same torment.

She would know his reason.

She would know why the Mountain was his.

“It seems we are prisoners of the same kind.”

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner ​

“He may not fear them, but he also has not directly challenged them. I suppose that is something. I will meet with Caedes all in good time. All of this is simply… preliminary.”

His response to her remarks about Darth Caedes made her dip her chin slightly in understanding. She was not privy to all the inner workings of the King and his Royal Court, and so she could not say one way or the other why he was not directly challenging the Kainate Dark Lords. But, she also knew the King was in a very difficult situation, and had to play his cards just right or risk conflict. She had begun to see and hear and understand that his relationship with the Dark Lords was…not what most expected, and he was playing a dangerous game. But she would not share that kind of information with the Dark Councilor. It was not her place to say such things, anyway.

The Dark Councilor looked as if he wanted to say something, perhaps correct something she was telling him as she responded to the rest of his questions - but he seemed to decide against it. She picked up on this, and though she was curious, she did not call him out on it in the moment. Better to get through what needed to be said, before bringing up other things.

To the rest of what she said, in regards to the reasons why she chose to stay, he simply nodded - accepting it for what it was. But her response, her reaction to what he had said in regards to her relationship with the Shadow Hand, seemed to catch him off guard. Anger rolled, she could sense it, as she asked if he had endured the things she had at the hands of the Prazutis.

“And more.” He said when she had fallen silent, and her gaze on him was intense - the kind of expression that two survivors of a great battle might share. There was respect in her towards the Wolf, a deep respect. He had gone through what she had, and more…and yet here he was, seated at the table with her. Had his experiences shaped him, made him become more than what he had been? Had it helped him rise to the prominence he had now? The strength and power he wielded?

Gerwald frowned as she revealed that she wanted vengeance against the one who had all but destroyed her. Then, without warning - his mind was pressed against hers, powerful and not to be denied. Revna stiffened in her seat, a dark expression crossing over her face; the last person who had put their mind against her own had been Prazutis himself. At first, she resisted the Wolf’s efforts, her will to deny him notable - but then she saw flickers of memories that were not her own, and in a heartbeat she realized that he was trying to show her something, not invade her mind. She allowed the memories to slip through, and the landscape around them faded as she immersed herself within the memories.

It was…agony…to watch another be tortured by the Lord of Death. She saw, and she re-lived her own experiences too. The Dark side healing, more painful than the injuries themselves. That taunting voice that, upon hearing it once more brought a surge of black hatred through her, dangling something, no someone, before Gerwald that brought the Wolf immense pain. And to be discarded at the end, like a piece of trash, was just a further insult to all that had been done, all that Gerwald had suffered.

Everything she saw, made her understand with near crushing finality - that the claim she thought she had over Prazutis…was nothing. Bitterness coiled within her, not towards Gerwald or what he had endured…but at the understanding that another had more claim to the one who had tormented her, than she ever would.

The memories ceased, and her mind was hers once again. Her head dropped down, her chin near touching her chest - unable to look at the Dark Councilor. So many things ran through her mind, conflicting with one another. But she felt something she hadn’t tasted in years, since the days of her enslavement - and she didn’t know what to do with it. Defeat. Resignation. It tasted of ash, of dust. And she hated it. All these months, she had been fostering her hatred for that monster, looking forward to taking her pound of flesh from him - only to have that desire dashed against the rocks and the wind sucked from her lungs.

But she understood. Prazutis was not hers to destroy, and he never would be. She’d been foolish to even consider that she was the only one with a claim to him for what he had done. Obviously, that was not the case.

Revna heaved a shuddering breath, before finally lifting her head to look back at Gerwald. Her gaze was darkened, shadowed, a chaotic mix of things that swirled within her. She wouldn’t say she was sorry that he had to go through that. Such a thing she felt would be most unwelcome.

“It seems we are prisoners of the same kind.”

“It…would appear so.” she whispered, her voice barely above the whistle of the cold wind that drifted across the Korriban landscape. For a long time, she was quiet, as she continued to wrestle with her inner thoughts and turmoil. But eventually, she did speak again.

“I understand - you have more of a claim on him than I ever would. All I ever lost was my freedom. You lost…much more than I ever did at his hands. I am…bitter, I won’t hide that fact. Everything I have endured so far, every sacrifice I’ve made to survive this nightmare…has been done to give me the chance to be able to face him in the future. To know that I can defend what is mine against him, when he comes to take from me, and others like him. But…he is yours to kill. And I won’t take that from you, and though I said I’d fight you for it…I won’t. I can’t, not after what you just showed me.”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

His goal had not been to make the girl back down in her resolve, but rather to understand she was but one of many which had a claim on the life of the Mountain. Gerwald’s eyes flickered open when his hand came from her forehead. Somewhere in the transmission of his memory two of his fingers had pressed to her skull. His breathing was steady for one who had just expended a great deal of emotional energy to relive and share the horrendous actions he had endured.

Was this what had made him stronger? No. The Dread Wolf had never thought to gain in strength to kill Prazutis alone. For a decade Gerwald had one singular goal, and that was to bring Naedira Darcrath back to the land of the living. It would be a lie if he did not at least confess he believed if he were strong enough to do that he would be powerful enough to face Prazutis.

Gerwald was now. He knew it.

His delay was a result of another promise. Naedira made him promise not to go near him. The Dread Wolf never asked why. He could only assume her reasons. While time had made it clear she was not the same woman which went to the Netherworld, there was still enough of that Naedira left for Gerwald to guess her reasons. One thing the Dread Wolf knew was defeating Prazutis would change him. What such a feat would demand of the Lord Commander was a price that not even Gerwald thought he should pay.

The act would require the Dread Wolf to become more like Prazutis than he wanted. For that reason, Gerwald had given Naedira his word. His word was his bond, a thing Gerwald did not break. Perhaps it was still a weakness of his, maybe it was what made him strong. It at least made him different from the other Sith which aspired to rise among the ranks.

He shook his head.

“My claim is not greater than yours. I have simply held it longer. There are those who have wished to kill him before I ever knew his name. Do not bend to my claim or lessen yours simply because you somehow think your suffering less than mine.”

His eyes locked with hers.

“You are Sith. You belong to no one but yourself. If another can claim you it is either because you are too weak to stop it from happening, or you have allowed it for a reason.”

He grinned.

“You could try and fight me for the right to kill the Mountain, but the end result of that would be your own death, and much too soon. Why not do it before I can?”

The question he posed to the girl was designed to make her think. There were other ways to get what she wanted without adding to obstacles in front of what she desired most. Was she complicating things? It was possible. The Dread Wolf had learned that most made things harder than they needed to be. He had done the same thing when he was younger.

He shifted in his seat.

“Do you understand what I mean?”

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
​

The intensity of the moment that had transpired remained for a few seconds longer, even after Gerwald pulled his hand away from her head, before slowly easing. She hadn’t even been aware that he had done such a thing - had he done that because she originally had fought against his mental intrusion? Maybe, maybe not. She heaved a deep breath in an attempt to steady herself and pull her wits back together, blinking to clear her vision - though some of what she saw still lingered in her mind.

After she had said her piece, Gerwald shook his head at her, finding disagreement with what she had said. “My claim is not greater than yours. I have simply held it longer. There are those who have wished to kill him before I ever knew his name. Do not bend to my claim or lessen yours simply because you somehow think your suffering less than mine.”

Revna tilted her head slightly as they locked eyes, and he drove home a point he was trying to help her understand. She was surprised a bit by his statement, hearing Gerwald tell her not to bend to his own claim or think hers was lesser for it, and she accepted that somewhat. Before she could say anything on the matter though, he continued and she held her tongue, choosing to listen instead of speaking.

“You are Sith. You belong to no one but yourself. If another can claim you it is either because you are too weak to stop it from happening, or you have allowed it for a reason.”

She nodded slowly, her gaze introspective for a moment as she processed what he was telling her. Once again, his words rang true to her. Any other Sith might have rankled at the suggestion of being too weak, but Revna knew better. Truthfully - what he said was true on both accounts for her situation. She had been too weak to prevent what had happened to her in the beginning…and when she realized that fact and accepted it, she allowed the claim on her to persist because she saw a reason for it.

Gerwald grinned at her, before speaking again. “You could try and fight me for the right to kill the Mountain, but the end result of that would be your own death, and much too soon. Why not do it before I can?”

Revna returned his grin, her own smile darkly amused. A glimmer of her fiery self shined through for a moment as he shifted in his seat and asked if she understood or knew what he meant.

“If I couldn’t kill you to claim the right to kill him, then I certainly wouldn’t be ready to try and kill him again. Besides, I don’t really have the desire to fight you. I’d rather have you as my ally than my enemy. I know what you’re capable of - your exploits and prowess proceed you, Lord Lechner. You are not one to have as an enemy.” She said softly, before she became a bit more serious as she weighed on whether or not she should divulge what happened to her, and reveal the nature of the device still attached to her.

“Your statement - about being too weak to prevent what happened, my captivity, as well as allowing it to continue for a reason - is true.” she all but whispered. “Originally I was captured as a means to punish Darth Strosius for spurning the gracious offers made to him by the Kainate, for making them His enemies.”

Ember eyes slid away from Gerwald and turned to gaze at nothing in particular as her mind drifted back to that dark moment in her life.

“He sent Deshade warriors into my ship. I’d never encountered anything like them before, and I had no real way of fighting them off as I was at the time. I did the best I could but…I was overwhelmed in the end, and I was too weak to stop it all from happening. I had to watch the slaves I had helped free and cared for, Family, be ripped apart in front of my eyes and consumed. Men, women and children. Then I was knocked unconscious and when I awoke, I was dragged into the throne room of Darth Prazutis.”

Her gaze was haunted, the faint sounds of crackling lightning returning to her subconscious for a moment, the feeling of agony as the Dark Lord's lightning wrapped around her small frame, seared scars into her flesh as she was electrocuted - scars that still remained. “He told me that I was looking at my new reality. I…disagreed with him, quite vehemently. That defiance and disrespect resulted in him punishing me with streams of his Sith lightning. It was simply a taste of what was coming.”

Revna paused again as she gathered her thoughts, her heart rate accelerating as the memories returned stronger than before. Ripples of her residual emotions came to the surface as well - hatred and anger crackling over her skin briefly, before they faded into the background.

“In hindsight maybe I shouldn’t have done what I did - stand my ground in the face of Death, call him a coward for coming after me instead of facing my Master directly.” a small dark smirk flickered over her face briefly. “He didn’t like being called out. Made him come off his throne…”

She turned her gaze back to Gerwald before she continued, her voice muted and soft as she began to reveal what had happened that fateful day. “I evaded him, for a short time. But he caught me, and in a last act of defiance in the face of death I channeled every ounce of strength I had into the streams of lightning I threw at him, splitting the blue fire he rained down on me. I almost overwhelmed him; I saw surprise on his face…I think that is what saved my life, in the end. Didn’t stop him from burning me nearly to death though, or shattering my spine, or violating my mind to rip whatever useful information he could from me. I fed him as many false leads as I could when I could no longer keep him out. Anything to protect my Family, the slaves I had helped free from falling into the hands of another enslaver." Revna took another deep breath and closed her eyes for a few moments.

“I was ripped from death’s embrace many times - Prazutis did not grant me his permission to die. Every time my body failed from the severity of my injuries, he pulled me back to life. Was quite jarring, to die and then live again...over and over. Eventually I was allowed to slip into an induced coma, and when I awoke I was chained to the floor within the Black Cells, no way to see anything…no way to tell time. I couldn’t speak and every breath I took was agony. And I had a new companion, a device attached to my back that allowed me to use my legs. But it also inflicted immense pain upon me. Every time I tried to rest, to close my eyes…it seemed like it knew and would make me feel like I was burning alive all over again. How my mind didn’t utterly shatter in the Cells, I will never truly know.”

"Eventually I was brought before Prazutis once more. This time he was in a training dojo, training someone else there with sabers. I tore one from her grasp and in my fiery hatred immediately went in to attack him. And that was when I found out one of the main purposes of the device on my back: to keep me from attacking him on sight.”

She chuckled then, a dark and bitter rumble from her chest. “The device paralyzes, seizes my entire nervous system, if I attempt to strike against Prazutis or Carnifex without their express permission to do so. He used that as a teaching moment for me - to make it clear that I had no real choice in the matter. I was either going to submit to whatever he had for me, or I was going to die. It was as simple as that. That was the moment I realized that whether I liked it or not, he owned me, at least for the meantime. And I could either fight him every step of the way - or I could use him to my advantage and learn something, and live to use that experience and knowledge later on. The choice was clear to me.”

“Over time I discovered that the device on my back was also somehow connected to the Mountain - for when he made a direct command of me, the device ensured that I eventually obeyed that command, even if against my will. And believe me, I resisted him as often as I could get away with it. But eventually his will becomes my will.”

The little woman fell silent once more for a period of time, her gaze staring at things but not truly seeing what was around her. Her face was an emotionless mask - the mask she’d adopted while aboard the Malsheem. After a while, she lowered her gaze to stare at her gloved hands before finally looking back at the Dark Councilor seated across from her.

“So yes…I was too weak to stop what happened. I acknowledge that weakness of mine, but instead of letting it destroy me, I adapted. I made the choice to use those around me to my benefit and I took advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves to me while I had the chance. And thus I chose to remain in my bondage. Maybe I am wrong for it - but at the very heart of the matter, the truth is I wanted to live. And a Sith will do just about anything in order to ensure their survival.”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

Gerwald listened.

Revna had fought in the same manner Gerwald had and more. As he listened to what she told him of the encounter, it reminded him of the reports he heard of the way in which his mate Naedira Darcrath had fought against the Mountain when he boarded the Knights Obsidian vessel over Taanab. His eyes closed for a moment, almost sorrowful, the narrative exposed a secret about Prazuits which Gerwald had long believed to be true based on his experience.

He picked easy battles.

Prazutis had overwhelmed Naedira. He had fought Revna and won. His power manipulated a weaker and younger version of Gerwald. The one time Prazutis had been overwhelmed that the Dread Wolf knew of, he dared to tear open the veil and bring another Nochna Mora into the world of the living. It would be the first time the Wolf would find himself in the presence of the Mountain after his vow to end the life of the Dark Lord. Rather than kill him, Gerwald had been forced to dissuade him, and work alongside him, out of duty.

When his eyes flickered open the golden corruption of the Dark Side filled his irises. The anger which welled up within the beast was not for the woman in front of him, but rather what she had been subjected to, and what she was still being forced to carry. It was a burden she should not have been required to bear, and yet she had been.

“He pursues the weak and flees from the strong,” he said candidly.

Revna would feel the brush of Gerwald’s presence against her own. It was not cruel, nor was it kind. He had no intention to harm her, but it bristled with the rough discomfort of the darkness Gerwald had embraced out of survival, necessity, and choice.

The device was exactly where she said it was.

It would have been simple. Gerwald could have simply caused it to dissolve, and yet he did not. So much had been forced on this woman without her will taken into consideration. The Dread Wolf motioned.

“I can remove it, dissolve it, if you wish.”

His hands folded and rested on the table between them. It was his assurance he would not act without her affirmation.

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
​

Gerwald listened to her, intently. He didn’t interrupt her, didn’t cast off what she said as if it was meaningless. Other than Lady Talon, she couldn’t recall a single person who truly knew the depths of what she had gone through, what she had lived through. It felt almost, liberating, to tell someone what had happened to her. For someone to truly hear the depths of the pain and suffering and cruelty, someone who knew what it was like too. The revelation of what had happened to her seemed to have some sort of impact on the Dark Councilor, for his eyes closed and he kept them shut as her story continued. When she had finished speaking, she watched him closely, impassive and near emotionless - save the echo of pain that remained on her. It was something she had noticed since her arrival on Korriban. Pain echoed in the wake of her Force presence, and when she tapped into the Darkness - it was felt most keenly. But perhaps that was due to the proximity they were to the Dark side Nexus that was in the tomb world.

When he opened his eyes again, they were corrupted and golden; Revna silently mused to herself that the Wolf was downright intimidating when he was like this. His anger was clear, but it was not for her. She understood that anger all too well, for she had felt it so deeply in her first few weeks and months of her captivity. Every time she saw the Shadow Hand, her hate and anger boiled under the surface - and it took every ounce of her control not to lash out at him every time she saw him or was in his presence.

Revna was aware of the shifting of the Force, felt his presence graze against her own, and retreat as quickly as it had come. But there was a chill that radiated over her spine…and the device reacted by sending a jolt of acidic fire through her nerves. For a moment, her ember eyes flared brighter as the pain ripped through her, and a small hand clenched into a fist. But she didn’t utter a single whimper or other noise or complaint against the suffering. She simply endured.

Darth Carnifex had made sure she could tolerate pain to extreme levels, and it had helped her to somewhat deal with the pain inflicted by the device - but it was still a challenge. It was an insidious, evil thing; it somehow knew of her tolerance levels, and would bring her pain that was just a touch above what her threshold was.

But it had been clear - the device did not like Gerwald’s presence looking in on it. A shadow of concern passed over her face then, and her arched eyebrows dipped as she frowned. She couldn’t confirm this, but she had a sick feeling in her stomach that Prazutis would know each time someone tried to figure out the device on her back. There had been no…repercussions that had come when Lina Ovmar had inspected the device herself, but that wasn’t to say that none would eventually come.

“I can remove it, dissolve it, if you wish.” He said, folding his hands on the table in front of him. Her gaze leveled on them for a moment, before she looked back at him. That offer was so tempting, but there were too many unknowns about the nature of the device. She was still waiting to hear back from Lina on some of those unknowns.

Then again, there was another issue altogether - one of Revna’s own making.

“As much as I would love nothing more than for you to do so, there are unknown factors at play here. This thing…replaced my spinal cord, from my understanding. And it is connected to my brain, along with other organs. You may have the power, the ability, to do such a thing…but it could cost me my life. Furthermore…I do not know if this thing has a kill switch. It very easily could - a hidden measure to keep me bound to him. I don’t know if tampering with it, or active removal of it, would trigger such a mechanism. It…reacts, and knows, when someone is messing with it…looking at it, like what you just did. And I have to assume that as soon as it senses intrusions…so does Prazutis.”

Revna paused, still looking at the Wolf, as her gaze hardened slightly. “Lady Talon offered to secure my freedom too, when she first discovered what had happened to me. And I will tell you what I told her: as much as I want to be free from this, what lesson would I learn if I had someone help me take the easy way out of my messes? I refused to use her position as Empress to secure my freedom, because I value her too much. Because I didn’t know what kind of chit storm I was going to evoke between her and Darth Carnifex and Darth Prazutis if I asked her to do such a thing, and I didn’t want to put her into that position. Likewise…I may not know you very well, hardly at all…but I know you have history with that bastard. And I do not want you to be pulled into a mess of my own making. I am a Sith - I will either find a way out of this myself or I will die trying.”

She fell silent once more as she pursed her lips. “Or maybe that is just my pride talking. What is left of it, anyway. Regardless, I am looking for answers into a few unknowns about this thing. Once I have those answers…then I will be putting forth a game plan to finally be rid of it.” Another small pause, before she tilted her head to one side.

“I will have one regret though, in the end of it all. Having Lord Carnifex be…disappointed…in me. And I never thought I’d say this but, that does bother me. He…stepped in and took over a lot of my training after my capture, you see. And though I still hate him I came to respect him for who and what he is, and I value the experience and wisdom he saw fit to pass on to me. He changed some of my perspectives on things, you could say.”

Her eyes lowered back to her hands for a moment. “Perhaps that was why I really stayed this entire time, why I haven’t done anything so rash yet. Because I wanted to step into the potential he says he sees in me. He allowed me to come here, maybe to breathe…maybe to figure out who I am after the loss of my Master. And I can’t just…spit on that.” Revna looked back at the Dark Councilor and shrugged.

“But I sense I will be summoned back before them soon, more than likely it will be Darth Carnifex who recalls me. It…is a feeling I can’t shake. But what the purpose of that visit will be, I have no clue. Maybe to resume my training, be forced to take my place in the Kainate. Maybe I will be released, on conditions. Who knows?”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

The more Revna spoke, the more impressed he was with her maturity and wisdom in regards to the situation she found herself in. Twice the offer had been given to free her from the device in her back, and grant her most pressing need. Many would have taken the offer. After a decade of failing to keep his promise to Naedira Darcrath , Gerwald had taken the offer given by Srina Talon . She had told him that he could have asked her. In some ways the answer which Revna gave him reminded him of how he had been once. Had she taken the offer it would have proven she was not strong enough somehow.

Gerwald nodded when she mentioned her pride. He knew his all too well. Pride had pushed him toward the Mountain in the first place when everyone else told him to stay away. The words flooded back into his mind. He was not ready. Prazutis would destroy him. Revenge would change him. Each word had been true, but the Dread Wolf had been too young and too foolish to listen to the wisdom which had prompted the caution those more experienced had given him.

Now, he understood, but far too late to change the result of his rash decision.

“I understand. There is risk with my offer certainly. However, none of the options in front of you come without it. I suppose then, you are choosing the option which minimizes it.”

His eyes closed, and Gerwald regained his composure. The blue hue returned, the transition catching as he opened his eyes. Revna may see the shift if she were paying attention.

“One word of advice however. It is not a weakness to ask for help. There are those among the order which would tell you that you must do everything yourself, and if you cannot then you are not strong enough. At times, it takes a stronger person to admit they are not powerful enough yet and show vulnerability.”

He smiled.

Her concern about disappointing Darth Carnifex was not unfounded. He was a formidable Sith, and having his favor was a boon to be had for sure. Revna would do well to keep it if she could, and in the process she seemed to curry the favor of the Empress and her Wolf in the process. Gerwald certainly respected her decision. He could remove the device against her will, but he did not wish to. There was a measure of curiosity which resided in regard to this girl.

Could she actually free herself?

The question lingered in his mind because she showed a resolve and strength of spirit which made her resilient. Too many in the Order were not. There were those who led planets which did not display the same fortitude which the Wolf saw on display now.

“You surprise me, young one. With everything you have suffered, and yet, here you remain with a steadfastness most would not be able to claim. I will have to observe with curiosity then, since I feel compelled to see what the results of doing this your way produce.”

He paused.

“You may very well succeed.”

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner​

Revna had been…nervous…that he might say she was foolish for her decision to reject his offer. To reject the Empress’s prior offer. But to her surprise, he nodded with understanding of what she had said, of her admittance that it might have been her pride talking in the situation.

That she…wanted to prove her worth, in an ocean where she was surrounded by those who could destroy her without a second thought.

“I understand. There is risk with my offer certainly. However, none of the options in front of you come without it. I suppose then, you are choosing the option which minimizes it.”

“No…none of the options remove the risk. That is something that I have considered every day and night now for months, longer even. It is something I have to accept, and prepare myself for, when I am ready to be free of this. The risk that…I may not survive its removal, if done against the will of Prazutis.” Her gaze shifted back to Gerwald as he closed his eyes once more, seemingly in an effort to compose himself, and when he reopened them the golden hue was mostly replaced with blue. She pondered internally for a moment in awe; how was he able to do that?

“One word of advice however. It is not a weakness to ask for help. There are those among the order which would tell you that you must do everything yourself, and if you cannot then you are not strong enough. At times, it takes a stronger person to admit they are not powerful enough yet and show vulnerability.” he said to her before offering a smile. Revna tilted her head to the left slightly in her usual and curious manner, as she contemplated the advice, the wisdom, he shared with her.

“Hmm. Yes…that is sound advice, even if it does go against what most in our Order would believe or say. I bet those are the same kind of Sith that would also say it is a weakness for a Sith to have a meaningful connection with someone. And yet some of the most powerful of our Order have someone in their life whom they would burn the galaxy for in an instant.” She paused for a moment to think and consider the other thoughts that rolled around in her mind. She had always been one to think before speaking - though there were a few exceptions to that.

“I may be a Sith, or at least trying to be one - but I feel it would be wise for me to recognize and know when I am in over my head and need assistance. There are some things I simply cannot do on my own…and securing my freedom may not be something I can achieve without help of some kind. It is hard for me to say that, to admit that right now I don't have the strength. One day I know that I will, but I want to actually live long enough to see that day come.” She freely admitted, though hearing herself say it was…odd for her. In the very beginning of her capture, she would have balked at his advice, spurned it even. But she had learned deep and valuable lessons through her trials, things she would carry with her for the rest of her life and hopefully pass on to her own apprentice one day.

“You surprise me, young one. With everything you have suffered, and yet, here you remain with a steadfastness most would not be able to claim. I will have to observe with curiosity then, since I feel compelled to see what the results of doing this your way produce.” He paused briefly, before finishing his thought: “You may very well succeed.”

Revna blinked at the Wolf for a moment with her own surprise; she hadn’t been expecting to hear that from him. She inhaled deeply and exhaled sharply, as she regarded the Sith Lord before her with a sense of vulnerability she rarely revealed to others.

“I…I may need help, if my plans fail. If they do…can I seek you for help? I would ask Lady Talon but…I don’t want to involve her, considering her ties with Darth Carnifex. Force, I don’t even want to involve you either but…here I am, taking you up on your advice.” She halfway smiled then with mild amusement. “A back up plan, if you will.”

There was one other individual who might be of aid to her, but that was a card she was playing very carefully, and she chose not to reveal that information to the Dark Councilor. If things were going the way she thought they were, then she would not need to seek anyone else for help. She might not even need to ask the Dark Lords herself to release her. But she couldn’t count on that alone, she needed a backup plan to her backup plans.

A curious expression drifted over the young Sith’s face as she suddenly leaned forward slightly to rest her elbows on the round cafe table before her, resting her chin on her upturned palms as she narrowed her eyes at Gerwald.

“How…do you do that, by the way? When you expressed your anger a moment ago, your eyes turned gold…corrupted. But now they are blue again. How? I’ve noticed others who can do that as well. Mine…started shifting with corruption not long after I made a series of killings, all the way back when I was still an acolyte of Darth Strosius. And the more I dived into the Dark, the more golden they became, and they never turned back. I’ve always been a touch jealous of those who can almost…turn it off, it seems.”

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

TAG: Revna

She would need help. There was no question of that. What the woman before him wanted was beyond her. It was beyond most. The Dread Wolf did not consider her task to be an easy one, and the choices she had made which brought her to the path she walked had made it so. Gerwald knew the path she had set herself on better than most. His own decisions had taken him down a road which had been similar. The difference was the Wolf had been cast aside and left in such a condition he could not refuse the help he needed.

The Dread Wolf did find it interesting she was asking for his help should she need it after suggesting she did not want any. It was the first time he could recall a Sith asking him for something. He did his best to contain the smile which wanted to form. It was the nature of power he supposed. Others were recognizing that he was not a simple lap dog to those who wielded command over him. His moniker had been earned long before joining the Sith Order even if it was taking time for others to see it.

It posed a dangerous exposure. When the Order believed Empyrean held his leash, it made it seem as though the Wolf could not, or would not, affect any real change. His elevation to the Dark Council removed that covering, as it should have, and unlike his counterparts, the Wolf no longer hid behind his loyalties. Perhaps they were well known, and it was possible they were not. Word of his friendliness with Carnifex would not sit well with many. In fact, it would likely alienate him from several he needed as friends if he wished to advance further.

“A back up plan,” the Wolf questioned. “Spoken like a Marr.”

Whether she would take it as a complement or not was up to her.

“Plans within plans within plans, it will be the undoing of the Sith. I will be you back-up plan, but if you reach the point where you need my help, just understand that at that moment we will stop doing things your way, and we will do them mine.”

The Wolf wanted Revna to know what it was she was asking, and what it was she was actually agreeing to. Gerwald would not be called in to help just to be put on a leash. Only Srina Talon and his mate Naedira Darcrath could hold Gerwald to his leash. Srina commanded it, Naedira influenced it. They both held him firmly, but both in different ways.

It seemed her question turned to his eyes. Unlike other Sith it seemed that Gerwald had some semblance of control over the corruption they displayed. The answer was as complicated as it was simple.

“Genetics.”

He knew he would need to explain.

“I cannot speak for other Sith, but I am a Lupo. My species started as mere Sith Spawn. The dark side is still encoded into our genetic markers. There are moments, typically flashes of anger, when I lose control over what my eyes give away. The day will come when I will no longer be able to hide the tainted and twisted coloration of the dark side. My eyes are blue, until they are not.”

If the woman had hoped to hear Gerwald was controlling the hue of his eyes, the answer would be disappointing. His words had painted a different picture, one of a man and a beast which was turning. The more powerful he became, the more his features would show it.

It was inevitable.

 

[Revna]

Tag: Gerwald Lechner
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Revna wondered if perhaps he had been waiting for her to recognize the truth of her situation. He tried to hide the smile when she asked if he would be willing to help her, should she have need of it, but she noticed it. She had learned to notice small things and read another’s body language, at least somewhat, over the years. It was a skill that allowed her to survive her more than two decades in slavery, and it had helped her to understand and co-exist with her fiery Sith Master, who had always kept His face hidden from her. It was also a skill that had helped her navigate the complex and violent world of the Sith.

He commented on her words about having a ‘back up plan’, and further added that she spoke like a Marr. A faint smirk tugged at her lips as amusement shined in her eyes. “Must be a Marr trait then.”

“Plans within plans within plans, it will be the undoing of the Sith. I will be your back-up plan, but if you reach the point where you need my help, just understand that at that moment we will stop doing things your way, and we will do them mine.”

Revna kept her eyes on Gerwald’s face as he made his expectation clear, though her gaze did narrow ever so slightly with his statements that ‘plans upon plans’ would be the undoing of the Sith. She had always lived her life, even before she was a Sith, by making plans. It was what ensured her survival, what brought her freedom. Still, she was not one to dismiss the wisdom of her Elders. It was something more that he had said that she would think and ponder on more in the days and weeks to come, no doubt.

But, it was clear through the rest of what he said that the Dark Councilor wanted her to understand what she was asking him for, what would happen should she indeed call upon him for aid. Her expression grew more serious, as she dipped her chin slightly in understanding.

“I do understand and recognize that, should I reach a point where I do need your aid to secure my freedom, that I would be ‘stepping aside’ so to speak, and allowing you to do things your way. I already had a feeling that would be the case anyway, when I chose to listen to your word of advice.” She eyed him for a few moments longer, before adding: “Though I do hope that I won’t have to invoke the aid of a Dark Councilor. I am sure there is a cost that comes with doing that.” Revna had learned in her time with the Sith that they rarely helped others, without ensuring there was something they could gain from the other. There was always a price to pay, somewhere.

The little woman asked about how his eyes shifted, and she listened intently as he explained it was more based on genetics than anything. He revealed that he was a Lupo, once upon a time his kind had been Sithspawn, and that influence was still embedded within his DNA, and thus the shifting of his eyes was due to that.

“That is rather fascinating, if I can be honest. It intrigues me that a Sith spawn eventually led to the rise of your kind, the Lupo. Though…that doesn’t really explain why some Sith show corrupted eyes but others don’t. But I suppose I could ask those individuals, like Lady Raaf, that question.” A brief pause, before she added in a decidedly darker tone of voice: “I’d ask my cousin but if I saw him in person right now I don’t know if I could hold myself back from trying to rip him limb from limb.”

She was quiet for a few longer moments, sighing a bit heavily as her thoughts shifted between past events and her current circumstances.

“I wonder if that will ever truly go away. It is a strange thing, to go from respecting someone to wanting to see their head on a platter. If I truly did the ‘Sith’ thing, I would seek revenge at all costs, just to satisfy my own personal desire to repay blood with blood. But…I don’t know if it’s worth it. I have other things to think and worry about. Like the safety of my…people. My Family - our continued existence and survival. If I went after Malum, then I might be putting them at further risk, and I do not desire that. Not that I can do much for them right now as it is.”

Revna rubbed her face for a moment, releasing a tremor of stress that had built up within her, before she straightened her posture to resemble more of the Disciple of her late Master, than a Sith apprentice who didn’t know which way to turn next.

“I am sure you are a busy man Lord Lechner, so I won’t take up any more of your time. But at the risk of sounding un-Sith like, thank you for taking the time to sit and hear from me - to share with me and allow me to do the same. And for passing along advice and wisdom; you’ve given me much to consider and think about.”