Private Theater of the Mind

[Aristeia Zambrano]

Location: Coruscant, Galaxies Opera House. (Nathema Space Station in reality)

Seven large globes of water took form, hanging above the massive Galaxies Opera House, as Aristeia took to the scene. The backdrop was far more than what would be called for in many of her plays, but it was always important to test the limits of her illusions. The stage of the auditorium had been turned into a reconstruction of the Galaxies Opera House, perhaps giving anyone who entered a rather confusing prospective if they were to enter; after all, she had to make the audience to scale for the proper touch. With the stage set, the white haired woman moved to put her fellow cast member into position; taking the form of a young man, clad in jedi robes. For herself though, the young actress took a simpler form, that of a shorter woman with auburn hair, her gown being of bright scarlet with golden thread-work laced about the fabric. The pair of chairs were already laid out, and upon taking her seat, Aristeia moved the scene forward, as everything came to life. She had been working on the script for this play for many months now, and it was time to preform the closing scene for Act II.

The quiet playing of music echoed within the chamber, as quiet murmurs of applause sprung up at random intervals. The man beside her moved into action, his gaze intense, his posture indicating he was irritable; a bit overplaying it for her taste, but she could roll with it. "I don't understand, you told me there was never anything wrong. Why the sudden change of heart?" His hand reached out for hers, seizing around the wrist, giving Aristeia the prompt for her cue. She pulled her hand away, tearing it from the illusionary grasp in the process, she rose from her chair, hand clutching her chest. "We've been done this road before, and we have been delaying it long enough. Your love for the order, and mine for the Senate, they can not be. Why can you not understand?" She stepped back, hand pressing against her chest now, as she turned her back to the man. "I love the Republic, I love Democracy. Even more than you." She spoke softly, her free hand brushing over the railing, as the illusionary man had risen and attempted to embrace her. "You can love more than one thing, please my love, do not be a fool." She recoiled from his touch, her hands pushing the man away from her, though it pushed her against the confines of the Opera booth. "I have been a fool before! For believing you would understand! For thinking we could make this work!" She retorted, only for her fellow actor to respond. "If I can not have you in life, than I shall claim you in death!" A crack of lightning rushed from the mans hands as he reached for her once more, the blue energy striking into Aristeia, and though it brought no pain, she acted to the contrary. Crying out, Aristeia collapsed to the ground, crying out in pain as her role required. Alas, it appeared to be the end for her character, as the music within the illsionary world began to swell at the act of treachery unfolding.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

“Aristeia...” a voice would break the illusory realm as Vanessa eyed her daughter, a smile on her face as she observed the woman before her. Decades ago, she had done the unthinkable - she had created a child using the genetics of her own body and that of Kaine Zambrano himself, before he became what he had become today. From the moment she was old enough to live outside the gestation chamber, Vanessa had raised her with the utmost care, shielding her from the risks and dangers experienced in the Unknown Regions. Vanessa had also made sure her presence to the Sith was minimally known if that, though Aristeia had gone through the trouble of leaving the safety of the Nathema Complex numerous times in order to seek out and further her career as a playwright and actress. Vanessa knew that there was however a particular magnum opus that her child worked on.

She was proud, albeit worried she had failed to expose her child enough.

Vanessa saw through the illusions her child had created. They were grandiose and impressive, every bit as skillful as Vanessa’s own. Yet she picked her daughter out of the illusory landscape. “Aristeia. I need to talk with you about something extremely important.”

Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

Suddenly the scene came to a halt, as Aristeia heard the voice that always canceled her performances. 'Mother'. She groaned, the illusion of the deranged jedi faded, and with it the opera set she had spent weeks designing. Lifting herself off the floor, the auburn haired senator reverted back to the six foot five white haired sorceress.

Gone was the regal box seat, instead the lonely abondoned auditorium returned. Needless to say, the woman was less than pleased. Her arms crossing as she canted her head, knowing well enough whatever her mother had to say it would be uninteresting. "Mother, I was rehearsing my latest work. What is so blasted important?" She inquired, the slightly peeved actress strode forward, stepping off her small stage, using the force to drift her closer to her mother. There had always been a distinct separation between the two of them, though at least her mother allowed her to practice her craft. Though she felt more and more that those times would come to an end. Her mother had always gone on about something big coming, and Aristeia feared what that might be. As she stood over her nuch shorter parent, Aristeia did not look the least bit amused. "Mother, if this is about my 'legacy' can it wait? I don't have the time to dedicate to another role. Especially something as dull as an Empress to be in hiding." Most of her life had revolved around learning, or practicing what she was taught. Little else had been a constant in her life, and what few 'friends' she had were apparently acolytes that didn't have an acting bone in their body. Aristeia stood, arms crossed as she awaited what her mother sought to say to her, hoping it was actually something interesting this time and not another rehearsal of how to use her powers.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

The voice immediately caused Vanessa to tense up. Since their return from the Unknown Regions, where Aristeia had spent nearly a decade or so of her young life, the tension between her and Vanessa had only further built up. It was inevitable that one day it was going to lead to proper conflict between the two of them. She sighed for a moment before she waited for Aristeia to come down and stand next to her. The woman did tower over her, as was expected given Kaine's genetics at the time, though she was small by the standards of many of his children.

"This is a role you're going to want - the role of being a daughter who is going to meet her father for the first time." She said, succinctly. "Our shuttle's waiting. We're going to Dromund Kaas to meet the Emperor of the Sith Empire, Darth Carnifex. Or as I know him, Kaine Zambrano." She smiled. "I have everything packed up, as well as something I'd like to show you once we get on board." She smiled - this truly was going to be something Aristeia would appreciate.

Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

A mixture of surprise and confusion overtook the young woman, as she tilted her head to the side, as if to process what her mother had said. Father? She was actually going to meet him? Cocking an eyebrow, Aristeia couldn't help but question her mothers intentions. "Are you jesting mother, or will I truly meet father this time? I thought you said it wasn't time." She reminded the woman, though Vanessa hardly needed to be reminded. She stepped back, turning on her heel as she would have her back to her mother, hands clasped behind her as she was left to reflect on this revelation. How should she greet her father? More importantly, what was the role to require? She had never played the obedient daughter figure before, and yet she knew very little of the man; save for he was to be feared and loved, and yadda yadda yadda. She felt an unusual sensation. Was it delight? No, but close, it was like giddiness and tinglyness at her chest, looking to crawl forth. She settled with anticipation, that seemed to be the most apt term, and felt a degree of satisfaction in the process.

Turning back to face her mother, her distraction had only lasted for a few moments, but she found the terms laid before her to be agreeable. "Very well mother, I accept your terms. I only ask that you tell me of father, I do not wish to disappoint him with my performance. What appeals to him?" She questioned, stepping closer to her mother, and willing to depart her makeshift stage for this new voyage that she was being sent upon. She was left to think about the sort of man the Emperor would be, and why he hadn't come to any of her performances in the last twenty years. It seemed rather rude of him truth be told, and yet from the stories that her mother told, it seemed very unwise to tell him such. Maybe she'd do it anyways, no one was immune to criticism; not even the Emperor.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa smiled. "It is time." She said. "I wouldn't have gotten a shuttle readied for us if it wasn't." She smiled, eager for the reunion in question to happen. Once the duo were in the shuttle, Vanessa reached out to her and gently took her daughter by the hands. "Let me tell you the story I have kept quiet. I have deliberately kept you in the dark about things in order to protect you given the... predilection for internal feuding amongst your father's offspring." The entire shuttle would seem to vanish from around them, as though they were floating in the void of space - Vanessa was drawing upon her own illusive powers in order to create the illusion of a space so large and vast that it seemed endless. The two would appear to float within the deathly silent void, whose stars seemed to evaporate as everything was encumbered by blackness.

Vanessa would next appear to her daughter as though on a stage, a light shining upon her head. Next to her was a metallic capsule with a fleshy thing in it, something that looked nearly human. Her arm rested on it as she beckoned Aristeia to come forth. "You were not conceived by natural means, nor were you conceived by the Force. You were formed via artificial insemination, and this capsule was your womb." Vanessa said, beckoning back to it as it soon disappeared. In its place, and past the duo, flew a ship that Aristeia would recall well - Vanessa's old flagship, the Ablution. Battered and scarred as it was, the ship flew through space, through gaseous clouds and gravitational disturbances. "I had no choice. By the time you were conceived, I had left the greater galaxy. My onetime partner, and your technical grandmother, Silara Vantai, gave me this body, and I was persona non grata within the Sith Empire at the time."

The scene would change to that of a warmly lit room on board the Ablution, where Vanessa gently cradled her daughter, bosom free to nurse her at her young age of nine months. "Once you were old enough to survive without needing the capsule, you were 'born,' and from there I raised you." The scene would shift once more before turning to Vanessa playing with her young daughter, only a few years old, as the two had fun with children's toys the exiled Sith Lord had crafted for Aristeia out of the materials found on some long forgotten world in the Unknown Regions. "There was a reason you always thought we were safe, even though it was a lie." Aristeia would seemingly phase through the wall of the ship, likely wincing before witnessing the Ablution in combat with a strange warship of alien nature, one no record she had perceived could identify. "Within the Unknown Regions were horrors unlimited. I did whatever I could do in order to make sure you were not involved." The warships evaporated as a room Aristeia was all too familiar with emerged - the training room. Vanessa stood there, teaching the nine year old girl in the ways of the Dark Side. With her arm reached out, the young girl crushed a metal rod with her power as Vanessa praised her, giving her words of encouragement.

"But I knew that if I couldn't stop that, I had to make sure you were able to defend yourself." The room remained the same, but the figures did not - Vanessa, with a different attire, was dueling her ten year old daughter, the duo wielding training lightsabers crudely crafted from spare parts as they fought.

"When we came back to Nathema, much was as I had left it. I further developed the planet and trained you in preparation for the day you would be ready to meet your father. I have known him since he was a young apprentice, Asa. Since he had no power. I have watched him rise up the ranks, only to fall and lose everything he controlled - which to a degree soon fell into my hands unwillingly. I crafted him a body on the occasion he was once slain, though he has since gained another - one that has unfortunately taken his ability to show anyone the one thing that is most important in familiar relations: love." Scenes of Kaine's many appearances, including his original body, his spectral form, the body Vanessa had made for him, and his current appearance all stood around Aristeia within the void.

"It is not that he does not love me, and will not love you. It is that he cannot love me and cannot love you. He will approve of you. He will likely praise you, as being his daughter you are in a way a princess of the Sith Empire. I have not told him about you despite my return just so his reaction to your life may be most positive. Your skills will impress him tremendously. But within the heart in his body lies an inability to feel anything, a sacrifice made so he could achieve power unlike any other."

The vision would pause. "There are two beings your middle name comes from. The first is Silara herself. I still hold a place, deep and dearly within my heart for her." She had never known what had happened to her once-lover, and likely never would truly find out. "The second was a being I was close to, who I cared about tremendously and who nearly rent the universe asunder. Her name, as you may guess, was Akala." The image of the young Celestial girl flew by before the entire world seemed to be sucked into an abyss of infinite blackness, including Aristeia herself. As the light disappeared, there would be a flash of a great explosion before her eyes before her vision would clear, seeing the duo were still in the shuttle that was now underway.

"Now you know everything you must about your father, about your birth, and about why I have done all I have in your life. I'm sorry if you hold any of it against me."

Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

Her mother was indeed behaving more...unusual than normal. She was indeed happy, though about what well, the Sith could only guess. She had strong guesses, but trying to figure out her mother was a logic puzzle that she was in no mood to try and work with. Finding her mother was taking her by the hand, Aristeia sighed, and just went with it; resistance was futile. What her mother spoke of as the pair made their way through the facility sparked her curiosity however, as the things her mother was saying were not things she had heard before. Her father had more children? She wasn't an only child? Why would her brothers and sisters seek to do her harm? Why had her mother been so determined to keep her locked away from the galaxy when she should have had her fighting for that oh so desirable position of lead role?

As the pair boarded the shuttle, Aristeia could feel the shuttle begin to depart, but the sensation of her mother's power caught most of her attention. The confines of the shuttle warped into a large and vacant stage, as spotlights shined down upon the pair, and memories of the past play out before the woman as if it were a holofilm. She watched in silence, a soft and gentle fury built up, as little by little the truth of her upbringing was unveiled. She was being used, her mother had built her specifically for this role, and to what end? The fury halted, as Aristeia's eyes lingered on her younger self, the training sessions with her mother. They had looked so happy, felt so fulfilling. She felt conflict take hold of her heart, her eyes looking upon the woman with a mix of contempt and confusion. Her mother seemed intent on her taking this role that she had revealed, one that that Aristeia hadn't taken seriously until now. She quickly buried her thoughts, knowing the woman would catch on. Though it made sense to her, she could rationalize the process in which her mother had done what she did, and yet....she couldn't help but feel hurt. Like someone had driven a knife right into her ribs and to the heart. Her hand clutched at her chest, the sense of unease rising, as quite literally her entire life had been a crafted deception.

Not exactly the sort of thing one liked to hear. As the illusions faded, Aristeia recreated one memory for her own purposes. That of her younger self, a girl of nine years old having crushed a metal bar with her hands. Her mother embraced her, wrapping her in a hug, the smile of her younger self being infectious to look upon. It brought back the sensations of joy, a feeling she had faked many times until now, but hadn't experienced in quite some time. As Vanessa finished what she had to say, Aristeia said nothing at first, studying the illusion as she came to terms with her mothers confession. She would need more time to process this, but right now, she was feeling hurt. "I understand mother." She spoke calmly, the illusion slowly faded as she released her hold on it. Her mother had already planned out her life for her. She wouldn't be allowed to become an actress, rather she would have to prepare for potential leadership of this Empire.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa paid astute attention to how her daughter reacted to the illusions that spanned before her. She sighed. “I kept you isolated from the rest of your brothers and sisters for half your life because I had no choice - we were in exile. Upon returning, I only let you leave the complex under carefully crafted false identities because I simply could not risk one of your less... stable siblings from causing you harm.” She said. “Many of Kaine’s children are monsters. The worst of uncivilized man living in a shell of high-born flesh. I have seen children who were cannibals. Children who literally fed on the life force of others. Horrific experiments that were crafted through the darkest and most corrupt techniques of Sith Alchemy.” She said as the shuttle finally reached the edge of the system, soon jumping into hyperspace. “And they react poorly to what they see as competition. Some you will likely befriend - I have known some along my path - but better safe than sorry.”

It had not taken an empath for Vanessa to see the frustration Asa felt as her origins were revealed. Vanessa sat and watched the shifting blue, black, and white void of hyperspace as she contemplated what to say next. “I know one thing you believe is that I desire to guide your path. That is only true insofar as learning the ways of the Dark Side are concerned. You cannot become weak like the Jedi, not in the galaxy of ruthlessness we live in.” She turned back to face her child. “I did not create you as a pawn, nor are you expected to fill a certain role. Your life is before you - the only certainties are that you are a Sith and you will always have my support in anything you do.”

Vanessa watched as on her own smaller scale, Aristeia recreated the illusion of their time training as a child. The happiness was something that had warmed Vanessa’s heart - something she missed, knowing that her daughter had viewed her protectiveness as manipulation and disdain. As the illusion dissipated, she frowned. “I’m not sure you do... just know that I love you and I want to do what I can to give you the best life I can with the least hardship.” She leaned in and wrapped her arms around her daughter, embracing her carefully.

“I’m sorry. Please, forgive me for all I have had to do.”

Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

Aristeia listened to what her mother needed to say, and again the rationality was there, and yet she felt the sting of pain all the same. Ariseteia nodded slowly, taking in the words, but not truly understanding them. Her mother wanted her to be the best, the strongest, possibly even the one to go forth and murder those that came before and after her. Though if Vanessa sought that, Aristeia didn't know for certain. She could only hope she was ready to do so, though...even that seemed questionable. How strong were her brothers and sisters? She had to assume they must have been mighty if her mother kept her hidden for so long.

Being told that her existence was not to be a pawn helped alleviate the concerns that the Sith held, though she assumed the pain would fade in time. She had been given quite a shock after all. A small smile stretched across her face, hearing that her mother would give her all her support. "Thank you mother. I will ensure I do not disappoint you." She replied, though she hadn't expected the hug that accompanied the apology. Looking at the shorter woman, Arisetia couldn't resist. Giving her mother an embrace, feeling that she could put this aside for the time being. "I love you too mother. Fret not, please. I know you sought only my betterment." She would come to understand the situation in due time, just not right now. Once the hug was done, Aristeia turned to face the view port, watching the tunnel of hyperspace carry the pair to their destination.

"Mother, those stories you told me of Akala, they were real weren't they?" Aristeia asked, her hand slowly reaching towards the view port, knowing that just beyond there were hundreds of stars rushing past them. Despite all she had gained in the last few years, her power was trifling compared to the rest of her kin. Her mother had confirmed as much, and in truth Aristeia felt discontent at the idea of it. "Is it possible to grow that strong mother? To make the galaxy your stage?" She questioned, her mind wandering down a rather narrow street, thoughts of a galaxy she could rule over with a whim felt so...enticing. But the road to get there, it would be treacherous indeed. Perhaps her father had ideas on achieving such a thing. "I need to prove myself to father, so that we can lay claim to the throne." She reasoned, nodding as she made sense of her own rational. She would dedicate this to her greatest role yet, the role of the successor to be. Though, she felt the competition would be fierce, and she was at a rather large disadvantage.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

"There is nothing you can do to disappoint me, Asa." She said, smiling. "You're my daughter, and I love you. Even if after you have learned everything I can teach you, you want to do something else, you can." Her words were sincere. Aristeia's next comments about her namesake were intriguing - Vanessa was surprised that she brought up the tales of Akala, which Vanessa had studied and learned over time. It was deliberate actions on Vanessa's part that had given her the information about Akala that she could learn before her death - a death Vanessa had caused by distracting the all-powerful Celestial.

"The stories I told you were true." She said. "Akala was a Kwa that became a Celestial, for all intents and purposes. Someone with power and the ability to truly be considered god-like. Perhaps a god of a sort." She sighed. "Akala was a mortal. If she can do it, anyone can, but there are certain things one must do to get that power." Vanessa looked at her daughter for a moment as a memory flashed through her mind. She would raise a hand as a set of bloodied robes would become visible, black splatter visibly encrusting the robe itself. "I still have the robe I wore when Akala died. It has her blood on it. All that's left of her on this mortal plane." She said, thinking cautiously.

"We don't need to claim the throne." She said. "And I wouldn't want you to. The throne of the Sith Empire is ultimately finite, Asa. I saw the Empire rise and fall once before, and one day this one will die as well. Your aspirations must be longer term." She said. "And if godhood is what you seek, we can... do that." She paused for a moment, attempting to focus herself for her next action as she once more took her daughter's hands.

"Take my hands. I am going to show you one more thing - the thing that may be able to give you what you seek."

Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

The words of her mother brought comfort for her troubled mind, though the thoughts went from one topic to the next. If she was going to join her father atop the Empire, it seemed wise to prepare and grow strong in preparation. She glanced to the robes that her mother produced, curious as to how someone could grow to such lengths, she could only hope to learn and find out in time. "If my brothers and sisters are as strong as you believe mother, should I not try and grow stronger?" She questioned, her eyes looking into the void of hyperspace now. "It doesn't have to be finite, right? We can make it more than that, can't we?" She asked, turning to look at her mother for a cue. Perhaps she was getting ahead of herself, wanting to start a race for a throne she cared little about, but more about the status that came with it. Her mother had advised she find something else to look over, fixate on, and rather she found nothing more so than to gain her status through her acts. "Mother, I have many aspirations, but I have no means of achieving them if one can defeat me in combat." She did not merely want divinity, rather, she wanted the ability to lay claim to it. She didn't want the journey to end, she wanted her progress to be unending, her screenplay could not be cut short by some behind the scenes debauchery. "I do not wish to see my star dim, mother. I seek to outlive them all." She affirmed, the lights of hyperspace gleaming in her eyes.

As Vanessa took hold of her daughters hand, Aristeia looked to her mother in confusion. "Is there more that you need to show me, mother?" She inquired, before placing her other hand atop her mother, curious as to what Vanessa was trying to show her.
Onrai

 

[Onrai]

"Compared to many, you already are." She said, smiling. "You know almost everything I know. And sadly, yes, the Sith Empire is finite. Eventually it will collapse, either a year from now or ten thousand years from now. Nothing lasts forever, unfortunately, and it's best you understand that now. Even people who have been functionally rendered immortal like myself are still able to be killed in some form." She replied. "You'll be able to do what you wish, and you will be able to outlive the stars." She closed her eyes once their hands were clasped. "Focus." She said, attempting to tug at the string between spirit and body. In reality the two women would slump towards one another as their spirits entered a different plane.

The plane of beyond shadows.

It was a seemingly endless mist-filled void as Vanessa led her daughter along, flashes of their memories appearing along the way. "Hold fast." She said, as the two would reach a clearing of some sort. Within it was a fountain that generated a hissing noise, as though water was intended to move through it but could not. And indeed it couldn't, as there was no water in it. "This is what Akala drank from." She replied. "I saw this happen, Asa. She was here." A swirl of mist seemed to gently tap the duo on the shoulder before vanishing into the wall, Vanessa hurriedly following it with Aristeia at her hip.

The mist seemed to take them to a pool within a grotto. Vanessa smiled as she saw it, eyes wide open as her attention focused on the water within. "The Pool of Knowledge." She smiled. "Knowledge is power, Aristeia. And whoever bathes within these waters should be able to become as Akala herself once was." She paused for a moment. "But don't bother trying to interact with it. These are just reflections of the real locations, hidden on world deep in the Maw."

Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

It was nice to know she was stronger than some of her kin, but not all, clearly not. It hurt her pride slightly to hear that, though she was young, time was still on her side. Her mother lectued about not seeking to build her own empire, something that Aristeia held back on commenting on. Perhaps her mother was right, an Empire was short sighted long term. Immortality would be a hurtle to overcome for certain, but what was really to be an issue, would be learning how to keep others from stealing it from her if she did so.

Before she could inquire as to what Vanessa was doing, her mother reached out to her, telling her to focus. Sighing, Vanessa went quiet, doing as her mother said, and feeling herself shift into the Plane Beyond Shadows. She was whisked along, being thrown through memories that Aristeia only caught tidbits of, though not enough to from any solid thoughts on it. As the memories passed by, the Sith soon found herself at a strange sight, one that she had not seen before. It was a fountain that had gone dry, nothing within it, nothing around it. It was a hollow vessel, one without substance. Still, if what her mother said was true, Akala supposedly gained power from this simple act. And yet, how come this place wasn't claimed by others? It seemed barren and open for the taking, surely it couldn't be so easy to claim, right? Before she had time to rationalize what she was seeing, her mother shifted her into another room, following a ghastly trial into a large pool within a grotto. Confusion overtook the woman, as she looked upon the image, not understanding what she was seeing. A pool and a fountain? What did this have to do with anything? She said as much as she gazed upon the image for a long moment. "Mother, what purpose does this serve? What are these things?" The pool seemed useful, but surely there was a draw back. If one could become so strong so quickly, how come others had not come here to claim it? "All I see, are a fountain and and a pool. Why haven't more people come here to siphon this power? How have my siblings not already claimed it?" She had many questions, and few answers, hopefully Vanessa could shed some light on this topic.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

“These are the Font of Power and the Pool of Knowledge. Akala drank the entirety of the liquid within the font and became nearly godlike. Bathing in the Pool has similar properties.” She said. “The purpose these serve is for you to understand: others have taken the step to godhood, and the possibility is within your reach. Most of Kaine’s offspring, in fact almost all the ones who are alive that I recall, were born well after the Akala crisis. They have no knowledge about the fact that your namesake existed, let alone how she became what she did.” Vanessa looked at the pool.

“Stare into the pool and tell me what you see.”

Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

Listening to her mother, Aristeia felt a bit of relief. This power was unknown? Her kin had no idea this place existed? A smile stretched across her face, feeling a sensation of satisfaction. It was hers. All hers. "And those people who came before me mother, what of them?" She inquired, stepping forward to the pool at her mothers request. A vision? From a pool? It seemed unlikely, given they were in a separate state of existence, but if it would appease her mother so be it.


Moving to the pool, Aristeia looked to her mother with a glance of skepticism, though she would look upon the pool all the same. Initally, she saw little, only the reflection of herself gazing back to her. Her bored expression looked upon her, a reminder of how mundane her life truly was, how much she desires to change that; though the false identities she assumed failed at every turn. Then, the reflection began to change. The placid expression warped into a gleeful smile, before dissolving into an inky blackness. Images flashed by, glimpses of moments that seemed nonsensical. She saw herself walking amoung a sea of fire, though her robe and skin seemed unphased. The image melted away, revealing herself underwater, and unseen force pushed her deep into the depths. She reached for the surface, clawing like an animal as she sunk, but escape seemed unlikely. Again, the image changed, now she found herself standing aside a dark skinned man. His expression seemed enraged, his gaze avoiding hers, yet he made no move to attack her. The clothing and color of the blade indicated one thing; a jedi, she was fighting alongside a jedi? The image melted, showing herself battling with a masked man, his robes stark black, his mask a strange artistic work of white and red; their battle was immense, but in the end she tore him asunder, emerging atop as the victor. The image warped again, showing herself submerging herself into the pool, as her body began to melt and fade away. The last image she caught, was her body dissolving, glancing back at her, a hand stretching out towards her; a cry for help, or an offer of truce? The vision wasn't clear.

Aristeia stepped back, mind reeling from what she had seen. She said nothing at first, trying to make sense of what she saw, before facing her mother. "There are things I must do before I can return." She said simply, not seeing the point of elaborating further. She would reach her goal, though the end result...she wouldn't know the results.

Onrai

 

[Onrai]

"All but one of them chose not to immerse themselves." She said, before briefly laughing. "They viewed it as 'respecting' the pool. One Sith began his transformation to godhood by immersing himself in the pool, but he was killed before he could become like the Ones." She smiled. "You are the first person to travel down the path of becoming a god this way in centuries." She smiled. As Aristeia had a vision, Vanessa herself peered into the pool, eying the potential futures before her. There were two she saw - one in which Aristeia was a surprisingly benevolent goddess who still occasionally spent time with her bother between warping the very fabric of reality. The other was Vanessa's extinction at the hands of a cold and monstrous god who laid waste to all before her, even her own mother.

"I understand." Vanessa replied, hoping desperately the latter would not come to pass as the two of them would slowly, cautiously return back to their bodies. So much time had passed that they were sitting on the landing pad at Dromund Kaas.

It was time for Aristeia Zambrano and her mother to meet Darth Carnifex .

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

Her mother's words made little sense to her truth be told. Respecting a font of power? What respect was there if one did not take the power as their own? It didn't make sense to Aristeia, and she doubted it ever would. If one wished to respect power, then they needed to have the strength of will to take it for their own. "I doubt it's that simple. What are you not telling me mother?" She inquired, turning to face Vanessa as the shadowy world began to dissolve around them. Being shunted back into her physical body, the experience was unpleasant to say the least, though Aristeia's mind still lingered on what she had seen in the brief visit to the world. She had a path laid out before her it seemed, though if it would end in her success or destruction was not known to her. It wouldn't be for some time, so dwelling on it was a fool hearty pursuit.

It was an amusing thought to be certain, though not once that she could fully delve into for obvious reasons.

She spared a glance through the view port, and found that they had arrived at their destination. How much time had passed then? It was a question that the young Sith would ponder upon, and one she would more than likely not have an answer to. Turning her attention to her mother, she made it very clear that she wasn't amused. "Mother, how long have we been sitting here? And what time were we to miss father?" She inquired, her brow furrowing as she began to fear that she might have missed the opportunity to miss the man.

Onrai Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Dromund Kaas
Seat of the Empire

The throneworld of Dromund Kaas, a world of perpetual storms and dark brooding atmosphere. In eons past, the surviving Sith of the Great Hyperspace War had staked their claim to this long-forgotten world after a twenty-year sojourn in the depths of space. Since then it has changed many hands before, at last, falling back into the clutches of the Sith. These Sith, ruled by the Dark Lord Carnifex, had built up Dromund Kaas from its meager squalor into a monument worth adoration and loyalty. Upon the continent of Kosqam resided New Kaas City, the beating heart of the Sith Empire and the seat of the Emperor's power. Built over the ruins of Old Kaas City, New Kaas City was designed to outshine everything that had come before it.​

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As Vanessa's shuttle moved through the planet's atmosphere, they would be joined by two of the city's patrol ships who would then guide the shuttle down towards one of the landing pads which protruded from the Sith Citadel's lower edifice. The Sith Citadel was the largest structure in New Kaas City and was the official residence of the Emperor and the Imperial Family, even from the confines of their shuttle they could undoubtedly feel the power which emanated throughout the entire structure.​

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A small cadre of guards led by a mild-looking servant dressed in simple gray robes had been waiting on the platform for their arrival. He had pulled his hood up to protect his face as one of the planet's many frequent downpours began just as they arrived, the wind already whipping around the platform at intense speeds as rain streaking down from the heavens.​

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The servant had to yell over the winds to make himself heard, "The Master is expecting you in the grand auditorium, I have been commanded to escort you."​

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He quickly ushered them inside, pulling down his hood once they were safely within. It revealed a bald scalp where runic symbols had been etched into his flesh, one of the many signs of utter devotion found amongst all of the Emperor's retinue. The guards' faces were hidden behind helmets whose face was comprised of an opaque and reflective glasteel surface, markings on their shoulders denoting them as members of the Gelian Sentinels; the standard guards of the Emperor's various domiciles. ​

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Walking through the Sith Citadel was done so in silence, neither the guards nor the servant making any efforts to spark a conversation or answer any of their queries. The halls themselves were striking austere, constructed out of resilient metal, and illuminated by white and red electroluminescence strips on the wall, ceiling, and floors. What few ornamentations were present took the form of large marble statues of ancient and modern Sith Lords, alongside banners and tapestries of the Sith Empire's crest flowing from the high walls and ceilings. ​

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The throne room itself was a large amphitheater where the Emperor's throne was located on the lowest platform comprised of a wide flat expanse, with seating rising up opposite of the throne in the form of large stone benches. The Emperor was currently sat upon his throne, flanked by two of his mute red-robed Crownguard. He himself wore a set of simple black and gray robes which flowed over his muscular body like water over rocks, his head uncovered and his red eyes glaring down at Vanessa and Aristeia as they entered.​

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When they had neared the throne, they were bid to stop by the two Crownguard as they edged forward with their hands on their weapons.​

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"Vanessa," the dark rumbling voice of the Sith Emperor reverberated in their ears, his eyes now falling upon Aristeia. "Is this the one?"​

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Onrai | Aristeia Zambrano

 

[Onrai]

Vanessa merely gave a nod to the guards that guided her and her daughter to the depths of the Imperial Palace. The entire journey was quiet, almost deathly so - a reminder of what could only be described as unfortunate times. Vanessa looked at Aristeia Zambrano and in a surprising move gently clasped her daughter’s hand in her own as they proceeded for several minutes through the massive building.

When the door opened to the throne room and Vanessa locked eyes with Darth Carnifex , she felt a slight sense of worry in the back of her mind. Here was a child of the Emperor - obviously not one with a great deal of current influence or a chance of being able to sit on the throne one day, but a child nonetheless. One that had been kept from the Emperor for ten years now. How he reacted was going to prove interesting - yet any disappointment or frustration seemed to be nonexistent as he merely asked her if she was the one.

“Kaine.” Her response to him was so casual, so informal - she doubted that anyone else in the Empire, even Kaine’s wives, would refer to him as such. “I present to you Aristeia Silara Akala... Zambrano. Your - our daughter.”

 

[Aristeia Zambrano]

It was a tad surreal standing on the planet, looking at the monuments that littered the world, and knowing it was her father that had build such a thing. There was a power that linged in the soil, like a blood soaked cloth, it was oversatured with dark energies; it eas easy to see how a lesser man could get drunk on power here. With the escorts leading the way, Aristeia eyed her mother as the rather talkative woman was strangly silent.

Having her hand snatched by her mother, Aristeia might have made a remark about being left to her own devices, but there was an eerie presence that suggested to the young Sith that her mother was doing this for her own good. The distant sound of thunder faded as the pair reached the grand palace, Aristeia’s eyes wide as the structure was far larger than anything they had on Nathema. Many unspoken questions loomed at the back of her mind, and yet she remained silent, fearful that some unknown entity might stirr should she utter a word.

Reaching the throne room, Aristeia looked about the amphitheater in wonder, a spectacle for her eyes if there had ever been one. The wonder was short lived however, as Aristeia’s eyes fell upon the man upon the throne, his red eyes piercing through the shadow of his face, striking the young woman with a sense of dread as his gaze lingered. The two crown guards leveling weapons towards her were hardly recognized, as Aristeia remained fixated on those eyes. This was her father? She had thought herself a master of the dark side, that few could rival her in her knowledge and power, and now that was clearly not the case. It his power that frightened her mother? The question seemed ridiculous when she lingered on it, not truly seeing the downside of what her apparent father possessed.

When his gaze fixated upon her, Aristeia felt cold wash over her, as if she was being dipped in Carbonite. A smile stretched across her face, a sensation akin to finishing a performance washed over her, as Aristeia gave a small bow to the man before her. "I'm ready to serve your empire, my lord." Father just felt.... too weird to say, she hardly knew anything other than his name after all.

Darth Carnifex Onrai