Threat Assessment

[Darth Abyss]

Mygeeto, Construction Site

"Apprentice."

The sun was already falling beyond the horizon, shrouding the scenery in a brilliant, vibrant red, when the disembodied, ethereal echo of the Mindeater's voice blew between the half finished structure like a cold breeze. He had come to continue his duty as master towards [member="Darth Mara"]. When he granted her the title of Darth he had also granted her with true independence as his own master had granted him. Yet while that meant that she was free to find her own path to follow, it didn't meant that she didn't had to fear to judgement of the creature that had forged her to power.

Thick black smoke danced around the building, slowly gathering into a dark cloud behind the woman Abyss had trained. There was a wave of unease, of mind shattering madness, when the arcane might of the sith lord broke apart the laws of physics and therefore reality itself. The smoke began to reform, the dark dust getting denser as it formed an humanoid shape that seconds later was reconfigured into the hollow metal shell that Abyss spirit currently inhabited.

The Eldritch Husk evolved every day, a small step further away from the glimpse of humanity within. Some parts of the cursed armor had suffered under the passing of time, marked by rust and slight decay, while others carried the symbols of eternal war with them, scratches and cracks that were littered over the dark grey steel, and others were twisted and deformed under the pressure applied to them. Besides his left, claw like, hand levitated a demonic book that radiated the power of the dark side, tied to his body only by a small metal chain attached to his belt. Between the fixed grin of his sharp metal teeth rested a clay pipe formed like a dragon's head, the arcane smoke emerging from the entity's hollow eyes filling the air with odd scent of korriban incense. In his right rested a wicked wooden staff, a skull with a green glow in its eyes hanging from a chain bound to the top of the arcane object he had created during his studies among the Nightsisters.

There were no words, the sith lord instead simply allowed his tainted presence to linger upon the structure, a all devouring void of endlessly darkness that weighted heavily on the minds around him until there was only emptiness left. The hollow figure stood, awaiting his apprentice to greet her master with the appropriate level of respect.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"Do keep up to schedule, I don't plan on standing in the freezing cold forever." as an unnamed worker hurried along.

Pleasure tower -- The project's current name -- was coming along nicely. No delays, until recently where there had been security breach of several protesters who were not keen on further expansion into government held territory. Natalie stood underneath a tent, the only things accompanying her were 2 Z2-MCDs, who had only been deployed recently in response to the security threats. Though Abyss' arrival was unplanned, though not unwanted, she could sense him from some distance away, it was only natural that dark sided folk could do just that.

When his voice echoed, the droids scanned the area in a confused daze, wondering where it had came from, though Natalie could never forget that voice, and knowingly she turned around to see the dark cloud appearing.

Naturally, she bowed on her knees and responded, and to some it may have made her look crazy, but she was very aware that he was here.

"What a pleasure to see you again, my Lord. What brings you to my humble abode?"

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

For a moment the entity stood motionless, the cursed book gently descending down onto his belt, only held by an invisible hand. Then the metal moved, twisted talons clasping behind the sith lord's back, a position that mirrored that of his own master. The hollow eyes gazed upon the woman on the ground, the dark tendrils of his mind wandering over to judge if this encounter was even worth his time. After what seemed like eternity the metal skull moved down, offering a slight nod to the woman that had been granted the right to learn from his unending amount of wisdom and knowledge.

"Rise [member="Darth Mara"]."

The empty eyes moved away from his apprentice, as the husk stepped away from her and stopped right at the edge of the plateau they were standing on, looking at the bright lights of the city that surrounded them. He was mildly impressed by the tower she was building with resources she had gained by her own power. Yet the open display of wealth inside a city that she didn't commanded displeased him. It was not his way to show pride or arrogance for no other reason than actual pride or arrogance. He desired his creations to remain humble, but some minds avoided the changes to reach perfection in defiance of his corrupting influence. That was the problem with the freedom the path of the sith granted.

"I can see you have come a long way since our last meeting. You have grown wealthy, successful but I also see misplaced arrogance. Maybe some lessons will never take hold."

There was a twisted laugh, a sound so distorted, so different from what common minds could comprehend that it escaped any description, when the eldritch husk turned back to his apprentice. Again the emptiness of his eyes descended down onto the woman that stood far smaller than her metal master. There was another change he could sense, not just the growth of her wealth and power. It seemed that his apprentice had made her own first steps towards eternity, even if he was slightly disappointed in the method she chose. Her heartbeat was far slower than it had been a few months ago, and her teeth had grown sharper. Bloodlust was a powerful emotion to fuel the dark side, but true hunger could quickly grow into a devastating disease that lead sith right to the descend into madness.

"How is immortality becoming you apprentice? And more importantly, what price did you had to pay in return for those powers?"

 

[Natalie LaForte]

As obedient as ever, she rose.

It was true, she didn't own the city. Perhaps she didn't want to, it was a husk of its former self, and the government here would do anything to get financial funding back into the economy. Diamonds don't last forever, and that was something that management learned ever since the day they partnered with Natalie's company, who was now committing small time fraud and criminal activities in order to leverage enough funding for its ludicrous amount of droid production that was, and still is, taking place on planet.

"You think too much of me if you believe I could command this planet. The idiots that reside here are too stupid to ever bow down to true leadership, though in due time they will come to understand."

What he said again was true, she did indeed possess some new vampirik affinity that was not there before. Skin, paler than before, though for the most part covered up with some expensive makeup. Even when she spoke, her fangs, though not fully developed, were definitely present and were abnormally long for a human, though, she wasn't a human anymore. She was a vampire in every sense of the word

"As vigilant as ever I see. I wouldn't call it immortality, just as close to it as I could possibly get. As for the price? Some mild fondling of an acquaintance."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"True leadership does not mean that people bow to you apprentice. Remember that Queens are nothing more than easily targets."

Under the name of Prophet he exercised control over two worlds and yet he was as far from a king as inhumanely possible. His power was commanded from the shadows, far outside the reach of anyone who meant to oppose him. That was true leadership, to be able to rule untouched, influence beyond so simply things as titles and laws. If [member="Darth Mara"] planned to claim this world for herself then she would do good to follow in her master's footsteps in this regard.

He had picked her for a reason after all, her potential to continue the legacy of darkness that he had created. Only because he was immortal didn't meant he would live forever, only a arrogant fool would belive in such an illusion as ture eternal live. One day something stronger and more twisted would rise, and erase even the Mindeater from existence. It displeased him that his apprentice had picked the wrong footsteps left by him. Instead of following him on the enigmatic path of mastering the shadows she had inflicted a curse on herself, different yet still uncannily similar to the one that lingered in his tainted presence. His hunger had granted him power beyond the comprehension of little fragile human minds, but it also was a crippling weight at certain times.

"Be wary of those that grant you such powers, there will always be a price to pay no matter if you are aware of it or not."

It was almost ironic to hear those words whispered in the eery echo of his voice, as it had been his method as well to seduce her with the corrupting pull of power. At least he had always been clear about the price, nothing more and nothing less than her absolute loyalty.

"Care to offer me a demonstration of your new found powers?"

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"I wouldn't choose such a mundane title as Queen. I'd give the illusion of something more democratic, something to tie them over. On a more serious note though, I am not as vain as you believe. You taught me better than that, and I learned from my years that acting bossy gets you nowhere. Compromises must be made, and hopefully with the construction of this symbolic tower people will finally understand my purpose here."

And what she said was true. In all honesty, the name Queen Natalie did not have a ring to it. She was not meant for royalty, and in all honesty, wearing a crown wouldn't suit her day to day life. She was much more involved in the work she did, and preferred not to delicate it due to some birth right. Power should be earned, not given. That's why all dynasties come to an end. Some idiot ruler takes charge and destroys centuries of history and lineage.

"The powers are not extensive, in all honesty I am unsure of what capabilities they have given me that I did not already possess. Unless you would like to look at my new elongated fangs, in which case you are more than welcome" opening her mouth to show them, certainly elongated, very, very long and glistening white.

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

His laugh filled the air once more, and reality seemed to submit to the echo that resounded not in any physical sense, instead whispering through the veil that departed the living from the dead. It was good to see that not all of his lessons had been wasted on her. The girl he had found on Nar Shaddaa didn't understood that compromises were needed to stay in power. This new, better version of her used techniques either consciously or subconsciously inspired by his own, like building a symbol that stood for more than power in the eyes of the people, an eternal reminder that would stand until the world below would fall apart.

"Apprentice, I have to admit I am almost impressed. You spoke like a true shadow, not like the annoying creature I allowed to learn my wisdom."

Yet his positive opinion faded as quickly as it had come, once she told about her transformation. Near immorality was a worthwhile power, but not meaningful enough to take on a curse of hunger for it. He had expected that she would've gained more from her new form then a few more years until someone would striker her down. According to what he knew about the sickness that she carrier with her now there was more to it, maybe more than his apprentice was aware of. Only that these traits were of a more subtle, passive nature. His left made a swift movement, ready to move in a sudden, erratic push forward.

"I was told your kind is able to heal much faster than common flesh, and that your blood is less affected by the taint of toxins and poisons. That should be demonstration enough."

His left moved, releasing a small, poison imbued throwing knife aimed at her right shoulder. The throw wasn't meant to be dangerous or deadly, aimed to only lightly grace her body so he could perceive the reaction of her body.

[member="Darth Mara"]

 

[Natalie LaForte]

Child's play. That's what it was, at least to somebody who knew what the capabilities of their vampirik affliction. Although she would trust him and was assured by his extensive range of knowledge, the two droids standing on either side, despite missing any sort of personality module, were confused. Due to their rather cheap sensor modules, they couldn't even detect what Natalie was speaking to, and when the dagger came flying towards her shoulder they saw it as a hostile attack, though they couldn't pinpoint the source.

Regardless, Natalie dismissed their concerns as it scraped her shoulder, leaving a small but noticeable cut and the toxin flowing into her veins; though, just as she had expected, it had little to no effect on her and internally presented itself as a dull pain, equivalent to a mild headache. She gripped her arm to see the wound, and slowly it faded into a mild scar, with no blood pouring from it.

"I guess what you said is true, I would prefer a bit more advanced warning in future, so as to avoid these things opening fire. Don't need another incident like that happening."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"That would be a lot less entertaining."

The dark being laughed again, the otherworldly noise shattering what little remained of reality around the eldritch creature. Then then he slowly walked towards the droid guards his apprentice had with her, that seemed to be unable to even notice the entity in front of them. Their simple circuits couldn't grasp that there was something that simply defied all laws of nature and logic without effort, walking and acting like a living man while being nothing more than hollow metal and dark magic.

"You should consider getting guards more fitting of your status."

With a sudden movement the crimson saber attached to his belt jumped into his left, while another purple blade was pulled from the inside of his sleeve into his right. After only a second both droids rested on the ground, their bodies cut in half in one quick strike. He didn't shared the dislike for droids that many of his kind held, but they were clearly unfit to act as guard of a woman that meant to rise to power in a galaxy where beings of almost unlimited strength walked among men.

"One day something like me will come for you, and it will not stop with erasing your metal servants."

The blades died down again, returning to were they had came from. It wasn't his intention to punish [member="Darth Mara"], not yet at least. Instead this was just another lesson to teach her the things she needed to know to survive. She was still his apprentice after all.

"I could offer you a handful of my elite soldiers to replace your lost droids. They would be more fitting for a knight of the sith."

 

[Natalie LaForte]

Natalie sighed as the droids fell motionless onto the ground, clanking and their electronics sparking in the rainwater. "I would say those were expensive, but then I would be lying." Looking down, she felt disappointed, though even if they did fire on the shadow, it was unlikely they would have succeeded in any meaning of the word.

"Why would I use sentient beings when droids do the work, are cheaper, don't require food and, most importantly, don't question my every word. As much as I appreciate your gesture of kindness, these droids have proven to be more useful than any human, ithorian or epicanthix I could ever have hired. I just don't think you're giving them a fair fight" grinning and looking back at the building, the steel beams rising along the tower like a plane ascending.

"On top of that, I dislike relying on other's for my protection. My worth comes from how well I can duel, not how many credits I spend on my guards. It just leads to too many opportunities for backstabbing and underhanded tactics, loyalty is above materialistic goods, and droids, well, they can't be disloyal."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"Droids will not betray you on their own, but a person with the right skills could still use them against you."

As a sith lord that worked very closely with an A.I. that had a talent for slicing enemy technology he was well aware that droids, while undoubtedly loyal on their own, could be a threat within a organization as dangerous as any other kind of traitor. Only the method, not the outcome was different. Besides the obedience of droids came with the price of dullness. Without creativity they were not much more than inelegant weapons walking besides her.

"They are not there to guard your life, but your reputation. I am not even truly alive and yet I often travel with guards at my side. They paint a picture of wealth and influence into the minds of others, a picture I intended to exploit whenever possible."

Sometimes it was wise to hide the power one possessed, but for individual like [member="Darth Mara"] and the Mindeater himself it was important to keep certain appearance up at public events. In some cases it was even more important to seem powerful, than to actually be powerful. That was why the young acolyte Abyss had picked up the mask that now obscured the strange metal contraption he called a face all these years ago.

"Droid guards suggest that you have money to buy them, yet living and breathing guards suggest that you have the reach and influence to recruit, train, and arm them. Neither will save you when facing something like myself, but there are many wars not fought with sabers and darkness."

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"I would take you up on that offer, however I have a significant lack of trust for any individual. Don't take it personally." smiling, but not turning her head and continuing to stare at the construction site. "I don't have the same power, influence or wealth as you, my Lord. I don't want to feign what I have. What I do is replace organic with mechanical where possible, and the position of a droid guard is so menial of a task that even I would not do it, I simply can't imagine anyone wanting to enforce my will unless I forced them to. "

"A perception of strength is not what I am after. I would rather be strong, and through my actions dictate people's opinions. What's more valuable to you, what people perceive you to be or what you actuall are? For me, it's the latter." At this point, a large amount of toxic gas flew out of the site and was spreading around, it appears that one of the generators had malfunctioned. "And it seems that people will think of me as a fool for allowing this construction effort to go through." sighing and pressing a button on her communicator.

"Just get rid of whoever those builders are, we'll bring in a company who isn't incompetent." Regardless of what had just happened, they were still behind and had been for several days.

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"An illusion of power is one of the most valuable and effective tools any sith can have. Sometimes it is wise to hide your strength, to make a thousand men look like ten. Yet at other times the opposite is equally important, when ten men suddenly become an army in the eyes of enemy."

Abyss left a little pause before giving her an answer. In many regards his apprentice was right, true power was more important than the image one could create. Only one thing she got dead wrong, the idea that she should show her actual power openly. The sith, or at least certain elements inside the order, weren't just warriors but masters of trickery and deception that used misdirection as a weapon more dangerous than any saber, army or fleet. He himself was notorious among his peers as a lord that could talk, lie and deceive with great mastery to get what he desired. That was seemingly a lesson [member="Darth Mara"] still had to learn along her way to become more than she was now.

The supernatural vision of the twisted entity perceived the malfunction of the construction site, and the husk moved closer to the edge, facing towards the gas dancing in the wind like a toxic, deadly veil that hung itself above the city.

"I could offer you workers from Malachor, as you know my people are talented with construction, and quite adaptable to foreign technology. Yet I assume you desire to do this on your own as well. At least one thing my training taught you well."

Once more the hollow laugh shattered the air around Abyss, a sound of almost friendly mockery. She had done well, but as her master in the ways of the sith he couldn't allow himself to be too friendly.

 

[Natalie LaForte]

"If whomever you facing truly believes that ten men will equate to a thousand, then I believe the battle has already been won. Only fools do such idiotic things. Regardless, these particular droids will be needing an upgrade, although I'm not too sure on how to make them see supernatural entities." Smirking and looking to the ground, where the sparking had died down.

Her master was right, perhaps feigning power was good, but what would happen if someone actually challenged it? Pretending to have it is good, but what about when the do-gooders tap on your door, what then? The power of illusion was nothing but forcing fear upon your enemies and hoping that they would never overcome that fear, but that same fear was overcame thousands of years ago. Empires don't last, dictatorships don't stay. Fear is temporary, no matter how long it goes on for.

"If you don't mind thousands of your workers dying, then sure. This gas will most certainly cause countless numbers of deaths, and I don't want you wasting your people on it, My Lord."

[member="Darth Abyss"]

 

[Darth Abyss]

"Never underestimate the power of lies apprentice. Such arrogance has been the downfall of many. Those that felt to important to resort to such dishonorable methods were no match for the truly ruthless."

[member="Darth Mara"] always had been a little to stubborn for his taste, but in return she had the independence that his students required to effectively act on his behalf if needed. Under other circumstances he would've made an effort to punish her disobedience, but erasing her work with a few words of power whispered over arcane trinkets was simply not worth the effort. She would life far longer thanks to her affliction, and he was an eldrict horror that would haunt the galaxy through the ages. There was more than enough time to punish her.

"Manipulating your enemies perception is about more than fear apprentice. Misdirection, confusion, chaos. Whisper a lie in the right ear at the right time, and your enemies will undo themselves."

The husk stepped closer to the edge of the construction side, then his feet stepped into thin air. Yet instead of falling the entity simply levitated in the air, moving along the edge to further inspect the structure his apprentice was building.

"Then I will leave it to your people to balance out their current shortcomings. Be not afraid to request my support in ventures, I expect the mine to rise and I do not dread using my own resources for that purpose."