To Ashes [Carnifex | Open]

[Ereza]

It was happening more frequently now; the headaches, the blackouts, memory loss. Falling asleep in a warm, familiar place and waking up in a bleak and cold unknown.

Spoiler: Memory Sequence 1

"Larue, Larue wake up!"

Heart in her throat, Imka awoke with a start to the smell of smoke clogging her lungs and the sensation of a tornado surrounding her. A man hovered over her, recognizable in his Eve Foundation uniform despite the plumes filling the cabin.

"What's going on?!"
"Get your breather on, we have a breach in the hull!"
"Where are we?!"
"Larue, gorramnit, put your breather on!"

She felt the plastic of the breather slip over her face, fumbling to create the proper suction as the man yanked her out of her seat. Imka stumbled after him, ducking through sparks and leaning against the pull of a ship spinning through space out of control. The lights flickered once, twice, then died. Weightlessness took them. She spotted the tailings of stars twisting in an arch through a nearby viewport. Now she remembered.

Eve Foundation
ATTN: D.R.O. Larue
Mission: Moddell Sector Zelta
A small GUIDE outpost planet named Ichor on the outskirts of the sector has issued an SOS. Unusual solar radiation has effected the electronics necessary to keep the GUIDE outpost operational. Radioactive levels are critical and GUIDE underground generators are nearly out of fuel. Make several fuel container and life support drops but DO NOT land. You have two weeks before their fuel supply runs out.

Spoiler: Memory Sequence 2

"Gibbs! Gibbs what's happened?!"
"What's happened? I'll tell you what's happened, this whole damn section of the sector is one huge fething asteroid field and radioactive nebula. Whatever the frick these GUIDE people are doing out here is beyond me!"
"Wasn't it marked on the map?" Imka pulled herself along the hall after Gibbs' floating form.
"Feth no! There ain't a proper map of this sector or we'd have gone the long way round."
"And risk missing the deadline-"
"Feth the deadline! We're lucky we're alive!"
"Don't say that! Where's R4?"
"I sent him out to try and repair as much of the hull as he can," Gibbs punched the keypad to open the bridge gate and pulled himself through, "we get hit by another sucker that big and we'll be dead in the stars, Larue."
Imka pulled herself across the chamber by handholds to the control console and began running diagnostics, "The engines are still at 80%. We could make a jump out of the system to clear the asteroids and plot a new course in."
"Not until R4 finishes making repairs. The ship will never hold."

Hull inegrity: 65%

Panathan Space
4 Hours Later

"This is Operative Larue reporting from the E.F. Simpra, my ship is damaged and leaking fuel. Requesting immediate retrieval at coordinates 10 42 17 Z. I have an injured co-pilot in need of immediate medical assistance. I repeat, this is Operative Larue reporting from the E.F. Simpra ... "

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

From the darkness of space would emerge a trio of angular warships all bearing the markings and IFF transponders of the local governance, their hulls bristling with a menagerie of weapon systems that all trained on the damaged craft as they neared. The largest warship of the three transmitted a clearance code that identified it as the Ruination, and after a brief scan of the crippled vessel it moved into a position where the ship would be put in range of its mighty tractor beams where it would be yanked from its drift and drawn into the hungering maw of the massive star destroyer.

Up on the starship's bridge a single individual, towering above all others, would look at the data that had been accumulated from the scan as it was transmitted to him via an expansive three-dimension curvature that encompassed the entirety of the command throne that he sat upon. Dark eyes would look over the crew manifest and the various communications that had been presented to them alongside their mission parameters.

It was curious, their journey brought them quite far from their intended destination, so he began to wonder if what he was looking at with his own eyes was their true mission or did they have ulterior motives and just so happened to have gotten stranded in his neck of the woods. Such things could not be let up to chance, and he was determined to unearth the truth of this incursion. He turned his gaze upon an adjutant next to the command throne, and with the tap of a button all of the holographic displays fizzled out so that his vision of the youth was unobstructed. "Send a detachment of Guards down to escort the survivors to the medbay, I want them kept under watch, but bring this Operative Larue to my personal quarters. I wish to interrogate her myself."

[member="Imka Larue"]​

 

[Ereza]

Spoiler: Memory Sequence 3

"Gibbs..."
"Not now, Larue, I'm helping R4. Can you hand me that Electro-socket?"
"Gibbs!"

The massive asteroid had stealthily shadowed their trajectory through the field, having no sensor arrays to avoid during their downtime. Imka spotted it through a back-facing viewport just as she leaned down to rustle through the tool box. It was about a minute away from squashing them against an equally hulky behemoth of a space-rock.

"Gibbs get back down here now. Right now! We have to go."
"We ain't ready yet Larue,"
"I'm not asking if we're ready, I'm telling you it has to be now. We're about to become a stone sandwich."
"What are- Larue!"

A hand on his ankle yanked the larger man back down through the crawlspace opening. Before she could see the red of his face Imka hauled herself back down the hall and towards the command console.

"Larue don't you do that - we'll fall apart in hyperspace - LARUE!"

She'd seen some large ships in her time - Morossi warships had been some of the most imposing and alien in nature of her memories. Having traveled in the greater Relief ships of the Foundation, a wonder and a pleasure, but still nothing quite prepared you for the view afforded Imka as the three massive Destroyers appeared out of the blackness. She watched with widening brown eyes while their hulls, a thousand times larger than the largest asteroid in the field prior, filled the forward bridge viewscreen.

Ruination.

"Gibbs," a look of deep concern crossed the woman's face as she continued to apply pressure to his wounds. The dampness of blood had already soaked through her jacket, she could feel the sticky residue between her fingers as she squeezed, "Gibbs hold on, someone's coming."

His breathing was shallow, wheezy. Imka recognized the signs of a collapsing lung. A red mist had begun coating the inside of his breather, she felt her brow pinch and lips thin. Help him. Stay focused.

"It's...it's going to be OK," the words were as thin as her certainty, looking up at the dark masses skulking overhead, "they're going to help us and we're going to finish the mission. See?"

Gibbs choked and coughed.

~~~

"Which one of you is Operative Larue?"

The deeper into the Destroyer they traveled the less Imka felt good about their rescue. There was a definitive sense of dread on the air and it seeped into her skin the moment she stepped out into the hangar. The menacing guards and their ghoulish armor certainly had not helped, but Imka told herself not to judge so quickly. They had come, after all, and they were helping.

"I am," Imka replied as she followed the retinue at the side of the hover-stretcher. Gibbs was not stable. She bit back the deepening of her frown and looked to the one speaking.

"I need you to come with me."

"I should stay with my associate, I'm a Field Medic, I know his medical needs-"

"You need to come with me."

Why did it feel like she had a blaster at her back?

"Ok...ok."

She watched Gibbs disappear on his stretcher around a corner she could not turn, "Where are you taking me?"

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

The guard turned away from [member="Imka Larue"], and fell into rank with the cadre of other similarly dressed guardsmen who merely indicated the direction that she was intended to go, and promptly began to lead her in that direction. Two of the guards took the lead while the remaining four would link up side-by-side in a square formation that would keep a close eye on Larue and ensure that she did not deviate from the path set forth by the vanguard. They passed through stark Imperialist halls that seemed to wind on forever through the labyrinthine confines of the monstrous star destroyer, and occasionally they would pass another roaming squadron of guards, an officer, or a technician too busy with their own priorities to give the moving convoy a second thought as they passed by.

The only individuals who seemed to purposefully direct their attention upon the approaching band were a pair of monolithic armored-and-cloaked sentinels that flanked both sides of a door marked by an ancient symbol undoubtedly of Sith origin. At first their fingers coiled tightly around their four meter long vibro-axes at the first visual sign of the group, but as they neared their gargantuan bodies seemed to relax as they moved aside to allow them access to the towering door.

However; this is where the guards would leave Larue.

"The master waits for you within" was the only instruction that the lead guard had given her before opening the door and departing alongside his other guardsmen. Once she had entered the door would automatically seal and lock behind her, leaving her momentarily alone to gaze at the chamber's magnanimous splendor. From every wall hung a banner made from the finest silk depicting various emblems associated with the Sith or very famous painting recreations hand-crafted by an expert hand. Marble statues and busts of long dead Sith Lords (Exar Kun, Naga Sadow, Malgus, Freedon Nadd, Krayt, etc) would litter the chamber alongside other sinister trinkets and dark side paraphernalia.

Beyond the main chamber would extend three other chambers all branching off from that central room, but two of the doors were closed and visibly locked while another remained open yet concealed in misty shadow. The faintest glimmer of candle illumination would reveal that something, nay someone, currently occupied the chamber despite the gloomy lighting. Upon further investigation it would reveal the master of this vessel and every soul on board, the dastardly Sith Lord Darth Carnifex resplendent in black robes fastened at his waist by a leather sash. His eyes were closed, but he could no doubt see her through the ethereal miasma of the Force.

After a moment his eyes opened, luminous orbs of hate and malice, and they would instantly fixate on Larue with unbridled intensity. At that very same moment all candles would go out at once, and the room would be flooded with artificial light from the fixtures in the walls and in the ceiling.

"So, you're Operative Larue."

His voice had the consistency of gravel and sludge, yet despite its monstrous baritone there was a deep interwoven sense of authority and pride. The Sith Lord uncrossed both of his legs and swung them over the edge of the immaculately made bed that he had been meditating upon, and rose to his feet. While not quite as towering as the sentinels outside, he still lorded over Larue by a good point four meters and was built like a tank. A mane of thick black hair cascaded from his scalp, and his mouth was hidden behind a thick beard.

"Tell me, what brings you to my domain?"

 

[Ereza]

Quiet steps, stray glances. The ship was massive and its halls seemed to never end. Imka followed without fuss and could not help the strain of her nerves. It felt very much like a walk through the City of Aesir's on Exocron, except back then she had been lead by a cadre of Priests with pristine robes of white lined in golden gleam. They had been friendly, warm. They had known her face and her name. There she had the respect of her father's legacy.

Here she felt like a prisoner.

That's not what this was, was it?

Brown eyes fell upon the door and immediately she felt a knot of fear disintegrate within her chest and drop into her stomach, burning at the pit. A wary gaze met the leading guard, following him only until he disappeared from her peripheral. Imka turned to look at the hulking sentinels on either side of the massive entrance and had the distinct feeling she was looking at the Maw of Erebos. She ducked inside without another word just to get away from their stare and almost immediately regretted the decision when the door locked behind her.

Who had they locked her in here with?

Standing at the brink, the woman silently surveyed the scene before her and took in the decor with no change to the wariness of her expression. Indeed, it all felt strangely familiar and despite not knowing just what these symbols and objects were she felt the faint sense of nostalgia grip her for a moment. With a breath she pressed forward.

​

Past the tapestries. Past the stone plinths bearing their trinkets and artifacts. Past the statues whose steely gazes seemed to follow her. To the end of the entry hall where three doors greeted her but only one stood granting passage. Imka paused at the precipice and gripped the hem of her jacket, fingers lightly clenching at the dampness of the bloodstains before her feet continued onwards through the lingering shadow towards the flicker of candlelight. As the silhouette of the man materialized before her from the gloom there came a sudden saturation of that very same dread she'd felt in the hangar. This time it sunk through flesh and sinew, directly down to her bone. Imka felt her muscles tense in uncertainty, her jaw drawing so tight it made her teeth hurt.

The lights flashed on. Imka visibly jumped, closing her eyes briefly to stop her own mind from fleeing in fright. Focus, a voice in the back of her mind said quietly, remain calm.

"So you're Operative Larue."

Imka stood a little straighter, perhaps in an attempt to be proud of the name she bore. It may have appeared a little less sound than she hoped.

"I am," came her reply in a tone that was bold but not defiant. Another steadying breath and her feet carried her further into the chamber, closer to this man of darkness and pride. As he stood she could not help but stare.

"Tell me, what brings you to my domain?"

Imka's lips pursed in thought, a process at present that was rather difficult to control.

Focus.

"A series of unfortunate events ... or fortunate," she supposed that depended upon how this all ended. She waited a beat for any immediate response and when there was none decided to explain further, "we were on a rescue mission ... ironically enough..." the latter was mumbled to herself, "to the planet Ichor in the far reaches of the Moddell sector. The system is not very well mapped. We ran into an uncharted asteroid field during our jump in and our ship took a large amount of damage. I forced a jump back out to avoid further damage. We ended up here," the woman's gaze slowly looked the man up and down, taking in his grisly splendor, "in your domain."

She swallowed and finally managed to wrench her gaze away from him, allowing it to cast around before landing, unavoidably, on the only subject of interest before her: him, "Thank you for coming to our aid and helping. We did not mean to intrude."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

His face remained impassive save for the perpetual fire that burned behind his pupils, and ultimately he would move past [member="Imka Larue"] without immediately responding to her. He seemed to fiddle with something on the nearby counter, his attention divided as he seemed to mull over her words to decide whether they contained any semblance of truth within them. In his decades as King of this land he had grown wary of outsiders, especially those that just so happened to waltz into his territory without realizing it. If the women behind him had been anyone else he might have already killed the whole lot of them and scrapped the ship, but something about her intrigued him.

His gaze finally returned to her, "But intrude you did on sovereign Panathan space. That notwithstanding your story is compelling and your explanation flawless, but I suppose I will have to send a team to Ichor to validate the claims of beleaguered GUIDE operatives." His entire body turned to face her this time, "In the meantime we'll have to take you and your co-pilot into custody, but fear not. If we cannot uncover anything nefarious about your being here then we'll let the both of you go, if your friend doesn't die before that. I'm afraid my men can be quite barbarous when it comes to unwanted trespassers, and they might not be as hospitable as I am."

A subtle threat? Perhaps. Either way she was at the mercy of this dark man indefinitely.

 

[Ereza]

The stiffening of Imka's posture was visible when the man strode by. She watched him over her shoulder, pivoting slowly on her heel to face him, to listen to him...

"...I suppose I will have to send a team to Ichor to validate the claims of beleaguered GUIDE operatives."

"I-"

He continued, deep baritone resonating within her core like the boom of close thunder.

"Custody?" the word escaped her lips before she could stop it and Imka impressed a tight-lipped frown to keep from saying anything more. Don't panic, said the voice, think. The woman blinked once, twice, searching for the right words forward with some difficulty, "That is your prerogative, of course, as Lord of this domain. I am certain if you would allow me to contact Eve Foundation Headquarters they would be most willing to compensate you for your time and efforts, as well to validate my mission parameters in the Moddell Sector, but..."

A beat of hesitation, Imka's posture shifted a degree of wary, thinly concealed suspicion, "I never said anything about GUIDE."

How had he known?

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

A mischievous grin parted his lips as a dark snicker managed to bubble out from his gullet, a gleam twinkling in his dark eyes. "When your ship was apprehended by my men I took the liberty of having them appropriate the information left in the ship's systems, and thus your mission was made known to me quite intimately." There was obviously something that he wasn't telling her, but whatever it was he didn't bother to divulge or even hint at whatever it could be.

Instead he pressed a button on the counter's interactive panel, which caused the nearby smooth empty surface to retract down into the counter itself only to be replaced with an identical countertop albeit laden with drinking glasses and assorted bottles of different colored liquids.

"Thirsty?"

[member="Imka Larue"]​

 

[Ereza]

Ah.

The sentiment mouthed with a quick glance away, "Of course you did, that is also your prerogative."

Was it? Was it really?

Mm. The woman mashed her jaw shut, lips twitching as she dealt with internal turmoil. Imka's fingers itched an ungainly need to hit something. She primly folded them at her front instead, watching as the mini-bar shifted out of a previously solid wall. That's a neat trick.

A brow raised at the question, "Water, if you're offering," a prim smile flashed shortly with a canted glance, "drinking while on the job is frowned upon."

She hoped Gibbs was getting tended to with as much hospitality and care.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

"If that is what you wish."

The device built into the countertop would respond to a series of commands input into its user interface, and would proceed to not only prepare a glass of ice cold water for [member="Imka Larue"] but would strive to fashion a misty-ridden concoction for the Sith Lord as well. Naturally Larue's drink was infinitely more simple in its creation, and after a short moment a glass filled to the brim with clear water laden with chunks of ice hewn into neat cube shapes. A simple wave of his hand would cause the drink to levitate and list through the air before stopping right in front of Larue, and would hang there until she picked it up on her own accord.

"I sense your uneasiness. You worry for your companion..."

A small beep drew the Lord's attention to a communicator wrapped tightly around the wrist of his right hand, and after a cursory inspection of the information that was being uploaded to the device he gave a short chuckle and returned his attention back to Larue.

"Gibbs, wasn't it?"

A sample of Gibbs blood had been taken and analyzed by the Sith Lord's medical technicians, where they easily ascertained his identity via his DNA by cross-referencing it with the wider galactic database. They had just now transmitted their findings to the Dark Lord directly via his wrist-comm.

 

[Ereza]

It occured to her very quickly and briefly that she aught to be concerned about things.

Things in the water, for one. She took the floating glass with as much grace as she could muster. Imka's exposure to the Force and it's use was exceedingly limited to miracles of the healing nature. Certainly the infamous Aesir Inari was capable of many things more but Imka had only heard of such things through tales of mystified pilgrims and Priests. A mild sort of stutter was given to the glass while it hovered there before her, hands stretching out to it tentatively before finally grasping it.

"...thank you," Imka gave the man a leery glance.

Things in the water. Poison maybe. Or just ice cubes.

Things in her head.

She paused mid lift for a sip as he spoke again. More information he really shouldn't know. Imka began to suspect she was sorely underestimating the thoroughness of his men.

"Yes, of course I am. He's my pilot ... and my friend," glass held before her she studied the man who studied the device on his wrist and took a curious few small steps forward, "do ... do you know how he's doing? Is he OK?"

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

"His life is not endangered, Operative Larue, but his future condition relies on your compliance."

There was a slight shudder reverberating through the cabin's walls that signaled that the warship had made the transition from realspace to hyperspace, but to what destination were they speeding towards was unknown save for those who essentially kept Larue and her compatriot hostage. The Dark Lord still kept Larue in the dark about what he intended to do with the pair of them once he had discovered what their true intentions were, although in all likeliness he would probably let them go if they proved to be what they said they were. Woe be onto them if he found them caught in a lie, for he was known to be callous towards those that have slighted him.

"We are heading back to my home, where we will test the merit of your sincerity."

[member="Imka Larue"]​

 

[Kuzo]

"What do you need doctor?"

Through gritted teeth, Irajah Ven answered, her tone tight and sharp. "Someone who can actually follow the directions I'm giving them would be nice for a start. Lacking that, getting out of my light."

It wasn't entirely fair, she might have reasoned at another time. But then, internal bleeding and a collapsed lung wasn't entirely fair either, and Irajah had no patience left over for simple incompetence when it was balanced against massive internal injury.

Dark hair framed a pale, pinched face as she bent over Gibbs, her attention on this most unexpected of patients. When the captain of the Ruination had asked if she could accompany them on a 'routine patrol', because their usual medic was unavailable, she of course hadn't expected it to be, well, anything but routine. And honestly, she wasn't particularly impressed by the ship's medical facilities. Despite the state of the art, top of the line nature of the ship itself, it was more like the med bay was a bit of an after thought. Perhaps she was spoiled by the facilities on Dosuun and especially the lab built for her on Panatha. Or perhaps it simply wasn't a priority to this particular captain. Either way, poor organization and a droid that she suspected was actually a pilot droid with certain extra subroutines spliced in, made her a little testy.

[member="Imka Larue"] [member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Ereza]

"Right..." Imka nodded slowly, gently tapping the floor with the toe of one boot, "Panatha, isn't it?"

Despite knowing, for certain, she should have absolutely nothing to worry about concerning her merit and sincerity, Imka could not rid the tight knot forming in her chest. The woman gently cleared her throat and rubbed at the spot above it on her sternum with fore and middle finger of her free hand.

"I don't know much about Panatha, admittedly," she finally took a sip of the water and found it mysteriously refreshing, "just that ... thing," Imka gestured to her head-face-skull vicinity, "something about immunity to the Force. Must be nice, not having to worry about people getting in your head."

Like right now. She eyed him briefly before taking another sip.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

"It is a handy trait to possess when dealing with those well attuned to the Force." Especially when one considered the cutthroat society of the Sith, the ability to ensure that all of your thoughts were well and truly your own was a highly desired advantage over any potential rivals. The Dark Lord threw back the rest of his drink, sitting the empty cup back on the counter where it would later be attended to by a servitor drone once the room became vacant. At his beckoning the door separating the chamber's threshold and that of the hall beyond opened, "Your impatience rolls off of you in waves, Operative Larue. This Gibbs must be quite a specimen to warrant such worriment from you. Let's go check up on him, hrm? I've yet to actually lay my eyes on him." The way in which he spoke wasn't at all comforting to Larue's fears about this whole situation.

He whistles, and from the confines of the bed emerged a serpentine creature bristling with serrated scales that slithered off of the bed, across the floor, and then proceeded to coil around the Sith Lord's outstretched arm.

It was then that the Sith Lord gestured for [member="Imka Larue"] to follow him.

[member="Irajah Ven"]​

 

[Darth Sibilus]

The clicking of heels travelling along a beautiful hallway signified the arrival of Lara to the medical bay; commander of the FIV Warrior's Heart and the Duchess of Panatha. She was aboard the Ruination as a means to return to Panatha and to take in the splendour of the behemoth vessel, an opportunity which had never presented itself prior to a few days ago.

With the input of a simple code, the medical bay door opened with the satisfying release of hydraulic pressure. Once inside, she silently found a seat close enough to the doctor and her patient but not so close as to disturb her work. The lady's curiosity had been roused once she heard of two pilots being captured, one with the God-King himself and the other down here with terrific injuries.

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Imka Larue"] [member="Irajah Ven"]

 

[Kuzo]

The sound of the med bay door swooshing open was literally the last sound in the galaxy Irajah wanted to hear right now. She aggressively ignored it as she continued to work. The pilot droid turned med droid hovered far closer than it had any right to, and between it and getting the bleeding under control, Irajah had her hands full. Literally.

Covered in blood, hands pushed down on to Gibb's chest, she finally looked up.

"Hand me the C.F.?"

The droid tilted it's head at her.

"Coagulant factor. C.F."

It looked at the tray, putting it's claw down on a pair of shears.

​"The syringe. The one with the red label."

It touched the box of stuffing gauze.

"The. Syringe."

Touch. Touch.

"No. No. To the left. Your other left. No!"

[member="Darth Carnifex"] [member="Imka Larue"] [member="Lara Andar"]

 

[Ereza]

"I think you're confusing my growing anxiety for impatience," Imka replied, tight lipped and wide-eyed as some disgustingly creepy thing slithered out from the bed and up the man's body to rest upon his arm. It hissed in her direction and she narrowly missed dropping her glass, committing instead to maintaining her hold and slopping water down her front.

Shet.

"Ah..no.." Imka wiped at her garb with her sleeve, eternally grateful she'd stuck to the rules of employment with the Foundation and not opted for a glass of dry red. Carnifex garnered a wary pause and look as he strode by, his tone and beckoning making her skin crawl. Operative Larue set her glass down on the counter and followed, unsmiling, back out from whence she came.

~~~

"Mr. Gibbs is still in surgery," a uniformed man said as they arrived to the Medical wing. He wasn't looking at Imka as he reported the patient's current diagnostics in one of the most emotionally-void monotone voices she could ever recall from a human being. What was wrong with these people?

"Dr. Ven is tending to his care, you will have to wait in the observation room outside of surgery," he was looking at her now and Imka suddenly wished he wasn't. Naturally he wouldn't tell tall, brutish, and amored where he could or could not go on his own ship.

"Thank you," Imka managed to stammer politely before stepping in to the aforementioned observation room. There she found another woman sitting in a chair. Red lips, blond curls, a sort of je-ne-sais-quoi about her. Must be a noble. Imka approached the large glass window to look in, turning at the sight of the Doctor's blood-covered forearms. Gibbs, luckily, was blocked from view by the medical coverings around the incision site.

Her attention fell on the woman. Random woman. What was she doing here?

"Who are you?" ...maybe too direct? Imka glanced at Carnifex before gently clearing her throat, "Friend of yours?"

 

[Darth Carnifex]

// Outer Rim Territories \\​

Pacanth Reach, Panatha System​

​

He strode with purpose, his footsteps measured with his long gait that was prone to outpace those of smaller stature than he. The individuals that the pair came across in their trek through the stainless labyrinthine halls of the Ruination were quick to make way for the gargantuan Sith Lord as he passed, their heads bowed in a combination of reverence, adulation and fear. It was hard to tell at which point the lines divided the three, as the mere presence of the Sith Lord was enough to illicit a powerful submission response from most of those that they encountered. There were several, individual robed in similar garments to that of their lord, that showed no fear; only deep respect, and they radiated a similar darkness albeit diminished in its intensity.

Then there were the faceless sentinels who stood still as statues at the entrances to chambers marred by eldritch runes inscribed onto the threshold's frame. One could assume that they were there to protect dark secrets, troves of blasphemous knowledge that were kept under perpetually lock and key.

They reached the Medical wing and were greeted by an officer who saluted the Dark Lord curtly, his closed fist pounding once over his right breast before he delivered his eerily emotionless statement to [member="Imka Larue"]. Carnifex moved past him without a word or a second glance, entering the observation chamber with a grandiose sweep of his cloak. His gaze fell upon [member="Irajah Ven"] as she worked on the aforementioned Gibbs, who was mercifully under anesthesia and unaware of the individual who had come to watch and observe his struggle with death. "Your compatriot could not be in better hands, Doctor Ven is quite a skilled medic according to her files."

He deigned to inform Larue of that fact rather than humor her with the identity of Duchess [member="Lara Andar"], who would no doubt introduce herself in due time.

 

[Kuzo]

More despite of than because of the help of the droid, Irajah finally leaned back. Hazel eyes locked on to the monitoring equipment. She didn't realize she was holding her breath until his heart rate and O2 levels started to stabilize. She breathed in deeply, letting it out in one long, low whoosh.

Turning away from Gibbs, she paused, blinking. Where had the audience come from? She only recognized one of the faces watching her through the transparisteel- but fortunately, it was just the person she wanted to talk to. She pushed the surgical mask down with the back of her wrist as she stalked to the window.

"That-" she said crossly, pointing at the droid, "Is NOT a medical droid. I don't know what kind of ship your captain is running here, but he's going to get people killed by splicing 'Pain rating' and 'bend over and cough' subroutines in to a pilot droid."

She was still wearing gloves that were covered in blood- but then, so was she. Irajah crossed her arms over her chest. The disappointment and irritated disapproval on her face spoke clearly as she leveled her gaze at [member="Darth Carnifex"]. It said So what are you going to do about this, hmmmm?

[member="Imka Larue"] [member="Lara Andar"]