To Redeem a Broken Soul

[Darth Morrow]

Emperor's Palace
Bastion

The quiet of the upper society of Bastion was a welcome one to Darth Morrow, in recent days she had picked up new apprentices, servants, guards, all haunting her every moment to a point where all she craved was silence, making way here she got her wish; though was it a momentary peace she wondered. Having been summoned by her Master was previously a worry free venture, an act that happened regularly for trivial matters or to advise on an issue.

After her transgressions against him? It had now been roughly a month in time since she was last requested. The feeling a calm left Morrow when the communicator on her ship filled with his image, unwelcome emotion creeping into her chest as she listened to his order to present herself on Bastion within the next day.

So many accomplishments had been by her hand in the past month, though that wasn't the reason The Emperor summoned his apprentice. This was to test where her loyalties lie, to test should she still be a useful tool to his empire, and to himself.

--

The transport came to a shaking halt outside the palace of the Dark Lord, the woman inside stepping into the bright light from the darkened chamber as ramp extended down. Porcelain white skin greeted the empty stretch before her as the surroundings of the palace were unnervingly empty, likely for good reason. Black fit pants hugged the curves of Morrows hips as she began ascending the long staircase before her. Billowing red cape hung from her shoulders attached just barely to a tan short sleeved dress shirt, one of clear Empire fashion.

Entering the main hall her guards were left behind as they always had been, the armored guard of the man she intended to meet stood aside at her passage. In the silence of it all her heels met the smooth floor with a clack every time her foot touched down, not before long she entered the throne room, her eyes dark as magma as they made contact with an empty throne and a darkened room.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Though the throne was empty, the gloom-shrouded chamber was not.

Emperor Carnifex stood off to the side, his back turned to his apprentice; a similar sight to the one that Morrow saw deep in the bowels of Dromund Kaas. He was talking to another individual, a woman who wore the garbs of a seer and carried herself with some measure of authority and purpose. Though she was physically smaller than the Emperor, so small it looked like he could pick her up and snap her in half with one hand, her visage was bound with powerful energies that rivaled many of the Lords and Ladies of the Sith within the Brotherhood.

"Ensure that this is done, Eye."

"Your will be done, Emperor."

The woman, referred to as the Eye by the Emperor, curtsied respectfully as she was dismissed. She passed an amused glance with Morrow before retreating from the room, her footfalls fading as the mechanical doors slide from their partitions to close behind her. Once she had left, the Emperor turned to face his approaching apprentice. "Ah, at last you have arrived, my apprentice." Though there was little warmth in the Emperor's voice, the hard bite of her previously dismissal no longer stalked every syllable. "I have a task for you, something that I can only entrust to someone willing to execute my will without hesitation." He bade her approach and kneel at his feet, an abject display of submission in regards to his domineering demeanor.

"Do you believe you are up this task I have prepared for you, apprentice?"

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

The woman watched in silence as the conversation went on, her dark red eyes peering over the scene as she waited for her turn to speak. With the two concluding their quiet word she moved forward before he even beckoned her to kneel before him, her red cape pooling on the ground behind her back as she got on her knees. Gaze cast to the floor she waited for him to speak, when somewhat welcoming words came she tried her best not to raise a brow in question.

Perhaps he had somewhat forgiven her transgression, though likely not in full. Long nails shifted against the soft fabric of her pants as she thought over her words for a moment, distracted by wayward thoughts in the back of her own mind.

"I made way as soon as I received your summons, My Lord. I apologize it took so long, I was rather far. I had my apprentices on Lah'mu studying the remains of tomb and gathering information." Her eyes cast up to meet him as she finished, staring at his burned complexion idly. "Evelynn, is more than welcome to join them if you see fit at any time, though that is a matter for another day I suppose."

Another unwelcome memory bid her visit; the night Evelynn peered over Morrow during ritual, a connection she needed to figure out how to destroy quickly, though that was something she couldn't deal with now. Not with eyes watching her at every moment. The dark scar across her chest was now hidden by a high risen shirt, though it was something very concerning indeed, she wondered how the young woman's had fared.

Resuming her focus as he explained her purpose for being there, the eyes glanced back up to her master in front of her.

"Of course, My Lord. Whatever task you might entrust to me it will be done."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Rise apprentice, and observe."

A holoprojector hidden in the floor whirred to life, casting light up into the air that was quickly rearranged into the image of a man of average height, lanky build, brown hair, green eyes, and caucasian skin. If Morrow's eyes were keen, she would notice that the man held a particular resemblance to Evelynn in a certain light.

"This is Kiber Dorn, one of the last remaining Lords of Dorn in the galaxy. Decades ago I slaughtered his family on Lianna, purging their entire tree for the transgressions of their matriarch. Only three Dorns survived my purge. Evelynn was one, my daughter by the matriarch who served as catalyst for their destruction. The wretch Cristoff was another, he sold out his family for mercy and remains in my service to this day. Kiber was the third, a wastrel addict who has somehow managed to evade all of the hunters I had dispatched to locate him."

Another image materialized, this one of a planet along with the words AXXILA written in Aurebesh. The Emperor did not bother to reiterate the planet's name, he had full trust in his apprentice's reading comprehension. "My agents have tracked him here, hiding among the planet's ecumenopolis. Your task is to go to Axxila, track Kiber Dorn down, and bring him back to me. The condition in which he arrives is of no concern as long as he remains alive, apprentice."

The hologram disappeared, the darkness rushing in to fill the void again. "Perform well, and your past follies will be forgiven."

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Morrow nodded in silence as he finished his speech, eyes unfocused as she looked to the floor with thoughts creeping through her mind. In truth the last half of his instruction fell to deaf ears as her mind traveled, elsewhere. Thoughts of a future she never wanted, thoughts of closing herself off from the world to hone her skills in peace. Well, something like that was impossible for a Lady of her status, though maybe there were ways.

In the darkness the eyes of fire glanced up to Carnifex.

"As you say, my Lord."

Slowly she moved to a stand, an idle hand supporting her ascent as she pushed herself from a kneel to her feet. Eyes met with the emerald and crimson daggers of a stare the man held before she turned away towards the exit. With little more than the sounds of her steps left, the room fell silent as she took her leave.

--

Near a year had passed since Darth Morrow was in the presence of her master. In that time, he had received word of her supposed disappearance. The Apotheosis stood still in Imperial space above Bastion, engines halted as the crew stayed to keep the ship in working order for their Master to arrive. Her apprentices had taken to honing their skill with holocrons left to guide them, should such a thing ever happen or Morrows life cut short. The FireHawk, her old ship from a past life vanished from where it was held in a junkyard, and so had some others of her crew.

In truth, that year had not been spent under the vengeful fist of an enemy but in the comforts of deep space, only few knowing of where she had gone, but none other than the crew she kept close knew why. The woman wanted quiet, to begin the raising of her child. An unwelcome burden though something she slowly began to grow fond of. The idea of offspring to carry on her knowledge and legacy of her own blood, not only apprentices of unknown or undesirable origin.

After the turn of the year, and the child kept in safe hands, the man she was sent away to attain managed to slip her grasp. Though, that was not to say she didn't find handfuls of close impersonators. All locked away on the firehawk as it made return back to Bastion space with twelve prisoners, all of same face as Kiber Dorn, likely paid to take up his appearance. Handed over to one of her guard the Firehawk made way back to the scrap hole it once rested in, while Morrow was left on the surface of Bastion with her collective; perhaps the ship finally be turned to scrap like it deserved, though the important matter was at hand.

Pulled by chains wrapping hands, feet and neck the group was dragged across the streets of Bastion towards the Emperors palace, all pleading for mercy no doubt at the vice grip of Darth Morrow. With no retort the woman dragged them up the stairs of stone that lead to the large doors before her, opening the way to the interior that reeked of misery. Saber hung at her side and sword brandished against her back the woman continued her approach, only to stop when making way into the throne room dimly lit with nothing but faint light.

Throwing the now held slaves before the throne the woman stared up to where her Master sat, the people at his feet wriggling in pain, though very much alive.

"Kneel."

Without thinking another thought all of the lookalikes came to heel, knees hitting the ground as they obeyed quickly, having learned the pain of not doing as she commanded. A line of the twelve rested between Morrow and her Master, her dark eyes staring up at him with disdain.

"This was a job for a bounty hunter, not me. This job requires ten men to sort through the fakes he's left in his wake, a job far below me, and you know it."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Carnifex watched impassively as the gang of twelve were led to the base of his throne and made to kneel. A semi-circle of four Crownguard separated the throne steps from the large audience area, but they parted as the Emperor rose from his throne and descended to stand on the same level. He looked each of the prisoners over one-by-one, turning their heads this way and that with the Force to get a better look at them from every angle.

Once he was finished, he turned back towards his apprentice. "I am disappointed, apprentice. You have failed." He gestured towards the prisoners around him accusingly, "And not just failed, but failed spectacularly. I had entrusted you with a mission I thought was up to your level of skill, but it appears that I was mistaken." The Emperor twisted his wrist, and the prisoners writhed for a moment before their necks broke simultaneously at his command. Their bodies collapsed to the floor, blood trickling from their mouths and noses as their heads sat on grotesquely contorted necks.

"You overestimate your standing, apprentice. You lack the power to dictate your future, I alone possess that strength." The hand that shattered the necks of the prisoners now turned towards Morrow, fingers curled like the clutching talons of a vulture. "And you will pay the price for your disobedience."

Scarlet lightning burst forth from the Emperor's fingertips, crackling through the air erratically as they closed in around Morrow.

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

"If you can defeat me, then you may do whatever you please with me." With an idle hand the cape on her back was torn and left to the floor, her robe removed to expose her black and red armor underneath. "You'll have to beat me first."

With the outstretched hand reaching towards her, dark energies began to swirl around Morrow. Wisps of pure black darkness curled and began to create a whirlpool around her form. Eyes began glowing a darkened red as her vessels under her ghostly pale skin came to life with a burst of yellow light. Her own hands stretched outwards to block the lightnings path as it connected with her hands, eyes locked onto Carnifex's form as it began to char her white skin.

Separating her hands the energy crackled between her own palms, instead now launched back at her master with a vibrant blinding light.


Y̫͔̣̼̬̹̒̄̂̃͒̂̂́͘ò̳̝̙̦̘̼̣͖̄͛̕̚͢ŭ̡̙̳̺̗͉͕̜̽̌̃͟͞r̛̤̹̫̭̻̺̀͒̑̔̏̎͞e̴̡̡͚̲̜̗͇̣͍͎͋̉̅͒̽͌͂ g̵̛̛͍͈̻͕̝͉̝̗̭̫͋͗̓̑͐͛͑̌ő͕͉͍̘̙͙̯̈́̈̇͋̋̍͜͠͝͠ȉ̶̧̛̥̹̪̺̝̠͊̓̎͠ǹ̴͉̳͖̮͚̺̎͑́̔̈̔͗͠g̶̨͙͉̜̣̻̑͌͛͑͛͜͟͢ t͕̮͕͚̩͈̝͒͂̇͂́̀̕͝ȏ̗̲̘̰̳̄̌̐̿̐̚͢ h̢̨̧̢̛̤̲͖͉̟̽̇̈́͂͗͒̈́̓à̵̡̡̞͙͉͚̲̯̋͐͒͗v̡̛͇̩̥͓͇͈̦̞́͆̔̔͒͘͘e͖̘̪̬̦̥̲͊̾̎̌̾̚͘ t̡̡̛͚̫̭̙͔͕͍̦͗̄̾̓̈̋͝ọ̮̗̜͋͆̄̑͛͛͒̔̈́͢ d̢̢͓͍̥̙̍̄͋̾̑͊̇̿͞ơ̛̘̦͎̭̲̮̬͔͆̈́͛̃̃͋̚͡ b͓̠̠͖̒̓̓̉͜͟͡ȩ̷͚͚̮̖̪̰̙̓̇̃̂̿̓͘̚͡t̨̢̼̯͉̘̟̘̄̃͆͂͒̀̎̚t̷̨̡̻͎͕̪͚͗̾͌̄̔̑́͢͝ę̢̤̯̘͒̽͐͂̕͟͡r̸̼̲̯̬͔̼͗̆̎͐̒̈́̈́͟ t̷̢͍̜̘͇͕͌͐͌̕͟͞͠h̵̨̧̪̪̟̭̟̯̒̈̇̃͗̔͘ͅä̖̲̫̰̤͖̯̖̈́͛͌͆̑̇̃n̴̝͖͔̳͙̜͍̬͛͆̈́̋̓͊͠ t̮͍̲̺͉͙͂́̂̃̾̓͐͝͠ḣ̴̪̭̘͉̉̑͘͟͜͠ǎ̶̤̙̫̻̠̞̳͊̿͊̈́͋̋͒̚t̪̭͍̱̝̫̼͛̉͑̓͑͐̀.̷̡̯̣̤͇͖͇́̽̊̏͗͘͜͝ͅ


The floor underneath Carnifex would begin to crack and shift, stone jutting up in an attempt to trap his form. More and more wisps of darkness gathered around his apprentice as she pulled her saber from her side, the blade lighting with its red and black brilliant hum.

Now is your chance slay him, use your rage my pet.

Stepping forward her idly hand would crackle with lightning once more, eyes set on her master with intent. Only one of them was leaving this room walking, and it was going to be her. The energy flowed through her of the ancient spirits collected long ago on Orobus Mons, and even if they more so controlled her rage, it was welcome in this moment as their goals aligned. It was in moments as such where her hatred took over, she lost herself in the feelings many used to drive their powers.

It was the one thing that brought peace to her tattered mind. A barrier once functional at keeping away her past was torn to ribbons, the only thing she had left was inflicting her negative feelings on those who opposed, and at this very moment, Carnifex likely sought her death.

With feral rage the blade was brought down upon him in a arching motion, cleaving down at an angle in an attempt to slice through his midsection.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Emperor angled his palm as his energy was redirected back at him, rebounding it away and into the floor with a crackle of electrified metal. That same floor now broke apart around him, the stone foundation beneath the metal rising in an attempt to subdue him. With a flourish of his hand he stymied its advance, pushing it back and away from him. Last time he had only displayed a sliver of his power, the most meager portion of the strength that he harbored inside of him.

Now he pulled aside that veil a fraction more as his apprentice came at him, her lightsaber rushing to meet his clothing and flesh. His hand extended to catch the blade as it arced down, fingers wrapping around the plasma blade and stopping it utterly. He pulled the blade aside and shoved his other hand out, palm flat, sending a large cone of Force energy directly into Morrow's chest, which carried enough kinetic power to send her flying back across the throne room.

Shoving down the floor that had been ripped up, the Emperor ascended into the air and crossed both arms over his broad chest. "So, you have come this far... and still you understand nothing! It appears as though you still have much to learn, my foolish arrogant apprentice." He looked down towards the floor, which undulated violently as the smooth reflective plating tore itself free of its mooring in large square chunks and were flung at terminal velocity towards Morrow.

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Finding her footing on the cracked metal, the woman watched as her Master launched to the space above her and his throne, the few guards that were moments ago standing in the room now abandoning the space, nothing left but the bodies lining the floor and the two of them.

Heat burst from the air around them, the fiery anger that brewed in Morrows soul leaching forth as she too ascended into the air before the metal found its target. The few sheets that came close were melted before him as the energy radiating off of his apprentice grew more and more with the passage of seconds. Once the remains of his pitiful distraction ended fire launched across the room in a storm, the aimed blast focused on her master with all the anger she could muster, the hatred that rested in her sole. The idle desire to reek revenge on the Emperor himself.



" Y̵̢̙̖̥̣̱͎ͩͭͩ̋̾o̡̫̞͉̻̎ͪ͒ͫ̿̀͌͢u̲ͪͬ̓͒̀̄ͯͪ̆ͨ͐͟'̶̴̞͔̤̥ͬ̓ͩ͗̇͛͝ŗ̷̛̘͔͙̰̆ͬͬ͒ͨ̔é̙͖̜̖͇ͣ͌̋͒ͮ̕̚ ̨̡̥̥͂̃̂̊̍ͪ͗̋͜t̸̟͇͖̜̾̒̏̀͆̐͟ͅḧ͕́҉͍͎͉̯̖͈̿ͤͮ̉e̷̢̩̱̙̖̊͌̈́͋̉͛͟ ͇̙͈͙̦̰̙͍͒̓̐̏͞o̡̻̭̱͐͂ͩͩͨͧ́̃̚n̹̠̘̰̻̐̋̇̀́̕͢͡e̛̹͙͓̦̥ͮ̇̓̀ͥͨ͡ ̴̻̻͔̣̽ͨ̌͗ͧ̓͜ͅw̶̱͍̫̣̜̾̾̓͒̌̚͢ḩ̟̫̜ͧ̓̾́̄̚̕͝͝o̜̬ͨ͊̔̆҉̨̱̝͚͒͟ ̩͍̳̝̲̱ͫ̓̉͘͢͡͡h̶̵̷̞͔̩̝̰̋͂́̍͠a̶̶̬̮͖͖̫̿̄ͬ̅̽ͅs̻͔͗̉̍̈ͫ̿̿̍ͯ͢͟ ̛̘̪͕̎̐̈̃̌̿̊͘͟m̶̢̧̢̛̛̝̤̜̓̈́ͨ͝ư̟̠̜ͪͥ͐͆̑͠҉̃͞ç̴̴͓̜̻͈̺̃ͩ̊͢ͅẖ̢̯̬̥͙̰ͯ̆̍́̆̓ ̩̭̝̦͌̄ͣ͋̎̈́ͯ̚̚t̤͖̰ͯ̿ͯ͐͒ͭ̆ͯ̃͞õ̡͇̒ͪ̅͛̀̈́̽̅̕͜ ̷̢̥̮̪̭̲͓̱̦̌ͩ̏ļ͓͓͇͊̌ͬ̌̆ͯ͘͜͟e̶̢̡͖̼͙̹̮ͬ̓̉͂̂ậ̤̥͇̣͎̰̼ͥͦ͟͠r̸̵̸͕̞̹͕̤̈́́̿ͮ͝n̢̘̪̺͇͈͚̞̅̅́̾͟!̯͎̠́ͮͭ̓̓̋̄́̈ͅ "


The fire that she sent towards him grew in heat, the flames shifting from orange to blue as they burned wildly out of control. Moving her other hand across her a wall began to emerge from the ceiling of fire, the tapestries lining the walls set ablaze as the wildfire only spread more.

Inside her she felt the storm growing more and more reckless as the spirits she contained swirled and shifted inside and out, the dark wisps of energy spinning more and more rapidly as she drained their power and used it for her own. All of her memories flooding back only fed the scene before Carnifex as her eyes lit with color of crimson.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He merely raised a hand, and the flames of Morrow's hand bent around his body like water around a stone. The conflagration burned wildly throughout the throne room, scorching the corpses below them to ash while the Crownguard departed the room to let their master deal with his wayward apprentice. Smoke and soot filled the air, crimson banners emblazoned with the symbol of the Empire consumed as the entire throne room was bathed in scalding blue flames. Then, like air rushing from a pressurized room, the flames began to recede towards one spot.

The same spot where the Emperor remained levitating.

He drew the flames into him, absorbing the fire through the flat of his palm and absorbing its energy as it was diffused. The majority of the flames were then extinguished, only smoldering embers remaining in their wake. "You feel too much, and know too little. You are a child swaggering about with powers you barely understand, you are not worthy to be called Sith." He kept his arm extended forward, the dark energy in his heart traveling through the fibers of his muscles before manifesting outside of his body as imperceivable shards of shadow energy.

Which now rained down upon Morrow from every direction, highly combustible on contact with whatever they embedded themselves into.

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

(x)(x)

Dodging out of the way of most the woman launched herself to the side, though unstoppable in its path the spears shot unavoidable in entirety. Before her grip latched upon its form one shard wedged itself in her lower torso, a grip stopping it from traveling through though it still embedded itself halfway through her form. Not breaking eye contact the woman gasped quietly as it was removed from her stomach and tossed to the ground below; as it fell it fizzled into the force energy it was and dissipated into the air around them.

Dark blood leeched from the wound before it ever so slowly began to meld itself together, skin fusing as the opening sealed enough to avoid the pouring of black liquid to the floor; though this didn't fix the entirety of her internal injuries from the blow. It was only a matter of how long the body could last before blood pooled in her stomach, the organs beginning to pump into overdrive in an attempt to save the body only to be causing more doom.

The swirls of darkness circled her form faster now as she clenched her fists in rage. Without warning a scream echo'd through the room throwing ash and soot towards the emperor. She was back in his reach in the blink of an eye, outstretched claws of bone from her hands launching to pierce his torso in an attack of desperation.

The energy flowing through the woman slowly devolved more and more into an uncontrollable violently pure connection bolstered by the hundreds of damned souls and their fears fueling her assault. It was no longer a fight of hatred, it was a fight for her life. It was a fight for the few lives she now had to protect.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVWr249AUq4​

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"So it has come to this."

Hand still outstretched, the Emperor watched as the ash and soot curved around him just as the fire had done. Morrow burst through the cover, her hands transmogrified into talons of bone sharp enough to rend through betaplast. They closed in, certainly about to tear into the Emperor's flesh like it was paper, but as they neared they impacted a shimmering barrier of incandescent energy that resembled a sheet of light being filtered through a prism.

The barrier shattered under the assault, but it slowed Morrow down just enough for the Emperor to move himself out of harm's way. Then he reached out the Force to seize Morrow in his terrible grip, intending to throw her down to the ground with such tremendous force; more strength than he had ever exercised on her before even in the midst of their most harrowing of combat exercises and past scuffles. He would then attempt to restrain her with that same force, willing her down into the floor so that she would not move.

"I had such great ambitions for you, my apprentice, but it seems you have elected the path of madness and abandoned reason."

At the base of the Emperor's throne was a sword sheathed in an ornate leather scabbard. Through the will of the Dark Side it now flew into the Emperor's outstretched hand, fingers curling around the cruel metal hilt as the other hand unlatched the scabbard and discarded it. The blade itself was of exquisite craftsmanship, a series of scarlet runes emblazoned along either side of the blade. It hummed with a dark and diabolical hunger, a sensation that seemed exacerbated now that it had been reunited with its master.

"It is only for the time I have spent on you that I offer you a chance to explain your transgressions, to shed light on why you have forsaken everything that I have so mercifully bestowed upon you."

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

Hitting the bare stone like a twenty ton rock, the woman's power flickered in his grasp. The growing storm of darkness around her slowly faded as she was put down like a child in his grasp; the rage that would have likely killed any other remained but a game to the Emperor, and he made that very clear as he pushed her ever do further into the stone beneath her broken form.

Fingers dug through the stone like sand as her rage slowly subsided, now replaced with the realization of defeat that was always inevitable. Her mind began wrapping around the ever encroaching fear of true death by Carnifex's hand, something she had evaded from so many others. Time and time again the woman crawled back from the brink of death, the memory of her first one creepy in like an unwelcome trespasser. Releasing her grip on the stone the woman let out a slow breath, eyes closing for a few moments to long as she accepted the situation she found herself in.

This could be it. Was it worth it. Was this what you wanted.

"Mercifully..." The woman mused on the word for a moment, the sound of it repeated brought a sense of humorous cruelty to her mind. "Mercy, is something you never show me."

Eyes closed again for a long pause as the feeling of blood pooling in her insides brought her form to stiffen ever so slightly, fingers loosening on the cold floor as the white skin rested in ash. Memories flickers through her mind of torturous moments she wished to drill from her brain. Another wall she could never replace, like the first shattered. A fragmented mind was all it was. A carefully placed barrier between times was what kept Morrow as he had known before. Though he would have known the moment it had all begun to falter.

A past that was not truly hers plagued Darth Morrow. A past of another life, a past of weakness, hardship. No, that girl from so many years ago was not the woman on the ground before him but one entirely separate though it now mingled and intertwined. Such emotions once well controlled now ran rampant, free of her grasp to hide back where they emerged from.

The symbol once more emblazoned on her back met the scrutiny of his stare, held tight she simply let herself come to a rest, the side of her face meeting hard stone as one eye stared up to him and closed again.

"You have punished me enough for a million lifetimes. If I was going to take another, I wasn't going to accept it without deserving it. One last show of how far my strength had come perhaps, though still pitiful in your shadow."

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Ungrateful."

The Emperor spat out the word with horrendous venom, lowering himself down towards the floor until the soles of his feet connected firmly with the broken ground. He angled his weapon down towards Morrow, the sharp tip grazing against the pale flesh of her neck to leave a shallow scarlet line. All the while the power which had brought Morrow down so low remained firm against her body, restricting any and all movement in the face of what could be construed as almost certain doom.

"It would be well within my authority to destroy you..."

Though it appeared as if the Emperor was poised to deliver the coup de grâce, he instead surprisingly relented by removing his weapon from Morrow's neck. He sheathed his weapon once more and fastened it about his waist. With a flourish of the arm he raised Morrow up from the ground, having her instead be suspended a couple inches above the ground directly in front of him.

"But you are no longer deserving of my mercy. I have a more appropriate destiny in mind for you."

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

The woman gritted her teeth as the blade met flesh. The souls trapped within her whirling and screaming for mercy though she remained silent. Sharp teeth pierced her blackened lips as she prepared for the downswing to come, though it never did. Instead the blade receded from her to the sheath it remained. His words filled her mind as he mused on possibility before Morrow was lifted to his face.

"But you are no longer deserving of my mercy. I have a more appropriate destiny in mind for you."

Eyes locked on Carnifex as a rage brewed inside of her, one just as strong as before though she remained dangled in his grip, unable to even move. As she remained there the energy in his grasp grew as he suddenly saw the darkened energy once surrounding his apprentice leave her form, launching in a cloud of opaque shadow towards the exit at a rapid pace. Taking a deep breath the woman stared him in the eyes, her body relaxing in his grip as it was just the two of them now.

"You will not, control my destiny. Kill me now but you will never deign how my life continues. I served out of my own free will, not yours." Teeth bared in his direction in anger as the venom of hate dripped from every word. Held aloft and stiff there was nothing left she could do besides hope enough of his nature could be brought to the surface to end her life; though she knew deep down she couldn't be so lucky.

Once free, whatever spirits successfully escaped would separate their own ways, many splitting off to their own corners of the galaxy, released from her grasp; others, well, they traveled elsewhere.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Emperor paid very little heed to the cloud of darkness that broke away from Morrow and fled the palace, his eyes wholly transfixed on his wayward apprentice. It was now just the two of them, no onlookers, no one to bear witness to their words. And for the first time since they had met on Iridonia, where the Emperor had chastised and punished his apprentice for her meddling in the affairs of his family, to the tribulations far below the surface of Dromund Kaas.

Carnifex smiled.

It was not a natural smile, it was cold and detached.

The smile of a murderer.

"Everything you have ever thought and known has been a lie, Valeska. It was by my power that you came to serve the Empire, and it was by my power that allowed you to continue your pitiful blissful existence believing that every action you took was of your own free will, that you had any agency in your destiny. You will soon come to learn that everything that has transpired has done so according to my design, shaped by my will through the Cosmic Force." Power danced along his fingertips, crackling bolts of electricity that sparked through the open air between his fingers. "The only difference is that I allowed you to continue your fantasy, but now that time has come to an end."

That same energy was now directed at Morrow herself, striking her right in the chest as it leapt from the Emperor's hand. "In the end, you will come to know obedience."

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

A burning hate rested in her soul as she looked over the man pulling apart her very existence, that everything she had ever done was because of him; it almost made her laugh.

"I will never obey you again!"

Another scream echoed through the chamber before the pain reeking havoc on her body finally drew the woman to the cold embrace of nothing. Soot and ember finally settled in the throne room as the once metal coated floor saw nothing by char. Held aloft by his grip the crackling of electricity faded from Valeska's chest and the shifting she had done receded under her lack of control. It was only now that she was at his mercy, after every bit of defiance she could show.

--

In the fleeting time she spent in the blissful abyss, away from the person that now held her fate in hand, Valeska's mind flickered to forgotten times, memories locked away.

Hands tied behind her the girl screamed, the echoing loud enough to make the guards bring hands to their ears for but a moment.

"Oi! Someone put a muzzle on the loud one!" An officer flipped through a manifest as, idle count being taken as slaves were loaded onto the ship prepared for take off once more. It was here, back on the surface of Iridonia that Valeska had been conscripted to the empire. "Alright and it was, I presume the brat here and that um- the tall one they got in chains that are the only sensitives right?"

Another standing across from him nodded, the voice lost to her mind, a man she couldn't quite remember.

"All said and done the others will be nothing but slaves, here's the compensation for the others; academy will be real grateful for these two." A chip was handed over to the figure shrouded in darkness before there voice spoke once more, something that angered the girl to her very core and started afire in her heart.

"Might wanna gag that one, chain her up good too. Always been a trouble maker, glad to be rid of her."

--

 

[Darth Carnifex]

In the weeks that passed since Morrow's defeat at the hands of her master, she had been relocated to a secret laboratory further beneath the street level of the Imperial Palace. There, the Emperor's diabolical scientists had worked to perfect a new method of control and manipulation. Induced into an artificial coma, Morrow sat catatonic as the scientists peeled back her scalp and cut away the bone protecting the soft matter of her brain. Shards of the rare mineral known as meltmassif were then surgically implanted into her brain, sewn deep within the confines of her mind. The mineral would melt once safely secure inside of her mind, spreading throughout her entire nervous system over the course of several hours.

When she was at last granted consciousness, she would find herself manacled to an Imperial operating table tilted at a seventy degree angle. Before her was a large glasteel window overlooking a shallow pit upon which two individuals were locked in combat. One was a Pau'an whose armor was linked to the cybernetic limbs which had replaced the ones of his birth, a lightsaber with a yellow blade clutched deftly in his right hand as he blocked an attack from the younger Chagrian's scarlet blade. They danced like this for some time, trading attack and block, slashing and parrying in their seemingly equally matched stalemate.

It wasn't until the Chagrian overreached that the Pau'an severed her left arm just below the elbow, sending her sprawling to the floor as she clutched her cauterized stump. The severed limb still clutched the now deactivated lightsaber, fingers twitching instinctively. The Pau'an angled the blade towards the Chagrian's throat, clearly the victor of this bout. But he did not deliver the finishing blow, instead he looked up towards the figure shrouded in darkness who watched from an elevated platform.

The Emperor.

"Remember this lesson, apprentice. No setback is too great once you have committed yourself to the Dark Side." The Pau'an deactivated his weapon and bowed deeply at the waist, the Chagrian could only incline her head in reverence from her pained position on the floor. "Take her to medical and replace that arm. A night in isolation will give her time to reflect on her failings." Though her expression was a mixture of both pain and fear, the Chagrian dipped her head in defeat as the Pau'an lifted her up and escorted her away. Now the Emperor's attention turned towards the recently awaken Morrow, who was now moved from the observation deck out onto the dojo floor by a hoverlift built into the foundations of the operating table.

"I see you are awake, Valeska. Did you enjoy the demonstration?"

[member="Darth Morrow"]​

 

[Darth Morrow]

The groggy woman came to with the sight of combat before her, blades dancing wildly between the two though cut short by severance. When the armless girl fell Valeska's eyes lit up for a moment before halted by the excruciating pain filling her head. Falling back to a dim orange she allowed herself to dangle, weeks in a coma weakening her being and leaving little room to struggle until she came back into full control of her muscles. Her eyes rolled for a moment, a shuttered breath taken as if noticed Carnifex would watch her eyes grow unfocused, distant.

--

"LET GO OF HIM!" The scream echo'd out across the chamber as the taller zabrak was being dragged away before her, blood spilled from him chest and open mouth as the resistance he once showed melted before the torturers.

A pain shot through her chest as the prod was shoved against her, electricity jolting through her body as her muscles tightened and the chained pulled taught. Eyes rolled into the back of her head as it was finally pulled away and she was given permission to breathe once more.

"Please Kieran... don't give up... Please..." Tears filled her eyes as she watched the body leave the room, blood smeared across the tile.

"Get her on the table, seems that last method worked on the other, see if it works on her." The shadowed figure gave the order and the cage opened up to them. Valeska pulled on the chains as tight as possible trying to scramble out of their grasp.

"STOP IT!"

--

She watched as the girl was shown out and the table shifted to be besides Carnifex across the room, her fingers idly twitching towards a fist as sensation found its way back. Likely restrained in every which way possible, there was little she could do but stay chained like an animal, her teeth clenched in her jaw and her sharpened canines piercing flesh.

"I always forgot how cruel of a master you were. You are." Her eyes refused to glance towards him as she looked over the splatted blood across the combatant floor, muscles slowly stretching, shifting, straining to become fully usable so she could attempt to break her bonds.

"Even the smallest mistake to you, is failure. Not even you are perfect. Far from it." Her words dripped with the same venom though only weaker than before, her breathing shallow as she was ripped out of hellish nightmares only to be greeted by one worse. She wasn't dead.

[member="Darth Carnifex"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"When we fail each other, we must be punished."

He gestured with his left hand, and the restraints holding Morrow to the table disengaged and allowed her to slide from the inclined surface down to the level upon which the Emperor stood. Carnifex did not seem concern with allowing her free, he wasn't even looking at her when he did so. At his side was a small table where Valeska's weapons rested, cradled in the soft embrace of a velvet pillow lined with gold tassels. It was those weapons that the Emperor turned his attention to.

"When we fail ourselves, we must be punished."

Now he looked up at Morrow, the twinkle of mischief and cruelty dancing in those molten eyes of his. He gestured towards the lightsabers and said, "Take up your weapons, I am unarmed." He ran his hands along his waist to show that he carried no weapon before continuing, "I can feel your anger building with every moment of indignation you suffer, show me what it all amounts to."

[member="Darth Morrow"]​