Private To Stack the Deck

[Darth Strosius]

The Harbinger of Absolution was most at home where it sat now, on the edges of a system just beyond where most hyperspace routes would run. Far away from any planetary sensors and even station scanners which might have otherwise detected the vessel's presence, it had indeed lived up to its namesake. Heralding not only the arrival of the Order of Wonosa but that of the Prophet's own attention and presence in whatever system it emerged into, no doubt much to the chagrin of whoever had earned enough of His ire to warrant His direct intervention.

The subject of their current expedition certainly fit into that category, even if they didn't know it just yet. Darth Strosius stared out into the vastness of the abyss beyond the viewports before Him with His arms crossed behind His back and idle thoughts stirring in His mind. He found Himself making use of this observation room more and more as of late, finding a fairly tranquil change of scenery from His usual office and workshop and a far cry from the ordered stations ot the bridge. Even if there wasn't much to see beyond the star themselves in the tapestry between them.

He was pulled from His musings by an alert at the door, turning to face it as it slid open. Of course He wasn't here just to stare out the windows, He had called for His Disciple of Faith and His Champion to meet Him there. Darth Strosius had a task that the pair of them could reliably accomplish alone but together should excel. A lesson to teach to the people of Excarga that they wouldn't soon forget if done properly, as He knew them to be capable of.

Kasir Dorran / Revna Marr

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Darth Strosius | Revna Marr​

All around, the star destroyer breathed, its engines pressing through the deck plates like a second heartbeat. He had walked these halls multiple times in recent months, and each time the ship began feeling less like a vessel, and more like a shrine.. a place where silence was worship, and summons were scripture.

The phantom agony in a mangled limb flared with each flex of his gnarled fingers, the metal joint grinding with a whine. Underneath his dark robes, the scars that marred his skin itched, but his stoic expression gave no indication of the familiar discomfort. For pain was his companion, a constant reminder of the only thing he understood in the face of destruction.

Kasir crossed the threshold with the stride of a hunter, halting just inside the threshold. His hands folded behind his back, a gesture that flowed like water, etched into his being through years of servitude. His gaze flicked once to the abyss, before locking onto the Prophet with intensity. And only then did he incline his head in a bow, a practice long since second nature, a wordless show of his black heart’s allegiance.

"IMaster."

No flourish, only the weight of acknowledgement, a reminder that he was but a tool in the hands of the elder Sangnir.

 

[Revna Marr]

It had been some time since Revna had recovered enough to leave the ever watchful gaze of her Master and venture forth from the Harbinger, the ship that had become a sort of home away from home for her. She had spent weeks recovering there, learning how to best manage her new state of existence, as well as reconnect and rebuild a stronger bond to the Sith Lord.

Since that time when she left the safety of the ship, she’d found herself almost immediately caught up in preparations for a war that loomed on the horizon. She had helped defend the Holy Worlds against a rival Empire, and had been involved in several other skirmishes and fights - both to aid her Master as well as stand against the foes of the Sith beside Caedes. Much had happened in such a relatively short amount of time that it was mind boggling.

Most recent had been the fall of the Tsis’Kaar, the scattering of the Marr Family, and the fact that her own cousin Malum had gone missing. No one could locate him, raise him, or otherwise figure out where he had gone. It was as if he had just…disappeared into the void.

But despite these things happening, missions and duties and work still had to be carried out. Though Revna was now Alisteri’s adopted daughter, she was still an agent of His, and He was still her Lord, her commander. And so, when He summoned her to meet with Him for a mission she was to undertake on behalf of the Order of Wonosa, she wasted no time in leaving Korriban to obey that summons, dressed in her typical attire that was mission ready, her lightsaber at her hip and her hidden shikkar blade in its specialized sheath along her arm.

The Harbinger of Absolution was drifting in the void of space, right on the edge of a system that had captured the Prophet’s attention; Revna docked her ship in the Destroyer’s hangar bay before disembarking and limping her way towards the destined meeting place - an observational chamber with great viewports to give one a view of the void of space beyond. It was here that she found her Father, but not just Him alone.

Her fellow brother in faith was there too, the Darkseeker and Champion, Kasir Dorran.

Revna’s gaze flickered briefly between Darth Strosius and Kasir, before she stepped up and stopped right beside the Darkseeker, her hands behind her back as she stood in militant fashion. She bowed her head in a gesture of respect, before straightening herself once more.

“Master.” she said in greeting, a touch of reverence in her voice. “How may I be of service?”

Darth Strosius // Kasir Dorran ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Dorran, as timely as ever." Given the additional lessons that His Champion had been enduring, at his own request of course, it was no surprise that the Darkseeker arrived first. No doubt whatever solace that he had found between summons had been well spent, even if brief. The Harbinger was nothing if not a place of reflection and meditation after all. Although somewhat lacking in some amenities, it had to be said.

Darth Strosius knew that the other Sangnir wasn't one for idle chatter yet He rather liked the subtle challenge of trying to pull it from Kasir. Something beyond clipped pleasantries at least. Before He could subject the Darkseeker to any such verbal probing however, His daughter made her own entrance into the room and greeted Him in kind. "Revna, my dear." The masked man inclined His head in acknowledgment and let His hidden gaze drift over the both of them for a moment. "An apt question."

He clasped His hands together in front of Himself, evidently having some manner of excitement tinging His words and greetings. Typically He was dour when it came to giving orders yet at the moment one could easily guess that there was a grin behind His expressionless mask. The exact reason was of course unclear however and He certainly gave no clear indications what it could be even as He continued.

"My Champion, my Disciple, I have called you to the Excarga System this day in order to spread the word of Wonosa and wield its heavy hand against those that would deny us." He laid a gloved hand across His chest whilst the other moved to delve into His robes. "The mining guilds and corporations of Excarga itself have been...receptive to our offers and arrangements thus far. However, one final barrier to gaining their loyalty remains. One that you shall rid Excarga of."

His hand retrieved a holoprojector from His robes, lighting up the otherwise dark observation deck with a pale red light as it projected the image of a scarred and elder Bothan. The projection itself must have been sourced from some database outside of the Order itself as bounty information such as a list of systems that the Bothan was wanted in as well as prices for his capture were displayed alongside the image of the individual himself. Evidently a lot of Core and Mid-Rim worlds wanted his head, attached or not. "This is Zuth Kendate, your target."

Kasir Dorran / Revna Marr

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Darth Strosius | Revna Marr
​

A statue of calm, Kasir was firmly rooted in his current position. He did not so much as shift an inch; his hands remained clasped behind his back, icy digits interlaced. Every breath drawn was slow, filling his chest in ritualistic motion, before exhaling. Had there been any sound, it was swallowed by the star destroyer’s mechanical heartbeat.

For a time, his gaze was fixed on the projection of Zuth Kendate, but the Sangnir’s mind was already moving beyond that image. Highly attuned senses were also picking up the scape of sounds from outside the chamber, and then the echo of Revna’s boots as she entered. Every single micro sound registered.

For a moment, Kasir closed his eyes. Darkness filled his vision, but it was not emptiness.. it became a canvas. He envisioned the path ahead, the steps of the hunt, the ways the target may falter. But even in that darkness, his mind did not wander only to the mundane; no, he too touched on the deeper desires that had always festered in him since Mustafar, being the thrill of mastering a prey before anyone could see him move. The Darkseeker did not smile; he did not flinch. He would only acknowledge the pull of those desires, and ultimately, let them inform him of discipline.

Black orbs shimmered with a cold light. It was the kind of cold that could swallow warmth; it was patience honed into a curved ceremonial blade. The words that slid out next were like ice along durasteel.

“Do we harvest his information, or harvest his silence?”

We.

A word that seldom passed the thin and cruel line of his lips. Perhaps a nod to the Disciple of Faith, or perhaps something rarer still, to stand in a room with two figures he did not just take arms with, but respected.

Strange, for one whose heart had long since blackened to sentiment, to feel even the ghost of kinship stir within that abyss that devoured so many.

​

 

[Revna Marr]

Once both she and Kasir were in attendance and had rendered their greeting, Darth Strosius fished for a holoprojector hidden within His heavy robes as He explained to both of them the nature behind His summons. Revna listened in still silence, paying attention to everything shared with her and the Darkseeker, who stood so still and cold beside her. Though she rarely had the honor or the privilege to work alongside Kasir, she nonetheless had a deep thread of respect for the man. Despite his rather standoffish nature and his inclination to stay away from the wider Order of Wonosa as a whole, Revna considered him akin to a brother.

Revna’s gaze roved over the projected image as it revealed the figure of a scarred Bothan male in red hues. Darth Strosius explained to them both who the individual was, and it was clear that Zuth was rather wanted by multiple agencies and not just the Order of Wonosa.

A glimmer of excitement shone in Revna’s eyes as she beheld the target; clearly he had evaded capture, but those days were now numbered. With both her and Kasir on the trail, there would be no evasion, no escape. Perhaps that was why their Master had put them both on this mission together; the chance of success was high.

“Do we harvest his information, or harvest his silence?” Kasir asked the Sith Lord in his typical cold voice, seeking further information about the target and the nature of the looming task. Revna too had her own questions, one which she voiced when Kasir had finished speaking.

“Good question. Is this to be a…discreet operation or can we…” she glanced over at Kasir briefly before looking back at her Father. “ - let loose and have some fun while we hunt down this individual?"

Darth Strosius // Kasir Dorran ​

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius inclined His head at the questions, naturally expecting them it seemed, before His hidden gaze drifted to Kasir. "His information would be valuable, if it can be extracted and recovered. Bothans are infamous information experts, I have no doubt that acquiring Kendate's hoard of blackmail and secrets will be a difficult affair. But of course nothing is impossible." The Darkseeker had a knack for recovering that which others could not. With any luck this matter would be little different.

He switched off the holoprojector and slid it back into His robes as He looked to Revna. "There is nothing here that warrants discretion. In fact, its quite the opposite that we need." The masked man clasped His hands together behind His back. "As many worlds would tell you, Zuth Kendate is untouchable. With hands in the pockets of every major bounty organization and even more law enforcement agencies. He gets tipped off that someone is coming for his head before the world he's on even know that he's there. Which makes him the perfect target."

Darth Strosius took a slow step to the side, the start of a very deliberate and gradual pacing route. Each heavy footfall echoed in the room, only challenged by the ship's own thrumming systems and His voice. "The mining guilds of Excarga, as well as many others, regard the Order of Wonosa as little more than a boogeyman meant to scare Outer Rim smugglers and small time criminals. A rumor that sends the scurrying pests into the waiting arms of organized crime. But with something a bit more...high profile than simply knocking over a few pirate dens, well..."

His steps paused as His gaze trailed from Revna to Kasir and back for a moment. "I want you to make it a show. A demonstration. Proof that none are beyond our reach, beyond our justice. I want every piece of slime this side of the Core scared of every alleyway they pass and glare that they receive, ever watchful for one of our blades to befall them."

Kasir Dorran / Revna Marr

 

[Kasir Dorran]

Darth Strosius Revna Marr

​

Kasir tasted the air, not scent but memory.. iron and old bruises, the salt of other people’s fear that clung to the ship. The holoprojector’s red bled into his vision and sat behind his eyes like a festering wound.

A public killing. Exhibition was vulgar, but necessary; there was a terrible beauty in such design; Wonosa, the sacred artist. He’d seen it too many times before, for it had a way of making prey flinch.. and flinches made patterns that could be easily followed. All else was left unquestioned in the moment, yet believed to belong to something larger, waiting to be revealed, as so many things often were. Time would tell.

The Sangnir felt the silence tightening, until his words cut through it.

His voice was low, and wet with promise. “Then we will make him visible.. before we make him nothing.”

Standing in position, his black eyes tracked the empty space where the image had been, picturing the place where malevolence would gather like rot.

“A public killing invites witnesses and opportunists too. But they shall be scripted, and the exit, so that I teach them how to truly see, and how to fail.”

And so, his head inclined in the smallest, most dangerous of ways.. an acknowledgement, blessing, and threat. Sinew flexed under that stillness,while the ship’s pulse now felt like a bell tolling for the body to be claimed..

“As you command, my master. His spectacle shall be ended, a final act none who witness will ever forget.”

 

[Revna Marr]

Darth Strosius // Kasir Dorran ​

Revna listened intently as her Master answered both her’s and Kasir’s questions, and she hung onto every word the robed Sith Lord said. It was important to pay attention to such details, to figure out what exactly her Master wanted from this mission, what He required of them, what He would accept as a success or a failure in the mission.

The information that their target had would certainly be a boon if it could be obtained; if it was information stored within the mind of their target, then Revna had little doubt that she could rip it away from him. She was rather skilled at delving into the minds of her targets, a skill she’d learned from Darth Strosius and had practiced plenty of times on prisoners and captives.

To her question on whether or not they were to be discreet, Darth Strosius made it clear that the mission was to be anything but. He told them both to make a show of it, to remind the dens of criminals in the Outer Rim - everywhere, if possible - that they were not beyond the reach of the Order of Wonosa…no matter who they were or how crafty they thought themselves.

A shine of excitement filled Revna’s fiery orbs; she rather loved missions that allowed her to…let loose a bit. And no doubt, Kasir would be pleased about this as well…in his own way. She was rather curious to see what kind of mischief they both could get up to, how well they could work together in this.

She turned her gaze upon the Darkseeker as he responded to their Master, promising to do all that Darth Strosius asked of them. Beside her, she could feel the terrible darkness that existed within the Sangnir assassin swell. Yes, he seemed eager for this mission too.

“...is there anything else you have for us, my Lord?” Revna inquired of her Father after a moment of silence, returning her attention back to Him. “Or are we free to go?” There would be no hiding the rather eager edge to her voice. She was ready to go hunting.

The Void within her was hungry - and it was nearing the time for her to feed it in order to keep it under some semblance of control. Perhaps…this would be a perfect opportunity to serve the Order, as well as satiate the constant edge of Hunger that clawed at her mind and soul.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Kasir's assertion of the task that had been laid before them formed a smile on His hidden features. While being in the spotlight as it were wasn't the Darkseeker's typical area of expertise, hunting and displaying an elusive prey was most certainly a familiar duty that He knew the younger Sangnir to be more than capable of. Between the pair of them that Bothan was already as good as dead.

The promise of success drew a nod from Darth Strosius, as though He had expected anything less. His hidden gaze shifted from the dour passion of the Darkseeker to the more overt excitement of His daughter. Since His return and her rescue He had been rather strict on her activities and assignments, partially due to her recovery and partially due to His own caution. Now though, she'd have her free reign for the moment.

Until the job was done at least. "That is all. I leave the rest in your capable hands." The masked man spread His arms wide as if to offer the pair of them an embrace before bowing slightly. "Go forth and wield yourselves as the Blade of Wonosa. Show all who reside on this world the truth of our conviction and the measure of our reach." He straightened up and couldn't resist smirking slightly as He added. "And do remember to enjoy yourselves, you do have quite the show to put on after all."

Kasir Dorran / Revna Marr