Private We're All Monsters Here

[Veradun Sharr]

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron
​

As much as Veradun wished to stay on Mustafar with his blood brother, the tall and pale forever-youth knew that he would have to return to his Master’s fortress at some point. He had stayed long enough to learn from his Sangnir Sire, learn what he was now, and adjust to his new existence. It hadn’t been without its trials and challenges, and the fledgling knew that many more would arise as he existed in the present moment and stepped into the future. A future that now, for him, extended far beyond mortal comprehension.

Returning back to Anoat would be somewhat of a challenge, but it was nothing that was beyond the Sith apprentice. To conceal his outing and hopefully any ties he had to Kasir and to Mustafar, the youth kept his transmitter and tracking beacon deactivated on his ship even as he left the volcanic world behind and journeyed into the vastness of space. It was here where he would enact the next phase of his plan - and so the freshly turned Lowblood went on the hunt for pirates or other criminals that lurked within the Blackwall. The Sith Empire was full of individuals that would go to any length in order to maintain their pitiful existence. It was something that Veradun was counting on.

It didn't take too long for someone to fall for his bait as he guided the ship through a lane that was frequented by raiders. An idling ship off in the distance noticed him around the time that he noticed them. A dark grin tugged formed on his lips as he made a half decent attempt at escape, trying to out-maneuver the ship that trailed him. Plasma fire ripped into his shields, and he purposefully disengaged them - allowing his ship to be ripped into and mostly disabled. Calmly and quietly, Veradun left the cockpit as the pirates maneuvered themselves for boarding, and he felt the ships lock together as he slipped into the shadows and waited with the patience of a predator that knew that prey was coming to it.

Veradun waited for the opportune moment, then launched his attack against the initial boarders. The first, a human woman from her appearances, went down with a loud snap of bone and a thud against durasteel as the Sith apprentice used the Force to snap her neck, before appearing in the blink of an eye in the face of a near-human male that didn’t even have time to register what was happening before his chest was being impaled by Veradun’s fist, supernatural strength allowing him to punch through flesh and bone and beyond. The scent of freshly spilled blood filled the area and poured over Veradun’s senses like a waterfall, awakening his hunger as it ripped through his veins. A couple of others tried to retrieve their weapons, but they were no match for the killing fury that he unleashed. Another ship raider managed to fire off a couple of bolts at him from a drawn blaster, before they met the same fate as their compatriots. Silence soon descended upon his trapped and crippled vessel, but he knew that they were not the only ones. There were others on the raider's ship…he could sense them.

Time to enact his plan.

Veradun moved quickly, too quickly for the mortal eye to track at times, leaving one ship and boarding the other before hunting through the ship and murdering everyone he came across. Before too long, all were dead except for the pilot of the ship, and they were spared only to feed his hunger. The pilot, a Twilek hybrid of some sort, begged for his life but the Thirst demanded to be satiated. Veradun had learned a measure of control over his desire to constantly feed while he had remained under his Sire’s guidance, but here he showed no restraint and fed until there was nothing left for him to take, before he dropped the bloodless corpse to the floor and idly wiped the residue blood from his mouth and chin, eyes glimmering with a killer’s satisfaction.

But even with the raiders dead, he could still sense the pulse of life somewhere, and he let his instincts guide him towards the cargo hold. There, he found a group of scattered individuals of various races and ages and genders, bound within a sealed chamber. Slaves.

Or at least, they were probably on their way to market and towards enslavement. And now they were his. A cruel smile tugged at Veradun’s pale lips when he heard them plead for help, for release. He could return home with a gift for his Master, hopefully something that would appease the Dark Lord’s wrath that was sure to come.

It was time to return home, and the former Nagai wasted no more time; he jettisoned the bodies before he settled in the cockpit and released the lock between the two ships, then turned the canons upon his old ship, destroying it completely before setting the coordinates for Anoat and sending the vessel into hyperspace.

The flight did not take long…an hour at most…before Veradun was breaking through the toxic and familiar atmosphere of the horrid planet he called home for the time being. Darth Nefaron’s fortress loomed in the distance, illuminated by flashes of lightning from the ever present and raging storm that existed around the Sith bastion of terror and suffering. The Sith guided the vessel to a landing bay, where a group of Legionnaires gathered with weapons, ready to attack as the vessel was unknown to them…that was until Veradun stepped forth. Though his appearances bore subtle changes, the corpse soldiers were too simple minded to see or notice such things, but they did recognize the power and presence of the one that served their Lord and Master, and they dropped to their knees in submission to one of their overlords.

“There are slaves in the cargo hold.” Veradun said to them in a flat voice after a long pause, before he moved off and towards the Fortress itself. His Master had not been on Anoat when he had left, but he couldn’t say if that remained the case now. He wasn’t entirely sure just how long he’d been gone either. No doubt there would be some sort of wrath directed at him, but now Veradun was confident that he could more than withstand such a thing.

The pale young man took a lift from the hangar to one of the main Fortress floors, and stepped off to stalk silently down one of the shadowed halls and towards one of the many great chambers that he could access, keen to see if his dear Master had any information about what he was now. The door to the library opened with a hiss and the former Nagai stepped across its threshold, and instantly came to a halt as a rather sweet and alluring scent washed over him, filled his mind and made him zone in on its source, the whispers of thirst echoing in his mind and prickling just underneath his skin. Piercing blue eyes with their faint glow shifted and settled upon a figure he had not seen since before he left.

Eurydice.

She was here…which meant so was his Master, somewhere. No doubt the Dark Lord already knew his prodigal Apprentice had returned; Veradun would be foolish to assume otherwise.

“Hello Eurydice...” Veradun greeted in a low and soft voice like sweet poison as he made a slow approach, his steps measured and almost predatorial. “...Did you enjoy your little outing with our Master?”

 

[Eurydice]

Veradun Sharr | Darth Nefaron (ugh)
​

Eurydice felt his presence long before the library door hissed open.

Notes of familiarity had drifted towards her from down the hall. One of her Master's accomplices? Another Sith Lord? Strange, given that there hadn't been anything scheduled. Eurydice had become quite familiar with keeping house here on Anoat, strange as it sounded.

There was little she was not aware of. Or at least, that was the impression she had been lead to believe.

As the presence drew closer, Eurydice's hand hovered in front of a tome. Her brow furrowed, but she did not yet retrieve the book from the shelf.

It was Veradun, but it wasn't.

The seer frowned. He'd always had a penchant for getting himself into trouble, which unfortunately included rebelling against Nefaron. No punishment seemed to stay his disobedience.

At least, not for long.

At last, he stepped through the threshold and into the library. The Force shivered, and something akin to an aching hunger vibrated in the still, stale air. The tome had found its way into Eurydice's hand by now, but she didn't stop to linger on the dusty, embossed words of the title.

Then, he spoke. A voice rich as honey and smooth as silk, silk that did little to obscure the sharp edge of a verbal dagger. Eurydice stepped back from the shelf, absently clutching the book against her chest.

Stars, he was taller now. Much taller than he'd been the last time she'd seen him. Did Nagai biology permit such growth spurts?

Eurydice knew that it didn't. She'd been making good use of the library, after all.

Luminous blue eyes flashed as each footstep brought him closer, closing in on the girl with the patience of a hunter. Had they not been in the study, she would not have been surprised to see carrion birds circling above.

"V…" His name was lost on her lips, suddenly parched. Her throat, suddenly dry, suddenly tight. Her breathing, suddenly audible.

Eurydice took a step back. Then another, then another. She matched Veradun pace for pace.

"Veradun?" Finally, she managed to speak, incredulous. "What are you…stars, what have you done to yourself!"

Her hiss held as much admonishment as it did uncertainty, electing to ignore his question for now. A bead of sweat already found purchase on her knit brow.

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

The expression of shock and surprise on her face did not alter his slow stalk towards her, not until her voice failed her and she clutched that tome against her chest as if it was a shield and began to step back from him, mirroring his steps with her own. He stopped mid-way into the chamber, a faint upturn to his lips as he smirked at her. He could hear the thrum of her heart, its pace having quickened. Was it fear? Uncertainty? Distrust? Surely all of the above…otherwise she would haven’t backed away so quickly.

He followed her with his piercing gaze, though he no longer made any movements towards her.

"Veradun? What are you…stars, what have you done to yourself!?" Eurydice exclaimed, her voice sharp with a hissed admonishment, and he noticed she had ignored his question.

“Oh I didn’t do anything to myself. This was done to me.” he responded in a slow and lazy fashion, leaving out important details of course, eyes glimmering with his dark amusement at the situation as he finally took a couple more steps forward. “Quite the change, isn’t it? You’ll grow used to it in time, I am sure…if you don’t die first.”

He angled his steps away from her, slightly, though he watched her from the corner of his eyes for a moment before he stepped up to one of the shelves that housed various tomes, datacrons, or holocrons even. He let his pale blue eyes drift over them, not looking for anything in particular…not yet anyway. He had come to do some hunting, of a sort. But Eurydice being here put a slight hitch in his plans.

“Oh do be at ease, Lady Eurydice.” He whispered, his voice still so soft as he cast his gaze to hers, catching her eyes. There was the faintest hint of compulsion in his gaze, layered in his rich, masculine voice. “I am not going to harm you…” Yet. “ - I would rather have you as my…ally.”

He turned once more to face her directly, his form towering above her own, casting a long shadow in the flickering lights, as some dark and devious expression played over his pale and now rather eerily handsome face. He had been a good looking young man before he had been Turned, but now it had been amplified to a devastating level. He had already learned what his charm could do to others…but he did not attempt to seduce or tempt his fellow co-apprentice. His eyes narrowed slightly in thought as he gazed upon her, before calling a chair from one of the nearby tables towards him through the Force, before taking a seat.

Maybe…she could be of use to him here.

“I came here to see if our dear Master had…tomes or things of that nature…that would give me insight into my…condition.” He said smoothly, though of course he didn’t divulge the full truth to her. He knew exactly what he was, but he wanted to see if his Master had anything on Sangnirs or other vampiric creatures. It would work better in Veradun’s favor if the Dark Lord did not have anything of that nature. Perhaps Eurydice could help him in that regard. Or perhaps she would sense his lie, spoken so naturally, and poke him with her own questions.

“You seem to frequent our Master’s libraries often enough…you wouldn’t happen to know if there is anything here that could be of assistance for me?”

 

[Eurydice]

Oh, he was enjoying this. If there was anything Eurydice disliked more than cruelty, it was someone who delighted in his cruelty.

Which was to say, that she did not enjoy living among the Sith. Especially one as calculated and sadistic as Darth Nefaron.

"What was done to you?" She echoed as a final step had her backside bumping against a high shelf. The Seer didn't even have the chance to curse her poor luck, because every space was suddenly occupied by the changed Veradun.

He filled her field of vision, so tall and devilishly handsome. The soft, boyish curves of his face had sharpened, refining themselves into something dangerous and borderline decadent. He was the sort of man that old Ukatian fables and songs warned about - perfect to a lethal degree, a siren designed to lure you in through every sense.

His eyes caught her own, holding them in a lingering gaze that was nearly hypnotic.

Veradun let his threat hang, but there was no venom to it. Only honey. Spiced honey.

Eurydice could not help way crimson heat suddenly bloomed across her pale cheeks - not when he was this close. Absently, the tome she clutched like armor rose a little higher over her chest.

A moment of reprieve came as Veradun stepped back, but it was snatched away as he swallowed the girl in his shadow once more. This time, she grimaced, her expression only thinning once the cat decided to release the mouse.

"So you really are here for information, then," she muttered. Eurydice tucked the tome beneath her arm and ran a hand over the skirt of her robes, straightening fabric that had already been pressed to perfection.

When she next looked to Veradun, it was with a critical eye. Slightly sour. Her gaze swept over his form, comparing it to her memory of what he'd been before all…this.

"I don't know the word for it. Not yet," she began. "But there are said to be…creatures like you where I'm from. Men and women transformed into something…everlasting."

Indeed, there was a coven of vampirika on Ukatis - living in seclusion, they operated on similar biological principles as the sangnir. They were the subject of old stories, many fashioned into tales of caution and obedience.

In reality, they were men and women who'd broken away from tradition and left society of their own volition, or had otherwise been discarded.

Eurydice eyed Veradun with more scrutiny as she moved to stand at the opposite side of the table, grateful for the stretch of wood between them.

"Perhaps I can better assist you," she continued, "if you'd tell me how these changes came to be."

A pause.

"Does he know?"

Veradun Sharr | Darth Nefaron

 

[Veradun Sharr]

​

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

Veradun tilted his head in a slightly predatorial fashion as he regarded Eurydice and her…reaction…to his presence. Her heart rate racing a little faster, the breath in her lungs quickening ever so slightly and the blush of crimson that colored her cheeks, even as she asked what was done to him. His smirk widened a little more; he truly was enjoying this moment - of prey caught in the sight of the hunter, who was too lazy in the moment to make the kill.

He had told her he wouldn’t harm her - and he would abide by his word. His master may have seen to it that his honor was all but destroyed…but the former Nagai still clung to remnants of it. Remnants of himself that he buried so deep within so the Corpse Lord couldn’t take it from him.

The Sangnir didn’t respond immediately when Eurydice muttered her thoughts about him being there for information, but his small smile remained. She tucked the tome that she’d been clutching over her chest under her arm, and straightened out her robes which were already perfect. “Oh Eurydice…if I was here for anything else, you’d know by now.” Veradun said in his oh so soft voice, like a caress against her ears, though his words held the promise of violence that he was mercifully withholding. If he wanted to feast, his fangs would be buried in the softness of her throat already. If he wanted her dead, she’d be a corpse at his feet. If he wanted a thrall, she’d be on her knees looking up at him with utter adoration as if he were her god.

Next, his co-Apprentice eyed him a little more sharply, critically. As if she was trying to truly assess him.

"I don't know the word for it. Not yet. But there are said to be…creatures like you where I'm from. Men and women transformed into something…everlasting."

The fledgling eyed her in utter stillness and silence - as if he’d become a statue frozen in place and time. He didn’t even blink as he assessed those words. How had she…picked up on his nature so quickly? Remember, she’s a seer. Perhaps that was how she’d figured out he was some form of immortal now…though she clearly didn’t know what he was exactly. Not yet.

"Perhaps I can better assist you…if you'd tell me how these changes came to be." she said as she came to stand on the other side of the grand wooden table that separated them. He tracked her with his frigid blue gaze, the only part of him that moved the entire time since he had taken a seat in the chair.

“Does he know?”

“No…he does not. But he will learn the truth for himself in due time. I am in no rush to see him yet.” Veradun responded. “If he wants to see me, then he will have to come to me.”

Quite suddenly, Veradun was up and moving - but faster than Eurydice could probably track with her mortal eyes. One moment he was seated in the chair, the next he was right beside her, towering over her like some demon conjured from a nightmare. Pale hands with a slightly blue hint to them laid flat on the table, long fingers splayed out. Unlike most other Sangnirs, his fingers didn’t terminate in claws…yet. No doubt that would come in time, though even he wasn’t certain about that.

“Tell me…Lady Eurydice…” Veradun leaned down slightly to get a little closer to her, his eyes boring into her own as his voice dropped to that of a bare whisper, like his words were meant for her and her alone. “...do you desire to see him cast down and overthrown? Given the fate he oh so deserves for the hell he’s brought upon you? The torment?”

 

[Eurydice]

Oh, he was showing off now.

Like a soldier who'd just received his first sword, Veradun delighted in testing his newfound abilities against her. And why wouldn't he? The boy has become taller, faster, and stronger. Sharper.

In a flash, he'd covered the short distance between them and leaned into her personal space. This time, Eurydice didn't step back - but she did lean away with a grimace.

Then, he suggested the unthinkable. Betrayal.

"Cast down?"

Her voice was low, harsh, incredulous. Even considering treachery could get you in trouble, particularly with those Sith who could read minds.

Still, this was their way. Consistent backstabbing was how Sith climbed the ranks, but it was also, as Nefaron had instilled within her, how they kept cannabilzing themselves over and over.

Eurydice cared not for galactic dominance. She only wanted to live, and on Anoat, life could be snatched away in an instant. Their master had made that exceedingly clear.

"Have you lost your mind?" she hissed. Her free hand shot out, and with a surprisingly firm touch, pushed the newly turned sangnir back by his shoulder - or tried to. "Talk of treason could get us both killed. Killed, or worse."

Again, the tome was clutched to her chest like a shield. "If you want your arrogance to lead you to an early death, fine. But do not drag me into whatever it is you're planning!"

Finally, she took a step back. A moment hung between them as Eurydice drew in a deep breath, letting her frazzled nerves settle.

"You're becoming like him," she murmured, uncharacteristically soft. Something akin to disappointment flashed in her eyes as her gaze settled past him, unfocusing on the lines of long, pale fingers splayed against the wooden face of the table.

"A monster."

Veradun Sharr | Darth Nefaron

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

Veradun’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly when Eurydice rather harshly rebuked his notion of betrayal; had Nefaron dug his claws so deeply into her already that she actually might be somewhat loyal to the Dark Lord? Surely not. No, these incredulous words were being spoken out of a sense of self-preservation. She lashed out against him, tried to push him away with a small hand as she asked if he had lost his mind, and made mention that talk of treason could get them killed, or worse. At first, Veradun didn’t budge - didn’t even move a fraction of an inch. But then he stepped away and out of her personal space, enough so she could breathe.

“Why are you so surprised, Eurydice? It is our duty to overthrow the Master and take his place in the end, claim all that he has for our own.” he snarled. “So no, I haven't lost my mind. I was simply trying to invite you into the chance to reap your revenge and claim your rightful portion of power. But I guess you’d rather be a loyal servant and save your own hide.” Veradun sneered as he stepped away, observing how Eurydice hugged the tome tighter against her chest and snapped that she didn’t want to be involved in whatever he was planning. He leveled a dead glare at her when she said he was becoming like their Master….a monster.

“We’re all monsters here, Eurydice. One day you will look into a mirror and see a monster staring back at you too...” He said in the same icy cold voice, though it lost its edge and seemed to almost soften a touch as his voice trailed off. Pale eyes stared holes through her, their weight never lifting - not even for a moment. Inwardly, however, Veradun sighed. He felt a myriad of emotions clashing through him: anger, uncertainty, disgust…but nothing quite as potent as the disappointment he felt in the moment.

He turned away from her, presenting his back to her as he let his thoughts roam a bit. Her reaction had been undesirable; he had hoped to clue her in to what he was, what he wanted to do, his plans…but that didn’t seem possible now. She was afraid…he couldn’t blame her, really. She feared for her life, her sanity. He had feared for it too…once upon a time.

Those days were behind him now. He did not fear Darth Nefaron, not anymore. He contained far more power than either Eurydice or Nefaron could ever realize. Very little would affect him now, as a Sangnir. All of Nefaron’s tricks he had once employed to force Veradun’s submission would no longer work on him. Though the former Nagai had no intention of informing his dear master about any of that. He would purposefully keep the Sith Lord in blissful unawareness, and play along with his games until the time came to end the Lord of Terror and take his place.

Veradun turned his head slightly and looked over his shoulder at Eurydice; she would notice that his presence had retreated somewhat. It wasn’t as enveloping, though the allure he still seemed to radiate never vanished. “I do not know what the creature was that did this to me. All I remember was blood and pain, then death and an awakening. Now…tell me, does our Master possess anything in his libraries that could be of use to me?”

 

[Eurydice]

Eurydice's gaze flicked to the corner of the room, suddenly uncomfortable for a different reason. Veradun was right, wasn't he? One day, she'd become a monster like him. Like Nefaron. If she didn't die first.

Stars, were those her only choices?

It was already happening, too. Under their master's hand, she'd made others suffer, to save herself from suffering. The girl had never fancied herself some sort of hero, but the cowardly, self-serving choice still stung.

It even outweighed the piercing stare of those pale, luminous eyes for a few long moments.

Silenced reigned as Veradun turned his back. Even a fledgling Sith could see that it was less of a mistake and more of a dismissal of her ability to harm him. An accurate one, at least. It still didn't sit well with Eurydice.

All I remember was blood and pain, then death and an awakening.

The girl perked up. Her back straightened, expression tightening with little sparks of surprise. The portrait of Veradun was beginning to take shape, and she couldn't deny the slowly smoldering embers of her own interest.

He had not pled for her help - no, never that. The newly turned creature was testing his power, delighting in his ability to see her writhe beneath his shadow in uncertainty.

There was something else, though. Something she couldn't yet put her finger on.

"Tell me…"

Eurydice swallowed once, the line of her throat shifting in the low light. Laboriously, she dragged her gaze slowly from the corner to Veradun, the monster that he had become. Something flickered uncomfortably in her chest.

"…Why it is I should help you, exactly?"

Veradun Sharr

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

"Tell me…Why it is I should help you, exactly?"

Eurydice’s discomfort was plain for Veradun to sense and feel - but it was even more pronounced, now that his senses were heightened and attuned to such things. The Sangnir dissected that sensation for several long moments, letting her stand there in that discomfort and whatever else she was feeling as he pondered her statement. Was she looking for some sort of reassurance that, should she help him, she would be spared the wrath of their Master? The idea almost made him chuckle; he had long since learned that even if they served Nefaron faithfully and worshipped the very ground he stood on, he would still torture them in ways they couldn’t fathom.

“...Why shouldn’t you?” Veradun countered after that longer moment of silence, maintaining some distance between them to allow her nerves to settle a bit more. He silently recognized that he had perhaps come across too strong; he was still learning and adjusting to his new existence and how it affected others in his presence. “Are you afraid that you will be punished if you do? Forced to endure nightmares and other such horrors?” he scoffed softly, dark amusement glittering in his piercing gaze.

“Let me tell you a little secret, Eurydice. There is nothing you can do to stop him from torturing you - short of killing him, of course. Whether you decide to help me here or not changes nothing. If you feel that by refusing to help me that it will win you a reprieve from his cruelty…you are sorely mistaken. You could do everything right, serve obediently, do everything he tells you to, worship him even…and he would still delight in your pain and suffering.” He said with a twinge of bitterness and hatred as he leaned against a library shelf and crossed his arms over his chest, keeping his distance for the time being. It was his way of trying to ease some of the tension that had bloomed between them. Of course, some tension still existed…but it was of a different sort, one he was certainly intrigued by.

Perhaps it was something he could poke and prod at at some point later on...

For another long moment, the Sangnir was silent, seemingly content to just stare at her - though he almost seemed to be staring through her. Then, his head tilted slightly to one side as his gaze slid away from her to look upward for a moment. A faint expression of annoyance flickered over his pale and sharply defined face as a frown creased his brow briefly. “These walls…they listen. I’ve been foolish to say aloud what I’ve said already.”

The young man returned his gaze to Eurydice, his expression neither cold nor warm - but perfectly neutral. “Help me or don’t…stay, or leave, I don't care. Just know that, unlike our master, I won’t take the choice from you. But if you choose to stay, another form of communication will be necessary.”

 

[Eurydice]

Eurydice's expression shifted from nervous suspicion to quiet concern. Her brow scrunched downward, highlighting the creases of worry beneath her eyes. The low lighting played deeper shadows along the girl's midface when she tilted her eyes away from Veradun, though her focus never seemed to leave him.

The Seer looked…uncertain. An uncomfortable silence reigned until Veradun would hear her voice once more, ghostly and distant. The girl's lips didn't move.

<You are right.>

The telepathic message drifted along their bond - yes, a few perilously thin strings in the Force - that had developed out of proximity and perhaps a shared fate. It wasn't comfortable. It wasn't easy. It just was.

<Even if I refuse to aid you here, we cannot unspeak what has been said. Perhaps he will seek to punish us. Perhaps he will not. But perhaps…>

Perhaps, she thought privately to herself, some sort of boon could reveal itself if she were to help Veradun. He was intent on destroying Nefaron, after all. If he managed to succeed, would he keep his word and let her go free?

Or was he only saying what he needed to in order to garner her cooperation?

The turmoil of Eurydice's inner thoughts played out in her expression. If she turned him down, the hell which Nefaron wrought upon her wouldn't stop - and she also ran the risk of turning Veradun, who was consolidating his own power, into an enemy.

But if she did help him…

The Seer pivoted gently, half-turning towards the tall window and cast her gaze out over Anoat's stormy surface. The Sith played politics much like the Ukatians did. Alliances, betrayals, and bloodied daggers held behind their backs.

<Go. Leave me.>

Eurydice's chest lifted and fell sharply. A soft sigh drifted past the slight part of her lips, the only sound she would make in the tense stillness of the library.

<I need time to find what you seek. I will bring the necessary texts to you this evening.>

Veradun Sharr | Darth Nefaron

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

He watched the emotions play out over Eurydice’s face in silent amusement as he told her that their conversation thus far had likely been listened into. He hadn’t said anything that Nefaron wouldn’t have already suspected, but much of what he wanted…no, desired…to tell the young woman was something he couldn’t risk Nefaron overhearing.

He had offered the line of telepathy in a very subtle manner, and she picked up on it almost instantly. She seemed uncertain in the moment, perhaps even uncomfortable, but it wasn’t long until he felt proverbial fingers probing at the surface of his inner mind, before a faint and whispery voice slipped through. Her voice.

<You are right.>

<Even if I refuse to aid you here, we cannot unspeak what has been said. Perhaps he will seek to punish us. Perhaps he will not. But perhaps…>

It traveled along threads that linked them both together, for they had formed a sort of twisted bond through their shared experiences and their proximity to one another. The connection was faint, weak…but it could be strengthened in time. Veradun had every intention of strengthening that bond. But now he knew that he needed to proceed with caution around her. She was still fragile, easily frightened, easily swayed to jump to the side that would keep her alive. He didn’t blame her, at all.

-No…no I can’t undo what I’ve said so far. But I have not revealed anything that Nefaron doesn’t already know. He expects us to rise up and try to overpower him. He has told me as much. However…there are things I wish to reveal to you…that I cannot speak aloud… I hope you grant me this.-

His mental voice was soft, whispery - like a gentle breeze through the leaves of a willow tree. It stood out in stark contrast to his spoken voice and his demeanor even. It was sad, somber, broken even. Like the person she was listening to now, in her mind, was the real Veradun. But it was possible that it was just an illusion, something to help her feel more at ease with communicating with him. Only time would tell which truth proved itself out.

He watched her from the distance that separated them for several long moments, his pale eyes drifting from her face to the rest of her, how the light caught in her auburn hair, glinted in her fearful blue eyes, and caused shadows to dance across her fair skin where it was exposed. She was beautiful - there was no denying that. Any man with a pulse, and even those that lacked one, could see that. Nefaron would take that beautiful and twist it as he morphed and twisted all things.

A shame, really.

<Go. Leave me.>

Her chest rose and fell sharply as the command pierced into his mind. His gaze hardened ever so slightly at the audacity, but he pushed his indignation aside. He wanted her, needed her, on his side. If he puffed up now and chastised her for the boldness, then he would only push her away.

<I need time to find what you seek. I will bring the necessary texts to you this evening.>

A faint upturn to his pale lips was the only acknowledgement she would receive for her mental communion with him.

-Cast me out verbally, Eurydice. The walls listen, remember? If he can be fooled into believing that you won’t aid me then perhaps it will…save you a moment of his displeasure…Besides...think of the pride he might feel if he discovered that you chased me out of a chamber...it may buy you a reprieve for a time, at my expense-

Veradun didn’t move to leave, however - he did push himself off of the shelf he’d been leaning on and made a somewhat slow partial approach towards her, a faint smile and shine to his eyes that would unnerve most who saw it. It was a hungry look, a look that promised many things…things that could either be enjoyable or nightmarish.

It was all a show…well, mostly, anyway.

He had a feeling that his actions might be confusing for the poor young woman. But he suddenly realized that he really wanted her to know the real side of him, the side of him that still held on to his honor. The side of him that could maybe win her over.

And if he was being honest with himself, he really didn't know why he wanted that. Only that he did. ​

 

[Eurydice]

It may buy you a reprieve for a time, at my expense.

Something about the way that he spoke made Eurydice's stomach churn, and she couldn't quite parse out why. While she'd take any chance to dodge Nefaron's carefully cultivated wrath, doing so at someone else's expense sat wrong with her.

Especially if it was at Veradun's expense, which made her quasi-guilt all the more puzzling. He was the one who'd brought her here. Only a few short moments ago, he stood there dangling her own safety in front of her.

Safety. As if there ever was such a concept on Anoat.

Still, she couldn't deny the spark that moved between them. A brief snap of light, a momentary intensity that was as frightening as it was fascinating.

"You," she exhaled in a shudder, finally breaking the long silence between them. Eurydice drew a slow, shuddering breath in through her nose, fingers twisting into the dark fabric of her robe. She spoke on a sharp exhale, voice quivering at the edges: "Are a fool, Veradun."

It was more than a scripted admonishment. It was honest.

"Do not bring your ruin upon me, creature of the night. Search for aid elsewhere, for you will not find it within these walls."

Eurydice lifted her head, leveling Veradun with a wide, glassy-eyed stare that approached something wild. Fear. The rest of her was still, soft, and muted. Her voice lowered to a wavering whisper, harsh and final.

"And you will not find a friend in me."

---

Eurydice has never dared to visit the wing in which Veradun resided. She had presumed that, given her lowly status, it was simply not allowed. By the time she'd risen to become Nefaron's official apprentice, the young Nagai was typically offworld.

She hadn't thought of him. Not often, anyway. Now, with their charged interaction in the library lingering in her mind, she couldn't help but recall the meal they'd shared - more than that, the conversation.

It had been normal, almost. The sort of normal that had always been just beyond her grasp, even on Ukatis.

Eurydice took the long way to Veradun's room. The winding way. Through service corridors and skirting around more populated areas, the Force encourage those she passed by to pay little mind to girl cloaked in shadows.

She was nothing of interest. Nothing of concern. A speck of dust floating along the edges of immortal Gods. Inconsequential.

Eurydice's slow, careful strides came to rest outside of Veradun's door. Now, the nerves began to claw their way up her throat in earnest.

She did not knock, but rather, after a few fumbling moments, sent a probe along their bond. A mental nudge.

Veradun Sharr | Darth Nefaron

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

Only a few moments of silence followed his mental encouragement for her to verbally chase him away, before Eurydice complied. She called him a fool, her voice quivering slightly as she admonished him. It wasn’t a ploy, but something spoken out of brutal honesty.

But buried beneath that honesty and those barbs was something else - a hidden message perhaps? Veradun’s glacial blue eyes narrowed slightly at her, their depths gleaming with both inner mirth and curiosity, especially when she lifted her chin to give him a wide eyed stare that brimmed with true fear.

"And you will not find a friend in me."

-Very good, Eurydice…Now, brace yourself- came his mental whisper into her mind, only a moment before he seemed to shimmer and appear right in front of her, an expression of dark rage contorting his face as he pinned her against whatever hard surface was directly behind her. He knew the move would frighten her, but if she was paying attention she would notice that the fury he expressed did not reach his eyes - though they were cold and hard as ice now. “You dare to reject me? And you call me the fool?” he hissed, fangs bared ever so slightly in a show of indignant anger. The walls would remember this, and he hoped that would be the case.

“You will regret this moment, I promise you.”

Without another word, the Sangnir turned away from her and stormed from the library, leaving her alone in the silence and stillness that followed their strange interaction.

​

Time passed.

Veradun was in his personal living quarters, a space he rarely left unless summoned or was out on some mission or task for his Master. On the day that Eurydice made her approach, the Sangnir had already spent hours in his personal training dojo, fine tuning his weapon’s skills and ensuring he remained in peak condition and form. The former Nagai had finished his routine and was in his refresher washing up when he felt her distinct presence approach his living quarters. A faint smile pulled the corners of his lips as he stepped out of the shower and dried himself off, before slipping a pair of black and comfortable trousers over his legs, though he left his upper body bare - exposing various scars across his pale flesh, as well as the carved Sith rune that bound him to his Sire. Veradun walked across his chamber to the great windows that gave him a view of the storm-wracked valley beyond. He recalled the first time he saw this place, when he had first arrived on Anoat with Darth Nefaron. He’d been just a boy then.

Now he was a warlord in his own right - though still an Apprentice under the heavy hand of his Master. One day that would change, however.

The door to Veradun’s personal living quarters would slide open before Eurydice the very moment she gave the Sangnir a mental nudge. A large and spacious and very sparsely decorated area would greet the young woman, the lighting somewhat low though natural light flowed in from the outside…what light there was anyway. The tall young man would partially turn to face her, still bare from the waist up. The moment she stepped across the thresh hold, her scent would wash over him, stirring his ever present thirst. He realized, belatedly, that he hadn't fed yet - and he quickly realized it would take every ounce of his control to not see her as prey.

Glittering blue eyes that shimmered with his hunger would meet her own, if she found the courage to look him in the eyes. His mental voice, soft but containing hints of his mirth and curiosity, would slip along that very thin tether that connected their minds. Eurydice would feel his presence reach in further, as if he wished to strengthen that connection.

-How daring of you to come to my personal chambers, Eurydice. Please, do come in… -

"What do you want, tool?" came his voice a heartbeat later, spoken aloud with a coldness that one could expect from the Sith. "Whatever it is, be quick about it. I have better things to attend to than dealing with you."

 

[Eurydice]

Eurydice did not step into Veradun's room. As the door slid open, she lingered at the threshold.

The two did not cross their paths often. Her curiosity over the young Nagai had been a mild, transient thing. Something that tended to dissipate after he was out of sight.

Only a few hours ago, he'd pinned her to the bookshelf in the library with blinding speed and a fraction of his dizzying strength. A few tomes had come loose, striking the floor with a dull whump. A sound that carried in the stillness.

Such a brief encounter, yet so potent. Caught between the gentle encouragement in her head and the harsh snarling of a Sangnir, Eurydice had reeled against that bookshelf. Did he have to get so close?Close enough where she could feel the heat of his breath wash over her cheek, close enough where she could see the angular lines of his face bathed in moonlight and shadow.

The curve of his parted lips set against bared fangs, glinting in the caught light had occupied her thoughts more than she would ever admit. She'd almost talked herself out of coming, and frankly - she probably should have.

Because when she finally crossed that threshold Veradun's spartan quarters, he was shirtless.

The girl's pale visage pinked beneath a flare of crimson heat. Stars, had she simply caught him at a bad time, or was this intentional? Maybe this was another twisted test from their Master; to see how much of this strange torture she could withstand before fainting outright.

As the door slid closed behind her, Eurydice tilted her head sharply, desperate to send her gaze anywhere that wasn't Veradun. When voice slipped into her mind, contrasting with the sharp words he spoke, Eurydice would almost rather that he lambast her on both vectors.

<Do not misunderstand my intent. I will not linger.>

It was a harsh, scandalized whisper.

A long, uncomfortable moment stretched before them as the Seer shifted awkwardly where she stood. Her gaze found the corner of the room, but it did little to shake the way sparks danced beneath her collar after a glimpse of those eyes. Like starlight shining through ice, and positively hungry.

The datapad she clutched was thrust forward without ceremony.

"Updates to the citadel since you've last been here."

Her voice was flat, unamused, but still wavered as it betrayed her discomfort. She thought about chastising the creature to clothe himself, but she hadn't planned on staying.

Ukatian Seers were not permitted relationships or intimate contact of any kind. They weren't really considered people - but shadows who somehow lived both above and below the commonfolk at the same time. Untouchable in their own way, and here was Veradun, breezing past so many boundaries without a care.

Eurydice cleared her throat.

"It will be to my benefit if you understand what progress has been made."

They were all minor updates, really. Nothing Veradun couldn't find out for himself if he took the time to. Indeed, he'd find a status report of the citadel loaded onto the datapad.

Beneath that, several digitized texts on Sangnir and Vampirika. Certain passages were highlighted.

"T-that is all."

The room might've been spacious, but Eurydice couldn't help but feel as if the walls were closing in.

She took a deep breath, and a step back.

Veradun Sharr | Darth Nefaron

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

Veradun smirked when Eurydice blushed a deep crimson upon seeing that he was shirtless, and huffed a soft laugh when she did everything in her power to not look his way. Her mental retort, though sharp and harsh, carried an edge to it that made the Sangnir’s pale gaze glimmer with mirth.

Still, he was aware of her discomfort; he could practice scent it in the air. For a brief moment, the young man was torn; this was his chamber, he could do as he pleased here, wear what he wanted, even walk around in the nude if he so desired to. But something deep within him didn’t like that she was uncomfortable around him. Before he could make a decision on what to do, she thrust the datapad that was in her grasp towards him, offering an explanation in a rather flat tone of voice that gave the impression that she was not amused by the circumstances.

He didn’t believe that for a single moment.

Moving far more slowly than he really needed to, Veradun approached Eurydice to take the datapad from her, blue eyes settling upon her face for the space of several heartbeats, before he turned and walked away from her to give her space. He set the datapad down on a dark wooden table that sat in the center of the room, before he moved towards a doorway and disappeared from view for a moment. When he returned, Eurydice would see that he had found a shirt to wear, though it did absolutely nothing to hide his muscular physique.

Silently, the pale and tall Sangnir picked up the datapad to look over all the updates that had been provided to him, allowing him to be brought up to speed on the workings of his Master. But buried underneath all that information was the real reason why Eurydice had come: she had indeed found information within Nefaron’s grasp that pertained to both Sangnirs and another vampiric creature known as the Vampirika. Bits of text were highlighted, and she would notice a dark frown crease the young man’s pale brow.

He was not pleased to see this information.

Without looking at Eurydice, he sent a message along their mental tether. -Nefaron cannot know what I am. Or rather, I wish to delay his discovery for as long as possible. The less he knows, the longer I have to put together my plans to rip his head from his shoulders… Whatever information you can find about Sangnirs…find a way to get rid of it.-

And now the cat was out of the bag. She would know what he was now. -I know what I am, and I know who did this to me. I wasn’t turned against my will. It was offered and I accepted the offer. I had to lie to say that I didn’t know who did this, in case our dear Master was listening in on our conversation earlier. He can read our minds, sure…but if we don’t give him a reason to suspect we communicate this way, then we will have time to build our mental defenses against him-

Veradun glanced at her, finally. She had backed away from him, closer to the door. His gaze on her was just as alluring as ever, perhaps even more so since the Red Thirst was gnawing at his veins. Her scent permeated his chambers now, so sweet and so…

He shook his head, trying to clear the haze from his mind. The longer she lingered, the more dangerous he would become to her.

“This will do.” Was all he could say aloud, his voice taut as he did his very best to restrain himself from lunging at her.

-You should leave now. I…I haven’t fed yet and I am rather thirsty. If you would be so kind as to send a servant up, then I won’t be as tempted to hunt you through these halls.-

It was a warning as much as it was a plea, and he hoped that she would catch onto that. But he couldn't help but add another little bit into that, just to mess with her a bit. He was a monster after-all. -Well, unless you want to offer a little of your own blood. I certainly wouldn't say no...-

 

[Darth Nefaron]

Anoat was his realm. It would always be his realm.

But that did not mean he was forever safe.

As long as he had Apprentices, he would always have a dagger aimed at his back.
​

But his Apprentices, despite their limitless potential and Veradun's lust for further authority and strength, could not hope to challenge him alone. Partially, this was a failing on Nefaron's part, for his political machinations and the assault on the Tsis'Kaar remnants had absorbed him. But from his citadel, his own personal chambers, he now saw what had been going on in his absence.

Veradun had been absent.

Eurydice sought companionship. Or perhaps a protector?​

But they can never be allowed to unite against him. They are formidable and, in time, will achieve the full power of the Dark Side, but Nefaron would not have them turn on him and divide his growing realm.

They are his servants. They obey his will.

Perhaps it was time they were reminded of that. ​

"DD-421."

"Yes, Master?"

"Summon my Apprentices to the audience chamber in an hour. I have need of them."

"Yes, Master."

"Oh, and before you go, this letter must be delivered to the Kinslayer of Ukatis. I trust our agents are still in place?"

"Yes, Master. They went underground following the withdrawal from Ukatis but remain ready to serve."

As all would in time.

It was time to remind his Apprentices of that fact.

TAGS: Veradun Sharr Eurydice ​

 

[Eurydice]

The tension in Eurydice's shoulders began to ease as Veradun retrieved the datapad and paced away from her – but it came back, winding twice as tight, when he disappeared only to return wearing a shirt that looked to be vacuum-sealed to his body. The Seer's gaze dropped to trace along every hard line of his abdomen before she realized what she was doing, and sent her gaze into the nearest corner as a form of punishment.

Dear Bogan…does he not own anything with a bit of give to it??

That was one thought which she would be keeping to herself, thank you very much.

Silence reigned as Veradun looked over the information she had procured. For some reason, she'd been thorough. For some reason, she wanted to assist him.

Eurydice frowned.

<Get rid of it?>

A distinct note of displeasure warbled down their bond. <To destroy knowledge is a sin.>

The Seers had deemed it as such, maintaining vast archives of information on Ukatis that would never be seen, much less utilized by the general populace. Hoarding under the guise of preservation.

Sangnir.

There it was. The confirmation she'd been anticipating like a punch to the gut. If possible, Eurydice's already pale visage paled further. The knots in her stomach were wound tight, only vaguely eased by the revelation that his transformation had been consensual.

Her feet had moved on her own without any input from her mind, carrying her closer to the door with the slowest of backward steps. As if Veradun were a vicious creature, and any sudden movement might provoke his predator instinct to attack her.

What he said next – drifting into her mind with a sort of rough whisper, just on the cusp of alluring – wracked her spine in a harsh, involuntary shiver.

Veradun was thirsty. Veradun hadn't fed. Veradun was tempted to hunt her.

Offer my…

Eurydice straightened as if she'd been struck by lightning. Eyes wide, lips parted slightly in silent awe. Was he...was he being serious? She'd read about Sangnir hunger, but she'd never been exposed to it.

"I…" The word dropped from her lips aloud, trailing into nothing but stupefied silence. Heat bloomed across her cheeks as she lifted her clasped hands, draped in dark fabric, to use the wide sleeves of her robe as a shield for her flushed face.

On one hand, she still couldn't, in good conscience, subject a servant to be Veradun's feeder.

On the same hand, she couldn't deny the flicker of intellectual curiosity that sparked in her mind at the concept of being able to conduct research on Sangnir feeding habits up close.

Bogan, was she actually considering this?

Eurydice stepped forward. Just a small, tentative step.

Then, the door to Veradun's room opened. There stood DD-421, their ever-present herald of bad news.

Veradun Sharr | Darth Nefaron

 

[Veradun Sharr]

Tags: Eurydice // Darth Nefaron ​

The young woman wasn’t pleased in the slightest when he told her to get rid of the information about Sangnirs. She passed the thought to him that destroying knowledge was a sin, and the young man scoffed softly. Clearly, she was still holding on to her teachings and ideals imparted to her from her time on Ukatis.

He also noticed her reaction towards him when he revealed just what he was. Her pale face paled further and she took a slow step away from him, as if she was truly afraid that any movements she made would trigger him into attacking her. Inwardly, he sighed. Outwardly, he was still as a statue carved from stone.

-There is more information out there than what is in this citadel, Eurydice. Not to mention I carry the knowledge of my kind passed to me by my Sire, so you are not truly destroying that which I don’t already know. But if it is that much of a concern for you, then I can do it myself-

He looked back down at the datapad in his hands and made some movements with his long and pale fingers, tapping here and there, before setting the datapad aside for the moment.

Despite his warning that she should leave his quarters, the young woman seemed to hesitate. He could tell that she wanted to leave, to flee and hide away, but something else was stopping her. He watched her from his place near the great windows, his gaze intense and piercing. His inquiry into her offering her own blood was met with what he assumed to be a surprised reaction; her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. She tried to hide behind her sleeved hands, but he could see the flush of heat that bloomed over her cheeks.

Everything about her ripped at all sides of him. He was the Sith apprentice to the cruel and sadistic Darth Nefaron - and he had done his fair share of horrid and despicable acts. He was also a predator, a creature made to be the apex hunter amongst mortals and immortals alike. And yet despite all of this, the boy that had been saved by his sister and raised by the Wonosans still lived within him, albeit buried deeply so Nefaron couldn’t destroy what remained of himself. He wanted so badly to show that side of himself to Eurydice, but he was a dark creature. A creature of power, domination, lust, and destruction. He was a Lord of Darkness, a Walker of Shadows, the Pale Death.

Veradun did not move when she took a small step towards him, seemingly at a loss for words. For a moment, he thought for sure that she was going to take him up on the offer. Was it out of some sort of morbid curiosity or for some other reason? Perhaps to save the life of some poor wretch, too. He already fully intended to drain his prey to death, consume everything.

But he wouldn’t, couldn’t, do that to her.

Pale eyes flickered from Eurydice to the door behind her, just moments before it slid open to reveal the familiar presence of DD-421 on the other side. The arrival of the droid meant only one thing: Nefaron was aware of Veradun’s presence now, and no doubt had some message for the young man.

“The Master has ordered both of you to meet him in the audience chamber.” came DD-421’s message, delivered with all the emotion that a droid such as itself could muster. Veradun didn’t even look at Eurydice; he simply moved forward and towards the door without delay, for he knew better than to keep his Master waiting.

No doubt, both he and Eurydice were already in for a rough time. The former Nagai sighed softly, resigning himself to whatever lay ahead. And of course this was happening when he really needed to satiate his Thirst. He had a sinking filling that this meeting with Nefaron was going to be anything but pleasant.

Not that they were pleasant to begin with anyway.

“Come along, Eurydice. It is folly to keep our dear Master waiting longer than he should…” he said coldly to her, his own demeanor and personality shifting instantly. As he walked out of his personal flat, however, he passed along another mental message.

-Whatever happens, just look after your own skin. But do not betray what you know of me-

He said nothing further as he marched his way through the darkened corridors of the great citadel, moving through it like a dark specter. He knew the way to the audience chamber all too well, though it took some time to reach it due to the vastness of the structure Nefaron had claimed for himself. A sense of nervousness rippled at the edge of his awareness, for he knew that he would be revealing his new nature to his Master in but a few moments. He wondered what Nefaron might say, or do, or think.

There was only one way to find out.

He came before the great chamber, its doors guarded by Corpse Legionaries. They didn’t dare bar his pathway, and as the doors opened to admit both he and Eurydice, the Corpse soldiers grovelled and bowed. Veradun ignored their existence and marched into the chamber, the weight of his presence filling the space around him with a deep and cold darkness. But there was another presence there that outshined his own.

Their Master, the Dark Lord of Anoat.

Veradun knelt, head bowed in the proper form of submission that was expected of him as the Apprentice. He stayed completely neutral, giving nothing away to the Sith Lord that could be used against him further.

"You summoned us, Master?"