Private A Deal is a Deal in Death

[Onrai]

Nathema

Together, the Dark Pantheon had begun to take shape. Vanessa’s own destruction of Ooradryl and his brood had empowered her in ways she was certain no other Sith had ever experienced. Not even Adas himself had ever wielded the true power of a god. Ingrid L'lerim had slain the Night Spirit - this left only Mnggal-Mnggal alive of the four godspawn of the dead El’Shuddem, with Typhojem having already been slain millennia ago. Vanessa was already working towards the destruction of the pestilential entity, and had plans on how to most effectively cleanse it from the worlds it infested. A god of her own creation would be the one to cleanse it.

But now came the need for something special, for a herald of a sort to join her in her ambitions. There was but a single individual who came to mind, one that Vanessa had saved the mind of once upon a time and who owed the Sith Lord turned goddess a favor of unspecified proportions. A favor that most would have presumed was now dead and buried with the remains of Kay’s body.

A favor Vanessa had chosen to collect.

The chanting began, slow, rhythmic, and ritualized. All five hundred of the other Sith who resided on board the Gorgon had been obligated to come and assist the goddess in this most important ritual. A ritual of tearing away a soul not at peace from the Netherworld of the Force and bringing it into the transient state of between life and death. A state Vanessa herself was exceedingly familiar with from having been slain many times as a mortal.

“Kay Arenais, the former ruler of Commenor and wife of Veiere Arenais, mother of Caedyn Arenais and Loreena Arenais-Valhoun , I demand now that you return to me to fulfill the obligation you have to me - an obligation bound in the Force and which nothing shall Interfere with.” She watched at the ritual circle, painted in strange ichors on the floor of her own private medication chamber within the ship, all the dark energy of the others and of herself channeled within it.

Come to me.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

To say that she wasn't at peace was an underatatement. It's been some time. For a flicker of a moment when she got to speak with Veiere following his death, she was happy. But that was also with the discovery that he wasn't enslaved or trapped within a Sith's body like her first husband was upon his death. Veiere was free.

Yet that happiness faded once reality kicked in. And once again she had run from it, hiding away in her little tea shoppe.

That is until it blew up.

Now she was torn. Her grief, guilt and despair was made all the stronger. She haunted the Netherworld like the ghost that she was, with no purpose other than to live in her emotions.

That is until the voice of Onrai reached her ears. And it wasn't some quiet echo in her mind either. It was loud and painful. Kay covered her ears, her eyes watching as glowing symbols appeared on the ground around her. She moved to run, yet dark tendrils of smoke rose to block her path.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!"

 

[Onrai]

The power of Vanessa’s godly energies further channeled themselves into the process of encapsulating Kay’s wraith, a smile on her face as she felt a reaction. It was hostile, but there was a reaction: proof that she was indeed there and had not become so indistinct from the fabric of the universe as to be incapable of existing alone. The power of the goddess was channeled through the circle, the profane ritual reaching a climactic moment as she sought to finally manifest Kay’s spectral form within the world itself. “A deal is a deal, Kay. Even in death, it still stands.” And Vanessa was going to make sure of it.

After all, there were no other reasons not to.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Again that voice, ripping into her ears. Kay tried to brush past the smoke, yet it was strangely solid. She began pounding on it with her fists. "LET ME OUT OF HERE, VANESSA!! She knew her voice well. There was no one else that she had a deal with besides Onrai .

Kay was pushed back by the smoke. The entire circle seemed to be growing smaller. She looked up and saw it closing up there too, moving downwards towards her. She dropped to her knees and covred her head with her arms, hating small spaces with a passion and now she was about to be squished by smoke, of all things.

Yet instead of being squished a loud gush was heard in her ears, as though a hurricane was blowing. The sensation it gave was beyond description. She had never felt anything like it. Nor did she ever want to do so again.

Then all of a sudden it ended. Kay uncovered her head and looked up, not at all pleased with what she bore witness to. "...What is this?..."

 

[Onrai]

the coalescence of smoke and torrid energies within the circle filled the meditation chamber, a spot of pure Dark Side power within her domain that soon swelled to the size of a woman before discombobulating and exposing the semitransparent and wispy form of a phantom that was Kat Arenais.

“Hey, Kay.” Vanessa said casually, a far cry to her more visibly corrupted form that still seemed a great deal more regal than she had appeared whenever Kay had encountered her. “You’re on board the Nathema Orbital Complex. I have taken your grieving wraith from theNetherworld and brought it here so you may provide that favor you owe me.” She said, licking her lips. “You see, shortly after we last met, I ended up becoming a goddess. And as a goddess, I rather feel like a herald is needed in order to assist in my plans and have chosen to use the favor you owe me so that you may be such. I will give you a new body with tremendous power, and you will serve my will.”

She smiled. “Come now. In your dying moments, did you not want revenge on your murderer? A chance to speak to your son and daughter about things you never got to speak of? And a chance to do things you weren’t able to before. To go out on a high note.”

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Hey Kay...

Onrai was looking quite different. Yet Kay wasn't sure if it was just death that made her see things differently.

Perhaps it wasn't.

She got to her feet as Vanessa prattled on about becoming a goddess, bringing her to almost want to laugh in disbelief. Goddesses weren't real, were they? No, it was probably that Vanessa was going crazy.

"So you brought me here to stroke your ego and be your servant? And what if I refuse?" The desire to see her children was there, but she couldn't talk to them. She carried too much guilt and shame. Bringing that to them would just be awful.

 

[Onrai]

“You have doubts.” She said, sighing. “Look, I’ll be simple with you. I went to Otherspace, found some of the children of the first goddess, and killed them, then sapped their power and energy for themselves. My new appearance is a result of that.” She replied. “I have an understanding of their past now. Of how the universe has been made and what the purpose of the ruins of the past has been.” She elaborated, clarifying more on what she had seen through siphoning power from the dead gods.

“I want you to be my herald. As my herald you won’t be tortured, and you’ll have a tremendous amount of power available to you.” She smiled. “It’s perfect. As for if you say no... well, might I remind you that we have a deal. And per that deal you owe me a favor of an unspecified size. This is the favor I am calling in. That you be my herald.”

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

"Of course I have doubts! This is crazy!" Kay started to pace back and forth in the circle that Onrai had created to bring her here. She was still a fidgeter, even in death.

No rest for the wicked. That was the best reasoning that she could come up with. She couldn't even die without being bothered. Her exile was about the only peace that she had, yet Kay wasn't exactly happy there either. And now she knew what Veiere felt when his spirit had visited her and Caedyn. He wanted her to let him go which she did.

But Vanessa couldn't.

"You know how stubborn I am. And yet you think that I would be able to swallow that down and do whatever you tell me to? Even if I object to it? You know me better than that, don't you?"

 

[Onrai]

“It’s crazy, but we’ve all seen much crazier things.” Vanessa said. “Rifts to the Netherworld. The destruction of Corellia. Akala.” She said the last word with such care, still partially under the sway of the dead Celestial to the point that her motherly instincts were stimulated whenever she thought about her.

“Yes, you are stubborn. But eventually you will give in and accept your new destiny. You already bound yourself to it by giving me an open-ended favor when I helped you while you were alive.” The goddess shrugged. “I do know you better than to simply immediately cave in. I do also know however that you are a woman of your word - and violation of an agreement when you’re a spirit leads to unfortunate circumstances.”Vanessa said without indicating what said circumstances could be.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

"This wasn't how I meant for it to be repayed..." And already she was feeling foolish for have such a favour promised at all. Her gut had told her that the price would be steep, yet she wanted to be fixed from her own mental illness. Kay had figured that her recovery would make her a better person.

Yet it didn't....

Onrai was right. She was a woman of her word. And the threat of her breaking it was noted. However she wasn't entirely sure of just how truthful that was. "Why me? Why not choose someone else?"

 

[Onrai]

“Because I can expect you not to betray me. I can also expect that you will conduct yourself respectably and know how to deal with situations as they arise.” She said succinctly. “Besides, it’s a chance to work with you in a true long-lasting manner that won’t be changed on the whim of political identity or end up with you receiving horrible torture.” She answered. And the body I’ve made for you is quite special as well.” She smiled. “so you can get right to it.”

after all, those were the best things she could do.

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

She may have been good at politics and the like before, yet that was before she lost Commenor. And even that was all triggered by a Sith's want of control. After the fall of her government, things continued to go downhill from there. And despite her son's attempts at rebuilding her self confidence, she lacked the will to do so herself.

"And just how long is this supposed to be?" Just why Onrai was drawn to her from the start, Kay wasn't sure that she'd ever understand. It couldn't of been just a lead up to this sudden servitude....

 

[Onrai]

“Long enough for me to find a new herald, evidently.” She said. “I don’t understand why you’re being mopey about it. This is an opportunity for revenge, Kay. And for your legacy to end another way - a way that doesn’t result in you being blown up as an empress in exile. People will remember you as much much more than that. Considering what you will be, you may even find yourself worshipped.” Heralds usually were in religions that had them.

“And of course I will let you see your children again. Who would deny a mother that?”

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

"I don't need revenge. I'm not not mad at dying, I'm just..." Kay held her tongue for she couldn't quite explain it. There was so much that had gone wrong since the Sith invaded. Everything crumbled and no matter how many times she had tried to pick up the pieces, they still fell. Fear had taken over. Fear of failure, fear of rejection and more.

"I don't think that I'd want my children to know. My son especially. He won't approve." Especially if she was made to do bad things that went against his moral code and Jedi rules.

 

[Onrai]

“Afraid.” She said. “Afraid that more things will somehow go wrong when you’re brought back. Afraid that you won’t be accepted for all that you’ve done in the past. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine, and will have the power of a goddess behind you.” She smiled, attempting to be reassuring to the wraith.

“If you don’t want your children to know that it is you within the body of the herald, then I will keep them in the dark out of respect to you.” She said, her hand reaching across the boundary of the circle.

“Do we have a deal?”

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay nodded. Onrai hit the nail on the head. Her own theory on not being accepted was caused by the lack of a rescue party or search for her when she had gone missing and was nearly executed. Everyone moved on, including her family and closest friends. While she just...existed without anyone wanting to even learn as to whether or not she was alive or okay. Such a belief had hit her so hard that she couldn't recouperate from it.

"They may find out...eventually. I just want to be the one to tell them..." It would be better to come from her. Or so she thought.

Kay stared at Vanessa's hand for a moment. She still had her reservations, her own gut feeling that it wasn't going to be an entirely rosey picture. Yet it was already hinted that the alternative was going to be far worse. And although she felt herself to be deserving of the worst punishments, her son tried to tell her that she was deserving of good things too. So she slowly reached out to touch her hand, not entirely sure if she'd just pass through it or not.

"Yes....we do."

 

[Onrai]

“You will be. You have time.” She said. “Time that the rest of the galaxy does not concern itself with.” She tried her best to be positive towards the poor woman whose life had gone seven sorts of haywire over the last few years. When Lay reached out and made contact with Vanessa’s hand, a great wave of Dark Side energy rushed through the meditation chamber, making Vanessa thankful that her soon-to-be-herald was the only other one in the room directly. The entire dreadnought would would seem to shimmer briefly to all on board it before returning to normal.

when the energy was gone, Kay’s hand would still be intermingled with Vanessa’s own, having some form of substance and feel despite her not being on a body. “We don’t have much time as I don’t know how long I can sustain it. Do not let go.” The circle would begin to dissolve into nothingness. “If you let go, then bad things will happen.” Vanessa would open the elevator door connecting to the lab with the Force and guide Kay to it. As they descended, Vanessa looked at Kay, whose form still appeared wispy and semitransparent aside from her very much real-looking hand clasped to the goddess’s own.

“Once we reach the laboratory, I will have a chamber for you to step into.” Each step would feel strange for her as her feet crackled with energy similarly to her hand. “That chamber has the necessary alchemical ingredients needed for your new body to be formed.” She said as they traveled downwards. “This must be an unusual feeling for you - you’ve never had your spiritual essence put in a new vessel, have you?”

NPC Treasury

 

[NPC Treasury]

Kay held onto Onrai 's hand, not sure if she would event attempt to risk easing her grip at all. Surprisingly Vanessa pulled her through the ship. It wasn't for her to try to figure out the process. She just had to go with it.

Each step felt like cold lightening, similar to when circulation returns to a limb once it had been cut off for a short time. Yet there was something more to it. The Force energies were prevalent, adding to what already was unusual.

"No, I've only ever been in my own body. As far as I'm aware anyways. Though I know of others that had been transfered..." And they were all Sith of course. Some of Veiere's spirit was left in his holocron for her, but it departed after she had turned it on and spoke with him. This was entirely different.

 

[Onrai]

The two of them would soon reach the laboratory as beads of black sweat began to drip from Vanessa’s face. She was the only one sustaining the presence of Kay’s wraith outside the Netherworld of the Force, something which defied reality for those who were not prepared for it and even in her godly form strained her excessively. At last she put Kay within what appeared to be a pod, letting go of her hand. Kay would remain semitransparent but her spirit would suffer no harm.

“The crystal below you is crafted to be bound to your essence.” She said. “It took a lot of effort to create the right being. Shattered Tsil. Liquid crystal. And most importantly, the scales of the dead god Ooradryl, stripped from his deceased carcass.” She smiled - of the shards, those of the Thirdborn were the most valuable and most suited to her use for a Herald. She walked over to the pod, now sealed with Kay’s spirit inside it. “This may... I don’t know how this will feel.” She said, as her hands touched the pod before seemingly merging into it, the same black ichor rippling around her corrupted form inundating the pod and tainting it with dark energies of a primordial deity. Kay would find herself encapsulated in darkness, so dark that it was as though she was trapped in a void once again.

Then a burst of creative energy, of the raw essence of life poured into the chamber. Kay would feel as her spirit was forced into the Tsil, momentarily experiencing the pain of its fragmentation as liquid crystal rushed into the chamber. Her form would grow less shattered and more fluid as the broken and powdered scales of Ooradryl were released within the pod, mixing and mingling with the dark energies that twisted and configured the new form Kay was within. A power, unlike any other she had ever felt, soon rested on Kay - a power unlike anything else in the galaxy but that of one and one alone: the goddess who was forging her into her new form.

It seemed like hours. Perhaps it was hours. Vanessa was unsure as her effort was expended into the crafting of a unique lifeform. She wasn’t sure if Kay would even still be Kay once the pod was opened, but knew regardless that the future she had would be one of such benefit. Soon, feeling that the lifeform had stabilized, Vanessa fell backwards, the projection of her power into the pod eliminated as the ichor slowly began to drip off of it, fading away into smoke as it hit the ground. Vanessa slowly worked to get to a seated position, then struggled to get on her knees.

Finally, the pod opened.

NPC Treasury

 

[Dea]

​

She tried not to be afraid. Though it was difficult. There was so much that was unknown. Even Onrai was unsure of what would happen. This was new to them both. Yet the care that Vanessa was giving her helped to ease that fear. She felt supported and most importantly; wanted. There was a purpose for her and it wasn't so general as 'helping the Galaxy". With Vanessa there were specifics.

As the darkness consumed the pod, she felt as though she was shrinking down and becoming lost. It felt as though she was floating freely in space. And then came the liquid crystal. It was felt more than it was seen. Millions of needles seemed to poke through her at once, followed by a liquid heat. She openedher mouth to cry out, but the liquid poured into it and she was drowning. The crystal consumed her and still she struggled for freedom from it's painful grip until it solidified and she could no longer move.

Yet there was a strange comfort that grew once the crystaline body became more attuned to her. No longer did the body feel hard and cold, yet warm and soft as though it was filled with the finest down.

The pod then opened and her eyes was assaulted by the light, taking it in for the first time. And what she saw was different than before. Everything shimmered in it's own way. She lifted up her right hand slowly, studying how it shimmered like a prism, even as she flexed out her fingers. And with the flick of her wrist, she righted herself so that she was standing on her feet, using less physical effor and moreso manipulating the Force to bend to her will. Her body was entirely crystaline, as was her hair. It was all the same whiteish colour, including her pupils. Yet there was an inherant darkness deep within that gave the body a certain depth.

"It worked..."