Private Accept & Embrace

[Lina Ovmar]

Twenty eight million people was not a population you expected to find on a space station. But the Malsheem was more than a space station, it was a planet. The remnants of Darth Carnifex fallen Empire crammed into a sphere for safety. Lina was blown away by it, admired its ingenuity. The atrium in the Imperial Spire offered a perfect view through to the starship assemble centre, had it not been for the fact that when you looked up there was no sky, but instead more habitation, she might have thought she was on a planet.

But her admiration was tainted. Leilah would never leave this place, and she herself would be bound to it and to him for the rest of her life. She closed her eyes and bowed her head. She'd spent half her life running from Darth Carnifex and it was all for nothing. Emotion caught her off guard, swelling in her chest and spilling silently from beneath her lashes.

Do not let them see your weakness.

Lina took a deep breath, pushing the emotion back down, and brushing the tears from her face. She wasn't broken, not even close, simply sad for the time she'd lost. There would always be more time, and now, back in the shadow of the Dark Lord, she could learn how to stretch her time. Clad in a dark sleeveless robe. she stood with her hands clasped behind her back, the tattoo that Carnifex had brandished her with seemed to shift and move across her skin. Her eyes were lost deep in thought, staring, unseeing at the view beyond.

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

The Wolf Prince strode through Malsheem, his entourage trailing closely behind.

Blackblade Guards flanked him on both sides as the eldest offspring of Darth Carnifex navigated the halls and corridors of the station planet with unwavering authority. A power he had long grown comfortable with since his youth, when he once fled from such formidable might. Amidst the ordinary inhabitants of Malsheem going about their daily lives, those who recognized him wisely kept their distance, casting glances over their shoulders as he advanced toward the atrium. His stay on Malsheem would be brief; his destination, his mother's fortress monastery.

His father's minions scurried around, dwarfed by the towering Epicanthix who paid little heed to their presence. Most were deemed unworthy of his attention, until... Until a smirk crept onto his features, catching him by surprise. Sarlow's eyes glowed with an amber spark as his gaze fixated on Lina Ovmar . Tilting his head, he noticed his father's brand etched onto the woman's skin—a trivial matter in his eyes. She appeared lost in thought, and Sarlow, with a stern expression, gestured for others to retreat, leaving her isolated with him and his entourage.

 

[Lina Ovmar]

The absence of the normal bustle about her, drew Lina slowly from her thoughts, she cast a side wards glance over her shoulder, spotting the black blades and rolled her eyes. She did not however turn far enough to see the man they were flanking. This could be many things. it could be another of Carnifex's training sessions. It could be a summoning, or a mission. Whatever it was in this moment of time she didn't care.

But when they did not step forward immediately with whatever it was they needed, Lina let out a heavy sigh and turned. "What do you wa- " Lina stopped short, granting the stranger a slow look from head to toe. impossibly tall, dark hair and broad features. He had the hard edges of his father, Lina was coming to spot the Zambrano family traits with ease. "My apologies my Lord." she said with a small bow of her head. The smile she offered was polite enough, but it did not reach her eyes. He was not his father, but the relation still meant that he was to be treated with equal suspicion.

A glance past him and his entourage and she noted the atrium had been cleared. Slowly she unclasped her hands, the hovered near her sabers, uncertain. "Is there something I can do for you?"

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

Sarlow knew nothing of her except that she belonged to his father. He observed the placement of her hands, hovering over her blades. "That would be unwise," he warned, inclining his head to signal her to walk with him. "I find very little of interest here, yet you managed to catch my attention." Beautiful, yes, but her mark spoke volumes, yet meant nothing. A mere word could elevate her position: "You seem familiar; it's clear you belong to my father." She could reveal as little as she wished; Sarlow was determined to uncover more about her.

A glance toward a member of his entourage, and the matter was settled.

He strode forward, halting only to ensure she walked beside him, his shadow enveloping her. What he desired from her remained uncertain, but he was determined to keep her close. Perhaps there was something to be learned. Sarlow doubted it, yet the possibility lingered.

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

She relaxed, but only slightly, dropping her hands away from her sabers, though her guard remained up. Everything that had come at her thus far had been a game, there was every chance that this was another one of his tests. A frown flickered across her brow as he summoned her to walk with him.

The words 'you belong to my father' brought an uncomfortable shift in Lina as she stepped up beside him. "How very observant of you, My Lord." the sarcasm was unwarranted, but he was not Carnifex, and she could afford to let out at least the smallest amount of her disdain for her situation. His shadow, should have been intimidating, but Lina had been in peoples shadows her whole life. What was another one?

"If you must know, my Lord, your father has been trying to track me down for some twenty years because I betrayed him while I was his apprentice." There was no point hiding the truth, he'd find out one way or another and Lina. "Safe to say he finally brought me to heel." For now.

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

Sarlow found himself intrigued by this individual; she spoke boldly despite her subordinate position. Unfazed by his imposing presence, Lina explained her situation to him. "Betrayal doth reap its own consequence, doesn't it," he remarked rhetorically, a sentiment the woman seemed all too familiar with. With hands still clasped behind his back, Sarlow glanced down at her before returning his gaze to the path ahead. "I am bound for another world, away from here, and you are to accompany me."

"My father will be promptly informed of your transfer," Sarlow explained, adding, "you seem... resourceful, given your confession of eluding my father for twenty years. I need someone who, as I mentioned, is resourceful." Pausing as he turned a corner, he checked to ensure she was still in tow. "While my brothers and sisters clamor for father's approval, I have my own agenda to carry out."

He then issued a directive, "You will assist me." Another pause ensued as he placed his hand on a panel at a security door. "Doing so will only improve your situation; I can assure you of that."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina stopped at the demand, well it wasn't even a demand, it was a statement of fact, like she was an objected to be passed around. Her anger bubbled quietly beneath the surface. "My Lord, you seem to be under the false impression that because I belong to your father, I therefore belong to you so I should take this opportunity to inform you that that is not, and never will be the case."

She kept her senses alert to any shifting in the blackguard, just in case, her arms folding about her chest. "If you would like my assistance, you can start, by giving me your name and asking nicely for it, If i like what you have to say I will consider it. You know nothing of my situation, only that I serve Darth Carnifex. So, would you like to try this again?"

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

She fell short of the intrigue he initially perceived. "Considering you've been left to rot on Malsheem, no," he declared. Though in need of assistance, he wasn't desperate. "My offer stands alone."

"That brand on your skin indicates you belong to my father, yet you've been abandoned to rot," his even tone remained impassive. Sarlow glanced at his men, who nudged Lina aside, prepared to escort her to their discovery point. "Your insistence on staying at his side, admirable as your loyalty may be, is misguided." With a wave, he directed his men to take her away. "Enjoy being his heel."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Indignation brought colour to her cheeks, her arms unfolded. "Oh, how little you truly know." she spat venomously. Before she could get another word out, nearest blackguard seized her arm to drag her back armoured fingers biting into her flesh with a snarl she wrenched it free.

"Keep your fething hands off me."

The back hand caught her entirely off guard. Stars exploded across her vision and she staggered sideways. she could taste blood in her mouth, her lip split and her lightsaber was in her hand before she knew it.

snap-hiss

"Go ahead." The guard taunted. "We both know it will cost you."

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

Sarlow's orders were clear: take her back, not manhandle the woman. The contact between his guard's hand and her face triggered a swift reaction from the Wolf Prince. He turned, lunging at his guard. With a rapid motion, he discarded his robe, revealing his muscled form as he transformed from man to beast. Larger and more menacing, his paws, armed with razor-sharp claws, sliced through his guard's face, cutting deep to the bone. An uppercut from his other paw swiftly ended the man. Sarlow now stood between his guards and the woman, emitting a primal roar that reverberated across several corridors.

"I said to," his voice began in a low guttural tone, then boomed, "ESCORT HER." The command echoed through the passageways.

"This does NOT require laying hands on her," he snarled at the men, who wisely kept their distance. Sarlow turned to scrutinize the woman. His amber gaze softened, if only momentarily, revealing gentle blue eyes before succumbing to the dark-side-influenced sulfuric and amber haze. "Do you require assistance?" he asked Lina, his voice far gentler than he intended.

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina was frozen in place as gore sprayed across the pristine atrium floor, the guard that had been in her face moments before let out an odd gurgle as his body hit the floor. A strange sensation washed over her. No one had ever come to Lina's defence, she had always defended herself or others. His actions had her off kilter.

She thumber the switch on her blade, deactivating it as he turned to look at her and her breath hitched. He was as beautiful in this form as he had been in his other. Her mouth parted, caught in a momentary trance.

That, is Carnifex's son.

The thought was enough to snap her out of it and she lowered her gaze. "No, my lord. I think you've done enough." She gave a small bow and moved to walk away, pausing after a few steps, and glancing over her shoulder. "I... I am the thirteenth in your fathers...collection. My name is Lina. I have not been abandoned, I am being... remade."

She wanted to say more, maybe thank him. But all of it seemed wrong. Lina walked away, keeping her pace steady back to her room, resisting the urge to run from the sensation that was heating her from the inside.

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

He yearned to bestow upon her his name, but it eluded him. All he could utter, guided by his primal voice, was, "I am... the Wolf Prince." The bestial tone held his natural chords hostage as Sarlow looked down at his form, his eyes squeezed shut. He intervened, stopping his men from pursuing her. "Remade..." echoed in his mind as he took a step back, contemplating the lifeless man at his hands. Sarlow's gaze lifted toward her fading figure. The confident prince, now plagued with shame, resisted the urge to reach out and turned away in the opposite direction.

Departing Malsheem, renewed in the shame of his curse, Sarlow was uncertain of the transformation that had befallen his melancholic heart. The Cursed One settled into the shuttle as it departed the system. Reverting back to the man he once was, he wandered toward his private chambers, confronting his reflection in the mirror. In a fit of rage, Sarlow punched the mirror, the glass embedding into his skin. Yet, it was the shattered reflection that haunted him. Confronting both himself and the beast in the fractured mirror, he turned away and shrouded it with a cloak.

Sometime later...

The Wolf Prince prepared to scout the Outer Rim, seeking Panathan enclaves, artifacts, and anything to advance his father's agendas. Aboard one of the fleet's vessels, the ship docked near the Taul system. Sarlow disembarked for the small station within Sith Order space, ready to resume his dark pursuits.

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina hadn't been able to shake him from her mind, she threw herself into her training, demanded more from Leilah than she ever had before in an attempt to drown him from her mind, but he lingered. So she gave in, did her digging and found out his name, but there was little else about him and his history available, save that his daughter had been queen of Panatha before it had been destroyed.

Leilah found her late one night staring at the holoimage of him, sat at the end of their bed, covers curled around her waist. She laid kisses along Lina's neck. "Who is he?"

"Carnifex's son. Sarlow."

"He's handsome." Lina tensed but said nothing. "Why are you looking at a picture of him at three in the morning, love?" Leilahs breath was hot in her ear and she slid in behind Lina, arms coiling about her stomach.

"Because I can't get him out of my head." she sighed "He defended me and my honour. No one's ever done that before."

"Hmmm." Leilah reached from behind to deactivate the disk in her hand and pluck it from her. "Well, you can't do anything about that while your here now can you. Go and find him" she pulled Lina back onto the bed. "but not until morning, I have need of you yet..."

---

Lina had spent most of her life on space stations, preferring them to the permanence of planetary life. everything on a space station was temporary, everything that moved through them new. A combination of her own information network and the limited access she had to Carnifex's had led her to him.

As his ship came in to land, she stood at the bays entrance, flanked by blackguard, a gift from Carnifex, to ensure that she return to him in one piece. She stepped forward as the landing ramp descended. She hadn't planned anything beyond this point, perhaps she should have, perhaps she should have come up with an excuse for being there, besides I haven't stopped thinking about you and I need you out of my head to focus.

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

Taul was merely a brief stop for Sarlow; he had no intention of lingering. His goals were straightforward: gather supplies and depart. However, as he disembarked the vessel and traversed the station, he sensed her presence—the woman from Malsheem, Lina. Sarlow's teeth ground against each other. Uncertain of his course of action, he resisted the urge to shy away and pressed on. He intended to proceed as he had that very day; distractions were unwelcome, especially considering she had proven to be one on Malsheem. A mistake he was determined not to repeat, despite the suggestions from his brothers, Alvarex and Ansgar, who hinted that he could claim her for his own.

Ignoring his brothers and the nagging feeling in his chest, Sarlow pressed forward.

However, his intentions and actions told different stories. Pausing, he looked down at Lina, and just as it had on Malsheem, his gaze softened. Then, he spoke with his usual even tone, "Have you given any consideration to my offer?" The question hung in the air, followed by, "I see Father has seen fit to assign you a guard. My congratulations."

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

Lina had to worked very hard to keep herself breathing evenly as he approached.

He is Carnifex's son.

That meant he had the innate ability to be just as callous and cruel. He was dangerous and she had to remember that. Did his eyes soften? Perhaps it was just a trick of the light. Lina greeted him with a small bow. "Thank you my lord. It seemed prudent, can't have his prized possession getting damaged, after all." A slight exaggeration of her position, but only slight.

Lina considered her answer to his question, that wasn't exactly the reason she had come, but if it got her close enough to unravel more of the mystery perhaps she could put the obsession to rest. Her voice softened. "If the offer still stands, my lord..."

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

It appeared that Lina had pondered his offer, and for that, Sarlow was quietly pleased. Though he didn't show it, he examined her, walking around to assess her. If there was a smile, it faded. "The offer indeed still stands," he declared, recalling that she had asserted she wasn't a possession to be owned—her words, weren't they? "However, if I recall correctly, you mentioned that you did not belong to my father, and yet... you refer to yourself as his prized possession."

"Keep in mind, accepting my offer means transferring to me," Sarlow suggested, adopting a tone akin to honey, as his brothers had advised. "Understand that I am not my father. You will be in my... care." His words were plain, accompanied by a subtle warning. "But be aware that the work I have in mind is challenging, though the rewards will be ample." He sought to maintain a firm tone, even if it sounded somewhat softened. Sarlow considered, perhaps, he had grown weary of the torture and gore.

Lina Ovmar

 

[Lina Ovmar]

"On the contrary, Lord Sarlow. I said I belonged to him and not you."

Her gaze followed him as her circled her and she clasped her hands in front of her. Seething, just a little. If he saw her as little more than a possession, then why, had he jumped to her defence the way he had, with such violence?

"May I suggest a counter offer?" It was a bold move on her part, but boldness was something to be respected, if played correctly. "I still have a great deal to gain from the position I am currently in, whether it is one I sought or not. Consider my skills and service on temporary loan to you. Should we find...value in our working together, then perhaps I can be persuaded to be moved to your care indefinitely."

Her loyalty would remain with Carnifex regardless out what his sons wanted. He had Leilah and she came first and foremost and no matter what demands his children made, he would not let Lina go, not entirely. Not when he knew the betrayal she could be capable of.

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

"My point is made; you belong to him," Sarlow's voice emphasized that Lina was his father's property. For Sarlow, the matter was trivial—Lina was Carnifex's, which meant, in due time, she would be his, one way or another. His father, with abundant resources, could easily reclaim what belonged to him, even if Lina's betrayal suggested long-term implications for Sarlow's father's plans.

Yet, there lingered that bold spirit that had initially intrigued him. "Oh, you'll be more than persuaded," the Wolf Prince lowered himself to her level. Their eyes met, and within the haze of the dark side's sulfuric glow, a glint hinted at a promise of something more. When he stood upright once more, he stated, "Now all I need from you is a promise. But you must understand, given who I am, this will be no ordinary promise." With a snap of his fingers, he communicated with his entourage.

Moments later, a knife with an ornate handle materialized. "It shall be sealed in blood, yours and mine. A deal is a deal, is it not?"

Lina Ovmar ​

 

[Lina Ovmar]

A shiver ran through Lina as he lowered himself to her eye level, something in his tone and the way he looked at her made her feel hot and she was grateful, for the high necked robes that would hide the colour rising in her chest. She fought back a smirk.

He is Carnifex's son.

"Nothing is ever ordinary, where this family is concerned." she commented, watching the knife be brought forward. her family hadn't exactly been ordinary, but it had been small. She had to tread carefully now. "What promise do you need from me that requires such a seal?" She eyes the ornate knife with suspicion before turning her gaze up to him.

Sarlow Zambrano

 

[Sarlow Zambrano]

"This ensures one of two things: that I keep my end of the bargain and that you keep yours," Sarlow stated, the simplicity and directness underscoring the gravity of the pact. "This also ensures that neither of us betrays the other. You can feel the Force the same as I; this merely amplifies it," he added, acknowledging the shared connection.

"And, as you mentioned, nothing is ever ordinary."

"Should we betray each other's trust, this seal makes it... easier for us to track one another down," Sarlow continued, highlighting the consequences of deceit. "This works both ways, just so you are aware; this binds me as much as it does you—a rather vulnerable position to be in." Admitting vulnerability, he presented a small ribbon to after he slit his palm, holding one end. The blade was then handed to her, along with the ribbon. "Once this is concluded, we shall begin our work."

Lina Ovmar