...and so here we are. (Hydra Queen)

[Arage Bao]

In the distance I could hear a door open and close, the rusted hinges screeching in protest at the sudden yerk in movement, this happened every once in a while: my jailors making sure their valuable target hadn’t managed to escape from their custody - or so I thought.

They had been treating me comparatively well I supposed, food was given out daily in three portion to make sure I was strong enough, water at the same time. Every week I was given some time to walk around outside, under the supervision of a guard of Yuuzhan Vong Warriors of course, no way to escape with my drugged mind now though; they shouldn’t have worried so much.

When I had first been taken into the cell a Vong had come to me, ridged forehead and a peculiar nose, with amber filled eyes, and a severe sliss in his pronunciation of Basic he had made it clear to me that soon there would be a trial where I would be tried for all the misdeed me and mine had committed against the establishment that had taken me prisoner. The trial came and went, and nobody was surprised when the verdict was execution.

Strangely enough the execution of the verdict was never put into motion, they had kept me in the cell, occasionally asking me for some minor detail which I did not know. Republic separation from the Order was a good thing in these little moments.

A bang on my cell door finally awoke me from my musings, it was Grub - the Vong who had first visited me all those months ago, it wasn’t his real name, but the scruffy, sleezy puffs of hair growing from his ears gave me the name and I hadn’t bothered to ask for his real one ever since. In his usual slissing tone he told me we were going somewhere - I wasn’t sure where this somewhere was, but it seemed I had little choice in the matter anyway.

I nodded to him in understanding and after getting shackles around my hands and feet, I limped after him to wherever he was supposed to take me.

I wondered if this was finally going to be my execution, if they finally would allow me to become One with the Force and get some much needed rest - deep within me I knew this to be a false hope, they wouldn’t let such a high-ranking individual of the Order go that easily. They were up to something… but what… that was the real question.

[member="The Hydra Queen"]

 

[Ratih Lah]

Down in the depths of Alderaa City, [member="Michael Sardun"] would soon enter a vast underground chamber. Here, at the heart of Aldera city ruins, a proper area for the shapers had been built in full glory of Yun-Amon. A shaper pool would lay like liquid glass at one far end, fed by spring water.

All manner of Yuuzhan vong biots, flora, and fauna would decorate and move freely. The Shapers had been busy. At the far end, Ratih Lah, a shaper in Master training, could be seen hovering with a particular item in her hand. The gorgon like woman's skin would skin with a olive emerald glow, glinted with orange and citrine highlights.

That head with a crown of amphistaffs hissing from the depths of her Shaper's headdress would turn towards the prisoner being brought before her.

Pleasure would dance upon her angular face, but she was not the only one here.

"Yun-Amon would be most pleased..." her scratchy voice would break the silence, long limber legs bringing her towards the Jedi Master as the hiss of amphistaffs resonated the closer she drew near.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ratih Lah"]

Grub tried to force me down on my knees in front of the… terrifyingly and yet strangely alluring silhouette. At first I figured those things on her head was some kind of trick of the mind, perhaps a few modifications here and there - but then I realized who I was looking at.

A Vong. So those things were… oh wow, the commitment on this girl. Sending a glare at Grub, he backed off and I gave a shallow bow towards my captor.

Then she spoke…

I blinked.

This didn’t sound all too well, yet… what the feth was I supposed to do? Forcebreaker gas removed any ability in the Force I had, ain’t got my lightsaber and I am still woozy off those drugs they gave me.

I could try to make a run for it, but where to?

In the end I decided to play along, perhaps… I would get an opportunity, a window to act.

‘We wouldn’t want to upset him, now would we.’ I spoke with a deadpan voice and a straight face.

 

[Ratih Lah]

[member="Michael Sardun"]

A throaty chuckle would come bubbling forth, and that shaper hand would reach down to attempt to take his chin in hand.

"No, we would not." A single talon would bring indents against his jaw, turning his face up towards the light. The hiss of the hydrastaffs attached to Ratih's skull would grow louder.

"But it is Yun-Harla that you shall serve, jeedai." came her forewarning, her lavender lips curving upwards. "It is she that shall bare witness to your tribute. To your sacrifice."

"Be honored of her presence."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ratih Lah"]

That was when I blinked.

Gotta understand - I figured I was gonna be some kind of ritual sacrifice donkey. I hadn’t been anticipating to become some form of servant to Yun-Harla, whoever the hell that was, I had already made my peace with my possible death. They had sentenced me and I knew that few if any would attempt a rescue.

It was simple logistics, everyone knew I was the Battlemaster and so the security would have been heavy. Only people who might have been able to get through was the Grandmaster with perhaps Jorus and a few others in the strike-team, too many important people to possibly waste though with the war effort going on.

I knew this to be true, so making my peace hadn’t been all too difficult.

So the fact that I might not die after all… was a curious realization, part of me was happy, other part of me was becoming increasingly more suspicious. They would have known that I wouldn’t betray my brothers, so… what were they up to?

‘I would bow again, but it’s hard with a hand caressing my cheek in such a fine way, my Lady.’

Yeah, she had been able to catch my face, in the current state I was in… I wasn’t able to put up any meaningful fight, so why try? Better to wait out, maybe find an opening.

 

[The Hydra Queen]

"̶S̡uc̶h͏ a c̨h̕a̶r͟is͞m͠at͘ic ͜Jed̴i҉.̨" the sultry voice would pour from the shadows from the right of [member="Michael Sardun"]. Twin embers of light would reveal her presence first, before the crown of her head adorned with insectizoid hair would reveal her heart-shaped face. For a Yuuzhan-Vong, her voice was clear -- her basic impeccable. With an accent that one would touch just remotely otherworldly, a hint of an echo that would make one wonder if that sound was due to her throat or the chamber they were in.

Rays of luminescent light would filter down to to reveal more of her lithe frame. Much like the Vong, she appeared to be wearing crab armor that would hug her curves. Talons would rise as her hand made a small gesture towards the male.

"̸W̸ho w͝oul̛d ͡ha͏ve͠ thou̡g̨h̀t͟ th҉at͜ the ̕Je͘di ̡w̡ould̡ h̕ave ͟s̕u͏ch a̧ ̛sil͘v͡e͜r ̧tongu͏e͡?" ̸ It was clear that this was said with certain mockery.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="The Hydra Queen"]

I think that at that point something dark flashed over my eyes - I wasn’t particularly eager to go into the details of my time with the Army of Light and generally what I was doing while… not being a Jedi. So I simply gave her a small smile and spoke even simpler.

‘This man has walked many paths, my Lady, it was only the call of a… persuasive individual which made me wear these robes again.’

Almost grimaced thinking back at the events on Hoth. Kiskla had been… persuasive in her own way, if two Mechs, rockets and a lightsaber to the face could be counted as persuasive.

‘Now that I have shown you common decency and haven’t tried to wiggle my way out of this… situation, causing everyone only more annoyances. Why don’t you tell me what’s going to happen, if I was to die… I would have been executed a long time ago, ‘least… that’s what I think. Correct me if I am wrong, please.’

 

[The Hydra Queen]

[member="Michael Sardun"]

"So quick to wish for the guillotine, are you Jedi?" came her counter question, not answering any of his own. "By what paths did you walk to expect such wanton display?" she would draw closer, full hips a slow sway. Her path was a half circle as Ratih gave a bow.

"Yun-Harla," came the reverent greeting, and in that she also chided the Jedi. "Give the respect She deserves."

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="The Hydra Queen"]

Interesting… it came to mind that Yun-Harla was a Goddess to the Vong, though I wasn’t entirely sure of what. Fact of the matter was that this gal didn’t seem much of a Goddess to me - though I didn’t have any doubt she could kick my ass from one side of the room to the other, specially in this state - but I wasn’t the guy to be malicious in the face of embarrassment.

Instead I offered her a bow, one slightly deeper than the one that had been offered to the other scaled gal in this room.

‘Beg your pardon, miss. Yun-Harla. Every minute I breath I realize how much I have yet to learn, this misstep only underlines this unpleasant fact.’ I raised myself again and then with a raise in the brow, I added. ‘I ain’t eager to face death, my Lady, it doesn’t possess the allure resembling water for a perching man. Yet… knowledge, certainty of one’s fate can put a mind at ease.’

 

[The Hydra Queen]

.: | [member="Michael Sardun"] | :.​

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"The̷ņ ̢be ́a͡ss̶u̧re̢d̡ t͞ha̧t ̶déat̡h ͡i̕s ̸n͢ơt͏ ̴the̵ ̛path̵ ̶t̸h͠a̕t ̢y̧o͜u̵ sh̶a͠l̛l̶ wal̢k̸ ͟t͏his ͞ni̴gh̕t, Jedi.͘"͢ came the low melodic thrum of her voice, resonating with an undercurrent of power.

"̷I ǫf̧f̷er ͜a path ̷of̶ l̕ife,̸ ͡i̕nstead.̵"̸ ͞she'd coo, her full lips curving int a beckoning smile as she would come to a halt in front of him. "If ̀ýo͢ư ̛woưld bu͜t̴ o̵ńl͞y ̡s͘ubmįt you̷r͜s̶el͢f t̵o ̴t͝h͜e ́w͝ill ҉o̷f̶ ͟Yu̢n-Ąḿon͜..͡. yo͟ur̵ ̢p̴at͡h ̧w͟il̀l be ͠fi̧l̵led͠ with͘ ̶glory̷ ҉and͞ h̴o̕ǹor at̸ ̕ḿy s͟ìd̨e̵.͜.."

Her talons would reach out, index finger lightly reaching up as if to skim that sharp tip across the line of his stubbled jaw. Ratih would move behind the Jeedai, the other Shaper's assistants stepping in to play, gathering what they would need for his trial by the vessel.

"́T̵ha̢ţ ҉is.̶. i̶f̨ y̷o̸ù ar̷e͜ st́r̛o͠ng͘ ͝and͡ wo̢rt̀h҉y eno͞ugh.͟"

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="The Hydra Queen"]

Goad me into submitting by appealing to an inherent hubris and arrogance… interesting. She was definitely being straight about this and that scared the living crap out of me, wasn’t sure what she hoped to achieve here and yet… there was some appeal here.

Not the serving-part, of course. But in the grand scheme of things I was more worth to the cause of the Order alive than death, I could either throw a metaphorical gauntlet in this creature’s face…. or I could play along for a while.

Maybe I could get closer into the organization that way and. Well. I wasn’t really sure what then, I wasn’t a damn Jedi Shadow or anything. Most of the times I just talked a bunch or fought.

In the end I raised my eyebrow.

‘I am the Battlemaster of the Jedi Order, the General of the disbanded Armies of Light.’

Then I gave her a wink.

‘I am the Sardun.’ using my last name as a title.

Which was followed by a short bow.

‘What would you have me do.’

Then I waited for her to tell me more.

 

[Ratih Lah]

That bow perhaps, would be his undoing.

For Ratih had been moving behind him with a stingray at hand, that snake like extension ready and willing to attach at a moment's notice.

"T̯̼̱̳͈h̛̤̙e͓̺̟̫͚̠̱n͏̱̲̪ͅ ̸̖̺̩I͇ ̪̬̘͝a͕c̨c͏͕̮̗̹̜e̤̯͕p̙̖̪ṱ̦̳̳ͅͅ ͠y̛̼̼͖̳̩o̪̘͡u͎,͍͢ S͚a̙̱͇̗̥̳̯r͠d̡̥̮̗u̥n͎̤̫̘̬ͅ."̟͇̤̙̰̀ ͔͍̹͎̘͠ Hydra would coo but inches from his face, and suddenly that hand would clamp down upon his jaw, talons indenting upon his skin as she held him in a stunningly strong grip.

Ratih would move with the deftness of an Amphistaff, that shaper hand moving to clamp the stringray upon Sardun's neck. All the while a nearby pool would bubble -- one that Michael would soon learn would transcend him into a new level of clarity. Nirvana.

It was a vat that the Master Shapers would use to create the contents of the Gila stomach. One that Hydra had every intention of dunking him under.

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Ratih Lah"] [member="The Hydra Queen"]

It is in the nature of men to struggle. Nature is filled with examples of the struggle to survive, to evolve and to vanquish the trials that lay ahead of them. Whenever a species is not able to stave off a threat, they become extinct- it’s a beautiful system where the strong survive and become stronger, while the weak die off and relinquish their burden upon the gene pool of the Galaxy.

It was in Sardun’s nature to try and resist the sudden attack of the two Yuuzhan Vong, and it was his fate to fail in this and be conquered, his worldly body exterminated and replaced by something… better.

It was nothing more than common sense really, the Jedi Master had been imprisoned for months now, without getting the proper substance, without proper rest and constantly sedated as to suppress his connection to the Force.

Across that time Sardun was able to suppress the suppression and retain some form of his connection, if only he had been given a few more days, maybe a week and he would have been able to break out on his own. Alas, fate had different plans with him and everything went as the Queen and the Goddess planned.

Not that the Jedi Master realized this, when he realized that his resistance was futile he retreated back into a corner of his mind and fortified it. He wasn’t sure what they were going to do with him, but his surroundings, the thing clasped around his neck and the bubbling water in the reaches of his eyesight didn’t bode well for him.

So he fortified himself and his mind, trying to retain a grasp on his own identity… trying not to become a total monster.

 

[The Hydra Queen]

Darkness would fall, in the mind and upon Alderaan. What manner of warrior [member="Michael Sardun"] had been forged in the Army of Light would welcome a new facet.

Black tipped talons would rake almost lovingly to coax the man awake, bringing him from the depths of unconsciousness. His connection to the Force would be shrouded from his senses -- not cut, but more as if nulled in the same sensation as that which one would feel within the bubble of a Ysalamiri.

His body would be shaped; with warriors claws biots set under his skin and attached to bone. An extension of himself, painful with every use. This wasn't the only feature. No there would be more, but Yun-Harla had seen to the successful shaping of his biots.

Yun-Amon had most certainly been pleased with escalation.

At his nape, the stingray much like her own would ensure that any memory that would not suit his new path as a warrior for Yun-Harla would be shot with pain. Those having to do with the Jedi Order and the Republic would send shards of agony through his body, until he would learn to simply lock those doors in his mind.

Yes... much like Zhaera Shai -- that past would be nothing but wrought in a haze of pain and agony.