Private Breath In New Life

[Alina Tremiru]

All her life Alina felt like she'd been broken. A doll missing a part of it that made it real. Not something visible, but something within. Something intangible but made a doll a doll none the less. The feeling of isolation it brought spurred her teenage years of drugs, sex, and rock n' roll. Until she lost her arms for the Empire. The process of reclaiming them had turned her to something more. Something stronger than she could ever be as what she was. She'd become faster, smarter, able to see and smell things no one else could. As a Knight of the Sith, it was that power that let her hold her head high.

But it wasn't true strength. It was hers. But it wasn't what made a Sith. Her power was the power to kill the Force. Sever those around her from it's influence. Sever them from their strength. Their power. Fitting, truly, for the girl who'd only felt envy for her fellow Sith. As if her jealousy had manifested into strength. A younger Alina might've believed that, too. But she was older. And knew what it was that caused this power. A failed experiment to create a being devoid of the chains the Force put on the Sith, but capable of utilizing it all the same.

The experiment failed. The result, Alina. A Sith who couldn't do the most simple tasks with the Force yet could still sever others.

Ignorance and pride kept her from ever looking further than that. If she was a failed experiment, she'd stubbornly make her way up the ranks of the Sith. Make the failure she was into success. And, in a way, it would work. She could live a life as a Sith like this. But Alisteri was right. She wasn't content. She always wanted more. Perhaps it was a Tremiru feature passed down since the First to all the cloned daughters. It didn't matter. She walked through the cultist's ship, uncaring of the eyes on her. In her hand, a suit case.

Her destination, Alisteri's office. Without a word she opened the door, stepped to the closest table and uncaringly knocked whatever might've been atop as she slung the case onto the wooden surface. And finally looked towards Ali.

"You wanted to do alchemy. Help fix what my mother broke."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Even with the unfamiliarity of their apparent guest, no one stepped in Alina's way as she moved through the Altorius. Most, mainly the Sangnir lurking around on patrol, looked at her with curiosity before quickly turning their heads. The handful of Legionnaires guarding the doors leading to the officer quarters didn't stop her either, some of them even stood at attention as she passed as if they recognized her as some sort of superior. Regardless, she was allowed unhindered to waltz right into the office of their High Priest.

Alisteri himself was caught off-guard by the sudden intrusion, turning from fiddling with a datapad just in time to see her sling the case onto his table. He blinked and let out a small sigh as a few sparse carving tools were sent flying off the table and onto the floor, but then his masked gaze turned to Alina herself. "I'm sorry?"

He cocked his head slightly to show confusion at the request, more like a demand really, and tossed the datapad aside for later. "Fix what your mother broke? You mean with yourself?" He recalled when they had spoke aboard his ship last, when she had subtly told him that she was some form of Sithspawn experiment by her mother, but he was unsure of exactly what she asked. What was broken about her? And, could he fix it?

His alchemical skills were far from the most advanced or trained after all, despite his efforts to correct said deficiency. "What's in the case?"

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"The Tremiru family had a long standing tradition. The eldest would be given the family lightsaber." Alina popped open the case. Within, several holocrons and more hand written journals. "Turns out the First, as she's called, lives in it. Body snatching stuff. The first alchemist of the family turned herself into a lightsaber so she could possess her daughter, and hers, and so on. To experiment and improve the next generation. Make a being so powerful over the Force they could remove it at will. Exist outside of it. My mother didn't let herself get possessed, tried to improve it herself. Made me. Messed me up. I can't do Alchemy. Use this, help me fix what she broke so I can bring the Sith Lords to their knees."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri gradually drifted closer as he listened, peering into the case curiously. His eyes widened for a moment at the sight of the holocrons before he glanced back at Alina with a mixture of awe and surprise. She was serious, this whole situation was very serious. When she was done explaining he hesitated before speaking as he considered the full weight and consequences of what she was asking of him. "Remove the Force at will eh?" He scoffed at the idea. "Clearly you were the best product of your family's misguided legacy then."

His fingers idly drummed on the table's surface as he though carefully about his response. Admittedly he had his doubts that he could do as she asked, but with more than holocron and journal to reference from he had plenty of information to work with. "Alright. I'll need some time to prepare everything and sort through all of, well this." He gestured to the case. "But I'll do it. However I do have my concerns and reservations..."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Alina scoffed as she took a seat across from him. Watched as he looked through the case. The holocrons weren't just about Alchemy. Sorcery was in the mix, ancient forbidden rituals. Anything the First could get her hands on to try and perfect her vessel. And just general hoarding of knowledge.

"When a Sith dies, it's their duty to let the next generation take over. To make it a fight and struggle. The First was a greedy old hag who didn't think she could be replaced. My mother failed, but on her own went farther than that old hag could've. With these." She motioned specifically to the journals.

"You're the only one I can trust with this. Sith or not, we're blood." Probably laying it on a bit thick, but Alina was never above pulling out all the stops she needed to get what she wanted. Though, well. A frown settled on her lips.

"Alright. Lay them out. Concerns. Reservations, don't beat around the bush."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

His gaze landed on the journals as she motioned to them, scanning their covers with an intrigued nod. Now his mind was starting to fill with excitement over apprehension. The knowledge contained in the journals and holocrons could be invaluable in his efforts moving forward, even if he only had a limited time to learn from them. Alina would be his first living alchemical project, but she would certainly not be his last.

A small laugh left him at the whole blood remark, a grin flashing across his masked face for a moment. She wasn't wrong, but he had yet to fully grasp what she meant by it. The mysteries of the Sangnir still eluded him for the time being.

"Well first of all, no matter how good your regenerative capabilities may be, you will be my first attempt to do anything with a living subject and as such you'll be subjected to my inexperience in the matter. If I mess something up or don't account for how your body will react then there very well may be no fixing it." Alisteri figured that she deserved to know what exactly she was getting herself in for, if she didn't already. "As for what you actually want me to do, I'm still a bit...fuzzy on the details."

He looked up to meet her gaze. "You want me to gift you the power that this 'First' one has been accruing over the generations, but you don't want the possession that comes with it, right? To fulfill and usurp the destiny your mother went against."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Oh no, I'll give you tissue samples. Blood. We, as Sangnir, feast on Anima. The living part of the Force. My blood is different, as a result of my alterations. I'm not going to have a novice change me." She chuckled and shook her head. But, then she glared. Shook her head, this time firmly. Venomously.

"No. I don't want anything from that hag. My mother made me. Almost perfect. I'm removed from the Force in a way that lets me cut people off. But too removed. What was it.. The Force, the Thesis. Myself, the Antithesis. You and I will make me the Synthesis, and I will stop the rampaging Sith lords."

 

[Darth Strosius]

That did alleviate a fair bit of concern and he replied with a nod as well as a relieved sigh. Samples to test on may not give him the full information he needed, but it would do more than enough to ensure that any harm would be thoroughly found and removed from the process. Blood was a very good reactive agent in alchemy and he had little intent of wasting the potential of it.

"The Synthesis hm?" It was an interesting idea, and one that would seemingly only benefit the Sith if Alina went on to remove the dangerous and tyrannical Sith in charge, but that thought made him pause. If she did, then who's to say that she would stop? She had already left the Sith once before and didn't seem too keen on any Sith-Imperial resurrection like he did. Alisteri could very well be helping in making the greatest threat to his way of life as he knew it if he wasn't careful.

"Alina. After everything, I want you to know that I trust you. I'd rather have you watching my back than anyone else, so I need you to be honest with me on this one." To try and illicit a more genuine response, he paused and took a moment to remove his mask. His gaze met Alina's, his golden eyes reflecting just how deep his devotion to the Dark Side ran. "What will you do after you've brought an end to the Sith Lords that have corrupted our order? What's next for you should you succeed?"

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I kill the will of the Force. Then, I probably retire or get killed by the next generation of Sith. I don't want to rule as some forever Empreror like Carnifex. I don't care to start some dynasty like the Worm. I was freedom. The Force itself kills the Sith. Because of it, I've been hunted. You've been hunted. When I'm done, no more of us will be hunted just because of who we are or the life we choose to live."

She met Alisteri's gaze with her own. Deep golden, unchanged from the moment they turned.

"I want your help to free us. My purpose is to give us that freedom. I'll leave it to you to figure out what happens next."

 

[Darth Strosius]

For a moment his eyes searched hers, as if he was expecting to find some sort of lie or hidden meaning in her words. He saw nothing but conviction. Visibly, and before he could stop it, his eyes widened and were momentarily filled with horror as he realized how serious she was about her plan. Quickly he recomposed himself by glancing away and calming his breathing which had gone erratic for a moment. He was afraid. Alisteri cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. "Alina, there is no Sith without the Force. Without the power it grants and the blessings of its will we are nothing but religious fanatics clinging to a dead god, adrift in the galaxy at large."

Alisteri finally looked back at her. "You'd free us of the tyranny of our leaders just to condemn us all to die."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"We're Sangnir, Alisteri. Without the Force, anima won't exist. We'd starve. I've no intention of killing the Force itself and removing it from the galaxy. Just the will. The part that makes us monsters who rot from the inside out because of our choice. Do you think Carnifex started the emotionless husk? The Force hates any who go against it." Being Sangnir was probably the only reason they themselves hadn't changed much, yet. But they were ageless.

And the Force would see them ravenged in due time. Alina sat calmly, even as the fear filled Alisteri's eyes. One leg folded over the other, hands clasped together. She found her purpose.

"And if I go too far, kill me. That is the way of the Sith."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Her clarification did seem to relax him a little, some tension leaving him as his shoulders slumped and his overall stance seeming far less defensive. "Still, you'd be robbing the galaxy itself of what makes it a constant moving force. And this is all assuming that the Force will forever condemn the Sith to be monsters. Have you considered that with a greater understanding, we could become its favored?" His naivety was on full display of course, but his hope was genuine regardless.

Usurping the Jedi's role as the default Force Users in the eyes of the galaxy had always been a dream of his, and one that had only grown on his conscience as his own power had increased. It was a dream that he doubted he would ever see, but one that could be striven for.

Alisteri chose not to comment on her suggestions of simply killing her, the thought was still far too sour for him to contemplate, and instead he set his mask down on the table so that he could touch one of the holocrons. "You'll have your Synthesis Alina. I'll figure out how to fix you as you desire, but I do warn you to temper your expectations. I am not a miracle worker, multiple attempts may have to be made before I can provide any significant progress, even with samples to test."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

Her eyes narrowed. Not like when she was angry before. When she shattered his mask. A cold anger. Hostity. "You want me to kill the tyrants that rule the Sith, but you still want to serve a greater will that has the Jedi hunt us? Gives the Jedi power? The Light that scours us and burns us just because who we are? No, Ali. We will take matters into our own hands. Kill the gods so all can be equal and free."

She paused. Then sighed, leaning her head into her hand. "I'm sounding like my own cult now. But I'm tired. So tired. If the will of the Force dies, everyone can finally be free."

It was the only thing she wanted to cling to. But the change of subject was welcome. She cleared her throat, nodded.

"I still have credits stashed away. I'll provide you with the funds you need. Learn everything you can from those holocrons, and take all the time you need. We're ageless. So long as we don't stick our necks out too far before we're ready, we'll outlast everyone, right?" She seeemed to listen to what he said before more than she'd admit. A softer smile formed as she kept her head in her hand. Eyes closed.

"And I'll teach you what I know about the Sangnir so your bloodsworn don't go insane."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri gave no reply as she spoke, although he did noticeably wince at the mention of the Light. He'd yet to fully feel what it could do to a Sith, but he had heard more than enough stories and reports to have a good idea of it. He did appear content with her realization of how she was sounding even if she still believed in her mission to destroy the Force's will. Perhaps this was a matter they may never come to an understanding on, but it would be one settled another day regardless.

He cracked a smirk as she spoke and nodded even though she couldn't see either. "Right. I'll try to focus and see if I can make any progress worth noting before too long, wouldn't want to keep you waiting." Almost as tantalizing as the holocrons and journals themselves however, was her last remark and offer of further knowledge.

Anything that could help his people, especially the Sangnir that he had wantonly made, was a welcome addition. "I am eager to hear it! Anything that keeps them from...going wrong is greatly appreciated."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

All things took time. Alina just smiled and nodded. "I appreciate that. But don't rush. We've all the time in the world, hopefully." Well, Alisteri did. Alina's smile dipped for a moment, but she said nothing further on the subject. There was a timer, of sorts. If Maliphant decided she was no longer worth the effort, whatever safety she had for the time being would be cut off. The sooner they solved it, the better.

".. What do you mean going wrong?" She wasn't sure what to make of that. Her golden eyes squinted at her fellow, trying to read him. "Explain, in detail."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"That we do." Alisteri nodded and turned his attention back to the contents of the suitcase. In addition to what he needed to fix Alina, he could only imagine what else they could teach him. His holocron alone held more than enough secrets to keep him intrigued for over a decade, the idea of even more unique and unknown secrets of the Sith being available to him sounded almost too good to be true. Fixing Alina would only be one if the many enlightened processes he would bring about.

"Hm?" He looked back up at her, seeming to be snapped out of his thoughts by her concerned tone. "Oh. Right. Well you see some of my Sangnir became overtaken by the desire to feast of course. My first attempt at fixing that was simply locking them away and seeing if they would eventually calm down...they didn't. They became...feral."

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"You did what?" Alina stared. Blankly. Then immediately frowned. Half of her was tempted to reach across the table and break another mask. Another knew better. Alisteri didn't have the chance to learn like she did. He was doing the best he could without any information. She let out a sigh, stopping herself from letting that spark of anger take over. Uncurled her fist. "They need blood. Anima. If you deny them that, they go feral. If they overindulge, the same can happen. It's hard to stop them without knowing, but they have to keep control of their thirst."

No, now that she thought about it, it wasn't even Alisteri's fault in the first place. Maybe. He had been turning people without much knowledge on how to do it- and again the anger showed on her face.

"You should've at least tried to figure out what you are before making others, Ali."

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"They were trying to rip apart whoever had a beating heart! I had to do something." Admittedly it wasn't the best plan in hindsight, but it had been a temporary fix made up in the heat of the moment. And one that he had learned to never repeat at that. Turns out that keeping literal bloodthirsty enhanced humanoids properly fed was very important. Alisteri nodded as he listened to her explanation, his eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of Anima. He could recall her mentioning that word before but the meaning eluded him until now.

"I was naive and excited." He shrugged, not really having a proper justification or excuse beyond his own eagerness. "Restoring lost limbs, giving my people a second chance at life without the need for any prosthetics, it was simply too good to be true." Keeping his own hunger in check was easy given his excursions out into the galaxy at large, but his Sangnir didn't have that same luxury.

Alina Tremiru

 

[Alina Tremiru]

She couldn't fault him for that. Instead, she sighed. Nodded. Closed her eyes. She'd been lucky and alone, able to keep her need for blood in check. .. Certainly helped to have a willing partner at that. A bitter expression took over as she glanced off.

"It doesn't need to be fresh. But you need to have it on hand. Store it somewhere, as much as possible. When you're too starved instinct takes over. Without Anima, we wither and die."

 

[Darth Strosius]

Alisteri nodded and idly nodded towards a lone crate in the corner of the room. "I did think ahead and start doing that, as much as is possible anyway. Getting proper storage set up was one thing, a steady supply of blood to fill it is a whole other issue." By the time they arrived at a station and had released the Sangnir, there was only so much left to try and store. Making due with what they had was just part of the process by this point. "They're mostly just to stave off the hunger, it's all we can do really."

Until they could establish a better and more consistent supply anyway. But that would be in the future, if everything came up the way he had envisioned. "How did you keep yours at bay for so long while you were hiding in that castle? Did you feed on the servants? Did they have servants?"

Alina Tremiru