Caged in Dark Corruption

[Kay-Larr]

Wrong answer? Wrong answer?? Well maybe it was a bit sarcastic, but it was the truth. And [member="Darth Prazutis"] knew it. He was just using it as an excuse to attack her. And attack her he did. She kept her eyes shut tight, not wanting to look at him or let him see the fear in them and hope slipping from her. She cried out as he stomped on her hand and threw her once again across the room.

Kay coughed and wheezed as she tried to get her bearings again, yet once more she was dragged out of the room, blinded by the hood over her head. A couple of times she stumbled, but the tight grip on her stopped her from falling to the ground. Nothing good was going to come out of this. Why didn't they just kill her and get it over with?

The masked man in the next torture chamber didn't answer that question verbally. Him and his aides seemed to enjoy her screams, the smell of her fear and anguish as every part of her was cut and broken, left swollen and bruised.

Once more she was thankfully knocked out. Her only reward after enduring so much was a bit of forced sleep and minor healing.

Yet again she was locked up in that tiny cell, unable to relax, unable to heal. Kay wondered how much more she could take,how much more she could endure. The ultimatum did nothing but show her that she was never going to get out of there if she continued in this way. Her breathing now just came in short gasps, no longer normal as there was too much shock to her system. Where was her rescue? Were they even able to come at all? She was starting to believe that she'd never see any of them again. Her only hope for release was to do what she was told. But then again, that could be a lie too....

[video]https://youtu.be/wWBp-nlGX1o[/video]

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Three Months Later...

[member="Lady Kay"]'s suffering would continue every hour, every minute down to every second she remained conscious and even unconscious. Every single day for three months straight she was brought to an empty room where Prazutis would stand and tell her to kill him, sometimes bringing a nameless thrall of a slave with him and telling her to kill the slave. But each day she'd refuse trying argue, beg and plead for mercy trying desperately to do anything to prevent the pain to stop. Anything but that. But the second she opened her mouth she was beaten, then dragged kicking and screaming down the hall where she'd spend the next full day being tortured by methods unimaginable.

The atrocities inflicted were horrific and to such an extent that the beating and even the occasional knife or broken bone were gifts she might've pleaded for. The only peace she was given was on the brink of death from starvation, dehydration, and sleep deprivation that she'd be knocked out and brought back to life, nerves healed and the occasional wound sealed, just enough to ensure she felt the maximum amount of pain each and every session. It was a methodical operation designed to cause so much agony and pain, bringing her just to the brink of death from each session alone only to be brought back to life and experience the same experience the following day.

The Sith Lord would torture her mentally as well, using her inability to access the force to utterly ravage her memories. Entire memories were ripped to shreds and torn apart people like her friends, loved ones were utterly wiped from existence. Each time he'd find something else she clung to in order to survive and they too would be wiped from existence. Early on her hair was shaved completely off and she was utterly dehumanized, given a number stamped on her arm. However by the third month it had grown back and often used to inflict more punishment.

Each day was a remainder that no help was coming, each moment a remainder that she could live here experiencing nothing but pain and misery for the rest of her life. They wouldn't just seek to break Kay through each session. They'd shatter the fabric of who she was, and then those pieces would be further broken and ground into dust. It was three months later when again she found herself careening against the same wall she became intimately familiar with. In strode Prazutis with another bald headed thrall falling in behind him. This time he tossed a metal baton across the room to Kay and pushed the man forward.

"Kill him and the pain will stop, it'll all stop."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay surprised herself. She didn't realize that she had so much in her to resist. Each 'day' that passed, she wondered if she was going to die, accepted it, especially as she was refusing to commit murder. It wasn't as though she could do much but bite, anyways.

Memories that were always so dear to her, people, events, things that made her happy, they were torn away. Only the bad memories remained. On some 'days' Kay was fully inside of herself, just a shell, who's screams were more of a reaction than from something that she actually felt.

Once more she was thrown into the empty room, a metal baton tossed at her feet and a man pushed towards her. Kay looked at the baton, slowly reaching down as she picked it up. She didn't look at [member="Darth Prazutis"] or the man she was told to kill. "Forgive me..." She didn't know who she was talking to, herself, [member="Veiere Arenais"] , or the poor soul in front of her. Regardless, she tightened her grip on the baton, grit her teeth and swung the baton back before bringing it about for an upward strike that made contact to the poor guy's nose, sending it up into the brain. It was an instant kill, but she brought the baton down on top of his head to make his body fall down to the floor that much quicker.

Her eyes snapped to Prazutis then. Never had she killed in cold blood, until now. There was a wildness in her eyes and in her rage, she saw her advantage and took it, leaping over the body on the floor and charging at the Sith Lord to strike him with the baton as well, aiming for his ribs. She didn't care if it hurt him or not. She just wanted to hit him and hit him a lot.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Finally.

A grin formed on Braxus's face when [member="Lady Kay"] swiftly struck the thrall of a slave down, sending his body crashing to the floor with a crack to the skull. He continued grinning even as she jumped over the body and swung the baton towards him. The Sith Lord grabbed the swinging baton stopping it in its tracks while the other hand blasted her with the force towards the back wall. "Good use your hatred, it gives you focus makes you stronger." Prazutis said tossing the baton aside letting it clang to the ground while he approached Kay who was lifted off the ground and now pressed to the wall.

Prazutis released his grip on the already weakened Kay and let her drop to the floor. "Stay still and do not move." He said walking right up to her. It had taken almost four months of torture each and every day, all day but finally he had shattered what remained of Kay-Larr, shattering her into a thousand pieces. She fought until her arms gave out, screamed and pleaded until her voice gave out, defended until her mind shattered. Everything about what she once was, was now crushed into a fine powder. But he had already begun to mentally build up the foundation of who she would be. Kay-Larr would be better, stronger, she would be Sith. He took great pleasure in watching Kay freeze up completely by his command, she wouldn't have moved a single muscle while his hands wrapped around her neck, working through mechanics and the force. She would feel the collar lessen at first.

But then pain.

There were about a dozen different small sized needles that were constantly prodded into her neck pumping the Ixetal Cilona at all times to keep her force connection cut. After spending over a hundred and fifty days wearing the collar there were firm injection markings on her neck, but they would fade in time. "The chemical has been flowing through your system for so long, it will take a long period of time to for its effects to wear off, and for you to gain your strength in the force again." Prazutis said while he brushed her black hair off to one side, running her hand over the injection marks. "Good work Subject Zero, but that was far too quick. I have a gift for you." Prazutis said accessing his comlink "Bring it in."

A pair of guards came in dragging the dead corpse and taking the baton out of the room, while another pair of guards brought a second thrall into the chamber. The thrall was forced down to their knees. Prazutis placed a hand on her shoulder and whispered "Come." to Kay, placing both hands on her shoulders and guiding her until she stood right in front of the man. The Dark Lord leaned in as close as possible and whispered into her ear just then. "You've spent the past several months caged up in your own filth. Wrap your hands around this mans neck and choke the life out of him. Your muscles may be weak but your anger burns bright. Use it to fuel your strength let it flow through you." Prazutis said reaching over her to grab both of her hands and guide them to the mans throat. "Wrap your hands around his neck and push him to the ground. But I want you to stare right into his eyes while you choke the life from his body, feel it through your fingers as it slips away and watch as the eyes gloss over. If you do you'll be bathed, and given clothing."

[member="Lady Kay"]

 

[Kay-Larr]

As [member="Darth Prazutis"] grabbed the baton, Kay shouted out, "No!!" She really, really wanted to hit him, but instead she was thrown back and held against the wall. Her eyes narrowed as he spoke words of encouragement. In her mind he was belittling her like a small child.

When she was released, she dropped to the floor, barely able to catch herself as she landed on all fours. As he told her to stay still, Kay did just that, clenching her jaw and glaring at nothing in particular as he started to work on the collar. Sweet relief as it came loose, but then she wasn't expecting the pain. It was as though her skin was velcro, the collar peeling off with bits of sticky blood and sweat congealed on it. She had no idea all of those needles were in there. No wonder she couldn't take it off. But no collar meant freedom and access to what had been cut off from her.

And then he touched her. Her body stiffened involuntarily as she waited for some kind of injury to happen. When it didn't, she pushed his hand away, half surprised that she was able to do it.

Subject Zero? What did he mean by that? Perhaps he just misspoke. And a gift? She wasn't so sure of that.

When the door opened and the guards came in, Kay pushed herself back, expecting to be punched, kicked, grabbed or all of the above. But it didn't happen. Instead they took out the body and brought in another person. Seeming to sense her hesitation, Prazutis got her to her feet and guided her towards the next victim. As he leaned in and whispered in her ear, a chill ran down her spine. His breath was warm, and she came to realize how cold she really was. She inclined her head towards him, but not to have him closer, but to get him to be further away. So he wanted her to kill again, but slowly this time. He took her hands and placed them on the man's throat. Kay hardened her stare while her mind pulled away. She knew what being strangled felt like, had gone through it a dozen times or more. And now she was being blackmailed--no bribed--to do it to someone else. Was this man an innocent like she was? It was not her place to say. She was weak, and though she could use a lot more than a bath, if Prazutis was telling the truth, then it was a start. And maybe...killing this man would end his suffering, just as she had wanted many times before.

Kay swallowed, her mouth all dry while her grip on the man's throat began to tighten. While he started to resist, she tried tightening them even more, wanting to make his death quick, yet not having the strength to do so. She pushed the man down to the ground and got on top of him, momentarily letting go of his throat while she set her elbow onto it instead and pressed down with all of her upper bodyweight. As that happened, the man's eyes bulged. He was weak like she was, but being on top and basically unhindered, she had the advantage. She felt his struggle get weaker and weaker until finally he stopped moving, stopped trying to breathe. His eyes seemed to lose their focus and go far away as hers was. She knew that look, had seen it happen before, a long time ago. This time it was different. It was emptier.

No tears fell, no words were spoken. She used a lot of energy during that and she was spent. So she just stayed still and waited to be taken back to her tiny cell. There was no reason for her to take anyone here by their word. Their promises were empty. This was just more or less the same; a different kind of torture.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

A grin remained on the Dark Lords face while the broken and traumatized woman forced the man down her grip albeit worn but firm. [member="Lady Kay"] struggled trying to hill him well over a hundred and fifty days of sheer agony, there wasn't a single part on her that didn't experience the horrors of torture. But her mind was sharp and she still found a way with her forearm and pressed. A surge of emotions erupted in the small chamber: Fear, anger, panic, hatred. He fed on the outburst of emotions that boiled like a furnace from both Kay and the dying man. When the man finally died his eyes fell hard on Kay. She had the same look as a beaten animal expected to be beaten and dragged off, believing his words to be hollow.

But when Kay stepped off the man she didn't find him dragging her away or beating her against the walls of this empty chamber that have been stained with her blood in the past. He moved close resting his hands on her shoulders "Well done..did you feel his life slip through your fingers? You had absolute control over his fate, life and death. That is power, well done." Prazutis whispered in her ear. "Before I give you what was promised you must kneel before me." Prazutis said. Once she had knelt he would motion for her to rise and again moved behind her guiding her to the door of the chamber. He slid the black veil over her face again securing it so she once more couldn't see. "Stay still." Prazutis said as he picked her up in his arms. In the position he held her she had no idea of what twists and turns he made.

But one thing was sure the walk was definitely longer than it normally should've been, but precisely how long she couldn't say. Right when she'd normally be dropped just outside of her cell before being beaten and thrown violently inside the walk continued. She heard a door slide open and then shut in rapid succession. Prazutis set her down then and pulled the veil off of her face. Much like the rest of the rooms she's seen which held either crafted stone walls or the dark gray metal ones this one was carefully cut out of the dark rock by the hand of a highly skilled master. The dark stone was specked with gold but the room itself was relatively spartan with the exception of how warm it was. In the center of the chamber there was large ornate stone bath carved right out of the rock the stone was then tiled. Off to one side there was a long bench where a set of undergarments and simple spartan black tunic and trousers sat.

In a set of stone shelves off to one side right next to a rack that held towels were cleaning products she could use as well. "Go ahead. Feel free to take your time."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay wanted to shrink away when [member="Darth Prazutis"] put his hands on her shoulders, tell him not to touch her, to just go away and leave her alone, but she didn't. She clenched her jaw as she listened to him talk of power. She knew of power. In another life she ruled over an entire planet. Unless that was a dream. It was hard to tell for sure.

And there was the catch. Getting what was promised after her task was completed, wasn't going to come easy. He had yet another thing for her to do. Kneel. It was a sign of submissiveness, but also of respect. Her brows furrowed, her gaze nowhere in particular while she thought about it. Perhaps later she could be more defiant. Now was not the time. So she knelt, albeit a little clumsily, and when he motioned for her to stand again, she grabbed his arm and used it for support. Once she was fully on her feet, Kay let go. She wanted to remain as independent as she could.

Prazutis soon led her to the door and once again put the veil over her head. Her body stiffened as she waited for the pain to begin again, but outside of her bruises being slightly pinched while he carried her, there was nothing. It felt like forever that he walked.

Once again she was set down, the veil removed. She half expected to find more torture devices, but there was just a gorgeous tub filled with steaming water. Was she going to be drowned today? Boiled alive? No. The clothing, towels and what looked like cleaning supplies, oils and soaps gave her hope. Kay walked over to the shelves, grabbing whatever bottles of oils and soaps that she could. "...Leave me...Please..." Not even waiting to see if he would comply, she dropped the contents of the bottles into the hot water, not caring if it was too much. Then she felt the temperature, noting that it thankfully didn't seem too hot, before she stepped into it and let herself sink into the heat. If Prazutis stuck around, she just ignored him. Right now her whole world was in the tub, surrounded in it's soothing heat while she let in envelop her and finally, she got to relax. It was the best that she had felt in months.

Only when the water got cold, did she climb out, dry herself off and got dressed. The heat had taken a lot of energy out of her as all of her muscles got to relax. But she had finally been able to feel the Force in a small measurement and was able to tap into it to rejuvinate herself enough to do what she needed.

Now what? She wanted to eat, to drink, to sleep, but there was no way in her mind that that was going to come easy.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

She received no such luck.

He wasn't about to leave his prisoner alone in such a comfortable setting, especially with the various oils and instruments around in case she tried to get creative. So Braxus stayed and waited until [member="Lady Kay"] dried herself and then dressed. "Do you see what I made you do?" He said walking to Kay. Braxus rested his hands on her shoulder then, brushing the hair from her eyes. "The only way you survive is if you recognize your strength and the weakness in others. Those thralls were weak, spineless, they were weak." Braxus said stepping closer "Stay still." The Dark Lord said putting the veil back over her head and lifting her up in the air. "You've taken a big step today Kay." Braxus told her while the pair walked back to the cells.

"You are still unrefined but we will teach you. It might be hard to believe now but you were once someone else, Kay. You were weak and naive. She no longer exists Kay, we've killed her together. You helped finally kill what little remained of that naive woman." Braxus said. More time passed until finally the veil was lifted and she stared at the hard black door of a cell she seemed familiar with. During her imprisonment she was beaten bloody and dragged down the halls where she spent time in several of the cells some of which she could barely breath in. Unlike the ones she spent the most time in this cell was larger and she would have room to even lay down. Braxus once more placed his hands on her shoulders while a guard swept by them opening the cell door. "You've done excellent work today Kay." She was guided back into the cell, where the lights once more shut off.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Never alone. She knew that he was there the entire time, but had ignored him. And now after the heat and weightlessness of the water, she was tired.

Again [member="Darth Prazutis"] approached and placed his hands on her shoulders. She flinched a little as he moved her hair, just waiting for the moment when the calm would be over and she would be struck. As he spoke of those she had killed just an hour ago, she furrowed her brows. Yes, they were weak. Who knows how long they had endured torture until they were brought to her. They needed release. She could see it in their eyes as she was sure that she had the same look in her own eyes many times during her imprisonment. So she freed them, ending their lives as quickly as she could, for that's what she would have wanted for herself.

And then he told her to be still. Her eyes closed as the veil was brought over her face. Always in the dark, the light always short lived. Kay leaned her head against him while he carried her, his voice, coupled with the rhythm of his steps was almost lulling her to sleep. She listened to what he said, wondering who else was going to be tasked with teaching her. She didn't know what to say or think when he told her that who she was had died. Much of her life before her capture was a blur. She was married once, but he was killed because she was weak. Others had taken her, tortured her in other ways. Did they think that she was weak too? Were they trying to do the same as he was? But why? What made her so special above others? Maybe it was because she was a leader, a ruler of Commenor. That could be the difference. She was Royalty, Nobility, a Monarch...Those she killed were probably thieves.

Kay's thoughts were interrupted as she was set down and the veil removed. Her body stiffened as she saw the cell door, but she made no move to fight back as she was placed within it. She was still too tired. She didn't even talk to the man in all this time. Talking hadn't done her any good here so far. It always led to more pain.

When the lights went out, she sighed and felt along the wall, taking note of where it was before she lay herself down and curled up, using her arm for a pillow. Despite wearing clothes again she shivered. Her hair was wet and she lay on a cold stone floor. Yet sleep came anyways, albeit light as her mind just waited for the noise to start. It seemed to be a neverending cycle of which she still saw no end.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Precisely two weeks went by after the first experience of death and every say since the experience was far different than all of the months she had been there. Every day she was brought in and laid down where her mind was laid bare before the Sith Lord who had thoroughly shattered everything that [member="Lady Kay"] was, the man who effectively killed her spiritually. The womans mind was left in a sorry state from what it was before, now it was shattered and torn apart what memories were left were covered in the blood and gore of her pain, the terror filled experiences of three solid months of torture, twenty four hours a day. But behind every memory of torture was a deep planted seed that it was her fault. Every experience of horror she inflicted upon herself through her refusal to give in.

This time it was different when Kay was told to lay down for "treatment" he began an exhaustive and extensive process of rebuilding her mind as a whole. It was incredibly complex to repair someones mind after one has thoroughly torn it apart, but he was a master of the art. Darth Prazutis worked day and night on every nook and cranny, molding the delicate clay of her mind and shaping it in his image. The lies of the Jedi, their hypocrisy, all of the ideals of darkness he adhered to were planted in the roots of her newly risen garden. But repairing her mind with those memories while damning everyone she loved, especially stoking her rage for their utter desertion and how weak they truly were was childs play. It was the trust in himself that took the longest. Every memory she had of him was synonymous with pain and he knew it.

So it was an exhaustive process to ensure she saw that the old Kay-Larr was weak, spineless, naive, and foolish. She wasted her true potential and never developed into what she truly could be: greatness. Through pain she was truly reborn, and it was he who saw her potential. Braxus worked tirelessly to mentally and verbally lecture Kay drumming into her what good he did for her. But above all he drained into her who her true master, her rescuer was. Over this period of time her compliance was rewarded first be daily baths and new changes of clothes, even a temperature change in her cell after she was forced to choke the life out of several more prisoners, as well as beating one to death. Today as she had gotten used to the Sith Lord set her down and pulled the veil off revealing the same empty chamber she was always brought to, except this time there was a thrall chained to the wall.

Prazutis handed her a whip, and a knife while he moved close behind her guiding her right up to the man "Kay, make him suffer, make him bleed, make him beg for the sweet kiss of death and I will end the sounds that keep you awake and give you precious sleep, and light."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Each day was different, yet the same. One could find the pattern in them. After getting her doses of nutrition every few days, she would be taken to a room. Sometimes [member="Darth Prazutis"] entered her mind and still she was too weak to stop him. Sometimes he would give her lectures, or at least they felt like they were. Every torture session and beating was due to her inability to stop it. Hiding her Force gifts is what made her so easily caught. Yet there was no one coming to her rescue. They either didn't care, or weren't strong enough to do so. The Jedi fought, beat and killed whenever it suited them, just like the Sith, and just like non-Force users. It was all about control. Her own naivety gave others the chance to control her. And she had let them. Much like she had to let them do here.

Now was the time to build her strength and fight back against any that tried to hold her. She was brought here to be saved and to be shown the way, to regain control of her life. And there was no way that she was going to give that up and waste away. Her efforts didn't go unnoticed. Either they preferred her smelling better or she was doing enough for such a small thing. Now she wanted more.

And just as she was thinking that, Kay was brought back to a cell, raising a brow slightly to see the man chained up. She took the weapons given to her but just held them. Normally she liked to make the deaths quick. Why she was to make him suffer as she did, she wasn't sure. If he was set to die, then surely he wasn't going through the same experiences as she had. Her steps were more rigid while she was led up to her next victim and told to make him suffer and beg. She turned her head as Prazutis gave his offer. Suffering and death in exchange for sleep. Kay wanted to ask for more, for real food and drink, but there just might not be any in this place, wherever she was.

She spread out her arms a bit. "I need some room...I've never used a whip before." It was true, she hadn't. Kay was only ever at the receiving end, and only while she was here. The first crack of the whip backfired, the tip cutting into her cheek. She brought her hand up to catch the blood that started to dribble down. That stung. She clenched her jaw and swung the whip low, cutting into the man's waist. He screamed and for a moment she hesitated. This man was here for a reason. He had done bad things, horrible crimes and this was his punishment, to be made to suffer by the hands of a weak woman. How devastating to his ego, if the victim even had one. She stung him with the whip even more, not having a lot of control with it. At times it even hit above his eyes. Kay found herself tuning out his screams as she drew into herself. When her arm got tired she threw down the whip onto the blood soaked floor. She wanted to slit his throat then, but he didn't beg yet. He just whimpered and cried. So she crouched down and slit his tendons above his heels, preventing him from being able to walk properly. Then came the hamstrings. "How does it feel to no longer have control of yourself?..." She wasn't expecting an answer. Kay drove the handle of the knife down to a certain point between his neck and shoulder, hitting one of main arteries that carried blood to his brain. It caused his whole body to tense up. Blood began to drip from his nose. She watched and waited until she saw the look in his eyes that signalled it was time. He was begging without speaking, wanting release. Kay waited a second longer before she pierced his heart, leaving the knife there as the life faded from his eyes. He was released. He got his freedom.

She stepped back from the body, waiting for approval or critique, followed by the veil. In a way she envied the thrall. He was no longer trapped. Perhaps one day she would be released too.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​While [member="Lady Kay"] went about methodically pulling apart the helpless thrall he stood a ways back towering over the pair like the overlord he was. Every move she made was carefully observed and mentally scrutinized by the Sith Lord. Kay was by all means no expert in the art in fact she was a novice, a novice of giving it but a veteran of receiving torture. First it was almost comical to see her fumble with the whip even cutting herself while she tried to sting a helpless unmoving prisoner. There was no control, no precision in her movements and her arm strength was weak especially after months of continual agony, and limb snapping she experienced. But while it all unfolded an flow of memories from the past emerged, instead of a dark chamber hidden beneath the great mountainous citadel of Vain Hollow, instead of the vast hidden labyrinthine chambers of dungeons, torture rooms, laboratories, vaults and workrooms he saw the undercroft of their citadel on Thule.

​After his extensive career in the galaxy as a mercenary and a hitman Braxus found his calling in the Old Sith Empires imperial commandos, serving among them with skill and ability never before seen. But it was through them that he found his nephew and accepted his dark offer. He could remember like it was yesterday when he swing the whip and gripped the knife of torture for the very first time. He was much stronger than her but he was unrefined, he knew only mild interrogation techniques from the underworld and wholly how to resist torture but never truly how to bring it down. Kaine was an master of the art and he guided him every step of the way "Think of the body as a canvas and the whip, the knife, the instrument as your brush. It's more than just violence it's an art form one masters." ​Most of all it was important to embrace what unfolded, if you couldn't completely embrace it and attempted to shut it out, you would never be successful in anything but failure.

​When the man finally stopped screaming and she finally killed him did he approach there was no clapping or smile on his face. "Your resistance I can feel it." ​Braxus said wiping a trickle of blood off of her cheek. "He was a fool and a weakling. If he was truly strong he wouldn't have been locked up here, or he would've broken from his bindings and strangled you with the whip. The strong live and the weak either bend the knee, or they perish. This is the way, this is our way." ​​Braxus added as he walked past Kay, pulling the knife from the mans neck and cleaning the blade, before returning back to her, speaking to his soon to be apprentice "You cannot hold yourself back or distance yourself even while you bring the whip or the knife down. Focus and embrace it feel the pain, the agony, the fear radiate from him and feed off of it." ​Braxus twirled the knife between his fingers twisting it around clearly displaying a mastery of the bladed weapon while he twirled and even switched between different grips one could use with the knife. "Don't just see their body, envision it as a canvas and the knife or the whip, any instrument you use as your brush. It's a delicate art form pain is inflict too little and nothing will be gained, inflict too much and the individual dies or is no longer of any intelligible use. Good work." ​The Sith Lord said sliding the veil over her head. Kay was brought back to her cell again but this time when the veil came off and she entered, the door slamming shut. The light dimmed casting shadows but remained on and the sound no matter how long she waited never returned, it never interrupted her sleep.

​Once more in the days following she was brought out again for more "treatments" by the Dark Lord yet more intrusions while he built her mind from the ground up, solidifying the new foundation he built into a strong cement, a strong bedrock to build up on. It was in these sessions she was often kept in a different chamber similar to first torture chamber she was in except it was bare of all but a table in the center, a room she was brought to after the extensive treatment was over with. It was one thing to rebuild a mind but it was important to ensure she herself was used to, and continued to build upon his foundation herself in the direction he set her on: darkness. It was in one of these rooms several days after that she sat, the Sith Lord sitting in a chair in front of her.
​"Explain to me what you have learned so far, how you interpret it all and what you have experienced. Tell me your thoughts."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay closed her eyes as he spoke of her resistance. Without even seeing her eyes while she tortured the man, [member="Darth Prazutis"] had known. She opened her eyes again when he wiped the blood from her cheek. Maybe if he was stronger the thrall would have fought back, but then so would she. Yet she was kept as weak as they were.

She listened while he spoke of treating it as an art form. Kay furrowed her brows as she was never the artistic sort that she could remember. She was a leader. It was a difficult thing to embrace, having to put others through what she went through and enjoy it, especially as she didn't have the strength or stamina to do it. Not under her current state.

Again Kay was blinded as she was put back in her cell, the door slamming behind her. It was surprising to see the lights remaining on, dimmed as they were. When she curled up on the cold stone floor, her mind remained awake for some time while she waited for sleep. Just nodding off would wake her up as she was so used to not getting rest within the cells.

Time went by, more conditioning was done. Did she trust him? Somewhat. He didn't bring so much pain anymore and he would follow through with his promises of rewards should she perform the tasks put before her. And now a different challenge. An opening. Whether or not he would like or approve of what she had to say, she didn't know. But she certainly wasn't going to find out if she held anything back.

"My thoughts? I have plenty of them. I've learned how strong I am, yet how weak at the same time. Will I ever be released? I don't know. You keep me in a perpetual weakened state. How long has it been since I've had a proper meal? You tell me to put others through the same that I have gone through, yet by keeping me as nothing but skin and bones you have doomed me to constant failure. What are you afraid of? That I would escape? I don't even know where on Commenor I am, or if i'm even on my planet to begin with. Give me the chance to fight back, give me a goal, an end game. You wouldn't go to all of this trouble if you didn't have something in mind." She was looking for the hope that she lost...There was a craving for something growing, but she couldn't put a finger on it.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Progress.

​A sly grin formed in the fringes of his face while he listened to [member="Lady Kay"] speak her thoughts on everything that she's experienced here. While she wouldn't be able to understand the purpose of this experience yet, she would in time. The mold was still taking root and it was more of these talks that would solidify that mold to help form the new person she was becoming. "As I have said we've worked to kill the old you, the weak version of yourself. Remember it was her who put you through all this pain, she could've ended it all through one simple act." ​Prazutis said leaning over the table to grab her hand, he knew he'd make her uncomfortable, good. She wasn't meant to ever be comfortable until she was fully acclimated.

A silence filled the room for a brief few minutes that seemed like hours before he spoke once again "We are helping you to realize your true potential one step at a time. It is through me that you can only realize that potential Kay. You will kneel at my feet and recognize me as your sovereign lord and master. Only then will we be able to take the next step." ​Prazutis said standing up and walking around the table, he stood Kay up and guided her to face the mirror on the wall behind her, it was a thick one way mirror. Braxus stood right behind her while she had a good look at just how malnourished and weak she truly was "The answers to all of those questions, where you are, when can you step out of your cell, when can you get a good nights rest, food, only you can find and get those things through: Strength through unity, unity through faith, faith through obedience. Adhere to my teachings and take the initiative, absorb the knowledge I give you. There is no point in fighting, you know in your heart that darkness is the only path to true power, true success. Kay-Larr was a miserable women with a terrible life, and a fool who surrounded herself with fools. But you will be stronger, you will be better...kneel before me, and pledge yourself to me, and only then can you truly progress.." ​​Braxus said.

​He stepped away from Kay then.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Kay furrowed her brows while she looked at him. Her old self. Through all of the trauma and with him attacking her mind, there were only bits and pieces of it that she could remember, and none of it was good. There was always pain, pain in many different forms. For a long time she had resisted to kill, even to attack him.

[member="Darth Prazutis"] grabbed her hand then, causing her to lose her train of thought. Her body stiffened as she waited for pain to come again, either in mind or in body, but it didn't. She held his gaze while he just remained silent.

And then he said it. He wanted her to swear fealty to him, to call him her Lord and Master. Such a thing seemed almost wrong. She used to free slaves, didn't she? And she was a leader. Others were to bow to her, not the other way around.

Prazutis then stood her up and led her to the mirror. She looked up at herself then. It was the first time that she'd seen herself in months. And what Kay saw was death. She had lost a lot of weight, her eyes looked hollow and dark, her skin blotchy with bruises and pale. A mere gust of wind looked like it could topple her over. He spoke then, while she continued to stare at her reflection. Her hand reached out, touching the mirror's surface as she took in his words. There was no other way. Her path made her weak, kept her in confinement, while his path will make her strong and give her freedom.

He stepped away from her, leaving her with only herself to look at. She whispered, repeating some of his words to herself, "Strength through unity...unity through faith...faith through...obedience..." Kay closed her eyes as she forced herself to accept it rather than fight it. After a moment she opened them, sliding her hand off of the mirror. "..Okay.." She turned from the mirror and approached Prazutis, taking a knee before him with her head lowered. "You are my Lord and Master...I am yours to teach as you will it..."

And now she waited for her rebirth to begin.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​"Excellent. I can feel your anger..it gives you focus, makes you stronger." ​Braxus said staring down at [member="Lady Kay"]. So finally after so many months of pain and agony, so many months of torture to utterly dehumanize the Rogue Master she finally, utterly submits. There was no deceptive cloud hanging over her, no curtain she pulled up and no defenses she brought forth to ensure he couldn't see through a lie she cleverly designed. Those words were of someone utterly broken, reborn into something entirely new. "The old Kay Larr is dead. Starting today you will be reborn into something new, something stronger." ​The Dark Lord said as a grin formed on his face while he observed his work. "I am your eternal lord and master, I am Darth Prazutis. Ensure that you never forget that." ​​Prazutis said motioning for her to stand up.

​The Sith Lord approached the door of the chamber picking her up once more as he always did. This time the walk she felt was definitely longer than they were previously. Naturally her concept of time was nonexistent but she definitely knew they weren't going back to her cell. When she was set down on the ground again she felt the familiar texture of the stone floor. A common trait across the citadel she saw in her brief glimpses were a blend of master crafted stone and metal together, creating an industrial yet ever more ornate look. When her veil was pulled up what she saw next was possibly startling. It was a one person single bed in the center of a small room with dark gray covers and white sheets sitting on a black frame. To the one side was a wardrobe while the other held an empty desk. The room's walls were primarily the nigh impenetrable black and occasionally gold speckled stone with metal doors and framework mixed beautifully into the stone. For all the pain she experienced in her past life here there was something to be said for the excellent design work.


​"This set of chambers will be your new home from now on. For now you can go anywhere within but until I test you, and you prove yourself you will not be allowed to leave these chambers. This is your new bed chambers, follow me." ​Prazutis said walking down the hall where she passed a full bathroom relatively Spartan design complete with a shower. When they reached the end of the hallway he opened the door and stepped out revealing a central columned atrium devoid of the typical skylight. It was large certainly large enough to train and fight within. In this chamber the columns were embroidered in gold and carvings within depicted great blade wielding warriors locked in various scenes of battle. The walls held similar murals of war and battle, nothing she could actually recognize. "The atrium where we will train." ​He said walking around the one side to open the next door where inside was a small kitchen.

It was then that the smells hit her nose like a tidal wave: food. Kay saw sitting on the dark kitchen table a plate of steaming hot food comprised of meats with plenty of vegetables, a side of fruit, and a glass of wine. "Strength through unity, unity through faith, faith through obedience. Obey your master prove yourself worthy of the gifts I am giving you, and you will continue to get more. You will not be starved or fed by IV anymore for now." ​​Prazutis said. Just as she went to step in he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him moving close. "Remember everything you have. Everything you are, and everything you will be is because I given it to you, and it can all be taken away my apprentice." ​Once he finished Prazutis stepped to the side letting her eat at the table.

 

[Kay-Larr]

Eternal Lord and Master. She was no longer her own person. Of course she hadn't been the moment that she was abducted. Kay took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, thinking on that revelation and giving in to accept it. "Yes...Master."

She got to her feet and let him take her to her cell, closing her eyes and feeling the warmth of her breath on her face from the veil over her head. Still she felt spent and worn out from all of her fighting. It would be good to be strong again, to not have to rely on others.

The walk was longer and that made her a little nervous. She was going somewhere new. But how many steps were taken? How many turns? She had lost track. When [member="Darth Prazutis"] set her down and removed the veil, she was shocked. Was it some kind of trick? His words suggested otherwise. Kay looked around, not moving as she took it all in. A bed. A real one. With blankets and sheets too. And extra clothing. She wanted to put them all on at once, layer herself up in the warmth, but not now. She'll wait until she's alone.

Kay walked with him, passing the bathroom and eyeing the tub. She was in luxury compared to her cell, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it. Then they came upon the atrium. It was beautiful in it's own way. She squinted her eyes as she looked at the artwork, occasionally looking to Prazutis. So she was going to fight. There wasn't much that she could recall about doing it herself, outside of freeing slaves and escaping bounty hunters. Maybe, if she wasn't so weak and foolish, she would have avoided all the torture. But, there was little cause to fret over it. What's done is done.

Prazutis soon opened a door and the smells coming out of it caused her to freeze in her tracks. Her stomach grumbled as she saw the plate, watching as the steam rose along with the decadent odour. Illusions don't smell. Kay looked to him while he spoke, nodding her head. Yet the moment he said 'for now', it gave her pause. It was a threat, a promise to take everything away should she not live up to his expectations. That thought was proven the moment that he grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him. She held his gaze, not to challenge him but to study him. This wasn't part of some other form of torture. He wanted her to do well by him. So it was best that she obliged.

Kay bowed her head. "Yes, Master. I will not forget. Thank you..." He soon let her go and stepped to the side, giving her the signal that she could go and eat. Slowly she approached the table and sat down, taking it all in. But instead of wolfing everything down, Kay took it slowly, knowing that rushing it would just upset her stomach. First the began with the vegetables, and then the meat. The wine was not to her taste. Her nose would wrinkle a little at the strength of it, the sour smell, but beggars couldn't be choosers. So she did her best to hide the taste with what she was eating. Finally she got to the fruit. It's juices were far better than the wine, and she sucked what she could out of them before munching it down.

When she was finished, she wiped her mouth with the napkin, as well as her hands and then stood from the table, awaiting further instruction. She didn't feel at all comfortable with speaking her mind just yet. So for now she just remained a silent servant.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​"Come." ​The Sith Lord said exiting the kitchen he carefully made his way back down the halls of her newfound quarters. He finally stopped in the atrium where he entered the large squared area, taking off the large robe and setting it aside so he only wore the dark tunic and trousers beneath.

​Finally they would begin her training, her ascension from nothing to the epitome of power. The lessons began today. "We will begin your training, first you will show me the extent of your skill with a blade.." ​Braxus said pulling two metal blades with rounded edges from a stand close by. The blades were sized and weighed to match that of a lightsaber so that they could be used without fear of injury. Furthermore the actual blade portions were coated with the barbs of the pelko bug, a native to Korriban. The pelko venom was powerful, nonlethal, and paralytic in nature. Any limb struck would immediately go numb simulating the effects of having it severed. "The wielding of a lightsaber is a crucial subject in any force users training. Just one half of the cohesive whole. In order to truly master your powers you must work to master both areas, and by finding a style that suits you." ​Braxus said tossing one of the weapons to [member="Lady Kay"] while he took the other in his hand.

"Now come at me, and show me what you know."

 

[Kay-Larr]

Oh no. Lightsaber training. It certainly wasn't her strongsuit. Even on her missions, she hardly used it. Her late husband didn't want her fighting or caught up in battles. That was his job. She was the healer of both mind and body. Her time in her past life was working towards preventing fighting. The role of a politician kept her out of it.

And that kept her weak.

Kay fumbled with the blade a little once @Darth Praxutis tossed it at her, but she didn't drop it. Her fingers tightened on the grip. This was how she could possibly win her freedom. Through fighting. But right now her confidence level was as incredibly low as her strength. Still,.....it was no excuse.

"My skills are not that great with fighting. I know of no styles, only of reacting. My old self was kept away from it. But through your teaching, I can be strong." And powerful. It would certainly surprise her enemies.

Was she still to come at him as he instructed? Or wait? There was only so long that she could hesitate. He was just so much bigger and stronger than she was right now. Kay retightened her grip on the hilt and focused on her anger for herself and those that held her back from greatness. The anger fueled her and gave her energy, so she rushed forward, raised the blade's tip high and swung diagonally down, from his left side just under his rib cage.

 

[Darth Prazutis]

​Amusement.

​Amusement flashed through his mind as his apparently untrained apprentice lashed out breaking nearly every unspoken rule of saber combat like a savage. [member="Lady Kay"] looked like an infant as she struck out towards him, but at least she was doing some things right. Kay was learning to use her anger to fuel her assault, to give her muscles energy enough to provide a vicious swing.

​She never came close.

​Darth Prazutis was a master of multiple saber forms, an accomplished duelist who created his own unique hybrid style through these masteries upon a bedrock of Djem-So, an aggressive style optimized by the large and strong to maximum effect. Immediately Prazutis shifted into the defensive saber style of Soresu deflecting and redirecting her attack to either side rather than taking the brunt head on. "You fight like an untrained child. An attack must always be grounded on proper footing."​ Prazutis said as he switched to Djem-So to deliver a powerful strike down at the lesser, weakened Kay.

​Just as he expected her saber would come up to defend against him and when she did his full strength would come crashing down upon the untrained fighter likely sending her crashing down to the ground. "When you fight an opponent who holds strength and size over you never take the brunt of their blows head on. Deflect and parry their strikes and let their energy carry the strike off to one side or the next, allowing them to fall upon your strength alone and you are dead."