Dark Wings, Dark Words

[VlPER]

He narrowed his eyes dangerously at her. "And do I get to torture you when you lie to me?" He asked in an annoyed fashion. Her eating yet another slider in front of then brought on a slight smirk however. "Also, you might want to be careful with those...their going straight to your hips." Viper laughed lightly enough. He may be about to be tortured, but he'd do what he could to get under her skin in any way possible.

Her explanation for Sophie was interesting. "I guess that's one question answered." He thought to himself wondering if it was true. He cast a quick glance her way to see how she responded. Details mattered, and Viper was usually very good at figuring things out. One just had to pay attention.

When she asked about his being abandoned, his hands balled into fists as he tensed up. "I wasn't abandoned! I was overrun." Even has he said the words, there was something gnawing at the back of his mind. As if something had been said to him, but for the life of him he couldn't grasp it.

"My turn." He said finally, pushing the thought away for now. "Why me? Why did you seem to be there only for me? I'm nothing special."

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"I sensed a disturbance in the Force and investigated," Taeli replied with a shrug. His comment about the sliders and torturing her was definitely more snark, and she really didn't mind. It was quite refreshing in a way.

"And you say overrun, but it was just myself and Darth Vornskr's bannerwoman fighting you, and I arrived late. Voice Vornskr seemed to be distracted by your Grandmaster," she responded, adding a small amused laugh at the end. "That still doesn't explain why I was allowed to carry your unconscious body halfway across the city, with Republic reinforcements all around and not be impeded in the slightest. Regardless, my next question to you while dear Sophie here thinks of a response is, what did you feel when you killed Invicta Zambrano?"

She was curious since she suspected he had rationalized the entire scene, but she wasn't interested in his rationale. She wanted to know how he felt.

[member="VlPER"] [member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[VlPER]

"So do I get to zap you now? Because I sincerely doubt if there were troops nearby, that they wouldn't have fired on you for nothing more than being what you are."

Her mention of Invicta brought back images of the scene. Although his eye twitched for a moment at the request for his feelings, his face drained away of emotion as Viper simply chose to stare. Again a voice suddenly could be heard in his head. It was his master's voice. But it was just on the edge of understanding. A ghostly whisper that only just couldn't be made out.

He closed his eyes a moment and willed the voice away. "If you're trying to practice to be a shrink, I think I can recommend a couple other Jedi. I'm good though. Actually you should probably talk to her husband and see what was going through his sick twisted mind." Although still meant to be annoying, it didn't hold as much of the fervor as his previous sarcastic comments held.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"I thought that might be what you would say," Taeli chuckled, gesturing with her hand. Two hulking Yuuzhan Vong walked into the room carrying a small holo-projector. Placing it in front of Taeli they departed to go back to guarding the dungeons.

"As I'm sure you know, Sith forces have recording devices on them to keep real time images streaming back to the command center, even those that die have their holocams working still. If you don't believe me, here's your proof."

Activating the holo-projector, she brought up an image of her walking through Ahto City, levitating Viper's body in front of her. Not once, from the time she picked him up to reaching the LZ, did a Republic soldier or Jedi come and intervene to rescue the unconscious Jedi. Even when a squad of Republic soldiers came close to her, they didn't engage and moved past for some inexplicable reason.

"And you didn't answer my question, how did you feel when you killed Invicta?" she whispered, allowing the video to freeze on that image of her walking past a Republic patrol unscathed and with her prisoner.

[member="VlPER"] [member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[VlPER]

And yet, she reached out to the Knight out-of-sight.

[member="VlPER"]. Do not justify your actions. A cold-kill comes from a cold-heart. Finish your fight today, for whichever side you choose. You started as a Jedi today, and fought with The force, but you are not leaving as one. Your victory is a failure. Do not return to the ties with The Order until you better your judgement and see with the clarity of ashla.

A little preachy, but he needed to know The Order would not be a home for him after that action. As it had not been for Matsu Ike after her slaughter on Manaan. All life, Viper. A Jedi respects all life.

The words which had been so illusive finally came flooding back to his mind as vivid as if he was having the conversation right then. The voice was his master's voice. Except it wasn't the same calm collected voice that always seemed to quell his wilder side and bring him to a more peaceful state. It wasn't the same encouraging voice that built him up whenever he became frustrated at something. The person who had seen him at his worst when he arrived soon after his parents murder and made him into a better person. It was the disappointed tone of chastisement. It was the reality that what this Sith was saying was the truth.

After all he did to try and save his master whom he held with the highest respect and esteem, as well as the city. After pushing himself to the breaking point, still refusing to yield till he couldn't hang on to consciousness anymore. After all his hard work to try and follow the tenants of the Jedi to the letter, despite his sometimes differing views. The only thing his former master thought to jam into Viper's skull was a rebuke for his actions, an accusation that he was a failure, and a notice of banishment from the very Order he just fought to protect.

His eyes shifted from the projector to the Sith. He still simply remained silent, though his eyes began to grow misty as he fought to control his breathing. "Why.....?" It was all he could think of. How had he failed so fantastically to receive this as his reward for loyal service? The words Kiskla said in his head made no sense to him. A cold heart? Had Viper not felt so remorseful as to even go so far to apologize to the Sith herself for what he had to do. While it could have been construed that she was a helpless victim, her oh so loyal husband had turned her back into a weapon. A weapon in the form of an anchor meant to keep Viper still so he could be easily finished off by the woman that had snuck up behind him. An anchor, or a coiled snake ready to strike as soon as released.

The scene replayed through his mind over and over, but to this point, he still could see no other option. If Kiskla was so certain....then where was she when he needed her? Why did she do nothing about the assassin that lay at his back. He had been so concerned to cover her back, yet she didn't seem to give a care in the world to actually watch his.

Surely he was wrong about this....how could she be so uncaring and ruthless? This was not the grandmaster he had grown to know and look up too. This was all some elaborate trick....right?

"No I didn't." Was the only reply she got in response to the first part of the last comment.

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"There!' Taeli thought triumphantly, his body language had changed completely, even though to the untrained eye he was still the same. Something internal was happening in his mind, something that was eating away at his view of someone important to him in some way. His master, from she had gathered, had been the Grandmaster of the Jedi, so now she was curious what might have passed between them beforehand that would make his body language indicate internal struggle or extreme confusion.

"My theory why you were abandoned by your Jedi is two fold. One, you committed, to their mind, a cold blooded murder. I don't necessarily agree with their assumption, as I think you realized that was your only course to survive your encounter. There in lies a problem that the Jedi have, they will sacrifice themselves willingly before even thinking of survival, while we Sith prefer to live. Anyways, second part of my theory is actually a part of your own rules, a Jedi cannot have attachment to anyone or anything that they are afraid they will lose."

Turning to look at Sophie, she kept the pleasant smile up.

"For dear Sophie here, she placed too much value on gaining knowledge and wandered into the part of the Ossus ruins I was exploring myself. When I brought her as a captive to her master, he merely sighed and said she had once again placed too much value on the knowledge of the ancients. Why do you think the Jedi have never touched those ruins? It's because they don't have any attachment to what is lost, at least the current incarnation of the Order. Perhaps he should have studied ancient secrets, he might have lived then."

Turning back to Viper, she continued, "In your case, I don't think the Grandmaster had the same level of attachment to you, as you did to her. She might have been your master, but that didn't mean she wasn't above casting you off once it became clear you would perform acts outside of the Jedi's closely defined definitions of right or wrong."

[member="Sophie Gustav"] [member="VlPER"]

 

[VlPER]

"Or there was simply no other Jedi around to come after me nor any that knew I was there being captured." He said in a very neutral tone, still trying to work things through in his own mind. "Either way, is there a question in there somewhere? Because in the end, it was the generators that were more important than me. The thousands that you monsters planned to slaughter for no reason whatsoever that were kept alive by those generators. That was probably why those troops didn't care about a Sith leaving the scene. They were concerned with what mattered. Protecting the innocent from the likes of you." He made no mention of Kiskla nor his relationship with her as her student. As his mind began to harden again to her assault.

Though still not nearly to the degree he had been earlier. Perhaps his master simply didn't see the events as they played out. Perhaps she was not aware of all the circumstances and merely saw the aftermath?

[member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Given when [member="Darth Arcanix"] had entered Sophie had remained quiet while keeping to her usual guise the entire time. Every time her master spoke to her she would flinch or shy away, even when she spoke about her fake fallen master and the like. Anytime [member="VlPER"] spoke up she would look to him as if expecting him to try and make some bold escape attempt or the like. All part of the role she was playing after all. It was a good thing her master was in on her fake story, which helped to convince the Jedi or what she said was true. More and more the two would be able to chip away at his exterior before finally reaching inside and corrupting what was left.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"As I took it, most of the bombing and artillery strikes were Republic led and damaged a great deal of the city," Taeli countered easily. "Wouldn't be the first time the Republic destroyed things they were supposed to be protecting. But I digress, you could be right after all, I didn't have an ear into the Republic com system like you did. You tell me if anyone was coming to rescue you or even knew you were in trouble."

Turning to Sophie completely and deciding to let the holo-projector play the same video over and over so it would keep being reinforced in [member="VlPER"]'s head, she asked, "So Sophie, tell me why you were seeking knowledge that the Jedi decided was supposed to remain buried? From what I could gather, your master took you there more to seal the place off completely, but you ran off. Why put so much time and energy into knowledge and studying the ruins if the Jedi aren't supposed to have attachment to anything on this living plane that could potentially corrupt them? What do you think about the fact the Jedi so callously abandoned Viper here to his capture?"

Taeli knew the answer already, after all, but for appearance's sakes, she needed to appear to be trying to turn her as well. It wouldn't do if Viper was the only target.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Her question rising to her ears Sophie looked to [member="Darth Arcanix"] and knew where she was going. She was falling into the same speech she'd given Sophie the day she turned her. Now they were going to try and use it on [member="VlPER"] this time. How very clever her master was. Sophie was doing all she could to hold back a grin when she realized this. Clearing her throat and putting in more sniffles and tears she gave her answer.

"B-Because....I was just trying to learn what the old Jedi did. I...we wanted to know the secrets of the darkside. We were going to use it against you sith. My master was so intent on it but...but he didn't know how strong it really was. We just wanted to be stronger." Then looking to Viper she guessed "I..I don't know. I thought the Jedi always looked out for one another. Don't we?"

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"It would appear not. After all, the Jedi aren't allowed to have attachments to one another," Taeli said with smirk. "I believe that is tenant a of your order no? Regardless, I digress by adding that I disagree strongly with that stance. Emotions are the lifeblood of sentient life, it is what fuels us to strive for greatness, to protect those we care for, to do anything really. Emotions drive us, and because you Jedi decide to limit your emotions, you are stripping yourselves of your humanity. You're, in a sense, lashing chains around yourself to stop being sentient people. Instead, you're enslaving yourselves and becoming no better than sacrificial droids that the Jedi Council tosses out to fight and die in droves."

Taeli took a breath and continued. She knew [member="Sophie Gustav"] would recognize this argument, it was a very persuasive one apparently, but she knew it wouldn't work as quickly on Viper.

"We Sith might not be perfect beings, some of us are downright cruel and sadistic, but that is because we allow ourselves the freedom to do what we desire, what our emotions lead us to, whether it be good or ill. Sith strive to survive, it is purely nature to have a survival instinct, to embrace emotions to stay alive longer."

Turning to [member="VlPER"], she added, "You call me a monster who kills innocents, but I have never laid a hand on a being that didn't try and kill me or wasn't some criminal. It's beneath me to even consider being cruel, arrogant, or sadistic without a very good reason to be so. So in that regard, and to establish a small level of honesty, you can ask me a question. Any question at all."

 

[VlPER]

His focus was mercifully turned away from his own situation and toward the Sith as she started in on the Padawan. "Leave her be. Good grief, haven't you bothered her enough." He said with a frown but then listened to Sophie's response. He wasn't quite sure what he was hearing. It didn't sound like something a master would attempt to do....at least not with a padawan in toe. It was reckless and foolhardy even for him. When the question was turned to him from the padawan, he focused on her and nodded. "And of course we do." A voice suddenly could be heard within Sophie's mind. Something that would no doubt shock her as the room was dead to the force.

"And to prove the light is stronger, I speak to you now. Without my voice, in a room said to make this impossible." Though not exactly truthful, he hoped it would fortify her courage some against their antagonizer...whom he noticed had stopped eating. Amusing. He figured it would also make a good test to check on something else that was nagging at him. With his gaze having returned toward his captor, he asked, "So Sith....you have a name?"

[member="Sophie Gustav"] | [member="Darth Arcanix"]

 

[Zion Mirtis]

Sophie, hearing [member="VlPER"] in her head, looked over to him as he spoke to her. Truly he was gifted with amazing abilities and a grounded attitude about staying true to the light, Perhaps, in order to lower his defenses, needing to act as though his words meant something was in order. Given his words she smiled, trying to beef herself up to act more confident. After that she looked back to [member="Darth Arcanix"] as she was asked for her name. Whether she gave him her real one or her darth name didn't matter, Sophie only knew that sooner or latter the two of them would find a crack in his defenses.

 

[Taeli Raaf]

"Darth Arcanix," she said bowing to the captive Jedi slightly. He was proving most interesting, even as she rationalized every one of his actions and even the holo. He was extremely determined to try and resist, which made everything all the better. Still, something had been nagging at the back of her mind, something about the way he had killed Invicta. Her throat had been slashed as though by razor sharp claws, and [member="VlPER"] clearly didn't have those right now.

'A shape-shifter, oh this gets better and better,' she thought with a small internal smile. She suspected he might try and use that as a way to escape eventually. Clever boy, perhaps she could let him "escape," but right back into her hands. It was just another idea that could be used to discourage and break his spirit. She could her apprentice perking up a little, looking like she was drawing strength from Viper's words and attitude. But, he hadn't really said anything too encouraging lately, so that was an interesting tidbit in and of itself.

"So, I'm curious, Jedi Knight Viper, although I suspect that isn't your real name," she said with slight smile. "How exactly did you claw out Invicta's throat as I see no claws on your hands currently? And why that method of execution? You put a lightsaber through her head and slashed her throat, that isn't exactly a Jedi thing to do. That is rather dark to do actually, even for a Sith to execute someone in that manner. I can't actually ever remember reading about a Jedi stabbing someone, a prisoner, through the head. But, knowing you thus far, you'll rationalize it away as it was necessary as you couldn't keep her a prisoner for long. Not true at all, you could have knocked her unconscious, or even turned around so Vornskr's bannerwoman would have shot Invicta, putting the blame and Vornskr's wrath on her. But, clearly, you were too caught up with your emotions to even consider such a possibility."

She smiled even wider as she got up close to where he hung from his restraints.

"But you didn't do any of those lighter options, and then you chose to fight your next opponent on the move instead of staying near the Grandmaster," she continued in a whisper. "No wonder the Jedi abandoned you, you're already on the path to the dark side and you don't even know it. You may have felt regret at killing Invicta, but I think we both know, deep down, you reveled in dispatching another of your enemies. In the slaughter and blood that stained your hands as you destroyed a 'monster'. You 'protected' your loved ones, but even that would be consider an emotional attachment that will inevitably turn you to the dark side according to the Jedi. You acted rashly, without any thought beyond survival and 'protecting the innocent.' I'm sure you place the blame of your actions upon Darth Vornskr."

Turning, she picked up the remains of her lunch and moved to the door.

"You might rationalize that Vornskr's actions forced you to kill Invicta, that your regret at the bloody action was genuine, but you're only deluding yourself. The only person who holds any of the blame for your actions is yourself, no one else. You chose to take her prisoner, you chose to kill her, you chose to abandon the tenants of your Order. You did exactly what Anakin Skywalker did to Darth Tyranus centuries ago, killed a Sith that had been beaten into submission.

[member="Sophie Gustav"]