Private In Perpetuity

[Marcus Dinn]

After he told his story in order to illustrate his point about free will, Revna decided to divulge the details of her past as well. The story helped to pass the time during their journey to the lab. Though he had seen much of it in his visions, he didn’t interrupt her with questions or comments apart from one cryptic remark: “You are like my father. Except you’re better at being a Sith.”

His father had been a slave, too. The Sith lifted him out of bondage and put him on the path to becoming an alchemist. Yet they could not bestow upon him the ambition and focus which were required to make a good Sith. His father was not driven by any of these things. Even after being cursed, wandering for years in the Netherworld, and nearly losing his son to a rival, he was still ultimately just a sad, broken man who had never known anything better. Marcus had been skeptical of Revna’s motives, but his concerns were soothed by the thirst for power she expressed. With that attitude, she would go far.

As for Silas Fogg, it was hard to miss his disappointment upon learning Revna was not there to be experimented upon. He had been hankering for new test subjects all week. Marcus smirked at him. “If our order continues to be delayed, I will personally escort some fodder down here before the week is out. You have my word, master.”

Silas snorted, then stood up a little straighter when Revna called him milord. He stepped out from behind the console to get a better look at their guest. He was much older than he looked, but thanks to his alchemical skills he still had the appearance of a handsome young man with no signs of aging. Yet if you looked closely, you would see that his red and black robes were fraying at the edges, decades of wear and tear visible in the gildenweave fabric.

“Then a demonstration is in order.” He walked over to an empty table, tracing a possessive hand over its smooth, unmarked surface as he kept his eyes fixed on Revna. “But whatever shall we make?”

Revna​

 

[Revna]

Marcus Dinn


A very small smile tugged at the corner of Revna’s mouth hearing that whatever she had said reminded Marcus of his father, and to his comment about her being better at the whole Sith thing, but she remained quiet on the matter as they entered the labratory.

The young woman didn’t miss the looks of disappointment that crossed the Master Alchemist’s face when it was learned that she would not be an experiment for him to tinker with. The man’s reaction made her smirk with some amusement. She remained still where she stood as the man - Silas Fogg - approached her to get a better look at her, no doubt. It wasn’t the first time she’d been assessed by others, and it wouldn’t be the last.

Revna assessed the man too; he looked youthful, but she knew looks could be deceiving. Her gaze flickered over him, noticing the age on his black and red robes, the wear and tear on them. She kept her gaze locked on the man as he moved over to a table, saying that a demonstration was in order, posing the question of what should be made next.

The young woman shifted her weight to one leg and crossed her arms over her chest as she chewed her lip in thought.

“You know, I’ve been curious about the alchemical use and applications of poisons or toxins that could be used either on physical blades for obvious reasons, or for other purposes that are not so obvious. Surely someone of your…renown…would know something about that. It may be a trivial thing for you or even for young Marcus here, but even trivial things have their uses, do they not?”

 

[Marcus Dinn]

"If you're looking to cripple your opponents with pain, Devaronian blood diamonds will do the trick," Silas said, turning to pluck a container of the diamonds from a shelf.

What, just that? Rather than allow his mentor to continue on such a simplistic line of thinking, Marcus stepped in. "That would be a cowardly way to fight, wouldn't it?" he asked.

"Yes," Silas replied, his back still to them. "Yes, it would be."

"Do you think Revna and I are cowards?"

Silas turned to face them then, a smirk curling the corners of his mouth. "I know you're not. As for your friend, I hardly know her."

It was a provocative speech, one meant to test Revna. Her reaction would determine whether she could unlock the secrets she sought.

Revna​

 

[Revna]

Marcus Dinn


She listened quietly, noting the master alchemist’s words about Devaronian blood diamonds. Her eyes flickered to the container as she eyed them, tilting her head slightly before her attention was drawn to Marcus as he questioned the cowardly intentions behind using such a thing. A slight smile curled on her lips as she continued to observe the interaction, noting the reactions of the other two men.

Silas agreed with Marcus’s assessment, and she agreed as well. She preferred a more…direct approach to killing someone, herself. However, she was an heir to the legacy of Darth Ophidia - and such things as this were tools of the trade for Sith assassins at times, when the situation called for it. Though Revna did not consider herself an assassin by any means, the knowledge could still prove useful. Besides, she had other reasons for asking about such things.

The master alchemist responded - of course he knew Marcus not to be a supposed coward, but he did not know Revna. His simple words seemed probing, and she raised her eyebrow as she considered her reply before speaking.

“It is still knowledge worth knowing, worth exploring and studying. I am curious and interested in such things. While I may never personally find a use for such things - having the information on hand is wise, in my opinion. Besides…a Sith should learn all that they can. There is nothing off limits to us; our only hindrance is ourselves…and our fear of what others might think of us. I could care less if someone thinks me a coward for having the knowledge to use poisons and toxins against others.”

She wasn’t entirely sure if her response would be accepted or met with disappointment, but she spoke honestly and she observed them in silence to see what they would do with her reply.

 

[Marcus Dinn]

“An acolyte should care about what others think of her,” Silas said. “Especially those who have something she wants, that can’t simply be taken by force.” Then he smirked, taking a step closer and holding out the container for her to take. “Be careful with it. The slightest physical contact is enough to cause terrible pain.” After giving that warning, he returned to his work.

Marcus had gone very still. He wasn’t afraid of Silas. Rather, his gaze was fixed on Revna, wondering what she might do now that his master had refused to divulge his alchemical secrets. Maybe she would be satisfied with the blood diamonds... or maybe not. You could never be sure when it came to the Dark Side. Some of those infected with its black tentacles couldn't handle being told no.

Before things could go wrong, Marcus decided to eliminate the risk entirely. "Sith poison," he suddenly blurted. "It's been around for thousands of years, yet few Sith know about it. Satal Keto used it on Ulic Qel-Droma, turning the great Jedi hero into a raging murderer. But the compound is very versatile, and has plenty of other uses..."

He trailed off. Silas was glaring at him, but it was too late now. Perhaps Marcus was a coward after all.

Revna​

 

[Revna]

Marcus Dinn


The little woman tilted her head with the words of Silas Fogg, her brows dipping ever so slightly. As he passed the container of the blood diamonds to her and returned to whatever it was that he had been doing, her brows dipped even further as she pursed her lips. Marcus seemed to go still and quiet, stiff - even, and she glanced at him curiously, only to see that he was watching her rather intently.

She glanced back at his master and realized fairly quickly that she had failed whatever little test the alchemist had presented to her. A flicker of disappointment crossed her face and she mentally went over her response again as well as the alchemist’s words to her, trying to figure out what she said that had shut the door to this opportunity.

Revna was about to open her mouth to respond back to Silas Fogg, but Marcus beat her to it. He blurted out some information about Sith poison, which immediately piqued her interest - though she noticed, to her amusement, that his master was not pleased by his outburst…leveling a glare at his student, who trailed off into silence.

The little woman narrowed her gaze briefly as she looked between them for a moment. The tension was building, or at least - she felt tension building.

After a moment of silence, she turned her attention to the alchemist.

“Thank you, milord. You are gracious to pass these to me. I suppose, what I was trying to say, is that the only opinions I truly care about are that of my Mentor’s…and those I more closely associate with, such as Lord Malum. What strangers think of me really doesn’t change how I interact with them. If someone likes me, so be it. If they don’t, then so be it. Sure…you have information I would love to learn, but you have the right and authority to withhold your knowledge from those you feel are not worthy of it. If I don’t learn it from you, then I will just find another way. I will seek out the information I desire, one way or another.”

Revna turned her gaze to Marcus, a small smirk playing on her lips. “I appreciate the information about Sith poison; I can do my own research and studies into that later on. I am sure I can ask Darth Malum or my own Mentor for more information in regards to the question I asked of your master - they were trained by the Pale Assassin herself, afterall. I am sure they have knowledge I can glean from them on such topics.”

The container of blood diamonds vanished into the folds of her clothing, and she smiled at the alchemist. “Of course, I am willing to lend a hand or help with whatever. Unless you desire that I depart so you can carry on with your lessons with your own student. I don't wish to intrude if my presence is not welcome at this point in time.”

 

[Marcus Dinn]

Despite his considerable height, Marcus seemed to shrink under his master’s scathing glare. Well, now he did have a reason to fear Silas Fogg.

As Revna spoke, Marcus realized the magnitude of his mistake. He was about to face his master’s wrath, and here she was digging the hole even deeper.

“Of course, I am willing to lend a hand or help with whatever. Unless you desire that I depart so you can carry on with your lessons with your own student. I don't wish to intrude if my presence is not welcome at this point in time.”

“Go, before I ensure that your gray matter is never able to hold a single shred of information ever again,” Silas replied, his tight-lipped smirk dripping with malevolence. But his simmering anger was directed at Marcus, not her. She was just Malum's latest brat. They filed in and out of his house, a seemingly never-ending stream of foundlings, proteges, refugees, long-lost relations and former slaves. Most of them were gone within weeks or months, disappearing without a trace. He saw no indication that this impertinent whelp was any different.

Revna​