Let Sleeping Dogs Lie

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya chewed the inside of her cheek, her brow furrowed with lines as their pilot descended into Panatha's atmosphere. She had a choice in coming here, she could have come covertly, snuck in and waited for the opportune moment to show her face, but Kaine's hatred for her was unmatched by anyone. Sneaking up on him was unwise, not because she couldn't beat him, but because, quite simply she did not want to. For all she'd done to him, she deserved every ounce of pain he wanted to administer her. However, she needed his cooperation, as such, she'd announced her visit. Loudly, and demanded a conversation, not a fight. She blew a sigh out of her nose and forced herself to relax before turning her attention the the slender figure slouched behind the pilot.

"You will remain here, till I call for you."

"And if i don't?"

Oh so sure of herself, Calina was becoming more difficult to reason with, she sought a fight with Anaya at every available opportunity. "Then you will die, and not by my hand. Kaine is not to be underestimated, if he feels he can get to me by killing you, he will do exactly that."

Calina rolled her eyes, but nodded. She brought a hand to rest on the pilot's shoulder. "You know what to do if this does not go to plan." She swept out of the cockpit and descended the landing ramp to find herself peering at a line of blasters to greet her. She snorted, reached to the base of her back and tugged free her saber staff. A wave of tension rippled across the guards, fingers itched to squeeze the trigger.

"Honestly." She muttered before tossing it to the squad leader. "Keep it for my stay, if it makes you feel better." It looked a little stunned as she waltzed forward, using a gentle force push to shove a handful of them out of her way. As if she needed an escort to find Kaine.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The squad's leader, a burly Epicanthix with a shaved head a blind left eye, snarled as the crimson Twi'lek tossed him her lightsaber and then proceeded to casually push them out of her path with a slight application of the Force. But snarl was all he could do for a dark presence bid him stay his hand, and thus [member="Anaya Fen"] could wander the halls of the Panathan citadel unmolested but under constant surveillance by both the builtin security systems and by a invisible dark eye that lingered over everything and everyone within the gold domed palace. The halls were quite labyrinthine in design, intertwining and seemingly endless with an innumerable number of chambers of every shape, size, and function. Occasionally a guard or two wearing cobalt-colored armor would patrol the halls in Anaya's vicinity, but would step aside to let her pass by before continuing on their monotonous task.

However; within the never ending gothic corridors a larger pathway would be revealed that led directly to the largest chamber in the entire citadel, the throne room. A towering chamber littered with ornate columns decorated with various works of art and sculptures where braziers of a pale green file belched smoke into the air, giving the entire room the faint scent of corpses and blood. At the very end of the hallway was a massive throne carved out of a single piece of black iron with intentional jagged edges which sat upon a elevated stepped incline, and upon its seat sat the man that Anaya had come for. His body was covered by dark plate armor overlaid by a black robe that hung loosely off of his aged muscular frame, and a wide hood was drawn over his head to hide his features from the dim light of the brazier that occupied his throne room. But perhaps the most striking feature was a massive armored claw that jutted out from the right sleeve of his robe, its talons lightly tapping the throne's arm impatiently as another robed individual whispered unintelligible words to the Dark King.

But at the sight of Anaya's entrance the King dismissed his occult adviser, who scurried away into the darkness but not before casting a hateful glance at the newcomer. The King then addressed Anaya with a booming authoritarian voice with the consistency of gravel, "What is the meaning of this trespass, Anaya? Have you truly gone insane, or have you grown disenfranchised with living?" The hate in his voice was palpable.

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya pulled a sour face, whether it was the smell or the sight of Kaine elevated before her, she couldn't decide. She winked at the glaring messenger, as she continued her steady pace across the throne room and up the steps of his lordship's pedestal.

She came to a halt at his feet and folded her arms, eyes taking in every detail. "It's not a trespass, my love, I called to say I was coming." She turned her back on him, admiring the view for a moment. "Death has done you no justice, Kaine." She said turning back to face him, and moving down a step to pace in front of him.

"And I am most definitely insane." She stopped and looked up at him. "I have a proposition for you, if your willing to hold off killing me."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Given intent or no, it is still a trespass." This time his voice was just a hoarse whisper, cracked lips parting to hatefully hiss the words now that she had come within his vicinity. He reached up with his left hand to grasp the brim of the hood that covered his face and quickly flung it back to expose his withered, battle-scarred features to the woman he once held closest to his heart. His eyes were like burning coals smashed into the sockets of a skull with only a thin tapestry of flesh draped over the bone, and where once a great mass of black locks flowed there was only scars and burnt follicles on an empty scalp. An unholy stark contrast to the man that Anaya had one known, once loved, now permanently twisted and corrupted by the dark power he willfully indulged in despite the detriments to his body, his mind, and his soul.

Still, even with his putrid features his body was strong and muscled, his body created to be the embodiment of physical fitness, but lately he has suffered spasms in his nerves that had grown intolerable and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would require a fresh body soon. He conveyed none of his self-serving concerns to Anaya as his hateful orbs bore into hers, and the visage of a cruel sneer lightly marked his features as he stood to his full height of two point oh six meters. "That is yet to be seen, speak your piece and I will decide whether or not I will separate your head from your shoulders and mount it on my wall."

[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

She should recoiled in disgust, or perhaps even fear as Kaine revealed his warped features. He wasn't even a shadow of the man she'd once loved, he was simply a shell filled with hate and pain. A sith at its worst. Was this what they had come to? Was this how far they were willing to go in pursuit of raw power? She was quiet or moment, her expression soft as she eyed him with pity. A blink, an intake of breath and she reverted back to an impassive expression.

"Death does not scare me." she replied sharply. "You, do not scare me. I have faced and dealt with far greater terrors than you Kaine Zambrano. So put aside your petty desire to kill me. What happened between us was a lifetime ago, literally, in your case, you should have reached the ability to let it go a long time ago holding a grudge for so long says a great deal about your weaknesses." She raised an eyebrow and swept her eyes up and down his form again.

"You have a problem, getting planets under your jurisdiction in line without inducing hate and rebellion. I've come to offer a solution, and in return I ask a favour. Still interested or is killing me still more appealing?"

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He thought that he had gotten over her betrayal, but things run deeper than he had previously thought. He allowed such thoughts to dissipate into nothingness as his scowl only deepened, yet his eye's luster diminished ever so slightly. "You presume much, but know little. It always was your shortcoming." he retorted in his own sharp tone, and then proceeded to sit back down on his throne as he mulled over [member="Anaya Fen"]'s hinted offer. It was true that the Empire's heavy-handed tactics invoked the occasional dissent among the general population, but nothing so dramatic that it had to be labeled as a rebellion. Still, she came all this way and walked into the den of the lion to beseech him to listen, so perhaps it was in good taste to humor her for now.

There was always time for a beheading later.

"Fine, Anaya, what do you have in mind?"

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya smiled, pleased with her victory, however small. "It's very simple actually. I create a problem the locals on your chosen planet cannot overcome alone. You and your armada come save the day. Low and behold you have a nation that loves you. The nature of such an event will depend on the planet and how much time you are willing to give me to carry it out, but I can assure you it would be effective."

Should he bite, anaya would need to make a call to a particular android for assistance. She'd no doubt that she would be willing to help. "In return," she continued, clasping her hands at the small of her back. "I would ask that you take my apprentice under your wing for a short while." Part of Anaya was squirming, screaming at her not to do this. She could lose everything in this move, Kaine could learn the th and kill Calina and she would be left alone.

She drew in a short breath and continued, her voice softer. "She needs a taste of true power. And there is no other sith in the galaxy I would trust to show her this."

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He lightly tapped the tips of his fingers against his chin, the gears of his mind turning end over end as he contemplated Anaya's offer. It was a plan that reminded him of something he read in a history manuscript, pertaining to the Black Sun in which they worked for some ancient Sith Lord to terrorize the then pacifist population of Mandalore only so the Sith Lord's forces could sweep in and save the day, making them out to be the heroes. He doubted the validity of the text, considering what he knew about the Mandalorians of the modern age in no way shape or form aligned with the alleged pacifism of that ancient regime. Still, it was a solid stratagem and as far as he could tell it would pose no risk to his own agenda. He'd be willing to acquiesce so long as [member="Anaya Fen"] kept her end of the bargain, and things went off as smoothly as she implied they would.

"Fine" he spat out after the longing silence, "You will sow chaos in preparation for our arrival, and we will valiantly quench the flames of anarchy and show the worthless wretches of the lesser worlds that the Empire can offer them security. And in return I will show your apprentice the true nature of the Dark Side, if that is what she truly requires." Perhaps a subtle jab at Anaya's perceived inability to properly educate her apprentice, or perhaps a genuine offer of aid. It was hard to tell with Kaine these days, but he was willing to play along with Anaya for now.

No beheadings today!

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya ignored the subtle jab for the simple reason that there was more to this than Kaine perceived. Kaine was more powerful, he'd nations under his belt to prove it, but he also had the backing of a thousand siths, the resources of the Dark Lord and his pets. Anaya had simply herself, and her own resources. On a level playing field things might have been different. Besides, training Calina was not the issue. The issue was Calina was angry with her and she needed, very much to win her back. So she'd picked the vilest man she could manipulate to hand her over to.

"Excellent!" She pulled a comlink from her belt. "Calina, come to the throne room immediately. And collect my saber on your way."

"Yes, master"

The clipped response caused a muscles above her eye to twitch slightly. "Now, while we wait for her." she said tucking the comlink away, "Do you have a target in mind?"

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

That was something to think on, but even as the words left her mouth he had a planet already in mind for be subjugated to her wiles. He pressed a button on the arm of his throne, and from hidden projectors built into the floor and ceiling around the throne's rise materialized a astrographic map of the Core and Deep Core regions of the galaxy. Most of it was rightfully color coated red to show the One Sith's vast dominion over the center of the galaxy. However; there were still swaths of space who actively resisted the One Sith's encroaching grasp, planets like Abregado-Rae, New Plympto, and Duro. Yet it was a planet behind Imperial space that was quickly selected and expanded until all that could be seen was the planet and its cluster of moons. "This is Widek. It once formed a crucial element of our Empire prior to the Decimation, but since then it has rebelled and seized caches of munitions to resist our rule. Normally we would send in an army to crush these traitors, but with the War in the Colonies finally reaching its apex we cannot spare such an overwhelming force."

A logistic readout of the planet's population alongside estimates of armaments utilized by the dissidents appeared next to the three-dimensional image of Widek, alongside recon reports of high-ranking members of the resistance. "Do what you do best, Anaya. Sow discord amidst these mongrels and sway public opinion away from them, and we can send a token force to mop up what's left and secure our rear."

[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya circled beneath the projection with a hungry look in her eyes. She needed this as much as Calina, she needed to let off some steam having been cooped up for so long. "You can rest assured, my love, that discord will be sown." She spoke softly, plans forming in her mind as she did. Kane could rely on her to create chaos at the very least. She'd need to visit the planet first, and catch up with a mechanical acquaintance too.

Behind her the throne doors opened and whatever joy was on Anaya's face was instantly gone, replaced instead by a cold and steady anger as she regarded Calina as she stalked in. She was like her in so many ways, the more she grew, the more Anaya could see it. She hoped Kaine would not, and if he did, simply put it down to influence over time.

She took her saner from Calina's extended hand. "Calina, this is Darth Vornskr. Vornskr, this is Calina. I'd say play nicely, but I know you won't." She clipped her saner to her belt and settled her gaze on Kaine. "I will be in touch to keep you updated with our progress, I would be grateful if you would do the same."

She offered a small and somewhat respectful bow, before sweeping from the room, leaving Calina gaping in shock after her.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Mia Monroe]

A rush of emotion washed over Calina as she watched the retreating back of her mother. Fear stopped her from calling out to make her stop, make her come back. She'd made it evidently clear that this man would kill her should he learn the truth about their relationship, she couldn't think of another term to call her quick enough. Fury made her mouth snap shut, fury at Anaya for leaving her here, fury at her father for pushing her into provoking the woman in the first place.

She'd asked for this, she asked for someone else to talk to and this is what she got. [member="Darth Vornskr"]. She turned slowly to regard him trying desperately to recall all her mother had told her about him, about the One Sith and the old Sith Empire but she was drawing blanks. The longer she looked at him the more fearful she became.

She lowered her gaze, fixing it instead on the floor as a lump formed in her throat. She blinked hard against tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks. I am an Ovmar. she told herself firmly. Drawing in a deep breath she squeezed her eyes shut. I am not afraid. .

Calina forced herself to look up, to hold her head high in defiance and look Kaine in the eye. "Why am I here?" Even she was surprised at the even tone that fell from her lips despite the whirlwind of emotion she felt inside.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

The Butcher King watched the Lethan Twi'lek depart from his gloomy throne room, his gaze quickly falling back to bore directly into [member="Calina Ovmar"]. Despite the young girl's best efforts to mask her emotions he could still sense the bitter sensation of fear radiating off of her like a foul stench. It smelled of sweat and adrenaline, the smell of soldiers as they dropped into a battle zone rife with enemies where certain death was all but assured. He chuckled derisively, "Why indeed? A question spoken all too often these days, especially in my company." Yes, yes, he tortures and brutalizes practically every living thing, let's spend the next two paragraphs forcing that into your head with either vividly grotesque descriptions or a blatant copy/paste of some gory torture-porn holo scene. "But your master and I are old friends, and she's asked me to give you a thorough looksy to bring you up to proper standards."

[member="Calina Ovmar"]

 

[Mia Monroe]

Calina snorted. "Friends is certainly not a term she would use to describe you." She replied. She licked her lips, processing the rest of his statement slowly and carefully. Perhaps this was more than a punishment, perhaps this was an oppurtunity to learn something new. The longer she thought over it the calmer she felt.

"Alright," she began slowly "Anaya Fen knows far greater force masters than yourself. So why leave me with you? What could you possibly teach me that she cannot?" She was testing, him, seeing what buttons she could get away with pressing. Looking for a weakness she could exploit already. She smiled slightly, perhaps she was more like her father.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"I don't doubt she would have a great many terms to describe me, little girl." The young one was exceedingly spunky, the influence of Anaya no doubt left a deep mark. Still, he was already annoyed that Anaya let the girl run her mouth like that. Perhaps it was negligence, perhaps Anaya just had a better tolerance to such outbursts, or perhaps there was a deeper lying reason that was unknown to the Epicanthix King. He vowed to discover that reason was, if there actually was one, but for now he'd have to teach [member="Calina Ovmar"] a lesson in manners. A casual tightening of the muscles in the hand allowed the Sith Lord to exert a constricting grip around Calina's throat even though he was several meters away. Like anyone being physically choked the sensation Calina must've been feeling had to be distressing, to say the least, but such retribution was tame when one looked back at his infamy.

"The last girl who had the moxie to speak out of turn never spoke again, so I would implore you to remember that I am not your master. Anaya Fen and I are fundamentally different in many ways, and I do not tolerate the freedoms she has allowed you to exploit, and you better hope that you're a quick learner or otherwise I'm going to have to make some physical alterations to your pretty little body. Your tongue is not wholly necessary to your ability to live, nor is your eyes." By now the grasp he had on her was unbearable, but after a momentary glare he released her. His next words were a stark contrast to his earlier roar, these were whispered but nonetheless threatening all the same. "You ask why did she bring you to me instead of people like Ashin? Like Spencer? A question easily answered if you knew who she was, what she truly is... Anaya fears me. Even after all this time. From the moment you two entered the atmosphere of this planet I could sense her anxiety, she knew that I wanted her beyond dead and yet she came to me all the same."

His eyes were uncomfortably piercing, "So you must be pretty special, but I wonder why?"

 

[Mia Monroe]

Calina didn't much like being called little girl, though she opened her mouth ready with some sharp reply it was ripped from her mind as he began to choke her. Her hands clawed at the invisibly fingers about her neck, panic flaring in her vision as she gasped pathetically desperate for air. Her lungs were burning, screaming out for oxygen. Black spots were beginning to appear at the edge of her vision when he finally released her. Calina dropped to her knees, sucking in a deep breath and retching noisily.

Forcing herself to steady her breathing, to prevent herself from hyperventilating, she rubbed her throat glaring at him from her spot on the floor as he rambled. Anaya Fen wasn't afraid of Kaine, simply afraid of what he could do to Calina, what he would do if he knew the truth. She knew that, she knew that before her mother had beckoned her off the ship and she'd taken comfort in the fact that because her mother was afraid for her, she would never put her in harm's way.

How very wrong she had been.

"Well," Calina said getting back to her feet "When you find out, be sure to let me know."

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"You're lucky I don't often go back on my word, otherwise I'd have no qualms of flaying you head to toe and leaving you out to dry." That'd be a pretty sight for [member="Anaya Fen"] to roll up on next time she came to visit, the mutilated corpse of her apprentice (secret daughter) skinless and bleeding from the tall iron gate leading into the compound. It wouldn't be the first time he had to string up a corpse after he had his way with it, images of some Jedi Padawan who's name he never bothered to learn dismembered and disemboweled being hung from the archway of the path leading to the Jedi temple on Ossus. He could feel the ripples of shock and horror when the Jedi discovered his little gift the next morning even to this day, although the one thing he couldn't remember was the reason why he even did it in the first place. Was it the padawan of someone he had a grudge with? Or did he do it just to send the Jedi a message of terror?

Probably the latter.

That had been years ago and since then his acts of terror and cruelty had only escalated to barbaric proportions, his latest atrocity being the Amar Genocide where his Blackblades once again scoured entire continents clean and enslaved hundreds of thousands. It was a message to those worlds who would resist Imperial rule, although many within the Empire considered the genocide to be unnecessarily cruel and counterproductive. Still, one could not govern millions without a vulgar display of power to remind them what happened to those that went against Imperialistic order and progress. Luckily for the Empire the genocide was overshadowed by the Republic's consistent incompetence and clear disregard for civil liberties stemming from Geneviève Lasedri's sloppy attempt to exert autocratic authority over the Republic.

He snapped his fingers and a pair of guardsmen materialized from the darkened edges of the chamber and took up position on either side of [member="Calina Ovmar"]. "Take this creature to one of the guest chambers, and make sure she's well taken care of." Of course 'taken care of' meant that the guards would confiscate her belongings, toss her in a sparsely furbished windowless room, lock the door and stand guard just outside. Food would, of course, be delivered to her a couple hours later along with a new pair of clothes that were severely more mundane and unaesthetic than the ones she was wearing at the moment. In the meantime Kaine would be formulating ideas on how to approach her tutelage, although if it was anyone's guess it would be very spartan.

It would be less of a training session and more of a beating.

Probably.

Maybe.

Most likely.

 

[Mia Monroe]

Calina was almost tempted to make another smart comment, but as reckless as she was, she was not a complete fool and if she was to survive this, she would have to be smart. If that meant silent and hateful glares and endless lines of thought but never spoken insults then so be it. The guards seized her upper arms and she jerked free of them. "I'm perfectly capable of following you, I don't need to be dragged around." She snapped at them, before offering one last glare at Kaine and turning to follow them out of the throne room.

"Is your boss always a jerk?" She asked them, but only silence was given to her in response. "Obviously, if you won't dare to speak out against him." Eyes surveyed the elaborate palace as she was escorted through. "How the other half live." She muttered under her breath before a sharp shove turned her away from the glory of riches and towards what she could only describe as dungeons.

It wasn't quite as dank and foul as one would expect dungeons to be, in was clean and crisp, but it lacked the elaborate decor the main palace had. There was a darkness here, shadows of pain and fear in the force the drew Calina away from her sassy facade. Reality began to set in about what she was facing. They paused outside a door, seizing Calina by her upper arms once again, this time their grip was like iron and they held her fast as more stepped forward to strip her of her possessions inclusive of everything bar her under clothes.

She never cried out, biting her tongue and remembering that pride was something that could get you killed. A lesson Anaya taught but was never able to follow herself. She was cast through the door into a windowless room. A simple bed with rough blankets rested in one corner, a simple stand with a light rested next to it. Only when the door shut behind her, the lock ground across and the guards footsteps faded away did Calina allow herself to drop all her defences.

Sinking onto the bed, she buried her face into her hands and wept, for a time, then she muttered curses to her family. Her father started this ball rolling, though she would never believe he thought this would be the outcome, her mother volatile and spiteful as ever was punishing her for being in contact with him. She was caught between two terrible forces, each battling for her...her what? Her custody? Her love? They were both failing, whatever it was. After a while she stoppe d crying and tucked her legs up underneath her to meditate.

She was the daughter of Anaya Fen and Jared Ovmar. She would not be broken. Food came after some time, along with some fresh clothes, all slid through a hatch at the base of the door. She dressed and ate without complaint, grateful both for clothes to keep the chill off her and food to keep her energy up. She waited patiently, listening out for approaching steps.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]

 

[Darth Carnifex]

​

After [member="Calina Ovmar"] was taken away the Sith Lord seemed to decompress in his throne, his muscles finally relaxing as a haze of lethargy descended across his weathered face. He rose, less steady than before, from his black throne before meticulously descending the dais steps. As if on cue a hooded thrall emerged from the shadows to hobble alongside the corrupted Sith, his scarred face scrunched with concern as he beheld his master's declining health. "It's happening again, master." A path of skin shook loose as the Sith Lord shrugged his shoulders to reveal blotched flesh riddled with necrosis, the side effects of the Dark Side on marginally unstable artificial flesh. "This body is too weak. The fleshshapers were too hasty, too eager for my return... And this is what they have wrought with their impatience."

Anger briefly flashed across both his and the thrall's face, "I'll make sure that they're properly punished, Master." The Sith Lord allowed himself a brief chuckle, "See that you do, for when this body at last fails I want something stronger, more durable, to return in. I will not be made a fool by that mongrel ever again." The mongrel he referred to was [member="Gabriel Sionoma"], who had managed to hack off his arm at the Battle of Taloraan several days prior. Vornskr never forgave himself for letting his body decay too rapidly, but that was circumvented by his hated for Gabriel. But in his present state he was not in the position to exact his desired vengeance against the man, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would have to let his weak flesh be scoured away before he could reclaim the strength he once possessed.

And that required dying.

An unpleasant thought for anyone, but Vornskr knew the secrets of the Netherworld. The dark knowledge he possessed allowed him to continue his existence in the material plane indefinitely, so long as he had something to tether himself to in the material world. Currently that item was his holocron, a nigh indestructible piece of alchemical ingenuity that not only served as the anchorage for his consciousness but also was a reservoir of his knowledge to teach and inspire those who would bend the knee to him. And although it only held a portion of the knowledge he retained within his mind, it was nothing to scoff at. As of now the holocron was in the hands of his current disciple, [member="Darth Prazutis"], who drank from the fountain of Vornskr's knowledge like a man who had wandered the desert for forty years. His ambition was admirable, but Vornskr was no fool. He'd have to keep an eye on him.

At last the Sith Lord and his underling reached a minimally furbished chamber with a high ceiling wreathed in the smoke of incense and shadows. At the far wall was an ancient mosaic unearthed from Dromund Kaas many years prior to its desolation at the hands of the Mandalorians, and it remained one of the last relics of that ancient world now covered with ice and ruin. The mosaic depicted the ancient Sith Lord Naga Sadow with his right arm outstretched towards a distant world as legions of Massassi and ancient Sith rallied behind him. According to many scholars the world symbolized Coruscant, and estimates report that the mosaic was created sometime after Naga Sadow's declaration of war at the start of the Great Hyperspace War. The piece was then spirited away after Sadow's defeat above Korriban, and was taken to Dromund Kaas during Vitiate's twenty-year exodus.

It had remained in a hidden storage ever since, and had been rediscovered by Moridin's Empire and displayed in the Imperial capital. There it remained throughout the changing of hands of the many Emperors that came and went up until he, Kaine Zambrano, was the final Emperor. Luckily in his hindsight he had many valuable objects such as the mosaic again spirited away in case of an attack on the Imperial capital, and as fate would have it the entire planet would be reduced to a barren frozen waste by the Mandalorian's barbarity. But the mosaic endured, and here it remained affixed to the wall of this chamber. Vornskr fell to his knees in front of the ancient depiction of the long-dead Sith Lord, and began to whisper a hymn in the ancient tongue of the Sith. And as he did several slaves were brought before him by a throne of other hooded servants, and one by one they slit their throats and allowed their life blood to be spilled around Vornskr.

Darkness radiated around Vornskr, a veil of shadows covered him from head to toe until he could no longer be seen by mortal eyes, and it was that miasma of pitch-blackness that the blood was drawn to as if by magnetism. Within under a minute all of the blood drained from the slaves would be gone, and their corpses would crumble to dust and be scattered into nothingness. As the darkness dissipated from around Vornskr's body he rose with renewed vigor, the lifeblood of the slaves rejuvenating his decaying form for the time being. But as he had discovered long ago he would require more and more blood to revitalize him. It was why it was so crucial that his next body be made of sterner stuff, more potent magicks.

He turned to his servants, waving them away with an authoritative gesture, and his mind turned to Calina. With powerful, youthful, strides he descended into the guest chambers until he found himself directly in front of Calina's chamber. Without even touching the door he opened it wide, and strode in with purpose.

"It is time."​

 

[Mia Monroe]

Calina arched an eyebrow at his entrance, understanding suddenly, why he and her mother had gotten on so well all those years ago. They had an equal flare for the dramatic. Keeping this little bit of snark to herself she slid her legs out from under her and rose smoothly from the bed and padded to stand within inches of him. This close she could smell the decay rolling off him, it took every ounce of her willpower not to gag.

She forced a very Anaya like smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Good," she replied "I was starting to get bored."

She moved to slip round him, heading for the open door he'd so purposefully entered. "You stink by the way, ever heard of a sanisteam? Or do you peopl bathe in the blood of you enemies instead?"

The words slipped from her lips before she could catch them, Calina might have been smart, but she was still a teenager and that automatically granted her a certain level of snark she couldn't quite contain.

[member="Darth Vornskr"]