Long Live the Supreme Leader

[Samka Derith]

Kulthis - Temple of Vol​

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The already crippled Supreme Leader's health was faltering further. He sat upon an alter, little more than bones. The body of the Jedi Knight he'd stolen at Lothal was already past its expiry date, held together only by the Supreme Leader's might in the Dark Side. It still shocked her. The one person in the galaxy she'd die a thousand times over for, respected for his strength, power and wisdom. Now what was he? A shrivelled vulture-like figure totally reliant on her care.

It was... pathetic.

"Lay down," she ordered the man softly but firmly.

It had come to this. She turned her back on Sieger and sighed beneath her breath. She knew what was about to happen, what she was about to do. It was treason. The worst of crimes, the very thing she had killed so many others for. But no she was better than them. Her motives were pure. There could be no doubt about what was about to happen. To Sieger, his most loyal of agents would remain as she always had.

This was sacred ground for the Stenax, the primitive aliens who worshipped Samka Derith as the prophet of their deity. She had forbidden them entry to anyone. To the Ren, the Banda Gora, the Stenax and the Sith Empire who now claimed ownership of this system. It was just the two of them illuminated by candle light.

Almost.

In the centre of the chamber lay a beastlike humanoid. The species was one nobody had documented. It was unconscious and restrained in a bubble of ray shields. It had seemed vaguely intelligent but far too primitive and aggressive to evaluate further. It didn't matter. It was subdued and the body of Sieger's choosing. Far too ugly for her taste but this was his whim and she understood the draw of the physical power the creature held at the least. Besides, it wasn't like the Supreme Leader had to appear as such to his subjects, he had his ways to hide and she would respect this secret.

In spite of all that was to transpire, she still respected him for that.

She only hoped that he could understand and forgive her.

"How do you feel?" She asked, the youth's words clearly echoing back through the empty temple despite the fact that her back was to the man. "I gather the process is... exhausting, I do hope you're prepared."

[member="Sieger Ren"]​

 

[Progflaw99]

A rattling cough seized the figure barely upright upon the altar. Flesh was loose, bones clearly visible beneath the dilapidated body once belonging to a Jedi of Lothal. Though a Jedi it once held, now it bore the marks of sin upon its flesh. Dark side corruption threatening to consume the sunken eyes, bruises mottling the waxy flesh - he was weak. Were it another process, another ritual, perhaps he could have leaned upon those whom he called loyal but this was a journey he would take alone. A challenge he would face alone.

He hadn't heard her voice at first, a several second delay before Sieger was able to process what she'd said. *Lay down.* Yes, of course. It was time, before he lost all his strength and simply faded into the void. Still a possibility for the Master, his body unable to sustain the sheer corrupting forces of the Dark Side and his aging mind. As he shifted his body parallel to the altar his eyes paused, resting on the physical form of which he was to take. A momentary anxiety set his hands shaking until he gripped the edge of the stone altar and let his body relax. What was to come next was far from enjoyable. Thoughts of the past began to well, his life before the First Order, during its rise.. faces, places, names, dates. All came rushing back with the strength of a raging river. His vision began to fade, a glossy sheen consuming what light reached them.

His inner eye turned back to the present at the girl's voice, his own scratchy response echoing in the chamber.

"I... I feel tired." he managed to say. "..As if I haven't slept for weeks."​

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How strange was it, hearing his own words through another voice - words he'd never utter in front of even the Grand Moff. Decitus was more, her loyalty unwavering. Or so he knew. It was by her hand that he would see a chance at rebirth after his hubris had nearly seen him to death upon the shattered world of Lothal. Had it been hubris? His mind wandered, pulled back again by another question. *Am I ready?* Fear threatened to consume, a doubt tearing at the already fragile walls of his mind. His face contorting he spoke with a renewed strength before devolving into another fit of coughing.

"I am ready for what will come. See to it that I am not interrupted..."​

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[member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

He looked tired. His eyes baggy and hollowed. So weak. So nothing like the image of the man built up over her life. She felt fear, an emotion a man such as Sieger Ren should have long since conquered.

"No interruptions here," she reassured him, turning back to her Supreme Leader with a smile. "This is scared ground. The Stenax would let themselves go extinct before displeasing their God. Sweet things once you get to know them."

She read as much as she could,she even did a minor experiment the other day in forcing body swaps between animals with total success but now this was the real thing. One wrong move and he was dead and to kill him wasn't the plan at all. No, he needed to be alive.

Closing her eyes, the Ren girl extended her palm to the alter where Sieger lay, the Dark Side of the Force swirling around her in a whirlwind of torrential fear. For the time being, her power far outstripped his so her guidance was needed. Around the room, an invisible gust took hold. It made the flames dance as and the holy fabrics draped by the Stenax worshippers flutter. Tendrils would bore into Sieger's mind, snatching hold of his very being. Most people, even the simple minded, would resist this level of intrusion. Their subconscious instinctively fighting back against the assault but this was a willing victim who had been trained to open his gates.

"This," her voice would be overwhelming loud inside of Sieger's head. Samka's youthful voice somehow more terrible than any sound in the physical realm. It whispered its own words back a thousand times, seemingly accompanied by the crawling of insects and the coldest of damp sweat, "This is the hard part."

With great pain to the man, she severed his mind from his body and brought it closer to her.

[member="Sieger Ren"]​

 

[Progflaw99]

Decitus' words were comforting, calming as Sieger began to fully releax against the stone of the altar. He had found a great ally, a tool to use against his enemies in Decitus. The girl was skilled, intuitive, loyal. The last most of all - it was why he had chosen her from among his followers to follow him to the world of Terminus. Why he had set her to find the host that he would soon inhabit. The second piece of her dialogue caught his attention. The Stenax. Yes, he knew of the Stenax but he didn't know the Stenax. Too often as of late his focus had been driven towards the annihilation of their enemies, the total destruction of the Alliance and the expansion of his Empire. There was much yet to be accomplished.

Perhaps a lesser known aspect to the surprisingly hermit-like Supreme Leader was his interest in the cultures of other species, of other worlds. At a glance perhaps he seemed little more than a warlord, content to wipe the slate and replace it with his 'Imperial Dream' but that was not truly the case. The First Order held a leaning towards the genetics of man, but Sieger found ways to utilize the skills of others. The S'kytri, the Advosec, even the Stenax. A colony of them had been transplanted to the surface of Virgilia those many months ago - Sieger had never been to many of the worlds he conquered. The worlds they conquered. The First Order was a group identity, no one more important than the sum of its parts excepting perhaps the Supreme Leader - at least in theory. There had to be a focal point, there had to be a single unified...

*Gasp*​

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The ritual had begun, a strange sensation boring its way its way into his skull. They itched, like worms wriggling between layers of flesh. Even though he fully expected the sensation it took enormous resolve to hold back his defenses, his unconscious mind threatening to take over. He held it back, prying open the routes that would allow the Force to burrow deep within his very being. Ragged breaths shook his beleaguered form upon the slab. His eyes snapped fully open and yet he couldn't see, darkness enveloping and overwhelming his senses. Between gasps for air, the man heard the woman's voice.

"This. This is the hard part."​

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He hadn't prepared for this. All his years of preparation, of planning, of experiencing loss and pain. Not even they had prepared him for the agony he now experienced. A hollow scream erupted from the man's chest, eyes bulging as pain washed over him in waves. A pitiful sight to see, there was no question but that was the least of thoughts upon his mind. It felt as if his very soul was being ripped from.. from existence. He began to lose touch, numbness spreading from his fingertips up his forearm, from his toes up to his knees. He'd almost stopped breathing, a raspy howl exiting his agape jaw. A second longer and the eyes of his body fluttered and then glossed over.

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Darkness. Not merely an absence of light, but a true entity - ethereal in nature but powerful. Sieger had tasted its touch before but this was different. Forcibly held between the world of the living and of the dead. The sensations of the flesh had escaped him, evaded him as his essence was stripped bare from the husk he'd called home for the better part of the past several weeks. More painful than before, this time suspended into nothingness rather than a direct jump from one fleshy prison to another - though he couldn't tell the difference. Time became something fluid, neither relevant nor linear in nature. Sieger merely was. No bright lights, no tunnel, just a backdrop of nothingness. No eyes to see, no ears to hear, no mouth with which to speak. Only agony. Unending pain and suffering all consuming. In limbo his essence was held by the most loyal of his followers, his power, his knowledge, his fate held solely in her hands.​

 

[Samka Derith]

The scream sent a shiver down the young woman's spine. She'd heard ones like it before, caused them herself, but never did she expect to hear it from him. It was unsettling, even for her, but she showed no sign of that externally. She remained stoic as she held the very essence of her Supreme Leader in her hands.

The sum total of the existence of what might be the most powerful man in the galaxy almost literally between her fingers. He could not hear her nor see her yet her aura remained comforting in spite of the pain. She could crush him now. Take everything he was. As always the Dark Side whispered to her, luring her to new depths. She would be a strong contender for a successor. The Ren would fall in line quickly behind her and from there, forcing cohesion of the Moffs and military figures of the First Order shouldn't be too hard. She knew more about each of them than they knew of her, it was her job after all.

Yet over a decade of intense education by the Knights of Ren held firm. This was how empires splintered. They were always stronger as a union of people who all knew their place. Hers was where it had always been, to serve him.

Hopefully he'd still believe that by the end of the day.

She refocused, drawing his energy to her and then expelling it towards a new target - the primitive figure in the centre of the room. She would penetrate its mind too. Breaching in with precision strikes upon the creatures mind and then focusing the presence she had of Sieger through the breach with so much force that the alien's mind would have no where to go. It would be crushed beneath the weight of the stronger mind, supported by Decitus in the process. What bits of the alien she could find, she crushed. All to make it easier for her Leader to settle. The fight for control would be desperate for Sieger but he was strong, even in this state and she was his ally. Together they could subdue the creature, tame his form and make it their own.

Then it was over.

Decitus Ren found herself back in the physical realm. By her own choosing or expelled, she couldn't be sure. Only that she was once more stood amongst the darkened temple. She looked back over at the creature which should now house her Leader's mind. Still unconscious for the moment. Perhaps still fighting. A quick glance at the body on the alter confirmed her suspicions. The Jedi body he had taken had died the moment the host had left. Sieger was either there or he wasn't anywhere at all.

Finding herself more exhausted than she'd anticipated, Samka took a seat on the stone floor, crimson eyes staring at the body in the room's centre, awaiting the company which would arise. Would she be joined by man or beast? Failure or success?

[member="Sieger Ren"]

 

[Progflaw99]

A lifetime. A moment. All had become fluid. Little more than a flash in a pan was the life of Sieger Ren. Every one of his conquests, every one of his achievements failed to amount to more than a tiny amber ember in a galaxy filled with void. In this place between space and time he remained suspended - until in the blink of an eye the void was gone, replaced by a searing hot pain in his chest, a burning of his lungs. Sieger Ren took a deep breath.​

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Had the transition from one human body to another on the battlefield of Lothal felt strange to the Supreme Leader, this was notably moreso. There was little time to do research on each biological function of the host species, several of the alien's biological functions similar and yet radically different from his previous human body. Like a glove improperly twisted he felt each finger, each toe, each breath - unnatural.

A twitch of the large fingers and a fluttering of the eyes signalled Sieger's return from the brink of death. Ragged breath filled his new lungs, stirring as he sought to gather his surroundings. Perhaps the first thing he discerned were the colorful arrays of the ray shield surrounding him - his vision gone from the standard range to that of the infrared. *This is going to take getting used to.* Everything was skewed, Sieger blinked several times in an effort to orient himself further - such a drastic difference in his perceptions. Sight in the infrared. Noise so loud it threatened to crack his head in two. And the smells. The hum of the shields and the powerful aroma of the human bodies in the room threatening to cast him back into the void... or cause him to throw up. He had thought himself prepared. Another small measure of hubris struck from his character. His voice, inaudible by normal means saw him speaking out through the Force.

<< Decitus... I am.. alive? >>​

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[member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

<< Decitus... I am.. alive? >>​

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It had taken longer than she had liked but he stirred. Samka rose to her feet, a grin spreading across her pristine features. She hadn't heard his speech but she had felt it. She hopped a little way, closing the gap between them so now she stood just beyond the shield. "You're alive," she cooed back reassuringly.

At the wave of her hand, the shield faded, the dull hum fading into silence. The beast was gone, there was nothing but him left. "It's worked," she couldn't hold back the joy from her voice. "Years building to this and it's worked!"

Decitus Ren immediately bent to one knee and bowed her head to stare at the stone floor until summoned otherwise.

"The others..." She spoke softly without turning her head, letting her voice carry naturally. "I hear rumours of mismanagement in your absence. Gone for so little time and they flounder without your guidance. We should return to them once you are prepared."

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[member="Sieger Ren"]​

 

[Progflaw99]

Each intake of breath was like the first sip of water after an arduous desert journey, Decitus' words relieving the quickly dissipating anxiety from his shoulders. It had been done. A touch of weakness gripped at him, the effort to subjugate the consciousness - to eradicate it, had been tiresome. Even so, Sieger was filled with... Joy. Elation at his newfound vitality. As the subtle hum of the shield faded, Sieger put his feet to the ground, rising from the place where he lay. This form was limiting in some ways, speech being the most obvious. With effort he found he could force his vision back into the realm of what he'd called normal - a clear eyelid slipping over his eye to filter out the infrared. This truly was the body of a hunter, a species designed to the task. It would serve him well.

Perhaps it was a slip of the tongue, a slip of an inner thought brought to light, but the words struck Sieger in a strange way. "Years of building to this..." It had not been years, at least not to Sieger's recollection. Wide eyes looked upon the near glee of the woman across from him, dangerous thoughts swirling in his mind. Interrupting his suspicions, she quickly bent the knee. As she spoke, he let loose a quiet snarl. Unnatural clicks and growls filled the air. *That's going to be a problem.. easily rectified.*

<< The others... This should not have been a problem.>> he mused inaudibly. << Rise. You will need to inform me on the way. Accommodations must be made for this, it would be unfitting for the masses to contemplate my form. Perhaps concealment, and a neuro-vocalizer. We have much work to be done and little time to do it. >> ​

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[member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

The unnatural sounds which came from the creature, her Supreme Leader, caused the slightest discomfort within Samka. The man had not merely possessed the beast, the beast was a part of him now and any unintended consequences would be yet to emerge. This was why she did what she did. A fail-safe just to be certain of safety, of stability, of everything the being before her epitomised.

She rose on his command, the small woman dwarfed now more than ever by her Leader. Nonetheless, she made no sign of being intimidated. Instead the young woman nodded along with Sieger's musings. "I prepared somewhat beforehand," her tone was airy but her attitude anything but. "These rituals connect with the Dark Side in such a way that the traditional teachings of Ren or even Sith lack. I had to resort to what some may call witchcraft," Samka bobbed on her heels to and fro during her explanation. The petite woman would not follow if Sieger made to move just yet, instead she'd remain on the spot, her wide eyes almost glazed over as she stared up at the ceiling, tapping her chin as she spoke. "I travelled to Dathomir. I'm afraid the locals weren't too accommodating of sharing their knowledge but I... persuaded them to hand it over." A ghost of a sinister smile crossing the Ren's lips for the briefest of moments in her otherwise monotone words. "There's a technique used to disguise yourself in quick bursts, we'll require something more permanent in the long term of course but for now I'll share that knowledge with you as a temporary solution."

Although her body did not motion, crimson eyes turned to Sieger once more. They looked regretful, apologetic, perhaps the Supreme Leader would even find them sorrowful.

"There's something else they taught me. In exchange for their lives," a gloved hand rolled up her sleeve. There on her right arm was a hideous gash, partially healed but clearly still relatively fresh. It trailed from her elbow almost to her wrist. Samka's eyes then darted quickly to the right arm of the body Sieger now inhabited. It was doubtful the Supreme Leader had even noticed in the chaos but there was an identical wound on his own right arm.

"Blood magic." She stated simply but the words seemed amplified through the empty temple.

"With an exchange of blood, I took the beast's body. He resided there but it was mine to control. Now you reside there." To accent her words, Decitus Ren raised a fist and she did, Sieger Ren would too.

There could be no resistance. It simply happened.

The girl bowed her head in subservience, perhaps she felt shame, even Samka herself wasn't certain. She spoke in little more than a whisper.

"I can only hope you forgive me and know that I do this to preserve your teachings."

[member="Sieger Ren"]

 

[Progflaw99]

As Master Decitus' words filled the air Sieger continued his self appraisal. So vibrant, full of life. It felt... good. The words of his most loyal echoed in his ears, mind struggling to both receive and process everything she said as he fought against these new sensations. Witchcraft. He'd heard that much, his mind momentarily straying as she spoke of persuasion, the method by which she came to such knowledge inconsequential - or so he'd thought. The woman's fingers made to roll up a sleeve and Sieger's interest was renewed. As her fingers ran along the wound's length he saw her furtive glance at his own inhuman arm, a like gash suddenly burning. Like a hot lance he felt it, his own hand rising to feel the stippled flesh. As he struggled to connect the dots between what Decitus was saying and implying. He didn't have to wait long.

With a simple movement of her own arm Sieger's followed. What amounted to an expression of terror flashed across his eyes, white hot anger threatening to consume all semblance of control. He needed not speak for his fear to be evident. Decitus, among his most loyal now turned to betrayal. What could it mean, what could be the reason, the motivation for such a brash act? Had he not taught them time and time again how flawed the ways of the Sith were, destined to tear each other apart generation after generation. The apprentice would always usurp the master - how had it come to this?

Try as he might he could not compel himself to lower the raised fist, his eyes boring into the woman stood, now bowed before him. *Even in betrayal a hint of deference - perhaps there is more to this...* He didn't understand, the reason, the purpose, or even how he had been so careless. The questions consumed him from within as he gazed upon her form. In a final acquiescence of rage he leaned his head back and howled. There were no words, there was nothing Sieger could say or do that would find him answers and so he waited, low hisses and snarls emanating from his jagged maw. An explanation, there had to be one. Expectantly he waited for the woman to explain herself.

[member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

It was like speaking to a beast.​

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It only reassured her.​

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The hisses, the howls, the roars and the snarls. It was a monster she served now. She didn't let him move from his spot, her body would not permit it just in case he was driven to violence. Either one of them killing the other would be a tragedy for their empire now. Her crimson eyes darted up to meet the beast's, seeing the mix of fierce intelligence and primal rage within and wondering which she was addressing. It was silence from the young woman at first, letting Sieger express his anger. Only after did she speak.

"You know how I was raised," she spoke quietly but Samka's tone was firmer and more authoritative than it had ever been when addressing her leader. "When I was brought here and introduced to our way of life it was what they taught me. That our leaders, our glorious leaders, can do no wrong. I revered you as something of a god. The man who had built us up once more to rule the stars. The First Order stands as the predominant power in this galaxy once more and we have your omnipotence to thank for it. But it wasn't you alone, you had your help of course and I was taught to revere them too." Samka began to pace back and forth with a sad smile before the paralysed figure before her.

"Aram Kalast. Supreme Commander. I was taught to adore him. I mourned his death. The truth? He committed treason.

Ludolf Vaas. His sucessor. I was taught to adore him. Now he resides in a disgraced exile.

Natasi Fortan. Grand Moff. I was taught to adore her. Sidelined and disgraced for her lack of vision in the war." The Ren paused to think. "That one is back in your good books I suppose but how fragile that position must be."

She took a step back towards Sieger, coming to a halt inches from him yet he could not move to touch her. "And then there's you. The one to worship most of all. Infallible and invincible." The young Ren's smile faded. "The truth is this is a sham. I've seen you so weak, so vulnerable, the lies I've been blanketed with since I was a little girl stripped off piece by piece. You're all flawed. You're all only humans after all. There's superiority but not infallibility, I see this so clearly now. But that's okay! That's how it needs to be!"

Her face cracked again into an almost deranged smile as her voice rose.

"Tales of glory, little white lies to keep the pathetic masses enthralled! Only then do they adhere to our righteous principles!" A soft chuckle came from the woman's lips. "And that's what you had to do, I understand," suddenly Samka was speaking kindly, a reassuring look on her young, pretty face. "I really do understand, I'm just not a thrall anymore."

She reached up to the frozen figure, her dainty hand briefly caressing Sieger's cheek in fascination. The alien texture was bizarre to her touch. "This... flesh... it's mortal. You're mortal. You're as flawed as the rest of us."

Samka took a step back and folded her arms behind her back, clearing her throat. "Perhaps I'm talking far too much. I'll cut to it. This process makes men mad. The trials you've gone through and the creature you inhabit, it could all break you and if it did and you ordered our nation scattered to dust, who could stop you? Those who tried would bring our weapons against each other. There would be a war and our society may not survive. I need to be certain you are still the person to lead us to victory as I know you were. Not as a God but as an extraordinary man. I just need to be sure."

She'd pause again, though Sieger could still not move, he could speak and she would heed his words.

[member="Sieger Ren"]​

 

[Progflaw99]

Sieger fought back against the growing anger welling up within him. It threatened to blind him in a sea of red. His body was locked in place, and though his instinct was to strike out violently he was yet unable. *There has to be a way out. Has to be...* It was a hard pill to swallow, the betrayal of one so close to him in recent days. Had he become so arrogant as not to notice the seeds of dissent? In a moment the entire stability of the Order seemed to rest upon the edge of a precipice - the void below. If there remained truth in the woman's words there were other problems atop even this.

His alien eyes bored deep into those of Decitus as she stood before him, contemplating this strange new creature. An amalgamation of natural hunter spliced with the consciousness of a man who had only months before been worshiped as a god. Those days were over. Tense moments passed as the gears of Sieger's mind ground against each other, struggling to make sense of this development. Incapable of striking out he resigned himself to listen. Try as he might Sieger could find no fault with the woman's words and as his anger became suppressed, he began to ask himself the question. *Would I have done the same?* It was a hard question, one that required him to remove himself from his position and contemplate impossible variations of his past. Moments felt like hours as he wracked his brain in an attempt to somehow come out on top - or else this was the end. Or was it?

Even as Decitus' carefully crafted words gave way to silence Sieger had stumbled upon a thought. She had been careful, not intending to seize power for herself alone - at least not public power. That meant his death was not her aim. For the moment she wielded power over him but with time... perhaps it could be undone. It would be one thing to hire a mercenary to simply kill her but the consequences of such an action were unknown. Could he even speak of such a move? Even the thought as a possibility sent painful lances through Sieger's mind, a shroud preventing him from exploring that avenue farther. *In time... In time...* he thought as his thoughts returned to the present.

His words failed to form initially, alien clicks and guttural sounds filling the room as he attempted a reply. It didn't take long before he fell back into stride and reverted. His displeasure was evident, a sickly shroud of poorly masked anger kept only at bay due to his helplessness in the matter.

<< To what end? >>​

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The question was simple, echoes of the Supreme Leader's voice grinding as they resonated in the Force. ​

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<< To what end do you bind me? Surely not for power, if you'd wanted that you could have reached out and simply taken it. >>​

​

Even now Sieger still struggled to understand, though his mind moved beyond the shock of it. This was his reality now, to look ahead or behind would find him lost. He could not dwell on it, and in time he might be able to discover a weakness to exploit in his former ward's control. He was no puppet but here he was, on strings held by Decitus. He had heard the glee in her voice, though it lacked malicious intent. Fear perhaps.

<< You play a dangerous game Decitus. >>​

​

The warning was two fold. It was a dangerous endeavor to play in blood magic, and to put oneself at perceived opposites of a man so embedded at the top of the food chain. So also was it a more personal warning, an assurance that Sieger was not content to leave it be and that if the opportunity arose to shed the invisible strands binding the two together - he would, and it wouldn't stop there.. but for now he had no choice but to concede.

[member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

She blinked and smiled.​

The young girl seemed unfazed by the quiet fury of what had perhaps been the most dangerous figure in the galaxy.

"It's not for power," she nodded in agreement. Privately the power thrilled her but she'd not admit it yet but nor was it her primary motivation. "It's stability. The very thing we've been fighting for," she spoke gently, even kindly, as though reassuring Sieger. It would be the first time he himself was subject to the charms of his follower.

His follower.

She still considered herself this even now. "I still adore you, truly, and I will burn the rest of this galaxy in your name. I just need to be sure I don't burn us with it. This is my insurance, it's not a power grab, you taught me better than that. I respect you too much for that."

She felt his emotions so intimately now. Anger, betrayal. Already she could see that at the slightest opportunity he would murder her for this. It was disappointing but not entirely surprising. "Nothing will change," she smiled pleasantly up at her Supreme Leader, "not unless my hand is forced. You'll see this in time and things will be as they always were."

Samka stretched, taking a few step back from the beast which was now both her servant and her master. "And release," she whispered, allowing Sieger to control his movements once more. If he moved to attack her he would be frozen once more but other than that, he was allowed free reign.

"I am the most loyal which is why I'm the best suited to keep you in check," the girl said firmly. "This isn't a betrayal this is insuring we continue the path we have - together," the youthful figure of Samka Derith batted her lashes up at Sieger, a wonderful smile on her face telling him that all was well.

​

[member="Sieger Ren"]​

 

[Progflaw99]

As the invisible tethers released their pressure upon his limbs Sieger made no move towards Decitus - her words staying his hands. His malicious intent diminished as his gaze rest upon her, the almost singsong voice of his follower slipping its way through to his mind. Though he had felt the sting of betrayal mere moments before he couldn't help but feel the subtle pressure of reassurance issued by the woman. *Checks and balances - a measure applied to governments, now to my person.* It was a significant predicament to process. The time to think on his newfound situation was not now, as his loyal servant had mentioned, there was else afoot within the Order. That was the true threat, was it not? Had he been capable, a sneer would have crossed Sieger's features. Instead, Decitus would be met with a gentle snarl as piercing eyes met hers.

<< Then so shall we continue. >>​

​

It was not ideal, nor even preferred. It was however, necessary. A strange place Sieger found himself. No longer a master over the empowered and devious Decitus Ren but something more akin to an equal. Undoubtedly he stood at a disadvantage, the mystic realm of sorcery tying the two together. In what ways he didn't know conclusively - that itself another dangerous game. There would be time for such studies but the woman's words had brokered a tenuous understanding between the two. He was powerless to deny her.

<< I will not pretend I am pleased with this arrangement but you leave me little choice in the matter. You know a great deal, that I will admit. No longer the little girl you were whence we first met - you have become... something else entirely. >> He paused, curling his beastly fingers into a loose fist. << Where will my new puppet master deem to send me?>>​

​

Mockingly his hands rose, shaking in the empty air as if bound by shackles. As reassuring as her demeanor was the embers of anger at his inadequacy burned bright, perhaps more embarrassed that he had been caught vulnerable than directed at his former subordinate. *Equals.* Sieger had not had one of those in a long time. Some had come close, but this... this was new ground.

[member="Samka Derith"]​

 

[Samka Derith]

She watched for a moment. Once it became clear that Sieger would not move to challenge her, she almost released a breath she didn't even realise she was holding.

Almost.

She could never look weak.

"Then so shall we continue," Decitus repeated after him. "I'll take your words as a compliment mixed among obvious disdain." She continued analysing the creature before her closely.

The small woman trotted past Sieger, heading back towards the temple entrance. The ritual was complete. Their new relationship established. Only time would tell if he settled into his role or she into hers. She stood by the doorway for a moment, her back to the Supreme Leader in apparent contemplation.

"I'm not your puppet master," she said softly yet clearly. "I'm a last line of defence for a nation. That is all. You'll understand this in time..." She turned her head back to offer Sieger another trade mark, disarming smile. "For now, we look where you want to look. The Galactic Alliance is dead. We either die with it or find a new purpose. The choice is yours. I do hope you make the right one."

[member="Sieger Ren"]​