Private Metamorphosis

[Lirka Ka]

The time had come.

Her body had served well, a suitable vessel for a time: but it was dying, decaying, ripped apart by the foul gene-sciences that led to its creation. And with this form coming to its end, Lirka felt vulnerable in a way she rarely was. She lacked legions of scientific lackeys to ferry her experiments along, or any of the true power she had as a Grand Moff. She had to implore others for assistance, to submit herself to a new purpose in exchange for metamorphosis.

And here, on the Malsheem, that metamorphosis would begin. Lirka had sequestered herself away in the bowels of the world vessel, locked away from the Galaxy. until the time came. Hyper Fixated on any semblance of control she could gain.

Lirka was Kainate.

But she was not Sith.

She did not trust the Sith, she respected Darth Carnifex for his brutality, venerated him for how he pushed the grand design of the Dark forward. But there were more, one Darth Xyrah had been pushed into the fray of her newest rebirth. And so, a stranger would have the chance to rummage through her form in its primordial state: a harrowing thought, but a necessity.

Hidden away in this would-be-laboratory she waited, the room in near total darkness save for the rapid blue glow of holoprojectors showing a dozen different schematics rapidly. The power suit that had become her skin rapidly disassembled and reassembled in its holographic form, every little change and possibility document: but this played second fiddle to the true pinnacle of her obsession. Potential bodies flew across the projector as long, claw-like fingers tossed them around. Some were savage and bestial, unrecognizable to what she was before, others were lithe and beautiful but all of them were simply wrong in some form or fashion, the sort of thing that could only be made, not born.

But for now, all the Once-Sephi could do was obsess and wait for the duo of Sith Lords to arrive.

Then the real agony would begin.

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"She's quite a peculiar specimen, Lord Father. It's quite surprising that she lasted this long, her body held together by scrap." Blue light illuminated the oil-flecked red-orange skin of Saki Lin, Chief Artificer of the Kainate, as she stared down at the datapad in her hands; hardly looking up to look where she was going. Fortunately, the towering individual at her side all but assured that anyone walking their direction would not get in their way. Mostly, they'd be too busy bowing in reverence as they passed, plus she could see when His direction changed by His feet so she didn't run into a wall.

Again.

"That is why we are upgrading her, Chief Artificer. Her old body can only take her so far, and it has been failing her long before she joined us on Besberra." Darth Carnifex had long understood the potential that Lirka Ka possessed, but had wanted to see just how far she was willing to go to seize it. Her performance in the gladiatorial ring on Jutrand had only shown a fraction of that potential, and her desire to see her body completely transformed had all but assured it.

Saki Lin smiled, a knowing smirk. "Of course, Lord Father. We will do all we can to see that your will is accomplished." He knows that she would have done all that was required of her even if He hasn't asked it, she was completely dedicated to Him and His vision; there needn't be any further encouragement. It was much the same for the other that walked alongside them, the effeminate and genius leader of Shadow Mind, Saryn Naberrie. Where Saki brought the technical acumen, Saryn provided the intellectual edge.

By necessity they often collaborated, the Artificers Guild and Shadow Mind working in tandem on many simultaneous projects. To craft a fresh body for Lirka Ka, and ensure that it was greater than any form she once wore, would be among their most magnificent triumphs. All that was left was to see it done.

Carnifex entered first, His towering form sweeping into the laboratory with a thunderous presence. The other two followed in after, ready to work.

A single question would be posed to Lirka Ka.

"Shall we begin?"

Lirka Ka | Darth Xyrah ​

 

[Darth Xyrah]

Saryn followed closely behind the pair, garbed in a scientist's labcoat and long black leather gloves, ready to conduct his work. "I have more than a few ideas to enhance Lirka's new body. Top of the line cybernetic implants should help increase her killing effectiveness exponentially. We just need to ascertain how far she's willing to go to achieve martial perfection.", he said with a gentle nod, browsing through some of the notes he'd been provided on his datapad.

"I'll leave the alchemical part of the process to you, beloved.", he said with a tender smile towards Carnifex, gently reaching over to squeeze his hand affectionately as they entered the room. "Shall we begin?", his master said, posing his question to their guest. Saryn soon spoke after him. "We're ready to proceed, Miss Lirka. The question is how far are you willing to go to achieve the ascendance you desire? I've a number of cybernetic implants in mind that will make you an extremely potent killer...."

Darth Carnifex
Lirka Ka

 

[Lirka Ka]

As the duo entered the room, Lirka recoiled some from the light that entered into her dark abode, shielding her one good eye with a hand before reaching over and flicking some controls to have the lights click to life. And with the room fully lit, the true foulness of Lirka Ka was revealed.


The lab stunk of chemicals and rotting meat, for the power suit that had become her second skin, the skin she showed to the Galaxy, and the skin that held back her necrotizing decay, had been disassembled and hung from its storage rack further down in the room. She had even abandoned her chemical-coated undersuit in place of simple medical garb, and with that the trio became the first three to gaze upon the true Lirka Ka in a long, long, time

It was accurate to say she shouldn't have been alive, she was a walking corpse: her entire body seemed to be in a constant, writhing, state as flesh died and tried to remake itself. Much of her face too had decayed away revealing the gums and their wicked, unnatural, long and sharp teeth. She was a monster, and yet through all this decay the raw uncanniness seeped through, nothing about her was natural. Muscle structure that was statuesque leaving her looking as if she was some monument of stone turned to flesh, and while she only possessed one, the other destroyed by a knife during the Jutrand arena duels, her eye was an impossible icy blue.

As Darth Xyrah spoke her one eye turned to face him, and she spoke plainly: it was strange to hear Lirka without the signature distortion from her helmet, her alien accent still thick despite the many years away from home.

"Do not call me Miss. Lirka will do."

She quickly followed up with the more "pressing" matters. Projecting two of her holographic blue prints to the trio

"I have contemplated a handful of ideas and fallen upon these."

Her long, claw-esque finger pointed towards her new body primarily.

"It is not dissimilar to my current form, albeit dabbling less in the experimental and leaving myself as a slate for what the Kainate deems necessary. A modified Sephi genome, increased muscle growth, heightened senses, increasing the natural rate of healing."

She turned to address Xyrah again, cybernetics. So valuable, and yet, Lirka remained paranoid of many of them.

"I have laid out modifications to the current cybernetic-frame inside me, following the original schematics with some improvements. Bone fortification, joint enhancement, lung filters, among other minor additions."

She waited now, time to see what sort of things Darth Carnifex had in mind for her form