One Step Forward, Two Steps Back [Arthos]

[Lief]

Jyn had not moved an inch by the time that Arthos returned to take her away. But rather than ordering her from the bed he did something strange, and before she could move or protest a syringe had been stuck into her arm and the world span and became hazy. It wasn't long before she blacked out entirely. The void of her mind stretched onward, and with time despite her state dreams came and went. Haunting thoughts, flashbacks to her youth and the year she had forgotten, Fuz and the poor guys fate. In her bed she would toss and turn, crying out in pain and anger.

It would not be for some time until she actually awoke.

Lay there in the strange bed, she blinked her eyes and did her best to come to. There was food on her side table, clothes laid out on the chair beside her, and even shoes on the ground which hinted that she could go for a walk. Well, she didn't want to do that... But it may have been wise to get to know her surroundings.

With a huff she pushed herself into a seated position. Everything ached with fatigue, making her wonder just how long she had been down for the count. They were definitely not on the starship anymore, she could hear birds outside the window, and the roar of the sea. Groaning, the girl turned on the bed and hung her legs over the edge. The rush of blood caused her toes to tingle and her feet to momentarily numb. It was a frankly horrible sensation.

Finding her feet, using the bed as support so that she didn't fall, Jyn grabbed the clothes from the chair and wandered toward the open door which led - from what she could see - into a refresher. Once inside she shut the door, and prayed no cameras were set up in there as she suspected there were in the bedroom.

The first thing she did was remove her nightgown, then she stepped infront of the mirror. Her body was full of red - yet no longer sore - markings, new skin had mended the burns, but the scars remained. It was enough to bring her to tears, seeing the code she despised to abhorrently covering her flesh. It was more cruel than anything else any other Sith had done to her, minus slaughtering Fuz.

Dropping to the floor, with her back to the door, the girl sobbed. No matter what happened everyone would judge her now, think her one of those vile creatures she had spent her life running from. It sickened her to the core.

Locking the bathroom door, Jyn turned to the shower and set it on hot. Then she stepped into it, and once again sank down to the floor. Sat there in the basin she allowed the scorching hot water to wash over her. Who knew, maybe it would create blisters and scars which would cover up those which already covered her body.

[member="Arthos Vynea"]

 

[Arthos Vynea]

He gave her some time after the shower before he arrived, to give the idea of privacy he even knocked before entering. She had no hiding place on this island from his eyes, but it wouldn't hurt to let her think otherwise, in fact it might just help. He waited a moment after before opening the door, and his footsteps lead him to one of the dressers with a large mirror in front of it. Grabbing a hairbrush he walked over to her and sat next to her. Then wordlessly brushed through her hair, dozens of strokes brushing in repetition. Satisfied after a period of time he stood up and replaced the brush before sitting next to her again.

"Through power, I gain victory. Tell me child, have you ever felt victory true victory in your grip? Once you have power to act, you can attain which you've never realized possible, victory. Victories over others certainly, but the hardest are always the victories over yourself in truth. How many things do you wish you could do every day, or think impossible you do not yet dream of attempting. Surely ending me is one, but how? Do you have the will to act yet? The strength to enforce that will? Enough power to bring about it successfully and defeat me? Every person requires these things, and even the galaxy as a whole. Look at the Republic, they sought to bring the companies under their rule, but lacked the strength. The ability to enforce your will must always be matched with wisdom. They didn't foresee that the companies would oppose them, and now they are even more broken then they once were. Now their chains grow stronger, by their own hands."

Standing up he gave his back to her as he walked a pace or two away, so much potential in that little package. One day it might be the death of him, but he didn't fear that, not anymore. Slowly turning he cocked his head slightly at her. "Now we will began to hone you today as you learn the Sith Code. It will cost you now though, you must learn everything has a cost. Every emotion you can bring to bear is a reaction, the cause is it's own price much of the time. My rage was paid for by my mother's death, and I shall be yours. In a different way though, I'm sure. Your hatred of me will fuel your strength, and your passions. One day you may come to thank me for it. My rage was born by blood, spilled by Sith ironically enough, but the strength I've grown from that seed of rage has brought me here. Just as the hate and rage I birth in you will make you truly Sith. You have been taught some, tell me of your lessons."

He'd have lied to himself and pretended he didn't know why he gave her of his own truth, but he knew all too well. Perhaps he wasn't willing to even speak the truth to himself yet, but he knew it. His purpose was gone, and he'd already faded in truth from the eyes of the galaxy. Not that they'd ever been on him really, it had just been hers the galaxy saw him through. She wouldn't end her apprenticeship as he had, and when it ended he'd be gone. Of course he didn't think Sith ever ended their apprenticeship as he did, it was what made it more impossible to let go of. Doubtlessly she could feel his sorrow for a moment as it slipped his leash, his last thoughts unspoken even in his mind. Sooner or later this one would free him though, he knew it, she'd return him to her.

[member="Thédus Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

He would have had to wait for a very long time.

Jyn sat in the shower basin for what had to have been hours. The heat of the water had long been forgotten, her skin glowing. Her head was in her hands, fingers caught up in strands of hair and clenched tight in distress. She wanted to stay there, to fall beneath the water and let it consume her.

But fate was not so kind.

All at once the water ceased to flow. Still she remained, until she was shivering and her lips were blue. Then with a reluctant sigh she rose up and grabbed a towel. Leaving the refresher was one of the toughest choices she'd had to make.

Immediately the girl fell upon the bed. She did not change into the provided clothes and instead threw a night gown on and buried herself back beneath the covers. She curled up, eyes closed as tightly as her grip on the blankets which she hid beneath.

And then she heard him approach.

A whimpered sob of frustration left her, distressed at this consistent torment. "Go away" she growled, though it unexpectedly turned to tears. "I don't want you here. Why won't you just let me be?"

By this point he had settled upon the bed; she felt the blankets lower ever so slightly and sat up, giving him an exasperated look. To begin with though he said nothing in response, opting to run a brush through her hair. What could she do to stop him? If she tried one of the prisoners would die.

There was no way that she could win.

He began to speak, much to her frustrations, and as he began she huddled back down under the covers. She didn't want to listen. She didn't want to talk. She despised the code he was explaining, she hated the fact it was upon her skin.

"I will never be a Sith" she spat, "and I will never tell you what he taught me."

She would not tarnish Tirdarius' memory.

[member="Arthos Vynea"]

 

[Arthos Vynea]

She was wilting it seemed, perhaps he had been wrong about the fire inside of her, perhaps she required pain to motivate. At the end though it was there, burning underneath like smoldering ashes ready to burst into life. Rage lit his face, but it was a lie, a near pointless one at that since he had no doubt she could feel his exultation as she came to life. Standing he moved his face at a camera and nodded to it. Turning back he finally smiled before moving off the bed and towards the door. Breathing in deep he took the Force in him before turning back around probing at her mind as he spoke.

"Why won't I let you be? Every door in this house could be unlocked and a ship sitting outside the door, yet still you lie here like the dead. You don't want me here then remove me, nothing keeps you here but you at this point. Go run now, no one will stop you. I've a pair of ships outside take one, fly away your slaves will pay your debts. Go run back to the stars where you can wander, but what then? What will you do once I'm but a memory? So willing to lie here and die, for what? For slaves? No, you'd just like to fade away beneath those covers, and the darkness to hide you, but is it from me you're hiding? This once though you act, so you can again. So run, run until your free of me, the door is right there. You could try to defeat me, but look at how weak you've let yourself become. So willing to die you can't even fight for yourself any longer. Whats your worth, child? It's truly a sad day when a slaver sees more in you then you yourself can. Maybe I should just be done with you, you'd make a pretty penny in the pleasure circles. What a waste. Your other choice is to live, to learn and train until your strong again. It means bowing to me and accepting your place until you're strong enough to challenge me yes, but it means living again. Learn grow strong, and act. Otherwise I may even just let you stay here, let you waste away in this room until you're a shadow."

Stopping as the door opened he turned his head towards it to see the young boy walk through a plate of food in his hand. Setting it down his eyes flickered between the pair the tension in the air from the enraged Sith tangible even to the child. Arthos considered the boy for a moment before removing one of his tonfas from his hip and lighting it. "You see her there boy, she will be the death of you yet. Not today though, today another dies for her sins. The worst part is her sins aren't against me, they are against herself. We've all fallen, but only the strong keep rising its what divides the strong from the weak. Some think its failure, but it's really just the refusal to surrender. Remember her this moment, for a moment she decided to be alive, she decided to be free despite the possible cost. That is how you break chains boy, that is how you get back up."

Turning his eyes back to his unnamed prisoner he waved away the child, and pointed towards her plate of food. "Eat, regain your strength and make your choices. Give up, lie down and die, fine. No one will know, those who knew you will wonder at night in the late hours looking towards the heavens wondering but never knowing. If you think this was my fault though you are sadly mistaken. A few scars and you die? A few scars and you surrender it all to the darkness? I thought you had fire in you, and I was right. If you're so determined to fade into shadows and darkness though I can do little for you. I could beat you but you've already beaten yourself. I will not allow that any longer, that boy has more life in him then you've chosen to. Eat then met me downstairs, or at least have the courage to just try to walk out the front door. If you can't manage either of those I won't waste my time any longer on you. Lie here and do nothing, the galaxy won't even notice when you truly become a ghost." Rage had mounted as he spoke, her potential was high all she had to do was reach out her hand, and take it.

[member="Thédus Lorr"]

 

[Lief]

"You are WRONG" she yelled. She was done with this belittling, of making her seem like a lesser being because she wouldn't just submit to his viewpoint. "I'm not weak, I'm not lay here trying to become nothing. I'm trying to stop you from slaughtering innocent people in order to further your own stupid view on how things should be!"

By this point she was sat upright, her glare turned toward Arthos. "I will not have them die because you view your religion as more important than anything else in this Galaxy. I don't want to be a Sith. I don't want to be a Jedi. I don't care that I can use the Kriffin' Force!"

Her hands balled up, at this point she was seeing red - her cheeks were flushed, and not just from the heat either.

When the boy entered she snatched the tray from him before he could place it down and knocked it to the floor at Arthos' feet. "Do not fear him" she told him, her voice firm and oddly empowered for once. "He's just a coward without a purpose, trying to find worth in a Galaxy without his beloved Master."

She could read him like a book, he didn't even try to contain his emotions.

"Well I won't idolize you the way you idolized her!"

Rising from the bed the girl took the boys hand and pulled him behind her. "You keep threatening to kill them so that I'll live and obey. Why don't you stop threatening little harmless children and their mothers? I'm the one you have an issue with! Not them."

She took a step forward, keeping a tight hold of the boy in an attempt to keep him safe. As long as she held his hand, she would not allow anything bad to happen to him. They'd have to kill her first.

"So why don't you stop taking it out on them?"

[member="Arthos Vynea"]

 

[Arthos Vynea]

He was enjoying the fire in her until she spoke of his Master, in an instant his anger turned ice cold, the inferno replaced by something far darker, far less merciful. He stood silently for a moment his lips slowly curling into a smile as he accepted a decision of such cruelty he found no joy in it. He would break her, and she would beg before the end for it to end and to be taught. If not her torment would simply endure until her mind broke completely. Reattaching the tonfa to his waist he took a silent step towards her looming over her as he looked over her scars one more time. "One day you'll understand. For the powerful most consequences are actually felt by those who serve them. Always remember that while the soldiers do the dying, the ones leading must bear responsibility for that. You've refused your role, and so all those you might have saved must face your consequences. You will never forgive me for this, but really it is only yourself you should be seeking forgiveness from these consequences you knew all too well."

His movement was quick and too small her to do anything about it, a small knife moved in and out of the small boy's stomach too quickly for his senses to even catch up to the fact that he'd been stabbed. "Do you know what the most painful way to die is? Its a stomach wound, your body starts to consume itself with the very acids it produces. Death takes far too long to take you so that you linger in pain until finally darkness claims you.

Without another word he pulled at the Force, and with a sudden rush attacked her mind as the boy's pain assaulted her. He didn't seek to truly invade though, what he wanted was right there on the surface as her empath gifts were pouring out the boy's pain into her. It was here he attacked ripping into her defenses against the pain and incoming information. He wanted her to feel every moment, ever consequence she'd just brought on all of them, because she didn't want to answer simple questions. Members of his own soon entered the room and handed him what he'd been waiting for, a slave collar. Without a word he snapped it around the girl's neck and walked away towards the door. "Seal him up and send him to a tank to heal. Send her to the pit, it's time she learned the price of defiance. I want all of her people there except the boy's mother. Such a waste, they die because you didn't want to answer a question, pathetic."

Walking out of the room he went to the pit himself to ready himself for what was to come, it left a foul taste in his mouth but she'd pushed his hand. The pit itself was simply a fortified bunker below the basement. It served as both disciplinary room for those who truly tested Arthos' patience, and if the worse came to worse you could hold it for months in a siege. He watched the slaves arrived the fear in their eyes obvious as they were huddled into a small cage that didn't really contain enough room for them, but the blows from several rifle butts encouraged them to press closer together. He turned to ready his tools as the girl herself was brought in and strapped down to a chair in the middle of the room. Turning once he made sure everything was ready he smiled noting that her adrenal drip had already been attached. Taking a small moment he felt at her mind, and with almost a negligent pull ripped wider open, it would heal, but not soon. "Well shall we began?"

[member="Thédus Lorr"]