Private Pick of the Litter

[Darth Ophidia]

Cir'focri

For a moment, she thought she had missed. But the spear hit flesh, made resistance, but was pushed through. She thought then that she had killed her, but while blood poured from the wounds, Cir was still alive and fighting to stay that way even with a spear driven through her. It scared the other twi'lek to imagine the pain, and what could drive one to carry on even at the brink of death.

In horror, she let go of the spear and stepped back, letting it sit suspended in Cir as the twi'lek started looking around expecting something to happen around them.

"I did it."

The horror turned to a twisted smile as she looked left, right, then up.

The silent toss of the dagger took her almost unawares. The Force made her look and her arms reacted just a fraction of a second too late to catch the blade as it sunk into her neck. She was about to envelop herself in the protective cocoon of the Force again, but the sudden heat of her own blood pouring from her neck, coupled with the burning sting of the blade stuck in her flesh kept her from concentrating. And then, the blast of the Force struck like the second wave of a tsunami, not even a moment later.

She was thrown back and sent skidding along the floor, leaving a trail of red.

She rolled over on her stomach and pushed herself to her knees as she tried to crawl away, clutching at her throat to stem the steady stream of sanguine.

 

[Cir'focri]

As soon as Cir watched her knife sink into the woman’s neck her legs gave out from underneath her, causing her to fall to her knees as a low, triumphant laugh started to fall from her lips. Even through the pain that was racking through her body, she had done it. She had killed the competition, to her knowledge she was the last one standing, just about. She had survived the challenges, traps and other slaves. With the realization and emotions bubbling to the surface, it all flowed out as her sinister laugh only grew in intensity and volume.

Cir new she wasn’t finished yet, through the pain through sheer will, hatred and thankfully adrenaline she brought one leg up.. Followed by the other. Even with the spear still jutting out from her torso, which she gripped tightly to ensure the blood loss would remain slower. Naturally, her crimson blood dripped from the wound coating the rags she called clothes and leaving droplets on the floor. As step by step she moved closer.

The two bloods eventually began to mix as Cir willed herself to the other woman, to finish her off and ensure her victory. The only sounds in the room was her almost maniacal laughter and the sound of the dragging chain. The last thing the Twi’lek would hear as Cir let her legs fall from under her, crashing onto the other woman. Sitting on her back to prevent her dragging herself away further. The laughter died down, as the chain dragging became more pronounced until it suddenly stopped, Cir took the dagger into her free hand. The laughing, now turned more breathy as Cir was struggling for her own breath still persisted as she drove the dagger into the side of the other Twi’leks head. Finishing the deed.

Finally, she rolled off her opponent. The spear jutting out from her torso; covered in her own blood, chain around her forearm, life fleeting from her eyes as she simply stared at the ceiling. The laugh ever persisting as the woman’s eyes began to slowly close over unable to fight off the need to sleep as her very life-force seeped out.

Darth Ophidia

 

[Darth Ophidia]

There was minimal struggle, just hands clawing on the floor, legs kicking feebly in an attempt at a few more moments of freedom, then gagging and gurgling, followed by a few last cramps as the cold set in, and then stillness en-capsuled in the spreading stench of blood.

Cir and her opponent both lay in a pool of their own blood, one face down, one face up.

As the darkness encroached upon Cir, a figure appeared in the centre of her eyeline. There were no footsteps, no sound at all really. There was just the sight of the slender dark-robed figure and the sensation of her in the Force: Like a cold wind that would not release one's flesh. While the room was blinding white, the white turned to ashen grey in her presence, as if the light itself was being smothered.

The thin figure looked at the two bodies before kneeling down beside Cir. Her hand touched Cir's neck, feeling the pulse and temperature.

A word spoken, but too faint to hear, or perhaps in a language she did not understand. The tentacled one from the start came closer, pushing another humanoid ahead of him. It was one of the contestants, one Cir had tripped at the very beginning. She was alive, but held in place. The slender one looked up at her, then down at Cir. She grabbed the spear firmly.

Darkness.

And then a jolt of blue, pain, great amounts of pain, but also life. Electricity surged through the twi'lek's body, causing every muscle to spasm. Draining life from one to keep another from death.

Cir'focri

 

[Cir'focri]

Cir could do nothing more than lay there, in a pool of mixed blood while a weak laugh continued to fall from her lips. Its not like she could do much more, other than will herself to die slower though who knows if that was having any effect. Her entire body shook and gently spasmed every few moments as it was slowly but surely beginning to shut down and finally allow Cir to feel the pain as her adrenaline slowly faded.

Her eyes were beginning to shut, the bright white room slowly forcing her eyes closed, that was until the robbed figure came in. Through the spasms and shakes she forced a smirk out, as her previous thoughts had proven correct. She was the winner. Freedom would shortly be hers. The laughter died out and even with the dulling of the white room she closed her eyes. She felt the fingers against her neck, figuring the robbed person was checking if she were alive. Which of course she was, she was slowly dying but alive for now.

She could hear another figure approach but her eyes were closed, trying to relax through the pain washing over her body. Thankfully, this made her unaware of what was to come. As the spear was yanked from her chest causing her to gasp for breath and shoot into a sitting position with a pained scream. This was only the beginning though as electricity began to race through her body slowly mending her wounds with the lifeforce of the other humanoid. She only managed to catch a brief glimpse of the other woman and the figure before her vision went blue and she fell back. Writhing and twisting on the floor the room was filled with screams of pain until the other woman had no more to give and Cir was healed.

Every muscle in her body was tense, her lungs made her gasp for air and her eyes were wide, twitching every few seconds as she took in deep breaths. The pain had stopped, but she shook lightly as her body would need a short time to recover still. Her eyes darted to the robbed figure and with a weak voice some words were muttered. ‘’D-did I win?’’ The question was simple, yet full of desire. Even if the answer was no, she would force herself to carry on.

Darth Ophidia

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The other woman fell, only a dried out husk remaining of the once youthful appearance. And while the skin cracked when the body collapsed upon the floor, no blood escaped.

The twi'lek was alive and uttered a single question.

The pale woman's stoic mask cracked for just a moment as a twitch of a smile played on her lips. She intertwined her gloved fingers in front of her abdomen as she looked down on the young one in front of her, so eager to seize their chance, to push forward, to win.

"No, but you succeeded."

Whether or not there was a difference between winning and succeeding, and whether that meant she had or had not won in the end was left for Cir to determine for herself. The hint of a smile from before returned to watchful stoicism.

"You have died." She said flatly.

"Whatever fate you were bound to- Whatever status you once had- Whatever you once thought your life would be-"

Her hands parted, palms opening.

"-Can die, and let something new arise."

The blinding light of the room faded as the tiles changed colours. The white turned to grey, then faded close to black, except for one symbol which was built into the very ceiling like stained glass. Those tiles turned red, like blood spilled on snow. A symbol of the Sith.

"Do you seize this opportunity?"

Cir'focri

 

[Cir'focri]

Still panting from having another’s life-force transferred into her, Cir could only watch with large eyes which were almost hungry from a desire to succeed. Winning or succeeding the word made no difference to her, it was confirmed. She had beaten the rest, every other slave brought here to compete for a better future. Not only had she come out on top, she was the only one left. The hungry desire that was in her eyes quickly was replaced with an excited confidence.

This was only furthered as she listened to the Sith’s use of past tense, offering something new to arise she was almost ready to spring to her feet at that very moment. Her eyes squinting a little as she watched the very room around her changing color, turning dark. Only to be illuminated by the symbol of the Sith above her. It was one she was familiar with, though in truth she knew very little about the Sith. Thankfully as a slave she had never come across one until her force abilities were discovered, all she knew, like most of her slave life was to obey.

She was no fool though, she knew what opportunity was being offered to her. The ability to hone her skills not only with the force but as a fighter too, a path to power and wealth that was until days prior beyond her very dreams. If this series of trails was her initiation, she figured it would be an extremely difficult road but she had already succeeded. She would continue to succeed.

Rising to her feet she looked directly towards the eyes of the Sith before her, showing nothing but a burning desire to take the opportunity offered. Even an aura of confidence waved off of the slave as a single word was uttered. ‘’How.’’

Darth Ophidia

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Cir'focri

The ashen woman in the dark robes reached out and took Cir's hands in her own. Her skin was cold and dry, the fingers hard and strong.

"You have already taken your first step."

She pulled the twi'lek gently as a gesture for her to come. She walked backwards for a few steps, then turned, letting go with one hand and guiding with the other. She guided Cir deeper into the room.

"You see, the Force-"

With a casual movement of her hand, she used the Force to open a secret window. A transparent wall remained in front of them as the darkness separated to dim light, and before them was a tall chamber, viewed from on high. There were pillars of black stone, carved with the semblance of serpents coiling up along their length.

"More specifically, the Dark Side, is a conduit to great power."

She looked to Cir, then forward again.

"And great change, for those ready to make it."

Ahead of them, the bodies of those fallen were carried away. by more black-robed figures, lead by the quarren from before.

"Pledge yourself to it, to me, and to my teachings, and in return I will grant you power."