Private Seek And Ye Shall Find

[Revna]

At first, the Sith did not speak or move, and Revna felt a twinge of anxiousness that he would deny or reject her request outright. She felt a temptation to actually plead with him, supplicate and make her desire well known - but just as she prepared herself to speak, she watched as he raised a hand and made a small gesture to open the door. Her eyes flickered to the door, and watched as a couple of the troopers tried to look within to see just what had happened. No doubt, they had heard the crashing and the violent sounds of breaking objects within the room. As had anyone else who had been nearby.

A red flush briefly filled her face once more, as a strange mixture of embarrassment and pride danced through her as she turned her gaze back to the fallen form of Voss T’vondt, who was trying weakly to push himself up off the floor. A sneer curled on her face as she purposefully placed her foot on his throat and forced him back down, adding just enough pressure to make him choke a little bit. A physical gesture of her dominance over him, of her victory and his defeat.

“You’d be wise to stay down. Otherwise, I will slowly skin you before beating your raw and exposed flesh.” She whispered with the same icy voice she’d used before. It wasn’t a threat, but a very clear promise; she would do exactly what she said she would do, if he gave her the chance or the reason. Her gaze, now glinting with fresh and renewed anger, glanced back at the masked and robed Sith. “I’m tempted to skin him anyway. I’ve heard that is an excruciating form of torture. Hmmm. Maybe I can do that to the next slaver I get my hands on…”

Her attention snapped to the troopers as they entered into the wrecked room to do as directed to by the Sith. Revna lifted her foot from Voss’s throat and stepped away, allowing them access to the disgraced crime lord. For a moment, she watched in silence, briefly playing over the raw and recent events in her mind, and another wave of pride and vindication seemed to wrap around her. She didn’t feel an ounce of shame, regret, or remorse for what she had done to Voss. She’d do it all again, over and over, if she could.

Just as the troopers grabbed a hold of him, a thought popped into the little acolyte’s mind, and her angry eyes brightened for a moment.

“Hold on…don’t take him yet. I just remembered something…” She exclaimed a bit quickly, briefly glancing at Darth Strosius before stepping towards Voss and crouching down, extending her small hand out towards his forehead. Her energy was depleted, but she had enough for this she believed.

Revna closed her eyes and concentrated; the Force shifted and moved around Voss’s head, as her face contorted into a grimace of effort. Voss weakly tried to force her away, muttering almost frantically about her being in his head, and telling her to get out. She ignored him, as more fear seemed to bleed from the Devaronian. After a few moments, she opened her eyes and rose back to her feet, stepping away and giving the troopers a nod to indicate that she was finished with what she was doing.

“He is, or was, a crime lord with a lucrative web in Nar Shaddaa. In the past, when I’ve read his surface thoughts, I’d come across little tid bits here and there about business partners or even rivals of his.” She explained as she glanced at the Sith beside her. “I wanted to know a little more…names, locations, so on and so forth. So I took that information; figured it might be valuable to you with your operations. And…on top of that…I ripped the code sequence to his safe in his penthouse from his mind. I now have full access to his wealth and assets. If you are agreeable to it…I’d like to re-distribute those funds into the settlement and the people here. Maybe keep a small sum for myself…of course. Something about using his credits to benefit former slaves and give them a better life seems very poetic to me, and justified.”

She fell silent for a few moments then, finally allowing herself to somewhat process what had just happened. The last words of the robed Sith floated through her mind once more, and she tilted her head left and then right as a frown creased her sweaty and blood flecked and smeared brow.

“...induct? What do you mean by that?”


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius didn't bother to hide the smirk that crept onto his face at the sight of Revna keeping the Devaronian on the ground while the guards moved in, crossing his arms behind his back and simply enjoying the view for a moment. No matter how many times he saw it there was still nothing more satisfying than seeing a slaver driven before their former property and made to suffer. A very fitting punishment for a lifetime of vice and sin, to be humbled by your victims.

"While I am not one to deny such a request, if you could save the flaying for a better location where the cleanup is easier then I would appreciate that." However she wanted to exact her vengeance was fine by him, he wasn't one to pick and choose how justice was dealt by the injured party after all, but this room was messy enough already. It was meant for guests not executions. The guards didn't seem too bothered by the macabre nature of the discussion at hand nor by the battered and bloodied Voss that they were tasked with retrieving, simply moving in and grabbing up the pitiful slaver with little to no heed nor care in how they hefted him up.

They did pause at Revna's remark, with the High Priest giving a subtle nod to both her and the guards when they all looked to him as if for permission, and held him on his knees for the Acolyte. Darth Strosius watched with interest as she began to try and pierce into Voss's mind, biting his tongue when he thought of offering her advice. Unskilled and untrained attempts could be very painful for the receiver so she needed to practice.

At the nod the guards resumed their task and began dragging the Devaronian out of the room without further delay, one of them reaching for the commlink on their helmet to call for a gathering at the Cathedral. "Clever. Might as well get everything useful out of the wretch before he slips from the living world. Do remind me to move up your interrogation lesson next week." He seemed to think on her desire to share the funds for a moment as he crossed the room to stand beside her once more.

"It sounds to me as though all of his assets are rightfully yours now Acolyte and as such you are at liberty to do with them what you will. Give as much as you'd like or keep it for your own purposes, either way it is your decision. I'll give you some time to get it all sorted out after the ceremony." The High Priest offered Revna his arm, as though to escort her out to some formal event, with a nod.

"Well you see Revna, as you know all those in need are welcome to our community and into the arms of Wonosa. However, not everyone can or truly wants to properly join in our ranks and in our devotion. To believe is one thing but to put that belief into practice is something altogether very different." He would lead the way out of the small building as he spoke, following behind the guards as they carried Voss towards the Cathedral in the distance. "So we have a set of...goals I suppose is the best way to put it, that we lay out for true followers to prove themselves with. Based upon the three tenants of our faith that we hold in high regard."

Their journey back through the settlement would draw the gazes of many passersby, curious stares and glances which would flicker between the guards and their High Priest. But notably none of them seemed concerned at all. There was nothing but trust that the Devaronian being dragged through the streets had done something to earn this fate. That he was some sinner in need of punishment. Some even began muttering prayers of thanks that their brothers and sisters in faith were keeping them safe from such an individual, completely ignorant yet still so certain.

"Kerstas, Tikras, and of course Wonosa. Revenge, Faithful, and Freedom." The masked man continued, paying little mind to the crowd that they passed by on their walk. "You have displayed Wonosa and Kerstas, the first two tenants, to a remarkable degree. You freed yourself from the cruel fate of slavery with the Force and your own will, and then you subjected your former tormenter to your righteous wrath. You have mastered these two tenants and your efforts must be recognized as such."

Revna

 

[Revna]

The Sith’s remarks about her saving flaying her master for another location made her pause and for the first time since she had started down the path of reaping her vengeance upon her former master, Revna looked at the room around her and a coldness fell over her as her inflamed cheeks turned pale. Broken chairs and knocked over tables, blood splatters and bone splinters, broken glass and appliances and cracked walls…

She had done that. And she would have continued and made it worse had her energy not depleted. Had she been stronger or more trained…she might have leveled the place.

To hear that she’d been clever in her desire to take information from her former master did bring a sense of pride to her, especially when the Sith mentioned that her lessons on interrogation would be moved up due to her foresight and actions taken. It was a pleasant thing to hear, and it further reinforced that she had made the right choice in coming here, to seek out a Sith who could train her and guide her.

Revna tilted her head as she absorbed the statements that what had belonged to Voss now rightfully belonged to her, and her eyes widened as the truth of that settled over her. His penthouse, his goods, his assets, his wealth…everything was hers now. In the blink of an eye, she’d gone from being poor and not being able to afford anything for herself…to having wealth beyond what she could possibly imagine.

She regarded his offered arm, as if he was going to escort her from the wrecked building, and after a moment’s hesitation she reached out and wrapped her arm around his, allowing him to guide her from the carnage she’d left behind. As they moved through the settlement, Revna’s gaze flickered to the people who began to gather to observe the procession from time to time, and at first she almost seemed to shyly tuck into place at Strosius’s side…but with each step she took the more her vindication reappeared, until she was walking with her head lifted and her gaze hard. She wasn’t ashamed of what she had done, and she knew she shouldn’t act as if she was. Revna listened intently as Strosius indulged her curious questioning about the induction he had mentioned earlier, and the more he explained, the more she felt unworthy of such recognition.

Especially so soon after her arrival to Formos, to the Dresuoti.

“I…I don’t deserve this honor. But I will accept it, if you feel that I have earned this through my efforts and my actions. Also...I am sorry for the mess I made in the building. I got carried way and lost in the moment and didn't care what I did to what belonged to you, to the others here. I will do whatever I need to do to make repairs and clean it up, if you wish.” Revna replied softly, almost somberly, her gaze landing on the form of Voss as he was dragged through the streets. Another, albeit smaller, surge of violence swept through her as the desire to continue her assault on him resurfaced, but she took a deep breath and fought those desires down. She had a feeling that whatever was going to come next was going to make all of this worth it. She would have her final vengeance, and it would be glorious.


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"You don't believe you deserve much, do you young Revna?" He spoke as he glanced down at the Acolyte with a slight tilt of his head, his tone surprisingly soft yet with all his usual verbosity. "I don't feel that you've earned it. You have earned it. Long before you even came to Formos in fact, for you have weathered a lifetime of cruelty and depravity yet still managed to sever yourself from it. To move beyond it and become something greater than you were before. You have earned the title of 'Sith' and it is only fitting that we acknowledge it. Take pride in yourself and in your struggle."

Darth Strosius nodded to the injured form of Voss still being dragged through the street in front of them. "Is seeing your previous captor and abuser broken by your own hands and dragged across the ground like a bunch of refuse not enough proof? That you are an Acolyte of the Sith, deserving and worthy of all that you can claim and hold onto?" To break the mindset of a slave was difficult, to see oneself as more than simply what labor they could provide was a stark change, but it had to be done. Revna had proven that she was strong enough to accomplish it and he intended to ensure that she saw it through and came out the other side as she should be.

Today would be the greatest step forward in that regard but he knew that it would be far from the last that she would have to make before she accepted who she truly was. "And as for the mess have no fear, it'll be cleaned up and restored back to its former glory in no time at all." There was a pause before he leaned down a bit as though to whisper a secret. "Do you think that you are the only one that's ever had a bloody reception to one of our uninvited guests? Had you not appeared when you did then I would have delimbed him myself."

Of course he always allowed the victims of a slaver to have the killing blow, just as Revna would have with the Devaronian, but often times he couldn't resist maiming them himself first. They who had the gall to show their faces on his world and demanded that he give them his people. It was simply too insulting to ignore and as such necessitated immediate reprisal. "That building is simply one of many that we use to delay uninvited arrivals until we determine what to do with them. You have nothing to apologize nor make amends for."

By the time that their little group reached the clearing before the Cathedral the crowds had grown silent yet ever watching, the area before the great doors was largely cleared of bystanders aside from two columns of priests lining either side of the open doorway. Their heads were bowed, hands folded in prayer, and every third priest carried an incense burner whose red smoke drifted and curled around them in the calm wind. The guards maintained their path and led the pair of Sith through the gap between the priests, with the cloaked figures then following after them once they had been passed.

When they set foot inside the Cathedral the priests would split into their columns once more, weaving their way around to sit in the pews. Four of the higher ranking priests, set apart from the others by their dark masks and ornate adornments on their robes, watched as the guards threw Voss on the ground before the pulpit. They moved swiftly to restrain the Devaronian to the floor before bowing as the High Priest and the Acolyte approached, stepping back and revealing a dagger left on the pulpit.

Ancient Sith sigils and inscriptions adorned the dark metal of the blade, leading to a cracked yet repaired stone handle with a triangular pommel. It was an old weapon of that there was no doubt, the handle wrapped in the same black Zeyd-cloth that adorned most of the cultists of Wonosa. Darth Strosius pulled away from Revna then and moved to stand behind the pulpit, crossing his hands before himself as the other higher ranking priests did. "Revna Sharr, daughter of shackles and child of the Force. You were born into a galaxy of strife and struggle, forced to work and survive and yet your will and determination ensured that you stand before us today."

"You saw the Lie of Peace, you knew the Truth of Passion." The higher priests intoned at once, paying no heed to the struggles or muffled cries of the now bound and gagged Voss at their feet. "Then you found within you potential, a power yet to be unlocked, one that you toyed with but never truly delved into due to the circumstances of your existence." "Through your Passion you uncovered your Strength." The other priests in the pews, after closing the doors behind the quickly exiting guards, began a low chanting as the ritual continued.

Their words were distant and spoken in the tongue of the Sith but it would become evident to a keen ear that they were repeating the Sith Code in its native language as a prayer. "When you finally unleashed your power you were able to overcome your masters. You broke your chains and left the world of your confinement behind." "Through your Strength you found Power." Darth Strosius spread his arms wide as he continued, as though gesturing to the world around them.

"Your power led you to seek answers and here you found them. We nurtured you, we taught you, and when the time came for your old life to attempt to wrench you back into its claws you not only resisted but you broke it. You broke him." "Through your Power you achieved Victory." The dagger would rise into the air then, hovering before the Acolyte with the tip pointed at the restrained Devaronian below them. "Now it is time to rid yourself completely of what you were made to be, and to embrace what you are."

All at once, unified in voice with their High Priest yet unable to down out his own as it boomed across the Cathedral, the priests spoke. "Through your Victory your Chains were broken. The Force has set you free." He nodded to Voss as the priests all bowed their heads and clasped their hands together. "Sever the last Chain, Acolyte. Embrace the Freedom that you have earned for yourself, and let the Force drink in your righteous wrath."

Revna

 

[Revna]

Did she believe she deserved much?

No, she didn’t, not at the moment anyway. But…she did believe she at least deserved the chance to become something more than what she had been. But she kept her thoughts to herself as she listened to the Sith whose arm was wrapped around hers, as he sought to drive home the truth for her to understand - to accept. He was right, of course; she had endured so much, for so long. Most slaves would have broken long before now, would have destroyed themselves, or been killed. But she had managed to live and fight through it all…be it by the hand of fate, the Force, or her own tenacity to survive and have her vengeance.

She gazed upon the battered form of her old master as the robed Sith continued, his words direct but gentle. But it was still difficult to accept that she deserved anything, unless she earned it. And she had earned this moment, her newfound freedom.

Revna recognized her thought pattern was one from her old life - a life that no longer held any power over her. She wasn’t a slave any longer, she just had to embrace that truth and walk in it now. And finally destroying the last of her ties to that old life she felt would be key in helping her truly break the last of those invisible bonds.

“A slave is conditioned to deserve and receive nothing unless it is by their master’s whim. But…I am not a slave any longer, and you are right.” the small woman replied in a low, reflective voice. “And I won’t lie…seeing my former master broken and dragged through the streets like the criminal he is feels really good.”

She glanced at the Sith briefly and gave him a small smile. “I have many years of conditioning and beliefs to undo; it won’t be done overnight. But…given time and encouragement and occasional reminders that I am better than that, I feel that my mindset will evolve to be more like a Sith. I hope so, anyway.”

Revna was relieved to hear that she didn’t have to worry about the building, though she was more than willing to help with its repairs. She wasn’t entirely surprised to hear that there had been other incidents involving unwelcome guests, nor was she surprised to hear that the Sith would have ripped the man apart himself had she not stepped in. This knowledge brought a smirk to her face.

“Why do you think I rushed out here? I practically ran over a few of your priests hoping to get to you before there wasn’t anything left of him!” She remarked with some dark mirth. “Though it is a good use of that building. But if you say I have nothing to apologize for, then I will accept that. Just know that I am willing to help repair…even pay for it, now that I have my master’s wealth in my possession.”

Revna continued alongside Strosius with solemn strides. The gathered crowd was silent and watching, and though their attention brought a flush of pink to her cheeks, she paid them no mind and only focused on what was before her. The Cathedral loomed overhead - both an ominous and majestic sight for her. She was still in awe of the place, of the power that pulsed from it, and knew she would be for some time. The little woman observed the lines of priests with their bowed heads and the wispy trails of red smoke that curled and vanished into the air from the incense burners. The whole procession and situation screamed of some sacred formality, and she felt the slightest hesitation within her - not from fear, but from the sense that something significant and life changing was about to happen, and she’d never been involved in such a ceremony or procession.

Part of her wondered what Voss was thinking in the moment, what kind of thoughts and fears were twisting his mind. Though battered and broken, he was still very much alive and in control of his own mind and upon realizing that she could do with him whatever she pleased now, Revna let her senses stretch out to touch his mind. At first, she picked up the ambient whispers of others around them, and the noise that filtered into her inner ears was chaotic. But she focused further to single out and only hear the thoughts of the Devaronian, and after a few moments of reading his surface thoughts and fears, she smiled darkly.

“He’s afraid. He’s telling himself that he should never have come here, that he should have just let me go. He wants to speak to us, to you…to secure his freedom and his life. But he knows he won’t get the chance to.” Revna murmured to Darth Strosius as they made their way into the hallowed Cathedral. Seeing such thoughts in her former master’s mind filled her with a sense of victory; how she had longed for this moment for so long. And how that it was here, she almost wanted to draw it out, to savor it for as long as possible.

But then she remembered that she had former slave masters that still lived. Like the ones who butchered her mother in front of her eyes. There would be a special punishment in store for those nobles and their brood, if she ever tracked them down.

After passing through the grand doorway of the Cathedral, the priests split and Revna watched in growing solemness as they took their places at the pews, her heart now hammering away in her chest as four priests wearing dark masks and ornate robes observed as the Devaronian was thrown to the floor before them unceremoniously. Each moved to bind and gag him, and Revna could feel Voss’s indignation and fear pour into the Force. Seeing him bound in such a way reminded her of when she’d been in similar situations…helpless and afraid for her life.

When the four masked priests moved away, Revna beheld what appeared to be some sort of knife or dagger on the raised platform that had been behind them, her eyes glued to it as Darth Strosius pulled his arm from hers and stepped away to the platform. He stood before her, on the floor at their feet between them was her former slave master, and behind her were the gathered priests and priestesses and beyond that, outside the Cathedral…were her new people. The knowledge and understanding was surreal for her in the moment.

She could feel the energy around them all shifting. Like the Darkness in the Cathedral knew why they were there. It felt aware, alive, and waiting. It sent a chill down her spine, and her skin reacted underneath her new dark robes as her hair raised over her entire body. It was both a disconcerting and an awe-inspiring sensation, and she had a feeling it would only deepen the further into the ceremony they would go.

When the High Priest began speaking, her eyes lifted to gaze at him. It truly dawned on her then that this…was for her. She listened, almost holding her breath, as the priests around began voicing their part of the ceremony, and she recognized it as a ritualized form of the Sith Code.

Peace was a lie, there was only Passion.

The energy shifted again, and seemed to deepen slightly. Before her, Voss struggled against his bonds more, ignoring the pain of his broken bones. Maybe he too could feel the gathering Darkness; she hoped he could. She wanted him to be drowned in it before he was lost to oblivion.

Through Passion I gain Strength.

Revna’s eyes drifted shut for a moment as memories shifted through her mind again; the memory of showing her mother her ability to move things with her mind, to call them to her hand, to see her environment obey her will, to see those who would dare cross her punished. Of the knowledge that one day when she was free, she would rise above others who wanted to drag her down. Every single moment of her life had led her to this point in her life; all the struggles, all the violence, the death…the pain. Every fight to stay alive, to stay one step ahead of her masters…every thought and dream of freedom from her invisible chains.

Through Strength I gain Power.

Rage filtered through her memory, the surge of power as she lifted a man from his feet with an invisible hold over his throat, choking the life from him so he could no longer torment her or her mother. Though the memories threatened to pull her into their depths, Revna felt her strength rise as she exercised control over herself…something she had so recently learned to do, yet was determined to put into practice. If she could master this…then she could become a formidable entity herself. It was a struggle to stay grounded, to stay present, but she persevered as the ritual continued.

Through Power I achieve Victory.

The words of Darth Strosius pulled her the rest of the way from her memories and she opened her eyes again as she felt the radiating presence of the power that permeated the Cathedral. She felt like it was…waiting for her. Like she was standing on that cliff’s edge, brought to the point where she would have to make the choice to leap…or to turn away. Before her, the dagger she’d seen on the raised platform had risen in the air, an indication to her of what would happen next…her part to play in the ceremony, the ritual that was being done on her behalf.

Revna tilted her head slightly and lifted her hand to let the ritual dagger settle in her palm, and her gaze traced over its intricate markings before they shifted to the struggling and heaving form of Voss T’vondt as silence fell over the gathered in the Cathedral. He was trying to look over his shoulder at her, and the fear that bled from him was so powerful that it would have made her sick, if she wasn’t enjoying it so much.

She made her approach to his kneeled form, slowly and purposefully. Everything that she had suffered had led to this point. The shy and seemingly submissive side of her was gone, replaced by a side of her that was far more dark, fearless, and fiery. She felt the weight of the Darkness around her, still waiting. Calling to her to embrace it, once and for all.

To take that final step into her destiny.

Revna reached down and lifted Voss’s chin, forcing him to look up at her. He fairly trembled in her grip, and she found it both ironic and disgusting that he would be so weak. His eyes begged for mercy, and she knew he would be spewing words to placate her and buy her forgiveness if he wasn’t gagged. He would dare beg for mercy from her after all he had done…

The knowledge of this filled her to the brim with fury and hate so deep it almost hurt, and the last of her resistance fell away as she made her choice.

“The Darkness called, and I answered it. It offered me freedom and I took it for myself. And to show my devotion, I give it my sacrifice. There will be no mercy before the wrath of my vengeance. Not now, and not ever.” Revna hissed as she embraced the Dark side fully and let it fill her to the brim, her blue eyes turning almost red in the passion of the moment.

The cut from the dagger across the man’s throat was slow and deep, and not once did her gaze leave his eyes as he choked on his own lifeblood and struggled against her grip on him, but there was no escape from his fate. She could feel the power grow around her and within her, and the pulse of the Dark within the Cathedral beat as one within her own chest.

As the life finally faded from her tormentor’s eyes and his body went slack in her grip, Revna let his lifeless body fall with a thud before lifting her gaze back to that of the masked form of Darth Strosius, not caring that her hand and the dagger within it as well as the floor beneath her and her own robes, were drenched in blood, its metallic and heady aroma lifting to permeate the air and atmosphere around them…almost like an incense itself.

“Through Victory…my chains are broken. The Force has freed me.” the little woman said as she uttered the last line of the Code, her voice steady and strong as for the first time in her life…she truly felt free to be who she wanted to be.


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

The High Priest, the masked priests, and of course the rest of their order within the pews, all watched with bated breath as Revna took the offered blade and set upon her old oppressor. She took her time, she savored the moment, she placed herself as the last face that the Devaronian would ever see in his miserable life. A life of debauchery and sin, of exploitation and greed, of pride and now fall. A life that was finally ended with a simple slice across his throat, one that was far from quick or clean.

Not that her audience seemed to mind. If anything the priests seemed all the more pleased by the show and futile struggling of Voss's last moments alive. It was far from the first time that the Cathedral had been consecrated by the spilling of blood after all. Darth Strosius closed his eyes as he sensed the last choked gasp of the Devaronian leave him, feeling the Cathedral's ever hungering darkness eagerly devour his now freed spirit the moment that it was able to. A subtle swell of it's intensity could be sensed for that brief moment as it consumed the sacrifice.

When he opened his eyes once more and gazed upon the young woman as she uttered the last line of the Code, he gave her a small nod as he spread his arms wide. "Amen!" His voice seemed to vibrate the very air itself, the whole Cathedral thrumming with power and anticipation as he stepped forward over the body and blood and gently took hold of Revna's shoulders in order to turn her around to face the pews. "Brothers and sisters! Faithful of the Force! Join me in welcoming our newest sibling in Wonosa, Revna Sharr!"

The priests, especially those in the crowd which would be familiar to the Acolyte from her short time living and working amongst them, would rise out of the pews with cheers and even a few chants of her name. The High Priest leaned down slightly as he released her, a smile evident in his voice as he whispered. "Welcome to the family, Acolyte." With a wave of his hand two of the higher ranking priests unbound and began to carry off the body of the slaver, the blood for the moment not seeming to be an issue as an unseen drain at the altar was making short work of most of it.

Darth Strosius moved to stand at her side as the priests began to stand and return to their duties, after offering little bows and words of congratulations to their new sister of course. A few of them even promised her a grand feast later on in the evening. As they started to file out the masked man looked back at Revna and clasped his hands together in front of himself. "There is one last portion to your initiation rites before I can let you go about the rest of your day. The other Grand Priests should be preparing it now."

Sure enough the rest of the ornately adorned priests had taken their leave as well, albeit they were all heading in the same direction and moving with a clear intent. "If you'll follow me," With a gesture he bid her to walk with him again as he stepped off of the raised platform and moved to follow the other priests. "You see your devotion and worship permeate your being in the Force, that much is obvious. However we of Wonosa enjoy celebrating the milestones of reaching a Tenant in a more physical manner."

They entered into one of the two halls that ran along either side of the Cathedral's main area, where rooms for the priests and their offices lined the wall. One of the Grand Priests was waiting outside of one particular door at the end of the hallway as they approached. "The Sith of old would tattoo themselves to show their allegiance and devotion to the Dark Side. We keep up the practice in our own way, for when a member of our flock reaches a Tenant they are adorned with that Tenant in return. You are in need of two tattoos, one for Wonosa and the other for Kerstas. Typically most get them on either their back or arms but of course you can decide where you want yours."

Revna

 

[Revna]

The little Acolyte kept her gaze on the robed Sith before her for a few heartbeats longer, before she closed her eyes in reverence as she felt the surge of dark power through the Cathedral as the High Priest brought the ritual to a close with a voice that not only echoed through the Cathedral but through the Force as well. She basked in it once more - somehow feeling closer and deeper in its embrace, feeling it pulse and permeate everything around her and within her, infusing into the raw emotions that still surged through her veins with every beat of her heart.

…And to think she had once been afraid of this power.

No longer.

The gentle touch on her shoulders made her eyes snap open, and she turned around to face the others in the pews, her cheeks flaming red with the sudden attention brought upon her, the sound of her name being chanted by others filling her ears. Revna’s head turned slightly as she sensed Strosius lean down and she went very still upon hearing his whispered words.

After so many years of having nothing - no name, no meaning, no identity, nothing to truly belong to or call hers - she suddenly had something she had longed and dreamed for: Family. She stood a little straighter and carried a humble sense of pride when Darth Strosius moved to stand beside her, and as the others moved forward to congratulate her and offer small bows as well as a feast later on - something she wasn’t used to, but didn’t turn away or reject. Instead, she cherished every moment and sealed the memory away in her heart and soul. One day…she would need to recall these memories, so that she could find strength in the very heart of her trials and tribulations.

Eventually, most of those in the Cathedral filed out to carry on with their day and duties, and the High Priest looked down at her and informed her that there was one last thing needed to complete her initiation into the Order of Wonosa, into her new family. He bid her to follow him, which she did so willingly and with the light of curiosity in her eyes.

As they left the scene of her sacrifice behind, the robed Sith Lord explained what was coming next, pointing out to her that while her devotion and her worship was willing given and infused into every part of her being, members of Wonosa themselves - which now included her - took that devotion another step further by celebrating in a more physical, tangible way. Revna nodded quietly, listening closely as they entered into a hall which she recognized contained the offices and rooms for the various priests and priestesses, and her attention shifted briefly to look upon one of the more ornately decorated Priests who waited outside one of the doors for the two Sith.

The - her - High Priest explained that the Sith of old would mark themselves with tattoos to symbolize their devotion to the Dark side itself and that the practice was still kept by the various members of Wonosa as well. Revna had seen tattoos before on others - but truthfully, she had no idea how such markings came to be emplaced upon someone’s skin, and though he said that most got such markings on their arms or their back, she could choose to have both her markings placed anywhere she wished.

Revna’s mind drew a blank for a moment, as she considered just where she would even want such tattoos placed. Obviously they were permanent, that much she already knew - but it more or less came down to if she wanted them displayed for all to see or more…hidden from view.

After a few moments of thought, her expression brightened as if an idea had come to her mind. “I think I want Kerstas on my right forearm… on the inside.” A calculated decision, as Revenge would be placed on her primary sword-arm - the one that would bring death to those who courted her vengeful fury.

Revna then pursed her lips in further thought as she considered where the second mark could go. She weighed her options, and the implications of each spot, and though her face flamed red with embarrassment at the location for the other tattoo, she could think of no better place for it: “The other, Wonosa, I think I want on my chest. Uh…over or just above my heart. To indicate where the desire for freedom truly comes from.” she declared as her eyes flickered to the Sith Lord. “If…that is okay, that is.”


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"A fitting place for revenge, on the arm that brings it." Darth Strosius noted with a nod of approval despite keeping an even tone. It was her decision in the end after all, she had earned the right to bear such markings thus it only made sense for her to decide where they would be placed. "If you go into battle with your arms uncovered then it may very well be the last writing that your foes ever see." There was a hint of amusement in his words as he pictured it in his mind.

When Revna's face grew red he raised an eyebrow but she was quick to announce the desired placement of her other tattoo before he could question the reason behind the sudden flush. "It is your choice Acolyte. The heart does always long to be free after all." He shrugged nonchalantly, unbothered by the hesitancy and nervousness that plagued her declaration. "I find both of your decisions to be very wise ones, easy to conceal if need be but no less significant in their meaning."

They came to the door and the priest gave a small bow as he gestured for the pair of them to enter, the room beyond was simple and small. Four pillars inscribed with Sith writings, the three Tenants in particular, with flickering candles around their bases. The pillars stood around a chair that looked comfortable, one made to be sat in a reclined position for a long time. On one end of the room sat shelves and a table where two priests were working at to prepare the materials for the tattoo process.

Darth Strosius stopped in the doorway himself however after Revna had entered, glancing back at the confused priest behind him as he shifted slightly. "Brother Rosskar, I do believe that Sisters Sarabi and Cancla can handle our new sister's adornment themselves. Please return to your duties, I shall take your post in guarding the door." The priest hesitated for a moment before offering a nod and another small bow. "As you wish High Priest." The other man took his leave quickly as the High Priest looked back at Revna.

"Sarabi and Cancla have performed this ritual dozens upon dozens of times Acolyte, have no fear. You are in good hands. Have a seat in the chair and let them know of where you desire your markings, I shall wait outside for when the process is done." They did still have much to discuss after all, even if getting her some rest after her tattooing was of chief importance. She would be forever marked and enshrined as a proper member of the Order of Wonosa after this day. Perhaps even allowed to begin training as a priest alongside her Squire lessons.

Perhaps, but only if she wished it so.

The High Priest shut the door behind himself and leaned on it for a moment as he closed his eyes, as he reached out and felt his senses brush against the nest of power within the Cathedral. It responded in kind. It was stronger for the moment, more potent and eager, yet he knew that it wouldn't last. Soon the little burst of energy from the sacrifice would settle into the usual calm serenity but Darth Strosius knew better than to let the spark go unused.

He breathed in and with it the new power that the Cathedral had devoured and purified into its own became his. When his eyes opened once more the glow in them was so vibrant that it could be seen even through the thick glass of his visor. He rolled his shoulders and flexed his fingers as he felt his entire body chill even more than it already was, a cold that filled him from bone to skin and yet was more welcoming than any warmth. "Blessed are the Sith, for we are the shepherds of the Force." He whispered in silent thanks as the Cathedral's power retreated into its usual reserved state.

Revna

 

[Revna]

Despite her seeming embarrassment at revealing her desired location for the second tattoo, the robed man didn’t seem phased at all by it and his assertion that it was her choice helped ease some of the awkwardness she felt, and it was replaced by a quiet sense of pride upon hearing him say that he thought the locations were wise and fitting, as he seemed to understand the significance behind why she’d chosen both places.

By the time they both reached the door with the awaiting priest, her awkwardness had shifted to one of wary anticipation. She and Darth Strosius were beckoned to step into the room beyond, but as she did so she noticed that the High Priest did not follow her. Revna paused briefly, glancing back at him to hear him address Brother Rosskar and informing the priest that he would take his place in guarding the door, and that the other two women beyond were capable of carrying out the ritual of marking Revna themselves. The priest bowed and dismissed himself with a small bow, and Strosius turned his attention to Revna for a moment, letting her know that the women in the chamber with her had performed the ritual many times, and that she was safe with them.

Revna dipped her head in acceptance and understanding, and gave him a small smile of gratitude. He had understood that a male presence when she was going to be fairly exposed was discomforting for her, and had made sure that she would feel safe and comfortable for the ritual.

“Thank you, High Priest.”

The door closed, sealing her within the room with the two other priestesses, both of whom welcomed her kindly as a fellow sister, and warmth bloomed within the young woman’s heart. Revna took her seat upon the slightly reclined chair, and watched as one of the women approached her and asked where the markings were to be located.

“My right inner forearm for Kerstas.” Revna murmured, and the woman smiled.

“A fitting location. And where would you like the second one?”

“...on my chest. Above my heart.”

“Excellent. Have you ever received a tattoo before, Sister Revna?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“Oh! Well then, in that case we are most honored to adorn you with your first markings. Before we get started, I wanted to inform you that this process will take some time, and it can be painful. You let us know how you are feeling, and if you need us to take a break.”

Revna nodded in understanding as her eyes briefly shifted to the rest of the room around them, taking in the sight of the pillars with their runic etchings and lit candles before her attention returned back to the other women with her.

“You will need to remove your outer robe for us to work on your chest piece.” the other priestess, Cancla, said.

“Oh…right. Sorry.” Revna replied as she slid from the chair and quietly unbound the belt around her waist to loosen the top piece and then lowered the black cloth to sit around her hips, leaving her upper body exposed except for a breastwrap. For a moment, there was a spike of self consciousness from the young woman; it was the first time she’d been this exposed to anyone outside of her slave master before and she was thankful it was just two other women in the room with her at that time. What skin could be seen was riddled with scars of various shapes and sizes, and the distinct slashes of whip scores crossed over her back and shoulders, and there was a single long scar across her abdomen. Taking a deep breath to settle her nerves, Revna pulled herself back onto the chair and leaned back, feeling her heart thumping away in her ribcage.

“You’ve nothing to fear, Sister. You are safe here with us.” Sarabi voiced to her right, as she gently gripped Revna’s right arm and positioned it to best suit her for her work. “And don’t be ashamed of your scars. They mark you as a survivor.”

Sister Cancla spoke up then, smiling at Revna. “More than a survivor. You are a warrior. And don’t you ever doubt that for one moment.”

“Thank you for the encouragement, Sisters.”

“Now relax; this will be over before you know it.”

And both women went to work on the young Sith’s new adornments, carefully and reverently emplacing the ink that would forever mark Revna’s alabaster skin. It was painful, more so than what she had expected it to be - but as time wore on, the pain dulled as she grew accustomed to it, and not once did she flinch from the needling pain nor did she ask the priestesses to stop. She made herself relax and closed her eyes, reaching her senses out to feel the power that thrummed in the Cathedral, pleased that she could do a small part to feed into it and empower it.

Her mind drifted after a little while, and she briefly relived the recent events of slaying her own slave-master, of finally freeing herself from that last tie to her old life. The rise of vindication pulsed through her, and she did not stop the emotion; now, she welcomed it. One day, she would avenge her mother and all other slaves who had lost their life due to reasons beyond their control - but she knew that would come in time. For now she simply needed to focus on her studies, on her learning, on becoming a Sith.

“Alright…and they are finished!” came Sarabi's voice that pulled Revna from her thoughts and her meditation. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times to clear away the fog and gather her wits about her, before she looked down to examine their handiwork.

There, marking the skin on her right arm and on her chest, were the Sith sigils of Wonosa and Kerstas. The skin around the markings was red and raised, and pinpricks of blood still rose to the surface of her skin, but this only brought a smile to the young woman’s face. She felt it was fitting that her own blood would be intertwined in such a ritual as this.

“They are beautiful, and perfect. Thank you, Sisters!”

“Of course, it was an honor. We will apply a healing salve; this will help it regain its vibrancy and help the skin heal quickly. Keep both sites clean.”

After the ointment had been smeared across the markings, Revna was allowed to pull her robes back on before the door was opened to reveal the Sith Lord beyond, and when she stepped towards him she carried herself with a quiet air of strength that she hadn’t had when she came in.

“All done! I hope the wait wasn’t too boring for you, High Priest.” Revna said with a hint of amusement in her eyes, before she raised her arm and and drew back the sleeve of her robe to reveal one of her new markings, an expression of pride on her face. “They are gorgeous. The Sisters did an amazing job on them both! But…now that this is done…what is next on the agenda? More lessons? I sure hope so…I was very eager to learn more before that jerk showed his face.”


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

As the tattooing ritual began Darth Strosius closed his eyes and focused on keeping his new growth of power from being detected, the glow from his eyes slowly fading and vanishing entirely as he exhaled. One life wasn't worth much of course, but it wasn't just the one life that empowered him and the Cathedral. Revna had been practically dripping with raw emotion and her existing attunement to the Dark Side meant that every last bit of it that had been poured into executing Voss had gone right to the hungering nest of power.

And that was without factoring in the worship and devotion of the priests involved in the ritual as well, altogether amalgamating into an exceedingly potent little burst of power for him to make use of. His eyes opened as he let the chilling sensation settle and fade into the back of his mind, casting a few idle glances around as though to ensure that none had seen even though he knew that he was alone in the corridor. An automatic precaution really but one that he no less appreciated.

One born out of a lifetime in conflict and surrounded by those that wouldn't hesitate to remove his head from his shoulders if they found him wanting in any manner. It was no concern here of course, but such simple paranoia was too ingrained to be laid to rest by a mere change of scenery and company. Besides, he'd rather not have to explain to anyone what exactly he was doing regardless. For better or worse there were some things that he simply had to keep close to his chest and away from the eager eyes of his followers.

Speaking of eager eyes.

Before he knew it the door behind him was pulled open and he quickly turned on his heel as Revna approached, as composed as he ever was. She was more confident it seemed, the excitement of the induction now having settled firmly in her mind and reaffirmed any lingering doubts. For the moment at least. "I can keep myself entertained just fine. Have no fear." Darth Strosius crossed his arms behind his back and gave a subtle nod to the pair of priests that had waited for that very gesture before they set to work cleaning up after the ritual.

"And here I thought that a grand ritual and subsequent tattooing would be enough to wear you out for the day." The masked man joked as his gaze returned to the newest Sister of Wonosa, gesturing for her to follow with a little wave of his hand before he started slowly striding down the corridor. "You've proven that you can not only learn but also exemplify my teachings so I suppose a slightly more complex lesson would be of great benefit to you. Something less basic and more...specific."

He glanced back at her, the candlelight and occasional ceiling light giving his visor a dangerous glint. "Tell me Acolyte, when you pulled knowledge from the Devaronian's mind against his will, how did it make you feel?" His words were carefully selected and spoken lightly, casually even. Made to be enticing and inquisitive in equal measure, even though he was already well aware that he would have her curiosity and honestly regardless. "What if I were to tell you that you could have had him speak it himself? That you could have made him crawl on his knees the entire way here? All without a single threat or even a single word spoken. Would that interest you?"

Of course it would, it almost had to. Especially for those of a previously enslaved disposition the prospect of being able to turn the tables, as it were, in such a manner was too good to be true. Yet it was very much a reality and he had a feeling that Revna would have no issue learning to make use of such a technique herself.

"The Jedi, in all their foolishness, often use 'mind tricks' to deceive those of weak will and mind into believing or ignoring certain things. As usual with their attempts though, simple tricks like that only scratch the surface of what is possible. Of what can be done." Soon they reached the stairs that led up to the meeting room and then the library, with the High Priest waltzing up them despite his gaze still resting firmly on the Acolyte. "With the proper...application of passion and power, even the most stalwart of individuals can be made to bend the knee and sway about like puppets on a string. Such power takes time to master of course but I think you'd make for a good practitioner of it."

Revna

 

[Revna]

A smirk danced across her face as she turned with the Sith to walk with him, only casting a slight glance towards the two priests who entered into the room behind her for what she assumed to be a clean up job.

“Oh the ritual and the meditation I did while I received these tattoos was enough to re-energize me. I hardly feel any soreness or pain now from knocking Voss around.”

Revna lent him her ear as she listened to Darth Strosius inform her that she had proven herself enough to him that he felt she was ready for a more complex lesson, something that was a bit more specific and this of course captured her curiosity instantly. She tilted her head towards him and kept her eye on him as they moved down the corridor, the shadows and candlelight giving the Sith Lord a distinct aura of danger as he inquired how she felt when she ripped the information from the mind of her former master.

A sinister glint seemed to flicker in the young woman’s eyes for a moment, as she let her mind drift over that moment and the feelings such action had conjured within her. She briefly glanced ahead of her as she pulled her thoughts together and spoke.

“It made me feel…powerful. Like I was the one in absolute control, and I could take what I wanted when I wanted and there was nothing he could say or do to stop me. Like he was nothing before me, before the power I have in the Dark side.” she voiced softly, not caring that what she uttered was twisted and dark and cruel. It was the bare and simple truth, and she knew the Sith Lord beside her would not be appalled to hear such things from her. Quite the opposite, more than likely.

Her gaze widened as she heard the Sith’s next words, and her face filled with a hungry curiosity once more. He was dangling a hook in front of her, knowing she’d snatch at the opportunity he was presenting to her.

“...would it interest me? What kind of question is that?! Of course it would!” she exclaimed excitedly; already her thoughts began to run away from her with visions of her doing exactly what he had described to her, making the villain scum and slave masters themselves crawl on their hands and knees to her very feet, and freeing their own slaves with their own hands before turning their own blades on themselves…

It made her heart race with excitement, with the possibilities of just how she could express her dominance and dominion over others. Her gaze snapped back to the Sith who strode beside her, and the candle light gave her eyes a wicked shine as she drank in what he told her next, about how the Jedi utilized an ability they called a ‘mind trick’ to deceive others. Her lip curled in a sneer upon hearing that and tsked - much like how the High Priest might have.

“...and they pride themselves on being upright and just and pure and shame us Sith for our deceptions. Such hypocrites.” she hissed as she followed him up the stairs to the meeting room and the library, the one she almost lived in by this point.

“With you teaching me, I can learn just about anything. So…when can I start learning how to do this? Will I get to practice it on others??” she asked him eagerly, her small body practically vibrating with renewed energy and excitement.


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

"Ah, you've been keeping up well with your private meditation practice then hm?" Her assurance that she was still ready and willing wasn't surprising, both in her determination and in her skill. That she was eager to continue, for better or worse depending on the day, was a feature that he had grown used to during her training. Something that needed to be tempered at times but never truly diminished, given how it spurred her to practicing and pushing herself to exceed his expectations and lessons. A very valuable trait indeed.

As expected there was almost a sinister glee when Revna answered his question regarding how she had dominated her former owner, something that made him smirk beneath his mask. She hadn't been lacking in the Dark Side when she had first arrived on Formos of course but there was only so much that one could delve into unguided. With his and the cult's teachings she had began accepting and occasionally displaying the lurking power that had been hidden so long beneath the guise of a slave. From a seemingly helpless young woman into a merciless Sith Acolyte.

It had been a gradual process of course, and one far from completion, but her easy admittance was yet another sign of how much the Dark Side had settled into her being. Even if it was quickly overshadowed by her excited exclamation. Darth Strosius chuckled at her reaction and turned his attention forward as they ascended the staircase. "I thought it might." He knew it would. To enthrall and dominate the weak and guilty was simply a natural desire inherent in all Sith and Revna was clearly no different.

"The Jedi are the greatest deceivers of them all young one, for not only have they convinced the galaxy of their manufactured righteousness but they have convinced themselves of it as well. A vile plague that has tainted the galaxy for far too long, but one that is remarkably potent and self-expansive." To some degree it was almost impressive really, but that didn't make them and their perversion of the Force any more palatable.

"Patience Acolyte, patience." The masked man glanced at back at her with amusement evident in his voice as he led the way to the library. A path that he was sure Revna must have frequented dozens of times by now. "It is not a simple thing to enforce your will upon another. You will get your chance to practice on the scum that we engage regularly, but first you must learn something even more important. Before you can dominate and warp another's mind, you must know how to defend and explore your own."

The library was thankfully empty when the pair entered, this particular lesson was best done with as few involved parties as possible. It was far easier to remove the distraction of one or two individuals than a whole room of them after all. "With your meditation you have expanded your knowledge of yourself and your inner being plenty so you have a good starting place, but now it is time to put that knowledge to use." He gestured for her to take a seat in the runic circle before he turned on his heel and crossed his arms behind his back.

"Focus, look inward and feel all that you are. Then once you have the complete picture of yourself, I will attempt to breach into your mind. Feel free to try and ward off my intrusion but I doubt that you will be able yet, once you know where you are vulnerable then you will know what you must strengthen." So often she laid her thoughts and feeling bare for all, or at least for him, to see so this might be challenging for her. Good, the challenge would make the lesson sink in all the more.

Revna

 

[Revna]

“Every day. Sometimes twice a day if I can manage it.” She replied to the High Priest’s remarks about her keeping up with her private meditations.

Sometimes she would meditate within the confines and the quiet of her personal chambers within the Cathedral, using the Chalice the Sith Lord had passed on to her to help her gain more control and help her better understand and embrace the powerful emotions that fueled the dark power within her.

Other times, she left the Cathedral entirely, heading up to the top of the cliffs where he had taken her before for her first true testing and lessons. She enjoyed the solitude and silence, and oftentimes she was able to practice other skills of hers from the distant vantage point: like learning to see and feel others through the Force, picking out individuals within the crowd to further push and test her abilities and expand upon them, and even feel if they carried the Force within them or not. Sometimes, she would reach in and listen to the thoughts of those down below.

Of course, she didn’t tell anyone about this. She didn’t want others to know that she was listening to them and their inner thoughts. It would violate the trust they placed in her, and she didn’t want to destroy the delicate connections she was forming with others in the settlement.

As she suspected, the Sith Lord did not seem alarmed or put off by the more sinister nature of her honest response to his question, and even chuckled at her small outburst of excited energy at learning something new, and she almost ducked her head in mock shame as her Mentor gently chided her to have patience as they made their way towards the library that she was familiar with by this point in time.

Revna listened as the robed Sith went on to further say that enforcing one’s will upon another was no simple or easy task. She would have her time to practice on others, but she knew there was going to be some learning to do beforehand. Even as this thought entered her mind, Darth Strosius confirmed as much by telling her that before she could dominate someone else, she first needed to guard her mind.

The library was empty; the book she had been reading before she had run off to face her now slain master was sitting neatly on a nearby table. Revna reminded herself to pick it up later when her lesson was finished and she returned to her quarters.

The Sith gestured for her to sit in the runic circle within the library and she did so, turning her gaze back to him as he turned his back to her, crossing his arms behind his back in his usual manner. She had come to recognize this as his teacher form; she knew when she saw him like this that he was going to impart wisdom and knowledge to her, and she always paid extra attention when he did so. After watching his silent form for a few more heartbeats, she dipped her head and closed her eyes, clasping her hands together in her lap, almost as if in a posture of prayer.

He directed her to focus, to look inward at herself, and all that she was. When she had achieved this, he informed her that he would attempt to force his way into her mind, and that she was free to attempt to ward off the intrusion. Once they knew where she was vulnerable, they could work at strengthening her.

“Understood.” she replied softly, letting him know that she knew what to do.

Revna took in a deep breath and exhaled, feeling herself sink into the darkness that was familiar to her. Soon, that darkness gave way to a place she had crafted within her own mind, that changed its aesthetics based on thoughts or memories that swirled within her mind. This time - it was a darkened place - with no beginning or end, though there appeared to be a source of light from somewhere, illuminating the small area where she stood. She was conscious of herself there, her entire being. She was aware of every feeling, every emotion, as it swirled and passed through her - especially those brought on by thoughts or memories.

She often came here when she was trying to understand why she felt a certain way. It was where she was most vulnerable, most…exposed. She couldn’t really stop the various emotions and feelings that conjured themselves from thoughts or visions or memories.

From anger tied to those who had hurt her, and the heavy guilty and sorrow and hatred towards herself for causing her mother's death.

The joy and pride and loyalty she felt towards him.

The strength and conviction she felt for her journey, for her path, and for those within the cult itself.

Her fear at failing, at being cast aside...abandoned and forgotten.

....If the Sith Lord breached into this area of her mind…he would see and feel everything she did.


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Strosius watched as the Acolyte sat and began to prepare for the task ahead. If she had indeed been practicing as much as she claimed, which he honestly didn't doubt, then it wouldn't take long at all for her to bring up whatever walls she could muster against him. With the lightest of senses he reached out to try and detect Revna's progress as she sank within her own mind and embraced the darkness within once more. Sure enough while he didn't want to press at all he could feel that she was deep in herself after only a few moments of focusing.

"Good. Now, try and keep me out." The pressure was light at first, a sensation that would be best described as a long thin finger poking against the edges of her own presence and mind. It was cold and distinctly from the High Priest, yet it was no less invasive in its intent. It seemed to prod and drag along the unseen and somewhat unknown barrier between Revna and the Force that surrounded her yet it never pierced. An intentional action it seemed as he spoke once more.

"Now you know what to look out for, what to struggle against..." The prodding sensation retracted and faded into nothingness. "Don't panic." It was the only warning that Revna would receive before the sensation suddenly returned and in full force. Rather than just one prodding finger a multitude of icy talons began to rake against the walls of her very mind. Three seemed content to just hover at the edge of her sense but two were insistently starting to press against the barrier between them and her vulnerable state.

Where there was strength and efforts to combat them they shifted away, like the tides of an ocean shifting to only batter against the rotten parts of a hull. Unfortunately it was never a matter of 'if' he could be kept out but rather simply for 'how long' he could be held at bay. For when the walls finally caved they all crumbled at once as the chilling hand seemed to grab hold of her presence in the Force, her very being, in a vice grip.

Just as quickly as it had broken through and constricted though, the cold grasp receded and faded once more.

The masked man clicked his tongue, as though unbothered by the unseen struggle, and gave a small nod. "You did better than I expected. Your meditation practice clearly shows results, very good." His intrusion had been swift but merciful, for while he most certainly had the chance to peer within the Acolyte he had very intentionally chosen not to. This wasn't a matter of sating his own curiosity on whatever she could be thinking after all, this was a lesson for her to learn from. An example that she wouldn't soon forget.

"Your mental defenses will be difficult to train but will be invaluable to possess. I only sent out thin strands of my influence to slip between the cracks in your mind, most will simply punch through your mental barrier all in one go before you can prepare yourself." It wasn't an admonishment by any means, rather he spoke it like one would a grim warning. It was of course not at all uncommon for Sith Lords to exert their will and control by dominating weaker minds. If Revna wished to operate alongside him in Sith space then he couldn't afford to leave her so undefended in such a vital arena.

"Winning the battle of the mind is difficult and will often stalemate. It will be a long time before you can make yourself unbreakable, so until then I advice focusing on delaying intrusions. There are few that can wage a mental war and a physical one at the same time, so all you need to do is be able to defend yourself long enough to engage or distract them." And of course the dead could hardly pose much of a threat either, but that method was too obvious to make note of really.

Revna

 

[Revna]

Once she found herself deep in the place where all of her could be seen and felt, she heard the almost echoing voice of the Sith as he encouraged her to try and keep him out of her mind. She made no gesture or noise that she had heard him, but her sense of awareness rose a bit more. She had never been on the receiving end of this particular situation, but she had a small idea as to what she might expect from her own attacks against the mind of her slave master. There was a barrier, his had been somewhat strong - his desire to keep her out had been notable, but she had punched through to see and read and hear what she wanted.

She wondered if it would be the same here. There was only one way to find out.

From the very center of her own space, she felt the faintest prodding. It was icy, and she knew it was from the High Priest, but it nevertheless brought a sense of foreboding to her. Her wariness rose further, as while she did trust him, she didn’t want him to see or sense this place. There were things here that she wanted to keep from him - to keep to herself.

The sense of vulnerability grew further, the more she tracked his intrusion. She could feel him testing the barrier of her mind, almost as if looking for weaker points. It was a disconcerting feeling, but she knew this was on purpose. The more she didn’t like it - the harder she would fight to keep him out.

His voice slipped through to her once more as the prodding against her mind briefly faded, confirming to her what she needed to be on guard for. However, his warning to not panic was the only thing she would get before his assault returned, far stronger this time. The icy sensation of her mental defenses being clawed upon was disorienting at first and Revna reacted physically as well as mentally, her entire body tensing as her face shifted into one of intense focus and struggle, and within her mind her reaction to his attack was almost immediate. At first, she faltered, until she realized that if she didn’t do something he would break through - and so she pushed back fiercely, almost mentally shoving against the two intrusions to make him go away. But this left other areas of her mind unguarded and vulnerable, and as soon as she blocked one attempt - she found him trying to breach through in another place.

Though her focus was split as she tried to track the multiple areas of intrusion, she nevertheless put up a valiant effort against the Sith. But in the end, her lack of experience and training in mental defenses saw her walls crumble down around her, and Revna became almost paralyzed when her internal being was seized in the icy grasp from the High Priest, leaving her at his mercy. It was the most vulnerable she had felt in a very long time, and for a moment there was a flash of uncertainty and fear towards him. If he wanted to, he could have easily seen and read everything she was trying to hide from him - and yet he didn’t, much to her relief.

Instead, Darth Strosius released his grip on her mind and withdrew, allowing her to recompose herself and catch her breath as she snapped out of the meditation, her gaze wide from the rather sobering experience. She started to feel the crawl of shame up her spine, believing that she had somehow failed the lesson, or proved to be weaker than either of them thought her to be. But that sense of shame faded when she heard him speak again, seemingly pleased with the outcome of this initial lesson.

The little Acolyte blinked for a few moments, letting it sink into her mind that she had done well in his eyes, before nodding mutely. She listened as he further explained that her mental defenses would be a bit difficult to train, but it would be necessary for her to have, and Revna couldn’t help but agree. The more experience and training she had with this, the better off she would be in the future - as who knew what kind of situations she would find herself in where she would have need of a strong mental defense?

Revna stored the lesson into her mind, accepting his words that building up her mental defenses enough to make them nigh unbreakable would take a long time - and she knew that to get to that point was going to take lots and lots of practice, even if she wasn’t a fan of the methods needed to practice such a skill.

It still needed to be done.

His advice to her, and one she grasped onto, was to focus on delaying intrusions into her mind for as long as possible by distracting or engaging her opponents. Breaking into someone’s mind required focus, and if she could break that focus then she could mount a proper defense.

“I understand.” Revna replied a bit more quietly than usual. And though she seemed a little rattled by the initial experience, she was still yet eager to continue. Especially now that she felt she could trust him to not look too deep, once he inevitably broke through her mental barriers.

“Can we try again? I’m smart enough to know that the only way I’m going to get stronger in this is through a lot of practice.”


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

He had of course expected Revna's mind to be guarded but ultimately still very assailable, such simply was the reality of one without real mental training to increase their fortitude, but her persistence in holding him back nonetheless still somewhat surprised him. Given that he had hardly made full usage of his own strength to pierce through her defenses one might assume the feat to be moot but Darth Strosius wasn't so quick to dismiss it as such. Any amount of strength was valuable, for it could be nurtured and grown to greater levels.

It didn't take a keen eye to see how perturbed and affected by the intrusion Revna was, her composure having been shattered alongside her mental barrier. She even had to catch her breath as though the mental exhaustion bled into the physical sort as well. She had clearly put her all into warding off his probing and he was not one to let such a thing go unnoticed nor unappreciated. If only so that he could smirk at the surprised expression she wore when he informed her that she had indeed performed well given the circumstances.

Yet despite it all she still was willing to go again, something that he knew even before she asked for it. A persistence which seemed to amuse the masked man as he offered a small chuckle in spite of her slightly rattled state and nodded. "We can indeed. But no more warnings or probing this time, now that you know what to look for it would be a waste of your efforts. I'm going to try and infiltrate your mind just the same as one would do on the battlefield."

Of course Darth Strosius never specified what sort of battlefield he meant, physical or mental, but either were applicable. There were only a few instances where a more delicate touch was applied as he had done before, typically during interrogation or seduction. Hopefully Revna would not have to suffer either. "Remember, delaying is your best tactic. Stagger your defenses, do not hold tight to one barrier for it will fail you. Defense in depth, place meaningless things in my way that will slow my advance and give you time to prepare the next barrier. You are looking for time not victory."

It was a different lesson than he usually gave but one that no less carried his usual wisdom from decades of experience. Typically he advised to go for the throat as it were, to lure the enemy in and strike when they exposed themselves or to skirt around their strengths and find a weakness to exploit. He always championed the goal of victory. "Give me useless information, memories that mean nothing, secrets that say little, notions that are obvious at a glance, anything." But this was a different arena entirely, and one that he knew would take anyone time to find their footing in let alone master.

"Now prepare yourself, we begin again."

As with before he allowed Revna plenty of time to reorient herself and slip into deep focus once more, he was in no rush and she could still be reeling from the previous experience after all. In time endurance and stamina would become the subject of their focus but for the moment all he was concerned with was fortitude and willpower as they were the foundation of all things mental. Once he was confident that she could fend him off somewhat effectively then they could begin discussing proper strategy and tactics.

When Darth Strosius sensed that she was ready he wasted no more time waiting, instead making a sudden stab against her whereas before his icy touch merely prodded and poked. The previous round was about exploration and familiarizing Revna with the process but this was clearly the real deal as it were. His presence was piercing and singular, not diluted nor spread out as it had been before. Instead of five clawing tendrils one single spear was thrust against her very essence and it seemed intent on digging right through to where his grasp had taken hold before.

It was a rather brutish intrusion all things considered, lacking his usual tact and style, but one that was no less clearly making good headway. True to his words he didn't expect her to succeed, only to delay. For against such a force there was only so much that she could respond with, now more than ever the gap between them in power and experience was evident. For the strike while lacking in subtlety was no less surgical in its precision, no less determined in its path.

Again it would simply be a matter of time before the spear, albeit wielded more like one would a hammer, broke through and then retracted just as quickly once more. However when it receded it was not as simple or as clean as it had been before. The icy intrusion dragged through each layer one at a time until finally it left her and returned to the masked man's presence, one that still seemed entirely unbothered despite the intense struggle. "There, do you see now the trial of the mind that you must undertake?"

Revna

 

[Revna]

It was a bit sobering to hear that there would be no warnings or investigative probings against her mental barriers, and their next attempt would be more serious in its nature. Revna took a deep, slightly shaky breath to help settle her nerves and prepare herself for what was to come.

“No warnings this time. Got it.”

She nodded as he reminded her that delaying him was her goal in this next attempt, and he offered her advice and suggestions to help guide her. To know that she wouldn’t win against his intrusion - at least not right now - oddly gave her some encouragement. It helped her refocus her efforts on doing what he suggested she do, instead of trying to win a fight that she was certain to lose against him.

“Understood.” came her more subdued reply with the masked Sith’s suggestions of what to throw his way in their mental struggle, and she set about preparing herself for the second attack.

It was a little bit harder for her to find her way into the depth of her mind; knowing what was coming next and the mild anxiety she felt distracted her somewhat, but she forced herself to collect her composure and she hardened her will and focus. Next, she had to find something within the annals of her mind she could use to distract him with - to see just how long she could hold him off before the inevitable conclusion to the lesson.

Just as she settled on her first defensive measure, the Sith Lord launched his mental assault against her. It was piercing, and harsh - but she had been forewarned that it would be. Still, she visibly flinched - a grimace crossing over her face that soon turned into a determined scowl. His intrusion was decisive and his intent was clear, and so she threw a memory between him and her - one from her childhood, of her folding linen after linen in a washing station within the compound of her first master’s estate. The atmosphere was monotonous, and yet there simmered a resentment underneath it all, something to perhaps tug at his curiosity to try and decipher why. A woman’s voice could be heard, saying the name ‘Dara’, and the view of the memory shifted to reveal a woman in a plain servant’s dress and a slave’s collar around her neck who was also folding linens. Her resemblance to Revna was almost uncanny - except for her dark ruby eyes that regarded the girl beside her almost coldly.

“Fold them properly, like how I taught you, girl. Do you want to be forced to fold all these again?”

The memory would be torn through, of course - but as the High Priest made progress against the Acolyte’s mind, he would be assailed again with another mundane memory, of picking weeds from a flower bed, the sound of trickling water somewhere nearby. A sense of contentment, even joy, could be felt through this memory - and when it was punched through, another would be waiting for him.

It would continue, but the closer he came to where she was in the center of her mind, her being, the more panicked she became in her attempts to keep him at bay. Revna’s last ditch effort was perhaps her cruelest tactic, using what she knew about him and their shared cruel history - against him.

Pain, anger…hatred. And the unmistakable sounds of a lashing, of a punishment inflicted for an unknowable crime committed by a slave.

It was hard to tell if she did this on purpose, or if it was done out of desperation. In the end, however - the power of the Sith Lord overwhelmed her, and his grip on her was icy and as paralyzing as was the first time, though like before he didn’t peer into her deepest secrets, her most personal memories; he left them mercifully alone.

But his intrusion did not depart as cleanly as it had before, and she was left disoriented by the end of it, and as the Acolyte returned to her senses and pulled her mind and broken barriers back together, a new emotion could be seen in her eyes as she glanced at the Sith Lord, one that only came when one was faced with true, raw power: fearful respect.

“Yes…I-I understand now. This will be a true challenge for me, but I am not one to back down from a challenge.” Revna replied in a more subdued voice. And despite the wariness in which she regarded him, there was a hardness to her face, in her eyes. A determination to grow stronger in her mind, for now she truly saw how important it was for her to have a powerful mental wall against others.


Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Thankfully it seemed that Revna had taken his advice and lesson to heart, as no sooner than he had made headway did she so freely offer up a memory to delay him. It was an odd thing to experience even now, to view the world from the eyes of another in a place and with people that were so familiar to the original observer but not so to him. However he was no stranger to such a thing, so he passively glanced at the memory as he continued to press into her mind.

It was something menial and not at all uncommon, simply the act of folding and sorting linens. There was something that gave him pause and caused him to give the memory a second glance though. Well, two things really. The name 'Dara' held no meaning to him but he did find it interesting, what really caught his attention was the other woman in the memory. Mainly her resemblance to Revna and her piercing red eyes. How very curious indeed.

Before he let himself be too distracted though he cast aside the memory and proceeded in his assault on her mind, caring little for the other memories of labor and struggle that were placed in front of him to try and stifle his progress. The speed at which she could conjure them in his path was admirable but ultimately futile. She might have shown great progress already in her defenses but Darth Strosius was not one to be denied.

The final barrier she presented was one that did make him wince ever so slightly, not that it could be seen with the mask. It was that of a lashing. Something that he knew very well. Something that stirred within him the same painful memories from his own past, a rather clever tactic that he did find effective. But not effective enough to stop him. It too was cast aside and with it her last defense crumbled before him once more, only for him to retreat as he did before. Not without leaving a lasting impression of course.

As invasive and disturbing as the process was it all served to make a rather potent learning experience that he knew she took to heart the moment her gaze settled back on him once more. Yet even still she was undeterred and seemingly determined despite his intrusions being so undeniable in their ferocity and progress. A notion which made him grin beneath his mask. "I know that you aren't, and I have no doubts that the next time I attempt to breach your mind you'll be able to ward me off even better than you already have."

Darth Strosius offered a nod as though in consolidation and recognition of her efforts before he continued. "The next time that we clash against pirates or the like I shall have some brought back here for you to practice your offensive abilities on. Until then, think on how I was able to pierce into your mind. I knew exactly what I wanted and how to get to it, I carved a path through and around obstacles and barriers because they weren't what I sought. The war of the mind is all about focus and intent, two things that I know you already excel at."

If she could hone her defenses and apply that knowledge offensively as well then he had no doubt that in time Revna would be more than capable of matching his ability to infiltrate minds. His had been cultivated and practiced on Outer Rim scum for decades, but he doubted she would need as much time to master it. She was quite studious after all. "Now, I do think that you've been through enough for this one day. The priests are preparing quite the dinner in honor of your proper entry into our ranks."

It was nothing too terribly grand of course but it was nonetheless a celebration and he would hardly deny his Acolyte such a thing given that she would be the woman of the hour. Besides, brushing elbows and sharing meals with peers was a great way to help build up a connection to the wider Order of Wonosa. "Go now, rest before it if you'd like but certainly rest afterwards regardless." He offered a hand to help her up from her kneeling position. "In the morning we shall resume your training in earnest."

Revna

 

[Revna]

Revna spent a few extra moments composing herself, taking a deep breath and exhaling heavily as if in an effort to expel her tension.

“Well with each attempt I can only grow stronger. It might be good to do this when I’m not expecting it either.” The young woman mused as she considered the Sith’s words, before her expression brightened at the idea of being able to test her more offensive abilities against some captured foes.

“Oh I think I would enjoy that very much. But yes; until then, I will further ponder on how you were able to do. It does make sense - I knew what I wanted from Voss’s mind and I didn’t let him stop me from taking it. I was also rather angry and I think that helped me take that from him. Both times I infiltrated his mind, I was rather angry, now that I think about it. But…just because I have some experience in it doesn’t mean I’ve mastered that skill. The more I can practice, the better I’ll become. Same with defending my own mind.” Revna said, speaking her thoughts aloud.

She couldn’t help but agree that she’d had enough for the day; it had been a rather eventful one, a bit busier than she was used to, and after her mental lessons she felt a bit more exhausted than she usually did. And she still had a meal and socializing to do.

“I agree that this is enough for today … for once.” the dark haired girl chuckled. She was learning where her limits were, or more specifically, to accept when the Sith Lord said enough was enough. She accepted his hand when he reached down to pull her up from her kneeled position, her grip surprisingly strong despite how small her hands were. She stretched a bit after rising, easing out any tensions that had built up within her muscles.

“As you wish.” she replied to the gentle order to go and perhaps rest a bit before her grand dinner, before she slipped silently from the library with the faintest rustle of her blackened robes. Instead of heading straight to her quarters however, Revna instead headed for the main sanctuary of the Cathedral - drawn in like a moth to flame to pulse of power that thrummed throughout the structure.

The place where she had sacrificed Voss had been cleaned, but the images of that moment were burned forevermore into her mind. She paused at the place where she had killed him, staring at the ground where his blood had been spilt, before she lifted her head to look up into the blackened shadows of the Cathedral’s ceiling. The place felt…alive.

Unaware of others that may be nearby, Revna lowered herself down silently and went still and quiet - as if she was a statue herself. She was told to rest - and what better way for her to do so, than by connecting with the dark power to re-energize herself? And there she would remain, until the time came for her to go and feast with her Brothers and Sisters.


Darth Strosius