Private Teach Me

[Alina Tremiru]

Malsheem. The world ship wasn't something she enjoyed walking on. There was only so much life that could be put into robotics. Only so much for her to feed off of passively as needed. Which meant she needed to make sure she brought her own.. Supply. The necklace she wore still could hold the reserves she might need, at least. A shame Arcturus was gone. She smiled faintly at the old memory. He was the good sort. .. Wasn't he? No, she couldn't remember. Not for certain.

It was part of the reason she'd come here.

"Stay on the ship, Vincent. I'll return soon."

"Of course, Madam."

The Sangnir that doubled both as her personal guard and butler bowed his head as she walked down the ramp. There were few Sith who had cheated death as often as Carnifex. And, well, there were other things she wanted to ask the wizened Sith Lord.

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

Her coming had been foretold.

The Oracles had swayed and danced to the hum of the Oculus, their sweat-slicked bodies wreathed in tendrils of acrid incense. Their eyes rolled white, and they saw the twisting labyrinth of the future with immense clarity. While the images were unclouded, the order in which they happened was scrambled, and often the meaning of each vision was more metaphorical than literal. Yet, the Dark Lord demanded that they peer through the veil, parcel through all the visions that assailed them, and recall all that they could understand.

The Pale Scion, raptured unto death, swallowed by the darkness of a world of metal and malice. Vivid meaning assailed the Oracles, and the Dark Lord understood their tortured gasps. He sent for an envoy to meet her as she landed, a towering Anubian warrior clad in black armor trimmed with gold. In their hands they carried a large pole-ax, inscribed with various geometric symbols. They struck the ground with the butt of their weapon, sparks scattering out from the impact.

"Lord Onsaros bids thee welcome, Lady Tremiru." The Anubian's large pointed ears flicked subconsciously, picking up on the myriad sounds that carried through the cavernous station. They were constantly alert, perpetually vigilant, always ready to spring into action. It would've been strange to Alina that they referred to the Master of the Malsheem as Lord Onsaros rather than Lord Carnifex, but it was a distinction lost on her because she did not understand Anubian religion nor their relationship to the Dark Lord.

Onsaros was their God of Death and Unlife, and the Anubian Mortuary Cult had taken to referring to the Dark Lord as such once they had relocated from their Bryn-ruined homeworld to the Malsheem. In a way, it was similar to the Cult of the God-King that persisted among the survivors of Panatha that lived on the Malsheem. To them, He was a God anointed in flesh, endowed with all the divine majesty one might expect of a living god.

"The Lord of Unlife seeks your presence within the Imperius Spire, Lady Tremiru. He extends all the hospitality of His abode to you, so long as you come forth in good faith." The Anubian gently inclined their head forward, before turning and beckoning Alina to follow him into the Spire.

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I am not here to make trouble, if that is his worry." She was far more aware of the alliance between Carnifex and her own master now. More, she wanted a favor. And throwing hands and making problems likely wasn't the way to go for that. So she followed along quietly, letting her eyes drift about to watch these Anubian. They weren't a species she knew much of, and yet, it was clear Carnifex certainly had his hands in all manner of pies.

Especially these who considered him a god.

"Or at least, I believe we're talking of the same person. Lord Carnifex is how I know his name."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"The Lord of Unlife knows not worry nor fear, He stands above all. It is Him you need not worry, it is us."

The Anubian chuffed at Alina's words, the roughness in which she spoke about his Lord and Master. Still, he had come to understand the vulgarity with which the outside universe stumbled about life. It was not their fault, his Lord had spoken at length about the animal nature of those not attuned to His works and His glory. They could not be helped, they were not pure; untainted by the inherent sin lurking beyond the blessed confines of the Malsheem.

Even now, He chaffed at the idea of someone as impure as this Alina Tremiru being allowed into the Lord's sanctum. But passage was given directly from His voice, and His will would be done in this life and the next. "The Lord of Unlife goes by many names. Carnifex is one of them. Onsaros is another. His blood-kin call Him Sozeal, while the witches call Him the Fanged God." The Lord's many aspects were worshipped across many groups, all bound to His greatness.

They neared the gate to the Imperius Spire, which opened at their approach. More Anubians were present, as were countless others who had come to call the Malsheem their home. Sith, Nightsisters, Epicanthix, and dozens of others. They passed through the gate, which closed at their back, and entered the splendor of the Spire. It was a marvelous space, the floors and walls were wrought from black marble etched through with veins of brilliant gold. Everything seemed to vibrate with the Dark Side, which only grew stronger as they passed deeper within.

"He awaits within," spoke the Anubian guide as they reached a large set of doors. Mosaics were carved directly into the metal, depicting various scenes from Sith history and Epicanthix mythology perfectly intertwined. This was where the Anubian departed, and Alina was to enter the chamber alone. There she would find the Dark Lord, standing in a single beam of light that cascaded down from the ceiling above. He was dressed in dark Sith robes, and He glanced towards her as she approached.

"Welcome, Lady Tremiru. How fairs Dromund Kaas?"

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"A god to many."

Alina had never been a worshiper. The Eternal's attempt to bring that even to her was one thing she absolutely shunned. Faith she could understand. But gods, blind devotion, she never agreed with that mindset. Perhaps for the masses it was a comfort, and one to exploit, but she would never understand these people. Her eyes scanned them over passively as she walked behind the Anubian.

Their world was just too limiting.

She walked into the room once they arrived, head high as always. She only paused before the Sith Lord to dip her head and settle her hand over her heart. Respect, but never subservience. "The adjustments go well. The Ashlan's know not the peace of death as their bones work as the cities laborers, and the civilians celebrate such necromancy as a gift from the dead. People have already begun to have their bodies donated to keep the workforce full, all while being unaware that the originals were once their subjugators. The Ashlan's will be erased from the common folk thoughts. The Academy has also been rebuilt, but not with intention of training new Sith. The Sorcerers and Alchemists that aren't worthy enough of my Master but still have skill will be contained there so they might continue their work for the betterment of the Order."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

"Good, this pleases me."

The Dark Lord of the Kainate's voice was rich and velvety; deep as the crushing depths and as merciless as the endless void. The light framed His regal stature, sharp shadows cast across His face as He inclined it forward to look down at the reborn Sangnir. Their eyes would meet, and she would come to recognize something that she had not known prior to her death. Death leaves a mark, one that can be seen by those who have experienced it themselves. And in the Dark Lord's eyes, Alina would come to see what she had not during their prior meeting on Dromund Kaas, for the Dark Lord did not impart upon her His undivided attention during that time.

Death stained the Dark Lord, a sensation that went deeper than any other connection save for perhaps sincere love and devotion. She could see it in Him, and He could see it in her. It was a bond that they now shared, one which few others could claim. Death changes a person, reshapes their perspective. The Dark Lord had seen a marked shift in Alina Tremiru's disposition from before her death to after it, and He knew then that she had evolved.

Had taken that next step, baptized with the rapture of death and rebirth.

"I have no doubt your efforts will continue to bear fruit, but why do you bring yourself before me? I sense purpose in you, your intentions bent towards some end; one that reeks of violence." Despite this, the Dark Lord showed no trepidation or caution towards the younger Sith, His eyes merely watched her carefully.

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"Death."

It was the simplest answer. She stood tall again, meeting his gaze. Never wavering from his. She'd always thought it odd that his eyes were so black. Now she understood what it was. Not a sign of the Dark or it's corruption, but the sign of those who've transcended death by returning from the Nether. Most Sith sought to avoid death entirely, finding new hosts, new ways to keep themselves preserved less they be cast into Chaos.

But not them.

"My aspirations have not lessened because of my death. But I've learned the difference between pride and foolishness because of it. I want to learn. How to conquer Death, how to rule. How to kill the Sith above me so I might climb higher. I saw the Worm, before they were absorbed. I know the power they have, the danger they pose. And the chain they are for the future of the Sith." She didn't say it, but she didn't hide it either. She was going to kill the Worm. The monster that had made Vulcanus into something like a god, that lorded over the Sith like a parasite in her eyes.

"I've come to ask you to teach me."

Darth Carnifex

 

[Darth Carnifex]

He almost laughed outright, the deepest rumble vibrating up through His throat into a hoarse wheeze.

Oh, He loved the audacity of it.

Few could pull it off, walking right into the dragon's den and not only asking the dragon to impart their knowledge; but accompanying it with the clear implication that it would be used to destroy them. Death had rid the young Tremiru of her trepidation, of her restraint. Here she was, unbound, promising death in exchange for instruction. The burning flames in His eyes practically danced with the thought, the darkness cloying ever closer around them.

His smile widened, predatory and hungry. "So be it, Alina Tremiru. Instruction you shall have, and pain shall be your reward. I will break you so completely, so utterly, that you may yearn for the cold embrace of the void once again. But so too shall I build you anew, reforged into something worthy of being called Sith. Then we shall see if your ambitions are not beyond you."

Alina Tremiru ​

 

[Alina Tremiru]

"I've no doubt it will be quite the experience, my Lord." But there was nothing that would make her yearn for the Abyss again. That much showed in the defiance in her eyes as she met his gaze. Whatever he had to offer, whatever he was going to do, she would not yearn for that eternal rest. She was done pretending to be something powerful just because of her trick to suppress the Force. She would become something greater.

"I look forward to your teachings."

Darth Carnifex