The Broken Princess

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
A slight scowl at Vahri’s words. “Perhaps not, Lord Vahri, but it is I who still live and he who does not,” he snapped. “Who then was the victor of our battle?”

Shadow did not react overly to Cara’s taunts. Instead he simply shrugged. “I have a very tidy mind, yes…and I hate irregularities, old scores. Through luck, the Force or whatever providence you might ascribe, your friend has repeatedly escaped me. Certainly not through any native intelligence, rather the low cunning of an animal at bay. Regardless, I can wait. As for you…well, I think you misunderstand your position here. You think that the worst has already happened? You think nothing else can happen? You think I fear to strike at you because my servant also inhabits you? What little you know, Ms Sampson, of the Dark Side.”

Reaching out to the Dark Side, he could discern the one body but two essences before him. Cara’s was bright and vibrant, Vahri’s was sinister and shadowy. He chose Cara. Through the Dark Side it was easy to pervert the minds of others and inflict pain and misery without damaging their physical body.

And thus, the Sith Lord struck, towering above her he called on his darkest skills to fill her mind with the greatest fears, and terrors dredged from the bottommost pits of her own psyche.

“You will aid me…voluntarily or no…in the great work which is to come.”

 

[Cora Passek]

Vahri nodded, he knew Shadow had a point. "Yes, I suppose that it true. It is you who won in the grand scheme of things."

Cara heard every last word, just watching from the backseat of of her mind before she felt Vahri pull back. Once more he let her gain control over her body. As things were progressing, she was starting to feel weaker, less powerful as the woman started to realize exactly how little power she held. Vahri had so easily taken control, and could steal it away from her again with relative ease. She simply had no defense to fight him. That idea cut so deeply, nearly breaking her then and there. So terrified of Vahri retaining control and her no longer having control of her body, mind and soul.

Having control once more, though she didn't know how long that would last, she pushed herself back from Shadow. Anything to get space between them. Not that it would actually help her against his voodoo magics. With her back literally against the wall, she simply looked back to Shadow, "I never said it was the worst that could happen. I expect much more before all is said and done. For the simple fact that you haven't laid a finger on me, save to lock me here in this room and destroy my blaster. I expect so much more. You are far from the first Sith I've met Shadow. So please, go ahead and try, if you actually are bold enough to harm me." Brave words, but it was all bravado from her. The girl truly frightened beyond belief and bold words were all she could manage to hide her terror.

Cara felt Vahri withdraw further in her mind, allowing Shadow the room to work within her without getting in the way. There was a strange shift in the room, something almost tangible to the blonde. Futilely she attempted to resist the first sign of the Sith Lord drawing upon her fears. The horrors of her past quickly rose to the surface, the terror she felt as a young girl watching her little sister gutted by a Sith knight, seeing them coming for her. That fear she couldn't escape as she started to quiver, visibly shaking.

Still worse, the fears she felt mixed with the pain that moment the slug hit her knee destroying it four more shots followed, the fright felt watching so much blood leave her body, knowing she was slowly losing her life and could do nothing to stop it. Still so close to death on the way to the hospital, feeling the chill set in as her body inched closer to death. And still that wasn't the end of her fears and pain.

The last horrid fear rose to the surface. The simple idea of Vahri taking her body over permanently rose to the top. She couldn't deal with the idea of him owning her, using her for whatever he desired leaving her with a backseat view to the horrors a Sith could do. Cara buried her head in her hands at that moment, as tears poured down her cheeks. That last fear, cut her so deeply. Terrified her more than anything else.

Finally she curled into a tiny ball as she shook, trembling and sobbing. "No." Her voice soft, weak with every inch of her terror showing through as she once more refused. "I won't. I won't do it." Cara was far from being done resisting, not in any way ready to give up the fight. At this point the woman was panting, breathing hard as her mind was still assaulted with the worst fears from her life, the most frightful moments coming back to her, reliving the worst events in her life, and all the pain and terror that came with them. "Going to ... take more than ... this."

[member="Darth Shadow"]

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Shadow laughed, a horrible, malevolent sound.
“Your bravado is as empty as your courage. Whilst you struggle you only make yourself more my servant, for you weaken, and Vahri grows stronger. Soon he will obtain total control and you will be shut in your own mind, unable to control yourself, watching as he controls you.”

The Sith Lord knelt down near her, and extended a hand, not touching, but close to her face. Using his powers over the Dark Side he sought to violently crush Cara’s spirit, to overthrow her mind and put Vahri in sole control.

 

[Cora Passek]

"No!" Cara screamed as her agony intensified. There was only so far that she could go, before her body, mind and soul couldn't do it any longer. And that line was soon to be crossed. There was nothing she feared more than Vahri being in complete control over her body, and her being nothing but a prisoner in her own body. "Please Shadow! Stop! Please! Anything but ... this!" She begged, as she panted for breath.

A thought entered her mind and she reached to a pendant around her neck. A holdout bolter that had been gifted to her, from Siobhan herself. Suddenly another sharp cry of pain escaped her lips as Vahri ripped control from her mercilessly. "M'Lord, it's a hold out bolter." Spoken as he used Cara's own hands to undo the clasp of the pendant, before handing it over to Shadow. "She'd have killed you with it without a doubt." The ancient Sith protecting his Master. He slipped back, letting Cara once more have control of herself.

A harsh cry escaped the blondes lips, painfully realizing her last and final defense had been taken from her.Whimper softly, she leaned against the wall, the bright vibrant spirit starting to fade from her eyes. "Please.... Shadow.... I'll do anything, just stop here." It was only going to take a minute or two longer, and Cara's spirit would be utterly broken, with Vahri in complete control. "Please, I beg of you. Stop. Here." She whispered between pained gasps of breath. "Please ...." The woman nearly completely shattered as the light was fading from her eyes, soon to be nothing but a puppet of Vahri and Shadow. One last sharp cry came as reality started to sink in of how truly helpless and defenseless she really was. After that the girl could barely bring herself to even breathe much less resist in any way.

[member="Darth Shadow"]

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Shadow peered down at the stubby barrel which had been pointed up at him. "Well, Miss Samson, I see you are full of surprises," he said, taking the weapon.
"Ah yes, the mythical bolter, the weapon of the irrepressible Siobhan and her consort. Thank you, Lord Vahri. You have been of great assistance."
He turned the weapon in his hands, examining it, then turned it so the trigger button appeared. It was aimed at Cara's head.
However, after a few seconds the Sith Lord turned the weapon to the side and fired its single shot into the floor.
"Firearms are so crude, so uncivilised. Still, I understand 'blinds' like you have little choice."

He had been amiable, even conversational, but now he reached out and used the Force to choke Cara, lifting her into the air so she was at eye level.
"I am a merciful man, Miss Samson...but not when you have just tried to kill me. No, your punishment will be severe, I will break your mind, and Vahri will have control of your body."
He let her fall to the ground before calling on the Force again, this time to attack Cara's psyche directly, trying to break it so her Sith lodger could gain ascendancy.

 

[Cora Passek]

[member="Darth Shadow"]

Cara choked out a sob as she seemed to understand that her life could very well come to a close here tonight with the bolter, her bolter. Given to her for protection and in the end it could not do so. Her eyes widened briefly as it was pointed in her direction. Eyes closed tight as she fully expected him to kill her then and there. A harsh frightened scream escaped her lips as the weapon was discharged so close to her.

"Shadow, pleasss..." The word cut off suddenly as he lifted her from the floor. His invisible grip tightening around her neck like as snake as she came eye to eye with him. Frantically she clawed at the invisible hands around her throat, desperate for air. There wasn't a single part of her that wasn't horrified of where this would end.

The woman cried out sharply as she was deposited back on the floor with a thud, "Please Shadow! Please! I'm ... I'm sorry." She spoke quickly, hoping for some last but small mercy on his part. "PLEASE!" Screamed as pain washed through her mind and body.

"Shadow, I... I..I was scared, desperate. I ... I just wanted the pain to stop! Please! I'll do anything! PLEASE!" Spoken rapid, before the agony and struggle consumed every inch of her being to fight the inevitable destruction of her mind. Both hands clutched at her head, as Cara curled up into a fetal position, so very much wanting the agony to stop.

Give up Cara, you cannot win here. The pain will fade as soon as you let go.

As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew Vahri was right. There was no winning, with Shadow. It was all over the minute she walked through the door here.

I don't want to let go.

I know. Just let it end, Cara. You've lost. There is no shame in admitting defeat. It's over.

With one finally ear splitting scream of agony, like glass shattering upon the floor Cara's mind splintered as she fell still upon the floor. The light faded away from her eyes. The vibrancy gone. Her breaths slowed with her body finally relaxing. Weakly her eyes drifted closed as Vahri spread out. Quickly he enveloped her mind completely, filling in every last nook and cranny that Shadow had made in her broken mind. Anything to take full advantage of the opportunity Darth Shadow had presented him. Now it was a simple matter to remain vigilant to keep her from gaining a foothold again. If he had it his way, she'd never gain control again.

For a moment Vahri laid there on the ground settling into her body, and giving it a moment's rest, for the battle with Shadow had worn out the frail mortal body of the woman. Finally, slowly he shifted onto her knees and looked up to his Master, "You have my eternal gratitude, Lord Shadow. You've done a great service allowing me to have full control of her body. She's not getting it back."

The hell I won't.

Hush child, it's my time now. You might want to cooperate with me, if you wish to ever be more than just a pathetic memory.

Words spoken to her as he rose to his feet. "So tell me my lord, what is it that you wish to use her, and me for? Your will after all, is my command."

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Cara Sampson"]
Like a biologist noting the odd way microbes interacted, Shadow watched the internal battle with great interest. When at last it was done he turned away as Vahri rose.
“I am glad to hear I have your gratitude, Lord Vahri. I fear your ability to touch the Force will be weak inside that child. She is, I understand, Force blind. Regardless, she will serve our purposes well. With access to her shipping company I will be able to design a craft for myself which suits my needs. We can also use her to bring down an enemy of mine. How good are you at impersonating her, Lord Vahri? Can you access her memories, assume her mannerisms…as distasteful as it might be?”

“I also surmise that she is still in there, watching from inside the prison of her own mind. It would be amusing to torment her by seeing herself be forced to perform acts she would not normally consider. But, I think not, she does not deserve such punishment…yet. Should she trouble you and try to regain control however, the threat is there. She may think she is now she has nothing to lose, that we cannot hurt her any more. She is mistaken. Think well on this, Cara Sampson, do not resist and your existence shall be peaceful. Defy me or your new Master and I will ensure your spirit endures such torment that it will never again be whole!”

Smiling, the Sith Lord turned back to Vahri. “Come, my friend, let us go over the notes for this ship together. She should be pleased…we are about to make ‘her’ rich….”

 

[Moira Skaldi]

[member="Cara Sampson"], [member="Darth Shadow"]


"Director Skaldi, transmitting latest intelligence report on the activities of Cora Passek. She has been tracked to a dining restaurant in Coronet, then last located at the villa of one Quoll Le'vert. Attached is audio and visual data. Further surveillance inside the building was not possible. Orders?"


Moira Skaldi was sitting behind her desk in her office within the Archangel corporate building when she received the purely electronic transmission from one of her agents. Information was power, as the old adage said, and she prided herself from being superb at collating, analysing and using it to her own advantage. As a matter of fact, she had been taking tabs on Cora Passek, alias Cara Sampson, for quite a while. Not overt enough to interfere with her activities, but enough to stay informed, for she did not like being caught off-guard.


Her eyes flashes for a brief moment before resuming their human colour as she absorbed the information. HRDs could communicate wirelessly and not just transmit words, but even images. And so the image of Cara sitting in the dining restaurant was beamed directly into her mind, as was her later heading to the villa of 'Mr' Le'vert.' The name...sounded somewhat familiar to her and so the droid began searching her databanks, bit by bit piecing the information she possessed together. The name might have been mentioned in an old Republic Intelligence report, one long since buried and forgotten...


The death machine never forgot. Her attention drifted back surveillance image from the dining restaurant, taking in every guest caught within the image one by one, before she focused upon an old man sitting at the window table, looking out on Coronet's Treasure Ship Row. Darth Shadow. Her old business partner.


The pieces fell into place, the puzzle was connected. The question was now how to act. It would be...unfortunate if something lethal happened to Cora, for she was useful. Moreover, she had access to certain toys Moira would like to acquire. She would also make a magnificient HRD if she was enteched. At the same time...there was that unfortunate liaison on Kaeshana with Kerrigan. Someone Moira would not mind getting rid of, provided it could not be traced back to her and Archangel would not be compromised. Perhaps she could play this game to her advantage, such as through a judicious leak by using a third party.


"Maintain discreet surveillance. Do not intervene or engage," she transmitted back. She would have to ponder this matter further. For now her eyes travelled back over the file she had been studying before, which was about a certain Lavrenti Valdier. A renowned surgeon with some rather...interesting tastes.

 

[Cora Passek]

"Not as weak as you'd believe, Lord Shadow, for denial is a most powerful emotion. She has been in denial of what she is for a long, long time." A smirk formed on the blonde's lips. "She is force sensitive, though ages ago she somehow on a purely instinctual level, with no training whatsoever, Cara managed to sever herself from the force, to prevent ever having to deal with that particular reality. I'm certain we can now find a way to remove that block, and restore her abilities. Such a foolish girl." Though the idea was not without risks for both Vahri, and Cara. It'd give her more power in which to fight him, but at the same time he'd be given the same advantage.

I am NOT a force user! You will do no such thing to me! Screamed loudly, for Vahri to have to listen to. He cringed slightly, the pitch that the woman could reach was rather painful.

A heavy sigh passed as the man thought about this, "Her memories are like a book for me, the only book I could read for the past seven years. I know her well, better than she knows herself. So, while I dislike the idea of having to be her as it were, it can be done."

"Oh, yes. Watching and listening, occasionally screaming she is there." Within her cage, Cara watched every movement, listened to every word spoken. Crying within as there was little she could do to actually change the events unfolding before her.

I will end you both. Somehow, someway I'll see it done, Truth be told, she didn't feel much more could be done to her. They'd taken her body, splintered her mind and trapped her here. The idea that this prison, this existence could somehow get worse was a little beyond her.

"It's not wise to make threats that you cannot follow through on, Cara. Be happy that you still live, other arrangements can be made if you continue to press matters." His words ice cold, speaking once more to the woman, letting her know she no longer had the power. He did, and she was just going to have to live with that for now.

Vahri chuckled, and stepped along side his old master. "I wouldn't say pleased, but I'm sure she'll get over it in time. Money can buy happiness if one knows how to use it. Now for this ship, what did you have in mind, m'Lord?"

[member="Darth Shadow"]

 

[Darth Shadow]

[member="Moira Skaldi"] | [member="Cara Sampson"]

Shadow raised an eyebrow. It was not often he was wrong about people and whether they could feel the Force. This time he had been mistaken.
"A deceptive little minx, isn't she? Still, the secret is out now. What other secrets might we find I wonder?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, Lord Vahri, crush her will, make her your servant and her body is yours. I lack the resources to transfer your essence from there, but her body has its uses I'm sure. Many fools will do anything for a pretty body, even against their better judgement."

"Regardless, this ship. I want something fast and manoeuvrable, something with shielded cargo compartments, and above all, something which can give and take some punishment if needed. I also have need of another ship, a simple, basic cargo hauler, but with a large central storage area approximately ten metres tall. I suspect that may create an odd shaped vessel, but that size is necessary, as what we are looking for cannot be...disassembled."

 

[Cora Passek]

"Yes, you'd be surprised what she truly could be capable of, if only she'd decided not to sever herself from the force. More secrets than you would imagine. We'd be here all day if I was to disclose them all."

She shook her head, "Cara's too weak and splintered thanks to your efforts to regroup for sometime. I am not worried upon her. This body is now mine, and she will simply learn to deal with it like I did. After all for many years I was only an itch in the back of her mind." Perhaps it wasn't the wisest choice given the woman within but it was what it was.

"Her company and associates can make that happen easily. It will only take some time. Cara liked to design her ships by hand from the start, but I suppose I can press the matter given I have her memories and it won't be that hard to reach into her knowledge and simply use her like a book, perhaps the dullest book I've ever read, but none the less. We only need time to make it happen, M'lord. And while the height does make for a little bit of a strange vessel, I've no doubts we can do it. Though I am curious, what are you looking to transport?"

[member="Darth Shadow"]

 

[Moira Skaldi]

One thing the machine and [member="Darth Shadow"] had in common was patience. It was a virtue, though truth be told it was probably easier to be patient if you did not have to worry about something as pesky as mortality. And so rather than charging into action Moira pondered and analysed. Deep within her offices she had time for that, whilst the holorecordings, audio and visual broadcasts from her surveillance team played out before her eyes. Given her immense, burning hatred for Sith, it was extremely unlikely that [member="Cara Sampson"] had been aware of Quoll Le'vert's true identity, given that she had gone to his villa on her own volition. After all, he was not a 'kindly Sith'. Or a confused one with memory issues.


No evidence of struggle or coercion when she visited him. Was she still in the dark now? That hinged on the question of what he intended to use her for. As a way to get to Siobhan Kerrigan given her...dalliance? Perhaps, but not everything was about the Countess, though she loved to be the centre of attention. Given Shadow's prowess as a mentalist, it would be easy for him to tear the knowledge that she was the anti-Sith terrorist Cora Passek from her mind. Use the angel of chaos as his tool to wreak havoc? Possible and ironic, though his resources would have suffered recently. Still...she possessed enough nerve gas to wipe out a planet, which in fact had been the reason for Moira's original interest in her. Enough to pull off a terrorist attack that would leave its mark on history.


After all, he may present himself as an opponent of the Sith, whilst using her as a pawn. Another possibility was that he wanted her for her abilities as a shipbuilder. After all, she was very good at creating those. A more viable form of exploitation than terrorism. Needless to say Moira would be unaware that Cara was possessed by Vahril. Possibility could not be ruled out that Shadow might use her as a new host for his essence.


Further analysis would require more pertinent information, so on the off-chance that even a potentially brainwashed Cara would continue the facade of being herself, Moira sent a message via the Chaos network, just to test the waters if she left. It would not do to play her hand too soon. Written in typical cryptic style, it was a request for a meeting. Moira would have delegated it to a minion, but the real Cara would not have shown then. As for the leak to Firemane, that would come in time. A judiciously placed leak COAS was bound to come across after one of its own sources 'discovered' it. It was quite convenient that Firemane's intelligence services placed both key employees and potential ones under surveillance. How ironic that this was the sort of act the Sith and Imperials indulged in.


As for Lavrenti Valdier, she had a feeling that she had...much to offer him. The detailed background check made her...rather certain that he was related to a certain Mirien Valdier. The rumours about what had transpired in the Valdier household were most interesting. How convenient that she had come across a girl who had fled from it. It had not taken much persuasion to make her spill her guts. She had not felt anything after being processed into a machine.