The Last Man Standing Gets No Pity (Samka Derith)

[WolfMortum]

The Bloackade of L, 49...​

​

The Battle for Dagobah in the aftermath of the Empire's withdrawal.​

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The Loss of Omega Four-Five-Nine...​

There only the recent excursions where Caehl Ren had fought tooth and nail for the First Order, only to be stabbed in the back by Samka Derith, his superior, a child who refused to share what she perceived to be her toys. The Knight of Ren stood aboard the Upsilon-class command shuttle as it began it's descent down unto Virgillia, the loading bay still secured yet the black visor of the Caehl Ren bore through the durasteel hull with a look of utter disgust for the fate that had befallen him.

Darkness surrounded him, enveloped every fiber of his being and reached out with unseen hands touching upon the shoulders of his crew and brought them all down around him, preying upon their mental states, subconsciously twisting them up emotionally and driving each of them into a disillusioned depression as his anger only rose, continuing to build within him feeding off of their decline.

Within his right hand, his Lightsaber heavy against his grip, the leather of his gauntlets shifting against it as his grasp upon the weapon tightened. How many were there within the Bastion awaiting him, how intelligent was his desire to cut through them all to get to Decitus; the reality of surviving such a feat stacked against him and yet the look upon the young Overlord's face as she explained the poison that she had infected him with continued to play over and over inside his head.

Iron Mantle had been left aboard the FIV Executioner, soon to be reassigned to the First Order Security Bureau for redeployment into the special forces regiment. They had spent long enough serving under the Knight to receive his mercy, to forgo an unnecessary death that he would have otherwise led them into here today. For the Knight of Ren, death was inevitable. Two weeks had passed since the poison had been injected into his veins and he had denied Decitus the servitude she sought to force upon him.

The Sith had treated him this way following his capture the day Svivren was taken from the Order and he lost everything. Years spent in humiliation, being beaten and tortured for their amusement right up until the Alliance had invaded and subsequently free'd Brennan directly into the path of the First Order. [member="Sieger Ren"] had been his salvation, the one true Leader that the young boy had followed and risen up through the ranks to take on the name of Caehl Ren giving everything he had, even his life during the battle of Bespin to adhere to and to honor the might and rise to power that was rightly Sieger's...

All of which Decitus had brought crumbling down around him with one swift act of spite against him. A punishment for a crime that he had sought not to enact but was forced upon him regardless. Betrayal did not do the act justice; did not emphasize just how dire the young Overlords terms had struck the Knight of Ren. Caehl, one of the Elite Assassin's trained within the Order of Ren; one of utter commitment and loyalty...Denied.

"LZ in Sight, Landing in two mikes, my Lord"

Caehl's Helm lifted momentarily, listening and raising his shoulders, rolling his joints and loosening his arms as he prepared himself. The great shuttle of Sieger's Primary Guard and Warriors among the Order drifted down, landing struts protruding from the base of the hull to touch down upon the landing pad, hydraulics kicking into gear in order to absorb the swift descent and impact against the base of the craft. The Landing Ramp began it's descent and moving to follow in it's path, the black cloak of the Knight of Ren clad in his Armor began in stride for the awaiting Praetorian Guard assigned to the service of the Council of the Order; no doubt there on [member="Samka Derith"]'s instruction. Moving from their single file upon either side of the catwalk leading to the Bastion's entrance, they all turned to stand before him, lightsabers in hand and stepping ahead of the others the leading praetorian lifted his hand to signal for the Knights pause.

"Your presence is expected, Caehl. You will relinquish your weapon and follow us at once".

Immediately the snap-hiss and arc of crimson energy streamed from the blade emitter of his hilt, the cross-guard flaring to produce two additionally smaller blades, the hilt vibrating against the unstable arc of plasma that coursed beneath the metal held tightly within his sword hand. "Come and take it from me..." Caehl basically spat the words against the front of his helm, the audio receptors distorting in an attempt to convey that same old android like overtone meant to mask his natural presence. Were he restrained enough to think clearly then perhaps he would have accompanied them and sought to act upon the one who had wronged him so, yet his fury was all-encompassing and patience was farthest from his reach as he began to stride once more directly towards the six that soon produced arms of their own and prepared to engage the Knight of Ren.

In all truth; Caehl merely sought more than anything to make them all suffer before him.

 

[Samka Derith]

A prickle of ice traced through the spines of all those assembled ahead of the Bastion of Ren as Samka Derith, otherwise known as Decitus Ren, revealed herself. The girl's petite form easily hidden behind the bulky guards. She walked her into the middle of the catwalk, letting the Praetorian guards flank her on both sides. While the weapons of the armour glad guards were drawn, their body language aggressive and fully prepared for a fight, Samka was relatively relaxed. She stood with her arms held behind her back, making no move to draw her Lightsaber.

In a typical move for her, she simply raised an eyebrow at [member="Brennan Cabrol"]'s aggression. "Let's not engage in treason, it won't end very well for you even if you could slay me and everyone else on this planet." She referred to, of course, the toxins spreading through his veins. Within a day, the harmful effects would make themselves felt and only she had the treatment to prolong it. The toxins that she herself had infected the Knight with. She had been very deliberate about reforging Caehl as her weapon and one way or the other she would have it.

"I thought I'd greet you in person today, as it's our first performance review but we're not off the greatest start," The young girl sighed dramatically. "Leave us to talk alone, if you'd please," she told the guards.

There was a pause, the Praetorian unit reluctant to leave the scene.

"I can handle myself quite well," she added. Slowly, the guards holstered their weapons and withdrew further back into the Bastion. The scene was silent aside from the footsteps of the guards growing more distant and the buzzing of insects basking in the jungle heat. Samka remained still, watching Caehl with wide eyes - another of her natural features contributing to her young image.

It was only once the footsteps had faded she did speak again, "So how was the journey back, Caehl?" She asked pleasantly and casually.

 

[WolfMortum]

Caehl Ren remained unflinching as [member="Samka Derith"] made herself known, she of whom adopted that typical facade of polite dismissal and patronizing civility that the Knight of Ren had come to expect; a scowl escaped him passed upon a heated tongue through clenched teeth as he watched her fellow lapdogs fall away reluctantly yet obediently, everyone of them symbolizing his enslavement to her had she her way. "Spare me your poison tongue..." he exclaimed hiding nothing of his resentment towards her; his lightsaber remained active to shower his right side and the permacrete - metal catwalk around him, no end to it's malicious thrum of energy coursing from the hilt that he bore down on with a furious grip; "I will not entertain this game of yours, Decitus...If you want me dead, come and take me yourself but I bow to Sieger Ren, not you".

The difference being that he still held a choice in the matter; he believed in what they stood for even against the personal betrayal that she had inflicted upon him. Naive to think that there might have been some personal ground, some semblance of renown that he might have earned over the years. He had done his time as a Disciple of the Order, his fascist adherence and faith to the Doctrine and Dogma of the Ren knowing no bounds. Talon had tried to correct him, tried to instill some personal conviction and sense of individuality while encouraging his loyalty at the same time, then when he had all but disappeared and the Order been cut in half, Caehl had moved to counter every one of the traitors to the Sith Brotherhood, not by order but by share virtue of their insult against the First Order and the Supreme Leader himself. Kaalia Voldaren had tried to tell him how blind he was. Even [member="Ara Zambrano"] had quietly suggested that there be need for personal incentive, something to drive him on beyond giving up his life for the First Order; she whom remained Queen of Panatha and had been his appointed station by Decitus' encouragement...

"I have fulfilled every assignment that you've given me without question..." he began to pace slowly from side to side, the wind whipping up around the pair catching his cloak and throwing it aside to flail in the wind, secured to him by the upholstery of his shoulder pauldrons. "You have no right to speak to me of treason, Decitus. I cut down the filth that abandoned us. I carved out the heart of dissent and placed it at your feet that you might recognize me. I have nothing beyond what I have given to the Ren yet you put a knife in my back for nothing but my complete and utter conviction to you and your bastard counsel...If I have to give my life you can have it but I will not beg for your approval any longer". He had never been a man to need the recognition of others, his convictions always given free of will until these last weeks had passed him by and the turmoil had sundered him entirely. All that he had worked so hard to achieve for their grandiose Leader and yet his own words from a distant training session gone awry whispered back to him in the corner of his mind. The Ren were nothing but tools to be discarded upon a whim; he had known this...

As long as the choice had been in his hands, that one minuscule aspect of control over his life, he had never been afraid to give it up. How many others were there that could have said such a thing with such readiness to die for the cause. Even his own Master who had failed to complete his training, a recognized Master of the Order of Ren had not showed the same loyalty that Caehl had held for the Ren. In hind sight, Decitus had forever resided over his progress within the Order. It was difficult to comprehend that she might not have expected such a volatile reaction from the one whom from the very beginning showed such a personal instability. He had come in as a slave, and risen high above his mantle since.

 

[Samka Derith]

"I don't want you dead," Samka replied factually, "if I did, you wouldn't be stood here. You've done nothing to earn my hatred."

The girl remained stoic, unshaken by the blade still drawn against her nor the words [member="Brennan Cabrol"] raged with against her. The only reaction earned from her was with his use of the word bastard.

"Language, Caehl," she lightly scolded him.

She was slightly disappointed as she regarded the being of rage before her now. Samka had hoped that he'd take the two weeks apart to gather his thoughts and come to a sensible conclusion but, no, he was still blinded by emotion. The Dark Side flourished with emotion but it had to be dominated lest it dominate the user instead.

She looked upon the Knight with pity, her head tilted to the side and a sympathetic half-smile on her lips. "You still think this is about your loyalty to the cause? You think fulfilling your duties makes you immune to repercussions?" The small girl took a single step closer, ignoring the blade Brennan still held. "Let me explain very clearly why this occurred. Something was taken from me and I have taken it back. That is all. It's something of a reversal to our previous position. I haven't done anything new, I've restored things to how they were previously and only partially at that. Since you seem so content with your new body, I've let you keep it. Many others would not be so kind."

She sighed loudly and dramatically, casting a wistful gaze over the jungle landscape. "Nothing needs to change between us because nothing has changed." Samka strolled over to the side of the catwalk and leaned over the railing.

"Clearly, emotion is still running high so we'll get to the report later. I feel like taking a walk in the jungle, care to join me?" As usual, her mannerisms were polite and courteous but it was obvious to any who knew her, this was not a request.

 

[WolfMortum]

Nothing was ever straight forward with [member="Samka Derith"], the Master of Ren whom had an unusual talent for keeping calm in the most frustrating of times while too being prone to moments of great frustration in what had otherwise been considered times of clarity and peace. Watching her from behind the visor of his helm with great scrutiny, it was difficult to know where she truly stood; rarely with the Order were things what they appeared to be and while this could be said to work in his favor, she had already proven herself to be one to manipulate others and take pride in her ability to do so.

Caehl's blade was drawn and in yet another example of Decitus' peculiar nature, she seemed more intent on telling him off for his word use like a parent might a child. It was hardly the worst he could have thrown at her for how personally he had taken her obstruction to his freedom; however against all his turbulent emotion, there seemed a part of him determined to question himself for the position he had taken before her. He himself had admitted that there was no life for him beyond the First Order and his service to Sieger Ren; she too had acted as more of a Mentor to him than Kriel Firin had in the end, having disappeared shortly after the young boy's leave of isolated training within the Bastion, it had been Samka to further guide him alongside Ara Zambrano whom had ascended to the rank of Knight under Talon's encouragement and guidance. Quiet facts that Caehl chose for good reason not to discuss or make a point of to others, yet all aspects that kept him connected to the two women and his superiors within the Order for such he now found himself deactivating his lightsaber, the hiss of energy being dispersed from the emitter soon sharply coming to a screeching end as he simply watched Decitus move to lean against the railing of the catwalk.

She had her back to him with a vast fall before her. Inhaling slowly through his nose, Caehl's eyes closed momentarily as he sought to regain some of his self control. The mere movement and stance that appeared ever so relaxed from Samka was as much a test as it was a statement, she did not fear him nor would she be intimidated, yet she too held the confidence to turn her back and show him that his current actions would be tolerated were he to see reason and stand down from this insubordination.

Whatever report it was that she required, Caehl Ren could only assume to be his actions over the past two weeks since there prior engagement and meal shared with the Queen of Panatha and his peer in recent training and by Samka's eyes, treachery. Her decision however to walk through the wilds of Virgilia and the demand that was posed in the tone of a question rhetorical, also did not escape the Knight and balling his left hand into a fist only to release it shortly thereafter, he sought to ease the tension around him as best he could, if not only to respond in reluctant compliance. "If you insist..." his tone did not mask his wounded pride all too much at all, though his right hand returned his lightsaber to his belt and looking upon the back of the young Overlord, he would await her to take the lead knowing not what to make of the twist in fate that had befallen him.

 

[Samka Derith]

She'd quickly changed outfits for the walk. Dark clothing, cloaks and leather gloves would be a nightmare amidst the jungle humidity so Samka had settled into the cream dress she'd become accustomed to. It was a look she thought was rather classy. She held a matching parasol in her hand to shield herself from the sun's harsh rays. It was a very ladylike appearance, not one geared for combat nor for intimidation as [member="Brennan Cabrol"] would surely note.

She hummed a jolly tune to herself as they walked, her pace slightly ahead of his so that she may lead the way down the paths Ren walked so regularly - the safe routes long since cleared of beasts and other hazards.

Samka stopped for a moment. "As fond as I am of our Bastion, it would be nice to have a less temperate climate," she said to Caehl, dabbing a small tissue on her brow to clear the sweat. The Ren took a quick spot check for somewhere to rest for a moment. A nearby tree had a good looking branch, the jungle floor was far too messy. With an elegant hop, boosted by the Force, the young girl pulled herself up before she settled cross-legged on the branch about 10 ft off the ground.

"Ta-da!" She exclaimed with a tone dripping in sarcasm as she waved at her companion. "I've still got that talent which won the Lady Illka's School for Gifted Girls gymnastics champion three years running," she smiled and let out a small chuckle. Caehl knew bits of her past. He'd been there that day on Bespin, he and Ara, back when Samka had tried to persuade [member="Irajah Ven"] that the two women had something of a bond.

That had gone well.

Pushing the grizzly affair to the back of her mind, it made her realise Caehl had seen more of her past than she of his. She'd read the files of course but she hadn't heard it from the man's mouth. That wouldn't do. She liked her secrets and she'd given many up that day.

"Tell me," the Ren began to kick her legs back and forth beneath her as she spoke. "What drives you, Caehl?" Samka's head cocked in curiosity. "What really brought you to us?"

 

[WolfMortum]

Allowed re-entry into the Bastion of Ren before their excursion into the jungle of Virgilia's surrounding plateau, Caehl Ren returned to his quarters and thought best to remove his armor, instead adopting a far more Formal Attire, one better suited to portraying his compliance and cessation of hostilities. In the brief down time that he was afforded, the Knight of Ren returned his belongings from the previous trip off-world to their fast holdings before turning and, lightsaber remaining with him attached to his belt, he left in order to meet with Decitus for this trek that she had decided was of necessity for them.

The land and air around them was indeed humid though without his armor to stifle him in the heat, the breeze that coursed through the tree's was a small pleasure that he could afford to let himself enjoy as he followed [member="Samka Derith"] in equal pace just somewhat behind her to the right that she might be able to keep sight of him should she need reassurance following the manner of his return.

"As fond as I am of our Bastion, it would be nice to have a less temperate climate".​

​

To Caehl, the Bastion did not serve as his home but simply provide a roof over his head when one was required. It was the center for the advancement of training and structure within the Order of Ren, it was the base of their operations and the source of the counsel of the Overlords; yet he had never felt attached to it in any emotional sense. His first week here had been spent fending off the reptilian creatures that had found reason to war with the First Order, they whom looked like some distant cross between avian and reptile, had been vicious compared to the lost and isolated Disciple who'd still been but a boy when he had first arrived.

Watching soon after as Decitus seemed to fall back into her routinely act of child-like behavior, his eyes followed the portrayed girl as she moved with a sudden bubbly demeanor to ascend upon the supporting branch some few feet above him, the force carrying her what her natural prowess could not account for on it's own. With his hands in his pockets of the long leather jacket that draped around the back of his legs, he simply kept a quiet watch over her, his reach over the force extending to surround them as he briefly thought to probe the area for any other signs of life while she seemed so determined to have him believe her careless.

"I do not recall my life before Svivren" He would soon reply to her questioning him, as curious as it was given that she had access to every member of the Order's profile's, those of which the First Order Security Bureau were never short on detail nor scrutiny for what could be perceived as a vulnerability to Sieger's vision of strength and order. "Trained as a Jedi until my early teens; the Sith attacked and dismantled everything I knew. Enslavement followed for years before war set me free. You know all of this however...-You have my psychological profile and background...".

 

[Samka Derith]

"I know the facts but I want to know the feelings," Samka replied. "Reports can make for rather dry reading so I'd rather hear it direct from your lips with all the emotion attached."

She regarded the man below with large, curious eyes. He was still 'on duty', that much was clear by how alert his body language was. A clear contrast to her own casual behaviour. It wasn't that she wasn't prepared for danger, the girl instead had absolute confidence in her ability to detect and overcome any threat which may emerge. Some might call it arrogance but it was all very deliberate. As she rocked gently in the branches of this dangerous jungle above the man she poisoned seemingly without a care in the world, it was a mark of her power.

"So tell me how you feel, Caehl," the girl continued. "Don't simply tell me what happened."

Hopping off her perch, Samka daintily landed back on the ground then marched a few steps towards [member="Brennan Cabrol"], her eyes flashed with a daring thrill. "Tell me the pain. Tell me the anger. Tell me about the Jedi and about the Sith," a demented grin of excitement spread onto her child-like features, "all from your perspective, Caehl."

 

[WolfMortum]

"I do not see the point in this..."

Caehl spoke under his breath in response, turning his attention elsewhere as though his mind weren't already distanced by the memories of his past. Once upon a time he had been rid of such emotions, needless and tiresome set backs of sentimentality that he had chosen and found a way to deny himself almost completely, the torment of the years under the enslavement of the Sith having aided him in killing off the perceived weakness within himself; yet today by those emotions raw and slowly being poked and prodded at by [member="Samka Derith"], the Dark-side swelled around the pair almost venomously, it's presence upon the open and natural world seeming to dial down the temperature and darken the shadows beneath the trees for which they harbored, cold and depriving the world of it's typical vibrancy of color in life.

"The Jedi Order were so focused upon remaining at peace that their inaction rendered them utterly moot to the invading forces of the Sith. My former Master, for whom I'm aware you've been in contact with..." He spoke swiftly yet clearly, though Decitus might note that Brennan had not the authority to know of such things through the channels of the Order of Ren, he clearly lacked concern for this; "Betrayed the Council in order to fight to protect the Core yet too labeled himself a hypocrite and left the rest of us to die. The Sith spared me only to amuse themselves, they broke my will as a boy and denied me any semblance of mercy for the next few years before the Alliance struck the facility I was being held within" his shoulders had become noticeably tense even beneath the straightened shape of his attire, his upper body seeming to show evidence of his need to guard himself, body language spilling through in the way that he crossed his arms before himself and turned his gaze to the ground, eyes narrowing, though his words would continue.

"A prisoner of War and a nobody to the Alliance, I did not need to go far to find myself within the territory of the First Order and the power and dominion of The Supreme Leader for whom even the common rabble spoke of, gave me what I believed could be a path of strength. A reason to fight, for everything else that I had so naively believed had been taken from me and crushed. You know the rest. I was still young when I came into the Order, [member="Castor Ren"] was something of a mentor though Talon took me on as his Disciple. Time passed and he disappeared, once again I found myself having to find my own way and so my training I sought to fulfill on my own..." In this, his anger seemed to boil within himself and Decitus would feel his frustration as he turned to look back towards her, his eyes ablaze with the corruption of the dark-side that lit up his iris and only further darkened the black of his pupils as he stared back at her.

"I am not yours to be toyed with, Decitus" He added, so to ensure that she had not forgotten his grave disdain for her recent actions; "I serve Sieger Ren and I follow your lead as you are an Overlord and my Superior yet there was once a time you and I were on equal footing and it would serve you well to remember that". No doubt his words would be taken on as threat though there was something else behind his tone, a promise for which hinted at empowerment were their strength mutual rather than his obedience taken for granted and forever on demand. Caehl Ren served the Order because he believed in the cause and he fought with his all to see the vision of Sieger pushed forward for what could be attained, true peace and the power to ensure it went unbroken; there were however greater prospects that came with co-operation, the willingness to stand side by side rather than doing so because it was simply his duty. Decitus still saw nothing but a puppet before her however and slowly but surely, Caehl Ren was becoming to tire of this facade. There was more he felt that he could become for the Order, for the Supreme Leader were he only to be acknowledged by his superiors. Ara Zambrano had recognized this, though she had too succeeded in encouraging Samka's noose to tighten around Caehl's throat.

 

[Samka Derith]

"Then you're not thinking hard enough," was her only response to Caehl's dismissive attitude. She'd lead him to draw his own conclusions rather than coddle him with them.

But Samka had remained silent while [member="Brennan Cabrol"] spoke. Her own aura of ice cooling the boiling rage that had been brewing in the man opposite her. She looked up at him with a half smile, otherwise she was stoic, impossible to read on the surface but she took in every detail and every trace of emotion. It was far easier to work with people once you understood how they think.

Or manipulate them.

"You see? It must be good to get it off your chest." She said gently once he was done. "Aren't we closer now?" Her tone was light, ambiguous as to where the statement stood on the scale between biting sarcasm and genuineness.

A bird call came from the jungle nearby causing Samka to turn and try to identify it. She very deliberately elected to focus on the call of nature over Caehl's final remarks, brushing him off completely.

"Did you catch that?" She asked, huddling under her parasol slightly while she craned her neck to get a better look. "I do enjoy the jungle nature but I'm not sure if I've heard that cry before. It could be a new species to me!" The girl's smile was wide and excited as she turned back to Caehl. "Fancy a tour of nature? Get some fresh air in those fresh lungs?"

 

[WolfMortum]

While [member="Samka Derith"] elected to take notice of the bird, Brennan Cabrol simply watched she herself with a less then enthused glare, not one of anger so much as frustration and impatience for the meaningless facade she put on around him. He had not returned with the intention of a leisurely stroll through the woods; this was a day of either his demise or his resignation to fall under her reign. A dog to be muzzled and now one she wished to take for a walk.

"The air is no fresher the further we walk than it is where we stand..." The Knight countered her pessimistically, "...What exactly is it that you want of me, Samka?" his arms would rise to his chest, crossing them that his hands might take hold of his biceps lightly as he looked upon the Overlord with a studious gaze. She was indeed difficult to figure out though where there had once been a time where she had sparked his curiosity, her lack of personal loyalty to her own people had rendered any former interest a moot point.

There was no longer any semblance of personal belonging nor co-operation where their business was concerned, their interactions had been made well clear to Caehl now that any sense of friendship or trust, belonging or reliability outside of what was the expected hierarchy simply didn't exist. This in itself made him question many things in their past, as well as what was to come further ahead. Ara had described in some small way, a feeling of relationships within the Order of Ren some time ago where Brennan had kept himself shut off to the possibility. Eventually it had broken through his cold exterior and he had realized that these social structures were something he lacked, yet could strengthen his passion and ability to combat their enemy furthered on by the incentive that there might be something that he personally cared for beyond his typical loyalty to Sieger Ren; a framework and place that he had come to over a great deal of time that Decitus had shattered completely.

She could rationalize her actions however she saw fit, to claim that it was an impersonal decision and action to take; yet she was not the one whom had been betrayed. She had simply lived a sheltered life and witnessed one of her perceived 'toys' having a mind and life of it's own outside of her control. There had once been a respect there and a willingness to serve her, yet Caehl Ren could not do so anymore while feeling the same affinity towards the young Overlord of the Order of Ren. Her remark about the two being closer, laced with sarcasm, could not be further from the truth and it brought him some small pleasure in her knowing it.

 

[Samka Derith]

She sighed wistfully, pulling her attention back from the undergrowth.

Samka turned her head back to face [member="Brennan Cabrol"] with a frown. "You don't have to be so... boring about it," she muttered, her disdain making itself known for the first time. She readjusted her position to square up to the Knight, he was much larger than her physically but when she wanted to make it known, her sheer presence could mark the the small girl among the most terrifying denizens in the entire galaxy. Through the round eyes, the freckled face and the lady-like attire, darkness, fear and ice seemed to emulate from her now. The plants themselves began to wilt close to her.

"I want your obedience, since I so clearly did not have it before," she elaborated, her parasol spinning to and fro as it rested on her shoulder. "You need to stop thinking that you're something in this galaxy beyond a tool, you aren't," the girl's delivery was cold but she did not sneer as might be expected. She was simply delivering facts. It was a statement, not mockery. "You gave that up when you joined our ranks. You're nothing, Caehl, as are we all. You, I, Ara, we are all small parts in a much larger mechanism. Our lives, as individuals, are worth nothing. We do not pursue our own goals, our own desires or pleasures, we simply fit the role in which we are given. That role shall come from the Supreme Leader or..." Samka licked her lip with a serpentine flicker of the tongue, "those whom he trusts, like myself."

"Did you honestly think I got here just by playing my own games? I thought you were well aware of my true nature." She cocked her head again, battering her eyelashes in a mockingly childish pout. "Or did you fall for the spoiled child facade too?"

"What I want is simple," Samka returned to her factual tone, "Your teacher could not complete your training, I shall finish it."

 

[WolfMortum]

"What I want is simple, your teacher could not complete your training, I shall finish it".

Everything else, he could and intended on arguing, right up to her final claim. Personal identity had been lost on him long ago; he had regained some of that back though [member="Ara Zambrano"], yet it had not deterred his loyalty to the Supreme Leader. The notion however that [member="Samka Derith"] herself intended on stepping forward to fulfill his training had not been anticipated. Not in the slightest.

"Had you suggested such a thing before you had one of your Guard pierce my throat with that filth, I would have agreed without reservation..." He responded after a moment's pause. His tone wasn't argumentative but thoughtful and perhaps even a hint of caution to his demeanor, something that he rarely showed. "I am not ignorant of our place in the Supreme Leader's vision. We are his hand, his will and dominion over those that would oppose him" he reiterated, a statement that he had informed many of their Disciples during which he had been leading them through group lessons further back within the Bastion and the Academy of Skye.

His right hand soon extended to point to her in emphasis of his claim, "...And you always had my loyalty prior to your recent actions. You had it on Skor two, Bespin and every other target we have hit since. Every pathetic attempt to undermine the First Order I have witnessed, I have taken hold and crushed within my hands. Traitors to the Sith, pockets of Jedi within our sector, much of which wasn't decreed but for that I did out of loyalty to His cause..." Brennan stopped himself, his expression scrutinizing and yet he could not deny that this passion was coming from personal backlash. Something that Decitus sought to stamp out in him, clearly. The hypocrisy was rife and yet the position was hers as she was at the top of the Hierarchy and he, clearly nothing.

Her offer however was significant and she held a great deal of power, it flowing from her in defiance of his own presence, the Knight dwarfed in the face of the Force that she commanded. "...-What would you have me do?" he repeated, though this time his apprehension showing against her expectations of him, whatever they might be. Training under an Overlord of the Order was not an offer that one turned down, "Where would you have me begin".

 

[Samka Derith]

"If I held your loyalty there would be nothing to protest," the Overlord murmured, her voice spoken low and ominous through gritted teeth as she stared down the pointed finger. "This is what you still fail to grasp. Your life is not your own and I am well within my rights to do as I please with it just as the Supreme Leader may do so with mine. You were already in this position of subservience, Caehl, before the ritual. I have done nothing but set things back to how they should be, as they were before."

She repressed the desire to taunt, as tempting as the man may have made it. It would likely only anger him further which served no purpose at this point. This was the reason she offered was that it was obvious the Knight's training was half complete. He understood loyalty, he did not yet understand devotion and the fact that he thought he did made him arrogant, overly sure of his own position.

"I would have you reflect on what I say, why I say it and the position from which I say it," she instructed. Samka's eyebrow flickered ever so slightly at the sudden more meaningful obedience from the Knight. There was a pause. Her delicate fingers reached into her breast pocket as she pulled out a small purple glass vial of liquid. She held it between her fingernails, seemingly lost as she gazed into the cloudy consistency for a moment.

"Status report," Samka said, her tone airy and lost as the girl's scarlet gaze turned back up to the Knight. "Full report of activities since we last spoke. Last time you... missed a few details," she referred to the meeting in which the poisoning began. "You won't do that again. Report, Caehl Ren."

[member="Brennan Cabrol"]

 

[WolfMortum]

Subservient; like a Dog brought to heel before it's Master; This was what power brought those that came to stand before the Supreme Leader...-And Supreme Leader, she was not. Never the less, she held him at a crucial disadvantage and thus, obedience was demanded of him. Her rhetoric was repeated, offering the same explanation for her actions as though every time Decitus spoke it, the hypocrisy bled from her gums as the words passed before her lips, a little less each time. Every moment belittled by the experience would further encourage a slow and painful change in the Knight of Ren, every time she would twist that knife a little more, so too would his line of sight narrow that his focus might eradicate distraction from desire. A circle of puppets, each attached to the other, those above to look down upon those below and none to know the wiser whom played the puppeteer; Nothing but a means to an end.

"Dagobah was a success yet losses were taken, Omega Four-Five-Nine is KIA" Brennan responded, his hands moving to take to his back that he might stand at attention, giving his report upon a placid and unbiased tone. There would be a noticeable change in his appearance as his resignation would attest to his exterior before [member="Samka Derith"], not a hint of animosity between them. "Iron Mantle remains active, The First Order Security Bureau has been advised to reallocate their duties as a result of recent events, here" he placed emphasis into the fine word as to elaborate upon the two of them standing within the immediate.

"My late Apprentice has taken it upon herself to abscond in my absence most recently. The whereabouts of [member=Elensa Jari]'s presence is as of this moment, unknown. This was reported to me following my rendezvous with [member=Veiere Arenais]. In exchange for knowledge on the Dark-side of the Force, he relinquished information on pivotal locations to the Jedi Order within our space; The Enclave of Haashimut, Bespin, Ambria and Dray Two" The Knight's head lifted marginally in acknowledgement of the fact, "Alternatively, Glee Ansom and Erudol were offered as compensation for the recent battle fought on Bespin. My efforts thus far have only secured Haashimut. It was not long before you intervened during which our last encounter took place, halting my efforts".

"This concludes my activities within the field. My time otherwise has been spent training in preparation to kill you" He concluded, his words offered with much the same expression that he wore. His eyes turned to hone back upon her ever so studious gaze, that blank emotionless expression now shifting to one of expectation. She wished to hear the truth and thus he chose to give it.

 

[Samka Derith]

Improvement. Good. It was a start.

She listened to his report, her face flashing through the emotions as he went. Pity over the loss of his squad, scorn for misplacing his apprentice, the crack of a smile over exposed Jedi and finally... disappointment on his training. If the boy thought he could murder an Overlord while singing of his loyalty to the Supreme Leader, he was stupider than she thought.

Yet she made no comment on it.

Instead she nodded.

"That's better," she replied gently. "Respect. Understanding. Trust. That is what we are built on. We are beyond blind loyalty to a single entity, we are a collective. Here," the girl tossed [member="Brennan Cabrol"] the vial of purple concoction. "Your cure. For the week. I would like you to do just one thing for me though."

"Smash it."

 

[WolfMortum]

Brennan's right hand snapped out to catch the vial swiftly before it could pass him, his eyes however remaining forward upon [member="Samka Derith"] as she announced what was easily expected to be his concoction of temporary medicinal relief before the next fortnight would come about and he be expected to play pet for another time around. It was however when she requested that he smash it, that the Knight of Ren paused, looking back at the Overlord with an edge of skepticism.

It would not be beneath her to test his loyalty in such a way, to either have a back-up on hand or otherwise have falsified the ordeal in it's entirety; if such was the case and all this to have been a test of his competence, than he had failed it miserably. The share notion, the revelation of the thought setting in within that moment, whether unfounded as of yet or otherwise caused his eyes to widen in realization of his shortcomings; his gloved hand tightening around the vial that the glass frame smashed within his very grasp. Decitus not having made a habit of making these requests with the expectation of being denied obedience.

His jaw tightened as he released the shards of glass to fall from his outstretched fingers, specks of the vial still clinging to the leather of his palm yet soon to be dismissed by brushing it against his overcoat, Brennan remained silent, reflective of the moment and conscious of what this all might have cost him. It was difficult to tell whether this could be considered progress or utter failure. Decitus excelled in her mind games.

 

[Samka Derith]

She watched him. She watched the vial shatter apart between his fingers. She watched the glass fall to the jungle floor and the purple liquid drop alongside it. She watched his eyes light up in realisation and she smiled.

"Good," her voice still soft and reassuring. The aura of Darkness which had surrounded her subdued while the parasol she held was lowered. "You've had an inkling, haven't you? The toxin from the dart was flushed from your system in a matter of hours. You were never in permanent harm. I lied. I lied to put you in the most extreme scenarios. I did it to test you."

Samka took a few slow steps towards [member="Brennan Cabrol"]. "Consider this affair my first lesson to you. You are a strong warrior, Caehl. You are proactive in your duties and you can be trusted to fulfil a task requested of you. In many ways, you are an ideal for others to strive for but I think we saw a few... flaws today." She stopped, now looking up at the man as they stood mere inches apart. "I'd like you to consider why the empires of Sith Lords burn away as soon as they rise up each and every time. Is it enemy action? Often a contributor, yes, but infighting is a far greater threat. Anger, hatred, fear, they make us powerful but once they consume an empire, it is destined for destruction. It is a flaw in the belief of so many Sith that these emotions are to be totally unleashed, the belief that this is freedom. The Force Shall Free Me, they say. This is false, they become a slave to their emotions and a slave to the Dark Side, it is there that they topple their own allies. Consider your own actions, if you had killed me, you would have murdered a leadership figure and crippled a sizeable part of our operations. If you had killed those men on the landing bay, our Supreme Leader's own guard are diminished and the enemy's odds of killing him have increased."

As she was speaking, the Ren girl's demeanour had changed yet again. She addressed him firmly yet kindly. There was no trace of the smug, occasionally threatening persona nor was there a hint of the ditzy lady-like behaviour.

"The Sith break people to convert them to their cause, that is their way. This is why I asked about your past earlier. I don't think you escaped, Brennan, I think they affected you in ways you've not yet understood," a half-smile, sympathy apparent in her eyes. "You've taken it upon yourself to cleanse our Order of Sith influence, perhaps we should do the same to your mind, you and I. How do you feel?"

 

[WolfMortum]

"Your methods I find to be maddening, yet not without reason it would seem".

Brennan responded in a non-confrontational demeanor, his tone clear yet placid of it's former malice while his stance had taken on a slight shift, the tension in his shoulders and upper-body no longer so evident as he stood face to face with Decitus, she of whom was shorter by comparison yet made up for it within her aura and control over the Darkside of the Force; as well as her clearly sharp intellect. "Your game however was not played without great risk, however. How certain were you that I would come to this place, now?" his arms moved to cross his chest, holding each within his grasp as his head tilted somewhat out of genuine intrigue.

"There is a blade forever within my reach, for example, called upon by a Talisman that I wear..." his left hand soon extended, his palm opening to face skyward while the ring upon the same hand flared with power and tendrils of black began to take form, spiraling around his forearm like an acidic shadow, the Sith Dirk being conjured forth out of the void and into his hold that he could prove his claim to [member="Samka Derith"]. "It was made with the attributes of Sith Poison...A mere scratch enough to kill someone in a most excruciating way. I am not ignorant to your superiority over me, your strength is far more potent than my own though I was confident that I could at-least land a blow that would see my vengeance through..".

"And now you ask me how I feel?" He slowed to his conclusion, the weapon lifting from his head guided by the force and the practice of telekinesis to drift across the small gap between them and turn that the hilt would face Decitus and that she might inspect it without sign of his deceit nor continued grievance. "The disloyalty you accused me of did not feel complete until this moment. Your accusations become manifest because of this scheme of yours...-And yet somehow...-Most troubling is that I can appreciate your methods. You have forced me to expose my own weaknesses...".

 

[Samka Derith]

"If you didn't report in, you would have died, or so you believed. That was more than enough to make you come here. If you hadn't, you'd discover the trick by not dying, true, but you'd have disobeyed an Overlord's orders. Life expectancy tends to dwindle for anyone who does that," Samka explained. It wasn't a threat, it was a simple statement.

When the dike appeared from the air, the girl took it by the handle to inspect the blade with curious eyes. "That would require you hitting me before being overwhelmed," she said slowly as she continued to scan the weapon. "A challenge for you on its own on Virgillia but you're right in that my plan was not without risk." A small mischievous smile crept upon the younger girl's face. "But risk is what makes lessons memorable." With that she passed the dike back with a nod.

"I didn't force anything, every action you took was your own. Anger is a natural reaction, I would be infuriated at such a fate, but you let it consume you. You became prepared to die and burn a considerable amount of our resources to extract revenge. The only benefactor would be our enemies. This is the weakness of the Dark Side, it is destructive in its purest form and will make no distinctions in who it burns. If the Dark Side utterly takes over, you become its slave. We dominate the Force, we cannot allow it to dominate us."

"If there's nothing further, I believe you are dismissed," she told [member="Brennan Cabrol"]. "Until our next lesson, that is. I'll be a little... kinder then," the smirk resting on her teenage face.