Private The Reflection of a Shattered Soul

[Lady Falentra]

The Nest in Maldra IV was now her home a journey from many places, she had ended up here. It not a prison unlike the azrael asylum she was put after she was brought back to the NJO, a place where she was not let out at all and stuck with the mentally deranged. After which she was taking under the custody of the Lightsworn, the people who promised to help her... get better. Indeed, there was little darkness in her now, much knowledge of the darkside erased with the help of the trinket, Truth, around her neck. Even if she was no longer with the Lightsworn, she still kept it on.

After a skirmish with the two sith, Balun and her had manage to barely escape. Her bestfriend had brought her here. A sanctuary, with the promise that she would keep the location a secret. After a discussion with the leader of the tingel arm, they had agreed for her to stay, as long as she was supervised. With her history and connection to the sith, they could not yet trust her, but she did not blame them.

This day however, she had woken up in the crack of dawn with her tentacles tangled painfully tight around the chain of the talisman. She was never allowed to take it off even to sleep as it served as a big part of her therapy. Nouqai made her way out of her bedroom within the shared apartment to the bathroom. Standing in front of the bathroom mirror, first running water down her skin to respire as well as make it easier to untagle the mess that was her tentacles. She carefully worked her way around, eventually managing to slide Truth off her head.

Maybe wearing it as a bracelet would look better anyway.

But just as she was about to slip her wrist through, an intense pain radiated from her head all the sudden, causing her to release her grasp of the trinket, allowing it to clatter on the ground. The nausea rose through the pain, she bent over the sink, groaning through gritted teeth. It felt as if many burning claws had their grasp within her head, trying to pull every which way. The darkness... the emotions... the fear... it was so familiar but neither she welcomed. What was happening to her?

Nouqai lifted her head, to see her reflection through the near-debilitating migraine. It was not a pair of cyan eyes that starred back at her, but crimson.

"How?" She muttered under her breath.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

The crimson eyes narrowed, taking in all that could be seen from this visage... her visage, was this what his Mistress saw gazing through eyes that were not hers? To call it disorientating would be an understatement, even with little point of reference he could tell easily enough that the body he inhabited was far shorter than his own.

That was not too surprising though, indeed certainly expected, it only confirmed what he knew already.

Her lips moved as his own did, "It matters little, be quiet for now, where are you? I am here to save you." He did not know how long this connection between them would last, and gazing down upon the amulet, pulsing with the Force of the Light's persuasion, he was given enough of an inkling of why it had taken him so long to break through to her.

So why did she wear it?

Another question to be answered among the many since Jedha.

He had been far too... he had failed his duty in it taking such a long time to come here, yet, with no knowledge of what had occurred to her, no baseline of where to search, even as the Tsis'Kaar scoured the galaxy for any hint or idea, he had long even if he had not admitted it out loud, even if he had not admitted to himself... accepted unconsciously that his apprentice was gone.

The first of them to... be gone... in such a sense.

It would only be by mere chance that through his battlebrother and his cousin, he would be given word that she was still alive, held in custody by the Lightsworn, and then found by one of the Tingel Arm Coalition. There had been a smouldering rage then, a desire to destroy and annihilate all which kept him from her.

But still, both members of the Wonosa had failed to regain her liberty, and so too had failed to gain her location.

That had been when the Force had given him providence, and how he so hated that it had. Yet, a tool was a tool, even if it was born out of a god.

Lady Falentra

 

[Lady Falentra]

Even if she could not see him fully, the person reflected at her was mostly herself but there was something akin like a silhouette of him in the mirror, a great shadow of darkness looming behind her reflection. Then she spoke, but it was not her words, a blend of his deep voice over her silky one. Yet such a manifestation would send a sharp pain in head of a hundred of needles against her temples. He demanded of her location, but unlike while she was still with the lightsworn, she was safe with the Tingel Arm Coalition.

Nouqai had also made a promise to Balun Dashiell as to not reveal the location to any not in their ranks. Even if it was her Sith master demanding of her current whereabouts. It was the trust she shared between her best friend that she could never break. Yet, he was in her head, how simple would it be to relive that piece knowledge from within the confines of her mind.

The apprentice fought against the Sith Lord intruding her conscience. Fighting not to bring up the thought of where she was.

"I'm safe, unharmed. I do not need saving. You cannot be here." She merely stated, squeezing her eyes shut as another sting radiated through her head, disorienting the world around her. She held her breath, waiting for it to pass, but yet the pain remained. "You're hurting me, Darth Malum." This possession was pain, the absence of darkness for months made it worse to carry it now like a vessel without bringing upon her much discomfort.

She - or, he - glanced down at the fallen amulet on the ground. But it was Nouqai who now bent down, a clawed hand reaching for it, for the light, for relief from the agony.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

This was all new to him. No doubt some Sith Lord from some bygone era had been able to successfully achieve what he had, but if they had they had not written it down, or perhaps more likely, he had not found it. After all, for an Order to have a Tsis'Kaar, an order of preservers as much as assassins, it spoke of a people who had lost much.

And of all the people in the galaxy, who was there other than the Sith who had lost so much? From the heights of rule over the entire galaxy, to were hunted down as if they were rats scurrying to safety. For their truth was not accepted by those too blind to see, the light had after all burned out their retinas so long ago.

If it had been written down somewhere, it would likely be by Darth Arcanix, but considering recent events, she was hardly one that he would reach out to speak to. Even if the subject of the conversation was one that he did not doubt would interest her in some regard, the combining of sorcerous and alchemic to achieve this...

...Even if he had far from intended it in the first place.

A thought crossed hi- their mind, visage of short brown locks, framing cerulean blue eyes, standing at a height far from intimidating but his youth indicated that he was hardly done from growing. He was a familiar face, Malum had seen him before... though through another pair of eyes entirely, a name was helpfully supplied by struggling thoughts, attempting to resist the alien presence in their mind.

Balun.

His battlebrother and cousin had mentioned the presence of another when they found Falentra, he should have known it was this boy... though Malum was hardly much older than him, he supposed. He remembered the familiarity, Corvus had seen the padawan a scant few times, throughout his time with... Nouqai.

No, Nouqai was long gone, even as Malum had felt the shedding of her old identity was necessary, if his apprentice wished to be known as Falentra, that was an act he would respect.

Her words were enough to make their eyes narrow further, as the black shadow grew in expanse, seeming to cover her vision, as through the mirror, through haze and dizziness, the masked Sith Lord stood, offering a hand outward, she only needed to grasp it, and all would be well again.

"Safety would be on Alvaria, not wherever you are," She had not answered his question, as he gazed into his own reflection through a form that did not reflect it at all, he could scour through her memories, find it by force, ignore her attempts to throw him out, for he knew they were nought, but she had willingly come to him once.

She would willingly come to him again.

"If you were unharmed, they would not deny you who you truly are, my apprentice." His voice held a serpentine quality, hissing, and near barring their fangs, as even some distance away, he felt the presence of her amulet... how disgusting compared to his own. That she said she did not need saving almost had a scoff out of them.

How long had it been since Myrkr?

It had not been long since Tion.

Not long since Jedha.

And now this, how many times had she needed saving?

And what master was he... that he had not, all those times.

The darkness faded, as her last words broke through his furore, allowing her to see sight out of her peripherals, allowing him to gaze upon him through the glass.

"You do not belong here, Falentra... you never have." The voice was soft, soothing, he almost lost track of himself, the twinge of guilt, and regret, those two monsters which he seemed to always be facing these days brought out of their pits.

But he did notice their arm move.

His eyes widened, as he felt amphibian claws grip around the metal.

He let out a low hiss, as the light blared against him, between her resistance and this augmentation, looking to tear out all which had lain dormant within her for so long.

But it was clear it had limitations, what limitation he could not tell, but as he felt the light coil around their arm, pushing against him, burning against residiual darkness which still inhabited within her... it did not burn him. Force Light had... done something strange to him, what would kill Sith, had not killed him... was this...?

The amulet shook in their claws, the light beginning to fade, as it cracked, as it folded, as it burst into flames in their hands.

Red eyes gazed into the mask.

"Would you so betray me, Falentra?" There was no emotion in the question.

Lady Falentra

Mentioned: Taeli Raaf Balun Dashiell Darth Strosius Revna

 

[Lady Falentra]

The darkness warped around the small bathroom, the temperature dropping drastically and sent an unnerving chill down her spine. The near-debilitating migraine nagged. Through her own disorienting vision, she saw her master reflected in the mirror, it was no longer her own visage that stared back at her. But as his arm extended, she took a wary step back.

There was a cutting edge to his words. The sith lord was in her head, speaking through her. But she could not deny the reality of his words. Her true self would not be welcomed here, if it was not for Balun who vouched for her. Her dear friend always sticking his neck out for her without a second thought. It was why she was so reluctant to part with the amulet truth, the one given to her by the lightside radicals. Was it really harmful?

Then his voice softened, but his presence within her mind remained strong. The sithspawn did not belong with the Tingel Arm Coalition... she had told Balun that herself when he first brought her here. The only place she ever truly felt at home was in Alvaria. Yet she resisted him, her consciousness protesting at the foreign invasion into her mind. Perhaps it was what the Lightsworn had ingrained in her head that he had already abandoned her.

What touch of light fought against his overwhelming darkness. However, much of what had been accumilated over months was slowly draining from her, overcome by the shadows. Now so conditioned to its effects from the months within the Lightsworn's custody, she reached for the shield that was the amulet of light. But he would not allow it. In their hands, the trinket darkened like jet black ink had seeped into the gold. Then it burst into flames.

The bright glow of lapping flames left her skin untouched as it consumed the amulet till there was nothing but obsidian ash in her palms.

"No, no, no." She muttered frantically under her breath. It was gone. The pillar of light she had leant on for months had dissipated just like that. What had been surpressed for so long within her now surfaced, it felt righteous and powerful - the emotions of anger, hatred and even fear.

The ashes in her palm crumbled as she closed her fist. The fist she threw hard at the glass, the mirror shattering, the edges cutting into her fingers and knuckles. "Betray you? You abadoned me at Jedha. Just like Darth Strosius did on Tion, you betrayed my trust. I fought for us. I called out to you, I was dying... suffocating. Where were you then?" Her voice rose, full of hatred, just as she felt when she first met him, when she walked into his castle's door seeking to kill. But there was also the despair.

"The Jedi took me. Then the Lightsworn. I haven't heard anything about you for months. Turning to the light was my only choice - for freedom. I accepted it." He was in her mind, he would witness the memories she revived, the small cell where she'd be gaslighted and brainwashed till she finally accepted the light... accepted what they called truth. The dark blue blood trailed down her fingers, dripping onto the bathroom's ceramic tiles. So did the tears that now streamed down her scaley cheeks.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

It was a constant barrage of thoughts and feelings, that much he knew and expected, after all having the constant presence of another in your mind would teach you things, and after all, it was not the first time that he had been in another's mind. Their skin felt the darkness co-opt their surroundings, their skin felt the temperature reach near freezy, as ice seemed to fester and grow upon the ground and around them.

But of course, it was not only his darkness which had been able to make such environs.

It was joined by her darkness.

She was unable to deny all that he had said, even as his vision ran wild with visions of Jedi padawan that seemed to plague his apprentice's thoughts. Perhaps a figure that warranted further investigation, if his mere presence was able to draw such conflict within her, even as something... something familiar, yet utterly foul streaked across his stomach.

A padawan still, could be brought to see the truth of darkness.

But if he could not, there was little more consideration that could be warranted him, and there was no finer individual to execute his will, than the one struggling here. Even in her moments of active rebellion, she had never failed to do what her master had commanded.

Alvaria flickered over her mind, a fond memory evident enough in the warmth she held it to.

Malum did not overtly react as she took back command, swinging her arm with such an intensity to shake off his influence, she was growing stronger, even as she regressed into the foolishness of the light, her strength could not be denied, as the mirror shattered, the masked figure gone, as she frantically panicked, and blood poured between fingers.

And then through every minor, small, large, and inbetween, identical figures, masked, and hands offering, scattered around her, stood resolute in their offer.

Even as her words so pained him. Was it with such little regard that she gazed to him? Had he given her any other way to look at him? "I did not abandon you on Jedha, Falentra, I lost you, I lost myself, I searched for you, and I kept searching, just like after Tion, even when the Lord Inquisitor failed us." Another charge he would have to lay upon his feet... and as the Kaggath grew closer, he would soon have that opportunity, as he remained vague about what exactly losing himself meant. In all fairness, he did not truly know... his memories remained murky, only that his apprentice's calls had broken him out of whatever Lady von Ascania had done to him, enough for him to withdraw.

He saw more memories, but these were memories he desperately did not wish to see, memories of his failings laid out bare and raw before him, of her imprisonment, of her brainwashing, of all their attempts to turn her against him... they had failed, certainly, she was stronger than they could have imagined.

But they had made her into this.

Oh, how they would so burn for it.

"They lied to you, my apprentice, I searched for you for months... and now I have finally found you, I will free you from the chains they draped over you, calling it freedom, I am here for you, Falentra." The thousand shards all had a hand grip on the helmet, and with a hiss, all of them unclasped the connection.

Raven hair draping a noble face, as red eyes stared softly.

"I always will be."

Lady Falentra

Mentioned: Darth Strosius Corazona von Ascania

 

[Lady Falentra]

The darkness was overwhelming, his presence within her commanding her own, manifesting every crevice of her mind and snuffing out what little there remained of the light. She could not help but feel upset about it, all she worked for, the rehabilitation to the light carried out by the lightsworn erased just like that. Yet triumphing over that was relief, it felt free as her darkness was no longer held prisoner by the light. She had been suppressing a part of herself all these months.

Even as the glass shattered, he stayed, his presence even more formidable than before.

Those words were so in contrast to what the lightsworn... even the Jedi had told her. That all of her worth was not enough for a Sith Lord to go searching for her. LIAR, through all the hurt she had wanted to say to him. But it would only have been herself she would be lying to. It was the Malum she always known, the man who saved her twice, even when she had foolishly chosen death rather than him to take her under his wing as an apprentice.

There was the hurt, both emotional and physical manifestations. This possession was agony itself, but so was the revelation of the truth. Just like Revna told her, what she refused to believe, he had been searching for her all this time. She had allowed the Lightsworn to get into her head, twist her beliefs - she had been so weak. Now the saarai had done its damage, the dark knowledge lost as if she had never spent countless hours learning them.

"I-I'm sorry. I've failed you, Master." She muttered through the pain, looking into his crimson red eyes. "I just want to return home." Her voice cracked.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

A beat passed, before a thousand pairs of red eyes softened, and they gazed at their apprentice, their apprentice who was clearly hurting so, "You are forgiven, Falentra, I promise you... you will never be captured again, I will make certain to teach you all that you will ever need to avoid such a fate," He remembered that day, when the Em-, when Lady Talon had brought her to him the last, had he not sworn to himself that she would never face such a calamity again?

He had not trained her enough to avoid such a thing?

He needed to do more, he needed to push her further, he needed to do all that was necessary to protect her.

Because he knew, that he himself, could not always protect her, the galaxy was a dangerous place, the galaxy was a dangerous place for their kind especially. She would need to be capable, she would need to be powerful, she would need to be exactly what he needed her to be.

"...Tell me where you are, Falentra, I will bring you home," He solemnly pledged, knowing, now, hopefully, that he had her, as within her form, he felt the darkness rise back up to what it once was, as he saw visions of the truth that he knew was the case, as he saw the lies which the Lightsworn, which the Jedi, taught her.

Such fools, such sheep, all of them were, needing guidance, their indoctrinations spelt right, their chains broken.

He had begun with Falentra, and despite how all that she was far from what he had sought from an apprentice... she would not be the last of their kind that he would save.

Another promise.

Could he keep it?

Lady Falentra
Mentioned: Srina Talon

 

[Lady Falentra]

There would always be weaknesses, even with the most powerful. But it could always be minimised through growing in strength and skill.

Once again, Malum asked of her location. Yet even after their consolation, Falentra shook her head. Torn between the bond with her first friend and faithfulness to her Dark Lord. "I can't... I made a promise. " Strong bonds were hard to break, especially that of a force bond. Light and darkness entwined, yet so contrasting.

Falentra had seen first hand of the sheer power her Master held... she knew just what he was capable of. She would never forgive herself if he unleashed it upon the people here. The people who had done her no harm.

She could feel him against her mind as tried her hardest to suppress that information. Nouqai paused, looking down that the sink where her clawed hands rested, one still bloody. She let out a shaky exhale. His presence, having him manifest within her hurt, there was only so long more that she could bear the pain - to fight against the Sith Lord. Already feeling her head light in a haze.

So she reached out to him. Through their bond she called out to @Balun Vale. "He will know what to do." She told Malum. Grasping on to her bleeding hand, she stumbled out of the bathroom and her quarters, praying that her friend would meet her before he took over.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

He narrowed their eyes at her refusal, the temptation was there to begin riffing through her mind, though the location was not among those surface-level ones he was more than certain of, he imagined he would not need to dig that deeply to find what he sought, indeed, it would not even be painful.

Too painful.

It would be easy enough, yet, even as she sought to hide the information further, and further in her mind, even as his opportunity fell deeper, and deeper away by every second that passed. He did not dive.

He had convinced her of far greater things, he was capable of action without wanton cruelty, "...So how do you believe you will return home, my apprentice?" A thousand glass shards asked, even as the tiniest wince echoed their brow, a harshness of light making itself felt for a brief flicker.

...

A message.

A... message...?

Across the different shards, Malum narrowed his eyes.

It could not be...

Malum did nothing, even as all his visages were abandoned by the broken mirror, as her bloody hand, held to a struggling, confused form, walked off.

And confirmation was sounded by lips and thought. It seemed that he was to finally meet the illustrious character, whose influence, despite all other facets of the Jedi burned out of Falentra, yet, still remained, "...Trusting a Jedi, to know what to do is hardly a teaching of mine, my apprentice." Their lips responded.

Lady Falentra
Mentioned: Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

The military facility on Maldra IV, known as The Nest, stood as Balun Dashiell's greatest accomplishment within the Tingel Arm Coalition. However, his private quarters within this state-of-the-art base told a different tale. Far from the precision and discipline you'd expect from a high-ranking officer, his living space felt more like a teenager's cluttered apartment—a space full of scattered items, carelessly lived in. Hidden on the second floor of the underground bunker, these quarters were unknown to most of the facility's inhabitants, serving as Balun's retreat. It was his refuge from the demands of leadership and the burdens that came with his role, a place where he could cast off the weight of responsibility and find peace away from the rigid life he'd once shared with Nouqai Veil during their years at the New Jedi Order's temple on Coruscant.

Maldra IV itself was a hauntingly barren world, its surface scarred and desolate after the Bryn'adul's brutal terraforming. While efforts to restore the planet had been made, it remained largely forgotten, a forsaken corner of the galaxy. It was this very neglect that made it the perfect place for rediscovering a long-abandoned Republican facility, lost to time and decay. When Balun first stumbled upon it, he immediately called upon the Aquilian Rangers. Together, they drove out the pirates who had taken refuge there, using the base for their own criminal purposes. Balun saw an opportunity and proposed turning the facility into a vital rearmament and supply outpost for the Coalition's eastern operations. What had once been a derelict stronghold was now a fully functioning military installation, kept running efficiently by a skeleton crew.

Lady Falentra , however, was not as eager to settle in. The scars of her past—both as a former Jedi and a former Sith—left her uncertain of her future. Despite her initial hesitation, Balun arranged for her to stay at the base, securing her minimal-level clearance while also ensuring her actions were monitored. It was an uncomfortable but necessary precaution, given the sensitive nature of the facility and the mistrust from those who didn't know her as he did. Balun shielded her from the full extent of the scrutiny, understanding that Nouqai had already endured enough judgment.

To many, Nouqai's dual past raised serious concerns. Her history as both a Jedi and Sith cast a shadow over her loyalties, making her an object of suspicion. But Balun, always protective, used his influence as an Aquilian Ranger to keep the military brass at bay. He had pulled strings, ensuring that she wouldn't be subjected to unnecessary scrutiny or pressure. It was a risk for him, a potential conflict of interest, but one he was willing to take. He and Nouqai had been through too much together—shared too many battles, both physical and emotional, to let bureaucratic caution dictate their friendship. They had faced life and death together, forging a bond that ran deeper than mere titles or affiliations.

Yet, as Balun sat at his workbench, fiddling with a datapad he was modifying, a deep unease gnawed at him. His thoughts drifted to Nouqai, and an inexplicable tension simmered beneath the surface. Something felt off, and it wasn't long before that feeling drew him toward her quarters. He had intentionally arranged for her living space to be close to his, and though he typically respected her privacy, this time felt different. Without hesitation, he reached for his lightsaber, gripping it in his left hand while his right swiped his identification over the locking mechanism, overriding the security system designed to allow her exclusive access.

"Nouqai?" he called out, his voice steady but laced with caution. The moment he had sensed the ripple in the Force, he knew she would have felt it too—there was no way she wouldn't have felt his concern and his intent to check on her. The bond they shared ran deep, and tonight, that bond felt heavy with the weight of something neither could yet define.

Darth Malum of House Marr

 

[Lady Falentra]

As she stumbled out of the bathroom, he would chide her for trusting the Jedi. If only he knew who Balun was to her, how much they gone through together for her to trust to remain unwavering with her friend. "He is not Jedi. He is my-" Her words were cut short as she heard the door of the small apartment buzz open.

Imagine her relief to see just who she was looking for. "Bale!" The young woman practically ran up to him by the door, frantic. Balun would sense that her force signature had gone dark again, the amulet saarai destroyed, its influence gone from her. But something was off indeed, there was the sense of another presence within the vicinity... another one within herself.

How would she begin to explain that her sith master had found a way to connect with her, through manifestation of her own consciousness of all things. There was something not right with her, the way she stood uneasy on her feet, almost inebriate.

"I'm going back home. He'll take me back to Alvaria, he needs to know where I am. " The words fell from her lips in a frantic slur, her head hurting from his prolonged presence, she winced. "He's here... I haven't told him about The Nest." Then she realised... her hands came up to cover her lips, but it had already slipped.

Nouqai reeled over, clutching her head as the pain of a thousand shards of glass felt as though they were pressing into her skull. She whined. Trying keep the knowledge, the memory of the location away from the surface of her conscience. It was hard. There was only so much more pain she could bare.

Then she let him take the wheel, finding refuge into the back of her own mind. Darth Malum of House Marr was in control now and she would watch from their eyes.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

They blinked, this Balun was not a Jedi? That did not fit from what memories he had of his many times as Corvus, yet, that was some time ago, much could have changed. Indeed, if he was not a Jedi, this could be far more interesting than he had previously given credit. Still, he would not be one to underestimate the boy, if he was smart enough to break free from the Jedi's indoctrinations.

He could be capable of much.

And his potential might be intoxicating.

He added another objective to the back of his mind, as despite what his apprentice might have expected of him, he was still, patient, rather than driving into the depths of her mind, keeping it the periphery, watching.

Analysing what exactly she had said, he was not a Jedi, he was... what was he, young Falentra? The question was open if she wished to answer the thought that crossed her mind it would be up to her, but despite the fact she had thought it partially, it seemed she had not fully considered it enough to be drawn to the surface even unconsciously.

Or perhaps, as his sight followed her eyes, it was due to his presence, drawn to the lightsabre, not yet ignited, held at his hand.

Bale?

It grew more, and more intriguing. Malum stayed quiet as Falentra spoke, even if the temptation to tsk, was everpresent, her franticness, her desperation, and her hurriedness hardly answered all the questions which the boy... no, the young man, would no doubt wish to ask. Even more so, how she described his presence, would certainly make him more concerned than anything else.

Yet, before he could speak.

The Nest.

A flutter of knowledge struck Malum's mind, both memories which Falentra held, and information that his Tsis'Kaar had coalesced over months after the Tingel Arm Coalition had formed so close to the Caldera.

Maldra IV.

He had all that he needed, he could withdraw, and within a few days return to rescue his apprentice. All but for... Malum stilled, Falentra's hand covering her lips from her slip-up, was suddenly on her head, they blinked, as she keeled over, a pain striking her, a pain which he could feel, in the sense of knowing it was real.

Yet its cause...

A foreign presence in one's mind was hardly the most comfortable experience, downright pain was not unlikely... still. He put himself to the fore, doing his utmost to shield her from the side effects, even as slowly, new sensations began to burst throughout him, the smell of a well-cleaned if otherwise bare room, the feeling of webbed feet upon a wooden floor, the quietude of a darkened station, and...

A tongue in a mouth in his.

He blinked.

Gazing around, the world seemed a lot higher.

He brought his hand in front of him, webbed blue claws.

That... was unexpected.

He felt her at the back of his mind, as he stared ahead, towards the not Jedi, "Falentra," He corrected, before a beat passed, the voice that left his lips, foreign yet suiting this body, "Though at this moment, neither Falentra nor Nouqai, you must be Balun... or Bale? Was it? I mean you, nor her, any harm, though I suspect you know who I am."

Oceanic depths stared at the hilt of the lightsabre, "Suffice it to say, even with that, you will lose if we come to blows, even if I am unarmed, even if this body is unfamiliar, she is unharmed, simply resting at the back of her mind... yet, until she returns," He offered his best approximation of a smile in this unfamiliar form, "Let us speak," He offered a nod of his head, "Darth Malum, of House Marr, at your aquaintance."

Lady Falentra Balun Dashiell

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"Falentra, though at this moment, neither Falentra nor Nouqai, you must be Balun... or Bale? Was it? I mean you, nor her, any harm, though I suspect you know who I am."

Suffice it to say, even with that, you will lose if we come to blows, even if I am unarmed, even if this body is unfamiliar, she is unharmed, simply resting at the back of her mind... yet, until she returns, let us speak. Darth Malum, of House Marr, at your aquaintance."

Balun Dashiell stood frozen, his breath hitching as Lady Falentra spoke to him. Her voice, though familiar, carried an unsettling resonance, as if layered with an unfamiliar cadence that twisted her usual tone. A heavy darkness draped over the room, filling it with a presence that was distinctly not her own. Balun's suspicions confirmed, he knew without a doubt that Nouqai had been possessed. Despite the sinister figure before him, it wasn't fear of the entity that kept him still; it was the thought that any impulsive move on his part might put her in danger. Holding his lightsaber tightly, he refrained from igniting it—Nouqai was far too precious to risk.

"I've been wondering when we'd finally meet face to face," Balun spoke, his tone laced with defiance as he stared down the Sith Lord now inhabiting Nouqai's form. "If I remember correctly, we last encountered... Alisteri, wasn't it?" He thought back to the battle with Darth Strosius and Revna . "Back when he tried to end your apprentice," he added, making no effort to hide his disdain. "Another instance where you failed to be there for your student."

Darth Malum of House Marr , Nouqai's master, was known for attempting to correct Balun about her at every turn. Yet Balun knew the truth—many times, it had been he who had come to her aid when her own master had been absent. "You weren't there when the Lightsworn captured Nouqai, either," he continued, emphasizing Nouqai's name with sharp defiance. "She could have used your help then."

He almost spat his next words, each syllable dripping with frustration. "But of course, Sith have no qualms about letting their apprentices bleed in their stead, do they? You've no right to be here, inhabiting her body, and even less to call her your student. The only reason I haven't taken her from you entirely is out of respect for her wishes."

Balun had often imagined this encounter, dropping hints to Nouqai about it over time. Now, face-to-face with Malum, he was overcome with rage. Perhaps it was the darkness that radiated from the Sith, or perhaps it was the insult of seeing his friend's body and mind held hostage in his own sanctuary.

"If we were to fight, I would lose," he admitted, anger flashing in his eyes. "Not because you're stronger, but because any strike I made would harm her. And that's something I can't allow." Reluctantly, he returned the lightsaber to his belt, frustration evident in his every movement as he locked eyes with the Sith Lord.

"Now, tell me, what is it that you and I have to discuss?"

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Even as a mixture of emotions ran through his mind, inhabiting a brain, not his, even as instinctive calls, even as honour, demanded that he strike out in some regard at the words and accusations that were hurled his way. Instead, he made certain his breaths... her breaths were level, instead, he made certain his face... her face was centred and calm... instead, he awaited patiently, allowing this friend of his apprentice.

This... possibility, to get out all that he wished to say.

After all, as the anger, the rage, held back still, but still felt, buzzed through the air... well, it was hard for Malum to not consider the possibilities. For, after all, to have an individual of such young constitution, yet take up such a high position, at this "Nest", if intelligence was to be believed... well, that either meant the Tingel Arm Coalition was incompetent, or this young man before him, was very competent.

Malum was eager to test exactly which one it was, as he considered his rebuttal to each point raised.

"Have you now?" Malum questioned, tilting Falentra's head coyly, "Well, I hope that I have exceeded expectations, if still, we have not yet truly met face to face," Blue eyes were filled with a teensy of mirth, even as it was quickly eroded away at the reminder his co-apprentice had played in all this, "Darth Strosius," He corrected.

There had been a flurry of words exchanged when Malum had learned the full truth of that little encounter, perhaps swords too, if only Malum had not been so distracted with the reality that his apprentice, despite his battlebrother's intentions was very much alive, still, "Suffice it to say the Lord Inquisitor is zealous when it comes to matters of treason and heresy," Why even now, did he feel the need to defend him? Especially when he was so often just... wrong.

"I would not be so confidently incorrect, if I were you, though it seems the famous Jedi arrogance is hard to break, even once you leave the Order," Malum countered, a thin smile appearing on Falentra's lips, that did not reach her eyes, "She does not need coddling, she has the training to survive whatever comes her way, her propensity for capture is her own, but one which I will educate her on how to avoid, as she so clearly needs to learn," The words were as much directed to the young man before, as to the young woman hiding at the back of her brain.

He shrugged her shoulders, despite the stab of guilt, "I cannot be there for her always, I can only do what I can, to train her, to protect her, to teach her, she lives in a dangerous galaxy, and hiding her away in her room, your prisoner, will hardly change that," He narrowed his eyes at the end of that, "You blame me for being unable to save her, I blame those that align with you, the New Jedi Order, the Lightsworn, the Rangers, those that captured her, those that lied to her, those that imprisoned her, and denied who she was," For one who was so far calm, quiet, and well-spoken.

It was impossible to ignore the bite of those words, a momentary flash of the Force as it crackled above them.

"You speak of a people near six millennia old, you speak of me as if you know me, and you speak of Falentra, as if you own her," A sly smirk came upon her lips, as blue eyes gazed down upon herself, a consideration seeming to pass beneath her eyes, "...Is that what this is about?" It would explain the lack of explanation that had crossed Falentra's lips earlier... it would explain the passion in how this young man spoke of his apprentice.

An avenue to explore certaintly.

"You are confident of your abilities," Malum noted, not entirely sure if his words were to be taken seriously, "Or is it arrogance? Regardless... feel free to keep your lightsabre by your hand, if it should make you feel safer," A soft chuckle, of her mode and make left her lips as her gaze turned to a pair of chairs nearby, motioning towards them, she took a seat.

"...As for what we should discuss, I suppose the first is easy enough," For but a moment, blue eyes turned the most deadly of red, as a grin spread across her face, "What are your intentions towards my apprentice, Balun?"

Balun Dashiell Lady Falentra
Mentioned: Darth Strosius

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Balun scoffed, a sharp breath slipping from his lips, almost a laugh, but carrying the weight of his disdain. "You suggest ownership, but I see it as friendship. Your apprentice? Nouqai and I have grown up together—since we were three. We've shared our lives. I don't control her, nor do I dictate her choices. Our loyalty to each other is mutual."

He paused, studying the Sith Lord's reaction, uncertain if this dark warrior could even comprehend the notion of friendship. Could a bond like that exist among the Sith? From what Balun had heard, competition, and even betrayal, were encouraged among Sith students, strengthening their potential through ruthless rivalry. The stories, while often exaggerated, painted a brutal picture: murder was sanctioned if it served to cultivate power. Friendship seemed an impossible notion in such a hostile world.

Balun fixed his gaze on Darth Malum of House Marr , his tone unwavering as he spoke. "Nouqai's decision to follow the Sith, if she chooses that path, won't change anything between us. But hear me now—if you harm her or if anything happens to her, I will come for you." He pointed at Malum, his voice laced with defiance, every inch the protective friend, though he knew he wasn't as highly trained as the Sith Lord. "I may walk the light, but don't mistake me for a Jedi. I'm not above making you my enemy."

"The Lightsworn were extremists too—no Jedi," Balun continued, correcting Malum's assumption and adding emphasis to his words. "I've drawn my blade against their masters before, just to ensure Nouqai's safety. You have no idea the lengths I'd go to protect her."

At the Sith Lord's inquiry about his intentions, Balun frowned. "Intentions? Nouqai is her own person. I brought her here because I knew it was secure. I told her that if she chose to return to your Order, I'd even go with her. She's not a captive—she's here to find the time to decide for herself. So, if you're asking about my intentions, I have none."

The Sith Order held its share of risks, but so did the Jedi. Balun's own path as a rogue Force user with the Tingel Arm Coalition was fraught with danger, much like his service with the Aquilian Rangers. He had long since accepted the risk of death in battle. But if he could help it, he would ensure that his friend remained alive and well.

"Nouqai has freedom of choice," he concluded. "I've told her I'll support her decision. You're in her body, you should know I speak truthfully. Her returning to the Sith won't change what we share, despite the ingrained bias both Jedi and Sith hold". It was that very bias that kept them from seeing reason, locked in an endless cycle of war and death. For all their claims of wisdom and power, they were as blind as the political and military powers that plague this galaxy.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Falentra's mouth let out a sigh as the combative words flowed easily out of the young man's lips, he reminded Malum of how Falentra had been when he had first met her, so... righteous, so extreme, so beyond dialogue. Although, he supposed this young man was not so far gone yet, even if he was being rather rude in not accepting his seat.

He raised her hand, gesturing for silence, a notice that he had been heard, and that Malum would be the next to speak, "...I am glad that she has such a loyal friend," Falentra's voice spoke, as a smile came across her lips, "No doubt, she will need them for the trials that she will face in her life," Her webbed fingers, tapped along the edge of the table, seemingly in thought, "I only wonder... will such loyalty maintain, when she will do all that you believe that Sith do, which to you is so horrid." The tapping ceased.

Balun had been studying him for some time, Malum could only wonder what conclusions he had reached... well, Malum could reach out himself, and learn he supposed, but that would hardly achieve his aims.

"Jedi, Lightsworn, Rangers, whatever other so called 'Light' Force Orders there are out there, you may argue righteously that there lay key differences between you, you may even battle each other, call one moderate, the other extreme, the other something else, but it changes nothing, you are all but slaves to the Force in the end," Malum countered, so all too long, having needed to listen to such arguments, their methods might have been different, their crimes separate, but the status quo they fought to maintain.

All the same.

Of all which Balun spoke though, there was one part which interested Malum the most, "And... why exactly should I take with me one of the officers of the Tingel Arm Coalition, one who holds such obvious antipathy towards the Sith, one who even despite the words they speak, so clearly wishes to still change Falentra's mind of the path she has chosen for herself?" There was genuine curiosity in the question he asked, but too... there was, perhaps not excitement, but an idea planted.

Under his charge, one more could break their chains.

"...Indeed, tell me, why do you so hate the Sith, what do you even know of us, Balun?"

Malum ignored his threats, they were good to note, yet otherwise... he was genuine in saying he was glad his apprentice had such a loyal friend, it was only to the allegiance, or lack of allegiance which Malum was currently concerned with.

Balun Dashiell Lady Falentra

 

[Balun Dashiell]

"And... why exactly should I take with me one of the officers of the Tingel Arm Coalition, one who holds such obvious antipathy towards the Sith, one who even despite the words they speak, so clearly wishes to still change Falentra's mind of the path she has chosen for herself?"

A shadow of confusion flickered across Balun's face as his brow furrowed. "You misunderstand me," he began, his voice softening, perhaps in reaction to Darth Malum of House Marr 's composed demeanor. "I have no intention of going with you. I promised Nouqai I'd take her to Sith Space when she was ready. Once she was there, I'd return to the Coalition." Despite the calmness in his tone, a quiet firmness resonated in his words as he addressed the Sith Lord.

He took a brief pause, breathing deeply as he allowed his earlier intensity to ebb away. He recognized the necessity of maintaining control, especially in such a volatile situation. There was no denying the possibility that Malum thought he might leave with Lady Falentra in tow. Balun's resolve hardened as he silently vowed to initiate a base-wide lockdown if the Sith Lord attempted such a move.

"I don't hate your kind," he said, crossing his arms in a defensive stance, deliberately ignoring Malum's offer to sit. "I've met other Sith before. I judge by what I see, and right now, I see you possessing my friend's body when she came to me for help."

Balun's gaze held steady, though he couldn't ignore the discomfort of having Darth Malum in one of their most secure military facilities. "Nouqai can vouch for my character, if it makes any difference to you," he went on. "I'd rather not judge anyone, but when I must, I judge by actions. Yours here are... questionable. But maybe this is normal for you." His words, though calm, carried an undertone of disdain. The Sith Lord's claim that he was a slave to the Force annoyed him, a notion he found absurd. Balun prided himself on living freely, his choices driven by his own volition since he'd left the New Jedi Order.

"And what makes me a slave to the Force, in your eyes?" Balun challenged, his curiosity piqued by Malum's implication. "I belong to no Order, no master, and I live as I see fit. Even here with the Coalition, I stay by choice," he added with a shrug, a clear show of indifference to the Sith Lord's perspective.

 

[Darth Malum of House Marr]

Tch, slightly disappointing, it would seem that he had misinterpreted Balun's words, still, the offer as newly readdressed did still provide opportunity if he would otherwise grasp it, "I see, most kind of an action to do for a friend," Much more likely an action to do for a lover... well, not which Malum would have done, if he had felt so strongly for someone, to let them go into the depths of danger escorted or not, would be hardly what he would do.

Still, in some sense, he understood. Yet, Malum felt no lie emanate out from the young man, it seemed truly... he was a friend.

A friend with a bond of some sort, manifested by the Force itself... it was easy enough to see the comparison between him, and Malum's own position, as thoughts drifted to a woman of shimmering red eyes. He swallowed softly, even if it was all of her body which undertook the process.

And then raised an eyebrow, though Falentra lacked them, "You do not hate my kind, yet seek to paint us all under the same brush, you do not hate my kind, yet would continue to attempt to argue Falentra away from the path she has chose, you do not hate my kind, yet the feel of the Force around you, is far from one who wishes to have a productive conversation," Falentra offered a wry smile, gesturing again to the seat in front of him, "I do recognise that this situation is far from the first impression we would have desired, alas, I believe you formed your one of me many moons ago, if it makes you feel any better, I pledge as my honour as a member of House Marr, that I did not wilfully possess Falentra, she allowed me control, as she trusts me, thus, I wait for her to awake from her slumber," He countered, of all which the young man spoke, this was what Malum thought held most merit.

Blue eyes kept an unblinking gaze on their opposites, Malum could feel the discomfort from even this distance away, and now he sought to turn it up, without a question drawn to him, "It would be something I would consider, though I am one to reach my own conclusions, and thus far, you seem a loyal if headstrong, young lad," Malum commented, even as a soft girlish chuckle left her lips, "Hardly, this would be among the first times I have been in someone else's head... it is rather... strange," Of course, the chuckle had another cause, the fact that most of the time, it seemed it was him, that was being the possessed rather than the possesser.

He tilted his head at the end of the former Jedi's words, even in dismissal he revealed his curiosity, and according to the Jedi, was it not so often curiosity that led to the darkside?

"The Force is an energy, a life, something that is everpresent all around us, it is a God that has a will, and that will is seen through the instruments it plays, the Jedi and the Sith, over millenia, how many trillions have died, have been killed, have been butchered in the service of its will? A balance, that after six millennia, we have never seen. You ask me how are you slave, you tell me you are free and with choice, I tell you, we are all slaves..." Malum smirked, as he wandered within Falentra, tugging on the bond that both he, and she shared, "...Until we break our chains."

Balun Dashiell Lady Falentra

 

[Balun Dashiell]

Balun shook his head briefly, his expression resolute, his voice firm. "Your efforts to reveal my hatred for the Sith are pointless," he declared. "I know who I am and what I stand for. I don't need your validation. Sharing my opinion is a courtesy, not an obligation." His arms unfolded with a fluid motion as he spoke. His left hand dropped to his side, while his right hand turned palm-up, fingers splayed wide. In the stillness that followed, he drew upon the Force, and a radiant sphere of white light bloomed into existence, its brilliance filling the room with a glow so powerful it seemed to banish every shadow.

The light was no mere illumination. It was a manifestation of the Light Side of the Force, a power Balun had been taught. This wasn't just energy—it was a weapon capable of cutting through the veil of the dark. Against a Dark Side practitioner, it had the potential to sever their connection to the Force itself. Throughout history, Jedi had wielded this ability to exorcise dark spirits, banish possessions, and, in the most dire cases, strip fallen Jedi of their power, erasing years of knowledge and training in an instant.

Balun's gaze remained steady, unwavering. "Nouqai and I share a bond that runs deeper than most," he said, referring to the Force connection that he was only beginning to grasp. "This light could send you back to wherever you truly are in the galaxy. I've never needed to use it, but take this as a warning—or perhaps as a sign of good faith. Tread carefully with Nouqai. I may be young and less experienced than you, but don't mistake that for weakness."

Though unsure of the exact nature of Malum's honor, Balun noted the Sith's composure. The light in his hand slowly faded, retreating back into the vast flow of the Force within him. The gesture was clear: he was willing to allow Malum's presence, for now, rather than acting on his earlier threat. He could see that Malum was choosing restraint, holding back from reacting to every challenge Balun presented. Balun, too, remained poised, preferring to avoid escalating the confrontation, though the tension between them left him ready to strike if provoked further.

"The Jedi and Sith are trapped in their pasts, unable to find common ground despite centuries of bloodshed," Balun continued, his tone reflecting a mix of agreement and divergence from the Sith Lord's perspective. "It's not that we're enslaved by the Force; I think it's more our own egos, our need for justification, that binds us. I'm not saying you're entirely wrong, but I see it as a flaw of sentient beings, not some grand design of the Force." He paused, thoughtful, before speaking again. "I view the Force as neutral. Perhaps it's like a god, but not one that is good or evil. It's people who create the conflict—our self-righteousness and our tendency to vilify those who don't share our views. That's where the real battle lies."

He drew a slow breath, weighing the situation. "For peace to exist between the Sith and the Jedi, compromises would have to be made. But realistically, it will never happen. The Sith would need to stop breaking Galactic Law, and the Jedi would have to cease trying to control them. From what I understand, the Sith seek domination, culling the weak out of a sense of entitlement. You know the details better than I do. And the Jedi? They're just as unlikely to change, to stop trying to enforce their will on the galaxy. While this is partly a spiritual conflict, the deeper fault lies in the errors of sentience. Pride, I think, is the true barrier to progress on both sides."

"Out of curiosity," Balun began, his gaze steady as he addressed the Sith Lord. "Perhaps you could enlighten me on this—what is it, as a Sith Lord, that drives you? What fuels your actions, gives you purpose? Do you seek to manipulate and oppress others in a quest for strength, a bid for dominion? Or is there more to your methods than what the Jedi would have me believe?"

Darth Malum of House Marr | Lady Falentra​