Thrice is the Charm [You again!-edition]

[Arage Bao]

On board the Redemption.​

​

A wise man once told him that it was better to act weak, when you were strong and strong, when you were weak. Those words had shaped his further life, made and molded him into the man he was today. As he looked back on how he had lived, he could not help but be a tad surprised how often those words had saved him. When you were at your strongest, pretend you were nothing. It was then that you would find out who your true friends were, and who were merely looking for a way to undermine you. But when you were at your weakest? Pretend you were strong and fierce, it was a common human fault that made people think that the appearance and behavior of a man was all there is to it.

For example, try to drink an appletini in the bar, and just wait for the smirks and derogatory terms that would be slinged against your persona. But you know. You might be the only one who truly knows, but you know that when the time comes. When derogatory terms turn into something else, something physical… that you will smash their faces in and leave them scarred for life.

People never did and never will understand that sometimes what you see, is not exactly what you will get. That some beings loved the thrill of deception, and the taste of duplicity in the morning.

Somewhere along the line though… Jared had miscalculate something. He had missed his beat, or at least that was what he kept telling himself. [member="Mikhail Shorn"], the Throne-Breaker, had broken him. In return, Jared had scarred him too, but not before he himself had lost his life.

Sure, he was back now, and probably stronger than he had ever been. But the message, and the lesson was still there. Sometimes… wise words lost their meaning along the way. As he stood on the balcony of his Space Station, which was still under construction, he could not help but wonder what his next step would be.

Once he had been but a small-time criminal, a thug for some and mayhaps a savior for others. But meaningless still, in the grand scheme of things. This had changed when [member="Spencer Jacobs"] had saved him, at that point in time he had not understood. Her rescue had not been from those hired thugs, it had been something bigger than that.

It was now, when he stood on the Fringe of eternal change, that he knew that she had saved him from himself. The path Jared had been walking would have led him to misery, death and more. So it was funny that now.. he was on the same path. But it was Jared himself who would deal destruction, and death to those who thought to stop him.

So it was, that he had found himself on the balcony, staring into the depths of a dead star, which the station circled and wondered. Wondered if what he was about to do was smart. Probably not, but then again… give a man new clothes. Give him power, and a new accent. Maybe even educate him. But he would never truly change.

It was for this reason that he stood, looked and waited. Waited for her to come. They had met in the past, and shared a drink. Their first meeting had been pleasant, but he had been inexperienced and did not yet know how the world turned and turned.

Their second meeting… Jared’s face lighted up, as he thought back to the darkness that had embedded itself into his soul during that struggle. It had not been pleasant, but it was a lesson he had to learn. Jared had barely escaped with his life then and now, now he was inviting the proud lioness to his own home.

Not smart, no. But Jared Ovmar, Lord of the Fringe, would not be himself. If he did not try and take a risk or two.

And so a mental signal was sent into outer space. Masters of Old could reach one another through the Force with light years between them. Jared was well familiar with this particular Queen. With his touch, a message would come. A request of sorts.

If he knew [member="Anaya Fen"] as well as he thought he did… well she would come to him. Curiosity had always been one of her traits.

Might be he could have sent a simple holo-message. But where would the drama, and mystique be? Sometimes you needed to make a show out of things. It is known.

Now.. the wait begun.

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya had watched the Tournament of Cauldron with great interest, some old players she knew well, some new she knew nothing about. One in particular caught her attention, a mentalist, with some song like name she couldn't recall now, simply because she'd ousted it from her brain when she'd learnt who was behind the mask. Anaya had made many enemies in her life, but by far her greatest was Spencer Jacobs, a mentalist and one of the best, so when a new one popped up from seemingly no where, Anaya made it a priority to find out who he was.

Then of course he died, beaten by Mikhail, which was disappointing to say the least. Even more so when the git won the competition. Someone needed to put that damn dog down. Maybe she'd make it her personal mission once she'd finished burning the galaxy. Though, he would probably prove an asset in that department. [member="Mikhail Shorn"] did so enjoy breaking other peoples things. Still, the writer digresses. Anaya's eyes and ear were everywhere she had an interest, so her eyes and ears peeked under the mask and reported it to be none other than Jared Ovmar.

So, when a dead man reached out and touched her mind, the glass Anaya Fen had held in her hand, shattered on the floor, startling her staff. There was only one way Jared Ovmar could be alive, and that was through essence transfer and that was a dark power. Beyond that, he was left with limited options as to where to transfer too, and considering Mikhail's crumpled state Anaya rapidly came to another conclusion and laughed. By this point her staff were edging away, unsure what mood their boss was about to unleash on them. She waved a hand to reassure them that she hadn't lost her mind and set them to work redirecting where her ship was travelling.

Of course, when you were lured mentally and not by a holomessage, it made it that little bit more difficult to work out exactly where you were going. Still, the Femme Fatal dropped out of hyperspace close to Redemption and began to glide alongside it, sensors sweeping every inch of it. Not that Anay was concerned or anything, merely curious. Standing before the viewport, Anaya closed her eyes and reach out to Jared, a hunger growing in her as she found him. New sith were so tasty and so easy to bend to her will with the right encouragement. As she pulled back from his mind and instructed the Captain to dock with Redemption, she remembered her deal with Ordo and clicked her tongue.

Ordo could wait, for now.

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

His eyes opened themselves, and revealed orbs of amber mixed with specks of blood creating a whirlwind, a storm of colors. Before she had even touched him, Jared had known she was here. Courtesy of the station’shttp://fc06.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/025/f/6/The_Skyde_by_ChrisCold.jpg advanced sensors, and mayhaps his own Force Web spun around this part of space. Maybe. Probably.

Servants would arrive to meet the twi’lek and escort her to the balcony, there really was not much else to say here. Jared was curious on how this meeting would go, even more than that he started to wonder why he had even contacted her.

Because honestly, now that she was here. He really did not have a clue what they were going to talk about. It seemed just yesterday that Jared had accepted the darkness that had dwelled inside of him, and took control of it. Or did it control him? Irrelevant.

Maybe he just wished to see her again, she was in fact a pretty little thing and powerful. Very powerful. Jared doubted he could beat her even now, at least not one on one. Even Spencer had had troubles with Anaya, and she was one of the strongest Masters of the Force.

So a confrontation was useless to him, at least for now. Pleasure then? He did not doubt she would want to spin him in a web, and use him for her own gains. Which was perfectly fine with Jared. A business transaction maybe. He was new at this, and needed… training? Guidance? Maybe just a pat on the shoulder whenever he finished breaking a person’s mind.

Almost casually he made a ball of kinetite appear in his hands, a small one and played absent-mindedly with it for a while. She had taught him that, even if she were not aware of it at that point in time. With a flick of his wrist the ball released itself into the air, dissipating into the thin air. The electricity that was released forced itself into his skin, and he absorbed it.

Savoring the pain.

She was almost here.

A smile played on his lips.

This was going to be fun.


[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

The boots of Anaya's heels echoed ominously off the old walls of the station. Flanked by his servants, she did not need them to find him, her lekku flicked with excitement as she shifted with purpose through the maze of corridos before her eyes settle on him standing at a balcony. She paused, lips parting in an almost mocking smile. "Shoo." she hissed at the servants who cats a glance towards their master, before scuttling away. Anaya sauntered towards him, hips swaying gently, eyes drank in his form before she closed them and used force sight to see him instead. His dark aura made her hungry and she relished in its beauty.

Reaching him finally, she circled him, like a predator circled its prey, but there was no hint of an attack in her eyes. One hand brushed gently across his back and she came to a stop, before him, fingers slipping through his belt loops. "I knew you would come through, eventually." she said softly, her lips brushing his as she spoke before she took a step back forcing distance between them like the devilish tease she was. "I didn't think you would have to die to get there though. You'll have to forgive my take on events, third party information and all that, but as I understand it, Mikhail threw you into the chasm in the tournament. Yet here you stand before me. You transferred your essence, the question is, into what?"

She stopped speculating aloud and settled her roaming eyes on his. "You should see your aura from where I'm standing. The darkside does you wonders, [member="Jared Ovmar"]"

 

[Arage Bao]

It seemed Anaya had not changed since all that time ago. Same old seductive little twi’lek, of course it never really got old. Some part of him still enjoyed her games, the advances and teasy nature of the beast. Sadly even after everything, that part of him refused to die.

But Jared did not show it, as she was busy trying to seduce him once again. He just regarded her, with an eyebrow arched slightly. Of course, she was pushing all the right buttons, damn woman. Always knew how to get to him. Still, he kept his face neutral and in his eyes only burned a fire.

“You know me, Anaya. I never do things the easy way, the Dark always had me. I just needed that… little push to accept myself for what I am.”

He leaned against the balustrade, and could not help but laugh softly.

“We both know what I did. Mikhail is powerful, but deliciously undisciplined. It was easy to force myself into his mind. Was going to take over his body completely, until I found out that all his posturing and throne-breaking was a way to… compensate.”

“His mind was very comfortable though. Then again, most empty heads are.”

As he uttered those last words, he turned around and regarded her with a pointed gaze. His lips had a rueful expression, not so much a smile though.

“How do you like my new… house? Sadly my old one got rather.. crushed, you still owe me that dinner.”


[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya chuckled. "Come now, Mikhail's head isn't that empty." she looked thoughtful for a moment then shrugged "Though I suppose when you take out the fact that he killed his beloved, has daddy issues, suffers terribly with unrequited love in the form of Spencer Jacobs the rest is just...emotion. He breaks other peoples stuff because it makes him feel better about all the terrible things in his life." She moved to stand next to him, her hands resting on the rails as she surveyed the Redemption, a touch of jealousy coming over her. She'd always wanted a space station, but then they made such large targets and didn't move much.

"It's awfully big." she commented finally "I don't know how you'll cope with it all on your own." A smirk tugged at the corners of her lips. "Is that why you brought me here? So you could show off your own methods of compensating and try and get dinner out of me?" She turned her body to face him now, there was less than a foot of space between them and Anaya's eyes were glittering with glee. Oh, how she loved these games. "I might succumb to such poor attempts at charm, were it not for the fact that there is little to be gained from it."

Truth being told, she could gain a lot from this. Transferring essence was a skill worth learning, Jared had a whole head full of secrets about Mikhail that she could use to her advantage and if her host ever planned to open the station to the public, then she could have her own premises here. Such gain required trade though, and she was not about to lay her cards on the table. Jared would have to dig for them.

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

Oh she had him there, truth to be told she was far better at this than him. More experience, but that was exactly why he had invited her here. Because she was better than him at all of this. Sith Lord. Whatever do you mean. ‘Course Jared had an inclination on what the title held for him, what it truly meant to wield the power of Darkness.

But an idea was far from reality, the Lord of dreams and illusion knew this to be fact. So he needed her. To teach him. To show him how to control the power that surged through him, poisoned him every time he took a breath. Still.. the poison only left him wanting for more. and more.

“My dear, the level of compensation that I’d need… I am afraid a Death Star would not suffice for my particular problem.”

Fact of the matter was that he had grown fond of [member="Mikhail Shorn"] over the last couple of months. Oh sure, spreading rumors over his… lack of meat was one thing. A suitable revenge for those broken legs, pretty darn expensive to replace a whole damn body on top of that.

But secrets.. ah.. those were an expensive commodity. Maybe. Depending on how much she would offer.

“A dinner with me.. who knows what a man might slip after a few too many drinks, and in the companionship of a pleasant-looking girl. But I understand, Anaya, watching me eat… ah... you might just get hungry yourself.”

His lips curled into a smile.

[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya drew in a hiss of air and shook her head "Oh Mister Ovmar, I don't think you would be so bold as to make a move like that. After all, you need me more than I need you, no?" There was a delicate balance required with Anaya. If what she wanted deemed to be too much like hard work, she would abandon it for the simple fact that she didn't need it. It was simply a matter of curiosity. You had to hold her interest, without making it too easy. There were very few people who understtod this manipulation of Anaya. One, that Anaya could say had such perfect control over such matters was someone she would die for. But such secrets were kept under tight lock and key, Anaya knew the devastation that could be caused with a weakness like hers.

Anaya also knew that Jared didn't call her here to gloat nor play games with her. He called her here because he needed her for something. She moved suddenly, hands either side of him, pinning him against the rails, red eyes bore into his. "I'm better at this game than you are. I've been playing it for much longer." She closed her eyes, lips moving silently uttering a spell. With each silent word, her aura shifted in the force, wrapping in on itself agains and again until it was nothing. She opened her eyes, there before him but gone in the force. Untouchable by a mentalist.

"I've also played against stronger foes than you." She moved away from him and headed back inside "Come, Mister Ovmar, give me a grand tour of your new home, while you contemplate what it is you want from me."

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

The Lord of the Fringe merely smiled at the intrusion of personal space, and the measuring contest. It almost seemed as if he knew more than he let on, or maybe Jared just wished to look that way. You never really knew with him, kept you guessing and life was just a fascinating game for him. With the people the pawns.

But he was happy enough to oblige the dominant Twi’lek, as a show of goodwill he offered her his arm. It was up to her, of course, to accept it or not. Merely a courtesy, and a way to say something like: “You are my guest, and you shall be treated like on. My apologies for the games?”

Then they were off for the sightseeing, of course Jared never showed her anything tactical valuable. But still.. there was so much to see, so much exotic things to behold. One chamber was home to a variety of scrolls, and books; knowledge Jared had procured through years of searching.

Money and Prestige. Those two opened doors, and pathways others would never do. It seemed.

A different space was reserved as some kind of zoo, or maybe a testing lab. It was home to a variety of alien animals, strange and their origin unknown. What would Jared be doing with them? What kind of tests was he doing on them? Only the Based Gods knew.

There was more, of course, but why spoil the fun of imagining it all by describing the things? Just imagine a thirty-year old Sith Master, at the top of his power with unlimited funds. Filled with curiosity and eagerness to hunt for ancient artifacts. Imagine what a man like that would have in his station, and he probably had.

Regardless, at one point it was all over and they arrived where they had begun, the balcony. Again he walked over to it, and leaned on the balustrade. Enjoying the spectacle of the dead star, and how they were circling around it.

“What is it a man like me wants, Anaya? Power I have a plenty, money is not a problem and strangely enough even women is a commodity not unknown to me. I will spare you the story of my beginnings, for it would probably bore you to no end. But after my death, and then my… return. I have wanted one thing.”

He turned around to face her, his eyes were hungry it seemed. Amber eyes, a miasma of different specks of hues.

“Chaos. I want the Galaxy to experience true anarchy, true fear. Mikhail thinks that his Heralds of Chaos are the solution to the stagnation that corrupts our world. But there is nothing subtle about making two skyscrapers do the jig, nothing refined about throwing a Star Destroyer on top of a few hundreds of people.”

His hand waved, as to dismiss the sheer notion of it.

“Simply said, I want your help.” His nose turned into a sneer. “I am no Sith Lord, the Darkside might decorate my aura.. but it’s not enough. No games, Anaya. Help me find myself. Help me reach my true potential, and.. I will share with you a secret.”

[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

"Mikhail's Heralds are but a distraction to the true source of Chaos." Anaya said sharply "and they should be used as such." Anaya's lekku twitched with excitement and she drew closer to Jared, her own red eyes boring into his amber ones as she searched him, probing at him with the force, trying to get a true measure of his capabilities, whether he could be trusted. The answer, of course was no. But that was the point. In Chaos, there was no trust, everything was unpredictable. Oh, it was important to make people believe that you were predictable. They had to think they could control you, but in the end, they would all fall into Chaos, and she would stand over them.

"I will teach you about Choas, Jared Ovmar. I will show you the true path to it and to yourself. But I don't do it for your secrets, I do it because Chaos needs true followers, true believers not fools like Mikhail who are driven by emotion. Chaos need to be calculated and timed well. I believe you are capable of that."

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

I could almost feel the lazy grin tugging on my lips, as I noted the sharp tone of her words. It seemed as if she had some.. strong feelings concerning the Heralds of Chaos, and especially our dear dear friend Mikhail Shorn. Spencer had told me at length about Anaya’s obsession with Ashin Varanin.

She had also told me, Ashin had only eyes for herself. So it was sad, and maybe a tad amusing that yet again the Sith Lady in front of me picked a man whose only interest was for Spencer.

Not that I commented on it, there was a subtle tact and grace you had to conform to. Just ain’t right otherwise.

So I just nodded, and gave her a gracious bow.

“I was counting on a mutual understanding, thank you Anaya. Now.. I suppose you will want to leave immediately, busy woman that you are? Or do you wish to spent some more.. time with my humble persona?”

[member="Anaya Fen"]

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya liked it when people bowed to her. From her staff it was expected, but when someone she didn't pay bowed to her it gave her ego a boost it probably didn't need. "Oh I am incredibly busy," she purred, "And I should probably leave immediately." As she spoke she sauntered closer towards him, a hunger glittering in her eyes as she ran them over his form. "I have a galaxy to burn after all."

She was almost nose to nose with him now her red eyes boring into blue. "Unless your humble persona can give me reason to delay?"

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Anaya Fen"]

Ah.. but wasn’t she a beautiful creature of chaos and destruction. That was the thing that enticed me the most, a woman who was powerful in her own right. It gave him a small measure of appreciation, to not have to worry about matters like protection and the sort.

The palm of my hand slowly traced a line over her cheek, as I gave her one of my smiles.

“I can think of a thing or two that might hold your attention.”

 

[Nisha Decrilla]

Anaya smirked as his hand touched her cheek, eyes fluttered closed for a moment as she leaned into it. Oh how easy it was to snare men in her trap, to let them think they had control. Eyes snapped open again and she closed the gap between them so her lips were almost touching. She shattered the spell that protected her mind, if she was going to teach him, she would have to show him some level of trust. Where better to start then here?

"Show me." she purred, lips brushing his as she did.

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Anaya Fen"]

...and so their lips met, and for the following couple of hours the Lord of the Fringe showed her what he had meant with his ambiguous words.

If this was anything but a board for children, there might have been more detail to this story. Perhaps some kink, and troublesome experiences would have been shared with the public.

But I am afraid this was neither the time nor the place for that, slowly the scene faded into black and the curtains fell before the stage.

Disappointing, I know. But it was the only way to keep a moral highground, and preserve the sanctity of integrity which few people care about these days.