To Draw Upon The Cold [Lussk]

[Judas of Vahl]

This is a partial recover of the original thread posted on Sep 25, 2013 at 05:07PM
@[member="Darth Kyros"] (Kara Vi'dreya) @[member="Darth Arcis"] (Dranok Lussk)

5,336 Words​

29,653 Characters​

Kara Vi’dreya:​

Ziost. Cold, barren and dark. If ever a landscape best reflected she who walked upon its surface it was then, in the moment when Kära wandered through her frozen surroundings. She was alone, shivering and cold but pressing on as though she did not notice it, her skin even more ghostly and pale, if such a thing was possible, than it usually was and her lips turning a similar blue-hue as her icy eyes. The climate was oppressive, suffocating her from every angle, threatening to freeze her limbs and solidify her blood. It had been six days since she left the warmth of the ship in favour of the mountains, and part of her wondered if it hadn't been a mistake. She was alone, entirely, with naught but the whistling wind and the rugged rock-faces for company.

If truth be told Kära had lost all sense of direction. For all she knew up was down, left was right and front was backwards. She refused to turn back. Vilox did not even know that she was out here. He did not know she was out of Dac. If he knew she was trudging through ice and snow, most likely exposing herself to frost bite and goodness knows what else, he'd kill her himself. It's Vazela she suddenly reminded herself or Master... Either would do, so long as she didn't forget the title which accompanied his name. All these concepts were new to her; to name another, to show them respect, to even speak at all. Especially in Basic. Why am I even conversing with myself like this... Now wasn't the time, now she had to find herself some shelter, some warmth. Something…

Dranok Lussk:​

Ziost. The frigid world, adopted home of the ancient Sith and still home to the new Empire. Oh, how Dranok coveted them. The old Sith, the real dark lords of the galaxy. The Lords of old remained icons of the Sith Knight's dreams; Marka Ragnos, Naga Sadow, and Dathka Graush. These beings wielded almost ultimate power with vast strength in the Force. Sorcery they called it, was ancient art extremely rarely practiced in current times. This, however, remained a false statement in the eyes of Dranok Lussk. The power-hungry Knight had been studying and meditating on the olden teachings of these Dark Lords. With skills similar to theirs, he could do anything. Even live forever.

The Sith Knight's eyes fluttered as he caught himself daydreaming as he attempted to meditate. Blinking hard, the man slouched out of his pose, stretching outwards to work muscles out of their stiff state. He still wore his traditional black tunic paired with an equally black cloak, but had dropped the durasteel armor in favor of a mesh underweave. The infamed golden-brown mask had also been removed, revealing the tanned and young face of the 24 year old Knight. A single scar ran down the right side of his face, forming a 4 inch long curved slice. The scar had been rewarded during his teen years back at the Military Academy at Carida when a "gang" attempted to dethrone their current unit commander via force. As Dranok was the top cadet, he had no friends, no allies, nothing at all. The only thing the lonely teen could depend on was himself and the invisible power of the Force waiting patiently for the boy to discover his unique power. Beat down by half a dozen other cadets, the top cadet fought back as hard as he could. Pounding his fists into their faces, attempting to kick and break bones, that was until a wave of calmness flushed over him. He opened his eyes to reveal his arms outstretched, with the group of attackers sprawled out across the ground, horrified looks on their faces. It was the first time Dranok took notice of the presence within him.

This presence now guided him outside, out into the freezing whiteness of Ziost. With a liquid-like motion, the young Sith Admiral snapped his crimson-bladed lightsaber to his utility belt and started forward. He strode forward a few feet before turning to gaze back at his small, isolated temple. The temple had been constructed by his combat engineers a few months ago to be made as the Knight's headquarters when not assigned to the frontlines. It boasted a self-sufficient recycling system, solar and wind generators, and a full bodyguard complement of Nemesis-series Battle Droids. With confidence in the safety of his home, he returned his gaze to the barren iceland before him and started.
He had no particular reason he left. He just did. The force within him urged every cell in his body to wander the tundra and the surrounding mountains. Perhaps it was fate that guided him.

Kara Vi’dreya:​

The storm which had flourished around her for countless days on end was finally drawing to a close, ceasing the barrage of icy winds which had left her skin sore and raw. "It can't be long..." The child muttered, in Umbarese - all thoughts of Galactic Basic flushed from her mind before it was even considered. It was too cold for thought. Umbara had always been cold, but in a damp swampy manner. This? Oh, this was something altogether different, the opposing end of the same cold spectrum. She couldn't shake it off, the aches which it brought alongside the chill seeping into every part of her body. "You must be close..." Yet she could see nothing on the horizon. What if it's hidden... If that were so then she was truly done for.

She had been so strong, she had managed to wander half way across a world through ice and snow, through storm and breathless air, she had done so well... But now she was failing. Why am I even here... The reason had completely left her, in her now delirious state. She had tried to find ways to keep warm through the Force, but she was new to her training and could think of no improvisations off the top of her head. She had run out of food two days past, her energy having all but left her, and it was pure willpower alone which kept her struggling on. Damn this planet she thought damn them all.

And then she saw it, a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon. It had been hidden well enough, hardly noticeable save for the sight of one who truly sought it out. Maybe it was a mirage, maybe it wasn't even there at all, but it gave her some internal fire. The cold did not seem so oppressive, her limbs loosened up and her energy was boosted tenfold. Picking up the pace she strode towards the structure, as fast as her little legs would take her, wasting no time in doing so. She was only a few metres away from the entrance when her body finally collapsed in the snow, whether from complete exhaustion or relief, and the snow threatened to bury her as the storm kicked back up again.

Dranok Lussk:​

The endless flurry of white whipped across the barren valley. With a cold-induced slow movement, the wandering Knight craned his neck to peer back at the way he came from. Deep footprints led in a beeline straight for the temple sitting on the horizon. Oh how he adored his frosty home, he loved the cold in general. Though he often shuddered as the icy winds blew his direction, he grew happy. The cold weather was bright and peaceful, hiding everything, only allowing you to either look forward and risk traveling or look back to submit to the climate's will. The Knight had never taken the second option. He'd often led himself on expeditions around the area of the temple and even further, staying out for days and mediating whenever he found deserted caves or defended areas in clusters of rocks.

However, his goal was not to meditate or explore. But rather, something peculiar. Something meant to be. He shook his head slightly, dismissing the strange thoughts of destiny or fate. A gust of frozen wind assisted him in taking his mind off of thoughts as he gripped the thick cloak's edges, yanking it over to cover more surface area. His mind now drifted to a dull state as he fixated himself on the soft crunch crunch of his boots plunging into a whole foot of snow with each difficult step. The pattern of his steps abruptly stopped as the Knight immediately halted. His brain no longer dull, snapped into motion as his eyes narrowed to slits, head craning around to survey the surrounding area. Yellow eyes gazed at one spot, a slight dip into the snow. Barely noticeable and beginning to be filled with the never ending torrent of snow.

Taking another glance around, he started for the slowly filling hole. As he neared, he detected a presence emitting from it. A faint glimmer of life, one powerful in the Force. Mighty peculiar, being out here in the middle of nowhere on Ziost. He came a little closer, pushing his weight forward as to peer into the dibit. His face changed from bored to shocked in an instant. A small girl lay in a curled heap, a thickening layer of snow caking the top of her. Her pale face and icy eyes snapped memories back into Lussk's mind. Kara. Kara Vi'dreya, the apprentice from the Academy on Korriban. Why the kark was she here? Out here without Master Vazela, no supplies, and minimal clothing. The Sith Knight wondered how long she'd survived the harsh climate.

With a heavy sigh, the Knight unbuttoned his thick cloak and leaned down over the girl. He draped the cloak over the child, reaching out slightly to pick her up. Although his black tunic was somewhat warm, he mentally shrugged and placed the apprentice's survival at the top of his list. It was strange, he'd never felt the need to help anyone survive except for this child. With the girl wrapped in his outer layer of clothing, he placed her into a cradle and started back for the temple.

Kara Vi’dreya:​

Get up, Kara... she thought, as the snow began to cover her like a blanket. Somewhere in the back of the child's mind she imagined life back on Umbara, how it would have been had Zara never disappeared, her parents tucking her in, and as such the cold snow suddenly seemed to fill her with warmth, her mind playing tricks on her. She could lie there for eternity, lost in her wayward dream, while the snow covered her entirely and lost her from sight, from existence. The child barely even cared... Barely.

Yet suddenly the rush of air hit her again, seizing up her limbs and bringing her into a semi-conscious state of being. Her lips were blue, veins shot and purple, yet she was still alive. When her body was lifted from the snow she instinctively began to curl up, her body turning into whatever it was that supported her. In this case she turned into the chest of the Sith Knight with several inaudible murmurs. She was somewhat delirious, and it was amazing that she was conscious let alone living. During the movement towards the Temple she felt her body warm up, and became suddenly aware of an added layer of clothing.

With feeling back in her body, and the gentle soothing lulling sway of his steps, the child began to drift into a sleepy state. It was rare that she truly showed her childish, innocent qualities, often hiding behind a thick blanket of shadows and deceit, playing up to her age while not really being on par with it, yet there and then she was exactly as she appeared - a tiny, lost little girl who had dropped herself into the centre of chaos.

Dranok Lussk:​

The white chill sliced right through Dranok's matte black tunic and pants, soon losing feeling in his limbs as the icy winds intensified. The weather had seemed to get even worse ever since he'd retrieved the child. He managed to snap his head down quickly to check on the girl who was dwarfed in comparison to the Knight's cloak. Her blue eyes closed, her lips tight, her presence was barely a flicker. Still, a flicker was better than nothing. The little girl stirred some and mumbled before pressing herself closer to Lussk's broad frame. The most unbelievable thing happened, Dranok smiled. Although a small one, it was a true smile. Even the bearer of the joyful expression was shocked. The man hadn't smiled in years. He pasted the expression on his face when attempting to enjoy the pleasures of life or when he or his men succeeded. But never truly, but more importantly was the reason. The child cradled in his arms, her murmuring and stirring felt natural as he adjusted to ensure that the girl was comfortable.

Dranok had never fathered anyone before, yet he felt as if this girl was his own. The connection between them growing with each step he took towards the frosted temple. Several watchtowers made up the perimeter of the temple grounds, each one staffed by a few Nemesis-droids. The automated guards took notice of his figure and began to open the temple's main doors as he neared the entrance. The entrance room was barely warmer than outside, but offered protection from the harsh winds and thick snow. Greeted by another pair of droids, he tilted his head towards the door. The droids nodded, rotating to holster their rifles and proceed to open to door into the main chambers. Warmth permeated every corner of this massive room, numerous heating units dotted the walls in an orderly fashion.

A quick trip ensued as the Knight continued his trek to his destination, his personal quarters. Dark corridors mazed through the interior of the temple, each barely lit by glowtorches and emergency lighting in the ceiling. He preferred it dark, dark and cold suited him the best. But what he needed now was warmth, so he made it to his room. Reaching out with the Force, he slid the door open to reveal a modest room. A single bed with black sheets, with a clothing dresser, an alchemy table, and a bookshelf filled with spellbooks and ancient Sith teachings. His figure aimed at the bed, which he reached with a few steps. Dranok slowly pulled the covers back, easing the child down into the bed. The weary Knight lightly pulled the covers up, snuggly tucking the girl in as he reached for a chair. The eased himself down in a similar fashion as he did with the girl and sat, staring at the girl with interest. The Sith Admiral relaxed, setting himself further back into the seat and closing his eyes. Darkness enveloped him as he lost consciousness, falling asleep.

Kara Vi’dreya:​

By the time they reached the Temple Kara was well and truly asleep, still murmuring and curled into his chest yet definitely asleep. When the warmth begins to seep into her body the murmuring begins to die down and she settles into a deep sleep, her hands balling into fists against his shirt. It had been a long time since the girl had been like this, her expression relaxed as though content and at peace. For the first time, she did not drift into a nightmare, meaning that when she was finally settled into the warmth of the bed, tucked in and left to rest she slept very well. Her body curled up so that her head was under the covers, tucked against her chest. She slept for all of six hours, her lips finally losing their blue hue, her veins retreating and losing the deathly tone. When she woke she lay there in silence, the change from waking to the cold was a shock.

Finally the child opened her eyes and lifted her head out from the comfort of the covers. Her head settled against the pillow, and she began to survey the room; noting the furniture, the books, the covers she lay beneath and finally the man asleep in the chair. She stared at him for a long time, his presence being one she recognised but his appearance completely unknown to her. Who is this..? She clenched and unclenched her hands, feeling pain due to the suffering her limbs had taken out in the snow. Coughing very gently, trying not to wake him when she did so, the child began to sit up. Rubbing her eyes with her balled up first she still retained her completely childish qualities, her Sith-esque qualities having fled her during her time battling against the elements. It would take some time before she returned to her old state, of hating and wishing pain on others.

But what that meant was that for now Lussk would see the girl for who she really was when she wasn't hiding behind expectations. He was perhaps the only person since her days on Umbara to have witnessed this. She brought her knees up against her chest, her chin settling to her knees, head turned slightly, and watched him in silence, waiting for him to awaken from his slumber. She knew that she would easily be able to slip away if she wanted to, and perhaps she should have done, the old Kara would have, but something kept her in place. She didn't want to simply disappear for once, she owed him her life.

Dranok Lussk:​

A mist drifted across the street. Grey-white fog moving as freely as the air that carried it. In the depths of it sat a young boy. The boy walked hurriedly with hands jammed in his pockets, hiding his trembling hands from plain sight. It was early in the morning, the sun barely breaking through the thick fog, dimly lighting the empty street. The entire city seemed utterly empty. The little boy still walked on and on, hoping for someone to appear. He was lonely. The child's eyes shot back and forth, silently praying for anyone to reveal themselves. It was as if nobody wanted him, nobody wanted anything to do with him. The boy suddenly stopped, peering down with wide-eyes as his figure began to vibrate. His body began to change, materializing from the small child into a fully grown man. He now held his hands out at waist-level, looking over the metal gauntlets and thick black gloves that protected his hands. Further down, he caught the flicker of black cloth fluttering behind him, a cloak. Another moment ensued as the man became aware of his eyesight being slightly limited. A mask covered his face, the scenery also changing. The city now flickered with the massive tendrils of fire that consumed everything it touched. The fog morphed into smoke, the buildings crumbled, everything was gone. Everything was black. Nothing existed.

Yellow eyes pried open, body jerking slightly as the awoken man reached for his belt. The shape of the blade's hilt comforted him. The Knight blinked hard several times, catching his bearings as he shifted his weight. His body felt weak, why was he so exhausted? He wasn't physically weary, but rather mentally. The nightmare had shaken him. Similar to the smile earlier, it'd been years since he'd dreamt or had nightmares. It was always calm rest, nothing bad and nothing good entered his thoughts during these times. His hands came together as he looked down at himself. He still sat, but he sensed something unfamiliar. His face felt dangerously exposed, so he reached up with his right hand to prod his chin. His gloved fingers touched flesh instead of the usual durasteel that hid the man's young face. Ever since joining the Empire, not one living being in the Order had seen his true face. They only recognized the infamous golden-brown mask. The symbol of fear and power.

The Knight brought his head up to scan the room, in search of his facial garment. The result proved unfruitful as the only thing that caught his eye was the girl staring at him from the bed. Her knees huddled up to her chest in a child-like manner, her head resting gently on her knees with her gaze fixed on Dranok. He remembered. He remembered the training session at the academy in which he first met the child, their connections colliding during their first meeting. Then came the lesson, the girl seemed oddly attracted to his usual counterpart, Shinju, instead of the colder Knight. That was all he remembered from the academy trip, everything else after his talk with Shinju and the apprentice's remained blurry. His train of thought shifted as he shifted his gaze to her icy blue eyes, reminiscing of recent events in which the Knight discovered the child being blanketed by snow and death. He focused on her gaze, which seemed to only rest on his face. The girl had seen his true face rather than his mask of power, deception, and fear.

Kara Vi’dreya:​

Kara watched him toss and turn for a while before the man's eyes opened suddenly. He seemed flushed in realisation, exhausted despite his rest, confused. She did not move, instead continuing to watch him, she still couldn't figure out who it was... And so, now that he was alert, she reached out with her mind to try and pluck the name from his mind, the way she had done the first time they met. Dranok she realised, with wide eyes. It had been a while since the pair had met, and she had not glimpsed his face then, only a mask. But now, it felt right; she realised why she had been so relaxed despite him being sat there. It was the reason she had stayed, rather than fleeing. It all made sense. From her time in his mind she realised what he was looking for, also, and that she shouldn't be seeing his face... Which gave her a brief amount of worry, like a child who knew they were about to be told off. Yet it didn't happen. Her brow furrowed in confusion, before she stretched out her legs, wincing in pain, and tried to rise up from the ground, wanting to help him find the mask.

Without word she slipped her feet down against the floor, half falling from the bed due to being so small. Grasping the bed she found that her legs couldn't fully support herself, so instead she moved to sit upon the ground and pulled the blanket down around her body. With a sleepy, childish yawn she hid her face into the blanket for a few moments, before trying again to stand up. Pulling herself up with the bed she turned to face him again. "H-Hello... Dranok..." She spoke aloud in Basic, for the first time in a few weeks, her voice a little weak. She coughed into her hand and slumped back to the floor, unable to even try and fake feeling better than she did. Muttering an apology she closed her eyes and shuddered, remarkably fragile looking. You're not allowed to be weak she scalded herself, and her self-disappointment appeared upon her face.

Yet she realised, at the same time, that she was only a child. There was only so much a seven year old could take, be that physically, mentally or otherwise, and her time out in the snow had pushed her to limits she didn't even know existed. She pulled the covers around her body tightly, huddling down to try and retain her warmth. Her attempt at finding his mask ended there and then for now, not having seen it in her visual scan of the room. She realised, dismally, that it would be a while before she would fully remake herself to become a Sith. She would rest in the middle until then, stuck between being a child, with innocence and naivety and weakness, and the Sith she was being moulded into.

Dranok Lussk:​

Dranok felt the child's presence tug at his thought pattern, her eyes widened slightly. She had realized who he was, the great Sith Knight Dranok Lussk. The events following her realization were surprising. He sensed a strong urge to find something her, it was practically radiating from her. Kara seemed to be in much pain as the soreness from the freezing elements set in. Her wincing face when she clenched her fists or stretched told otherwise when she attempted to stand up in pursuit of her goal. Kara was nothing like she'd been before. What sat before him was a complete and utter child, innocent and cute all blended together. The exact opposite of the frosty coldness that emitted from her during their first meeting.

He didn't respond when the girl hesitantly greeted him, merely inclining his head. The Knight's eyes trained on her slow and sore movements, noting that her legs must've had slow blood flow still from the cold. She still must have been numb, quite possibly to the core. It was just like himself. A spark flared in the senior Sith's mind. He and the girl had more in common than anyone he'd ever met, even his parents. It was as if she was a female copy of Dranok. A daughter.

Despite his vain efforts, the man couldn't help but smile at the tiny girl as she failed to stand and slump down in defeat. She was remarkably childish, acting the opposite than her usual personality of hiding behind an invisible mask of fear and hatred. One such mask similar to the physical one Dranok wore, but it was all for the same reason. The Sith Admiral shifted his weight forward and rose from the chair with a push. He stood fully erect, twisting his shoulders slightly and flexing his arms outward in an attempt to cast away the soreness in his muscles. Taking a few steps, he placed himself before the girl. Though he dwarfed her when standing, the child seemed even smaller as she huddled up on the floor. Dranok crouched down, bringing himself closer to Kara's face. He remained in that position for a few moments, studying the young one. Reaching out with gloved hands, he set them against the girl's dip above her hips. And with a liquid motion, brought the child closer to his as to secure the blankets with his hand, set the girl back on to the bed. Dranok remained crouching, now head-level to Kara. "Hello, Kara."

Kara Vi’dreya:​

Her eyes widened at his sudden actions, and for some reason it brought about memories from her past which she wished to keep locked away to never resurface, and it made her flinch. Every time he moved his arms she expected some form of undeserved retribution, the likes of which she had faced back on Umbara, but it never came. Instead he crouched before her and just... Stared at her. It set her on edge, and she couldn't even begin to reclaim her old persona of a cold, dark little child who knew only hatred and anger. Please don't be scared, Kara she thought to herself, but even this was not as demanding as her personal-voice used to be when addressing herself. Again she flinched under his touch, before feeling her body being moved first to him and then to the bed. The brief moment wherein she was brought against his chest she felt the anxiety and paranoia slip away and by the time she was upon the bed she seemed less skittish.

Rather than sitting up the child curled up and looked to him, her gaze matching his directly. She had never expected to see beneath the mask, and wondered whether he truly minded or not. It wasn't the sort of thing a man or woman with a mask was eager to let happen - and thus was the truth of Kara too. She had never let her 'mask' drop before now; not to Tyrin, or the Sith at the Academy, or even her Master. But here he saw her for what she was, something she was not very happy about but she could not avoid. "Please... Don't tell..." She suddenly asked of him, her eyes not once removing themselves from his. It wasn't very amiable of her, to have effectively begged, but there was little else the girl could do in the situation. She hardly felt alive, and when one feels on the edge of life and death such fleeting matters fled them for their true nature. Did Kara really want to be a Sith? Or was it the idea of escaping reality more of the key to the reason?

No, you cannot think like that she told herself, realising that she had to go through with this. When she was better it would return to her, and then she would never again doubt her position in the Galaxy. But until then she knew she should relax, cease her paranoia and anxiety and simply rest. She felt at ease where she was, perhaps due to Dranok, and it was enough for her to unwind a little, as had already been shown through the metaphorical removal of her mask. Bringing her hand up to her face she brushed her cheek and rubbed her lip with her thumb in a very sleepy manner, but her eyes remained open and alert - the two actions completely counteracting one another, juxtaposing just like her split nature.

Dranok Lussk:​

The Knight felt the girl flinch against his touch. Though he attempted to be as gentle as he could, he was not used to the close presence of another being. The brief moment when the child pressed against his chest had been entirely foreign. He'd never done any of this before. The only time he'd held somebody was during First Response Medical training back at the Carida Academy. But even then it was entirely professional and regarded saving lives. This time, it reminded him of a father scooping up his daughter to make sure she was okay. The Knight was scared. His hands trembled slightly under the thick cloth of the gloves. What was happening? Why was he acting like this?

He turned his thoughts outward, focusing on Kara once again. Even she was frightened, her eyes averted from his, straining to ensure their gazes never met. He noticed her voice shake slightly too as she pleaded for him not to reveal her true self. Dranok was taken back, this girl had eased when he held her close, relaxing entirely and releasing her worries. Now that she sat alone, she begged for her invisible mask to don itself, bringing along the fear, hatred, and deception that it was made of. Lussk kept his voice as soft as he could, "Why do you want me to keep this a secret? Asking this of me turns it into a weakness for you, something that can be exploited." He paused, swallowing. "I never meant for anyone in the entire galaxy to see my face, yet you did. I accepted it and will allow you to see my true being, that is no weakness. That is strength."

The crouched man tilted his head down, peering at his gloved hands and black outfit. He began to pull his hands free of the thick cloth, revealing tanned and scarred hands. Deep scars stitched across his knuckles and fingers, retrieving memories of his academy days. Hand to hand fighting. Dranok never used padded gloves, he felt as though they made him weak, so he fought his opponents bare-knuckled. And so, he often busted his knuckles open, bleeding endlessly as he fought them to the ground. By now, they've healed over as scars, forever a part of the lonely man. He returned his gaze to the girl, stretching out his hand towards her. However, his hand was held palm upwards. No defects were on his palm. No cuts, no scars, nothing. It was white and pure.