Ask Check the Data

[Darth Tiamat]

He was still near, his presence told her as much, maybe to hide, to hunt, both perhaps but he was silent. In fact everything was silent, something Tiamat remembered from her youth, it was always an efficient hiding place, you could hear the echoes for miles, and no one was ever daring enough to get dirty. Those who did dare, one could stalk just as he was doing, and those unfamiliar with the terrain could encounter an unexpected meeting with fate.

The woman paused, letting her eyes adjust, but her senses were what she relied on, the tendrils of the darkside spreading outward, waiting for the threads to be disturbed. A vibration caused the woman's knees to buckle, nearly feeling her feet take out from beneath her, but it would not be enough as her palm ignited with a blinding flash of light. To the unprepared it would disrupt their vision, possibly becoming disoriented, but it should be enough for Tiamat to descend upon the figure as he given revelation to his presence. Her palm outstretched, an invisible energy wrapping tightly around his neck as she fired several stun bolts in her attempt to subdue him.

Of course if her efforts fell short and he managed to wiggle free of her grasp, Tiamat would be ready to defend herself accordingly.

@Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

Unfortunately, this time the Sith Master found purchase with her bolts. The Anzat was stunned and fell into a slump, completely knocked out.


@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Ambria

If it were entirely different circumstances, she would have normally found binding and gagging a bit more exciting as she ensured her anzati capture would not free himself and cause havok on the ship. He remained unconscious for the most part, sending him into naptime if he stirred just a bit too much. He was not as much as a pain to capture as he was to drag back to the ship, it didn't help she also took the woman that was hooked on his arm, useless deadweights the whole way back. However, instead of making the woman sleep also, Tiamat managed to tweak her mind to think she was hanging with her best friend. Her conversations were a nice distraction to the destination and ritual that was about to occur, and what will happen after it was all done.

It did not take much effort to find where Raze was waiting on Ambria, though it helped there wasn't much on the wasteland world. It reminded her of Korriban, the dark side was strong here also to even where her chatty pet seemed to mention a bad feeling and slight disappointment the resort was no longer serving the fruity drinks she enjoyed.

Tiamat exited the ship with the anzat thrown over her shoulder, having to use the Force to augment some of her strength to carry the lump to the cave where Raze was waiting. She dropped him on the ground in front of her, the body no longer bounded or gagged, but still unconscious. The woman behind her sat down, eyes glazed over as she waited for her next instruction and Tiamat lowered to her knee, head bowed, waiting for Raze to speak first.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

He had been meditating and preparing for the ritual. The planet had copious amounts of Sith history to where the Dark Side of the Force pulsed powerfully. Raze thrived in such environments, and he was empowered enough to keep Emryc imprisoned while he completed what he needed. He had retained his knowledge of ancient Sith practices, including details on where Palpatine had succeeded or failed with transference. This was a different method, as it involved splitting the mind instead of moving the entire consciousness.

He had completed the first part by locking up and isolating Emryc. As much as he wanted to kill the weakling, they were designed to be unable to do so as long as they inhabited the same mental space.

The tall half Sephi emerged from his meditation space, surveying the specimen brought to him. He didn’t even bother looking at the female, thinking it wise of Tiamat to bring her.

“Strip him,” He commanded. He needed to see that the body was usable without any obvious issues. He entered the Anzat’s mind and found no cause for concern, poring through a century of knowledge and data as easily as rifling through the pages of a book.

The half Sephi sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes, diving back into the plane of the Force.

“Join me in the Force,” Raze said sternly, “You will sever the cord and release me.”

With that, he was transported to the fabric of the Force. If Tiamat did the same, she would find herself suddenly on an icy planet. It was perfectly calm with a frozen lake in the distance. Almost at once, she would spot two figures - one was Emryc on the ground and unconscious. There was a tether between his navel and that of a taller, demonic being. The demon had cold, dead eyes, horns, claws and fangs. It had pale skin that made it appear dead. She would know right away this was Raze in his true form in the realm of the Force.

“It would be so easy,” The demonic voice resounded, “He is weak. You can end him with little more than a thought,” He pointed a clawed finger towards Emryc’s fallen form. It would be the first time Tiamat would ever have seen Emryc in a vulnerable position and truly at her mercy.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The woman remained quiet, breathing deeply as she tried not to let her emotions overrun her. The temptation engulfed her, threatening to swallow her into the shadows, she could feel the invisible mark of the black hand burn into her chest. However, she remained still, unmoving until Raze gave her the order to strip the anzat of his clothing. A bit annoyed to the number of layers he wore, Raze would be able to see the body in full; luckily it must have been satisfactory to his liking as he took a seat on the ground, inviting Tia to join him in the Force.

Shifting, she sat on her knees in her meditative state, diving into the dark side with Raze to begin the ritual. It was like a plunge into the cold ocean waters of her home, intimidating, albeit welcoming as she felt herself holding her breath until she broke the surface. With a gasp, she found herself standing on an icy plane, a world of calm, but frozen, and she questioned if this was how Emryc was able to keep himself collected, balanced? Her eyes following the horizon until she turned to see Raze and the bond that connected him and the unconscious Emryc. She felt something cold and looked to see in her palm she held a dagger, runes belonging to an era of the dark side that would be unrecognizable.

Her attention returned to Raze; he was in a way, stunning, a near-god of the dark side with his demonic horns, fragile looking flesh, and claws that rivaled any predator in the galaxy. And then there was Emryc, her gaze settled on him as she approached the cord that tied the two together. Raze's voice echoed, reflecting on the sephi's weakness, reminding her of the ease it would be to just take his life; simple, unchallenging. Emryc had expected her to do so many years ago, but she never did, her path deviating in a way she never predicted, but what would it give her?

"It wouldn't be satisfying." she stated, and it was the truth. There were certainly others she would enjoy to see their suffering and eventual death, but Emryc was not one of them. Instead Tiamat grabbed hold of the tether that connected the two together; she could feel their power, a balance that had been so quickly eroded away, the bonds they shared with one another since the beginning. The woman gathered the Force to herself and breathed in deeply, the icy air filling her lungs as she would pull the dagger through the cord, clutching tightly to the end that would still be connected to Emryc, hopefully in the process, bringing back Em to reality.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

For a moment there was nothing but silence. The dagger hit a bit of resistance and it would take all the power Tiamat had to actually sever it. However, because she was a powerful external entity, she would be able to do just that. As soon as she cut through it, there was an explosion of light and colors. She would be subjected to floodgates being opened, and she would see images and memories.

She would see a toddler with pointy ears and long hair running away, wiping tears away from his face. She would see him trembling and afraid, blood in his hands. She would see the toddler begging for help, crawling and terrified. She would see the child crying till he was hoarse, and she would see another form taking shape next to thechild.

The same sequence played over and over again, the toddler growing into a small child. The child ran in, cried and curled up alone in terror, silver eyes brimming with tears. The shape next to it became more pronounced. It now resembled another child. A young boy. A pale boy. The boy had red eyes and he placed a hand on the pointy eared boy’s shoulder.

“You’re not alone. You’ll never be alone again. They will never hurt you again. I won’t let them.”

The sequence played again, this time the child was a bit older. So was the pale boy. The pointy haired child did not cry this time, though he was clearly distraught. He sat down, and so did the pale boy.

“I will bear your pain. Let me bear it.”

“But…it’ll destroy you..”

“I take it so you don’t have to. Let me become what they want us to be. You can hide in here. I will go out there and face it.”

A few years passed and a teenage boy entered the scene - a teen Tiamat would easily recognize. The pale boy looked far less human now, taking on more demonic features. It was finally becoming clear how much of Emryc's ritualistic meditation time was conversing with his counterpart.

“You are changing.”

“I am adapting,” The demon teen hissed, “I’ve been carrying your burdens so you can keep your perfectly calm little utopia,” He gestured throughout the icy landscape, “You take and take. You give nothing. You put me away in a little box when I become inconvenient for you. But I’m the reason you’re successful.”

“You wouldn’t exist without me. Sit down and know your place.”

Years passed again. Firrerre was devastated.

“We are more alike than you think.”

“Shut up. I don’t need you. You are a disease. A cancer. You’ve been a festering wound. Look at you. You look like a monster.”

“I am this way for you…I have taken on the burden…for you..”

“TIAMAT!” Emryc’s voice resounded, tearing through all the memories that were playing. He was back to consciousness in the realm of the Force, his eyes wide as he looked at her, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!”

Laughter resounded. The demon puffed up his chest and stood tall, gazing up at the sky. He began to laugh as cracks appeared all over the ice. He looked truly delighted, laughter echoing through all corners of the plane. Within moments, he faded away from sight, leaving Emryc screaming after him, panic in his voice.

Tiamat wasn’t allowed a moment further, yanked harshly out of Emryc’s mind and back into the present.

This time, Emryc was on the ground, appearing groggy. The anzat was still asleep on the ground. Emryc was visibly shaken, looking around and feeling his head throbbing. He felt weaker. So much weaker. He couldn’t be here. He knew what was happening. He shakily got to his feet and he began to run. He had to get off this planet.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The light and colors were spectacular as she watched in awe and curiosity, and slight concern if she did something incorrect. The woman stepped back as her surroundings would warp, taking her to the presence of a small toddler, the vibrant red of blood on his hands and she knew it was himself, Emryc, and so many questions rose in her thoughts as the scene seemed to repeat. The pain that came from him pulled on something innate as she wanted protect him from, but Tia knew she couldn't change what she saw. She lowered to her knees, getting on eye level with the small pointed ear child and his shadow that became more pronounced as the years passed. She listened to their conversations, recognizing Emryc, and what she knew must have been Raze and then...

She heard Emryc yell, the memories pulled away and she was back to the icy wasteland, Emryc was awake, but the look on his face withdrew any relief she felt in him waking. Her attention turned to Raze, his maniacal laughing filled the crumbling plane, Emryc was yelling something, but she was thrown back into the present, back into the wasteland of Ambria.

The woman gasped, pushing herself to her feet to reorient herself; she wanted more than anything to sit, to process what she just saw, felt, but she still had a job to do. Emryc had pushed himself up, she could feel it was him, but his strength in the Force had diminished from where it once stood. Tiamat ran after him, not taking a second look at the Anzat that had laid before.

She caught up, grabbing his hand to pull him with her, not saying a word to the sephi; she was able to bring Emryc back, but now she needed to get him to safety, to his family and away from all of this.

And as for herself, she'll figure that out later.

Nearly throwing him on the ship, as long as Raze remained where he was and hadn't noticed their absence, the engines would roar as she sat in front of the controls, taking off.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

There was a deep hum in the Force. It was powerful, almost overwhelming. As Tiamat ran, she would see rocks and pebbles beginning to float up into the air all around her. The same happened to boulders and anything else that wasn’t deeply rooted down. The Force came to life, the Dark Side vibrant and tangible. It was more present than it had been in any tomb or temple. It felt as if she was standing inside a nexus itself.

She would be filled with a sense of dread, and she would sense Emryc’s terror as well. The half Sephi was barely coherent as he scrambled into her ship, his entire body trembling.

The dunes of sand shifted as if a great storm had begun to ravage the deserts. It was all through the whims of the Force, all through an unseen power that never should have been allowed to exist. As Tiamat hastily flew away, she would see the entire surface of the planet where she had been standing spiraling and churning. Fissures cracked through the earth, mountains moved and shifted, new spires began to rise. The earth itself was crafted and manipulated as easily as a child molded clay.

Back on the planet, the Anzat was still asleep. There was nothing but the nude body and the hysterical screams of the woman beside him. The ground gave away all around the surface, elevating the man as if he were on a pedestal.

There was a pause as a war raged within the mind of the Anzat. It was a massacre as Raze systematically cut through the world within the Anzat’s mind and erased every last bits of his identity and presence from his body. There was no fight. The Anzat stood no chance.

The woman that screamed tried to run, but she had a long way to jump as the level she was on rose up as a spire. She looked around desperately and stopped as she heard a noise. It was the sound of breath. She looked over to see the Anzat’s chest - which temporarily stopped moving - rising to draw in air. Then it did it again. The world around her still swirled, rocks and chunks of earth floated in the air all around her. But nothing was more terrifying than seeing this man take his first breaths.

After a long exhale, the eyes popped open. They looked nothing like what she had seen before. They were crimson and demonic. The Anzat gazed up at the sky, drawing deep breaths. After a moment, he slowly rose to his feet, his pale and athletic physique revealed as the new entity was birthed into the galaxy. The man looked at his own limbs, traced his fingers over his torso and flexed his fingers and wiggled his toes.

The Anzat slowly turned to look at the woman, piercing crimson eyes drilling into her. The man raised a hand and it was as if time itself was frozen. The rocks and boulders were suspended mid air and immobile. The woman was frozen where she was, caught in the middle of gasping and with her eyes still wide, the bubble of her tears suspended at the corner of her eyes.

There was pindrop silence, life itself suspended and stopped at the Anzat’s mere whim. He looked around and admired his work before turning to the woman again. He took his first steps towards her. The pain and fear compounded in her face. She was aware of what was happening. She was paralyzed. More tears brimmed in her eyes, but she was still caught in suspended animation. And he drew closer and closer still.

No one would ever hear her scream.

There was a pulse in the Force that would be felt by Force users all across galaxy. Some would know what it was, others would be left with a sense of horrible dread. But everyone unanimously would know one thing as fact- an abomination was now unleashed upon the galaxy.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The steep take-off was a feat in itself, the Ambrian wastelands crack and splintered, new formations drove upwards while others opened up, swallowing whatever it could. The woman piloted her ship through it all, though she grimaced at the mess that was being made in the hull and cabinets before it could properly pressurized as she ascended through the atmosphere. Her navigation skills tested under the twisting nature of the nexus that was Raze, the sinking feeling in her stomach reminded her of despair, loss, the failure to continue surviving rested on the horizon. However, it was just a feeling, and Tiamat remained in control as they would break through into the stars, the navigational computer and her droid beeping in a synchronized countdown.

A jump, just far enough from immediate danger, and then to get Emryc back to his family.

The stars swirled, sending the ship through millions of lightyears away from Ambria. Tiamat gasped, and let her forehead fall into her palms as she propped her elbows on the console of her ships control panel. She could feel Emryc near, but she remained unmoved, uncertain on how she should feel, or where she should lead her thoughts. The events continued to replay in her mind, starting from the beginning, what could she done differently? She questioned if this was a trap all this time, her data, a ploy by the dark side to have some agent for it in the galaxy again. What could have happened if she done things differently, saw them differently, spoke and acted with a fool's ounce of courage?

However, her thoughts returned to Emryc, his memories now shared, she could find understanding, but she knew how he felt about sharing his past with others. He didn't, nor did he ever care to know anyone else's either. She had so many questions that she was certain he was facing them also, but it left her with no control, it would ultimately be his destiny to decide his next steps.

She was uncertain how long she sat in this position but it would be her droid who bumped into her leg gently to stir her, bringing the woman back to reality. Glancing at the navigational counter, she patted the droid's dome and got up, finding Emryc.

Nothing immediately came to her as to what to say; it didn't feel right to try and comfort him, reassure everything will be okay, because she didn't know that outcome. Nor did she feel obligated to apologize for what has happened. Instead she would sit down near him, letting the silence be.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

As Tiamat flew away, as she thought she was out of it, as she thought she was safe, her mind would be invaded again. Memories and images from many years ago would suddenly play out before her. She would be transported right back to a room on Tatooine from Emryc’s perspective. She would be looking down at her own back, one riddled with injuries and bandages. From when she was just a teen and so was he.

“It lead to this, didn’t it?” Her voice echoed, “I would do it again if it meant you would touch me.”

And Tiamat would be offered the perspective she hadn’t known before. She would be transported back into the confines of Emryc’s mind as Raze showed her. She would see that pale teen boy from before, the one that just barely began to show demonic characteristics on his face. She would see him reaching out towards her, the faintest smile appearing on his face. One that lacked malice.

“What’re you doing?” Teen Emryc’s voice would resound. He emerged and the pale boy gasped and drew his hand back.

“You are getting attached.”

“No…No..”

“The girl is my apprentice,” Emryc hissed.

“Her name is Lyra…It’s Lyra..” The demon boy hissed back.

“I don't care what the girl's name is or where she comes from. These things happen on my terms. I'm allowed to crack and falter. You are not. I created you to be my strength, not add to my weakness,” Emryc snapped, yanking on the cord that connected the two boys. The demon gazed back towards the Tiamat from the past, ultimately following Emryc back into the confines of his mind.

Years later, she would see memories of Emryc and herself being intimate and she would see the demon closed off in the distance. He looked far more demonic now. This was the last pain he felt. As Emryc and Tiamat were entwined in passion, the demon reached a clawed hand towards his own chest, towards the only hints of emotion that existed in him. He tore through it, cutting it into pieces, shredding it. He flung it aside and he closed his eyes. His claws were stained with black blood, but he exhaled softly, opening his eyes that were now crimson to finally complete his transformation and become without flaws.

“Do you even know which one of us it is that you’ve been pining after for so long?” The cold, maniacal laugh of Raze as he was today resounded in her mind. And then his presence was gone from her thoughts as abruptly as they had entered. She had successfully jumped out of the system. She was free.

Emryc said nothing for a long time. He felt weak, and he felt sick. It was as if multiple limbs had been taken off at once. The Force didn’t respond to him the same. He didn’t look at Tiamat. He knew she saved him. She chose him. He had never been that vulnerable before. How much had she seen?

“He will destroy everything…” Emryc said barely above a whisper.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

The woman was numb as she replayed the last shared memory in her head as she sat beside Emryc. She had remembered that evening well, it was important; it was a step into who she would later become, the risks she would take to be vulnerable to him, to show how much she cared and even deeply loved him. However, in this case to know who was there also, who really did want her made her feel in a way, disgusted even violated. Her own stomach churned in protest as her lessons from him were beginning to grow doubts, questioning their purpose and their consequence as now they both had witness with the freedom of Raze. The half sephi once told her he didn't like to domesticate that which is wild, and yet, he did it to himself, the emotions and attachment in which he saw as weakness became so rigid, it had bind into the form of the demon that now roamed freely.

She looked at Emryc when he spoke, she hardly recognized his words, his tone hallow, perhaps even despair.

"Yes, he will." she agreed, her own tone flat, matter-of-fact, "He will make sure the galaxy knows not only his pain, but your pain also." she told him. She now didn't feel so guilty for all her emotional outbursts, she could trust both Lyra and Tiamat at this point to shield her from pain, but to also feel all there was to offer in the galaxy.

"Even so, you will return to your family, to your duties, not because you can, but because you must. Jaikus and the children will have questions, they will look to you guide them in survival and teach them the lessons of your shortfalls." the woman continued, her own tone surprised her with the bit of sharpness at the end of her sentence. She was doing her best to hold herself together in all of this, her own path questionable, her innate response to disappear into the galaxy seemed to call stronger than before. However, she knew much involved creating and accepting a new reality with everything that had transpired.

@Sreeya

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc exhaled softly, “He does not feel pain anymore,” He said, “He stopped a long time ago," Now she knew exactly when.

He remained silent as Tiamat told him what he needed to do. He rubbed his head and exhaled again, still reeling from being torn from the half of him he had known since he was a toddler. He felt vastly alone, and for the first time ever, it bothered him. A part of him wanted to kill her. She had seen too much. He despised anyone being inside his mind, and he had obtained the Kravos holocron to seal it off. Now Tiamat caught a glimpse and he had no idea what she had seen.

“What will you do?” He asked after a long moment, having to actively think about keeping his face impassive. It was more difficult now without Raze’s methodical presence always lingering in some form.

@GABA

 

[Darth Tiamat]

Tia knew the exact moment and her body stiffened briefly as she watched the memory replay in her mind's eye. It was getting hard to stop the questions, an anxiety building as to how much was intentional, how much did he know the part she happened to love was the one he despised. Did he know, that night would do more damage than the physical lashings he would give himself to contain Raze. She thought she would feel more surprise by this, all the times he had reassured he wouldn't come to her just because he needed something for himself.

She had walked right in, offered herself, he didn't need to ask, or demand. Instead, she was taught it was weakness, and every scar on her back showed for it, a love she held that in the end was untouchable.

Emryc asked her what she was going to do and she really did not have an answer. She tilted her head back, letting it rest against the wall, "I'll have to leave soon, maybe stop at home first." though Emryc had know Tiamat long enough that to leave soon meant she was feeling fleeting again. She rolled her head along the wall until she turned her blue and gold eyes to him, studying him in silence as she tried to decide if she wanted to know more, but even if he willingly gave her his side, his explanation, she was uncertain if anything right then would make her feel better.

She closed her mouth and leaned forward, pulling her knees to her forehead resting, or hiding, she wasn't sure of the difference currently, "That is all I will do now, go home."

@Sreeya