Death and Transfiguration

[Demiurge]

The Odyssey
Private Chambers
Hyperspace
Galactic Time Unknown
​

The time had come. His time... had come. The Jedi were disorientated. The Galactic Alliance was in shambles. The Mandalorians were fractured to their core. And the Chiss were one with his Imperium. Now, was the time to act. His greatest triumph was at hand, the culmination of the Sith's timeless struggle - unending war against the Jedi and their supporters. As their powers were drained from endless strife and instability, he'd strike, luring them into war. It was his obsession... it was his life. All his plans were unfolding as he had designed them - and now, a new chapter would begin. The Imperium was whole, but to be united and rally both them and their allies, the Imperium and the Sith would need a face to look to, a living symbol to rally behind, beyond the faceless mask he wore. And with his vision to spread the wealth of the Sith to all worlds, it was needed all the more so. And so to do this, the Dark Lord of the Sith, the Galactic Emperor... would likewise need to, yet again, evolve.

His chambers were dimly lit, with a great majority of the light seeping through the open door leading corridor, where the light of the hyperspace dimension shined through, emanating a blue aura. From Ziost, Exodeus had laid his Sith apprentice, Andraste, onto the large bed in his chambers. Of course, the entire ship was empty; it was the Odyssey, one of the many transport ships he took from time to time. The light creeping into the room from the hallway shined on Andraste's nude body, as only the sheets of his bed partially covered and concealed her, betraying the image of the dried, withered corpses around the bed, with armor also decayed and cracked. She was heavily injured at the time of his bringing her on board, as was he, too. At all times, he would be dispatched with minimal crew of five from his Royal Guard... and for the first time, they were required by him.

Siphoning the life from them and feeding from the agony and death incurred upon them, the Dark Lord healed both himself and his apprentice through Dark Healing. It was strange... never before had he ever healed another. Not even once. It was unusual. He felt her every wound, as it closed and healed - every injury on her body as if they were open gashes in his. Perhaps it was normal, a penalty of the Dark Side for restoring life to another... perhaps it stemmed from the Force bond they shared, chaining their lives together. Regardless of it, she'd been restored, her body now only recovering from the exhaustion wrought upon her from their earlier... experience. And alone, standing in the dark, away from the light, stood Exodeus, fully clad in his armor. The time for change had arrived, and he was prepared to make the necessary steps. By the Force, a series of lights had begun to light up near the ceiling of the room, brightening that area, although it was still barely enough to be called visible.

Exodeus stared at the scrolls opened around him, the Sith runes written in his own blood, and drawn upon the ground. It was an arcane ritual of the Dark Side of the Force, as ancient as it was effective. So old was it, it even required incantations, the black speech of the original Sith. At first, only Exodeus' hands were bare, having cut his hands to write in blood. However, now, the Dark Lord began pulling his armor off, opening the seals and stepping out of what was once his only means of life. It was still a strange feeling, being out of his armor. And yet, this was the second time within mere hours of the earlier - he'd never done so more than once every great while. The weightlessness of his body was almost nostalgic, reminding him of the time when he walked upon the most toxic of worlds, withstood the tests of might, valor and death. Every scar taught a lesson, every wound was a memory of the life, reaffirming him that his way was right. And now... it would be lost, for his dream to live and thrive... and he knew... he would become greater for it.

Closing his eyes, Exodeus spoke aloud in a low voice, yet one that echoed throughout the entire chamber and lingered, as if his voice were ubiquitous and everlasting.

::Su Kraujas Ir Skeletas Sau Reiklauti Tave Patamsis::
​

A cold chill stormed throughout the chamber as if a vacuum had stolen all warmth within. Despite the light, the space around Exodeus grew dark, as if something were growing there around him, as if something were alive.

::Su Mirtis Ir Prazutis Sau Iezkon Tave Irus::
​

The Force ruptured around Exodeus as the scrolls around him levitated and vibrated, shattering and tearing themselves up asunder. The Dark Lord then began to levitate himself as if through transvection, rising up as if another Force were lifting him.

::Nosleti Sau'm Is Seselis Ir Fasona Mano Mesinis Xratonas Kia Tave Sesie::
​

Instantly, the Sith runes on the ground, written in Exodeus' own blood ignited into flames, burning in the symbols written, but were not being consumed. As the blood burned, the fires turned black, yet were glowing with the light of a white star.

::Fasona Kurah Tave Chark Jin'karh Tave Vaizdas Iv Edoui Thoials Ziurti::
​

Exodeus' eyes shot open, as his irises burned redder than the eyes of a laigerk's. Steam came forth out of his mouth, as if from heat, but fell down and around his body, like the coldest of mists. Exodeus' voice now resonated as the Force distorted all that was around him, and pain began to surge into his body.

:: Dabar Tapti' Kia Tave Prozu Ir Pro Tave Patamsis Buti Mano Oisha Odai Kam Ne Manosi Rr Dekomet Sekleti Tave Jen' Garthaz Buti Kam Sau Svaja::
​

At once, all of the Dark Side energies that had been permeating and lurking about the Dark Lord had struck, tearing through his body as if he were flesh to be slaughtered. And although Exodeus teeth had been clinched, the Dark Lord grunted as he struggled against the excruciating pain. The Force - the Dark Side - was changing him, altering him and his body at the molecular level. And Exodeus felt every shift, every change, as his body cracked and shattered, only to be reforged. The Force blazed around him as the black fires spread about, engulfing him and only intensifying his pain until he was blinded by it as he fed upon it... drew the strength to survive from it.

After moments that seemed like an eternity, the Force detonated around him in a "soft" shockwave, as the Dark Lord's body dropped down to the ground, landing on his knee and fist. Smoke rose off of his skin as he gasped from the pain, which was finally subsiding. Slowly, Exodeus rose up, stretching his neck up, cracking it. And finally, as he lowered his head, he lifted his arm, and gazed upon his hand.... the hand - the body... of a Human.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste awoke with a start, her heart beating fast. Sweat lined her body, and she felt as if she had awoken from a nightmare. Had it all been real? She looked down at her bare skin, wondering where the wounds went. She did not feel a throbbing pain coursing all throughout her body, and for a moment she concluded that it had all been a hellish nightmare. Andraste sat up and closed her eyes, tilting her head to rest it against the wall behind her. She breathed deeply, her mind still slightly foggy. The memories rushed back into her thoughts, but she quelled them, locking them off for now. Andraste barely had a moment to calm down when an irritating humming dragged her out of her reverie. She looked to the side and her face betrayed her confusion at a droid wandering around the bed and picking things up off the floor. The droid turned to her at once.

“Ah! Master Andraste I see you are finally awake!”

Without pause, the droid went right back to its obnoxious off key humming, looking far too happy to be doing whatever it was. Andraste simply gawked at the droid for a moment before her eyes widened in surprise. It was a droid she had known since she was a child.

“A..ATLAS?”

The droid turned and bowed dramatically.

“At your service, madame!”

“Wh-Where am I..and what are you doing?”

“I am, in fact, disposing of these decaying corpses that are hindering the aesthetic qualities of this ship.”

Andraste crawled over to the edge of the bed and saw that the droid was piling up dead bodies. He looked utterly thrilled to be tasked with this, whistling and humming while rolling the pile out of the room. He would eventually jettison them out into space first chance he got. Andraste sighed and rubbed her head.

“Why am I here, ATLAS?”

“Master Exodeus brought you here.”

“And where are we?”

“In hyperspace! We are past beacon-”

Andraste groaned in frustration. She looked around for clothing and failed to find anything. Her dress had been torn apart. She wrapped a sheet around herself and moved till she sat on the edge of the bed. The fact that Exodeus was nearby bothered her quite a bit, but she knew he was her only ticket back to Korriban at this point. ATLAS finished removing the bodies from the room and wandered around aimlessly talking to himself. Andraste stared at him for a moment before speaking.

“Where is he?”

“I do not know. That medical droid is always so difficult to keep tr-“

“No, where is Exodeus?”

“Oh! Why I do believe he’s outside of his chambers performing some complicated chemical experimentation upon himself. I daresay it looked rather painful.”

Andraste looked at him in confusion before sighing. He was lost in his own mutterings again, now babbling about Sith and self harm and the psychological needs for it. Andraste slowly walked past him, leaving him talking to a wall. She wrapped the sheets around herself, anger boiling inside her. Andraste had no desire to leave the planet, and now she had woken up inside a ship in hyperspace. Her bare feet padded down the cold floors of the hall as she attempted to find Exodeus to demand to be dropped off on a planet.

 

[Demiurge]

Exodeus curled his hand into a fist as he saw hair on his arm, a sight he hadn't witnessed since he was a young man - a nere boy. Although it was over, and the storm had passed, it still felt as if there were a fire in his bones, a burning sensation beneath his skin. Examining his arm, the Dark Lord's eyes narrowed as he noticed something... something that should no longer have been there. Without another wasted moment, Exodeus stared over to his other arm, and to his chest and body. It was significantly diminished, but a great deal of them still remained; scars. Scars from battle, scars from slavery... even scars from self-affliction. His most important markings, the ones he knew and identified with, still remained.

Contemplating, the Dark Lord made his way over to a metallic wall, one that reflected against the light of the hyperspace dimension around the ship, and stared at his reflection... and saw who he was now. What he was now. Not the monster baptized by fire, not the Human mortal and weak. He was now something inbetween. His most important scars endured even the transfiguration process, as did his eyes; the jet black corneas and the fiery red irises still burned. Yet now, hair grew from the lifeless roots of his body. His skin had now produced melanin, giving him a darker tone than his former pale skin. As he felt around in his mouth, he felt his rounded tongue against his teeth, which were also now Human-esque, save for his canine teeth, which still protruded outward greater than normal. Nevertheless, his towering size remained.

The process was imperfect, partial, but still enough that it fulfilled his objective. After all, Exodeus was not a Sorcerer or a venerated Alchemist, he knew aspects of such things, but not to the degree of a devout practitioner. Then again, perhaps so many traits remained out of the simple fact that he did not truly wish to be rid of the, to have them done away with. Regardless of whichever it was, the Dark Lord was now what he needed to be, and in line with his purpose, that was all that mattered. He needed to properly examine himself however, and for that, he needed to go to the medical bridge and have his new biology scanned. Glancing over as he walked, the Dark Lord noticed his armor lying on the floor, but decided to leave it. After all, the scans went best without clothing, let alone metal plating. Without a look, the Dark Lord waved his hand, telekinetically opening the door into the corridor, when right as he turned, his eyes widened slightly with surprise as right in front of him, as he was exiting into the corridor, was none other than Andraste.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste’s thoughts were far from the current situation at hand. She did not understand why Exodeus had taken her away from the planet. Fear trickled up her spine, dispersing out throughout the rest of her body. She folded the sheets onto herself, knowing that she looked slightly ridiculous. However, she knew it would be impossible to find any clothing aboard the ship. The cold metallic chill traveled up her body, all the way down from the soles of her feet. She glanced all around her, not picking up on his presence in particular. Oddly enough, she felt his aura all around her, looming above every corridor and room. His presence resided all around the ship, making her slightly uncomfortable.

The ship felt eerily quiet without ATLAS around to hum and make a fuss about one thing or another. Andraste continued walking, her body shivering from the cold. Goosebumps lined her exposed her arms and she hugged her body, slowly making her way down the path ATLAS had instructed. As she reached near the corridor, the door abruptly whizzed open of its own accord. Andraste looked up in confusion and her eyes widened. Her cheeks heated up immediately at the sight of some strange man spotting her in her state of clothing. She jumped back and cried out in surprise. She did not glance at him fully, only working out that it was a random human male. She decided that he was someone that worked under Exodeus.

However, the sight of him angered her. It was as if it were his fault for appearing on the scene when she was dressed like this. Without a thought, Andraste called upon the Force to send a powerful blast of it right at the center of his torso. It would be hard enough to send him sailing down the corridor. Of course, that would work on an ordinary individual. At the moment she had no idea who she stood across from. Meanwhile, ATLAS zoomed into view behind her.

"What's all the commotion?!"

Andraste's eyes remained wide as she turned to him. ATLAS stared ahead, his tone one of pure glee.

"Ah, a most convincing disguise, master!"

"...what?"

 

[Demiurge]

Exodeus' eyes leveled from his initial surprise as Andraste blushed and jumped back, crying out as if she were being attacked. Unnecessarily screaming, loud commotions. While it was true that noise such as that were one of the few things that truly irritated him, that was not what had been occupying his mind and thoughts, however. What had concerned him, was the fact that of all people in the galaxy, he didn't sense her. It was as if she had slipped past his senses, like water passing by a stone. Or perhaps still... he had been sensing her all along without realizing it. He didn't know, and that alone warranted his attention.

His thoughts were cut short as Exodeus' eyes narrowed in response, as Andraste sent a telekinetic impulse of menial caliber through the Force and directed at him. Raising his hand, Exodeus created a metaphysical barrier over his body through Force Deflection. The Force attack blew past him, which his body almost cutting through it as a blade, like one would brace the wind. Glancing over, the Dark Lord saw "him" again, out of his quarters as usual.

ATLAS

He felt his mouth curl downwards for the briefest of moments. Regardless of his work, that droid was as much a nuisance and annoyance as he was a benefit. As Andraste turned around, Exodeus called upon the Force to hasten him, quicken his pace to that of a flash, moving as blur and coming within mere inches of Andraste in what was but a fraction of a moment. Staring down at her, Exodeus grabbed the hand she had extended toward him to push him, and pulled it to the side, turning her around to him and forcing them closer together as he gazed directly into her eyes, allowing her to *see past* the mask he had built, as he began speaking to her both vocally and through the Force.

"::Calm yourself down, woman::"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste simply gawked at ATLAS, unsure of what he meant. She was too confused by his words to notice Exodeus easily maneuvering the push aside. Andraste turned right in time to gasp in surprise as he was suddenly upon her. He had grabbed her hand and yanked her close. She felt her face mere inches away from his and she began to struggle, appalled at the nerve this man had to handle her like this. However, that was when his voice reverberated within her mind. She finally faced him again, her struggling ceasing. Andraste looked into his eyes, her eyes widening. They were the same eyes, and suddenly she noticed he was the same height. However, the feel of his skin was dramatically different.

Without thinking, Andraste looked down at his hand, the one clutched around hers. She used her other hand to run the tips of her fingers along his forearm, completely in awe at how human he felt. Andraste could say nothing for a moment, still in shock at the realization that this was Exodeus. His Force energy was unmistakable, and the glare he cast her way was one she was far too used to not to recognize. Andraste slowly looked into his eyes again, blinking in confusion. She spoke barely above a whisper.

“..But…since when do you know alchemy....”

She bit her lip as soon as she said the words. Andraste looked down quickly, half expecting him to slap her across the corridor. Meanwhile, ATLAS was helpful as usual, intruding in on their space to cheerily address them.

“Shall I bring forth some refreshments?”

 

[Demiurge]

As if through reflex and habit, Exodeus immediately drew his had back and sent it firmly toward Andraste's face. It was like an impulse that stirred within him when he sensed insolence, from her, something he would never thing twice about. However, something happened. As his backhand came to the halfway mark to slapping her, the Dark Lord's hand stopped abruptly. It was a feeling he'd never once contended with before, never faced. Exodeus... hesitated. And stopped. Curling his hand into a tight fist, the Dark Lord lowered his hand back down and turned to the side, staring down the hall leading to the medical bridge.

"I've known, ever since I was taken by him... Darth Judicar."

In that brief moment, Exodeus recalled his secret facility, where he would conduct biological experiments with Sith alchemy... the creatures he made, that even now still rest there... for all intents and purposes, abandoned. Suddenly, Exodeus' glare broke away as ATLAS interrupted again. For a droid, he had an uncannily sentient habit of intruding where he wasn't wanted. A moment later, however, Exodeus returned his sights to Andraste, as he released her hand.

"Follow me."

Without betraying any emotion in his face or body, Exodeus turned and walked back down the hall, stopping after a few steps.

"ATLAS, make yourself useful... bring my armor to the medical bridge."

"Ah! Of course, right away master! And then I'll get those refreshments!"

Exodeus merely groaned and walked away, and down the corridor, entered into a medical lab. Several droids were already in position, and as he entered the room, their programming kicked in, as they began to start up the scanning mechanisms while Exodeus walked into a ray shielded chamber, while various beams and scanners examined his body. Without looking towards her, Exodeus acknowledged Andraste's presence, and sensed her wanting.

"You have questions now... so ask them."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste flinched as she expected the attack. However, when it did not come, she was left paralyzed. She exhaled, as if having been holding her breath. Andraste was taken out of her thoughts when ATLAS intervened. As Exodeus asked her to follow, she did so obediently. Her mind drifted back to his hesitation earlier. He had reveled in harming her and had done so at any given moment. However, something had held him back, and she simply did not understand what.

She watched the scanners and beams examine his body, and she was surprised to find herself amidst all this. Exodeus had always been a very private individual, and he seemed oddly relaxed around her. She said nothing, simply observing everything with wonder. When he turned around and spoke, she almost did not know what to say. She stood tense for a moment, saying nothing. Andraste pulled up the sheets tighter around herself and sat down on a table.

"First... why the changes? Why are you wearing a mask? Why am I here? Where are we going?"

She glanced down at herself.

"And where can I get some clothing?"

Andraste felt a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. She gazed upon his features.

"...You've changed.. beyond the physicalities. Are you being kind to me before you finally destroy me?"

She looked down at the ground, her smile fading. It was probably true. She could never understand him, even though she had known him since she was a child. Today would be no different.

 

[Demiurge]

For so long... so many years, Exodeus had been encased in armor; both of metal, mind, and flesh. His callous skin had hardened him, made him strong, enduring. It made him who he was. But now, it was different. He could feel the warmth on his skin, the heat and light around him. Since his earliest memories, he'd never felt anything like it. Even if artificial, it felt foreign to him... exotic. He almost failed to hear even Andraste's voice.

"Change..."

Exodeus dwelt on the word for a moment, musingly.

"I change, because it is my nature. I adapt to thrive, and I evolve to fulfill my purpose. This mask I wear?"

Exodeus discretely touched his face, still unfamiliar to him, and then pulled his hand away, staring at it briefly.

"It's but an instrument of my purpose, merely a means to an end. I am bringing the Imperium into a new era - my era. There is much to be done..."

Exodeus then turned his face to Andraste's, staring daggers into her eyes yet again.

"As you'll soon see."

"Examination of biological entity obstructed; procedure at 54%."

The Dark Lord twisted his head toward the medical droid, knowing what was meant. Without deviating his sight, Exodeus brought his hands to his waist and unfastened the strides around his lower body.

"You're here now because I have brought you here... you needn't concern yourself beyond that. Nor with our destination."

The Dark Lord then turned over to look at Andraste.

"As for your attire... what you have will suffice."

At that, Exodeus allowed his strides to fall to the ground, stepping out from them as he stood naked in the examination chamber, allowing the scanning to continue. Upon hearing her last comment, Exodeus remained silent. Was he being kind to her? Or was it simply the absence of his ordinarily hostile temper and lashing out? And even more so... how much had he changed? Was it beneath the surface? Strangely, the Dark Lord couldn't turn to look her in the eye for the duration, instead choosing to stare off at the random consoles in the medlab.

"Call it... an experiment."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste sighed at his vague answers. It irked her whenever he treated her like a child, always telling her she did not need to know his plans or where they were going. However, she held her tongue, watching him. Why was he indulging her with answers at all? It wasn't like him to invite her to ask questions to begin with. Andraste heard the medical droid's proclamation, unsure of what it meant. However, a moment later Exodeus casually rid himself of all clothing. Andraste's eyes widened and she quickly looked away, her face growing intensely hot and her cheeks reddening furiously. She found it unbelievable that he cared so little about his state of clothing around her. Andraste kept her eyes on the ground, searing holes into the floor.

"I think you're a bit spooky like this.."

She couldn't believe how casually she was addressing him. Normally their meetings consisted of philosophical disagreements followed by copious amounts of physical violence. And now here she was, struggling to hold up a sheet dress as he wandered about the medical bay wearing nothing. She couldn't help but steal a glance or two, marveling at how well his new skin lined over his unnaturally scarred body.

"I'd like to return to Korriban."

She spoke without thinking, her thoughts immediately going back to Silas. Andraste missed him deeply, and suddenly she was filled with warm thoughts of being in his arms. He had made her so happy, and she always smi- Andraste outwardly almost choked, coughing and looking up with terror in her eyes. She had allowed her mind to drift. She had forgotten who she was in the presence of. Andraste quickly hopped down from the table, attempting to calm down her erratic breathing.

"I-I have to go to back to the sleeping quarters for a moment. Please excuse me."

 

[Demiurge]

It was a surge between, a splinter of her mind's eye that he couldn't ignore. As Andraste spoke of her desire to return to Korriban, Exodeus' mind flared, sensing her sense of longing and attachment. Like a wayward stream, her thoughts drifted out from her mind, resonating around his own. It was an undeniable thing he sensed, unmistakable. And by the time she'd choked and jumped off the medical table, the Dark Lord extended his arm into the ray shield surrounding him, draining the energy field so rapidly the columns emitting them crushed under the strain, imploding.

"No... No, I don't think you will."

At that, Exodeus slowly turned around, facing Andraste with his unchanged crimson eyes, glowing dimly like embers. With the field down, the Dark Lord began a slow walk toward her, never breaking his sight on her. Yet, as he spoke, his voice never faltered, instead remained calm and leveled.

"What are you hiding... Andraste? Who is that, in your mind? ...Show me."

After that, even without awaiting her response, Exodeus repeated his demand. His eyes bored into hers as approached her, with the Dark Side altering and distorting his voice as he spoke aloud and into her mind.

"::Show Me::"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste winced as he spoke. She knew she had been caught. Nothing ever flew under the radar for him. She bit her lip, looking away. His voice was chilling, and his actions showed that he was quick to anger. Andraste did not have the courage to gaze into his eyes. She slowly began to back away, inching towards the exit.

“N-No one…it’s nothing..”

Her voice was faltering. He had uttered her name for the first time, and it only further conveyed his rage. Andraste quelled all thoughts of Silas, shredding them apart and tucking them away into the bowels of her psyche. She attempted to hide every last trace of it, her heartbeat giving her away. When Exodeus approached her and asked again, she flinched, cold sweat forming on her skin.

“I was thinking about..about flowers. The ones I like to craft from the sand. The glass flowers..”

She was channeling her thoughts differently. Her mind was filled with actual thoughts of the craft, the part of her mind that invoked similar feelings of joy. Andraste hoped against hope that he wouldn’t be able to differenciate between the two.

 

[Demiurge]

It was an impulse, a reaction. Andraste's thoughts became buried, torn asunder as she further concealed the secrets of her psyche from him. But that wasn't what evoked his reaction. Narrowing his eyes, partially in disbelief out of the embarrassingly shallow lie she threw at him, and partially out of agitation, stemming from her deceit against him... that alone enraged him beyond compare.

It took everything he had to restrain himself. It was like fire shut up in his bones, wailing and howling to be released from constraint. With haste, Andraste had thrown up surface thoughts, filtering together emotions stemming from the faux thoughts and the emotions attached to the true ones. Within mere moments, Exodeus was upon her, standing inches away and staring down as her as she turned aside. Without a hint of hesitation, the Dark Lord waved his hand, using the Force to lock the door as he then brought his hand to the side of Andraste's face, pulling it around to face his.

"::I Said...::"

Exodeus' eyes then began to illuminate slightly more, pulsating like the breath of a flame. His eyes locked into hers, as if he were not simply seeing her, but seeing into her.

"::Show Me::"

As his hand made contact with her skin, Exodeus drew his face closer as his will began to seethe around her, reaching into her mind like poison seeping into the air around her. It was as if hands were reaching and extending around her, searching for a way inside, oppressing her as they would erode the walls of her deepest thoughts, penetrating and revealing them.

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste struggled against him, but she knew it was useless. She squirmed in his hold, his hand forcing her to face him. She was locked in place, his eyes bearing into hers. She felt a cold chill run down her spine. Andraste heard his voice again, demanding that she show him. His voice was much closer now, delving into her mind. Andraste closed her eyes and attempted to shut him out, but it was to no avail.

His thoughts crept into her mind like dark vines, constricting and creeping into her psyche. Every wall was breached, every guard knocked aside. The intrusion happened till they were both drawn away from the physical plane, and into another level of existence. It was a dark valley, one constructed of emotions, of the darkest imprints of her mind. It was a vortex, a spiraling void that existed within her mind.

Within the vortex was a small world, crafted of abstract images. There were flowers, lots of flowers. The images were so vivid that he would be able to smell the flowers, feel the gentle petals brush against his skin. There was sorrow, a reverberating pain that would strike him to the core. Her voice echoed in the distance, her words blending together. The world was a mesh of colors, of bright imagery that conveyed joy. His mind would delve past that, breaking through the colors, through the superficial surface.

There was passion underneath. There was fire, the flames very much alive. The heat was intense, the flames licking at his sides, giving him the sense of being in the deepest pits of hell. But it was fires of passion, of seduction, of a chaotic lust that was unchained. He would see himself there, a mirror image of himself. He governed this aspect of her mind, his presence daunting. However, he wouldn’t be the only imprint there.

As he delved in more, there were more vivid images. Images of movement. These were subtle, only coming in glimpses. They were images of a hand brushing against a stomach, of fingertips sliding across feminine thighs, the echo of soft laughter, the shuddering gasps of pleasure. It would be obvious that this was Andraste, her voice instantly recognizable. The images became slightly clearer, and there was the faded presence of a man. His energy entwined with Andraste’s, and the image was like a wispy cloud, unclear but enough to give away what was going on in the picture. As the image got more and more clear, there was a sudden interruption.

The entire canvas of imagery was torn apart abruptly, clawed to bits. There was the phantom within her mind, rearing its head as it took note of the intruder within its lair. The monster gave out a shrill cry, ripping everything in its path and making its way towards the intruder, hellbent on fiercely pushing him out. The entire world within her mind began to go black, the spiraling void forcing Exodeus out of her mind. It was a constant battle, as she was not powerful enough to expel him entirely.

Outwardly, Andraste let out a loud screech, physically shoving Exodeus back. It was an offensive wave of the Force, enough to go past him and shatter every piece of medical equipment behind him in a concussive blast. Her eyes glowed white, anger coursing through her veins. It was anger at having her deepest thoughts violated, rage at his attempt to defile her most treasured memories. She felt the Force surge through her, electricity running through her fingers.

“STAY THE HELL OUT!”

Her voice projected vocally and through the Force.

“MY THOUGHTS ARE MY OWN!”

 

[Demiurge]

It was as if he had slipped into another dimension, the abstracts of her mind. The thoughts were as strands, spiraling and sewn together as they formed and solidified into images, canvases of intimacy, sensuality, and passion. And Exodeus cut through them like a blade, carving his way across the scenarios until they rested in the tempest of his mind.

His mind's eye remained ever vigilant, undeterred by the mental scene around him. His lips remained pressed together, though behind their shroud, his teeth grinded against each other. His foreheard's brow creased in anger as Exodeus kept his physical eyes on Andraste's as the entity he'd first witnessed so many years ago had returned once more, ripping the memory of her past apart. As Andraste's inner demon came to the fore, it repels him, her will against his.

And as Andraste screeched, she reached out against him, shoving him - but he remained firm, unmovable as if he dictated the world around him. Her voice tore apart the fabrics around them, decimating the structure of the room. Retracting his lips to reveal his now Human teeth, and larger than natural canine teeth, Exodeus beared his teeth toward his first student.

"::THE ONLY ONE WHO OWNS YOUR THOUGHTS IS ME::"

Exodeus braced her hand with his while still touching her face, drawing closer and practically daring her to stop him.

"::ONE MIND! ONE WILL! MY WILL::"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste’s eyes slowly began to return to their normal chocolate hues. She looked into his red eyes, anger roiling within her like a torrential storm. She knew what he had seen, and she knew how angry it would make him. However, his words only caused rage to explode inside her. They were words she had heard for as long as she could remember. Andraste closed her eyes for a moment. Silence grew between them, and appeared to resonate chillingly. It loomed like death, every passing second allowing more anger to grow. She finally spoke, venom dripping from her voice.

“Exodeus.”

She did not look at him.

“I am not yours to command. You are not my creator. My creators are those innocent human beings you destroyed twelve years ago. My creators were left in a pool of their own blood when you came to me as a shadow and instilled into me lies and false promises. You led me down a path, knowing I could never turn away from it. Knowing it would corrupt me, destroy me, just like it has you. You chose me. Out of anyone you could have taken as your apprentice, you chose me. You thrived in my insanity, you allowed me to descend downwards into chaos, you reveled in my destruction.”

Andraste finally looked up at him, her expression cold and rigid.

“You have tried for many years to forge me into a monster. But it will not happen. You can’t mold me like clay. Do you know why? Because I am human. There are complexities within me that you can never understand. You wear this mask now, you have human skin..but you are still the hollow shell you always have been.”

She knew she was walking on thin ice. She knew she would infuriate him. However, Andraste did not back off, pressing on with her words. Her eyes directly gazed into his.

“I hurt, I find happiness and I…I love. You don’t understand any of these things. You are a cold machine, and you are trying to turn a human into a machine. You have beaten me and hurt me countless times, and yet after so long..I am still Andraste. I am not Exodeus. I am not you and I never will be you. I will never be anything like you. I am me and I will forever be me. I will die as I was born. As Andraste.”

Andraste sighed, looking away again.

“You can’t understand anything beyond war and destruction. You can’t understand life. You can’t see beyond a linear path. You are a slave to your fate, a puppet to your destiny. Tell me..”

She grasped his arm then, abruptly tugging him closer till his face was inches away from hers.

“Why can’t you let me go? Why haven’t you destroyed me? Don’t you see it? I have failed as your apprentice. I have failed as your experiment, as your puppet, as your toy. I have done nothing but destroy your visions of me, I have done nothing but deviate from any path you’ve set me on. Tell me, then, why do you continue to seek me out? Why do you want to control my thoughts, my life, my desires? Why do you want to grip onto me with a binding hold and never let me venture out of this little circle you’ve drawn for me? Why..why do you want me to be yours when after twelve years I still haven’t learned your name?”

Andraste’s anger gave away to something else now. It was sorrow mixed with frustration.

“I would rather you killed me than live this cursed life where you poison my thoughts and torture me into becoming a weapon for you to use.”

 

[Demiurge]

As Andraste's presence in the Force calmed, like the eye of a violent storm. And though her power subsided, her body radiated in anger, seething with wrath, matched only by his. But what he felt now, wasn't simply anger, as it had been before. There was something else... It was something else.

"I've told you before, Andraste... that you are mine, whether you realize it or not. That I created what you are now, whether you accept it or not. Those people who died that day were but the incubators of the shell that was there before you. And like any apparatus, they were disposed of when the time came for you to truly be born... or perhaps, reborn. I led you down the path of truth and revelation, and nothing more. But while you were forged from disaster, I did not choose you for the lucid madness you chose to embrace to escape what you were. By choice, you drank from the goblet of chaos."

Exodeus then brought his face directly over Andraste's, so that he was staring down at her... into her.

"What you've become, you know already - and yet you deny it even now... even as you hold it's leash and dispatch it as a guardian. You control it, you've molded it... as I've molded you. Perhaps once, you were Human... but now, this skin, this flesh... it is but a mask, hiding the creature within. But I? I have never been Human, nor do I delude myself in wishing to be such a frail beast of burden. Like this mask I now wear... it is all vain, shadows of the flesh and bone."

"You hurt? Feel pain, feel love... happiness... and you speak of these things as if they are an extraordinary I sought to scour from you. A cold machine, I am. But you... that was never your destiny. Not all weapons are forged from metal. Some are baptized by fire. Tempered by trial and borne of emotion. For some things must be broken before they can be whole... just as you were broken Some things must be deafened before they can hear, blinded before they can see. It was never your destiny to be as I am, to be what I am. You, Andraste... your destiny lies distinct, and it will be your fate that determines who you are; Andraste... or something apart."

At that, Exodeus brought his hand that was grasping Andraste's hand, and brought it around to her back, firmly placing her face so close to his, he could feel her breath, the warmth of her face and body.

"Is that it? Do you truly believed you have failed me? That you are merely an experiment or a pawn. No... no, you are far more than that. I refuse to let you go, because when I see into you, I see greatness untapped, unrealized potential. I see more than a vision, more than a dream. I see... the woman who can change the face of the galaxy, and the galaxy would be better for it. I could no more destroy you than I could myself... for as I live, so will I ensure the life you hold. Every step you've taken, I've allowed, for in order for you to grow, you must be released, set free to mature and manifest in the natural way of things... to evolve. I seek you out, because there exists no other path than the one to wrought by you."

"I seek your thoughts and all that you are, because you breath as I do in that you are bonded to me... and I to you. Your life is all that I value in this galaxy... it is a precious existence to me, to which you cannot begin to fathom. And it is because of this I keep you in my sights, within my grasp."

At that Exodeus brought his head to Andraste's, letting his forehead rest on hers as their faces skirted a hair's edge near each other.

"And if you wish to know me... if you wish to know who I am... who I was... then you needn't do anything but ask it. If you truly wish to know me, then see me. See me through the eyes of one who is now lost. See it through the eyes of a dead man, once alive and then reborn... See me through the eyes... of Daemon."

At that, Exodeus opened his mind to hers, letting her inside a place no one alive had ever seen. It was it all, his past, his life... his origin. Darkness overtook them both, as if they were being blinded and deafened. For a time, there was nothing, as Exodeus moved them through the barrier self inflicted on his former life until finally, the two levitated amongst a sea of toxins and poisons. Golden plasmas and radioactive fluids lacerated through the terrain, if it could be called that. A technological graveyard where countless tread, sickly and ill as illness and plagues decimated them, cursing them to miserable deaths. Skeletons infested the ground below, decaying into the disgusting environment. Countless were perishing, and even more suffering. Those that were not beaten to death out of sheer lust for death, simply succumbed, lasting only long enough curse their children to the same fate.

And Exodeus stared down at it all, like a dream of a past once left, not even looking to the side to see how Andraste reacted to what she saw. But his eyes were fixed, both in hatred and shame as he looked upon a small boy in rags. Blood was dried around his tattered clothes, and fresh scares bulged across his skin. He coughed relentlessly as the toxic fumes and wastes dominated the air he breathed. His hair had begun falling out, as if by cancer, and his skin began to shrivel as if he had rapidly aged in a short period of time, despite being a mere young child. And yet, regardless of his frailty, he stood out above the rest. Despite his form, he was stronger than the others, faster, hardier, and because of this, he was tasked with greater work than the rest, every day forcing him to the point of near-death.

"If it's the past you wish to see... then see it as it was in the beginning. Before you. Before the Sith. Before the Dark Side... A long... time... ago."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste winced slightly as he leaned in even closer, genuine fear creeping up her spine. However, his words caught her completely off guard. She looked up at him, her eyes widening as he spoke. They were honest, spoken from directly within and absent of his usual cryptic means of communicating with her. She felt as if, for the first time ever, he was speaking to her as an equal. Not beneath him, not as a child, not as a lowly acolyte. The experience was daunting, his words shaking her to the core. For a long moment, she could do nothing, numbed by the effects of his speech.

That was when she felt his forehead press against hers. She closed her eyes, his hot breath brushing against her lips as he spoke. For the first time ever, he felt alive against her instead of the cold husk of a machine. Andraste remained silent as he spoke. When he uttered his name, it seeped into her mind, forever engraved there. With his words, however, there was a connection formed, a sudden tug into the metaphysical and onto another level of existence. It was not unlike the dive into her own thoughts, but this was much more vivid.

The gaseous atmosphere around them made her eyes water, the toxic fumes setting every sensory preceptor ablaze. Her mind screamed at her to escape this horrid fantasy, and simply being in the atmosphere made her skin sting. She glanced over to the side to catch Ex- No, to catch Daemon standing next to her. He stared straight ahead, seemingly unaffected by the harsh climate. She followed his line of sight until her eyes came to rest upon a young boy amidst all this. The image vaguely reminded her of herself, but this was worse on many levels. Hair was falling away, skin seemingly singed by the acidic fumes that clung to him. However, it was unmistakable. She knew who this boy was right away. It was daunting to see him like this, and it terrified her more than seeing him as she was accustomed to.

Andraste felt the pain then, the hatred, the sorrow, all of it. It hit her all at once, and she suddenly stepped on the corpses below them. She began to panic, the dead giving off the stench of decay. There was blood everywhere, and she looked down to find that she had been clawing away at her skin. She gasped at the sight, unable to stand the climate, unable to stand the misery. She looked at the boy, and he looked back at her, and she was suddenly zooming backwards till he became smaller and smaller. He looked down and she was expelled out of the memory.

Outwardly, Andraste took in a huge gasp of air, as if she had been submerged under water. Her hands were on Exodeus’ shoulders, her fingernails digging into his skin. She breathed heavily, sweat lining her body from the vivid heat of the confines of his mind. Andraste looked down, recalling what she had seen, and what he had said earlier. She finally caught her breath, letting him go and taking a few steps back. She looked down at the ground.

“I don’t believe I can rise from being broken again. I cannot see after I am blinded.. I cannot hear after I am deafened..”

She looked at him again, her eyes brimming with tears.

“Can’t you see that I am caged? Can’t you see that you are setting me on the same path you were on? Can’t you see what it has done to you? I saw what you once were. You were forced through it. And you’ve forced me..”

Andraste continued backing away from him.

“This bond we have. It curses me..it destroys me.. I know nothing but you. I have known nothing but you. As soon as I try to deviate from it and follow my own path, this haunts me again. Yet I can’t confide in you. I can’t make you understand me. You admitted you are not a human and have no desire to embrace such feeble qualities. Well those vulnerabilities are exactly what makes humanity so worth it. It’s what makes me have the desire to live. It’s the laughter, the joy, the smiles..things you have forsaken so long ago. You say I am yours, but being yours means to forever be bound to a cold machine.. “

She sighed, looking away.

“I do not want to change the face of the galaxy. I do not want to live according to a list of plans. I want to live my own life. I have the beast within me, but I tamed it of my own accord. Not by your doing. You talked about setting me free…that involves letting me go. It involves letting me choose.”

 

[Demiurge]

As Exodeus shared his memory with Andraste, he felt her repulsion, her reaction to the conditions through her mind's eye as she felt them as they were, breathed the air, felt the pain there until there was nothing but the emotion and the anxiety flowing in waves, overwhelming her until it could consume her, and the Dark Lord buried the memory once again, stowing it away into the depths of his black soul.

Now outside of the worlds of the past, Exodeus stared expressionless as Andraste attempted to revive herself from exhaustion. In the intensity of the vision, she had wrapped her arms into his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin, blood trickling down from it. As she gasped to catch her breath, she moved away, her eyes trapped in a gaze toward the ground, until she finally spoke out to him.

"You don't believe?"

Exodeus voice rose a bit, as he drew his head to a side-slanted position, with his sights fixated upon her.

"Then perhaps it is not yourself, but life you do not understand. To be broken, shattered... these things come to pass for all. Whether they be young or old... Sith or Jedi... across the galaxy. It's what makes sentients who they are, hones them as it breaks them. A paradox of life, yet a universal truth. It is not something that is denied simply by not believing it."

"So which is it, Andraste? Are you being forced down a path you've claim to be, or are you the deviant you've proved to be? Or do you know what you are? Whichever it is, the path you walk now, or have ever walked, has never been as the one I have tread - that is something you could never withstand. But it was my destiny to walk it... not yours. Never yours."

As Exodeus spoke, he glanced about, staring at the wrecked machinery and droids, the flickering lights, all of these damaged from the lashes of Force energy that surged from them. All the while, Exodeus thought about the Bond between them, that chained them together, and mused that for possibly the first time... they agreed on one thing.

"Curse... it too kind a word. The thought of you pervades my mind. You are there, no matter where I turn to look away until I cannot, what with all my power, force you out. This bond between us... defiles me. It is more than an affliction, it is a... a bane. It weakens me in ways even you cannot understand, just as poison does to the flesh."

Exodeus mind then drifted, to a time long ago, back when he first realized he was linked to her. How he frantically sought out sorcery and arcane arts, knowledge of how to break it, to free himself, only to find that such things could never be broken. Even the closest thing, when the bond is strained to near non-existence, all that is left is a hole which cannot be filled by anything else. It was part of what fueled his hatred toward her, his spite directed - sometimes inexplicably - at her. She made him... vulnerable. Weak. She took away his immortality, his invulnerability. And in the end, he came to hate and despise her... because he had come to develop something for her. Although it was something he still denied, even now.

"I am not a Human... not in the spiritual sense of the word, and I reject it because of the failings of its fruitage. What has it wrought? Corruption, greed, disdain and impotence. Joy? Laughter? Humanity isn't needed for such. It is not the... wretchedness of vulnerability that spurs the will to live."

Although he hid it from his face, the word merited special resonance in his mouth, as if left his tongue like poison.

"That monster which you shun, yet embrace... has never been mine to control - but is yours. It is you, the other side - only you can wield it. Master it. But as for you, your destiny... your fate? It can hardly be avoided. If the past has revealed anything, it is that you cannot avoid what must come to pass. Live life as you choose, live it as chosen by others - it matters not. Fate... shall always intervene."

"What is your choice, Andraste? There is no freedom in this life... not for you or I - for any of us. Will you embrace destiny's path? Or shall you await for it's undeniable call? Will you seek passiveness, letting fate carve your path? Or will it drag you to wherever it leads? Many paths, many choices... but in the end, one destination. You choose, Andraste."

 

[Sreeya]

“It has not been the path you’ve tread, but it is a path you’ve forged for me regardless. Whether on purpose or not..it’s happened.”

She was afraid to go near him, afraid to gaze into his eyes. He could never understand, never. He was an otherworldly being, and she was a diminutive human, so miniscule next to his god-like stature. He was always an imposing figure, whether by his physical appearance or his commanding voice. Next to that, she was a frail mouse, despite all her inner strengths. Andraste looked up at last as he seemingly agreed with how much of a curse their bond was. She had never paused to think that it had affected him as well. Had he truly been craving her for so long as she had him? Had he been twisted and tortured by this as she had? Andraste could see the hints of pain, though they were fleeting.

“You cannot accept the good without the bad. If you are to embrace the good of humanity, you must welcome the negative connotations associated with it. Human nature inherently breeds arrogance. You are not free of corruption, Daemon. You are not free of greed. You know I am a liability. You know I’m a problem, yet your personal desires overrule logic.“

She finally walked closer to him. She hesitated for a moment before raising a hand shakily to place it on the side of his face. It took all the courage she had to muster such a seemingly frivolous action. Andraste looked into his eyes.

”You are not free of the flaws of humanity, so why don’t you embrace the other aspects of it?”

Andraste felt the warmth of his skin under her hand.

“If we are bound, why do I have to make my choice alone?”