Ask [Flashback] Mind Tricks

[Darth Raze]

Darth Raze was reportedly unapproachable, but the reality was that he was accessible to anyone that wanted to learn. He had his specialized skills, but normally people were far too terrified to ask. That suited him just fine, because he strongly disliked others.

He was largely unconcerned with Celeste and her training since she had been assigned to Vahliri. However, Vahliri had authorized for Celeste to receive training from Raze and the Dark Lord agreed to meet her on Korriban.

The Dark Lord sat in a temple chamber, quietly meditating.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

With Vahliri as her master Celeste was steadily extending her powers and to say that the other woman was a skilled fighter and versed in all kinds of dark sided powers was an understatement. She was teaching her well, yet Celeste was specifically interested in enhancing her powers in the arts of mental manipulation and mind tricks.

The Dark Lord himself was clearly the master in this regard and thus Celeste had requested for a permission to seek him out. She had usually put her focus on mind tricks in fights, her aspirations and ambitions were high and she was steadily feeling this urge inside her grow. She wanted more, she needed more. She was thriving for more power and specifically in this area, the Dark Lord was the best fit, so with Vahliri's approval, a meeting was arranged and she was headed to Korriban.

Celeste was aware that not many Champions usually seeked out the Dark Lord and asked him for training. Yet, he had been there from the very first second when she had turned and commited herself to the Dark Side. She wasn't afraid, yet obviously tense as she set foot on the planet as the respect for the Dark Lord was just immensely high. Even though he had agreed to a meeting, it surely wasn't without risks and it had been a while since their paths had last crossed.

She approached him in her uniform, remembering well how he had forced her to strip down on Raxus, saying that she hasn't deserved wearing it back then and well, he had been right. Since then she had done everything to earn it back, not just the uniform or the banner, but the rank and obviously everything that was entailed when you called yourself a Sith.

She was informed that he was in the temple, meditating, and thus she quietly opened the door before she walked up to him. Her steps still echoed through the halls, but she would wait for him to finish instead of interrupting him while he was at it. Her gaze was directed at the masked face and she would greet him kneeling, gaze then respectfully lowered and head inclined, saying nothing but "My Lord" first.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

In response to her greeting, she would be subjected to sudden, unbearable pain. It was an explosion in her mind. All of a sudden she would feel him inside her mind, crushing right past any barriers and walls she had. It would make her drop to the ground in agony and leave her crawling and clawing at the floor. It was pain unlike anything she had ever experienced, and it would all be while Raze remained calmly seated.

She would see every moment of her life since she had returned to Sith space played through her mind, and she would know the Dark Lord could see all of it.

“In order to appreciate the art of mental manipulation,” His voice would echo within her mind while she was in complete agony, “You must experience it for yourself.”

Raze was a practical teacher, and she would learn exactly what she was exerting upon others if she chose to pursue this. Her nose would begin to bleed, as would her eyes, but still he didn’t release her. She would feel close to death before he finally released, letting her fall in a heap on the ground.

“The mind is a complicated enemy,” He said through the modulated helmet, “If you push too hard, you yield nothing. Push too little and you run into more walls. Your words have to guide what you seek so your target is more susceptible to an attack. Fear, anxiety and paranoia are all emotions that can be exploited to delve into the mind. Create those emotions within others and you will have the keys to their thoughts.”

He motioned for her to pick herself up and meditate across from him, “Clear your thoughts and find tranquility. You have to be an empty canvas in order to be most effective.”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Well, the dark lord didn't waste any time. The last word hadn't even fully left her lips when a sudden pain pierced right through her mind, triggering an unbearable agony that felt as though the very parts of her mind were getting ripped apart. While the Dark Lord had already caused her pain before, this was not comparable at all. She underwent unimaginable pain as her body dropped down, collapsing through the sheer agony that caused her whole body to twitch and her to scream while hot, dark red blood ran down her cheeks and dripped down her chin.

Again, he was making her relive her memories while he was reading her like an open book. All her memories laid bare while the pain was simply intensifying, her fingernails scratching against the cold floor while she laid on the ground, beginning to fight for staying conscious. He hadn't waited a single second before he had launched this attack, and even though she clearly heard his low, beaming voice inside of her head, it was hard to stay focused as the sheer agony was seemingly tearing her apart from the inside.

Her vision began to fade right with the sounds of her own tormented cries, her muscles involuntarily contracting while she could feel herself drifting off, even struggling to stay alive while her eyelids only flicked before it suddenly all stopped. She was shaking while he hadn't even moved a single finger. He was just seated, while Celeste was still on the floor, panting and his words now echoing through the halls.

It took some moments for her to breathe and wipe away the blood with the back of her hand. She had to blink a couple of times until her blurry vision zoomed back in, her mind beginning to grasp that this was what true power looked like. It was exactly why the Dark Lord was feared by most, by the Empress herself she assumed and while he was so rarely ever approached. The extent of his powers were barely graspable and yet, instead of fearing them, that deep fascination within her was the Force driving her.

It took some time for her to recover from the excruciating pain she had just experienced and collect herself before she crawled forward to where he was gesturing at. She was forcing herself to breathe deeply as she pushed herself into a seated position and closed her eyes. An empty canvas...She would not have to focus on her emotions and that passion that had so often driven her, but he was talking about tranquility.

Clearing ones thoughts was actually harder than it often sounded like, but once she managed to regain composure, she was letting the Force flow right through her while she tried to turn those thoughts off, just like he instructed her to do. There was no need to talk for her as she had received the guidance she had needed for now and so she sat in front of him and achieve this state of tranquility he was actually radiating. The Dark Lord was and had been completely calm and still while he has casually inflicted the pain on her, and while most Sith often held on to so many thoughts and emotions, she was now emptying her mind. She didn't question it, but used the Force to actually take her mind off everything that had been inside before. The location here on Korriban in the temple was obviously helping and she had previously picked up meditative techniques from Arla, so that slowly but steadily the thoughts ebbed. It was a little ironic go find tranquility in the presence of the Dark Lord, yet his fully calm demeanor was actually helping.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

It went against most Sith teachings to completely calm and clear the mind. They thrived on emotions and manipulating them. However, a calm mind meant the water was still, and that meant it was easier to see through it without the ripples. Once she finally found some means of clarity, Raze created an artificial scenario of for her to train.

“Guide with your words,” He reminded her. It was perhaps the most crucial piece. She would see a person standing before her, looking around nervously. It was a woman, middle aged. She stood in the middle of a forest. She was holding a precious gemstone in her hands.

“Obtain it,” Raze’s voice commanded.

The woman looked suspiciously at Celeste, clutching the gemstone fiercely, “What do you want?”

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste was a little surprise by quickly she could block out the memories of the pain she had actually just experienced when she was now actively focusing on clearing her mind of anything, emotions included. While she usually drew from emotions, this technique he was now explaining reminded her of what the Jedi were often preaching. Somehow, it was as if she was finding rays of balance and peace, something so blank it overshadowed the chaos. It was an experience of clarity, similar to the feeling when she was usually meditating, yet different. Stronger and clearer. She even began to forget about her surroundings.

As Raze's voice suddenly echoed through her mind, her eyes flicked open, finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings now. She glanced around for a second before her gaze landed on the woman. She pushed herself to her feet and slowly stepped closer. Her eyes narrowed as she spotted the stone she was clutching, her curiosity piqued, but she stopped. No, not acting based on insticts and thrives and aggressively reaching into the clueless woman that now functioned as her prey. She recalled what the Dark Lord had explained and exhaled calmly.

'Guide with words', she glanced up, meeting the woman's gaze. 'Find tranquility', she was all calm, even if she actively has to keep herself in this emptied, clear mindspace. 'Exploit emotions'. "You will hand over the gem stone", she commanded, her voice determined, but rather cold. Just like he had said, she needed her to be susceptible, so as she was reaching into her mind, she was trying to do what she had done before: Stir up the dread and trigger fear, exploit those emotions and create a sense of dread. However, in contrast to what she had done wrong before, she was following his guidance and was staying in a calm, blank state herself instead of holding on to her own emotions. She was beginning to weave her way into the woman's subconscious, wanting to trigger that she'd obey and do exactly what she said, without pushing too hard though. She had made the experience of pushing top hard by letting herself be driven by her emotions and despite having recovered the information she had needed, she had shattered the mind of the traitor she had targeted. This was exactly why she was eager to improve her skills and so far she was perceiving Raze as an excellent teacher.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

The command was effective, but it was still too strong. She hadn’t talked to the woman first, hadn’t said words to make the woman feel vulnerable, to make the woman lower her guard. She went right to commanding. The woman’s mind caved under the assault, turning to mush. The gem burst in her hand. Almost at once, Celeste would feel that agonizing pain again. It would feel like claws raking at the insides of her mind and thoughts.

“Again,” Raze said icily.

Another person appeared, this time a man. He was holding a piece of jewelry. He eyed Celeste suspiciously, also asking what she was doing there.

“Obtain it,” The Dark Lord said.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

For a moment, she saw her expressions change and it felt like she was getting close, until the woman's eyes rolled up just as her opened. She saw the gem stone crumble, right as she felt how the mind of the woman shattered under her assault. She was reminded of previous experience and despite having improved by pushing less, she understood that it had still been too much. Getting the exact feeling of where the line was drawn wasn't easy it had felt like she had simply breached that mental wall and thus make it implode instead of speaking her way in. Also, in the exact same moment, another wave of tormenting agony rolled over her, making her squirm until she collapsed to the ground again, her nails digging into the earth this time while her cries echoed through the forest, until it stopped once again.

Through gritted teeth, she panted heavily, the screams that had first escaped her due to the repeated experience of the excruciating pain slowly fading. Her muscles were trembling as she found herself on the ground again, slowly pushing herself up and steadying herself. It was tempted to get frustrated, to jump onto the rage train and let it out, but she was resisting it. She was forcing herself to breathe, to clear her mind again and free it completely before she eyed the man. She was already learning a lot, yet she wouldn't stop until she understood how she'd find a proper way into her victim's mind. Instead of subconsciously creating the emotions she needed, she would make it more obvious, wrecking the firs mental barriers of the conscious mind.

She inhaled, and exhaled, not saying a word just while the man was eyeing her. Words...she had to focus on the right words, sensitive enough, yet effective. Precise and dangerous. Her gaze flicked up, her eyes still a little watery and her nose bleeding. She wiped the fresh blood away and blinked the tears away until she slowly stepped closer. "What I'm doing her?" she repeated coldly, tilting her head to the side. "What are you doing here all alone?" she returned the question, placing one step after another. "The forest is dark and many dangerous creatures lurk in the shadows..." he was suspicious of her, which was good. She could use that. The eerie silence with the secluded thicket could indeed be frightening, the rustling of the leaves had something haunting...

"Aren't you afraid?" she asked, her voice turning into a whisper as she glared at him intensely. "The creatures aren't your worst problem though". If he backed away, she would follow, if he stopped at some point, she'd stop three feet away. "The animals might do you the favor to tear you apart until you wouldn't feel a thing anymore. I might not be as merciful..." she continued coldly, keeping her mind free while amplifying the emotions her intimidation attempt was triggering. "You've got something that I want" she stated flatly, her gaze flicking down. "The jewelry. I need it and you'll hand it over". With the same intention, she delved in, softly though, trying to carefully weave her way in as her determined words carried an eerie weight.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

The man looked nervous, suddenly very aware of the fact that he was alone. When he began to feel fear, it was like the delicious scent of blood and Celeste was the shark. She would begin to find a thread that she could pull, and it would slowly unravel the man. It took a lot of finesse and care not to pull the thread too hard. The trick with Raze’s training was that she herself would feel what she was doing to the man. She would begin to feel the fear, and she would have to work past her own anxiety.

“D-Don’t hurt me!” The man sputtered, taking a few steps back. Celeste’s slower approach worked, and the man’s fears overwhelmed him. He was reduced to tears as he tossed the jewelry at the Champion, and Celeste completed the task. It left her feeling emotionally distressed, but she had done the job.

“You want to bend their mind, but you do not want to break it if you wish to gain anything useful,” Raze explained, “And you must always know what you are looking for. If you sift through every bit of thought someone has, you will be overwhelmed and your target will die,” He could rifle through memories because he was skilled at this, but someone of her level would have to be very specific about the target information or the specific action she wanted them to do.

Another woman appeared.

“Make her kill herself,” Raze said curtly.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

She seemed to have found and opening in the lost man's mind, yet she had to resist the temptation to let herself get carried away by that thrilling sense of power over him. She pulled at that loose thread, however just slightly, slowly unraveling the different layers of his mind and thus implanting her command deeply. However, the more she amplified his fear, the more the pit of her own stomach turned. Where there had been nothing but clarity before, anxiety was now trying to creep in. She couldn't even grasp where it came from as she had been calm before, but it was as if everything she did to him fired back at her. Raze wasn't physically present in their surroundings, but his presence was still all around. She focused on not letting it in, however the stronger it got, the more violent it seemed to pull her on her mind, however slowly but steadily she seemed to overcome it by clearing her mind like he had instructed her before. She was not letting it feet her and was not falling into panic, yet when it was suddenly gone again, she still felt that emotional stress and heavy strain.

She swallowed, forcing to relax the muscles that had started to get tense and breathed again. The jewelry landed at her feet, yet she knew this wasn't over. Raze's voice echoed through her mind again and she curtly nodded, briefly recalling exactly what he outlined. She had left minds shattered before, but she was beginning to realize what had gone wrong and how she could avoid it. Every mind was different and the walls of resitance as well, so she knew that every new, fresh mind would pose a new challenge.

As the new woman materialized out of nowhere, she froze up for a second. If everything she was inflicting on others, she had a feeling about how this would go and she already understood that this would neither be easy nor pleasant. Killing yourself was more than just tossing over an item that was precious to you. It meant overcoming each level of inhibition and even the natural survival instincts and to achieve that, she'd even have to be more careful about finding her way into the other's mind. She wasn't afraid though. She felt ready and fought the stiffness of her muscles as she stepped closer again. "Who are you?" she asked calmly, slightly tilting her head to the side. "Well, it doesn't matter as you are nothing". Nothingness, emptiness, uselessness, this eerie feeling of being completely alone in this galaxy and not important at all was her approach this time.

"You are alone in this forest and afraid. I can feel it. There is no way out and no point in running and you know that as well" the lack of perspectives and prospects was just the beginning of the road to despair. "There's no need to fight it, you know I'm right" she continued icily, picking up the emotions that began to spread through the victim and amplifying them further and further. "You are nothing in this cold, unforgiving galaxy. Nothing more than a speck of dust" she was approaching her menacingly, the dark aura spreading while Celeste still kept her own mind empty, fighting against what she usually did. "Your life doesn't matter, why would you hold on to it?" she asked, more quietly. It wasn't just a forest. It would be a scenery in which the woman was the prey, staring right into the unrelenting predator's eyes. She could feel it all yanking on her from different directions, but instead of reveling in it she was still fighting to overcome it and keeping her min blank.

"You're a pitiful creature caught in a situation you'll never escape. There is only one way to escape this, to escape all the terrors and all the pain that could be inflicted on you". She stopper for a moment, having guided her towards a thick tree trunk. "Slam your head against it, as forcefully as you can" she commanded, Celeste's voice hauntingly echoing thorough her mind. If she didn't, she would push a little harder but pushing that panic and desperation, but just a little. If she obeyed, she pressed on carefully."Again" she would then command firmly, coldly staring her down and repeating her instruction until the woman would shatter her own skull against the hard bark.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Raze was largely silent this time. Celeste was progressing beautifully, but she would be doing so at a cost. She was giving up more and more of her humanity the further she ventured down this path. She was tapping into the darkest applications of the Force, and that poisoned the mind. It would forever leave a mark on her and there was no turning back from it.

The woman began to slam her head against the tree. She screamed in pain and sobbed, begging to stop, and yet she was forced to do it again. And again. Blood began to splatter on the trunk. Through each hit, a bit more of Celeste died. She would realize that this death was the murder of herself in many ways, killing those last bits of her that could ever find the light.

It wasn’t long before the woman was lying in a heap. There was nothing but silence, but Celeste didn’t feel any pain this time. She only felt power. The Force flowed through her easier than ever, a testament to the new ways she commanded it to do her bidding.

The Dark Lord wouldn’t stop there. He made her run through the scenarios over and over again. If Celeste stepped out of line, she was mentally tormented. At one point, he unleashed lightning on her, bringing to the brink of death before forcing her to train again.

She was stuck here for days, and then weeks, pushed far beyond any limit she had.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Her training continued and she was learning and adapting quickly, even if it was hard, but she was not oblivious to the changes she was going through either. From the very first moment in which she had stepped through the door of the temple on Korriban, she had known that the training would come with a price higher than her own pain. Yet, stronger than the agony the death within her costed her, was the development she could feel.

The power wasn't overwhelming but thrilling, but she experienced an extent of it she had never felt before. She was progressing and she felt it, yet after some time she was beginning to feel dead inside as well. The constant terrors she inflicted on victims and the way she slowly cracked them all open left he hungry for more. The feeling of sheer power felt great, yet she could feel how all that remained of her was slowly dying while she commited herself to the dark side. The more she gave herself to it, the less she had control over what remained of her. She was evolving, and why progress was good, she was slowly but steadily losing her humanity.

She completely lost track of time and even of space at some point and despite growing in power, it left her exhausted. The strain never stopped, but at some point she got used to it. Whenever she thought she couldn't go any further, he was pushing her over the limits, again and again. She found herself on the ground, bleeding and in pain a couple of times, but with every scenario it got easier. She found herself on a one way path that would never allow her to turn back again. Her past was nothing but a story, but her aspirations for the future higher and stronger than ever. With everything she learned, she was getting closer to where she wanted and while he was unrelenting, his training was exactly what she had requested and even more.

@Sreeya