I Am Become Death

[Demiurge]

Voss
Xar'Kaen Mountains
Pyramid of Jshr'sya
Early Evening

Voss. A world forgotten by the majority of the galaxy. A planet of mysterious power, resonate with the Dark Side of the Force. It was what attracted him, drew him, the Dark Lord of the Sith. All worlds of such power did; they called to him. And when the world of Voss called, the Emperor answered. From the capital of Voss-ka, to the demonic Nightmare Lands, the planet of Voss ran red with the blood of the maddened Voss and the Gormak - all who had resisted.

The world beckoned with power unlike any other, shrouded in mystery and delved into shadows. And on all of Voss, no place held as much power as the temple of the first mystic, the Pyramid of Jshr'sya, deep within the Xar'Kaen Mountains, beyond the capital of Voss-ka. And it was deep within this pyramid that the Sith Emperor dwelled. There, in the innermost chambers of the temple, Darth Exodeus sat in deep meditation.

Blue fires lit the walls, revealing the Dark Lord in his omnipresent Sith armor, and exotic carvings and runes covered the walls. Statues of the first Voss Mystic, called Jshr'sya, were placed all throughout the pyramid's layout.

::Power... overwhelming... raw... and emanating::

Even from behind the secrecy of his mask, Exodeus' eyes remained closed, as his mind opened his senses to the Force, granting him perception and clarity beyond the natural means of his ordinary senses, just as his speech resonated through the Force.

::Can you not taste it... Andraste?::
​

 

[Sreeya]

It hadn't been long since Andraste had returned from the battle on Saleucami. It had been a Sith victory in her battle. She could still clearly visualize the base crumbling to the magma depths below. She could clearly see the carnage before her, as the Alliance troops littered the ground and their blood flowed as a rich, crimson river. It had been exhilarating, and she had crushed the opposition with her brother at her side. The Jedi had ran like cowards, and Andraste and Varek did not give chase. The remaining troops, however, were devastated. The battle zone had been declared Sith territory, and a new base was being set up. Andraste and Varek had return to Sith space shortly after, the space cleared thanks to another Sith victory. Saleucami would belong to Sith.

Upon her return, she had realized that Silas was still in a battle of his own. She hadn't had the chance to contact him, as he was leading a charge against the Imperial Knights. With most of the Sith she considered friends off in battle, she had wandered about aimlessly before running into ATLAS, a rather eccentric droid that belonged to Exodeus himself. What started as a humorous interaction between the two absentmindedly lead her towards the Dark Lord. As a silent agreement, she had decided to accompany him to Voss. Her training with him hadn't yet been complete, and she looked upon this as an opportunity to further her teaching.

The temple was archaic, its structure beautifully crafted. The very air within the temple was ancient, admixed with a sense of an ethereal presence that couldn't be explained. Perhaps they were ghosts, perhaps they were gods and goddesses, but the presence was distinct. It was like a whisper, hushed words, a cold chill brushing against her skin or echoes in the ambiance. It couldn't be explained, and it added to the mystery that encompassed the temple. She had spent a long while running her fingers against the runes and symbols on the walls, and it vaguely reminded her of a temple she had once entered with Aeslan. With a pang, she quelled her thoughts of him, thankful for the intervention offered by Exodeus' words. She spoke with her voice.

"I always taste it. I always drink from it. It's an insatiable thirst."

It was difficult to discern whether she was being truthful, or simply mocking him. She turned away from him and gazed upon a rune, running her fingers against it. Right away she felt power pulsating within her, as if thin strands of the Force extended out from the walls and into her blood stream.

"This temple is alive. What if we are not wanted here?"

 

[Demiurge]

Insatiable... such a simple word, but one with infinite meaning. Indeed, it was with her as it was for all Sith. But in truth, it was something greater, something that transcended hunger and thirst. It was as lust bred out from the deepest gluttony - an instinctive craving that would never be satisfied, and was forever desired above all else. That was the way of the Sith. That was the way of power.

Through the Force, the Dark Lord's body had been lifted from the ground in an act of transvection, levitating in the air as he became immersed in all that was around him. During that time, it was as if time had ceased, until finally, his eyes slowly opened, as his body descended to the ground. With his back at her, Exodeus once again took off his helmet. She was the only one alive in the galaxy that had already seen what was beneath his masks of metal and flesh. In many ways, keeping his helmet on around her was simply redundant in anything but denoting the ominousness of his presence.

"Alive, yes... but the call of the dead, of the ghosts of the past? What are they that we should fear them?"

At that, Exodeus turned his head slowly, letting the corner of his eye meet hers. As he recalled, the two of them had already mocked and defiled ancient presences once before. The Sith Emperor scoffed quietly as he turned his head back.

"They matter not. As part of the Force and of the Dark Side, now they are nothing more than that which feeds us. Makes us stronger."

The Dark Lord then turned around, facing Andraste.

"But enough of wasting time on the matter of haints and phantoms. Meditate now, embrace the power around you... feed on it. Let it envelop you. This is your first labor."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste sighed at his words. He had always brushed such things off so easily. Just as he had brushed off the concept of beauty, of love, of emotion... he was devoid of all of it. She wondered how he saw the galaxy, what his eyes saw, whether they simply gazed into a void bereft of life. She wondered if it wouldn't be better to simply be dead.

"Wasting time....what do you think is valuable to spend time on? Always an upwards climb? Always moving towards an unobtainable goal? Isn't that wasting time? Letting the galaxy pass you by..letting the moments escape.."

He wouldn't understand any of it. To him, this was like moments where she showed him flowers or her alchemy, and it had disgusted him. He did not understand beauty, and he never saw it. It was in every aspect of his being. Even during their intimate moments, he never understood beauty. Perhaps that was part of what made it tolerable. She did not feel the emotions that she did for Silas, though she could not deny a desire that accompanied her bond with Exodeus. Regardless, she closed her eyes, walking to the center of the temple. The feeling of dread hadn't left her. She knew they were trespassing. As she focused on the Force, it began to draw into her. However, it was like a cancer, glowing malignant and furling within her like poison. She opened her eyes and gasped, as if coming up for a gulp of air. Sweat lined her forehead, and she breathed heavily. She looked at Exodeus, her face betraying her concern.

"We need to leave."

 

[Demiurge]

Exodeus' eyes narrowed as his sights settled more deeply upon Andraste. Even without her noticeable sigh, the life bond between them betrayed such deep rooted feelings, not the least was her cynicism. And as she talked, Exodeus began to walk toward her, bringing his hand to the side of her face as his came in close to hers.

"You out of all should know this... that which marks the sole difference between what is waste and is what is purpose, relies only on one's point of view."

Whether borne from her own lofty pride or her openly resistant nature, as was it his to do all that was necessary to achieve his destiny, to bring the galaxy to order and dawn a new era upon every world, Andraste had long like one with eyes, yet unable to see beyond the surface, possibilities and futures. Where he saw unbridled potential, and the means to bring about new beginnings, she sought out a world of fantasy, displaced from the reality of the galaxy. Where he embraced destiny and strove towards its fulfillment, both the galaxy's and his own, she carried on, still with the perception of child.

In many ways, she was the one of the few things in the galaxy he had to continue to strive to understand, yet at the same time and defying reason, he'd desired nothing more than her. It was as if the two of them were a perfect paradox. Opposing views, yet bound to the other in ways none in the expanse of the galaxy could ever understand.

As Andraste sat down, hesitatingly deepening and immersing herself in the power around her, quenching the thirst with the darkness, Exodeus' head leveled as he stared in the distance, again giving his powers of perception over to the Force. And as he did, his mouth bent downwards as his brow creased, betraying the growing hatred within him. Moments later, he heard Andraste gasp, her uneasily escaping from her lips.

"No..."

At that, Exodeus simply called the power of the Dark Side to him, sending a seismic tremor through the air and walls, almost akin to that of a shockwave borne from the quaking of the ground.

"Now, is the time to kill."

At that instant, the piercing hum of a lightsaber igniting echoed in the chamber, illumination it's crimson light as the energy blade, in the hands of its wielder, lunged toward the Dark Lord's back. Empowering his body through the Force, Exodeus enhanced his speed to superhuman levels, side stepping the saber lunge while he twisted his body around, grabbing the assailant by the face. With it in his clutches, Exodeus lifted the assailant over his head, slamming his body on the ground, leaving cracks in the stone beneath.

Without a moment's hesitation, the Dark Lord rapidly struck his right hand into the assailant's mouth, grasping his lower jaw. With superhuman strength, Exodeus then pulled the assailant's jaw, ripping the bone out from it's joints as blood spattered out around the detached anatomy. Almost simultaneously, the Dark Lord then, maintaining his left hand's grip on the assailant's head, crushed his skull, shattering it with his Force-endowed strength, and staining the onyx-colored stone a dark red.

After that, Exodeus stood upward slowly, staring to the side as the room began to light up, with over a dozen red blades igniting around the vicinity of the meditation chamber, some standing by the walls, some using the Force to attach themselves to the ceiling above. Without a single word, Exodeus stretched out his hand, calling his hilt to his hand telekinetically, and igniting it's deep red blade, red as his own eyes.

::To the gates of Hell, then::

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste closed her eyes as she felt the chill of his metallic glove against her skin. Even without his armor, his touch was cold and calloused, always the ice that drew away from her warm skin. She opened her eyes then to gaze upon his, the crimson red that had haunted her for so long. It took her a second to realize she had found herself almost instinctively drawing closer. She couldn't understand it, and it was as if there was a magnetic draw, the Force itself tugging her closer. Her eyes lowered from his eyes, to his nose, to his lips. And her eyes lingered there, much longer than they needed to.

His words pulled her out of her thoughts, and she quietly went to meditate. When she was shaken out of her thoughts, she turned to Exodeus in confusion. His refusal to leave was flat, and it irked her that he couldn't see what the problem was. This temple did not want them, and it expelled them in every sense of the word, and yet he insisted on having her remain. She began to protest, but jumped back as he abruptly turned and made swift work of his would be assailant. The entire thing happened before she could blink, and she was left wondering why she hadn't sensed a presence like that.

As the numerous sabers illuminated, Andraste felt a hint of fear creep into her. She had never been taken so off guard, but she had to remind herself that Exodeus was directly beside her. Andraste called the Force to herself, stepping back as the attackers jumped into action. Two fell directly behind her, seemingly out of nowhere. She blasted lightning at them, but it was swiftly deflected by their sabers. Andraste jumped back as they closed the distance between them. She was no close ranged fighter, and she had to rely almost entirely on the Force due to her lacking skills with the saber. She applied a harsh concussive blast, sending both men flying back to slam against the wall. While they were down, she blasted them with lightning. This time, the attack hit them full on. As she did so, she spoke to Exodeus with the Force.

"We must learn who they are. Don't destroy every last one."

 

[Demiurge]

For but a moment, it seemed as if time had slowed down in the chamber. It was as if his mind and senses had expanded into the entire chamber, see every blade, hear every heartbeat, feel every vibration. And with that clarity channeled into him, he struck as the blades of the enemies rose to face him.

Exodeus charged forward, directly at the first Sith assassin, using the Force to match the assailant's speed. As they neared, moving as if blurs, the Sith assassin lunged his lightsaber forward, stabbing toward his head as they both seemed to clash into each other. However, as his lightsaber teetered before Exodeus' eyes, the Dark Lord seemingly vanished, moving in a blur of speed as he ducked down. With his right hand drawn back, Exodeus stepped up forcefully and forward, bringing the momentum of his movements into a one-handed uppercut slash. In a fraction of a moment, the Sith was vertically cut in two.

Without a ceased moment, Exodeus simultaneously reached to his side, tightly grasping the neck of a stealthed assailant and jerked his wrist until he cracked the bone, and finally threw him across the room, smashing him through one wall within the chamber. Using the inertia of his motion, Exodeus grasped his hilt with both of his hands, and performed a jung ma, spinning his blade around until it clashed with another assailant's. Using the Force to empower his body, Exodeus struck with such force that he instantly battered through the saber block, knocking the hilt from the assassin's hands while cleaving his body in half from his torso.

Making a final 360 turn, Exodeus brought his left hand into a fist, and struck ahead, punching into a Sith assassin's chest, shattering the bones of his ribs with ease until he grabbed his spine. The Sith gasped in dread as blood sprayed from his chest and mouth, unable to feel the Dark Lord's grip on his spinal cord, as he forcefully pulled his fist from the assassin's body, ripping it out. Without turning around, Exodeus flipped his saber to his back, deflecting a blow to his neck. Forcing the blade up, the Emperor made a small leap into the air as he turned around, passing his crimson blade into the other assassin's saber arm. Grabbing his dismembered arm, Exodeus plunged the still active lightsaber into the Sith's chest, piercing his heart with his own saber, being held by his own dismembered arm.

A saber from above descended over the Emperor. But without even so much as a gesture, the Sith assassin was frozen in midair, suspended in the center of the chamber. As Exodeus' eyes flared with the intensity of a star, the telekinetic forces around the assassin inverted, crushing and imploding the Sith's entire body, resulting a bloody rain coating the chamber floors. Through the downpour, Exodeus threw his lightsaber, striking the neck of another falling assassin, while Force Jumping toward the ceiling, striking it with his fist and sending a repulsive telekinetic wave across the ceiling and walls, blasting the remnants into the ground, and paralyzing them with an almost gravitational force.

As he landed, Exodeus maintained his powers, keeping the four survivors alive, but pinned flat onto the ground, recalling his saber from out of the dead Sith assassin's torso in the midst of it.

::Use you magics, sorceress::

The Dark Lord had broken minds before, extracting knowledge, memories, thoughts and intentions. However, every step of fate was an opportunity in destiny. And this one, no matter how seemingly menial, was not one he'd neglect or allow to pass without making use of it. Her powers had to be honed and trained in all aspects. And there were few better subjects than their own "brethren".

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste had barely taken care of two more assailants by the time Exodeus had downed most of them. She turned in time to see him pin the four to the ground, held in place by the Force. As he spoke, Andraste sighed. She had been shaken up, completely surprised and for some reason he saw this as a means to further her training. She had to pause and stare suspiciously at Exodeus, wondering if this had all been a set up.

"Yes, master..."

She muttered under her breath, making her way over to the four Sith on the ground. They looked absolutely miserable and in excruciating pain. Andraste stood above them, closing her eyes. As she did so, the Force within her mind extended out into another plane of existence, the plane of the Force. Her mind poked and prodded, swaying like a serpent through the barriers put up by the minds of those beneath her.

It took a great deal of concentration, as she had not unleashed the beast yet. The beast lay dormant, having had its hunger satiated by the battles Andraste had recently been in. She continued to reach into the minds of the victims, vivisecting through thoughts and ideas, causing them further pain. Their screams began to resonate throughout the temple as she cut and sliced through their connection to the Force, hurting them where it hurt the most.

She peeled away the layers, as if yanking away skin to reveal flesh. The wounds she inflicted bled, and the scent made the beast stir. It wanted to feed, wanted to devour the minds of the four, but she chained it back for now. Andraste dug in even further, clawing and ripping till she found what she sought. Almost at once, ideas began to pour towards her, as if a wave within the ocean and she were the rock.

She saw images, images of sacrifice, images of runes, images of a blue fire. Andraste saw more and more of these images and gasped as she recognized them. These were cultists from the temple she and Aeslan had visited long ago. They had come for her, but hadn't expected to run into Exodeus as well. As more images flooded forth, she began to see a silhouette, a shadow that loomed tall and imposing. It gave off a commanding demeanor, and she knew right away that it was their leader, their messiah. Andraste probed further, attempting to seek out their locations so she could rid of them once and for all. However, she heard one final cry before all four went into a deep coma, their brains dying. Andraste pulled back, shocked at her handiwork.

"But..I..."

She couldn't understand why her probing had killed them. They had taken the information to their grave. Andraste cried out in frustration, punching a wall. Pain reverberated through her knuckles as she realized it had been the beast. It was too eager. It had fed on the minds, completely breaking the victims before Andraste could gather information. She turned to Exodeus.

"They had come for me, not you. They hadn't expected you. I...I don't know their origins."

She wondered if he would be able to see through her lie. She had kept Aeslan a secret, and for his own good it was best kept that way.

 

[Demiurge]

As she spoke, his expression didn't change at all. He never blinked, never moved or contracted a muscle, it was almost as if he ceased to breathe.

"Is that so?"

Exodeus words, by all accounts rang true, but there carried with it, nonetheless, a strange undertone, hidden and obscured, but still felt by it's presence. The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed slightly, very often the only indication of a shifting state of mind within him, and slowly began to walk closer toward Andraste.

"I haven't often taught you anything, despite claiming you for myself. Secrets of the Force, mastery of the Dark Side... no, but perhaps the most neglected would be the arcane history of the Sith, which have fallen both into myth and legend."

At that, Exodeus walked up to Andraste, but then continued past her. It was the beginning of his walking a slow circle around her, as he spoke his strange words to her.

"The Sith have a great many of them, tales of the Dark Side... the Legend of Adas, the Overlord King... the Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise... the Advent of Darth Bane the Sith'ari... All common stories known among the Order, perhaps you know of these already. Then I will tell you another tale, one buried in history for the shame of his existence... the Heresies of Narvok Xragox the Sho'Kar."

The Dark Lord walked around her, coming to her right side, glancing at her as he related the tale.

"Narvok Xragox was a Red Sith, pure of blood and a Lord under the reign of Naga Sadow during the Great Hyperspace War. It is said he was born of the highest castes among the Sith, powerful in body and mind, a fierce warrior with the prowess of a spellcaster. And it was said that he held vast powers of magics, matched only by his own hunger for power. It was inevitable that his lust for glory and delusions of omnipotence led him into a conflict that he could not win."

Exodeus continued to walk around Andraste, taking his eyes off of her.

"So as it occurred, not even a month after the dissolution of the rivalry between Naga Sadow and Ludo Kressh, Narvok Xragox challenged his Lord for supremacy. It is thought by many Narvok's vast power was somehow unnatural, and it overwhelmed him, leading him into the depths of sheer madness. Narvok held onto dark Sith rituals that granted one unlimited power through a complex sacrificial ceremony of Force sensitives with great innate potential."

"Yet even with his raw insanity and power, Narvok fell in defeat. However, Narvok's madness had borne to him also crippling paranoia. Upon his defeat and imminent death in a duel with Sadow, Narvok initiated a Sith ritual teleporting himself away, and with it, the secrets of the ritual. He was declared a heretic to the true Dark Lord Sadow, and forever branded a Sho'kar."

"However, many still sought Narvok's cryptic research, seeking to find where he had gone, and follow him to learn his secrets of power. It was only near the war's end, that Sadow had learned that they believed they'd deciphered where Narvok had fled; into the Heart of Hycania, a star constellation in Republic space. At first, this held no significance to them at all, even after their defeat at the hands of the Jedi and Republic."

"It was not until thousands of years later, before the war resulting in the Ruusan Reformation, that the Sith discovered that there, at the center of Heart of Hycania, was a star sector, called the Chommell Sector. When further contracted, the center focused on the Naboo System.... and then, when taken even further, ultimately settled onto the third planet of the system... the star's namesake, the planet of Naboo."

At that, Exodeus stopped in his tracks ahead of Andraste, and then slowly turned to his side, staring at her directly.

"By this time, many had either forgotten Narvok as a tale, or ceased to care. It was also by this time that the Jedi had embarked across the galaxy to deal with the scattered Sith clans, and their influences. Most were purged, save for a select few that settled on worlds under the eyes of the Jedi and reformed, such as the Sith of Kish, and the Sorcerers of Tund. However, there were many Jedi who had believed that there was one obscured from them, right at their necks."

"Ten years after the Great Hyperspace War, an entire city on Naboo had been wiped out of all life. There were no signs of battle, no bodies to be found... only blood, and the stench of death. It was investigated by Jedi and Republic forces alike, but nothing could be found, no trace... only a foul presence as elusive as water, slipping through their sights and senses. And in time... even it was forgotten in futile hopes. The only trace seen was that of two Sith runes - "shamed" and "reborn" carved into a building on the skirts of the city, near a waterfall... which when written together, said "sacrifice"."

"Some believe that Narvok had survived, and left a cult as a remnant, continuing the ritual sacrifices of innate Force sensitives for the quest of ultimate power. Others believe it was hoax, and that Narvok had simply disappeared that day, and nothing more... You'd always been one that excels in perception. Tell me, Andraste... what do you believe?"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste listened intently as he spoke. It was daunting to realize that there were so many things she did not know. For all her travels, she hadn't learned much about Sith culture outside of what she was taught during training and classes. She remained quiet, a feeling of dread slowly washing over her. How did he know? Even she had no idea about the identity of the assailants, or where the cultists had come from, or their beliefs. Where was Exodeus drawing all this information from? She relaxed as he walked past her. Despite their strange bond and the relationship they had, she often still felt like a child that had been caught red handed. His demeanor was always oppressive, always exalted above her, always knowing.

As he finished speaking, Andraste remained silent. She had to quell all her fears and her thoughts, pushing Aeslan far from her mind. It concerned her that he had been able to draw all of that when she hadn't felt him prod into her mind at all. Had their bond betrayed her? Andraste looked up to meet his gaze. As usual, his eyes offered her no answers. As the silence hung between them, she knew she had to answer. Andraste cleared her throat, looking down at the bodies.

"I believe.."

She began with a broken voice. However, her voice grew stronger as she stared at the dead bodies, scowling.

"I believe this was the work of horribly delusional fools that are blinded by a constant lust for power. It's not unlike many within our very own ranks, the Sith that you govern. At the same time, I wonder, can we truly chastise them for this hapless quest towards glory? Our very tenets and codes have to do with power. There are many venues through which to obtain it, and this is one of many. It's simpler to follow a false ideal that sounds like a quick solution than by pure merit."

Andraste had to grin.

"Or one could simply be born with their destiny catered towards power. Power in an objective sense, a perception which transcends the usual menial means by which to obtain it. Power that you needn't demonstrate, but you simply exude. Power that does not corrupt, but power that you are the master of."

She gazed into his eyes again.

"Even you are far from obtaining that...my lord."

She bit back the smile that threatened to grace her features.

 

[Demiurge]

It was just like before, when they were in the tombs beneath the temple of Ziost, when Exodeus' face had betrayed a feeling in his heart. And like then, now, a subtle grin had worked it's way onto his face upon hearing her words. She was the same as always, when feelings of uneasiness overtook her, she put up walls, her defense, and it brought out her antagonizing spirit. But it was an enticing, fiery and indomitable spirit nonetheless. For all her cynicism and rebelliousness, he would not desire her so intensely had she been without it.

"Power... so then you too think as they do?"

Exodeus finally broke away from circling around Andraste, and came about towards her, slowly approaching.

"It is true, the philosophy of the Sith does covet power. Power is the manifestation of will above the flesh, self reliance mingled with oneness of spirit."

As he came near, Exodeus approached her face, bringing his lips near to her cheek as he spoke in a hushed tone.

"Then do you think it's power I seek... that power is what I'm looking for? What I've been searching for all this time to attain?"

 

[Sreeya]

"I am a Sith, after all. There are those more blind than me, but it does not make me any less drawn by the seduction of power."

She felt him approach closer, and it made her tense up. Andraste held her ground, lowering her gaze to the bodies on the floor. The blood had begun to taint the floors, their life extinguishing like the fleeting fire of a candle. Andraste felt their presence in the Force fade away slowly after that, like lingering smoke. It had left its imprint, adding to the mysterious presence that loomed within the temple.

She was distracted by Exodeus then, who had closed the distance between them. Andraste couldn't step back, yet she couldn't face him either. It was that familiar feeling, one she couldn't explain though she had felt it before. Her heart rate quickened, and for a moment she forgot how to breathe. She felt his breath brush against her cheek, the action causing her to bite her lip. It was a mystery how he could invoke such reactions out of her, with something as simple as whispering close to her ear. For a moment, his words blurred together and she had to slow down to understand exactly what he had said. Regaining composure, she answered him, but with her eyes facing straight ahead. She didn't dare gaze upon his eyes now for fear of losing her nerve.

"It is power you seek. You've known it all along. It's why you've become what you are now. It's why you are no longer human, no longer...alive.."

She looked at him then, suddenly aware of how close he was. Andraste felt her face heat up, despite her best attempts at quelling it.

"W-Why are you taunting me..?"

 

[Demiurge]

For a moment, Exodeus remained where he was, as if he were taking the aura about her, reveling in it. He could feel the warmth from her body, he could hear her breaths, fluctuating as they were.

"No... not power. I've never sought power as my destination. Power is easy, wielded by many, however great, however small. Even the Jedi know some degree of power. What I seek... what the teachings of the Sith and the Dark Side have taught me to attain -- what all Sith have sought to attain... is freedom."

After that, the Dark Lord grabbed Andraste's right wrist, and pulled his own right hand behind her back, holding her in place.

"And what comes with freedom, but strength, power, knowledge, even destiny? Unshackled, unrestrained... every want fulfilled... every lust and desire... sated..."

At that, Exodeus brought the two closer together, until his lips skirted ahead of hers.

"Can you not imagine it? Do not even you crave such unbridled... freedom?"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste gasped as he abruptly gripped her wrist, coming even closer to her. She was relinquishing self control, feeling oddly vulnerable around him. Andraste wanted to pull away, wanted to run, wanted to escape, but she felt as if a small insect caught in a spider web. She made no outward struggle against his hold, his face leaning in closer against hers. She could feel his chilled breath against her lips, drawing away from her warmth, almost sucking from it.

"Freedom can be obtained only though death, Daemon. Only through transcendence, deliverance, and passing judgment. Freedom is no more being shackled by prisons of the flesh, or chained by the bounds of life. Chained by...bonds that can't be broken.."

She looked at him as she uttered the last few words, her voice growing quieter. Andraste hadn't even realized she had uttered his name. It hadn't been long since she had learned of it for the first time. She absentmindedly reached out with her free hand, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing against the side of his face. She felt the tough, cracked skin beneath her gentle fingers. Andraste did not lean in any closer, nor did she move back. She spoke barely above a whisper.

"When you find freedom...so must I..."

 

[Demiurge]

"Did you know... during the ancient Golden Age of the Sith, a mythical Dark Lord called Marka Ragnos once said... even the chains of death cannot a Dark Lord of the Sith."

Exodeus did not even notice Andraste called him by his former name, he never heard it. And if he had, he would not care. All that he saw was her, her body, her essence, her in her entirety, as his face dropped past her cheek to the side of her neck.

"Andraste... you speak of oneness with the Force... unification with the Force. Indeed it is a higher place, but that merging, that melding, is what happens only to those who fall, are shackled down. The Force is as that which seeds life, and when it is lost, that life force returns to it, carrying the sentience of it's former shell. It is but another form of imprisonment... a place of holding with no doors. And for ones such as us, almost entirely trapped within the higher plane. It's freedom in an illusion."

The Dark Lord opened his mouth near Andraste's neck, letting his teeth lightly trail the skin there as he began to bite the tenderness of her exposed neck to him. His lips pressed against her upper neck as his right hand came around to the back of her head, as if he were truly devouring her in that one moment.

"That's it... that's what I want, Andraste. The freedom that's real, tactile... not an illusion. Not to be restrained after reaching my potential, but living -- realizing it. And my freedom... mine shall be yours, as surely as your life is bound to mine."

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste felt him draw in even closer, his face moving down to her neck. She felt his mouth against her skin, his teeth nipping at her flesh. She felt like a lamb, with a wolf tasting her before he devoured her. Andraste closed her eyes, letting his words flow into her mind. Their ideologies clashed at every step, their visions were polar opposites, and yet they found themselves drawn to one another no matter what. As he spoke about their bond yet again, lacing her life with his, she sighed, pulling away slightly.

"Is that not a prison in itself? Do you not feel chained? Does this bond not weigh you down? You are vulnerable because of me. I make you weaker than you are. And you do the same to me.. does this not make you wish to destroy me? Am I not an obstacle?"

She turned away from him, gazing at the walls within the temple. The pyramid felt as if a prison, an enclosed space that was compressing all around her. The death around her was overwhelming her. She wanted to escape, wanted to run away, but she could never detach from him. Andraste looked at him again.

"Why do you return to me like this? What do you taste when you kiss me? What do you feel when we..."

She sighed, finding it difficult to convey her words.

"You can satisfy your desire of the flesh with the women in your harem. You can satisfy your any desire at a whim, yet we find ourselves in the same place again and again. You have relinquished your ability to be a slave to emotions, but are you not? Are you not trapped within the confines of humanity just as I am? Or am I nothing to you? Have you ever stopped to wonder why it is that we do this, why this bond is beyond simply between that of a master and apprentice? Why it's a craving? Why.."

Andraste was frustrated. As she spoke, she thought of Silas, and his confession of love to her. And here she was, confronting an entirely different plane of relationship. Was it even a relationship?

"I'm tired of not understanding what it is that you and I share. You are incapable of human emotion. You are a machine. Yet it's...it's always you and I. Always.."

She couldn't stand it anymore. Andraste turned and walked away, feeling the overwhelming urge to leave the temple. It took her seconds to walk outside, into a large field. There were flowers all around her, a true contrast to the stench of death that loomed within the pyramid. Andraste breathed for the first time, finally taking a moment to ponder on what she had just said to Exodeus.

 

[Demiurge]

Exodeus mused as Andraste continued to speak to him. She didn't understand, comprehend. She didn't have the slightest clue what a prison was... not the way he had. No obstacle, no matter what it was, would ever be allowed to stand before him, and yet there she was, standing before him... did that not alone make her understand what she was?

As she continued to turn away from him, as she always did before she would give in to him, Exodeus' subtle curl of his face flattened into a stark expression. His narrow eyes widened slightly, allowing the full ring of his glowing red irises to beam out. Very little of what she did made sense, from her contradictory and attempted antagonistic descriptions of him, to her paradoxical reactions and temperaments. It was as if she was confused herself, and attempting to hide it.

Behind closed lips, the Dark Lord's praedator-like teeth grinded as the anger built up in him, seething outwards like a blooming force. It was the raw manifestation of his hatred, involuntarily exerting from his body in palpable waves. It was his wrath, the strength and source behind his greatest weapon, and it was as dominating as it was uncontrollable, at times, even to him. The blood staining the walls and floor of the chamber evaporated as if by heat, but the energy from him did not radiate. The flesh of the corpses began to rot as if time were passing rapidly, yet it all became undone, not even dust remaining. The walls resonated as if sounds were compressing against it, yet not one utterance escaped from the pyramid.

And finally, then, Exodeus walked forward. And it was that with each step he took, the stone beneath his feet pushed and pulled each other, like fault lines in a groundquake, cause spikes of stone to shoot out and minor upheavals around his footsteps. The walk out of the pyramid was as if time slowed down yet again. With each stride, his anger calmed slightly. With every press of his foot against the ground below, something else subsided until finally at the entrance of the pyramid it was again able to be controlled.

By the time he stepped out, Exodeus could see her standing ahead of him. It was in a field, the many on Voss, but this area of it was covered with the Iacus flowers spread out all around. It took only that glance for the Dark Lord to realize why... that, where the flowers were planted over, was the site of a genocidal massacre of the Voss by the Gormak, during an ancient conflict called the Great Galactic War. Much like the galaxy, even the beauty that most admired, was built on the back of bloodshed, destruction, and war.... the truth.

Exodeus continued to walk on, until he stood behind Andraste. And then, for several seconds that seemed like hours, he only stood. The both of them, only stood. And then, seemingly at random, Exodeus used the Force to lightly lift up Andraste, telekinetically turning her around to face him. And as he stared deep into her eyes, the Dark Lord set her down, then used the Force to telekinetically pull his lightsaber into his hand. In a single fleeting moment, Exodeus ignited hatred as he did his lightsaber blade and with one motion jaggedly swept it through the air at Andraste. However, by the time he'd reached the vicinity of her neck, his blade stopped, teetering on the area of her jugular. He wouldn't speak... and for a time, neither would she. He would only wonder, was she perceptive enough - did she have clarity enough - to understand?

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste felt herself be abruptly spun around and set down, as if she were an inanimate object. She could feel anger surging through him, pulsating and throbbing as if an entity all on its own. It was rage in its purest form, emanating from him like poison. She could feel the life all around her beginning to deplete, as his aura sucked the essence right out of everything around him. Andraste held her ground, staring into his eyes. She heard the saber blare to life and closed her eyes, preparing for the coming onslaught. It would take a simple motion to cut through her and end her life. She did not fight it, did not move. She stood in place. She felt the heat of the saber inches away from her skin, where Exodeus had stopped his slash. Andraste finally opened her eyes again, scowling into his own.

"You do this because you do not understand it. You consider yourself a god and let it warp your thoughts. I am not a toy for you to play with and cast aside. I will not stand for it."

She glanced down at the saber and looked back up at him.

"You never answered me. You did not answer because you do not know. Because you are just as lost. I will not stay in a bind that you cannot convey to me with words. A bind that you claim is eternal, yet you refuse to let me understand it. I will not stay."

Andraste pulled away from him, taking a step away. Anger coursed through her veins. However, she quelled the rage, as she had decided she wouldn't fight him. If she was to die today, then so be it. However, she set off on a path to leave, without ever looking back.

 

[Demiurge]

As the Dark Lord listened to her speak, his eyes, while still burning, deadened. Yet again, she simply failed to understand, just as she had done so years before. Now, she even grew angry at not receiving an answer to her questions from him despite leaving right after she spoke them. Exodeus then glared into her eyes, matching her defiance with his. But instead of retort back at her, as he'd done in the past, the Dark Lord simply stared in silence.

Her speech was arrogant, presumptuous... even ignorant, upon his ears. Even when she would ask a question of him, it'd be in a skeptical and cynical manner. And yet, she claims she would not stand for it? That he was lost, and as confused as her? That he restrained her, despite granting her allowance? That she wouldn't stay because of it?

In many ways, keeping silent, biding his wrath rather than unleashing it, tempering it, was how Exodeus preferred it all. He was in control, wielded it, rather than letting it wield him. And then, he watched her as she walked away, in silence. He watched every step she took, every stride, as she grew more and more distant from him. Then in what seemed to be a mere fraction of the fleetest of moments, the Dark Lord appeared barely a foot from in front of Andraste. But again, he said nothing, and the only sound between them was the winds gusting through the fields until he finally spoke, and did so in a tone he hadn't taken since before he'd formally recognized her as his apprentice.

"...Are you finished?"

 

[Sreeya]

Andraste had to flinch when he spoke. It was that same undermining tone she hadn't heard in some time. She had expected him to yell, had expected him to lash out with violence, had expect anything but pure silence, followed by a question. Andraste stopped in her tracks. For a long moment, there was nothing but silence between them. The sounds of birds and insects in the distance resonated all around them. She simply gazed upon his features, finding it difficult to read him.

Her own rage began to build within her, at all the confusion, all the frustration, at everything. He didn't understand anything and he was just as cryptic as always. Andraste curled her fingers into fists, her jaw tightening. She wanted to blast him out of the way, but that was a pipe dream. The silence continued to persist, and she said nothing. She knew he would say nothing as well. They could stand there for hours, with neither stepping aside. She knew him and herself well enough to know that they were both entirely too stubborn to give in.

"Why are you stopping me? Why do you stand before my path? Step aside."

She knew he would simply scoff at the idea of being told what to do, but she wouldn't stand for it. Andraste glared at him. She thought of numerous insults to throw at him. She knew she would be dead by the end of it. A million thoughts flooded her mind all at once, anger boiling over. She began to storm towards him, intent on walking directly past him. He wouldn't stop her. Not this time.

She closed the distance between them and stepped to the side, walking past him. Their bodies were lined side by side as she moved to pass him. However, that was when something hit her. It hit her like a ton of bricks, with enough force to make her almost stagger. She stopped in her tracks, her eyes widening. It was as if she had been punched in the gut, slammed in the head and had taken a concussive blast to the face. Andraste thought about that word Silas had used. The strange complexities. The strange problems. The mystery. The unknown. The alien feeling. The sick feeling. The amazing feeling. The terrifying feeling. It rained upon her all at once. It made her skin crawl. It made her want to vomit. It made her want to smile. It made her want to laugh. It made her want to destroy. It made her want to create. It was everything. It was nothing. She stopped and she turned. She did not face Exodeus. She stared past him, her body still situated to his side. She gazed ahead at the fields of flowers. The words spilled out of her before she realized what she had said.

"You are in love with me.."