Ask The Burden Of Power

[Emryc Thorne]

Their campaign across Dathomir had been bloody and violent. Some of the clans had been staunchly opposed, and at least one had been exterminated entirely. Through it all, Raze had seen the slow shift from the woman he had first met transforming into the embodiment of a leader. They had fought side by side in many instances against the resistance, and he saw her grow tougher as they progressed.

In the end, she had been able to declare herself Queen with the Clan Mothers all swearing fealty to her. His own foothold of the planet came in the form of a messenger of the Spirits. His name would be woven into the history of Dathomir from here on out. There had been many casualties, but victory was theirs in the end.

It was an ancient temple that had served for the grounds of the rituals to have the Clan Mothers swear themselves to Renfry. Each clan had been asked to provide a daughter to remain behind and guard the grounds. It provided extra defense, and it also ensured obedience from the clans. The daughters were carefully chosen from those that were most cherished within the origin clan.

Raze was in a side chamber of the temple hours after all the rituals had taken place. It was largely empty inside, though he knew Renfry was still settling in. He had been in his armor the entire time and he was finally alone. He had some soldiers bring in some supplies, the ships still far from this site.

He took off the helmet and the outer layers of clothing, his bare torso sporting many injuries from their battles here. Raze began to patch himself up, wrapping gauze around his torso tightly. He heard movement at the doorway and he knew only Renfry could be so bold as to approach him when he was alone. Raze kept wrapping the bandages around.

“Are you displeased with me?” He asked simply before he tilted halfway to look at her. His eyes were completely yellow.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry was a mix of feelings and emotions as the rituals and ceremonies came to a close. Clans from all over the planet had come to swear their allegiance, and the defense force for the temple was now quite formidable. She knew well the power that these women could bring to bear in combat, and she knew their presence would ensure the loyalty of the Clans. In time, the individuals would even become loyal to her personally, she hoped.

There was an incredible thrill to the power she now wielded, and yet she felt exhausted after the events that had unfolded. The ceremonies had been long and draining. She loved that she had gained power, but it had come at a cost. And yet, it was one she was willing to pay, wasn't it?

She made her way through the temple, noting all the things here that would need to be cleaned up and altered with time. There was much work to do on Dathomir still. It didn't take her long to find where Raze was.

Stripped of his armor, she could see that his eyes almost glowed yellow in a way that matched hers.

Would you care if I was? she asked, but the question was not asked in a defiant manner. Her anger at what he'd done had subsided through the battles that had unfolded, and there was no denying the fact that where she was now was quite appealing.

But still there was a part of her that felt unprepared for this. She'd never been a Clan Mother let alone a queen. The line of thought was quickly smashed, as the same portion of her mind that had been awoken in the bloodbath of the conquest pushed its way back to the surface.

She moved over and took a seat on his bed. The temple was still poorly furnished, but Renfry would change that with time. While she valued Dathomir's traditions, it didn't mean that nothing of comfort could be brought here.

She let out a quiet but deep breath as she reached up to scratch her cheek. A part of her wanted to simply lay back on the bed and fall asleep, but she knew that was unwise for several reasons.

Do you believe what you said? About being the Son of the Fanged Spirit? she asked after another moment. She wouldn't have asked the question in public, but he didn't have a track record of lying to her in private. Even she wasn't sure whether or not it was true, but she couldn't deny there was a certain merit to it.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze said nothing to her first question. Renfry wouldn’t have expected an answer to that, and she didn’t get one. He quietly continued to work on patching himself up, traces of some lightning damage lining his arm. It left angry patterns on his skin, but he had been especially gruesome in how he killed that particular Clan Mother. Most of the blood he cleaned off hadn’t been his own.

He didn’t look over as she sat down on the bed that hadn’t been used for a very long time. Raze often took time before he left and Emryc returned. Renfry was one of the few that had witnessed the shifts between the two sides of his persona. It was a beast that always lingered under the surface, and Emryc controlled when Raze was unleashed. While Emryc would hesitate to kill people like Renfry or his own apprentice, Raze had no such restraints or moral dilemmas.

It was Raze that stood before her now, though he was rapidly reeling back to his cage. He finished bandaging himself up, flexing and curling his fingers. He fixed her with a firm gaze that made it very clear he didn’t appreciate her implication that he simply professed something he didn’t believe in. When he spoke, his voice was ice, “Are you questioning me?”

 

[Renfry]

Renfry knew she walked a fine line in any interaction she had with Raze. He was vicious and unapologetic, and in some ways she wondered if she should have waited to come here, but she also knew that she needed to be able to interact with him at any time, not cowering in fear at certain times.

And yet, his response was an interesting one. He'd always been an enigma to her. She'd watched him play the politician and easily woo half the galaxy without missing a beat. She would be a fool not to consider that he may well be doing the same here. And yet, she knew she needed to tread carefully.

I was asking your opinion, she said calmly. There was a certain and noticeable difference in the way she responded now compared to in the past. While her own ice was not on a level to match his own, she was certainly different than she had been at the beginning of the campaign. It was a change he had witnessed unfold firsthand as a darker and yet more controlled side to her broke to the surface.

If I were questioning you, I'd be saying it wasn't true, she said. He knew her well enough to know that she had a difficult streak, and had argued with him many times. It wasn't done like this. But it seemed she had her answer, and now was not the time to be arguing with him... not that any time was great to argue with him, but that didn't seem to stop her normally.

She had half a mind to continue asking questions, but opted instead for silence. Despite her impulsive desire to ask questions, she knew this wasn't the time for that either. The transition time between Emryc and Raze was always variable, but it always happened. She wondered what she would do if someday he didn't manage to switch back. It was a thought she wouldn't linger on.

The Clans have a long history of training warriors for off-world operations. They should prove useful to you in the future, she said after several more moments. While he had Sith at his disposal, there was something useful about having flexibility in one's arsenal. Nightsisters could do things that Sith couldn't and vice versa. The asset would certainly prove valuable to her and likely to him as well. Renfry had already begun to make arrangements to see that they were accessible when needed, regardless of what Clan they came from.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze said nothing as she clarified her statement. It had been an unnecessary question to begin with. If there was no doubt from her, there was no reason to raise it. Raze never acted on anything he didn’t believe in to some degree, and that applied even to his persona as a politician. He finished patching himself up, his back to Renfry. She would notice that there were no recent welts on his back. His methods had gotten more refined over time, and he made fewer mistakes. However, there were other marks on his body, some very faint bite marks at various points on his skin. There were also healing scratch marks along his back that clearly weren’t from any Clan Mother.

He walked towards the bed and sat at the edge of it, a datapad in his hands. He glanced down and scrolled through it, the yellows in his eyes very slowly melting back into silver, “You’ll need to stay here to secure your hold,” He said quietly as he looked through the logistics of the military forces gathered here, “I can leave the troops behind with you in case any Clan tries to pull something.”

Raze glanced over at Renfry, “You will select the women that go off world. I expect them to prove useful without causing any drama.”

 

[Renfry]

Renfry's eyes scanned over his back, quite familiar with his variety of scars by this point. She'd seen him without clothes on many times, but the marks that caught her eyes were some sort of new fang and claw marks. They weren't like any animal marks she recognized and too old to be from the Dathomir fights.

She was yanked abruptly from her thoughts as he made reply to her comment. She was familiar with the trainees prepared for off-world operations, and she would vet them each personally in addition to that. They were actually quite professional and capable of handling themselves quite well.

They won't give you any trouble, she said. It's what they've been trained to do, and I'll see to it personally, she said. She should have been thinking about fortifying Dathomir, and she would do that without question, but he was here now, and something had happened.

What happened to your back? she asked. She almost followed it up with asking if he was okay, but she could already see the answer to that, and she knew how much he hated unnecessary questions. Of course, as soon as the question came out, she put the dots together. She'd left the same types of marks in the same locations before....

Oh, nevermind, she followed up almost immediately, realizing the explanation and shifting slightly uncomfortably. She'd always suspected that he had his way with many different people, so it was no surprise, but seeing it firsthand still made her... what was the word? Uncomfortable? Probably that. Jealous? She wasn't really the jealous type, but there may have been a hint of that in there. Less jealousy and more being unhappy that it had happened. Were those the same thing? Probably, but she at least wasn't the type to make a fuss over it or be broody about it. Still, she couldn't quite tear her eyes away from it, frowning as she realized that whoever had left those marks was very... primal.

Uh... yes, I'll make sure everything is fortified here. The soldiers staying for a short period until the Clans are in a rhythm would be helpful, she said, trying to turn the conversation back toward... something else.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Raze finally drifted from his mind, his gaze back to icy silvers. He heard Renfry’s question but he didn’t react, allowing her the chance to decide what she wanted to do with it. In the end, she revoked it, and he silently went through his datapad. He could feel her eyes on him and there was no reaction to it. He could also feel a whirlwind of emotions that hovered just beneath the surface. Emryc wasn’t the type to pry, and he was always courteous enough to allow others to work through their aggressions to return to tranquility.

He remained silent as she switched topics again. He finished with the datapad and set it aside, exhaling softly. Emryc ran a hand through his hair, feeling the sweat that lined his head. The fighting had been intense, and the soldiers were on unfamiliar terrain. He would have to rely a lot on Renfry.

Emryc cast a glance at her, surveying her for a moment. As usual, his eyes were difficult to read, endless pools of silver that rarely let a person know where they stood, “You’ve done well,” He said, his tone genuine as he spoke, “This was necessary. You were always meant to be here.”

Emryc looked ahead of himself for a moment to regard the chamber they were in, "We were always meant to be here."

 

[Renfry]

The final transition between Raze and Emryc was quite noticeable, and brought a sense of relief to her when she felt it. Emryc could be difficult, demanding, and infuriating, but he was always reasonable. Raze was something else entirely, and given how much she struggled just with Emryc, Raze was a bit overwhelming at times.

Her thoughts were once again pulled back to the present as he spoke up again, a genuineness in his tone as he did so. It was somehow... soothing.

I'm glad you're pleased, she said genuinely before pausing. Were they always meant to be here? Maybe he was right, and now that she was here, it certainly felt good. Far better than she'd ever anticipated.

It feels good, she finally admitted after several moments. She didn't appreciate that he'd forced her hand, and she knew he knew that, but ultimately the results were... "impressive" was simply an understatement.

She secretly had her concerns that she wasn't ready to be queen, but she'd done enough whining in her life. She was finished with that whether it was directed to him or someone else. It was time for her to grow up and start acting like the queen she now was.

How do you feel about flying? And I don't mean in a ship, she said. She intentionally didn't elaborate on precisely what she meant, but if he turned to look at her, he would recognize the mischievous look in her eye that she sometimes got.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked at her when she mentioned it felt good, having known her long enough to be able to tell when she wasn’t being forthcoming. There had been shadows of doubt in her before and it always lingered beneath the surface. He looked for it now, and he couldn’t see it. This had been in the vision they both witnessed, and it was slowly materializing before them.

His eyebrows rose at her question, especially as it was accompanied with an almost dangerously playful gaze. He silently thought for a few seconds before he answered, “I don’t recall there being anything about flying in your journal,” He mused aloud. He had combed through it, learning as much as he could. In fact, it was still aboard his ship and he reminded himself to return it to her.

Emryc used the Force to float over the top he wore beneath his armor, sliding it on with some difficulty. It would take him some time to heal from the fight, anything brushing against the lightning damage sending waves of pain through him.

 

[Renfry]

Ah, so he had scoured through her grimoire. Of course he had. He wouldn't have been able to do what he had otherwise, and, well, he was him. She expected nothing less, and she hadn't been disappointed.

Her eyes finally tore away from the scars and fresh injuries as he began to dress once again.

You know I can fix those for you, she said. The restorative magick was more potent here than anywhere, and while she wouldn't expend her energy or allow access to just anyone... he wasn't just anyone.

Well, we can levitate more effectively than most off worlders... she began, which was true, ...but that's not what I meant, she said. She tried to recall momentarily if he'd ever expressed strong feelings about height to her. He'd climbed mountains at that remnant outpost seemingly without too much trouble, so probably not?

I meant on the back of an animal, she said. And by animal, she meant an absolutely massive semi-domesticated bat, but that didn't need to be pointed out just yet.

She left it open to him whether he preferred the healing baths, mega flying bat, or something else first, but there were options.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc paused in getting dressed when Renfry pointed out that she could fix his injuries. His eyes narrowed, “By all means feel free to make yourself useful whenever it strikes your fancy,” He said with a cutting tone. Why would he ever question her healing him? It wasn’t something that needed permission or to be pointlessly declared. He expected her to simply do it if she pleased.

If there was any healing she could do without a healing bath, he paused to allow it. Otherwise, the clothing slid back on. He considered her words, slightly uneasy at the thought of trusting an animal. Emryc’s immediate answer was no, but his curiosity usually got the best of him.

“Only if you are on it as well,” He said flatly. She would be his insurance as he didn’t trust any creatures of this world. Emryc glanced at her for a moment, surveying her. He was certainly willing to try things if she accompanied him.

 

[Renfry]

Renfry couldn't help but roll her eyes as his sharp response and headed for the door.

Yes, you're welcome. Wait here, she said with half a mind that he wouldn't have liked to do a full bath. She still needed several things for the process. She reappeared a few minutes later with a bowl of glowing green liquid just as before, but this time it was a more natural ichor that she had pulled directly from the wells of the planet.

Lay down, she said, setting the bowl down and motioning toward the bed as she pulled the clean rags that were slung over her shoulder. She dipped one in the waters and partially rung it out before moving over to where he was lying and squeezing the rest of the water out over his injuries and using the second rag to ensure it didn't run all over the bed.

Almost immediately, there was a sizzling sound as the injuries began to close accompanied by a stinging sensation at the site if the injuries as if someone had placed sanitizer on an open cut. The pain began to subside, and as it did, he would feel that all of the pain was gone and the injuries were now closed skin.

She dried the remainder off and he stood to put his clothes back on as she stuck the bowl and rags outside the door for one of the other sisters to retrieve.

Of course, she said. Come on, she said, flicking her head for him to follow her. She headed down one of the paths within the temple and then took another route that headed upward until eventually the pair reached the peak. The wind was stronger up here and a moment later, their ride appeared. And it was, in fact, a massive bat.

It hit the ground and let out a screech as Renfry reached out a hand, touching its mind with the Shadow as her people had done for generations. There were sisters whose sole job was taming and tending to the wildlife of Dathomir, and they had spent some time taming this particular animal.

The animal crouched down toward the ground, allowing the pair to climb on its back. It was a rather spectacular sight to behold, in fact.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was still curious about how his wounds were healed as they walked out. His fingers kept brushing against wounds that were closed, and Renfry hadn’t even needed to touch the Light to do it. It was this kind of display that drove his fascination with Dathomirian magic. With Renfry at the helm, he knew he would finally have unlimited access to their knowledge.

It was hard to hide the uneasiness from his demeanor when the giant bat landed. Emryc wasn’t in the habit of being in situations he couldn’t control, and this overgrown flying rat was just that. He could do countless maneuvers and tricks when he flew a ship, but how could he control a living creature? He stood there without moving for a while until Renfry led the way.

This was one of the few times where he had no desire to sit up front. He would let Renfry hop on first and grab a hold of the creature. Emryc got on next, sitting behind her as he wrapped his arms around her waist, “I don’t trust this,” He said abruptly, his tone actually a little grumpy. It was a welcome change from the usual flat intonation when he spoke.

 

[Renfry]

I couldn't help myself​

Renfry moved closer to the creature until her hand touched its now-bowed head. She closed her eyes and focused, letting their wills become linked for a time. While she'd never been a dedicated tamer like some of her sisters, everyone learned how to do it on some level. She smiled warmly as she opened her eyes again, a clear spark within her that said she was more comfortable here with this than most other places.

Her eyes swept over to Emryc. You can take that off, she said, indicating his helmet. I don't think he's going to tell what you look like, she said with a smile, motioning toward their ride.

Emryc was always so stoic, which made any twitch or alteration noticeable to someone like her who had spent... plenty of time looking at that face. It was subtle and almost unnoticeable to anyone else, but the little way his brows turned down and the muscles tightened in his face told her he was uncomfortable with the idea whether he'd admit it or not. She found it... was adorable the right word? That wasn't typically a word she associated with him, but she thought it might have been right in this case.

She climbed onto the creature's back and ran a hand along its back. Emryc came up right after, his arms sliding around her and she let her hand momentarily brush along his forearms before gripping onto the creature's hair.

She was glad she was facing away because when he muttered grumpily she smiled. She turned her head a moment later to catch him from the corner of her eye.

Then trust me, she said before turning back forward again.

She didn't have to say a word but merely gave the creature a pat on the back. There was a moment where she could feel the animal's muscles flex under her and then it leapt into the air, its wings beating hard and stirring the air all around them as it lifted away from the mountain.

They ascended higher and Dathomir's landscape was laid out for miles before them. While its surface was covered in a tangle of thorned trees and hostility, from here it was beautiful and couldn't touch them. Mountains and valleys stretched out before them in every direction. The wind rushed over her skin and she drank it in.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc looked around before agreeing that it was safe enough to take off the helmet. He had little desire for anyone to make the connection that he was the politician showing up on media around the galaxy. The helmet rested against his hip as he sat behind Renfry, still scowling at nothing in particular.

As the creature moved and shifted, his grip around her tightened, and she would feel him tense. He despised not being in control, and this was very much out of his comfort zone. Though he wouldn’t make a fuss of it, his body language made it clear he was wary of the situation.

When they took off, Emryc grimaced and looked around. While Renfry enjoyed the valleys and rivers, all he could think about was how potentially unreliable the creature was. He had to shift around a few times, the back of the beast not entirely friendly to his nether regions as it rose and fell with acceleration. He had a vice like grip on Renfry, scowling as her hair slapped against his face.

Emryc looked off to the side, feeling the wind brush against his hair and feeling the uncomfortable way the creature’s massive wings flapped, “What is the purpose of this?” He called out to her, “You can derive better empirical geographic data from a scouting ship.”

 

[Renfry]

Dathomir was a unique world in that even during the day, one could look up and see the stars beyond if the mists were clear. And here, flying above everything else, one could practically peer directly into space above.

She could feel Emryc's tension in the way his arms wrapped around her tighter, but she found herself enjoying it more than anything. Although the animal's movements were not quite graceful, she kept it relatively steady as they flew so as not to cause any additional undue stress.

With his arms around her, he would be able to feel more than hear her laughing lightly at what he said.

Yes, I could! she shouted over the howling of the wind. But the "purpose" is to enjoy the views, not look at a map! she said. Perhaps he wasn't a fan of the giant bat angle, but that didn't mean there wasn't opportunity to enjoy the view.

She guided the creature down, letting it alight against a different mountain. It was by far the tallest around, and had a large, open plateau at the top as many of the mountains and cliffs did. She let him climb down first and then disembarked herself, muttering something quietly to the animal before walking over to the edge and looking out.

She was silent for a long moment, lost in thought and looking out at everything in front of them. Dathomir was a harsh landscape and having spent time off world on other planets, it struck her now just how hostile it was. But it was hers, and she loved it.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

After a while, Emryc was getting used to the giant creature flying them around. He took the time to gaze out over the landscape, seeing the mountains and valleys in the distance. While he loved his ships, he couldn’t deny that something about this felt oddly liberating. It was the same reason he preferred riding speeder bikes instead of speeders but in the air. He silently decided that he didn’t mind this so m-

“Whoa!” He blurted out when the stupid beast abruptly went almost completely vertical. Emryc clung to Renfry as tight as possible as the beast shot up towards the summit of a mountain. He began to cough as some of Renfry’s hair went into his mouth and he was having an all around terrible experience. None of this was like they showed in the Holomovies.

The creature landed and Emryc all but leapt off it, landing in a crouch before he rose to stand. He shot a glare at the oversized rat, reaching up to smooth down his hair that looked ridiculous from the wind. Emryc glanced around after a moment, spotting Renfry walk out towards the edge and gaze out.

He looked from her to the beast and then to her. She was his only real way off this summit, and he suddenly had a sinking feeling about this. Emryc kept his thoughts to himself, silver eyes scanning across the horizon.

He stepped forth next to her and looked out, “Everything the light touches is your kingdom,” He said, clearly quoting lines from a Holomovie he had seen years ago. He was very sure Renfry had never seen it. It took a lot of willpower to keep a straight face, “But a queen’s time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day the sun will set on your time, and you must ensure that it rises again with your legacy.”

The urge to grin faded as he realized that actually sounded rather impressive. Emryc blankly stared out, still very much pleased with himself for the deadpan delivery.

 

[Renfry]

She looked out at everything in front of her. Perhaps she would come up here when she needed solitude in the future, or perhaps more likely, she wouldn't have the time to do so. Perhaps this would be the last time she ever came up here.

Her thoughts turned back to the here and now, though, as Emryc spoke. Now, Renfry's exposure to holomovies was extremely limited to the point of being almost nonexistent, so the fact that he was quoting lines from something was completely lost on her.

She listened to what he said and, movie line or not, there was merit to it. She did think it may have sounded a bit melodramatic, but not wrong. Dathomir would be here long after she'd crossed the Veil, and she wanted to ensure she left it stronger than when she'd arrived.

You're right, she said quietly and contemplatively. I think I have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, she said, and it occurred to her that she didn't want to simply stop with Dathomir. It could be the seat of power for a new generation.

She thought about where his path would take him from here as well. He had an entire government forming under his grip, and she knew that in short order he would be one of the most powerful individuals in the galaxy. And all without anyone actually suspecting who or what he was.

You'll always have a place to escape here on Dathomir, she said after a moment. If he ever needed to get away or be alone or let down his guard (well, she wasn't sure he ever truly did that) then Dathomir would be here. While she understood that it likely wasn't his first choice of locale, the sentiment behind it spoke volumes of her feelings toward him.

We don't have to fly around next time, she said, suppressing a slight smile as she said it.

 

[Emryc Thorne]

Emryc was lost in his own thoughts for a long moment, drinking in sight of the endless lands ahead of him. Being in space or on the campaign most times meant he never really stopped to simply look at different worlds. His keen ears could pick up the distant sounds of creatures and waterfalls. The very air here was crisp, and he felt it as he drew it in and exhaled.

He saw a hawk flying in the distance, circling over the mountains. He suddenly felt a spike of rage, his nostrils flaring. His mind flashed back to the hawk in the visions that had been forced on him by Oota on Ajan Kloss years ago. It was a hawk that soared above him and taunted him and his chains. The vision had been crippling and made him feel the weakest he had ever felt. There had been a hand on the grass next to him, one that he refused to look at, one he desperately wanted to grasp. The vision pierced into his mind before he could stop them, the embodiment of everything that made him weak laid bare before him. He saw that hand a bit more clearly and could see the very first traces of brands near the wrist before he called upon his teachings from Kravos. The thoughts were squashed at once as he exhaled. Oota had woven into his mind before the fortress had been built, and he bled into one of the foundational bricks.

Externally, his face remained impassive through the turbulence that afflicted his mind. He exhaled after a while, turning to look at Renfry. He was difficult to read for a moment as he considered her words.

“Is it an escape for you when I am here?” He asked directly. Did he truly create any kind of safe space for her being the way he was? Emryc considered the solitude they had here. They were far from civilization, reality, their obligations and everything else. It was just them here. He gazed at her directly, unflinching and piercing as ever.

 

[Renfry]

Only because she knew him, Renfry could sense something within him if only slightly, but what the source of the upheaval was, she had no idea. She said nothing. She knew she had a tendency to speak and question, and she forcibly left him to his thoughts until he spoke.

What he did say when he finally spoke, caught her somewhat by surprise. She could see that piercing gaze looking through her when she looked over at him, but she didn't hold his gaze for long before looking out once again.

An escape for her? No, it probably wasn't, but was she looking for an escape? As of this moment she was both more comfortable around him than she had ever been and less. It was an odd dichotomy, but one that was fueled by the split in who he was. Raze terrified her and made her uncomfortable on a very visceral level, but Emryc she enjoyed being around more than ever. And yet they were one and the same somehow. She just didn't know how.

I'm not trying to escape you, she finally said after a long moment of silence. In fact, she'd sought him out time and again. As she thought of it, she was determined not to get all mopey or crap this time, though. That didn't have a place here. She was better than that. She said it simply, and that was all.