Twisted Innocence

[Catharsis]

Still no luck. The little girl had been seeking out her sister for months now, ever on the run in an attempt to keep one step ahead of her pursuers. Whether such individuals existed remained to be seen, but an Umbaran didn't simply leave Umbara without the right, and the right came from being part of the correct caste. Kara? Well she wasn't. She was almost as low as they came. "Come on, Zara" she mumbled in Umbarese, despite there being no one for miles around. She was growing delirious, however, having been wandering across the frigid landscape of Ziost for several long days... Or was it weeks? They all seemed to merge into one long day broken by mere hours of sleep, tormenting her with a barrage of hailstorms and ice. She had lost all sense of direction, with no real idea on where it was she was heading. All she knew was that her feelings had led her here. Call it instinct, if you will.

Blinking through the darkness Kara swore that she could see something ahead; was it in her mind? Some sort of twisted mirage which called wistfully out to her? She was clad in so little, a thin, torn tunic, rough-wool trousers and almost destroyed shoes. They were all that kept her from dropping down. All she had for company were her own thoughts... This is their fault was a frequent one, if they hadn't pushed Zara away we'd all be okay... But Zara is dead. The realisation hit her suddenly. She was searching for a corpse. With a shudder the child pressed on, lips as blue as her icy gaze. I won't be weak like her, like mama and papa or any of them... But then and there? Well, it was difficult for her to not be cold.​

 

[Twisted Reality]

Drakus hated the cold, he was more accustomed to the heat of Korriban. But the extreme conditions were good for training. Ziost was the best place for future Sith warriors to get their training. But why was Drakus out in the middle of no where on this giant ice cube? Training, locked up his armor and used only his black cloak and normal sith Robes to keep himself warm as he went over his training regimen. Often times taking it to such extremes that he can barely make it up the ramp of his ship at the days end.

That was what he was doing, some 100 yard away from his ship. He stood nearly knee deep in the show, a Spike in the force to any that could feel it. Dark energy, as it literally lifted him from the snow. His arms, and legs tucked close to his chest before he threw them out and the force energy burst forth in a powerful repulse that left a large 50 yard diameter circle around him in the show. As his feet hit the frozen earth, he felt something off in the distance. Turning Green eyes to where he felt the presence, it was faint.

"Now who is out here? I thought i was alone?"

It was true, Drakus thought he was the only sith Crazy enough to leave the safety of the local temple to train in the wild. But then again, not most have the survival skills he did. Squinting his eyes, he brought a hand up to shield his eyes and saw a small figure. Eyes wide in surprise he started over in that direction.

What in the force is a kid doing out here?

He thought to himself, and continued towards the girl. Getting closer, he could see what the child was wearing. Almost nothing to keep her warm, so he raced forward. Even as a Sith he wasn't a cruel individual, and a child didn't deserve that treatment. Coming to a stop in front of the child he knelt down in front of her.

"What in the force are you doing out here little one?"

He asked, as he removed his large black cloak and pulled it around the child and raised the hood. She looked half dead, so he picked the child up in his arms. Like a father carrying his daughter and started back towards his ship. Might as well let the child warm up, and get some food in her stomach. He didn't even know if the child spoke, and where her parents were. But then again, many children have been left as orphan's during the war...and many by his own hand. But that was his duty as a Sith, he would not leave a child the die. He wasn't that much of a Monster.

 

[Catharsis]

There was definitely something ahead, and her blurred vision detected another nearby, heading towards her at a very quick pace. Maybe it was an animal, come to prey on her. The child dropped a tiny dagger from her sleeve, she could at least try to fend it off... Couldn't she? But something was wrong. There was no animalistic growl, or hiss, instead there was the scramble of foreign yet articulate words and, without needing to force it, she began to skim his surface thoughts, in turn finding herself able to comprehend what was said. But that didn't mean she could answer him. Relief washed over her, he seemed concerned which meant she might not die. Such relief brought her to her knees. "Not weak..." she muttered in Umbarese, before she felt her body lifted up from the ground. Somewhere in the movement she had been wrapped in something heavy yet warm.

Inside the ship her gaze began to adjust. Her body felt like wildfire, suddenly heated and ablaze. She had been out in the cold for so long that she'd forgotten how it was to be warm. In her delirious state she began muttering a name, 'Zara', but aside from that the words were inaudible. She looked up at whoever it was that had found her. He was still holding her, and the connection only boosted her brief bout of natural telepathy through which she sought out a name... Yet even if she found it, she would be unable to use it. Her lips could barely move to talk yet she was relentless. Sleep should have overcome her by now, or worse loss of conciousness. Instead Kara had soldiered on, the anger and disappointment she felt towards her family and what had happened fuelling her and keeping her from drifting away. "Won't be weak..." she muttered again in Umbarese.

 

[Twisted Reality]

Once they where safe aboard the ship, Drakus closed the ramp and sealed the ship from the cold. Taking the young girl into the medical bay, setting her up on the medical table. R&D didn't squander when they made this ship. Even the Medical table was comfortable, and the assortment of Cybernetic legs that lined the far wall were all of Drakus' replacements legs. He could tell the girl didn't speak basic, so this was going to make things harder. But he had his ways of understanding different languages.

"I'm doing to do something, if you can stay awake for just a little longer it will help us understand each other."

Drakus closed his eyes and drew on the force. Pulling the understanding of her language, while planting the understanding of Basic. It was one of the Advantages of knowing Comprehend Speech. It made communications much easier without having to learn the language himself. But this was only a temporary fix because it would only work with him. Once he was done he opened his eyes and looked at the Girl.

"What's your name?"

He understood that the child was likely tired, and would need to rest. But first, he needed to get a name and Call it in. He had felt the probing in his mind, so the girl was a force sensitive. Maybe with some training, she would be a sith one day. The anger, and disappointment and that name she kept repeating all had him wondering what had happened to the little girl. And what an Umbrian was doing all the way out here alone. Maybe he'd have to contact Alvis and let him know he'd found an Umbrian child. And maybe just maybe take her Korriban, but without someone to take care of her. She wouldn't last long as a student, she wouldn't be able to survive the life as a Sith Acolyte until she became older.

 

[Catharsis]

His voice alone kept her awake, only half able to understand him as her conciousness flickered and so too did her Telepathy. Her body began to warm up, the blue hue to her lips lessening as the circulation resumed. Suddenly he spoke again and she could understand him. His words were in Umbarese, or fluent enough that she comprehended them as such. Her name... What was her name..? She went to putter "Zara..." But a moment later she corrected herself. "Kara*"

She wanted to give in to the oppressive desire to sleep, her eyes lolling open then closed and each time setting directly up at the man. She became suddenly aware that she was no longer in his arms, but instead against a bed, and it made her wonder how many times she had lost conciousness yet. Suddenly she noticed that it was a medical bay, and her body tensed and shot bolt upright, hands clenching into the medical bed. She couldn't be there, there was something in her that just couldn't stand medics, doctors, hospitals. Her head pounded from the sudden movement so much so that she raised a hand as though to steady it.

[*pronounced share-a]

 

[Twisted Reality]

Drakus saw the way the girl reacted when she realized where she was. But this was the only place he had to put her at the moment. The crew quarters were closed off, cause he had an out burst after Coruscant and everything was over turned. He'd lost childhood friends there, and they were something he never thought about in his anger at the Jedi for what they did to him. In his mind, the Jedi sent him to some deserted remnants of a ship yard to die. Yet he survived and rose to become what he was today. Something the Jedi should fear.

"Kara, calm yourself. You're safe, lay down and rest. Nothing is going to happen. When you wake, i'll have something for you to eat."

He gave his best reassuring smile, before moving to the bedside and removed the cloak so she could lay down. If she did, he'd cover her back up and sit in a chair not that far away. He didn't need her falling over and hurting herself out of sheer exhaustion. He placed his paired lightsabers of the table beside him so he could get comfortable.

 

[Catharsis]

The pain itself was enough to get the child lying back down again. She fell asleep almost the moment her head touched the pillow, curling up like some kind of feline, more so when he settled the cloak back over her. She was a restless sleeper, or at least she was for those few hours she rested, body trembling every so often and inaudible words murmured. But she didn't wake until several hours later. Truth be told she could have quite easily slept longer, but her usual nightmares had set in and rather than face them she was glad to be awake.

She blinked open her eyes and pushed her body into a seated position, visibly uneasy with her surroundings. She brought her knees up to tuck under her chin, against her chest, and looked around the room itself with a half-hidden yawn. Her head rested down against the top of her knees as she finished surveying the room and tried to find the man from within the shadows. Despite the bad state she'd been in she could remember everything about the previous... Night?Day? It had been hard to tell the two apart on Ziost. The man had not given her his name, so she had no way of calling for him.

Do I want to call for him? she thought as her eyes drifted back to a content close. Her body still ached from the amount of walking she had done, from the lack of energy she'd had, and the cold itself. "H-Hello..?" She finally inquired, in a questioning tone, the word a basic Umbarese greeting, she couldn't even begin to try speaking Basic right now.

 

[Twisted Reality]

Drakus had been cleaning up the crew quarters, to get it more livable so the girl didn't have to sleep in the med bay. But he felt when she woke, so by the time he got to the door he heard her call out. Sliding the door open, he stood in the doorway. She look much better now that she managed to get some sleep.

"You're awake, good how about some food? It's not much, but it'll fill you up."

He pulled out a military ration, and walked over to her. Opening the package he handed it to her with a smile. It was the best he had, usually being at the war front he usually kept his own food. That way he didn't take away from the rank and file. So Drakus just pulled up a seat and sat down.

"Kara, i'm Drakus. A Master in the Sith Order, i have set you up a bed in the crew Quarters. If you wish to stay a little longer, I leave for Korriban in a few hours. You maybe young, but with someone watching over you. You can start studies at the temple. What do you say to that?"

 

[Catharsis]

The child lifted her head after hearing the door open and glanced across at the man who entered soon after. Now that she was fully concious she took in his appearance, the way he held himself suggested discipline, maybe even military, yet she felt his Presence in the Force and immediately knew what he was. This gave the girl a sort of curious look in her eye, and she had to resist the urge to smile. "Please..." She finally muttered with another concealed yawn, before she lowered her knees to sit instead and sat upright, grateful for the food when he handed it to her.

She would have eaten it there and then but the man began to speak and Kara was curious. Drakus... Somewhere in the back of her mind she recalled the name from her semi-concious skimming of his mind, but he didn't linger on the name so she focused back in on his words. He was a Sith, something Kara had gauged the moment he stepped through the door, and for a moment she bit her lip with minor uncertainty - but it didn't last and shortly after her mind begin to work overtime. Was what he said really possible? Zara was dead, and a corpse wasn't worth looking for. She couldn't, and wouldn't, return to Umbara. Hm...

The little girl pushed a strand of hair from her face and tilted her head to one side, watching him. "Do you mean it..?" She said to Drakus, before muttering an afterthought to herself, only in a whispered tone the way some children do; "Won't be weak" Her hunger took over and after speaking she began to eat, grateful for the food he had provided.

 

[Twisted Reality]

Drakus watched the girl carefully, making sure that there were no injuries past the girl just being cold, and when the girl spoke he nodded a little bit. Now thankful, that he had pulled the understanding of her language and implanted his. It made communicating much easier, instead of waiting till he could get to a protocol droid to translate. He took a small breath and nodded slightly.

"I do, it will not be an easy life. But with the right person watching over you till you are of age to train on your own."

The girl started eating shortly after and he smiled a bit, he hadn't smiled since the fall of coruscant. So it was a good thing, He knew military rations didn't taste the best. Though, when you are starving even the worst tasting food was good to you. But it would give her the nutrients she needed, to regain her strength. But the nightmares the girl seemed to have would take time to cease. He would wait for her to finish eating before he spoke again. Reaching out his hand, he slowly levitated a relic from his past as a child from the wall. A small ball he played with growing up on the street of coruscant.

"Why are you out here all by yourself Kara?"

He would hold his hand out in front of the girl and the old ball would levitate from his palm about three inches. Rolling mid air in one direction, then another. Before he would send it spinning around them in a large orbit using the force.

"One day, you will learn to do things like this. But on a much larger scale, and when we get to Korriban. I will find someone to look over you while i'm away. I still have a war to fight, people to bring to justice for what they have done to me."

 

[Catharsis]

Kara finished her food and set it aside, sitting up further on the bed with a very subtle wince, her body was sore from the time spent out in the cold. When she finally began to speak her voice was rather calculating and thoughtful; "What if there is no one to do so?" She tipped her head to one side when she asked this, a small frown upon her lips. Kara knew full well that she would never survive amongst the Sith alone, and she seemed somewhat set on the path. While she had yet to outwardly show herself in the way one might wish to see a Sith act internally the girl wasn't too far off. And she had the potential. But if she lacked guidance then there was a very good chance she would fail. Hard.

His question was a difficult one for her to answer. She mulled it over in her mind for a long time, before saying; "Searching for someone. But they're dead." She was so blunt about it, yet it spiked disappointment through her, annoyance at her sister's weakness, at her parents, and it took her a few moments to calm herself down enough to speak further; "I escaped to find her... I don't want to return." She frowned, and refused to speak any more on it. When he began to move the ball her eyes widened, calming down her anger and raging emotions with fascination. "Do I have to go to Korriban? They might not want me there." Her eyes never left the ball, and she wondered how he was doing it.

 

[Twisted Reality]

Drakus took a moment to think on her question, and what she had said about why she was all on her own out here. Why would she be searching for a corpse? Not like they could walk around or anything...unless the darkside was at play even then. It would take someone versed in the dark side to do such a thing.

"Someone will, a little girl has no place in the middle of a battlefield. We have another Umbrian within our order. Perhaps he can assist me in your training."

Yes, there it was. Drakus has already decided to train the young girl in the ways of the force and the darkside. He knew Satoryu was already training under Alvis, so while he was away perhaps Alvis would take over the girls training while he was off dealing with the rest of the resistance to the empires claim to the core.

"No one will force you to return, as for not wanting you. I am a Sith Master, my power is only second to that of a Sith Lord. They will not turn you away, I am both Respected for my power. And Feared for my prowess with our signature weapon."

And one day, he would be a Sith Lord and a Darth. He could feel that was meant for more then just being a Sith Master. He smiled and stood from his seat. Picking the young girl up he carried her through the ship. Into a Larger circular room with many things to assist in training. But also another thing one might notice is how the force seemed to flow and gather in the room.

"This is my Meditation chamber, and personal training place. The central place where the Force is drawn to on this ship."

He sat her down and sat on the floor his legs pulled under him as he looked around. Before addressing her again.

"Sit, and close your eyes. Clear your mind of all thoughts, breath deep and listen. If you can quiet your mind, and meditiate you will find the force can lend you encreased vigor and energy, even sustenance if you are without food."

 

[Catharsis]

From his words Kara deduced that the man sought to train her. It was on odd revelation, but one she was willing to undertake and thus she spoke no more opposition to being sent to Korriban. "I think I understand... But a fellow Umbaran might ship me back to Umbara..." She most definitely did not want that. With a small frown she looked to him, head tipped to one side, before watching as he rose and approached her. Within an instance she was scooped up out of the bed and into his arms, where she made no protest and settled against him for the duration of his walk.

The moment they entered their destination she was hit by the overwhelming darkness within; it called out to her very soul, every fibre of her being itching to respond like a strong magnetic attraction. It made her shudder, yet a small smile appeared upon her lips at the same time, suggesting she wasn't experience discomfort. Meditation chamber... She liked the sound of that, whatever it meant. When she was settled to the ground she sat up straight and looked directly at him, alert and ready to listen. Hearing his instructions the girl frowns ever so slightly, before simply nodding her head.

She found the first two instructions simple, closing her eyes and focusing her breathing to a controlled rate, yet the rest took her some time to manage. With the lack of one of her senses the others worked overtime; she could hear the heavy snow beating against the ship, perhaps the most overwhelming of her senses, and she shivered as though remembering how cold it had been outside amongst it. But eventually she began to block all of that out, until all she could hear was Drakus' words and all she could feel was the oppressive nature of the darkside surrounding her, enveloping her, seeping into every fibre of her being.

 

[Twisted Reality]

Drakus did the same, closing his eyes and focusing in the darkside that permeated the meditation chamber/training room. Several things where against the wall that were considered loose. This young child had much untapped potential. Yet he understood her desire not to return. He didn't want to return to his home world but he wouldn't pass the chance to be a part of the force that would topple the Weak Galactic Alliance and the Jedi Order. Though a Part of him died while he watched the devastation of Coruscant. The Initiate that resided in the dark corner of his heart died with his childhood friends.

"I think he understands the desire not to return to Umbara. You do not have to worry about that young one. Now focus your mind, The dark side of the force is a powerful companion. It can be used to destroy, and devastate planets. But for now, we will focus on something small. Focus on the items around us, the training weapons, tools, items scattered here. Picture them in your mind, will the force to reach out and surround the items. Then Lift them from the ground, this is will be your first lession. The basic Applications of Telekinesis. You are still young, so you do not have the mental blocks most have. When it comes to the force, size matters not."

Drakus finished, and opened his eyes to observe the young girl and the items around them looking for any sign of movement. And to see if she was capable at such a young age to understand the concepts of being able to move things with her mind. Even at her age, he was only able to do it as an impulse. Something that happened and he had not control over, it wasn't until he had direction and instruction even if it was a holo projection from a Holocron that he finally got control over this power, and since then Mastered every power under it's label.

 

[Catharsis]

Kara said nothing, but internally she hoped that what Drakus said was correct. She did not want to be returned to that dark little swamp of a planet, with their castes and her parents. No, Kara, you're stronger than they were, than they will ever be... But part of her wondered if that were truly so. Zarathustra had left to prove such a thing, and she was dead. I know she's dead the child thought yet again, before returning her focus onto Drakus. He wanted her to... Lift the items? One of her eyes opened to see if he was serious, before closing swiftly. She refocused, reclaiming the meditative state and drawing back upon the darkness which not only resided within the room itself but also within Kara. It became enflamed and rose up to meet her, threatening to overspill.

Breathing in slowly she recalled what Drakus had done in the room they had previously been in; he had moved an item, an old ball, across the room and spun it as though it were nothing. How had he done that..? Wrap the Force around it... Imagine you're lifting it with your hand, only... Don't use your hand. Even though she herself had suggested it, Kara was unsure whether this would actually work. She sat there for a long time, attempting to work the Force around one of the items. In her frustration she was about to give up, mentally casting aside the object in annoyance. Yet in doing so a clatter followed as one of the training blades was sent flying across the room. You need to stop thinking about it so much the child realised.