Ask Serenno What Could Go Wrong

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It was a lovely day out on this part of Serenno, and Renfry found herself hoping that the meeting to come would be as pleasant as the day. She doubted it.

Whether this would be a meeting between Renfry and Tiamat or Empress and Eternal remained to be seen, and the two were very different. The meeting would also, no doubt, determine the fate of the Mask, the Eternal, and perhaps even Tiamat. She'd nearly killed her friend at the party, and the thought saddened her in the solitude of her own mind.

She looked up at the sky above, thinking about how far she was now from Dathomir. Imperial starfighters screeched past overhead, and she knew that not far away were heavy guns and shields to keep away hostile attack. And far up, mostly obscured by the clouds, floated a Star Destroyer in all its glory. She held one of the doritos she was eating up toward the sky, comparing its similar size to that of the Star Destroyer. At this distance, the two looked comparable in size, but looks were deceiving. It was just a very deadly dorito.

It was a silly thought, she knew, and forced her mind back to the seriousness of the topic at hand as she shoved the chip in her mouth, taking a seat on one of the benches of the courtyard area. In the not-so-far distance, a small group of Nightsisters were practicing their craft, some still adapting to the differences of being away from Dathomir. But it was a long tradition, and she knew they would grow accustomed with time.
 

Darth Tiamat

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The redheaded Sith had not found much peace since the evening of the social; she had told the Eternal it was not a good idea and yet there held its power, so much so it overcame her long enough to show its stunt to all the Sith and it would have nearly killed them. Perhaps, the Eternal knew that she would regain control and preserve her life for a little while longer even if it meant humiliating her in front of the Order. Another key to its method to deteriorate anything she cherished and to corrupt any feelings of acceptance and love even among monsters.

This thing was no ordinary artifact, it was a piece of the Entity itself and now she carried it with her, the host to the parasite that wished to have a tie to the galaxy that it seemed to be banished from many times over. Those thoughts were constant. Sleep was rare as Tiamat searched for some balance, a challenge she wondered how much longer she had since parasites eventually take over their hosts before moving onto the next. If she were honest with herself, it frightened her; the power, it was intoxicating, but her autonomy, it was something Emryc help her find and it was what she treasured as much as her work.

She didn't wear the mask as she arrived to the palace and courtyard. Instead she held it, wrapped in a dark velvet cloth to keep it hidden from curious eyes, but she would keep it with her in case Renfry asked...well the Eternal for its servitude again. Her brow narrowed as the memory seemed to reply many times over, her finger nails digging into the cloth that protected the mask. The woman was silent as she saw Renfry sitting on a bench with a bag of chips; a thought crossed her mind to set down the mask and leave, never to return to it or the Order. However, that would be a near impossible task as the mask had hooked its influence into her psyche.

Instead, Tia just stood silently, waiting for the Empress to address her first. She wasn't too sure what would be discussed, she'd probably want to know what happened in the cave, and it could have been possible her fate within the Order would be determined here.



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Renfry stopped eating as she saw Tiamat approaching, setting the bag aside. The Sith Lord approached, and Renfry could immediately sense what was wrapped in the velvet bag. She didn't want to ever sense it again, and yet she knew that she would. It was a new problem presented to the Order.

There was a mixture of emotions in the Nightsister as she motioned to the seat next to her on the bench for Tiamat to sit down: anger, frustration, uncertainty, but one stood out above the rest. A sense of betrayal yet again.

Why didn't you tell me? Why did you choose to undermine me instead? she asked bluntly. There had been ample opportunity on Dathomir to discuss it and find a way forward. It hadn't been taken, and in some ways it felt like a knife in her own back.

Even as she looked at Tia, she knew the mask was going to be pulling at the woman's mind. She wasn't certain if there was a way to destroy the Mask or send it into exile, but she also wasn't sure what greater problems that would cause. The devil you knew vs the one you didn't.

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Did she really want to sit that close to the Empress? She eyed the spot where Renfry motioned for her to sit and Tia continued to stand in place as though frozen with her sudden indecisiveness. A frown quickly tugged at her lip, a sign of any emotion since Renfry last saw her as Tiamat finally took a seat, still holding the mask in her lap.

Tia's eyes kept focus on the stone path underneath their feet as Renfry spoke, her words sharp, getting to the point of their meeting. Tiamat's jaw tensed, her brow flickered with her own frustration, though she didn't know if it were at Renfry or herself, or even the Entity and the mask. Her heart started to beat a little faster and in the distance, she could hear the faint echoes of the Eternal spirits pulling on her emotions.

"I thought I had more control, sometimes they just decide to do what they want." she started, her brow narrowed, lips pursed, "I told you the Entity wasn't banished, it had what it wanted." her fingers traced the outline of the mask underneath the cloth.



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Tia seemed almost hesitant to take a seat, but eventually relented. Renfry's eyes flicked down to the way she clutched at the mask almost with a need like a mother protecting a child. It was disturbing on a level that reached deeper into Renfry's mind than she wanted to admit.

Just how much control did the mask have? How much had it taken root? How much of Tia was even left in there? The words that Tiamat said next didn't make her feel any better about those questions.

She took a deep breath, thinking about the various implications this had. I want to know everything. No more half truths and lies, she said. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that even with her power, this wasn't something that could be easily undone. The Entity was powerful and even if it had been banished elsewhere, it clearly still existed. It still had its claws in this mask and by extension in Tia.

She stood up and started to pace in front of the bench as she listened, wanting the extra movement of the courtyard in order to vent her silently pent-up anxiety.

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Renfry wanted the whole story and though Tiamat just wanted to brush it aside, she knew that would not be an option. Her gaze stayed on the clothed mask before it looked up at Renfry who was now slowly pacing. There was a whisper in the back of her mind, scratching the idea that the Empress was more concerned about the fate of the Entity and the mask rather than herself. Tiamat inhaled, feeling the irritation that bubbled underneath as she pressed back the whispers, I will make that decision, not you.

"I was allowed to enter the cave." she started, "It beckoned me next as Stolas and Malou were rejected. It was hard to tell where I was, the shadow had a life to it...if you could call it that...and I don't know how long I walked or how long I was in there, but then it spoke." she explained and set down the mask on the bench next to her, "But, it wasn't any voice in particular, it was many, it felt the power in my mind, Kravos' work..." Tiamat paused, flinching, for the briefest moment she remembered the hospital, the moment with Emryc, and it all seemed to conflict with what she thought was the truth. "Emryc taught me that..." she whispered while pressing a palm to her forehead, holding it there for a moment before setting her hand back in her lap, "It...the shadow asked what I sought, I saw visions, me past and future, what happened and what could pass, and then...it questioned what I have created for myself." her jaw tightened. She knew what she had created, but it could not see, she would refuse it.

"I'm not a child." she protested as though the Entity were present, her fingers now curled into fists, her nails digging painful into her palms, "I don't know what it found, but it told me my test would come and then it retreated...and I was in a cave. I don't know where thought, I couldn't feel you...or anyone, my senses were so faint, and it was so cold." Tiamat paused, looking up at Renfry, still confused as to how she was unable to hear or feel her.

"Then came Siris Drast." her tone fell quiet.



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Renfry listened in total silence as Tia recounted her story. Most of it seemed as though it was the same as what she had heard from the other members of the party up until the ending.

The name Siris Drast almost made her stop and ask if she was sure, but she had been Emryc's student. She was sure that Tia was sure. That wasn't a mistake she would have made so simply. Though was it actually Siris? Was it some trick of the Force? Others had long ago seen many things that weren't true whether through alchemy and ritual or the Force itself.

And what happened with him? she asked. She could sense the struggle within the Sith Lord in front of her and she found herself wanting to help, but she also had a sinking feeling that there was no help to be had now. The parasite had taken hold, and this felt entirely different than the rituals she had performed for Invictus or even what she had helped Kravos's spirit to do in Emryc. This had left a mark that was now so entangled within her friends mind that it was no longer about removing it, but learning to deal with it.

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The revelation made the Empress stop in her tracks as she turned to focus on Tiamat as though she wanted to question if she was certain of her memory. The woman nodded, giving reassurance that she was certain, it was no mistaking that Siris was there, however, there was not well defined. "I still don't know where I was, I thought it was the cave, but...it became bigger...there were other faces that I did not recognized, but there wasn't time to figure things out...in fact there was no time for me to think, there was only pain-" she paused, the crushing sensation was hard to forget, "They were going through everything, searching until Kravos' wall stopped them and Siris said they needed to be thorough as well." continued Tiamat, her head turned slightly as she fell silent.

Never in her life had she encountered such agony and her hand rubbed against her chest where the black hand was burned into her flesh. Her voice grew quieter, a sense of despair in her tone, "I don't know how long it lasted, I yelled for you, and the others. I wasn't strong enough to stave off their power and too stubborn submit to death. When it stopped, they had found what they wanted. Then it all stopped." Tiamat pursed her lips in thought, "My old memories returned...I was reliving the past, but something is not right with it..." she frowned, "It didn't feel right, but the power felt good. I realized now they are jumbling my memories, twisting them so I," her eyes flickered to Renfry, "So I can't feel or care about you, and it seems worse with Emryc." she turned her head again, eyes resting on a rose bush, "I felt their hunger in the cave, it was intoxicating and I wanted to prove I wasn't weak, all my life I had been told I was too weak, untalented... and no one, no thing was going to tell me otherwise." Tia shook her head, trying to avoid going that path.

"The only way out was the mask, it wanted to be freed, it was so hungry...the Entity wanted someone to take it and I wasn't able to deny it."



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Renfry could tell the discomfort and perhaps even pain that recounting this was causing Tia. She didn't like putting her through this, but she also knew that there was absolutely no way that they would solve this with only a fraction of the information.

As she finished speaking, Renfry stood there for a moment before beginning her pacing. There was one thing that stood out above all the rest when planning the path forward, and that was what Tia intended. Did she want to be rid of it? Did she want to control it? Did she plan to leave the Sith? Take over for herself? There were dozens of possibilities, but the fact that they were actually having a candid discussion was progress at least.

It was twisting her thoughts and memories? No wonder she wasn't thinking clearly, and the mention of she and Emryc made her wonder to what extent and why. She recalled what Morgan had said about his experience in the tunnel, and that told her that perhaps the mask hated attachment.

What is your plan with the mask going forward? she asked.

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Tiamat didn't move after she stopped speaking, she didn't realize how stiff she was sitting until the afternoon breeze blew a little harder through the courtyard and drawing the redhead's attention to the Empress as she paced. She heard the whispers grow louder for a moment, seeming dissatisfied and hungry for it to return to its place upon her face. There was an urge to pick it up, but instead, Tiamat shifted, rocking ever so slightly to slide her fingers under her thighs.

Renfry remained quiet for a long time, or what felt like a long time for the redhead. When she finally spoke, Renfry asked of her plan as though she could ever stick to plans. She seemed to have a knack for getting caught in tangles that just lead to more trouble.

"My plan?" she questioned, sharing a distaste to even having to define one so greater entities could interfere. "It doesn't include being that..." she looked down at the mask, "It needs a new host, it won't let me go until there is another." Tiamat shifted again, hands returning her lap suddenly feeling uncomfortable to the idea of parting from the mask, but she knew it wasn't her own true discomfort. "Then I want to leave." she stated, feeling herself tense as she waited for Renfry's response., her eyes kept focused on the stone path in front of her.



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Renfry stopped and looked at Tia as she spoke, clearly upset by what she was hearing. It wasn't really the Empress she was seeing in those moments, it was the same woman she had known for near a decade. Moving the mask to someone new was a daunting task enough, but the thing that really upset her was that statement that Tiamat wanted to leave.

The Empire was still in the throes of a war, it was strong but not strong enough, and Renfry needed the Lords for support and assistance in running the Empire. And yet half were stagnant and now Tia wanted to leave?!

Are you kidding me? she said. You're just going to leave the Sith? And go where? Why? Really? Perhaps it was unprofessional and unfair of her to say this and take it out on Tia, but perhaps it was also the straw that broke the camel's back. That wasn't even addressing the issue of the mask itself. Renfry felt betrayed again. The feeling was never good but was becoming something she was used to for all the wrong reasons.

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There was a brief moment of silence that didn't help Tiamat feel any better about the situation, her entire body felt stiff with anticipation. It was a feeling she had not felt since before she went with Emryc nearly a decade ago; what was worse, she barely could remember that moment, there were parts that stood out more than others and still nothing felt right. Tia felt herself slipping into the fog but Renfry's exasperation to what Tiamat disclosed brought the woman back to the present. She didn't move, remaining in stillness as Renfry thought it to be a joke, questioning the plan to just walk away.

Tiamat didn't look at Renfry, instead she dropped her head into her palms, her finger tips running against her scalp as her hair fell along the side of her face. She really didn't know where she would go or why...the idea...was it even her own?

The redhead shut her eyes tightly, "I dunno..." she whispered breathlessly. She didn't know where she would go, she goes where ever she wanted now, but the Eternal knew where it wanted to go and where it would take her. Tiamat forcefully took a large inhale as though she had been holding her breath for ages and sat up, studying Renfry and shook her head, "I dunno..." she whispered, not necessarily aware she was speaking much quieter.

"What do you want, Renfry?" Tia asked softly, feeling she couldn't trust herself with her own decisions; she glanced at the covered mask, "Do you want them?"

 

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What did Renfry want? She wanted a lot of things. She wanted Tiamat not to undermine her. She wanted her friend back. She wanted the Eternal controlled. She wasn't sure she had any of them.

No, I don't want them and I don't want them to own you, either, she said frustratedly.

So what are our options. Or do you just want these things to linger and continue controlling you? she asked. She wasn't even sure that Tia knew what she wanted. It was why she'd asked what Tia's plan was.
 

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Tiamat felt surprised when Renfry said she didn't want the Eternal and sat a bit straighter, mild confusion crossed her features as she was certain she did. It was hard to tell at times what was truth and what was fiction, and the way Renfry was acting conflicted with what the spirts revealed in her memories. She felt a bit dumbfounded and absolutely despised that sensation of not knowing where to start, though it was familiar. Much of her work started with no start point, but given this dealt much with the arcane side of the Force, Renfry had given her the answer earlier.

"No..." she huffed and folded her arms. Her gaze rested on a nearby dahlia bush as she worked through her thoughts, clearing through a heavy fog as she remembered what the old hermit had told them about the Entity. "So why now..." Tia asked, more rhetorically as she thought, "Why after all these years as there does the Entity desire to extend its reach into the galaxy again? The mask, the Eternal, is its eyes and ears and the last it was seen was nearly three centuries ago." Tia drummed her finger tips along the edge of the bench in thought.

"It is not our ally, nor a tool, you get the wrong person behind the mask and your whole Empire can crumble..." she said, working out what was already known, "How...how did something that is supposed to be part of the very fabric of the galaxy gain sentience?" Tia questioned, "What for? And can it be undone?" the redheaded Sith paused, wincing as though the questions she asked were causing her pain.



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She thought about what Tia asked and said and she knew the answer immediately. It was far too close to home for her to not know what the Entity had reared its head now. She was partially to blame, though only a little.

The Forgotten defender was weakening. When she died for good, she drove it back, but she had been holding it back for many years, she told Tia, remembering the day that she had first left Dathomir for the outside world.

I don't think it ever went away, just temporarily was held in check, she said. The other questions that Tia asked, however, weren't so easy to answer.

Combination of Spirits of the dead caught up in it, maybe. Plenty of stories have talked about Force entities that are intelligent manifestations of the Force, she said. She couldn't say for sure and she doubted anyone else could either.

Whatever happened, we both need to start thinking of a way to get you out of this, she said.

That wasn't something that would be done today. She knew others wanted to destroy the mask, but if that were even possible, it seemed like a last resort.
 

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Tiamat listened carefully to Renfry, her gaze leaving the Empress to settle once more on the stone pathway as she took it in for the briefest moment, she felt as though she had some control over her mind and thoughts. It didn't make her feel any better to be reminded that there were stories of the Force taking sentience, the question that bothered her the most was why out of all the beings in the galaxy was she chosen for this? Her lips pursed in the question to herself and she looked back up at Renfry when she suggested to begin to look for a way to separate her from the mask.

Tia remained silent for a moment, feeling the pull from the mask as it could already feel her pull away from it regardless of how subtle she tried to be. A way to get out of it seemed liked a daunting task, if it could be done, and would Renfry have the time to help her? Tiamat felt the doubts creeping back to present, though she was certain it was from the influence of the Eternal and stood firmly that she may have to take this journey without others.

Standing up, Tiamat picked up the mask from beside her on the bench, holding it gently in her grasp, a part of her recognizing it was still a fragile piece of history.

"An answer will come." she told Renfry, but that possibility for at least one answer, Tiamat didn't want to think too hard about.


/End Thread

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