Ask [Raxus] Rising from the Ashes

[Celeste Stythani]

Why...how could this get even worse? Those feels literally started to eat her alive and his gaze pained her so hard. She didn't even want to express why he should better run, but she could not bear looking at him any longer. She clenched her hands into fists while the first tears began to swell in her eyes. The rage grew and it was not just directed against him, but mainly against herself, all the things she regretted and this whole, fucked up situation. Running together?! He couldn't have been serious...and yet his words were honest. The tranquility of that place was eery and so was this bizarre scene, and yet she could see and hear that he was completely honest. She started panting while it seemed like those mixed emotions were about to erupt.

This was nothing but a screwed, fucked up test, wasn't it? He wanted to test her loyalty, he wanted her to be confronted with all those feelings. But why? Because he needed to erase that part of her, didn't he? She was so unbelievably frustrated, especially because Lukas didn't stop talking and worst of all, he was not running. Instead, he even urged her to run with him or to even come inside first and she just couldn't take it. Again, she turned around, instantly pulling out of his grasp while she took a few steps back towards the path. "WHERE ARE YOU?!" she yelled like a maniac, however knowing damn well that he wouldn't show himself and Lukas wouldn't understand.

But what the hell did he want her to do?! Heavily breathing, she frantically looked around, before she spunnd faced Lukas, her eyes shifting into showing the slightest hint of the inner corruption again. Flecks of gold mingled with the light blue and as she faced him now, he wouldn't recognize that gaze. "Run", she now hissed feistily, but she already knew he wouldn't listen. Somehow, he was obsessed with her still. He wanted to harm her even further. He wanted to stop her, to keep holding her back, to continue taking that power from her.

Now, the tears started running as she reached out, invisible tendrils wrapping on Lukas neck where her lips hadn't been not long ago...but this was over now. "Is that what you fucking want me to do?!" she shouted, wildly looking around, trying to spot Raze in the forest. She was shaking, but it was no that rage that consumed her while Raze's words echoed through her head. The heavy breathing intensified and so did that inner tensions while she now stared at Lukas again. Her former lover. Now it was not her consciousness that lay bare, but her heart. Her shattered, conflicted heart. Drawing strength from all that agony would have been helping, but she could neither concentrate on her inner pain, nor on the stinging marks on her back while she was slowly obstructing the airflow of the man she had loved before. She repeatedly told her this was a test and she needed to do that, but this was worse than torture and every pain Raze could inflict on her.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

“Where is who?” Lukas asked, looking slightly alarmed at Celeste’s behavior. She would see he was genuinely concerned. She would see the confusion. She would begin to feel slightly crazy because no one responded to her outburst. She was shouting at the forests, shouting into thin air, shouting at nobody. The Jedi began to reach towards Celeste again, “What’s wrong? What happened to you?” When she turned to face him and had the hints of gold in her eyes, his eyes widened slightly. He had seen that before only in Sith. He took a step back and then another, “What are you-”

He felt the Force coiling around his neck. His breath caught and he began to sputter and choke, his hands going towards his neck. His eyes bulged and he began to struggle, “Celeste…why are you…” He would choke out his words. When Celeste looked behind her and shouted, no one responded. As before, she couldn’t feel or sense Raze anywhere. Had she ever found him? Was she truly on Endor away from everything, liberated from the Sith?

Though she had attacked him, her connection to the Dark Side wasn’t as strong as it had been before she left the Sith. Everything took far longer. Lukas was able to actively resist as he dropped to the ground gasping for breath. He was on his hands and knees, coughing and sputtering. He weakly mustered up enough strength to use the Force to throw her backwards.

He rose to stand shakily, staring at her with hurt and betrayal, “What is..the matter with you?! Why are you turning on me like this?” He asked, his heart breaking before her eyes, “Have you gone back to the Sith? You chose them over us? You chose them after I said I would leave the Jedi for you?” Lukas coughed a few more times, but he still didn’t attack her, “You once told me you knew that me breaking the code for you…it showed you what I felt for you..” He said in a raspy voice, “Does all that mean nothing? You would really try to kill me over one mistake? Is that all I was to you? Is that all this was when you agreed to marry me?”

Through it all, there was absolutely no sign of Raze whatsoever. No hints, no sounds, no dark presence, no intrusion into her thoughts. Nothing.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

He didn't understand. Nothing of it. Why would he? Right now, she was addressing a ghost. A dark phantom. The demon that had infested himself in her head. And though now he seemed to have left her. What was he doing? From what she knew about him, one thing was for sure: He had not taken her back here so she could start again. This...didn't make sense. Not after he had actively enlightened her about what the hell was truly going on. How Lukas had talked to the Councilors, how he had proudly presented his achievement. No...he hadn't succeeded. The Jedi hadn't. Raze was freeing her from the shackles of all that self doubt and she felt her power grow again. Her connection to the dark side was definitely weakened, but there were surely ways she could reach a breakthrough...right? Maybe all she had to do was to carry on. Work through all the pain. Instead of being the broken one, becoming the breaker.

Or what if she was dreaming. What if those Raze interactions had been just a terrible nightmare, a tormenting phantasy that had orientated in all her doubt after that terrible loss? Was she perhaps still unconscious and in the hospital? Or worse...still in that cave and that Sithspawn was still inside her head? She couldn't tell and this felt terrible. The uncertainty was truly overwhelming and so were those thousand emotions. She watched him struggle against her dangerous grip and she hated herself for that. Her most darkest parts had broken loose and they wanted to get out. After all that time, they needed air to breathe as well. They wanted to grow and feed on her pain and anger. On that passion, that fire deep inside her, even though the flame was currently dancing in many different directions.

Breathing was hard and it truly felt like by choking him, she was slowly suffocating herself. His words hit her like shards of glass that tore through her flesh and simultaneously burnt into the skin like her own lightsaber had done earlier. She couldn't answer any of his question, but as he broke loose and pushed her back, she was just getting angrier. Why did he even have to make this harder?! "You've failed me! Just like everyone else has!" she spat furiously, immediately regaining her footing after he had pushed her. "You would have never left the Order! You have made me leave instead. You tried to suppress me for your own advantages!". She moved her arms around wildly, coiling the Force around her as she did so. His words were so damn painful, yet she know she couldn't let them break her or soften her again. She gritted her teeth and her gaze was threatening, but again, she glanced around bewildered. "You just don't understand what I have seen. I've finally seen the truth. The truth in all of you, in all of that". It was still immensely agonizing, yet she literally forced those words out of her mouth.

How could she have been so dumb? Why had she even agreed to all that after all? She fell forward onto her knees, burying her face for a moment while the pain from the wounds of her back intensified. "This is not right. None of this. But I will make this right. You are a liar" as she had glanced up again, her voice was less emotional and much more icy again. She felt like she was out of her mind and those words didn't feel right yet. She was actively prohibiting herself from feeling any pity...any mercy. Especially the part with the 'is that all I was for you' hit her the hardest, but then Raze's words overshadowed that. 'A Jedi's whore'. No...not any more. She swallowed again, pushing herself to her feet before she sent a heavy push his way. "Go! Run! I won't do this any more. I won't let you do this!" she bellowed loudly, her legs shaking again. She was so angry with herself...with him...with all that mess and that chaos. She had no idea where the Dark Lord had gone to, but she would leave that place because she could lash out again. She forced herself to turn right after the moment she had shoved him backwards and was walking away with determined, furious steps, hands still clenched into fists. She didn't need to kill him. She would never have to see him again though. She needed to get rid of what remained of the emotions.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

“Celeste..” Lukas called out as she stormed off, “CELESTE!” He yelled again, but he didn’t give chase that time. She could sense his confusion and sense of betrayal, “I would leave! I just want to settle down and forget the galaxy!” His voice called after as she walked off, “You have to forgive me…” His voice cracked as it faded from earshot.

Her path would take her through the Endor forests exactly as she remembered. She only had her thoughts to herself and her own musings. There was nothing but the sounds of birds and noises of insects everywhere. Lukas didn't give chase, but she would feel his presence not too far behind her. She could hear Loki's distant barking, the hound alarmed at the sudden change of events. He felt protective over Lukas and couldn't understand why Celeste was posing a threat to him.

The Jedi left her some space, but it was clear he had no intention of running. With a sigh, he walked closer towards the cabin, taking a seat on a stump outside of it. He would wait here for her and he was sure Celeste would return after she had calmed down.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

She heard him call from behind and each and every word felt like another dagger through her heart. His words still sounded honest, but they didn't fully reach her. She was forcing her walls up, not wanting to let any word glide through and actually reach her heart. She was actively replacing the remnants of her love for him with anger and frustration and tried to keep focusing on the actual truth she had started to believe.

She started walking the path back, but realized that she didn't want to get any closer to Raze's shuttle. Instead, she took a turn right through the thicket and walked in a half circle, approaching the lake that was located next to his cabin instead. This was where it had all started: Here, she had thrown up the first time. This was the exact same spot where Lukas had taken plenty of decisions away from her. He had picked up her stuff and forced her on the speeder to drive her to the hospital- fully without her consent and against her will and she had even let it slide. She had forced her to undergo an examination even if she had insisted she was alright...


Pathetic...this was pathetic, she was pathetic. Just like her weakness.

She stopped not far awake from the lake and stumbled forwards onto her knees again. With her nails digging into the ground, she let out a desperate cry of frustration while the tears of hate still came streaming out. If she would end this, it would end all. Or at least a huge part of her pain and internal struggle. Raze had forced her into this confrontation and she hated every last part of it. There would be no escape and she had been tired of that shit. Tired of having people making decisions for her, tired of holding back. No more....no more. This decision would be conscious. She couldn't avoid it and she couldn't resist those urges. Her inside had changed and the corruption was spreading and that twisted idea of justice forced itself into her consciousness. The Sith were not known to be merciless, and she would show him. Raze wouldn't let her leave and he was even to dangerous to be kept alive with knowing that she was definitely not her old self anymore. Finally, her true self shone through the empty shell...this was the only way.

The frustration, pain and anger was reflected in her gaze as she lifted her head again. She was breathing heavily and that internal pain seemed to tear her apart. Yet she knew she couldn't fight it. She couldn't fight him. She couldn't resist him. After he had made that first cut into her consciousness while she had been at her most vulnerable position, he had removed those shackles. She breathed in and the Force flowed right through her, but this time it didn't feel as usual. It was colder and much darker, her inner storm slowly focusing on that.

She pushed herself back to her feet and took the quickest way back, no detours. She spotted Lukas right where she had left him and hoped sparkled in his eyes as his gaze fell upon her. She said nothing until she was close enough, and even then it was only a whisper that left her lips. "I'll free you and with that I will free myself". Again, those words inflicted the most terrible pain on herself, but there was a fierce determination audible through all that agony. Again, she reached out, blocking out the barks of Loki in the back, but she forced herself to watch as the Force was coiled around his throat again. Regardless of how much he struggled against it, she wouldn't loosen her grip this time. She was consuming her emotions instead of letting them consume her and she drew from all the pain and the hate inside her. Instead of looking away like a coward, she kept staring into his eyes, knowing that this pain will make her stronger in the end. Before she could build herself anew, she had to wreck all that was left from her old, weak self, shatter it, and put the pieces together, tighter than ever.

@Sreeya

 

[Darth Raze]

Lukas looked up when she returned. She would see his weary smile as he perked up at the sight of her, “Celeste, I knew you’d-” He barely got the words out before the Force coiled around his neck again. His hands reached up to grasp at his throat again, struggling and choking. His eyes were on hers, a look of pure betrayal and horror there. He struggled with all his might, but the Dark Side doubled down powerfully. She would see all of the ugly impacts of what she was doing, his face turning purple, his eyes bulging, the sick guttural noises he made and the defeat in his eyes. Loki’s barks grew frantic and louder in the back, the hound clearly distressed.

It was agonizingly slow and she would have to watch every second of it. All of their memories together would flood through her mind, thoughts of his smile, his tender touch, how he kept her warm during a blizzard, how they whispered promises to one another and how they had committed for life. All of it went flashing through her mind as she watched the light leave his eyes.

Lukas fell in a heap on the grass with a thud. In the background, Loki could be heard whimpering and pacing back and forth, completely devastated.

Nothing happened after Celeste killed her fiance. Raze did not emerge, he didn’t show up to tell her she did good or bad, nothing. She was left alone in her thoughts and in solitude once again. It was just her and the forest, the sounds of birds and critters carrying on as they always had. She was left with the aftermath of her choices and decisions, and she was left alone.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

So was she going to get through with it? The demon had infested her mind and she knew he wouldn't leave her so easily. However, she didn't even want him to go as he was guiding her back on the right way. It was still a good thing that in those disturbing scenes, there were no mirrors or reflecting surfaces involved that would allow her to see herself, but it was actually more than bad enough to see the life being compressed out of him. Was she afraid to see herself though? No, actually not...The decision she had made was still conscious and Celeste was no coward. She was no one to turn back and leave, she had always been someone with an unrelenting drive and so this was do different. There was no stopping.

She held that grip tight, tears still streaming down her cheeks and the nails of her free left hand were digging into the skin of her palms, the white of her knuckles clearly visible. While she didn't release him, it felt as though this black hole from the hospital was back. It was milling away everything she had ever felt for him, every hint of sympathy and mercy that had been in her heart, while she desperately focused on all those raging emotions inside her. She was still furious with him, but it pained her deeply to see his face turn purple. She had renounced actual violence for years and now she was doing the most brutal thing. Raze had not even given her her own lightsaber to make this quick. She was forced to watch her former love suffer from a slow, painful death and she witnessed each and every second. She was doing the most selfish thing she had ever done in her entire life by ending his life, so that this would free hers. By destroying him, she would destroy that connection and she would free herself of that burden. She had truly never felt that bad or that guilty, and yet she didn't let go while it destroyed her from the inside.

After his lifeless body fell to the ground with a thud, a desperate Loki was to be heard in the background. There were goosebumps all over her skin and she was shivering, blood dripping from the hand from where her nails had torn the skin of her palm open. She sunk down to her knees, still staring at the atrocity she had committed herself. One the one hand she couldn't even fully realize what she had done, while on the other hand that darkness that streamed through her felt overly powerful...somehow addictive. But yes, there was still that guilt and all the pain.

Utter dismay reflected in her stained eyes and yet it felt like those violent tendencies had been freed from their shackles, too. All that hatred wanted to be released and it felt like the next life form she would encounter would be torn into pieces right on the spot. She needed release for that raging storm that had built up inside her and she didn't even realize that she was breathing heavily as she got back to her feet. She spun on her heels, staggering for a few steps until she could herself. Her vision was oddly blurry and it took a moment to blink away the tears before she stormed off, leaving that terrible place behind. There was still no sign of Raze, yet right now she couldn't even about him or his whereabouts. She was completely left alone with her thoughts and everything that was going on in her head right now. She forced herself to breathe deeply, yet her lungs were seemingly compressed again while she couldn't block out that image of Lukas' rolled up eyes, the purple shade of his face and those terrible, gut-wrenching noises.

Just like that, all that Celeste had been so far was destroyed, and the blonde woman that now stormed through the forest was probably unrecognizable for everyone who had formerly known her. She herself had to even get to know that new person that had just ruthlessly murdered the person she had once loved...but the worst of all was, that she didn't even just feel terrible. Instead, there was an odd sense of freedom in it. She was not bound anymore. She didn't have to play by anyone's rules or hold back. That was the beauty of the dark side...

@Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

“Wake up, you worthless bitch!”

A shrill voice called out, startling Celeste awake. It would feel as if hours or days had passed, and she would have no real concept of time. All she knew was that she was in a barracks type room, curled up on a bed in the same undergarments from when she entered Raze’s hall. She had no recollection of how she arrived there, but like in her memories, there was a set of folded clothing for her to don. She would recognize them immediately as an acolyte uniform.

Standing across from her was a Sith instructor that looked furious. The woman stood above Celeste with her arms crossed, “Get dressed and follow,” The woman commanded, already starting to walk. Celeste would have seconds to jump to her feet and follow. She would notice her lightsaber was missing and Raze was nowhere to be seen.

If she got dressed and followed, the instructor would lead her to a room filled with Imperial armor, “Your duties for today are to clean and assemble all the armor in here,” The woman said curtly, “I will return to check on your progress at the end of the day, acolyte. Do not fail this basic task,” She said before spinning on her heels and leaving.

Celeste was given no further instructions and left alone in the room. She was given an assignment doled out to the absolute lowest of the acolytes, before they could even be assigned a master. It was clear that she wouldn’t get to simply coast back into the Sith Order after what she had done. She would have to earn things every step of the way.

If she began to work on polishing the armor, she would come across a very distinct helmet she would recognize at once. In a special casing and zone, all the officers' armors were lined up on display. She would spot Altair’s helmet and the rest of his armor, both dirtied and dusted from combat. The reality of what position she held now would be abundantly clear. Raze wouldn’t make this easy on her.

@LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste couldn't even remember how far she had walked or where she was even going, but as she was suddenly woken by a shrill, angry voice, she heavily flinched. She lifted her head and glanced around in shock, immediately facing a furious instructor from the academy.

Wait...she was immediately reminded of her time in the academy all those years ago, but something was utterly different. It took her a few moments to blink and make a meaning out of the scene, but she slowly started to grasp what was happening. She found herself on a bed and even though she was completely disoriented, she did realize that she wore the same clothes as back then...back when she met Raze again.

However now, she dark lord was nowhere to be seen again and while her back and her palm were painful reminders of what had been, the pain in her heart was worse. She now had to live with the fact that she had blood on her hands. Not innocent blood though. After all...he had contributed to that mess. Hadn't he?! She couldn't even quite tell, but for now it made it easier for her to live with that...but what helped her even more was that before she could even start spiraling, the angry woman forced her to follow.

She felt utterly numb as she pushed herself to her feet and it actually felt as though her insides were completely empty. There was the cold, and the dark, but apart from that there was nothing. A chill went down her spine as the fresh air caressed her skin and the pain immediately shot through her nerves, but, gritting her teeth, she got dressed and started walking, her thoughts racing while at the same time she had no energy to focus on any of them.

She didn't actually feel comfortable without her lightsaber and not knowing what was about to come next made her tense up, but she knew she had no choice but to follow those orders and so she even hoped that she would be given any purpose for now. She kept following the woman, but the further they walked the angrier she got. She wasn't afraid of where they were going, but judging from the acolyte uniform, she was starting to get a feeling.

As they finally reached the designated room, she received her task. "Assemble armor?! That is-" she began, the rage flaming inside her but she immediately stopped and forced herself to breathe. As she raised her voice again, it was much calmer and more composed. "Apparently the right task..." she admitted, the rage immediately surmounted by agony and guilt.

She had commited so many mistakes and while Raze might have already punished her in the mentally worst possible way by having forced her to harm herself and to kill her former lover, her penance was far from over...it made sense. And there was no way to fight it or to even escape, so she sighed and started to focus her attention onto the utterly embarrassing and degrading task ahead. She was much better than that...and this was a pure waste of her potential, but well...she understood that she had to earn the trust back first. Same went for her uniform and her lightsaber, but while she did what she had to, the fire in her gaze didn't fade.

While the task was horrible and terribly boring and dull, it did gave her something to do at least. She was suppressing all thoughts about what had been the day before, or maybe even the night before, but having even lost track of time felt bad, but after all she had done, she deserved nothing less anyway...This was all her fault after all, she had made all those horrible decisions, she had defected and why? Because she had trusted the wrong people...people who had done nothing for her and so now this was payoff time. To get back to her old life, she had to atone first. And if Raze or anyone else assumed this was the way to begin, she would do it. She would prove that sparing her life was the right decision and that she would make herself useful again.

She breathed deeply again and continued sorting the uniforms. It felt more like a punishment than an actual task indeed, but there was even an odd satisfaction in this aspect of punishing herself for her stupid mistakes. She was rather focused on the task until a very familiar helmet fell in her hands and this was when her feelings suddenly returned. Shit...Altair. It had been a while and even though this chapter had never been fully closed, abfew days ago she had felt like there was no way she would ever actually see him again in a friendly context...but this door was open again, wasn't it? While it was unlikely that they would find themselves on different sides on the battlefield now, there was a much bigger issue present now though. What would he say to all this? A while ago, he had begged her to stay and she had left nonetheless, but if she was completely changed, he wouldn't look at her the time way anyway. Now this would be interesting...however before she could drift of further, she exhorted herself and started focusing again. She put his helmet aside with a deep sigh and swallowed the memories as well while she sorted stuff like she was supposed too...

@Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

Celeste was subjected to similar menial tasks over the next few weeks. If she thought the jobs would get better, she was mistaken. Each job was a lowly task such as cleaning armor, sweeping the halls of the temple, transporting items belonging to other acolytes, attending classes meant for junior acolytes. The instructor that had been giving her the tasks found the work satisfactory and reported as much to Raze.

One morning, the door opened as usual, and the instructor was waiting. As soon as Celeste got dressed and walked over, the woman glanced over at her, “You’re getting assigned a Champion to train you today,” She snapped, glaring at Celeste, “You will do as you are told and treat the Champion with respect.”

The woman eyed her for a moment, “Any questions?”

Meanwhile, the Champion in question had already been notified and would arrive within moments.

@LadyRen @Altaris

 

[Celeste Stythani]

What a disgrace. The tasks she was giving were utterly degrading and her inner rage level grew with each day, but even though Raze had literally broken her down, at least her self control remained while she slowly started to pick of the pieces that were left inside her.

Even though they regularly found different, yet not at all less humiliating tasks to fulfill, she had at least some distraction from those still rather traumatizing thoughts. The wounds on her back were still stinging after those few weeks and in the night, she was occasionally hunted by the visions of Endor.

She still felt freed in a way, yet there was also pain and rage that remained. She had learnt her lessons and she was grateful for having been brought back on the right track, but every now and then her thoughts began to spiral again. This particular morning she woke from an entirely dreamless night, however the instructor was apparently not picking her up to sort or clean stuff, so her mood immediately brightened.

A champion? That was still...degrading and she knew that this was still part of the supposedly long process of having them regain trust in her. Of course, it was also still a punishment but she let out a sigh before she gave her a still rather fake, but warm smile. "Of course" she answered and she was being honest with it.

Celeste usually knew how to contain her temper...at least to some extent. She was still curious which champion was assigned to her and while she considered a few options, Altair suddenly came into her mind. Oh well...This would surely be interesting and wouldn't go as planned which was definitely not good in that situation, but maybe they could just keep it professional instead.

No matter who was about to pick her up, she felt ready. Ready for the day, ready for the training or whatever. She was relieved that she was about to do something different today. "No questions" she confirmed, still unusually obedient and tame as she followed her, however quite curious about what would happen now.

@Sreeya @Altaris

 

[Darth Tempest]

Only a few, short days had passed since that fateful day on Korriban. Through her duel against Caelian, the half-Annfyn had bitterly tastes defeat and lost her arm to the fellow Champion - and had spent much of the time following within a medbay on Korriban to recover. For the time being, she had been retrofitted with a cybernetic arm to replace the one she had lost - though the sensation of the mechanical limbs, cold and foreign, wasn’t something Vahliri expected she would grow accustomed to anytime soon.

While her opponent had been assigned to Draugr for his failures, Vahliri immediately threw herself into Imperial assignments the moment she was released from the medbay - refusing to wallow in her own failure any further. She felt every bit of the agony and pain of that loss - and it served to only harden her resolve and desire to excel further.

To her surprise, the half-Annfyn’s first assignment had come from the Dark Lord himself. Vahliri had been given a short brief on the situation, and knew exactly what her objective was - though the method was left entirely to her discretion. Without any further delay, she made the short journey from Korriban - making her way towards the facility where Celeste was being housed.

Vahliri had been made clear the price of Celeste’s disobedience should it arise, and was prepared to act accordingly. More importantly, however, the half-Annfyn knew the cost of her own failures if things went awry. The eyes of the Dark Lord were upon them both, and Vahliri knew better to disappoint.

Within moments of Celeste being lead into the main chamber, Vahliri strolled through a door just adjacent to the one the Acolyte had been guided through - hands neatly tucked against the small of her back. The half-Annfyn was adorned in her armor and carried both lightsabers on her hip, black hair tied back into a braid.

“Acolyte,” Vahliri began tersely, amber eyes fixing onto Celeste. The half-Annfyn knew exactly who the woman was, and exactly what she wasn’t. Within the confines of that temple, Celeste wasn’t a Senator or diplomat. She wasn’t a figure deserving respect or with accomplishments beneath her belt. She was nothing but a simple Acolyte - one who’s allegiances to the Empire were shaky at best.

“You will accompany me for the day, to assist in the retrieval of information important to the Empire.” She said flatly, jutting her chin towards another door. “If you have no questions, follow me.” Assuming she didn’t, Vahliri turned on a heel and began to make her way towards the door. It opened into a long hallway, gradual steps downward that lead towards the cells where a select group of prisoners were being held.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

If she had to re-earn their trust and prove not only her worth but her loyalty, she wouldn't waste any second if she was given a change like that and so -breathing in deeply- she swallowed her pride right now. Raze had obviously assigned her to a champion, because she would have to earn the privilege of learning from a master again, but it still felt terrible that she was literally degraded.

She still followed the instructor confidently, purposely ignoring that she was clad in acolyte robes again and she would accept whoever it was. Or at least so she thought for now. Well, admittedly, she had never offended any champions directly and she had usually gotten along well with almost everyone, but there were probably quite few who held a grudge for her 'defection'. Whoever awaited her had been personally assigned by Raze himself - or at least that was what she assumed- and so she knew that she had to be careful to hold back and be as obedient as they wanted her to be for now.

She was led into the main chamber and her eyes immediately fell on Vahliri- the young woman that had warned her about Roman on the party on New Alderaan not long ago. The corner of her lips curled into a slightly smile because regardless of her position in relation to her now, she was rather pleasantly suprised. Celeste knew too well how successful Vahliri had been in the recent past as she was always gathering as much information as possible, however she had also learnt about how she had been forced to retreat on Onderon...

Nevertheless, there was now another detail that completely threw her off for a moment as she noticed that the woman was changed: The arm. That was definitely new and she had not heard about that yet. The old Celeste would have immediately offered a sympathetic reply, but no, she now knew better. Would it help either of them? No, not at all. So her light blue eyes flicked up back to her eyes and she respectfully inclined her head for a moment, before she greeted the younger woman. "Champion Kahtal".

The word acolyte echoed through her head, the sound of it feeling like pure venom, but she refrained from grimacing. Not a single hint of her inner resentment was reflected in her mimic and instead she kept her expression polite. Swallowing, she nodded before she started to follow her, curious to find out what information they were supposed to retrieve. She knew Vahliri wouldn't go easy on her, because the Dark Lord's pressure and watchful eyes were probably on both of them, but she was also well aware of the fact that she had to keep her temper under control. She asked no questions yet and simply awaited instructions, even if it took her valuable energy. This was not her actual self and so far they were wasting her potential, but she knew she had to be patient and obey, or else she would sooner or later feel her own blade on her skin.


@Altaris @Sreeya

 

[Darth Tempest]

.

If Vahliri had any recollection or familiarity of Celeste, it didn’t manifest whatsoever in her expression, deadpan and glacial the entire time. Of course, she did in actuality - she knew exactly who the older woman was, and where they had met in the past. But the half-Annfyn also knew just how easily Celeste had betrayed the Sith and the Empire - the very same that Vahliri had devoted her life to - without so much as a second thought. And now? Celeste had come crawling back - attempting to atone for mistakes that never should have been made in the first place.

In truth, Vahliri felt nothing but contempt for the Senator. Just as she felt contempt for anyone who would readily turn their back on the Order that had molded and shaped them from the dust.

With both hands folded against the small of her back, Vahliri strolled down the dark hallways of the temple - passing beneath the sanguine glow of light fixtures on either wall. There were no questions posed, and the half-Annfyn had no intention of elaborating any further on their objective until they arrived at their destination. And so minutes passed - minutes spend walking through the temple corridors and around every turn, with only the sound of their own boots striking the ground to fill the air. When they finally reached the end of the dark hallway, the blast-doors hissed open to reveal a chamber far more expansive than the cramped corridors they’d been maneuvering through.

Testament to the veer size of the temple complex, the circular prison chamber was multi-leveled - with wide, obsidian stairwells that ascended higher and towards the ceiling of the temple. The walls were lined with countless ray-shielded cells, a multitude of which were filled with prisoners of all sorts. Punished Acolytes, Resistance fighters, even the failed experiments of the resident Alchemist - likely having drawn on the former who type of inmate all decorated the perimeter of the chamber like graphic, living artwork. The faint cries and wails of prisoners could be heard on the higher levels, deliberately designed to allow for sound to reach their fellow inmates.

“Come,” Vahliri said, ascending the first few levels of the prison chamber without another word. After a few moments of walking, the half-Annfyn finally paused at a small cluster of ray-shielded cells. Within were held three prisoners; a dark-skinned Rattataki soldier, a twi’lek man, and a Mirialan boy a few years younger than Vahliri herself. From their appearance, it was clear they had been held there for quite some time. Having been deliberately moved ahead of time, they were positioned close to a multitude of torture devices - routine and cruelly-creative. By now, Celeste would likely begin to understand what would be on their agenda for the afternoon.

Turning on a heel, Vahliri allowed her amber gaze to fall upon Celeste. “The men and women you see here,” She gestured back with a hand, “Are members of the FWA’s IIA. We have reason to believe they are involved in a plot to attack a naval academy on Vandyne - filled with young, fresh cadets.” The half-Annfyn began to circle around the back of Celeste, moving around the Acolyte, torture table and in front of the cells. “It is our objective to prevent such an event coming to pass. Information of which these inmates,” Vahliri once again glanced to the prisoners. “May be privy to.”

Vahliri’s words were immediately met with a chorus of reponses from the inmates in question. While the dark-skinned soldier remained quiet, both the Feeorin and Mirialan began to spew curses and denials - tears beginning to well in the eyes of the latter. The Rattataki merely stared back at Celeste, a mixture of betrayal and anger burning in his eyes.

“Perhaps they all know something,” Vahliri rounded behind Celeste, “Perhaps none of them do. It will be your task to answer that.” She reemerged on the Acolyte’s left - arms crossed over her chest, “Beat them. Mutilate them. Tear the information from their very minds if you must - but you will learn the truth, one way or another.” There was a finality to the half-Annfyn’s tone that indicated just how serious she was.

“Should you refuse.. Well, I believe you are quite aware of what will happen.” Her gaze briefly met Celeste before flicking back to the prisoners. “Should you fail? Then it will be the cadets on Vandyne who suffer.” The half-Annfyn was perfectly aware of Celeste’s prior beliefs, and distaste for the Empire’s more brutal methods. The Acolyte would be forced to cross those boundaries for the greater good of the Empire, or suffer the consequences of refusal.

“You may choose who to begin with.” By design, There was nothing to guide Celeste on who was privy to the information and who wasn't. Vahliri wasn't going to assist Celeste through any step of the process. Instead, the half-Annfyn merely took a step backwards - content to watch the proceedings as if attending dinner and a show.

 

[Celeste Stythani]

Celeste assumed that Vahliri would definitely not engage in unnecessary pleasantries after all that had changed and so she didn't even try to start a conversation yet. She obediently followed, patiently sticking to her current role as an acolyte, but still curiosly wondering what her first assignment would be. She forced herself to breathe deeply to keep her boiling inside buried underneath a relatively cool surface.

Vahliri was a few steps ahead of her and Celeste's gaze flicked towards her cybernetic arm. She attentively studied her movement and even though the way she held her new arm back seemed rather natural, Celeste was well aware of the fact that it could have only been a fresh replacement. She wondered what happened and was actually intrigued to find out, yet she kept completely silent and dutifully redirected her attention back towards the front while she kept pace with relatively confident steps.

The new, unknown halls they passed were just as impressive as the rest of what she had already seen from the temple here on Raxus and while their steps echoed through the corridors in unison, there was no one else to be seen, which led Celeste to the assumptions that they were indeed moving away from the training area. As Vahliri had mentioned retrieving information for the Empire, it wasn't hard to put one and one together after all...Especially after they had passed some security checkpoints Celeste was slowly getting an idea of what to expect.

She suppressed a sigh as they entered the room and let her gaze briefly wander across the countless cells. Of course...of course her first assignment was yet another test of her loyalty. Interrogation wasn't nearly as bad as what Raze had forced her to do on Endor, especially because she was assuming she wouldn't be confronted with someone of her past again, but she also knew she had to put all doubts away.

Despite Celeste's discontent with her degradation, the truth was that she admired the younger woman. The Half-Anfynn had made herself quite a name and she admired her strength. Unlike her, Vahliri's loyalty was unbroken and she had not been stupid enough to let her soul be softened by people who had leeched her for years...The anger directed towards her very own self was still not fully surmounted and Celeste was way too ambitious to let it stay that way, but it would take time to make up for her past mistakes.

She followed the Champion upstairs and kept a fully straight face, not being irritates by all the misery surrounding them. That was how much Raze had already changed her. By reopening her eyes and letting all the darkness in, Celeste was no longer pathetically preaching foolish, pacifist values and she was no longer driven my an unexplainable urge of altruistic bullshit. Altruism never helped anyone and it had particularly never helped her. All it had ever done was weakening her, and even though the past couldn't have been reversed, she was now here to fix this mess.

She came to a halt right next to Vahliri, her gaze rather cold as she assessed the prisoners in the cell right in front of them. As the Champion began to explain, her light blue eyes flicked over to the Half-Anfynn, carefully taking her words in, but she couldn't fully deny that the fact that the mentioning of the FWA made the pit of her stomach churn.

She had never denied it. The Empire might have always been rather straightforward and often unforgiving in its pursuits, but she had never claimed either of the other factions was better. While she had always wanted peaceful solutions, there had always been terrible things happening in the FWA's sphere of influence, and especially after that purple idiot aka Cassian Graves had ruthlessly attacked the academy, Celeste wasn't suprised about anything anymore.

With now slightly narrowed she glanced back at the three inmates, coldy eyeing them with a mixture of disgust and fury, surprisingly unbothered by the fact that the Mirialan boy was obviously not even fully mature, but what added even more fuel to her inner fire was that she was also standing right across one of her very own people. A Rattataki, accused of plotting an attack on yet another academy.

Pathetic. Of course she had known that even her own people were not blindly to be trusted, it still hurt to see one of them here. Of course, she didn't even know whether he was originally from Rattatak, but his accusing stare and this hint of betrayal in his eyes made her believe that he had potentially even worked with the Senator before.

She nodded curtly as Vahliri was done with outlining her task and it wasn't hard to figure out all details. "I'll start with the Rattataki" she briefly informed her, her voice reflecting no emotions at all. She walked over to the control panel of the cell and pushed the button that quickly deactivated the ray-shield, before, without any hesitation, she reached out with the Force and yanked the Rattataki forward without any warning.

Invisible tendrils were wrapped around his legs and she pulled them up, so that he landed on his back with a thud and a groan, but before he could even start to stir, she pulled him closer, but not too close, not fully out of the cell, but instead right where the shield had just been. "So you're supposedly plotting an attack..." she began, her voice icy while she assertively stared him down from above. She had positioned him so that he would realize he was caught right underneath the threshold of the shield, while one she kept an attentive eye on the other prisoners, one hand warningly outstretched into their direction already while the other one held the Rattataki in a Force grip.

She was here to prove her loyalty towards the Empire and if an Academy with young cadets was threatened, Celeste knew what she had to do. The Rattataki were - probably regardless of their upbringing - a stubborn, proud species and so he wouldn't just start talking. She Force pushed the other two back just in case they would try anything before she used her second hand to pull up the Rattataki's left arm. With that, she pulled him closer, so that only his left arm was still under the shield and with that, she used her right hand to push the button of the cell again.

The ray shield reactivated and the Rattataki's lower arm was now separated from the actual man. "We're not here to play, so you better talk right away" she hissed in his direction, before she shot the other two a warning glance. They were next if number one didn't prove himself useful, but by choosing the angry Rattataki first, she was hoping the others would already be intimidated enough to chat already. She had made her point clear, but if needed, she would continue. The times of mercy and goodwill were over. She had a mission and nothing would get in her way. This time, there was no guilt, no doubts. There was just the dark looming in the back of her mind and the flaming anger on the inside.

@Altaris @Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

Taking a few steps backwards, Vahliri completely separated herself from the interrogation - allowing Celeste to make her choice in prisoner and methodology. After all, this was to be her test of loyalty and resolve - and the half-Annfyn was only present to ensure things didn’t go awry and were seen through to completion. With mild interest, the half-Annfyn watched while giving no reaction to the proceedings - arms folded over her chest and features frozen into a deadpan, glacial stare.

The Rattataki in question stirred a bit when Celeste made her proclamation, eyes going wide. It was still clear the man was in disbelief that his very own Senator - someone he had trusted and supported to her position - was now leading his interrogation. Before a single word could escape from his lips, the particle-shield lowered and the man was drug forward - his forearm extending out past the boundary of the containment cell. In an instant, the wall of red energy re-emerged - severing his forearm just below the elbow.

“AUGHHHHH!” The Rattataki howled in agony, hot tears welling in his eyes at once and beginning to stream down his face. The man recoiled within his cell, gripping the smoldering stump where his arm had been. The pain was blinding to behold, and it manifested in his labored breath and the way he rolled across the ground. There was no talking from him - not quite yet - but it didn’t mean the others were as silent.

Celeste would clearly see the way that they recoiled in their cages - Twi’lek and Mirialan both, attempting to press themselves into the wall furthest from the woman. Even as an Acolyte - even in her degraded state, Celeste would witness the power she wielded over the prisoners and the way they cowered at her feet. While the Twi’lek kept quiet for the most part - uttering prayers to his ancestors - the Mirialan couldn’t help the vomit of words that poured forth.

“P-please! WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING! I swear to you we don’t!” His breath came in shallow gasps - tears beginning to form as the beginnings of an anxiety attack approached. Even through the Force, Celeste would feel the anxiety and terror that coursed through him - emotions only she was responsible for. For all of the woman’s preaching of non-violent methods, she would feel what she had inflicted on the boy. Could Celeste be certain the boy wasn’t telling the truth? Even Vahliri had admitted there was a possibility none of them knew anything. Could she withstand the blooded torture of innocents on her hands, if that was the truth of it?

“I don’t even know what the IIA is! I’m begging y—“

“Don’t,” A voice cut the Mirialan off mid-sentence, silencing the verge of tears and weeping that threatened to consume him. The Rattataki from before had finally regained his composure - his chest rising and falling with steady, deliberate breaths. The pain remained, the shock of losing a limb - but the expression of betrayal had hardened into something else entirely. “Don’t beg this Imp bitch for anything.” The man staggered to his feet, taking a single step towards the particle shield that separated himself from Celeste.

“I knew Rattatak never should have trusted you. The moment we learn about your past in the Empire, we should have thrown you out of that lavish palace you call home.” It was only at that moment that Celeste would realize where she’d recognized the man from before. He was one of the very servants that had worked within her Senatorial residence. With his apparent ties to the IIA, Celeste would be left with glaring questions about his purpose. Perhaps he had been there to spy on her for the Free Worlds - an insurance policy against a former Sith that couldn’t fully be trusted.

“You were our Senator,” He growled. “And now what are you?” The Rattataki’s gaze flicked between Celeste and the half-Annfyn in the corner. “A Sith again? Or just some sniveling bitch doing her bidding?” His words were venom, and were promptly followed by a globe of spittal splattering onto the particle shield. “You stand on your pedestal and talk about peace - and now you’re going to torture some kid? Fuck you.”

“You’re too weak to even carry out this farce with your own two hands.” He said coldly, glaring at her through the barrier.

@Sreeya @LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

So one thing had definitely worked: Both the young Mirialan boy and the Feeorin woman were intimidated. The Rattataki man, however, was not making it easy for her. She didn't flinch as the particle-shield hissed back into life, cleanly cutting off his left arm right above the elbow, leaving nothing but a cauterized stump behind. His agonized cry made her raise an eyebrow because she already assumed he wouldn't crumble just like that, but she didn't question her choice.

Obviously, she had snapped and chosen a very brutal beginning, but she knew their usually unbent mentality well. She watched him squirm in pain on the ground before the boy emptied his stomach in the back of the cell. He was obviously freaking out now, but Celeste's icy glare didn't change. She was not here to play.

Her light blue eyes flicked back to the Rattataki as he was raising his voice next. While she had been confronted with too many impressions when Vahl had brought her here, it now finally dawned to her. She knew this man. Unfortunately, she had seen him before, and again, it seemed like he was just another backstabbing piece of trash.

Her frustration grew and there was not a single hint of sympathy in her dangerous glare. His words were supposed to hurt her, yet they bounced off her like they were nothing. She darkness was a powerful shield when it came to that and so his words never even reached her at all. She slightly scoffed as she slightly shook her head, not giving in to his meaningless provocations. "Your tries are pathetic. I don't need to justify myself in front of you". With that, the pushed the button again, allowing her to Force pull him out, but instead of wrapping her grip around his body, she was now dragging him by the throat.

She was not about to give him the satisfaction of getting her hands dirty by wrapping them around his throat. The Force did that for her instead and while she know yanked him upwards, she was moving him onto the torture rack in front of the cell. Slightly tilting her head to the side, she stepped closer, still pinning him down with a grip tightened around his throat while she now pressed his body down with the Force with the other hand.

Without saying another word she closed her eyes, not releasing the grip around his throat to direct it at his left temple. She had positioned herself next to him and was now attempting to do what she had always been good with: The manipulation of the mind. Retrieving information this way wasn't hard at all, and it was usually very efficient. She knew the Rattataki were usually way too proud to break down under torture, so she was taking the most direct part. She would weave herself into the layers of his mind and search through the different areas, hopefully stumbling upon useful details. While the Mirialan boy had insisted on not even knowing about the IIA, she was almost certain this apparently mistrusting and disloyal Rattataki did. She closed her eyes and focused while the right hand was still holding him down. She was not expecting he would manage to even move the slightest muscle in this stasis, but if he did, she was ready to react.

@Altaris @Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

The Rattataki man could do nothing but sneer at Celeste - red eyes narrowed into daggers upon the Acolyte. “Shut the fuck up and get on with it. Do your master’s bidding, bitch.” There was raw venom with every word, each an attempt to get under her skin. He hated her, and she would be able to feel it. He hated her for her ties to the Sith, and the way she had run back into their arms. He hated her because once, the man had celebrated and supported her. All of it had turned to bitter ashes in his mouth, and her betrayal was only reaffirmation of his disdain for the Empire and all it touched.

The shield went down, and the man grunted as he was pulled from the cell - gasping for air as the Force tightened around his throat. By now, the Twi’lek was sitting with his face buried in his hands - as if slowly coming to the horrible realization he might be next. The Mirialan was outright sobbing - hysterical as he muttered his denials and fears.

As Celeste pinned the Rattataki to the torture rack, the man attempted to spit right into her face - capitalizing on the fact they were close. Whether he was successful or not, the man couldn’t resist as she attempted to pry into his mind - his head jerking ever-so-slightly in vain attempts to avoid her touch. In an instant, the Champion would begin to piece the first layers of his mind - much to the man’s discomfort. The strain was clear on his face as he attempted to resist - clear that his will wasn’t such to roll over and accept her prying. She would begin to comb through his mind - through the faces of his friends, family and loved ones. Through the happy memories of his children and the little homestead they had on Rattataki. Of the dog that would remind Celeste so much of Loki - barking excitedly and attacking his master with copious licks and kisses. As she peered deeper, Celeste would begin to catch glimpses of the man’s career with the IIA. The details were fuzzy - and his resistance wasn’t anything to laugh at. He fought her the entire time - even as the attempts to do so began to take a toll on his mind and body.

To tear into another sentient mind was no gentle task. A master could peel back the layers and peer with uncanny precision, taking what they needed without doing more damage than was necessary. But Celeste wasn’t a master. She was an average Sith toying at an art - and it was the equivalent of performing surgical with a butcher’s cleaver. She could easily break his resistance - take what she wanted.. But it would come with a cost. Celeste would know that doing so would break the Rattataki’s mind - leaving him a broken, hollow shell of himself. She would destroy the man with a happy family and life back on Rattatak, without ever knowing if he even had the information she needed. It was a gamble without any clear direction.


Though Vahliri didn’t physically intervene, the half-Annfyn wasn’t actionless. She felt the emotions that flowed from each person in that chamber. The hatred, the dread, the fear - and she felt the raw darkness that flowed off Celeste. Perhaps it was a sign that the Senator was finally hiding her way - that her pain had strengthened her resolve like fire reinforced steel. Perhaps, but Vahliri wasn’t entirely convinced. Not yet.

She didn’t move a muscle - but the half-Annfyn’s presence in the Force expanded outward like malicious, hungering tendrils - spreading through the room. Like the scent of blood in the water, she tracked back to the source of those emotions - seizing hold of her victims. Mercilessly, Vahliri amplified those feelings of hatred, fear and dread, driving them completely over the edge. The effect was seen immediately in the prisoners - their faces and bodies contorting with uncontrolled sensations of fear, rage and dread - helpless to Vahliri’s own manipulations.

She amplified it all, and directed it right into Celeste. While the Acolyte was left with the decision of how she would proceed, so too was she racked with the emotions that raged all around her. Celeste would feel the dread in the pit of her stomach, twisting and churning into knots. She would feel the fear that was almost debilitating as it washed over her. And she could feel the rage - raw and untempered hatred, directed at no one in particular. All of it would hit the Acolyte at once, without mercy or relief.

All the while, Vahliri didn’t move a muscle - watching Celeste carefully. The woman would have to find her own strength through the onslaught and continue the interrogation, if the will to do so was there. She would break under the pressure, or she would be forged stronger by it.

@Sreeya @LadyRen

 

[Celeste Stythani]

As feisty as the Rattataki was, so far his attempts were in vain. He couldn't get under her skin and as he kept insulting her he only fueled her rage. Celeste couldn't even believe it herself, but it was not just a sheer sense of duty that drove her, but even more. An oddly cruel, apparently ruthless and ice cold side of her had been triggered and she felt absolutely no remorse as she treated the prisoners like she did. She had to retrieve information and so she would, regardless of the price it would cost, but simultaneously the way he reacted simply fueled ber rage. It had not been Rattatak that had made her soft and pitiable, but many people who betrayed her. And well, this man potentially did. He might have spied on her while being involved with the IIA and the pure thought of it made her furious. Whom else had she trusted and who else had betrayed her? She was here to find out more about that to.

She blocked out the whimpering of the background and focused solely on that potentially treacherous bastard in front of her. She mercilessly pinned him down while she started weaving through the layers of his consciousness and subconsciousness, but once she had reached out with her hand he suddenly grimaced and attempted to spit. That was when she immediately pulled back her head, the hand that was supposed to be placed at his temple instantly grabbing him by the throat. She squeezed tightly, not so tight in order to fully suffocate him, but to hurt him decently, her fingernails digging into the flesh of his neck before she released him again, just to reposition her hand back on his temple. This was a warning. And it would be her last. One more mistake and he would feel her fury again.

As Celeste started combing through his memories she only briefly hovered about his childhood, early life, family and the dog. The dog. Not the dog...it wasn't fully surprising that Loki's barking immediately echoed through her mind, but it threw her back to Endor and the cabin. She was painfully reminded of all that had been and she could literally feel the pit of her stomach twisting while actual agony flooded her body. All those terrible memories...all that loss - everything had just been in vain and now a closed, damn chapter laid behind her. The Rattataki's wild emotions went crazy and she could feel him struggling beneath her incisions. He tried hard to resist her, but Celeste mercilessly kept pressing on, however knowing that she would potentially shatter this potentially useless mind.

The Rattataki's strong emotions mingled with the fear and the dread of the others while she could simultaneously sense how Vahliri expanded her own, dark presence. Like a thick, impenetrable veil it covered their surroundings, ruthlessly fortifying all those dark sensations all around them. And then she felt her even stronger. Vahliri was not just skillfully using Force Fear, but she was pooling and lastly projecting everything onto Celeste at once. The blonde woman staggered a but at first as all those sensations came crashing in, in the strain was already taking its effects. It felt as though a whole thunderstorm of dread, rage and fear was raging around her while at the same time it was rather quiet in this very room. It was almost completely overwhelming, but Celeste knew she had to hold on. She was too driven, too ambitious to bail or to crumble. She wouldn't allow any of this to happen, not while she was already getting closer. Her breathing intensified and her heartbeat accelerated, the golden flecks in her eyes ever so slightly fading back into existence. While everything seemingly tried to rip her apart, she tried to keep her cool. Instead of submerging into the chaos, she was drawing from it. She used that pain, the all-encompassing dread and their raw fear.

Yes. The dark side was not just tempting, but utterly enticing. Celeste grew hungry, craving this power more and more and with Vahliri amplifying all those emotions from which she could draw from, she felt nearly unstoppable. How could she have ever tried to suppress and deny all that potential, all that power within her? This thrill...this feeling of being in control felt great. Never would she deny that again and never would she let anyone come inbetween. Through all the pain she still felt intoxicated. And so she proceeding, trying her best not to get distracted by all the emotions that were yanking at her from all sides, but instead focusing this darkness into her very doings. She needed actual evidence and so she mercilessly continued searching through the man's unprotected, yet defiant mind. "Let...go" she pressed forward, but it was merely a whisper under all this strain. She still used the Force to emphasize her demand, wanting to compel him to actually give him and making it easier for her.

@Altaris @Sreeya

 

[The Storyteller]

Though Celeste wouldn’t see it, Vahliri had to fight back the hints of a smile that began to spread across her lips. The half-Annfyn had taken on the assignment from Raze with a singular purpose in mind, and everything she had done up to this point - from the task she assigned to the Acolyte, to the way she amplified the emotions within the room - was done to further that goal, and that goal alone. As such, there was a distinct sense of satisfaction that came from watching Celeste drink deep from the Darkness.

The half-Annfyn was without mercy or relent. Her own influence spread throughout the room and capitalized on every surge of emotion - the impending dread, the anger, the fear. Even the physical pains and hysteria that radiated off the Rattataki - all of it was tinder for the fire. And inferno that was fed and forced upon Celeste. It would crush the woman if she wasn’t committed, or it would water the very seeds that Raze had planted within her. She felt the hunger that radiated off of Celeste as she drew upon those emotions - allowing them to feed the Darkness within her until it thrummed vibrantly. It was a raw and pure expression of the Force - more natural than anything the Jedi could teach, and it was beautiful to behold. She watched the way intoxicated the Acolyte and drove her forward. The way that brittle, untempered iron was forged into steel.

It was everything that Vahliri had intended, and it was all that she needed to do. Her role became ever-so-slightly more passive, allowing Celeste to act of her own accord.

All the while, the Rattataki couldn’t so much as scream in anguish - feeling as Celeste tore into his mind to extract the information she needed. The information she wanted. It was a destructive, excruciating process to endure - feeling as every layer of his mind was cut open and exposed - each sting like a nerve being poked and probed without mercy. There was no hiding from it - no running - and the physical toll began to manifest as the Rattataki foamed at the mouth, body convulsing into a seizure. It was horrific to witness, but it granted the Acolyte precisely the results she wanted.

In the blink of an eye, Celeste was able to breeze through the Rattataki’s memories - every moment, positive and negative, flashing before her own eyes. She would see more of the family he had on Rattatak - the happy wife and the newborn infant, not to different from the one she had lost in that cave. She would see his brothers and sisters in the IIA, and feel their hatred towards the Sith and the atrocities they’d committed time and time ago. Conversations would ring through her ears - about how higher-ranking officials in the FWA didn’t trust Celeste. How they assigned IIA agents to monitor her actions and report of any lingering sympathies to the Sith.

She would hear the worst-case scenarios that were discussed behind the closed doors of the intelligency agency - and how the prospect of her assassination, in the worst case scenario, was flouted.

Slowly but surely, though, Celeste would get what she wanted. The Acolyte would begin to hear and see the discussions that had taken place on Onderon - secret plans of yet another bombing of Imperial faciltieis. She would understand their rational being attacking that facility in particular, the information they’d received, and the best time to do it. But even the Rattataki’s knowledge was limited. They had deliberately ensured that no one person knew everything - and the few final, crucial details would be just out of Celeste’s reach, even as the Rattataki stopped convulsing - his body going limb and mind simply.. Hollow.

But she would see one thing with crystal clarity - and that was the visage of the Mirialan boy. Despite his tears. Despite his pleas. Despite the fear that radiated off of him - she would know that he was somehow involved. And Celeste would know exactly what would be expected of her next.

@LadyRen @Sreeya