Transition [Flashback]

[Sreeya]

"Are all Sith dark and broody?"

The 12-year-old couldn't help but bite back a grin. It had been four years since he had found her. She had been shivering in the rain, completely lost and directionless. Truth be told, she still felt like that. He didn't seem to like it when she smiled too much, not that she did it too often anymore. He had been rigid, but it made her a bit more stable in some ways, very unstable in others.

Just like on the day he found her, it was raining outside. The water splattered against the glass windows. She sometimes stared at the water formation for hours, imagining haunting faces and other picturesque scenery. He never spoke much, so most of the time she found herself getting extremely lonely. She had failed the first few tasks he had given her using the Force, a fact that didn't please him in the least.

She finally turned to him, presenting a small flower in her hand. It was red and beautiful, every petal perfectly blossomed. She levitated it with the Force, smiling at her accomplishments. She made it float over to him, oblivious to the ugly scars on her outstretched wrists from cutting herself. She hid nothing from him. The flower hovered next to him and she quietly laughed at it, proud of herself.

"I've been practicing!"

 

[Demiurge]

The man stared down on the flower the child was levitated in display toward him, and for the longest time, he said nothing. He only stared down at the girl, taking steady breaths vocalized through the pressurized respiratory regulatory systems of the armor, and glaring at her through the faceless metal case enveloping him.

And then, suddenly and unpredictably, the man grabbed the levitating flower in his fist, and crushed the flower. As his fist stayed gripped tightly, surging volatile flashes and sparks of purple, blue and indigo fired sporadically from within his clinched fist, as if he were restraining an eruption. And then, following those short moments, the man walked over to the young girl and opened his fist to let charred ashes be taken into the air by the wind.

"This... is not practice." That very next instant, his leg rose, and the man kicked the girl straight on, with his heel colliding at her upper torso, knocking her backward several meters. "This is foolishness." At that, the man began walking up toward the girl again, "And I tolerate no fools beside me."

 

[Sreeya]

Her smile slowly began to fade as he said nothing. The moment of silence grew, and it progressed to be heavier by the second. She winced as he crushed the flower. She slowly began to inch backwards, her eyes wide. She knew she had gotten herself in trouble yet again. She needed to get out of his range, but it was no use. She could feel the rage building within him. It was almost tangible, a force of energy waiting to burst forth. She hadn't seen it coming.

The next thing she knew, she felt a crushing blow to her torso, sending her flying across the room. She couldn't see for a moment, everything blurring together in a mesh of colors. His metal boot heavily collided with her and it was indescribable pain, far worse than any she had ever inflicted upon herself. This was amplified when she slammed against the wall, which stopped her flight. She slumped to the ground, crouching forth on the ground.

His words rang within her mind, haunting and patronizing. She heaved and a dribble of blood flowed from her mouth onto the floor. She remained hunched over, vomiting more blood onto the ground. Along with that, tears freely flowed from her eyes. The pain was excruciating, but it was doubled with the realization of her failure. She quietly cried, looking down at her crimson blood. She reached a shaky hand over to the blood and placed her fingers in the liquid. She smeared it slowly on the ground, muttering incoherently at first. Her voice became slightly more clear.

"It's...it's beautiful...it's beautiful. So beautiful... beautiful..it's beautiful.."

She chanted the word over and over again, painting a picture with her blood. Her sobs slowly turned to something else. It was a smile at first, then a small chuckle, as more blood spewed from her mouth.

"It's beautiful.."

She looked up at him, her eyes bloodshot.

"It's so ****ing beautiful. So ****ing beautiful, my Lord."

She staggered to her feet.

"SO ****ING BEAUTIFUL!"

Her screech echoed throughout the room. In an instant, every glass in the vicinity shattered, the shards launched right towards him. It was a burst of the Force, as if violently torn from the life around her and cast towards him. It was a display of raw energy, something that came from her core, from a reserve of untapped power. She was not looking. She was staring up at the ceiling, her arms to her side. She continued laughing, blood seeping from her lips. She licked her lips, relishing the taste. The rain exploded behind her, a mist rushing in and soaking her instantly. She did not look back at him, clutching her head a moment later.

"What are you doing to me...you...you monster.."

The last words were a whisper.

"Am I doing this..to myself..?"

 

[Demiurge]

The man's mask hid a wicked grin behind a faceless metal plate. She had come far, but there was still much progress to be done. There was still much she had to do, had to understand, before she was ready. But with each outburst, each time she tapped into her own darkness, it was as if she touched was power really was. She did not grasp it as a true Sith does, but she could touch it.

"Beauty... Beauty is ephemeral, a fleeting illusion."

The man began walking closer and closer to the girl, then stopped, and faced the fractured ground and shattered glass.

"But this... this is real. This is what 'monsters' are capable of. There are great beasts of power in this galaxy, capable of so much more. But to become a mighty beast, one must bear their fangs, wield their claws."

At that, the man faced the young girl yet again, stretched out his hand, and used the Force to telekinetically lift the girl off the ground, and then rapidly pull her throat into his grip. After that, the man then forced his hand downward, slamming the girl into the muddy ground with a vibrant blow. The ground was soft, and would cushion the blow from any bone-breaking, but the sheer blunt force would suffice in delivering her pain.

"You can be a monster. You can be a behemoth."

The man then drew his face closer to the downed girl.

"But as you are now, you are not a beast. You are prey. And prey are always victim to the predator."

The man then let go of the girl's throat and stood upright.

"Prey is weak. To be prey is to be a fool."

Glancing back, the man spoke once more.

"To be prey, is to be like a Jedi." There was a pause in his words to allow what he said to take effect. "Do not ever show weakness. Never be prey. Be the predator. Become the monster."

 

[Sreeya]

She spat out more blood after being mercilessly tossed aside. A few years ago, she had been begging for mercy, but not today. She curled her fingers into fists, panting and staring down at another small pool of blood and spit growing on the ground. She closed her eyes and imagined a place far away. There was a waterfall, and a silhouette there. She could feel the mist on her face, the gentle breeze and water healing all her wounds. She smiled and she could smile without being reprimanded for it. The figure turned around and she abruptly jerked back, because it was him again. He followed her everywhere. He pierced into her mind, even in her most secret of hiding places.

She slowly peeled herself off the ground, struggling to stand. She wiped the blood from her face and shot him a dirty look. She couldn't tell what expression he wore, and it made her angrier. She looked back out at the rain, feeling the remnants of the choke in her throat. She did not gaze at him while speaking.

"If I am a failure, tell me why you brought me here. Tell me why you push me like this."

She turned to him then, her anger seeped from her like fire.

"My reasons for vengeance are my own. What do you gain from it? TELL ME!"

She knew she was crossing the line, but she did not care.

"Did someone send you? Are you a dog, following commands? Why me? Why me?!"

 

[Demiurge]

The man listened to the young girl's outburst in silence, as he always did. Her emotions were controlling her in a dervish, awakening what lay dormant beneath the skin.

"Listen to my words, child. You are weak... you have failed me time and again. You have the wisdom of a fool, but it isn't for naught that you are here. Hear me, girl, and do not forget, for I shall never speak them to you again."

With a faceless expression, both upon his mask and behind the cold metal, the man stared down harshly upon the girl.

"There is no peace, therein lies only passion; Through my passion is borne my strength; Through strength, I unleash my power; Through power, victory is mine; Through victory, my shackles are broken; The dark side shall set me free."

"Come to understand the meaning of these words, if not for answers, then for your life."

 

[Sreeya]

"Why don't you ever answer me?"

It had been weeks since he had kicked her, and she still felt the pain. It had been years and she still knew nothing about him. He was a rock, completely shut off, and it bothered her to no ends. She barely ever saw his face, always concealed behind the metallic mask. He appeared inhuman to her, as if even without the mask, there would be more metal there.

"I am Andraste. Who are you? Don't tell me you are the shadow of darkness..the Sith Lord of doom..or..whatever else.."

She had to keep from gulping in fear at her own bold words. However, she faced him directly. She wore full sleeved clothing as always, covering her scars. She did not understand why she remained around him. She hated him, and she knew he knew that. Neither spoke of it.

"Did you also once suffer something awful and it lead you down this path? Were you once alive?"

The last question caused her to bite down on her lip. She was pushing it, she knew it. It frustrated her to no ends, however, to have been around him for so long while knowing next to nothing.

 

[Demiurge]

Questions. Always, always questions with her. Generally speaking, he ignored the majority of her inquiries. Beside the fact that her incessant wonder annoyed him, he was also teaching her a fundamental. She was depending on him when she should be depending on herself and the Dark Side. Trust only herself, rely only on herself. If she sought an answer, she should seek out the truth on her own, and discover it on her own.

Within the next moment, the young girl had revealed her name to him, Andraste. He had known her name from the beginning, having ripped the information from her psyche years ago. The revelation of her identity was of no surprise.

"If you wish to call me something, it will be lord or master. You have not earned the right to know my name."

Fear. She wreaked of it. It was a double-edged sword; fear was a strong emotion, and through it one could gain power. But it was an infantile power, a source of strength for a child - no dignified Sith would claim hold of fear within themselves. She would need to evolve past it to become a true Sith.

The man listened to the question, and thought back with nearly no emotion, save for the slight trace of pride, gratitude, and pleasure.

"No... I was once dead."

 

[Sreeya]

She sighed, her fear melting away to frustration. She jumped down from her seat. His words resounded within her mind as they often did. She stared at him for a long moment, as if attempting to delve into his mind. She saw glimpses, but nothing beyond that. He was clearly impervious to her probing, and she found more metal. She glanced out the window, the sun glowing brightly.

Without an ounce of fear, she stepped forth and closed the distance between them. She grasped his wrist, feeling the cold metal of steel. She did not pause to ponder over it. She turned and began to tug at him, intending to pull him along.

"Death can be eternal. Life is fleeting. A mere glimpse is enough to last for ages."

She wanted to go outside, into the sun and into life. She wanted to see all the flowers.

"There is strength everywhere. Outside, inside, in the air, in the wind, in the trees, in the flowers. Chaotic energy wrought of existence in itself. From life, not from darkness. To master that, to control it, to command it is more powerful than drawing it out from within yourself alone."

She was surprised at her own words. She had no idea what she meant, but the words flowed out of her like the Force often had. She did not release her grasp of his wrist, attempting to lead him out of the dreary manor.

 

[Demiurge]

It happened so fast, it was like a strike of lightning. Not so much in speed as it was in the instantaneous happenstance. Without hesitance or regard for the girl's well-being, the man pulled back his arm and slapped the young girl away with his might.

A light spray of blood tainted his armored gloves, and the girl's body flew away like a ragdoll. For several moments, the man was silent.

"And what does a child such as you know of life? Or of death? Power comes from within! Not around you! Not from others! Strife breeds strength, and conflict fuels passion! And they are borne of the might mustered by your own hand. It lies in breaking the will of others, not of drawing upon their strength."

"And only in achieving that power does one truly live. Does one truly grow. Even the chains of death cannot hold back the intensity of one who wields the mantle of power. A Sith - a true Sith... never dies."

 

[Sreeya]

She did not cry out this time, flung across the room. She rose to stand once again, wiping the blood from her mouth as she often had. She slowly looked up at him, her face devoid of emotions. She looked past him, out the window, barely listening to what he said. She finally looked upon his helmeted features.

"You are a slave. A slave to the Force. You are your master's lap dog."

She was getting angry now. It was a culmination of all the hatred she felt. She had tolerated him long enough. Rage swirled within her like an inferno. She slowly began to step backwards, towards the door.

"You will never break me. If I ever break, it will be my own undoing. Not because someone willed it. I will draw strength from wherever I please, however I please, whether it be life or death. I will mold existence around me how I wish. I will not be your pawn."

Her voice got louder and louder. The dark energy pulsated from deep within her, and it echoed throughout the entire room. Lights flickered and a small tremor rippled through the ground underneath them. She kept her eyes on him, oblivious to the fact that electricity was dancing between her fingers.

"You... will... not..."

She took another step back.

"BREAK ME!"

The Force became tangible at that moment, taking a grip around his body in its entirety. It pushed inwards from all angles, as if a giant fist had held him and was crushing inwards. It would be excruciatingly painful, and a small crack and dent formed on his armor from the vast amount of pressure the Force was applying on him. She did not see any of this. She had turned and forced the door open, quickly exiting the room. The Force withdrew from him only after she was well out of the area, loosening the grip. The Force obediently pulled away from him, seeping back into its young master. She was out of sight, hatred as her only company.

 

[Demiurge]

The Sith Lord looked down upon the girl, scowling. She spoke out at him with her typical childish insults, not even deserving of a response. As the child steadily took steps backward, the Sith Lord took steps forward. There was hate. There was anger. And therein was strength. Untapped and unrefined, but it there.

Suddenly then, the Force began to surge, becoming a dervish within and around the Andraste. With her final scream and energy sparking about her hands, the Force materialized around the Sith Lord with a crushing, malignant force. As pain permeated in throughout his body, the Sith Lord called upon the Force and negated the vicious attack, dropping on one knee. With his hand on the ground, the man laughed behind his helmet. The pain was one thing, he hadn't felt it in years. None had been able to inflict it upon him.

But that wasn't all. He could sense it before he looked up - the girl was gone. But it was not a failure, it was a success. Finally, she was learning to harness her hatred. And she was tapping into her hidden power. And on her own, the Dark Side would become hers all the more. She would only survive then by her own might, her own merit. And she would emerge more powerful for it. Everything would proceed as the Sith Lord had foreseen. He would make sure of it.

END THREAD​