017 - Week 3 Day 4: Lost in the Darkness

Thu Jul 09, 2020 6:20 am

6 ATC, Month 9, Week 3, Day 4

There was no denying that Nimm had been more than a little tempted to actually send her young pet to Korriban, but she had seen how weak that Jedi was. She wouldn’t last long there, as she had proven far too easy to break. No, the plan made by young Helia had far more merit.

Unfortunately, that decision had necessitated setting up slightly different circumstances for the Jedi. Circumstances that would prevent her breaking completely, and might not see her die, however wrong that felt. While this could have been achieved up on the Hâsk, it would be more interesting to do it down on the planet below. Plus, that might permit her to capture, maim or kill other Jedi, which would be nice. It really was too bad that there was little else to engage in this far outside imperial space.

She located Corporal Daro Typhe. Unsurprisingly, he had gone to the ship’s armory, where he could tweak his weaponry further than he had previously done. Some might even think he was addicted to weapon upgrades, the way he went about it. Still, to each one’s own, she supposed.

“Corporal Daro.” She said upon approach.

“Yes, milady?”

“Take a team down to the surface. There is a hutt facility there that has been put at our disposal. I need you to prepare a containment cell there, with a basic lab setup and interrogation tools. Take a room that is not too easily found by wandering interlopers.”

“It will be done, milady.” he saluted, quickly packing up his weapons and starting to move out.

“Oh and corporal?” she added, “do what you deem necessary to make the facility more useful for us. Seal up corridors at need and figure out how many additional turret emplacements are needed.”

He grinned. “With pleasure…”

Nimm watched him leave, then eventually returned to her ship.

~| Several hours later |~

Image:

Nimm had inspected the prisoner containment chamber. Her underling had done an excellent job of setting it up, adding a few temporary walls to limit the prisoner’s view of the room, as well as adding the equipment she had asked him to install. There were several crates of basic supplies, but nothing she would regret leaving behind should the hutts decide to become difficult again.

This particular lab would be useful for making simple toxins, remedies and sedatives, but nothing complex. Not that she had any interest in bringing such supplies down. No temporary laboratory could ever match the facilities her master had installed on the Hâsk. The variety of reagents there was far greater than what she usually worked with and her master had made it clear over the decades the rules for using such facilities. Rules she would never even think about violating. Besides, she wouldn’t put it beyond a small-minded Jedi to destroy any reagents stored here should they come upon them. It would be a shame to have anything of significant value wasted in such a manner.

Nimm leaned casually against the wall, waiting for her pet to wake up. By her calculations, that should happen any moment now. The walls were bare stone, rather than the metal walls that had been on the ship. She could easily have arranged to cover them with metal to make the prisoner think she was still on a ship, but that wouldn’t work for any length of time with a Force-sensitive prisoner, not even a Jedi. It was adequate to limit what her prisoner would be able to see of the room.

~| Elsewhere |~

Too long had Kayda been restrained. Whomever her captors were, they had kept her on the brink of unconsciousness. She would not, could not, continue to exist like that. She had to escape. The question was how. Her captors kept sedating her at the most inopportune times.

Thinking back on her training, she recalled the basic lessons many years before in dealing with poisons. Surely those could be applied in this situation? Surely the Force could help her escape? She slowly focused her muddled mind, trying to let the Force know her desire. Escape was the last thought on her mind as she slipped back into the void.
~| Ryloth Base |~

Lo kept her body slack and in place. Her breath controlled and shallow, nothing different from her usual sleep state. The Bothan's fur bristled upon sensing the presence nearby. Everything still felt the same. It took the youth a moment to digest who stood nearby causing her to speak, the illusion of her slumber broken.

"How long have you been there?" Lo's eyes lifted, best she could, to ease the stress in her muscles.

As the blurry vision cleared, she realized something. The different texture on the wall, it was stone rather than metal. At some point, they had to have moved her off ship. Her heart dropped in her stomach when the fact she never woke surfaced into her thoughts.

The usual stream of question poured into her mind, but Lo's jawline tightened. She didn't speak them out loud since a dark, unsettled feeling twisted in her gut.

“A while.” Nimm answered enigmatically.

Lo’s eyes shifted to the corner of her eye, but she didn’t say much more. Even with the dividers blocking most of the room, she suspected the room had to be bigger than what she saw. Silently she observed the differences then broke the quiet.

“It’s obvious I was moved, but I am not sure where. It doesn’t help that I can’t fully look around.” Lo didn’t touch on what happened yesterday. Mostly because she drew up a blank and that worried her.

“Elsewhere.” Nimm answered unhelpfully. She had no intention of letting her pet loose. At least not yet.

“At least I can see why you and the Corporal get along,” Lo commented.

Her tone was bland and calm, but not disrespectful. A mere observation that linked their behavior as she took a breath. She rolled her tongue against her cheek, fighting down the questions and thoughts in her head.

“You have questions.” Nimm stated. “You will learn nothing if you keep them to yourself.”

“I’ve learned one thing. So far, not much has happened. It’s nice for a change.” Lo pointed out.

Again, she tried to resist the urge to wiggle and squirm. The Sith’s simple reply drew more questions which took more effort on her part not to utter out. However, she couldn’t stop the sass from edging into her last statement.

“And I have learned many things.” Nimm answered, smiling. “Your previous master will soon be dead.”

“No, he’ll be fine. I trust the Force will help him.” Lo tried to keep herself from growling. Her head tried to turn away, but the collar kept her in place.

“Your trust in the weaker side of the Force is misplaced. There is nothing on Ryloth capable of saving him and with each passing day, death draws closer.”

“The Force will guide Cora and the others to a cure.”

“The cure lies in the Dark Side of the Force. The Jedi way cannot save him, just as it failed to save you yesterday.”

A bit more pull before Lo's green eyes finally locked with Nimm's bright yellow ones. Though they seemed to study her as a feline did to a rodent, the Bothan resisted curling back from them. She let her voice speak with a strong and firm tone.

"I trust in the Force. I will be free and my master will be safe."

Nimm chuckled softly. The young girl’s attempt at resistance was laughable. “If by safe you mean dead, then you are right. If not, well… then you would be wrong. Already he is completely blind. His body is slowly withering away. In a matter of weeks his internal organs will fail, one by one. . . Then he will die.”

“The Force is capricious. If you seek to alter his fate, you cannot wait for pathetic handouts. They will not give you what you desire. You must seize that for yourself.”

Lo's fur spiked at the woman's laughter. A small rise of hatred began to push to her attention before she pushed it away, not letting it win. With the description of the hell the toxin wrecked on her master, the contact with the Sith's eyes broke. She wanted to turn away and avoid facing what might've just been lies.

"We already know I have no talent for Alchemy. There's little to be gain in stabbing a dead Bantha again." Lo was being honest based on the fact that the Sith had stopped the lessons.

“All I can do is hope my allies can discover a way to stop it.” She refused to accept the fact he might die.

“I assume you refer to the allies you betrayed yesterday?” Nimm said, smiling again. “Perhaps I should send an apprentice to retrieve some of them?”

Lo’s eyes immediately turned to the woman’s threat. “No. Leave them alone.”

“Why should I?”

Lo choked on her search for an answer. She knew whatever she said or put out, the Sith would cast it away. Like a woman waiting to slash or parry an attack. Her eyes fell from the sickly yellow ones as she inhaled.

"Why haven't you then?" Since she had no answer, Lo could only use another question.

It had been lingering on her mind since the mention of the spy in the camp. She listened for an answer if the woman chose to give one.

“Why make their suffering short, when I can prolong it?” Nimm retorted. “However, now all the pieces are in place. Their days are numbered and the number is small.”

"Then leave them alone. While the others might think I've betrayed them, Master Rothul won't. As long as I'm missing, no amount of suffering you can do will even match what he's enduring now." Lo hated herself for uttering these words, but deep down her instinct seemed to agree. Master Dom always worried about her well-being and it made sense. He had lost a padawan learner, a pain few masters wanted to suffer through.

She again looked at Nimm. "And I think you are underestimating their strength."

Pressing a few buttons on her wrist, Nimm activated the monitor by which she stood. “I do not need to estimate their strength. As you can see on the screen, I have all that I need to end them right here.” The image of the screen showed the sky above the region within which the Jedi encampment lay, with the unmistakable silhouette of a Terminus-class destroyer in low orbit.

“A small group of Jedi, far outside the reach of the Republic, bereft of any support and low on supplies. If you imagine they have any real chance against the power of the Empire, then you are truly naïve.”

Lo's blood drained from her skin. A paleness edged in under her dark fur as it flattened against her. Her eyes watched the ship float into view and move across what she could only guess be their base. The feeling of pain and anger swelled at the back of her throat, a sour taste lumped there. With a small swallow, she pushed down the stomach acid.

"I won't deny I'm young and naïve. It comes to all creatures who are born, but I won't let it stop me from hoping. Hoping that the Force will find a balance again."

She inhaled then let another question slip out.

"Why do you insist on these conversations?"

“The Force is not passive. It does not desire stagnation and so-called balance. It desires conflict, change. We Sith uphold that ideal, and in return we can utilize the full power of the Force, limited only by our strength of will and imagination.”

“Would you prefer simple suffering over my lessons? I could arrange that. I could also arrange for your old master to feel every moment of it, without any form of relief.”

“That’s not right. If the Force desired only change, it could simply make it happen. Yet it doesn’t.” Lo argued back, trying to use what she had been taught. A spark of pain washed over her as she tried to stretch, but the muscle twitched and resisted. An ill-side effect of being held in one position for far too long.

“No, please…don’t. I don’t want that.” She gave up trying to move now. Her teeth gritted and protesting at her attempts, her expression fighting to become indifferent. A weak, pitiful attempt at least. Lo's heart thumped against her chest and her breath became shallow. Discomfort spread throughout her body at the mention of her suffering being used against her Master.

“The Force must be coerced and guided to reach its true potential. Just as animal hides do not turn into leather on their own. Adversity makes people grow stronger, not a smooth path free of challenge. You will find that you cannot control your world completely.”

“Or it destroys everything. Jedi don’t aim to control-”

“And that is why you consistently fail.” Nimm said, cutting the Jedi off.

Lo’s mouth snapped shut. An annoyed look crossed her face, but she didn’t object or comment on the rudeness. She could only imagine she had done it before to others with her questions. Her chest inhaled then exhaled.

“Yet… you haven’t wiped us off the face of the galaxy. So we have to be doing something right.”

“That would be because we did not start it.” Nimm retorted. “It was the Jedi that tried to wipe us out from the first time we showed up. Anyone not following their narrow-minded doctrine had to die.”

“That’s not how it was said to have happened. From our point of view, you found two Jedi and followed them back to destroy us. That is what started it all.”

“And you really think that the Jedi Order would teach about how they started the conflict?”

“Neither of us was there, but we’re both told two different stories. When was the last time another Sith actually was truthful with you?”

“We Sith do not bury the past.” Nimm answered. “As for when another Sith last spoke the truth to me? That would have been twenty-two minutes ago.”

“I find that hard to believe with how… ‘open’ you’ve been with me.” Lo countered, hinting that Nimm had withheld information even when she had asked.

“I do not need you to believe it.”

The lines in Lo's face lessened, her head lowered again. She closed her eyes to ignore the Sith present and faintly hoped the woman would grow bored. Maybe the Sith would leave in peace, but deep down she doubted that. Thankfully the urge for questions had died leaving her able to ignore them. Even though they swam at the back of her head like prey fish darting in and out of the shallow waters.

Nimm sensed the prisoner’s desire and decided to momentarily play along, walking out behind the wall. There she picked up a small vial of the orange compound from her master’s collection, drawing out a tiny amount with an injector. After putting the rest away again she walked back in, not saying a word before injecting her prisoner with it.

Lo jumped before the needle hit, her eyes shot open. She tried to pull away, but the restraints stopped her. The familiar sensation of pain forced her to bite down on her tongue. Stopping it from yelping from surprise as she jerked in place.

"What was that for?" She spotted the last of the orange-colored liquid enter her body.

“You will figure it out. Eventually.”

“Is being helpful a skill the Sith never learn?” Lo complained, sighing at her irritation with the woman. She relaxed a bit now that the stabbing was done.

A few moments passed until she noticed something odd with her vision. The edges had started to blur and fade into darkness. Immediately, her heart beat heightened by this fact. Anxiety caused her body to wiggle and pull at her straps as more and more began to vanish. Her head turned, hindered by the collar, only to confirm her fear. Her sight was disappearing.

“What did you do? I can’t see.” She uttered when the liquid had finished its job.

Nimm smiled. “I deprived you of your vision. Is that not obvious?” she pressed a few buttons on her wrist, calling for some troopers to come move her prisoner to the arena the hutts had so thoughtfully made available within this structure.

Lo couldn't help but continue to struggle. Her fear poured into her instinct within that moment, leaving her helpless and scared. The emotion feeding itself. When the sound of boots approached, her head pulled against the collar. She desperately tried to catch a glimpse of the source in her diminishing vision.

She only spotted the Empire symbol before her world went black. When the straps released, she leaned off the table and stepped onto the floor. Her knees crumbled underneath her. As hands reached out for her, Lo spoke.

"Don't."

They didn't listen and instead continued to try to pull her to her feet. She pushed out with the Force, sending them back a few steps. Her mistake found its reward in a powerful shock. Still on all fours, Lo didn't scream. She shook and inhaled, collecting the pain then pushing it into her tongue. The iron taste of her blood caused her face to sour as she fought not to gag.

The electrical pulse died down to bring her a brief relief. A small victory, but one she would use to help her survive.

Nimm gestured for the troopers to grab the prisoner again. Her unreasoning fear of being touched did her no favors and would be used to its full extent. It was also, in Nimm’s eyes, a good lesson for the troopers in that they got to deal with Force-sensitive prisoners. There would undoubtedly be more of that in the future.

“Pushing them back changes nothing, my pet. Freedom of movement is earned. You have not earned it.”

Lo glared in the voice`s direction.

"I can get up on my own, just give me a moment." She insisted, then explained.

"I've been confined to a laying down position for days. My muscle mass has decreased, my balance is terrible, and I'm sure I have sores. Even if the troopers picked me up, I need time if you want me to stand."

She became distracted when she sensed the troopers approach again. Their hands grabbed her causing her to recoil. They didn't tolerate it this time. The touch became rougher as they forced her onto her feet, her heels tried to position underneath herself and struggled to right herself. In the end, they had to support her almost completely then marched out of the cell.

Nimm smiled at the troopers half-dragging the helpless prisoner along. She had tuned out much of the prisoner’s complaints. They were irrelevant. What she needed to do now was determine how to test the prisoner in the arena. Preferably something that would not lead to loss of any lives with a smidgen of value.

Lo fought the fear pounded at her mind as the soldier dragged her along. Her legs could barely keep up, fumbling with each step. The young bothan inhaled then exhaled, trying to fight it. Her emotions wouldn't win.

Though her eyes were blind, she closed them. At least, she hoped she did. She began to count the footsteps from the troopers. One... two...three. When they were half-way to their destination, the trooper's footsteps had become mute. A new spike of fear trickled into her.

She stumbled over the count causing her to miss a step and lose her rhythm. As a reaction, she jerked in their grip. They tightened their fingers though she could barely feel it. Every part of her began to stiffen from the unknown settling in on her.

Only the faint sensation of her blood rushing into her beating heart comforted her. Collecting what courage she had, Lo began to count again. She kept the last number in her head, then just tacked on her new one. It wouldn't be accurate, but at least it gave her a starting estimate.

The longer they traveled, the stronger her legs began to get. Her chest expanded then constricted, absorbing more air than normal. A sign of her poor condition which Lo had to improve.

Sat Aug 22, 2020 1:53 am

Earlier that morning

Nimm sat in the quarters she had claimed and set up in the compound on loan from the hutts, where she had set the scene for interacting with the other Sith. In this case, one Caxal Konahrik. As was only natural when interacting with Sith answering the other darths, the right sort of image had to be presented.

Satisfied with what she had set up, she pressed the button to initiate the holocall.

The image flickered for a moment before it revealed a large red skinned Sith who all but glared impassively at the woman on his own screen. “Apprentice Deenia.” His voice was a bit muted with his mask, something he always wore when facing others. “To what do I owe the pleasure of your call.” A soft grunt could be heard from nearby to which only the subtle shift of his brow gave way to his amusement.

“My sources tell me that you have recently acquired a new pet.” she answered, not showing any reaction to the background noises from his end of the conversation. “I thought it could be entertaining to put our pets to a small test.” Nimm said, a vicious smile forming on her lips. “A non-lethal fight, where one—or both—have no choice about fighting.”

Caxal thinks to himself for a moment, turning over the idea in his mind. Enpice would probably want to know her full range of strengths and weaknesses and this would expedite the process. “Very well. I would say give it two hours from now at the earliest. I have been mandating a Test that I need to see finished first.”

“My own pet is currently… Resting.” Nimm answered, her words implying that there was more to it than she had revealed. “A few hours is entirely reasonable. I will see you in the Arena the hutts so thoughtfully left behind.”

“Very well. For tools I recommend the training daggers and see if you have anything that will sting when it touches flesh. I’m sure you have something that would work.” He looked off towards where Jaslyn was, amused.

“I might have a thing or two that will make this especially entertaining…” She said, smirking. “I will arrange to have the appropriate weapons placed in the arena. We would not want our pets to have any forewarning now, would we?”

“Indeed.” He nods. “I will deliver the ‘pet’ in four hours. It will be entertaining to see how well she fares.”

“Yes. It will.” she looked questioningly at the other apprentice. “Do you have a specific desire for your pet to win or lose? Or shall simply see which one proves the least inadequate?”

He chuckles. “I would prefer to see who is the stronger of the two. It would make my current mission marginally easier.”

Silently to herself, Nimm thought ‘I doubt either of them will prove strong, they are Jedi after all.’ To the other Sith however, she simply nodded. No evidence of her real thoughts showed on her face.

“We will see each other in four hours then.” she stated, terminating the call.

017 - Week 3 Day 4: Lost in the Darkness

017 - Week 3 Day 4: Lost in the Darkness

Re: 017 - Week 3 Day 4: Lost in the Darkness