A Different Perspective

[Sarah Lymia]

It had been days, possibly weeks since an Inquisitor had strolled this area of town. The high-rise suites and Coruscanti elite that tended these homes tended to class with the Inquisitoriate’s more archaic tastes.

Except for that damned party with the Russard’s, mused Inquisitor Sarah Lymia as she tapped her foot in the turbolift whizzing up the building face. But now she was here willingly at least, perhaps an indirect result of the party at the Russard mansion.

Sarah had very much expected the Empress’s Hand to be present at the gala affair. She was interested in meeting the new personal assassin and attendant to the ruler of the Empire. But Sorsha had made no appearance, only the Crimson Guard had tagged along as a retinue.

Inquisitor Lymia made the decision to come here on her own time while she still remained on Imperial Center. Definitely a non-official visit as told by the street cloths she adorned instead of any sort of uniform.

Sarah halted at the suite, knocking heavily on the door.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Various objects floated through the room in erratic orbits as Sorsha sat trance-like on the floor. They all came crashing down as the Inquistor knocked. She pulled her wedding ring into her hand, closing it in her first before awnsering ::

"Come."

[Sarah Lymia]

The sound of a myriad of object clattering to the ground garnered a furrowed brow from the Inquisitor. Not quite something expected, not at all.

Even less expected as Sarah entered the suite at Sorsha's prompting was the disheveled and wild individual that greeted the Inquisitors eyes as the door closed behind her.

Sorsha looked nothing like the images Sarah had been able to dig up in the holonet on House Kasajian. The word mutilated came to mind.

"Uh...hi?" Sarah stood for an awkward moment in silent as she took in the mess of scattered items. "I'm Sarah Lymia. I work for the Inquisitoriate."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha gazed up at her from the center of the room, her possessions scattered around her like broken toys. She sized up Sarah with feline scrutiny, noting the way her body moved. Her vocal tone. The way she breathed. Sorsha took everything in before speaking ::

"Yes." she replied, offering neither respect or disrespect towards the Inquisitor.

[Sarah Lymia]

“This…” Sarah shook her head and sitting down on the floor across from Sorsha. Even lacking any latent talent in empathy, the Inquisitor could feel defeat and anguish rolling off of the woman. Even the air tasted foul in her mouth. “….is not what I expected”

Lymia completely disregarded Sorsha’s inquisitive prompt

“You look like a wreck.”

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha grinned a grin of perfect white teeth as she lazily preened her hair into spikes ::

"Thank you."

[Sarah Lymia]

“Anytime.” Sarah raised an eyebrow at Sorsha’s antics. House Kasajian had quite the record in back-room circles of the underworld. Even the Inquisitoriate spoke highly of their talents, but this was rather pathetic…and not even a show, this was real.

Sorsha didn’t seem like she gave a shit about, well, anything.

Sarah picked up a cracked object, some sort of urn or another from the ground next to her and began tossing the relic from one hand to another. The Inquisitor still gave no rhyme or reason to her being there.

“Kind of sad for a Hand; though the hair-do isn’t bad. Heh, and Karl’s notes said that you had potential…not really seeing it.”

She balanced the urn on one finger while focusing on Sorsha.

“You’d think he’s losing his touch with all this political shit going on”

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: The smile faded ::

"Tell me why you're here ... Lymia."

[Sarah Lymia]

“I got curious. I had heard that the Empress reinstated the Hand.”

Sarah started bouncing the ball from one finger tip to another with perfect balance. That the actions were performed flawlessly without attention made it clear the act wasn’t purely natural.

“See, I used to work with the Hand in the later years of Palpatine. Most of them went rogue or disappeared after his death.”

Lymia caught the urn firmly in her hand.

“I’ve been really looking forward to meeting the new one, but you didn’t show at the party the other day.”

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"Forgive me. I've been under House Arrest ... " she sneered. "... by order of the Empress herself."

[Sarah Lymia]

“House arrest?” Disdain quickly found itself in the Inquisitor’s tone. “Whhhhhy would an Empress lock up her supposed most trust instrument in a cage?”

It was not often that Sarah made a trip this far into the core worlds and she wasn’t used to the political banter that Valten had gotten her sucked into. Maybe it was normal for politicians? Being shoved aside might have the effect of causing the foul and downtrodden aura around Kasajian. Or maybe the house arrest was because Sorsha fell into this rut before hand?

“Ehhhh.” The Inquisitor let loose a sigh, unlike some Inquisitors she didn’t particularly enjoy intrigue.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"Tough love, I suppose."

:: She was getting bored and rose to her feet to stretch, not taking her eyes off her uninvited guest ::

[Sarah Lymia]

Another sigh, Sarah could feel the other woman brooding and it was starting to affect her as well. To hell with those people who wished they were force-sensitive; sometime wished she didn’t have the damned ‘gift’.

“Half-truths and a cold shoulder? Damn I’m not even a very good empath and I can taste you lying.”

Sarah dropped the urn to the floor and watched it roll as she leaned back to support herself on her hands.

“You’re treating me like an enemy…” The Inquisitor closed hers eyes, letting the force flow around her. “…and you’re no Hand.”

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"So you people keep telling me ..."

:: She resisted the urge to attack ::

"... and you're not here to grant me favors, Empath."

[Sarah Lymia]

“Others have said the same?”

Sarah had only been on Imperial Center for a week at most and had only briefly managed to go over Kasajian’s files in the archives. It would have been far too soon to judge if Sorsha would fail and the note clearly said…

“Ohhhhhh, Valten and Laikos? I can see that.”

Lymia began fidgeting with the urn she had set back on the ground in an almost childish manner

“Do you see me wearing a uniform? I’m not here to grant favors or belittle you. No one else knows I’m hear"

The Inquisitor let a moment of silence hang in the air.

“They’re trying to break you psychologically, you know? Every trainer at the Inquisitoriate will work fanatically to shatter your mind.”


(OOC: Sorry about all those smilies and weird symbols. Something went weird copying and pasting from my computer at work. Hope everything is fixed now.)<o></o>

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha sighed dismissivley ::

"Is your curiosity satisfied now?"

[Sarah Lymia]

Inquisitor Lymia smiled. "Only more questions it seems."

She stopped playing around with the broken shards littering the ground and hauled herself to her feet.

"You don't like the Inquisitors at all....hate...I'd even say."

Sarah took a step forward. "I don't care what your reasons are, but I assure you we're not your enemy."

A brief pause before the Inquisitor continued. "The files I read stated that despite your lack of enthusiasm for the Inquisitors you were determined, focused. Hell even made mention of you cursing out Valten...I won't lie, that takes guts."

"But all I feel from you is resignation, lack of will, and pain. What the hell happened to you?"

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"What frelling difference does it make?" Sorsha replied, mirroring her step. "I 'm little more than a creature to the Inquisatoriate, but remember this. I am going to die willingly for my Empress, and I'll be the one that tears your flesh in hell. Every last one of you."

[Sarah Lymia]

Finally the woman was starting to show the emotion that she had been bottling up, though not in a way that Sarah had hoped.

"Fuck you're judgements, you know nothing of the Inquisitoriate. You've met what? Three of us? And you started with threats against us."

Sarah found a convenient wall to lean on.

"You think we're giving you special treatment? Making a personal hell for you, torturing you mentally and physically just because you're from a noble house? The Assassins Guild? A Crimelord? Some other preconceived notion of prejudice you think up in your head?"

The Inquisitor's voice had risen very quickly and a certain rage had crept in as well.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha's eyes lit up with delight at the nerve that was struck ::

"Finally, there is some fire in you. I was wondering how long I had to dig, Empath."

:: She was ready this time for the unexpected. Channeling her hatred around her, several objects began to take orbit again ::

[Sarah Lymia]

The unyielding force of Kasajian's hatred took the Inquisitor of guard. It was as if a raw and wild vortex suddenly tore through her Lymia's soul.

"You're a fool! The Inquisitoriate has treated you no differently than any other Inquisitor in training....."

Sarah took a deep breath and closed her eyes, paying no heed to the debris spinning around the room. Instead she took in every aspect of Sorsha's rage. Untamed and lashing all about, this was more than anger towards the Inquisitors. This was anger towards everything.

"But if this is the only way to free your mind...." Sarah's thoughts retreated deep within herself, focusing into a diamond-hard core of faith amidst the storm of Sorsha's emotions. The single bright refuge of order, sanity, steadfast resolve shrugged off the mental and physical barrage.

"...I guess I'll play your game."

The Inquisitor opened her eyes and let the focused energy within consume her.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha's nature was wild, but it was far from reckless and unfocused. The next several minutes were violent ones. No matter how mant times Lymia tried to put her down, she kept leaping up again. Her attacks were cruel, and her passion for blood was untamable. There was deadly skill sheathed in chaos, and Sorsha was out to make an agonizing example out of the Empath ::

[Sarah Lymia]

Lymia stood her ground, putting Sorsha to the ground again and again. The rampant maelstrom of emotion slammed against the Inquisitor’s adamant mental defenses like a battering ram.

...such hate…

She had rarely felt the brutality of such an attack and while hate often fueled her own abilities, this was a new breed….and every time Sorsha picked her bruised self up from the floor, the raw power seemed to focus itself sharper and sharper. More and more like a ravening whip than a blunt hammer.

The Inquisitor began retreating inward, fascinated and in awe of what could drive such emotion. She let could feel it battering at her mind, almost overwhelming.

…such an addicting feeling…

Lymia yearned to taste it herself. Slowly she felt her defenses slipping away, being torn off by the in bloody chunks. Until the Inquisitor completely let go and fell into the torrent.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha broke off her attack all of a sudden, and retreated in a fashion that forced the Empath to become vulnerable is she wished to pursue. Her mind moved several steps ahead as she prepared a killing blow. It was time to see if Lymia was as smart as she thought herself to be, or if she would become a gutted offering to Valten ::

[Sarah Lymia]

Against every fiber instinct, common-sense, and wisdom of experience, Sarah let herself surge directly forward into the feint. Well aware of opening she was leaving, the Inquisitor seemed to have lost all semblance of awareness.

She'd even started fighting with her eyes closed, drawing on the unseen emotions in the air to augment herself.

"Hit me already" Sarah hissed between her teeth almost inaudibly. The next punch the Inquisitor threw barely glanced off of Sorsha's shoulder, but the force-infused impact hit like a sledgehammer.

Lymia's moment carried her well forward, her fist slamming straight through a hard-wood fixture.

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: A large compliment of Crimson Guard filled into the room, and forcibly seperated the two women before further attacks could be made. Sorsha growled as she was denied the chance to split Lymia wide open, but offered no resistance to the Empress' Guards ::

[Sarah Lymia]

Sarah gritted her teeth as she threw the force-damned Crimson Guard aside. Frelling idiots had completely ruined a perfect opportunity; already the violent energies remained only as random sparks of defiance. And she'd trained half of them as well, they should have known better than to interfere.

....then again she wasn't even supposed to be here.

"OUT!" Sarah's amplified voice rumbled the air. The Crimson Guards glanced at her, finally realizing that they were in the presence of an Inquisitor.

"Ma'am!! Apologies, we did not realiz..."

Lymia shoved one of the armored soldiers aside. "I said OUT!"

"Grand Inquisitor Valten strictly ordered that no..."

The Inquisitor turned towards the offending guard.....and effortlessly picked him up into the air by the armor with a mocking smile on her face.

"Do I look like I frelling care what Karl has to say?" The smile morphed into a dark visage. "Now get out of here."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

"Perhaps that's true, Empath, but I wonder what the Empress would say about you."

:: She winced, grinning defiantly as binders were slapped on her ::

[Sarah Lymia]

"I don't know, if I were the Empress I'd be more concerned about my Hand attacking an unarmed Inquisitor."

She glared at the Guards throwing binders on Sorsha "That isn't necessary."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha narrowed her eyes ::

"Let's find out. I have nothing at all to lose, but I suspect you do."

[Sarah Lymia]

"Ohhhhhh, I see."

The Crimson Guard shifted nervously, by all rights the Empress commanded them as well as the Inquisitors. But they were Inquisition and had to follow orders, Inquisitor Lymia had been the one to train most of them as well, there was more respect for her than simply that of an Inquisitor

The way she was speaking now added to their discomfort. She never carried a tone like that...ever.

"Poor Sorsha's lost everything has she? And its the Inquisitor's fault?"

Sarah drew close to Sorsha.

"What could we possibly have taken from the woman who ran half a criminal empire with everything she could possibly want? Why become the a Hand when we cause you so much turmoil"

"Heh, I see now. You need this pain....you need this hate."

With a flick of the wrist, Sarah unlocked Sorsha's binders.

"That's a lie, we've all had suffering, some more than others, yes. Let me try and help you. Being a slave to your emotions instead of being the master of them will only kill you quickly."

[Sorsha Kasajian]

:: Sorsha rubbed her wrists as she glared at Lymia ::

"I'm going to allow you to leave."

[Sarah Lymia]

Sarah lingered a moment before giving a light sigh. "As you wish."

The Inquisitor gave a light bow, her posture much more formal than that which she had arrived with.

"Think about my offer. I'll be on planet for another week if you are interested in training at the Citadel. I do think there is a lot we can learn from each other."

And with that the Inquisitor and guards disappeared from the room.

Outside one of the soldiers began to speak. "Inquisitor, I apol...."

Lymia cut him-off "Telos, you are a damn good soldier. But don't ever, interefere when an Inquisitor is fighting one-on-one again."