Reflections: Stranger in the Mirror

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Lordess Dara Shadowtide sat in her quarters reviewing a holopad which contained Council matters of The Sith Empire to which she had loyally served for so long. The organization had undergone a transformation as of recent, a rebirth of focus in the Dark Side.. and she was confident that things were finally getting back on track at long last.

Between the demands of a leadership position and a generous apprentice schedule, she had noticed some changes in herself and merely had dismissed them as signs of fatigue. Taking in a deep breath and exhaling slowly, she rose from the high back chair at her desk and walked over to the large oval mirror on the far wall where she placed her hands on the top of the dresser and looked upon her own reflected image.

Her ocean green eyes penetrated into her own soul as an ominous portent began to unfurl unbeknownst to her. A sharp pain in her right hand caused the skin to feel hot suddenly as she gripped tightly onto the dresser. Glancing down she saw a white glow under her skin with an unidentified <a href=http://darkholocron.clanpages.com/Dara/DaraHandSymbol.jpg>black symbol</a> in the middle.

The sounds of glass breaking resounds in the entire room as shards of broken mirror fly everywhere at its shattering. Dara raises her hands to shield her face as the projectiles burrow into the skin on her arm and face. Spinning in an uncontrolled rage, the Lordess faced the entrance to her quarters as the door suddenly blew outwards and slammed against the wall across the hallway. Wiping blood from her cheek, she walked slowly to the doorway ::

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar was wandering the halls of TSE, as he did often these days, his Force sense out wide, trying to get a feel for his new home. He was passing the chambers of Council Member Shadowtide when he felt the symbol appear. It came to him in a flash of fire, burning at him through the Force, in a near panic he withdrew into himself, pulling the Force around him like a shield yet still the image remained, burning in his mind. It stired a long forgotten memory, which he tried to grasp, the meaning of the symbol,

Requirement...no that wasn't quite right...need...no, Necessity, but there were more meanings

The fire ripped into his mind again as he struggled to grab hold of the elusive memory, but the pain was excruciating,

That was the second, Pain,

With that realisation came relief, the pain vanishing, he lent against the wall for a moment to steady himself and that may well have saved his life.

He was no more than a yard from the door when it exploded outwards, jumping in surprise DarkStar's first reaction was to grab the dragonsabre Widowmaker which rested at his hip. Then the form of the Sith Lordess and council member of TSE, Dara Shadowtide entered the doorway.

DarkStar took note of everything instantly, his assassin reflexes, long unused were still sharp. He noticed the lacerations on her arm and the tiny shards of what appeared to be mirror still embedded in them. What caught his notice though was the symbol, still burning under the skin of her hand.

Seeing the symbol with his eyes brought the memory crashing home, he knew where he had seen the symbol before and he knew its final meaning.

He looked into Dara's eyes and saw the Darkside flames burning there, there was an insanity in those eyes, with the same assassins reflexs he knew he was about to follow the door into possible oblivion, having faced the Lordess' lightning before he was not anxious to repeat the experience.

Out of sheer despiration DarkStar grabbed at Dara's hand, about to use his innate ability and drain away her medichlorines, rendering her unconscious. The moment he touched her hand he felt the burning, not in his mind but now in his hand, with a start he let go, to see the symbol fade back into her hand. DarkStar looked up at those hate filled, insane eyes but the fire was gone now and with it, the madness.

"So,"

DarkStar said in a conversational tone as though nothing had happened,

"Does this happen often?"

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: As the slim fingers of her right hand curled around the frame of the former door to the dwelling, they imprinted into the metal as the heat from her hand bore into the surface. Dara glanced over to her hand once again as the black symbol faded away and the shaking subsided. The rage within tempered itself to normal levels as she felt the random incident wane. Assessing the damage to her quarters as well as herself, the Lordess took a deep breath before realizing she was not alone. Her green eyes flashed crimson as she looked over to Lord DarkStar whose hand was retracting from her own ::

"Well actually, I'm usually not this destructive when I choose to redecorate the place."

:: Dara smiles coyly knowing full well that was not what he was referring to ::

"The place is a mess since I was not expecting company, but won't you step inside? Excuse the lack of a door as well."

:: He nods to her and follows her inside where she gestures to a small area that has two high back black leather chairs and a glass table ::

"If you will excuse me for a moment, I'd like to attend to these cuts. I shall return momentarily."

:: DarkStar smiles and says, "Of course, Lordess Dara," as she nods and makes her way to the lavatory down the short hall. Looking into the mirror and wondering if it too would shatter soon, the Lordess sees glass sticking out of her face and embedded into her upper arms. She gingerly removes each fragment and then applies some salve. Not wanting to keep her comrade waiting too long, she only attends to the wounds in which crimson liquid trickled freely from. Dabbing up the last of the spiralling ribbons of her own blood, Dara then returns to the sitting area and takes a seat across from the mysterious man she did not really know that well ::

"Alright then. I wish I had an answer to your question Lord DarkStar, however I find myself wondering much the same about these surges of dark energy. The feeling, the elation and rush of power is quite satisfying yet I find myself a little less able to control it.. it seems to control me at times. I suppose such is the way in the matters of the Dark Side, however I have little knowledge in this new area. Tell me, have you experienced or seen anything such as this before in your travels in the galaxy?"

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar returned her smile. He shifted slightly in the chair, she had taken long enough removing the shards that the seat was beginning to get uncomfortable. While she had been gone DarkStar had quickly surveyed the room from his seat, not to spy on the lordess so much as to assess the damage to the quarters. He let his Force sense scan the ajoining rooms for any and all damage, he lingered on the mirror or what was left of it for a time, the Dark Side energy that had been used to shatter it was vast, rather too vast for his liking. He studied the lordess quietly for a moment before replying, judging how much he should tell her.

"Yes,"

His reply was slow, as he choose his words carefully,

"I have seen such things before, indeed, I have experienced them myself,"

This statement appeared to unsettle the Sith Lord somewhat and he pulled at his gloves as though making sure they were on but without waiting for her to comment on this, or even react he continued,

"The symbol on your hand however intrigues me, I have seen it before and I know where, but why you should bear it escapes me for the moment,"

He paused as he felt Force signatures heading down the corridor, Dara thought she heard him mutter something about prying eyes before he made a gesture with his left hand, she felt the surge of his power and the door lifted its self, straightened itself and placed its self back in the door frame in an illusion of a true door, though anyone trying to open it would find themselves unable to move it.

"There, the draft was beginning to irritate me,"

He said with a smile though they both knew the reason he had shut the door, he pulled his black leather gloves on tighter and scanned the room again.

"I would not let word of this spread too far my lady but from your reactions already it appears you have decided this for yourself,"

He gave her a ferral grin, one that said he knew perhaps more than he was letting on,

"My lips are of course sealed my lady and any service you require from me I will be happy to render, my reasons are my own though,"

With that he sat back, watching the lordess closely, studying her every reaction and comment with total scrutiny.

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Dara walked across the room and placed the holopads into a drawer and then locked it before glancing around the room. There was not as much damage as initially assessed and she would soon summon a droid crew to clean up once again. Her gaze then shifted back to DarkStar ::

"I rather keep to myself and do not divulge personal matters to many, so although a smattering of information regarding the random acts of evil surrounds me.. it only serves to give me additional solitude.. a fear factor of sorts if you will."

:: She smiled and made her way over to where he was seated and took a chair across from him, her green eyes studying him in the checkmate of nonverbal communication. Her eyes travelled down to his gloves and then back to his eyes as a small grin played upon her lips ::

"Tell me of your experiences regarding instances similar to this, Lord DarkStar. I am most interested in acquiring information as I continue to study not only the effects but the results of this unknown phenomenon which is harbored within me now. Knowledge is power, after all, as I am sure you are more than well aware."

:: Dara looked forward to his response as she was not well acquainted with Lord DarkStar. He seemed to keep to himself as well around the Empire, perhaps a more common trait among fellow Sith than she had first realized. A beeping sound grew louder as a service droid then whisked into the room and came over to where Dara and DarkStar were seated ::

"Ah yes, my manners. Would you care for something to drink, Lord DarkStar?"

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar sat quietly for a moment before at last replying, his voice seemed distance, as though he was no longer paying complete attention.

"Water please...just water,"

DarkStar seemed lost in thought for another long moment, he seemed to be thinking very deeply and Dara did not like to interup so sat quietly, waiting for him to speak. When at last he did, it was in a slow deliberate tone as though he chose he words with the utmost care.

"Knowledge is indeed power but some cultures believe that might makes right. I am a follower of the first train of thought, my people how ever followed the latter and sometime I am prone to following my teachings rather than my instincts,"

His eyes unglazed for a moment as Dara handed him a glass of water. He took a small sip before placing the glass on the arm of his chair and continuing.

"I was arrogant and over confident, a trait common to Sith Masters,"

He looked at her and gave her a strained smile,

"If you will excuse my bluntness, but wielding such power seems to cloud the mind. Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely,"

He gave a dry laugh,

"I found that out to my expence. I tried to control a force far beyond my power. Slowly, ever so slowly, it took control. At last, I did not control the power, the power controlled me,"

DarkStar looked Dara straight in the eye.

"Be very careful my lady, I do not know the nature of the power that you seem to exibit but I sense that it is strong, the question is, can you be stronger?"

DarkStar stopped talking then, he raised the glass in a silent salute to her and began to sip again. His thoughts still drifting, his own experience was not the only one of this nature in his vast memory, the other eluded him though as though something was preventing him remembering. That was worrying. He pushed such thoughts aside. He had more pressing matters to attend to. He flashed Dara a grin.

"But you were not overly bothered about my answer were you my lady? You want to know more about the mysterious Lord DarkStar don't you?"

He laughed, it was a plesant and Dara couldn't help but like the sound.

"So ask, any question that you like, I am tired and do not wish to play games tonight, I do not have the energy to match wits with a Sith Mistress at the moment,"

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Dara studied Lord DarkStar as he spoke. He was a very matter of fact man and did not seem to hold anything back. His thoughts were based on a lifetime of experience and there was a genuine wisdom in the words he imparted on her with such care. She realized that she did not really know him that well and decided to take him up on his offer to ask what she wished to. But before doing so, Dara smiled and got a glass of water for the Sith Lord and then sat back down ::

"I understand that you have lived longer than even I can possibly imagine. Has it changed your view of the galaxy to see the evolution of power as well as those who can handle it.. and those who cannot? And more importantly, has it changed who you are as a result?"

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar laughed and Dara, despite her best efforts found herself liking the sound. He sipped the glass of water she had given him, concidering her answer for a few moments before answering not in a slow and deliberate but ina flowly style, almost as though he was reciting from memory.

"Power never changes my lady, only the people who wield it and I have seen the rise of all things that are concidered powers in this age and I will probebly see their fall as well. Those who cannot control the power they wield are destroyed saddly not always as quickly as they should be,"

He sighed and swilled the water round in his glass, staring at it, not Dara as he continued.

"For far too long I sat by and watch powers come and go without interferring. I was bitter about events that happened on my homeworld, and the fact I should have killed my masters War and Death when I had the chance,"

He grined, a twinkle of mirth in his eyes,

"They both got what they deserved though, one at my hands, one at the hands of the imperial ship that turned my home to a waste land,"

His voice saddened as he spoke that last part, a great weight of gilt that he had been powerless to help them.

"But I still owe them a debt, without them I would be no where near the warroir I am now but since them I have had no master,"

He gave Dara a knowing smile as he said what came next

"Nothing in this life changes who you are, everything is just another part of your growth as a person, you will understand when you are older,"

He laughed again, the last part was in good humour and Dara could tell no insult was ment by it.

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: Dara gazed upon DarkStar as he spoke. She heard the slight pang of guilt in his tone as he spoke of his former masters. She laughed at his age reference comment and could still not get over the fact that although he was hundreds of years old, that he was still strikingly handsome. It was actually distracting her a bit as they spoke and she forced herself to look away for a bit to collect her thoughts once again before she spoke ::

"I am sorry to hear about your homeland, DarkStar. Although home is wherever you choose to 'hang your hat' or so goes the old adage. I hope you feel at home at the Empire someday. Will you choose a master once again or is your path in the galaxy already defined as you continue to walk alone in the Dark Side teachings?"

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar looked at Dara strangely for a moment, as if the question came as a complete suprise to him. Then he seemed to understand what had been asked and he smiled slowly.

"You and I, lady Dara, we use the term master in different ways. To you it is one who instructs in the Dark Arts, to me, it is one who's every command I complete without question."

He tugged on his leather gloves, it was almost a habbit now he did it that often.

"I will never have another master in your terms, and I will never choose a master in my terms, it is always asked of me, I never offer it."

He look Dara straight in the eye, his cold green eyes twinkling with a sort of inner fire.

"I am just waiting to be asked..."

[imported_Dara Shadowtide]

:: A coy smile plays on her lips as she decides to find out if he is bluffing or if the implied meaning behind his words are indeed meant for her ::

"Then I shall ask you. Serve as my bodyguard and assist me when the odds are not exactly in my favor. I have a great many enemies in this galaxy, Lord DarkStar. One at a time, I can handle the situation.. now if they were ever to band up together.. then I would find myself at a disadvantage. I want to be able to count on you that the latter scenario never materializes itself."

:: Dara pauses for a moment, studying him closely ::

"What do you say to that, Lord DarkStar? Will you accept my request?"

[Lord DarkStar]

DarkStar smiled slyly and drained the last of his glass before setting it down on the table and standing. With fluid motion he dropped down on one knee and lowered his head.

"I live to serve you my lady,"

He remained on his knee for a moment longer before rising with the same fluid grace and sitting down again.

"Though I was beginning to think you were never going to ask,"

He laughed that plesant laugh of his that Dara couldn't help but like.

"So m'lady, what is your first command? Though I will have to get my quarters moved closer to yours first..."