OOM: Confrontation with Zash
Feb. 7th, 2020 09:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
last_kallig(OOC: Words in italics are taken from/adapted from canon. Trigger warning for brief suicidal ideation.)
Ibani approaches the chamber where her ghostly ancestor was laid to rest for the second time in her life, Khem Val at her side. She has the lightsaber Zash gave her visible on her belt and the two lightsabers inherited from her ancestor hidden.
The chamber looks vastly different from the last time Ibani saw it, the various relics she's retrieved set up in scattered locations around the room along with strange glowing structures.
Darth Zash is turned with her back to Ibani as she enters. "Such marvelous power flows from you now. Clear. Strong. You have truly come into your own." Zash pauses a moment, paces, still facing away from Ibani. "I've arranged for you to receive the title of Lord of the Sith. I hope you realize what an honor and responsibility it is."
If Ibani had not already been suspicious of Zash's motives that would done it all by itself. To make her a Lord this soon, ridiculous! And why won't Zash face her, kark it!
"Darth Zash, I am honored, but surprised! To be a Lord already..."
Still facing away, Zash answers "There is still the ritual to undergo. And I'll warn you --the ritual may prove a trying experience. But once it's done, you will be truly great, truly powerful."
"Forgive me, Darth Zash, but, why ME, why not take this power for yourself?" Treachery, treachery, treachery! screams Ibani's life experience thus far.
Zash turns around, and her appearance is utterly changed, the flesh sunken in, aged, her hair white, she looks only a few steps removed from a corpse! Zash's expression is bitter " I'm sorry to have concealed my true appearance from you for so long, but it was such a pleasant vanity to share in your youth."
"I, I don't understand," Ibani replies, shocked. "What's happened to you?"
"Various Force rituals have helped me maintain my appearance and some of my vitality but life fades. I am dying, Apprentice. My will, my intellect, my spirit, are as lively as ever, but this body is dying."
A horrible suspicion begins to dawn in Ibani's mind. "Then, what do you intend to....do, about that?"
"What I have been doing from the beginning, Apprentice. Training you, priming you from the very start. We will accomplish so much once I am in command of that wonderful vessel of yours. Just hold still."
Ibani recoils in revulsion, drawing the red bladed lightsaber that Zash gave her upon taking her as an apprentice. Zash intends to steal her flesh, her identity, her life!
Zash reaches out with one hand and pulls the red bladed lightsaber, loyal to its maker, from her hand. But Ibani had anticipated this. The two purple Kyber sabers roar defiance as they rise up to meet Darth Zash's blades. They clash again and again, neither ever quite managing to get a hit in.
"You can't stop this ritual from happening!" Zash shouts, pushing Ibani back and knocking her over with the Force.
Something happens then, taking Ibani's awareness of the outside world away. She's overwhelmed with a psychic smell of rot and decay that makes her want to gag, and the metaphysical pain of Zash's power trying to tear her soul from her body. She lashes back with her rage, her fear, but it is not enough.
Well then. She reaches deep within, tears open every emotional wound, every scant memory of happiness, makes them real and NOW, feeds the fire of her will with them until she blazes like a star. She burns her very life away, feels her heart skipping beats as she pours out all of her strength against Zash's assault.
She gives EVERYTHING, spares nothing, and she is still not strong enough, can feel Zash getting closer and closer to taking over her body.
'I will destroy this body before I let you have it!' she thinks to herself, but as she goes to turn that power upon herself, to turn her flesh to charred offal, the pressure is suddenly gone!
The first thing she sees is Khem Val, Khem Val who stands between her and Zash, who must have somehow interrupted the attack. Zash's body lies on the floor lifeless.
She feels...she feels nothing. She's hollow, numb. Her heart full of fire is nothing but ash and embers. She can barely sense the Force at all, and that ought to provoke terror but she has no capacity left to feel.
Then, Khem Val speaks. But over the top of his voice is HER voice, Darth Zash's voice! "Apprentice! What have you done to me? Why couldn't you hold still for a few moments longer? Why couldn't you call your monster off?"
Darth Zash has wound up possessing Khem Val instead! She should be horrified, appalled, but there is still nothing but empty numbness.
Darth Zash continues to rant. "Five years of preparation, finding the right person, training them, researching the artifacts, gathering them -- wasted!"
"Are you expecting me to apologize?" Ibani rasps out. "Give me Khem back."
" No, apprentice. It looks like you're stuck with me now. But I wonder how powerful your friend Khem was." Zash attempts to raise Khem's arm to attack....and visibly fails. "That bond, that damn bond! How can your will be stronger than my own? I am the master, not you."
"This is what we call a classic reversal of fortune," Ibani replies.
Then, Khem shakes himself and it is only HIS voice that Ibani hears! "What new kink has insinuated itself into the twisted coils of my unfortunate existence?"
"It seems that when you interrupted the ritual, Darth Zash ended up in your body instead of mine, but she doesn't have complete control."
And then she hears the shouts and footsteps of Imperial soldiers. Darth Thanaton must have suspected Zash was up to something, been waiting to send them in to investigate.
"Time to tell the misleading truth, and hope."
Ibani approaches the chamber where her ghostly ancestor was laid to rest for the second time in her life, Khem Val at her side. She has the lightsaber Zash gave her visible on her belt and the two lightsabers inherited from her ancestor hidden.
The chamber looks vastly different from the last time Ibani saw it, the various relics she's retrieved set up in scattered locations around the room along with strange glowing structures.
Darth Zash is turned with her back to Ibani as she enters. "Such marvelous power flows from you now. Clear. Strong. You have truly come into your own." Zash pauses a moment, paces, still facing away from Ibani. "I've arranged for you to receive the title of Lord of the Sith. I hope you realize what an honor and responsibility it is."
If Ibani had not already been suspicious of Zash's motives that would done it all by itself. To make her a Lord this soon, ridiculous! And why won't Zash face her, kark it!
"Darth Zash, I am honored, but surprised! To be a Lord already..."
Still facing away, Zash answers "There is still the ritual to undergo. And I'll warn you --the ritual may prove a trying experience. But once it's done, you will be truly great, truly powerful."
"Forgive me, Darth Zash, but, why ME, why not take this power for yourself?" Treachery, treachery, treachery! screams Ibani's life experience thus far.
Zash turns around, and her appearance is utterly changed, the flesh sunken in, aged, her hair white, she looks only a few steps removed from a corpse! Zash's expression is bitter " I'm sorry to have concealed my true appearance from you for so long, but it was such a pleasant vanity to share in your youth."
"I, I don't understand," Ibani replies, shocked. "What's happened to you?"
"Various Force rituals have helped me maintain my appearance and some of my vitality but life fades. I am dying, Apprentice. My will, my intellect, my spirit, are as lively as ever, but this body is dying."
A horrible suspicion begins to dawn in Ibani's mind. "Then, what do you intend to....do, about that?"
"What I have been doing from the beginning, Apprentice. Training you, priming you from the very start. We will accomplish so much once I am in command of that wonderful vessel of yours. Just hold still."
Ibani recoils in revulsion, drawing the red bladed lightsaber that Zash gave her upon taking her as an apprentice. Zash intends to steal her flesh, her identity, her life!
Zash reaches out with one hand and pulls the red bladed lightsaber, loyal to its maker, from her hand. But Ibani had anticipated this. The two purple Kyber sabers roar defiance as they rise up to meet Darth Zash's blades. They clash again and again, neither ever quite managing to get a hit in.
"You can't stop this ritual from happening!" Zash shouts, pushing Ibani back and knocking her over with the Force.
Something happens then, taking Ibani's awareness of the outside world away. She's overwhelmed with a psychic smell of rot and decay that makes her want to gag, and the metaphysical pain of Zash's power trying to tear her soul from her body. She lashes back with her rage, her fear, but it is not enough.
Well then. She reaches deep within, tears open every emotional wound, every scant memory of happiness, makes them real and NOW, feeds the fire of her will with them until she blazes like a star. She burns her very life away, feels her heart skipping beats as she pours out all of her strength against Zash's assault.
She gives EVERYTHING, spares nothing, and she is still not strong enough, can feel Zash getting closer and closer to taking over her body.
'I will destroy this body before I let you have it!' she thinks to herself, but as she goes to turn that power upon herself, to turn her flesh to charred offal, the pressure is suddenly gone!
The first thing she sees is Khem Val, Khem Val who stands between her and Zash, who must have somehow interrupted the attack. Zash's body lies on the floor lifeless.
She feels...she feels nothing. She's hollow, numb. Her heart full of fire is nothing but ash and embers. She can barely sense the Force at all, and that ought to provoke terror but she has no capacity left to feel.
Then, Khem Val speaks. But over the top of his voice is HER voice, Darth Zash's voice! "Apprentice! What have you done to me? Why couldn't you hold still for a few moments longer? Why couldn't you call your monster off?"
Darth Zash has wound up possessing Khem Val instead! She should be horrified, appalled, but there is still nothing but empty numbness.
Darth Zash continues to rant. "Five years of preparation, finding the right person, training them, researching the artifacts, gathering them -- wasted!"
"Are you expecting me to apologize?" Ibani rasps out. "Give me Khem back."
" No, apprentice. It looks like you're stuck with me now. But I wonder how powerful your friend Khem was." Zash attempts to raise Khem's arm to attack....and visibly fails. "That bond, that damn bond! How can your will be stronger than my own? I am the master, not you."
"This is what we call a classic reversal of fortune," Ibani replies.
Then, Khem shakes himself and it is only HIS voice that Ibani hears! "What new kink has insinuated itself into the twisted coils of my unfortunate existence?"
"It seems that when you interrupted the ritual, Darth Zash ended up in your body instead of mine, but she doesn't have complete control."
And then she hears the shouts and footsteps of Imperial soldiers. Darth Thanaton must have suspected Zash was up to something, been waiting to send them in to investigate.
"Time to tell the misleading truth, and hope."
