Consolidation Litanies of the Dark Side: Defiance

[Valia Muqai]

In the camera view of the cells, Valia's gaze was immediately draw to the only one that had a prisoner within it at all. Easily recognizing the occupant within despite her battered and tortured state. It made her wonder if herself looked like that during her time with the Dark Crusade, after all the torture she had suffered then. Any normal individual would have looked at the prisoner and feel deep pity and empathy, especially after being in that similar position.

However, Valia felt nothing towards the tortured soul in front of her. No pity, no anger, just cold indifference. Perhaps just a tinge of disappointment, after all, that same prisoner was the one that gave her much wished for respite within the Dark Crusade....

She closed her eyes and sighed deeply, frowning to herself at the choice being placed in front of her. It felt strange, to be propped up as a figure of light by the Sergeant Major. Valia did believe there was still enduring light within her, at the same time, the thought of that felt wrong in a way she couldn't describe. Those thought were left unsaid however.

"I will be honest with you. I am with the Jedi on this, Sergeant Major. After what I'd experienced.... Not even the purest, most bright light could break them. It will be like throwing a match in the dark void of space." Valia stated "But.... well... It's a hard choice. They'd see the light as a weakness to be exploited rather than salvation."

 

[Eaglor Aest]

The Sergeant Major folded his hands before his chest and listened. For some reason, the insight provided by the woman felt far too honest to be cast aside as barely yet another veteran of the war. No, she knew the Sith. She knew her. He listened, tilting his head while the woman spoke, switching his gaze to the prisoner, up until she finally lifted her burning eyes straight to the recorder, as if sensing the very presence of him in the control room.

A sudden cold creeped up his spine, like a tendril summoned from the darkest unseen voids. Whether this was some sort of witchcraft, or his own bias manifesting due to coincidence, he could only guess. But something urged him to quickly look away, to the door of the room, stepping bit farther from the woman.

He remained silent.

"The Jedi s̸a̸i̴d̵ ̴t̴h̸a̵t̵ ̵t̶h̸e̷ ̷p̴r̵i̵s̴o̷n̷e̸r̶ ̴i̴s̵ ̵l̸o̸s̶t̷.̸ ̵M̴a̷d̸,̷ ̸t̷h̸e̷y̴ ̵c̶a̸l̴l̷e̷d̴ ̸h̵e̸r̸.̵ ̸S̸h̴e̶ ̴d̴i̴d̸ ̵n̵o̶t̵ ̸p̷o̷s̷e̶ ̴a̸n̴y̵ ̷r̴e̴s̶i̸s̸t̷a̶n̴c̴e̵.̴ When it happened, she simply stared at me. Even when I̴ ̶s̶t̵r̷u̵c̴k̶ ̴a̸t̸ ̸h̸e̵r̸ myself. I've never seen something like this. I have spoken with the Jedi. She thought s̵h̵e̴ ̵w̷a̴s̷ ̸n̶o̴t̵ ̸t̸h̸e̶ ̵o̷n̶e̵ ̸a̵c̷t̵i̸n̴g̴ ̵a̷s̵ ̸t̵h̴e̶ ̸a̸g̶e̷n̸t̷ between you two...."
He then continued. His voice gradually retracking its tone, as he unfolded the case for the woman. He turned, looking at her.

"She will have you q̵u̷e̴s̴t̶i̸o̴n̶e̵d̶ ̸a̸s̶ ̶w̷e̷l̸l̷, as soon as she returns. I told her this is a bad idea..." the man's confession clearly impactful. He looked down. Disbelief and discomfort blending into an awkward moment.

"She believes y̵o̷u̵ ̷a̶r̴e̴ ̴w̵h̶o̶ ̷w̷e̶ ̷a̶r̴e̶ ̴a̷f̷t̵e̶r̶.̴ I don't. So... I thought this would be the only way to prove that. If the Sith knew you the way I think she did, you are the o̶n̶l̵y̸ ̴o̵n̷e̸ ̷w̸h̶o̸ ̵c̷a̸n̷ ̵m̷a̵k̴e̴ ̶h̸e̷r̴ ̵t̸a̶l̶k̴.̴ Otherwise..."

he lowered his hand, resting the palm on the holstered blaster pistol. His eyes once again carrying the feeling of determination.

"I will n̴o̶t̶ ̵b̶e̶ ̶a̷b̸l̶e̴ ̶t̵o̷ ̵s̷t̶o̷p̵ ̵h̴e̸r̴.̵"

 

[Valia Muqai]

Something with the Sergeant Major's words felt off, in the same way she felt disturbances within the Force. Valia couldn't pinpoint how or where, perhaps it was just denial over his accusatory words towards her or the idea that the Jedi could suspect her of being an agent or wanting her dead. They have seen how much she had suffered, why would they ever think such a thing? All because of a prisoner being unbroken? Was it some sort of strange initiation ritual to prove herself good? She couldn't believe it.

"So... you're saying I have to do this to clear myself of suspicion?" Valia chuckled bitterly "What happened to you not insisting? Or did my explanation made too much sense for you?"

 

[Eaglor Aest]

The Sergeant Major lowered his gaze. He exhaled, shaking his head, before walking towards the blastdoor, closing it. His mind felt heavy, ready to blast open from the sheer weight of th inexplicable rage that consumed each of his thoughts into a violent whirl that left nothing but spite. He tried to put his words together in a sentance, fighting agains the urge to act on his thoughts...

"We never asked what you are. We never interrogated you for what you did. We fed you. We healed you, while our own died on the decks. And you will refuse this one time I ask for help. I know only one kind so ungrateful."

He stepped towards the woman.

"The Jedi have been too kind to what should not be. I won't be that foolish. So, I ask again. Will you help me... or not?"

 

[Valia Muqai]

Valia too felt a tinge of anger at the Sergeant Major's words. She could sense it from him as well, thus her hand hovering close to the hilt on her belt. She did not want to harm him, but she was not going to allow herself to be harmed for such shallow, petty reasons by a man she once considered an ally. For what it was worth, she felt more in control that he was....

"Explain to me, how does telling you the truth make me ungrateful for everything everyone here did for me? I fought by your side didn't I? Is that not gratitude. It is ridiculous you think this was." She hissed, not raising her voice, but still speaking firmly.

 

[Eaglor Aest]

"You know not what war is, Sith...!" he growled, his hand reaching down, unclipping the holster of his blaster pistol with intent.

RING RING RING RING

The alarm suddenly interrupted what was about to be a bloody and, perhaps, one-sided confrontation. The lights went off, while greenish beaming siren broke through the darkness, with the only dim light emitted by the livefeed screens...

The screens...

At the very bottom, the screens showing the entrance of the prison blared with motion. Distorted, as if something sliced through the signal transmitted, they showed the form of a Republic trooper crawling from the half-openned blast door of the lift. His gauntlets stained by blood that sparkled to the exposure to the beaming green alarm, while his lower body reduced to mere tendril tissue, dragging his legs like carriage.

"What the-" the Sergeant Major's eyes widened. For a moment, he froze, turning to the cell where the prisoner still was. She had curled in fetal position, mumbling as she tried to bury her head between her legs and torso.

Any recycled air conditioned by the ventilation system was suddenly drained of temperature, leaving an inexplicable cold reigning across the level...

The man turned to the woman. His eyes red by fury, as if possessed by the Dark Side herself.

"What have you done!? WHAT IS HAPPENING???"

 

[Valia Muqai]

As soon as his hand grabbed the blaster pistol, Valia unclipped the lightsaber hilt from belt, but just before she ignited it to deflect his shots. The alarm had gone off and the lights dimmed, with the activated screens being the only remaining indicator of the power still being on. She had expected the prisoner to be the culprit, though the cam's footage said otherwise.

Between the blaring alarms, disabled lights, and the bloodied soldiers by the blast doors. Valia could only assume some sort of attack was happening, what else could it be? The Sergeant Major thought otherwise however and one glance was enough to tell her of the dark side influence on him.

"I've done nothing!" She yelled at him "Get a grip! We're obviously being attacked."

 

[Eaglor Aest]

The man stood still for few seconds to pass. His eyes switching between her and the screens again and again. He tightened his fists.
The holster buttoned, he pointed at her as he steped backward towards the door, unlocking it.

"I better not regret this...!!" he pointed at her, as if needing not speak the choice being made then and there.

He picked his blaster pistol, turning towards the hallway.

"We have to find the others!" he declared then, reaching with his gauntlet to his mouth, to use the commlink.

"Sergey, Lamrik, Tek, you read me?"

"Sergey, Lamrik, Tek! Is anyone listening blast damn it!?"

---

Beam....

Beam....​

Beam....​

The pulsing green light offering barely any insight to anything laying beyond a couple of steps away. Shadows, passing and going, unknowingly whether they were physical forms, or droids, or the mind's tricks, or far worse.... The more the steps taken, the more the echoing sound of shallow water, as if liquid had leaked on the catwalk.

From back in the control room, a deafening cry could be heard, originating from the cell where the prisoner was kept....

 

[Valia Muqai]

Within that brief moment, Valia feared that she might have to do the unthinkable to the man she had grown to trust. Thankfully, it did need to end that way, but there was no time for either of them to relax as the base was seemingly falling apart around them.

She allowed him to go ahead, walking behind him through the dark hallway that was lit only by the sporadic, pulsing green light. Strange shapes in the shadows appeared at the edge of her vision which Valia opted to disregard as nothing more than natural visual trickery. She could hear the splash of water with each step she took, though she was not sure where it could have come from.

The cry made her pause. For once, her mind raced through on whether or not she should turn back to see what had happened or continue on. The Sergeant Major would surely condemn her further if she had gone back, then again, the prisoner could know what was happening....

"Do we leave the prisoner behind?" Valia blurted out. It felt like a stupid question, of course they'd leave them behind. They were a Sith prisoner.

"Or should we deal with them?"

 

[Eaglor Aest]

The man was barely few steps ahead of her, and yet, each time the pulsing dim light went through, his position became ever more vague. He seemed to completely ignore the water flooding the hallway all the way up to the ancle, on occasion, while no flow or drainage hinted to the point of spillage.

"What the-" he turned, aiming his pistol to her side, when the cry was heard. It was unclear whether he aimed at her, perhaps instinctively, or behind her.

"Go get her. They can't have her!" he shouted.

"I will cover the way until you return! Go!"

He turned his back, aiming his pistol forth, as he took careful, slow steps. After few moments, the pulsing light stopped revealing any sight of him, as if he vanished from scene, or perhaps turned to a room, or corridor that wasn't visible due to the circumstances....

The air grew colder. Distant echoes hinted of screams. It was unclear whether they were screams of panic, pain, or battle ambience, though for the time being, no blaster could be distinguished, over the sound of bogging water...

 

[Valia Muqai]

Valia couldn't help the feeling of disappointment at the Sergeant Major's answer, for she had hoped that he'd choose to leave the prisoner behind to her death. Nonetheless, she responded with a firm nod and turned to go to the prison cell they were held within.

She ignited the lightsaber in her hand, filling the hallway with a more stable green hue to light the way down. The distant echoes of what sounded like screams went practically unheard by Valia, for she had long learned how to filter out such sounds from her mind and they bothered her no longer. Whatever they were, she'd deal with them as needed.