[hider=Post 32, Rtron & Ellri | Lea Rahn & Zanna]
During the speech by Minder, Zanna rapidly grew disinterested. It only told her what she already knew. Torture the subjects. Don't drive them insane, maim them, or kill them...for now. They could still be turned to the Dark Side and become Sith. Though, somehow, she doubted they would do that easily or so soon. So, the Pureblood decided to do a little, 'experiment'. She was going to have to work(Read: Compete) with these Sith. Might as well figure out who she could beat with her mind and who she would have to be more careful around. First, the lizard.

Easy. As expected. Sish' head went up at the gentlest of prodding. Once a dumb reptile, always a dumb reptile. His apprentice, however, she was interesting. Her head began to rise, and then she forced it down through will. Perhaps she was more powerful than her master. Next on the list. The human. Thallia. She was a surprise. Zanna's force domination was shoved off with a powerful return push. That one would have to be watched. Possibly killed.

Regardless, the reactions of the others would have to wait to be analyzed. They were all leaving, likely heading to their own Jedi to torture. [i]“First things first, I have to get my serums...”[/i] Zanna muttered, heading off to her room. Hopefully, no one would nab the clever, defiant one.

Several minutes later, the door to the cell holding Lea opened. Zanna didn't waste any time, launching as strong a force domination at the Jedi as she could. At the very least, she expected the human girl to be immobilized in resistance while the guards with her injected a force suppressant serum into her arm and restrained her.

Several moments before the bulkhead slid open, Lea’s head shot up. Through the Force, she sensed the approach. She had noticed that there were other prisoners in her block, but she had not paid them any heed. She did not know them, and they did not know her. She had yet to decide whether she wanted to know them, whether they were worth it.

When the bulkhead finally slid open, she emptied her mind, seemingly relaxing completely, when in truth she was preparing her defenses. In her time as a prisoner, she had gotten to know much about how many Sith thought, and how to deal with them. If only she had had more training first. She still was not sure how well she would be able to resist. After all, how could she be?

Lea thought back to what her master had taught her. Focusing her mind, she built a mental wall within her head, only to have it assaulted seconds later when the Sith approached her cell. She could feel it strain under the pressure of the Sith’s attempt to dominate her, but she barely managed to hold her own. It took almost everything she had, so she barely moved a muscle. The troopers with the Sith must have assumed the domination worked, for they approached her with a some sort of injector. Lea did not like injectors. When they were half a meter away, she shot her hand up, yanked the injector out of the troopers hand, and sent it flying straight into the Sith’s left shoulder.

This was a surprise. The human was stronger than anticipated. Still, it was nothing that couldn’t be handled. As the injector flew towards her, Zanna had to make a decision. Save herself from the injection meant for her prisoner, or take...drastic measures to ensure the prisoner behaves. So, rather than stopping the injector as it jabbed into her shoulder, she ignored it(hoping that it wouldn’t drive too much serum into her) and changed her tactics. For some reason, the attack wasn’t working. She’d have to figure that out later. Right now, however, she waved the soldiers forward as she backed off from the mind of the Jedi. For a moment, she just stood there with her head tilted, studying the girl. Then she tried another attack from a different angle. It had notably less strength this time, more a probe than an actual assault.

Regardless, it served its purpose. The soldiers moved forward once more, one grabbing Lea’s arms and pinning them behind her back while the other glanced at Zanna. The injector was out and floating over to his hand a moment later, while she continued to probe at the girl’s defenses. It was..strange that a human should be powerful, or at least creative, enough to resist her. This would require a much more cautious approach than originally anticipated. 
Lea relaxed somewhat when the attack ceased, but did not lower her defenses. She knew better than to do that. When the second, half-hearted attack came, she simply let it bounce off her defenses. When she saw the needle approaching the soldier’s hand, she struck out with the Force, forcing his hand to close with (from his part) unintentionally great strength. The syringe broke apart in his hand, but did not really affect him, for like all troopers, he wore armored gloves.

She doubted he even understood how it had happened, or who had been responsible. But it did not matter, for moments later, his companions grabbed her by the arms and hauled her off her feet and out into the hallway. Lea knew she could’ve tried to fight it, but even aided by the Force, she would have a hard time fighting off men as strong as those.

Cursing under her breath, Zanna lead the soldiers to the torture chamber, grabbing two cups along the way. She could feel the effects of the serum meant for Lea occasionally. Luckily she hadn’t gotten a full dose, but every now and then she would catch her mind wandering away from the subject at hand, or completely forget her line of thought. It was...infuriating. Still, she couldn’t vent her frustrations. Yet.

Zanna sat down in a chair in front of the prisoner and stared at Lea(who was now restrained on a rack), head tilted slightly to the side, as the two Imperial soldiers who helped her left. [i]“So, you're the defiant one who has been giving so much trouble hmm? I can see why. Anyways, I'm Zanna. I imagine you think you know what's going to come next. Physical torture, pain, and questioning from me. Well, you'd be partially right. There will be a form of torture, and there will be questioning, but I'm not sure there will be physical pain. We'll just have to see, won't we?”[/i] 

The Sith took out a syringe filled with a violet liquid, and stopped. [i]“My my. I don't believe I know your name. You know mine. So, who is it I have the pleasure of conversing with?”[/i] This was a blatant lie. She already knew the names, physical details, and what few mental details that have been scavenged, of all the prisoners. This was nothing more than niceties. While she waited for Lea to respond, she injected the syringe into one of the cups she had stolen. It wasn't the best of delivery methods, and luckily she had more than one syringe full of the stuff, but it was better than fighting the damn girl every step of the way just to get a look inside her head. 

Anger surged through her again, and she bit it back. It wouldn't do to hurt the prisoner before she could examine the effects of her latest serum on the mind. Though she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t anticipating it...

Lea did not know what she was in for. Would this Sith try to hurt her, or would she try something else. She did not know. After all, she had not been exposed to this Sith before. Nonetheless, she knew she had to hold out against her, whatever she did. She could remember previous times, when one Sith had broken several bones, especially the feeling as they snapped. From others in her childhood, she had heard such should hurt, but she literally did not understand the concept of physical pain, having never felt it. What she remembered most was the sound of bone snapping, and the feeling as her broken limb did not work as it was supposed to. It was inconvenient and not something she wanted to repeat.

She was suddenly jolted out of her reminiscing as the Sith poured some sort of liquid down her throat. It was neither hot nor cold, tingling faintly and made her feel unclean. She thought back to her master’s lessons and steeled her against it, focusing upon maintaining the barriers in her mind. She would not permit anyone, especially not a Sith like this one, to get into her head. After all, her head was her last sanctuary after all else had been taken from her.

At first, she felt nothing, then suddenly it seemed as if the room got brighter, tinged with violet, causing some surfaces to almost glow. Considering that no new light sources were activated and the Sith did nothing, Lea knew it had to be a result of the strange liquid. From the frustration almost oozing out of the Sith, it did not have the result she wanted. [i]“Is that your torture, Sith? Making me see into the Ultraviolet spectrum? I am disappointed in you.”[/i] She probably shouldn’t have said that, but Lea was frankly disappointed in the level of torture. She truly wanted to understand this concept of [i]“pain”[/i] that others spoke of.

Zanna poured the liquid down Lea’s throat, relieved that she didn’t have to fight for that particular advantage. Now came the hard part. She didn’t know how the girl had resisted her last time, but she would pay more attention this time. She didn’t like not knowing how someone could beat her, and since it was a prisoner she liked it even less. In a strange way, she mused, the prisoners have more protection than us, simply by the fact that we don’t have any important information that Nyiss could use, and thus our ‘allies’ have no reason to not get rid of us. As long as we don’t do it publicly and in a way that will put the murder squarely at our feet, we can murder each other freely. Well, depending on how long the prisoners don’t give us any information or turn..Dammit! She scowled at herself, hating the fact that she hadn’t stopped the syringe in time even more. Who knows what could have happened while she was philosophically rambling!

With that, she attempted to use her telepathic viewing on Lea. As expected, it was blocked. With quite the fierce defense. [i]“Now...what are you doing to stop me…”[/i] for a few moments as the two battled, she ‘looked’ at the defense Lea was putting up. There had to be a way to at least get a foothold in, right? That’s all she needed. Just one tiny foothold…nope. Nothing. With a muttered curse, Zanna turned to more...Imperial Intelligence-centered methods. She herself didn’t like to use technology for her experiments with the concoctions, too easily able for something to be tampered with or go wrong. Malfunctions, etc. Still, after some searching, she found what she needed. A crude device that allowed her to view what the patient was viewing through the ocular nerves. What she saw...wasn’t good. Ultraviolet spectrum. She had given the girl the ability to see into the Ultraviolet spectrum!

That was not what she wanted to happen! [i]“I’ll have to make modifications…”[/i] She muttered, only barely catching the words of the Jedi. It was enough. With a snarl, she turned around and activated her lightsaber. [i]“You want to anger me, Jidai? Well, you’ve done it. You may have Tyûk, but I will break you. But, seeing as I can’t rip out your Wodza and strangle you with them, I’ll have to settle for using my lightsaber.”[/i] She hissed, anger filling her tone and the area around her. She didn’t even appear to be aware that she was using Sith words. She stopped, however, short of actually using her blade. A shudder ran through her, accompanied by a disgusted look. That was too close to the lizard’s...unclean.. methods. Also, she’d get impure blood on her hands. Probably would have gotten an infection from the nasty stuff. [i]“No..I don’t think I’ll go that far. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll get off without punishment.”[/i] As her crimson blade flicked off, Zanna raised her hand and shot lightning from it. She expected a scream, howl, curse, something. 

Lea’s body naturally shook from the lightning, but that was the result of electrically triggered muscle spasms. From other prisoners, now all dead, she knew that the lightning was supposed to hurt, but she had never felt any harm from it, let alone any pain. She did not utter a single sound, and only the specific muscles hit by the lightning moved. She turned her head, looking curiously at the Sith. [i]“You do know that is ineffectual, right?”[/i]

Even the most composed of people had a sign to show that they felt the pain. A widening of eyes, a sucking in of breath, clenching fists, muscles, something. This Jedi did nothing. Not even a twitch. Ignoring the attempt at goading her from Lea, Zanna narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, then approached Lea, passing the table nearby. It had a large amount of devices designed to cause pain, but she didn’t want to cause pain. What she wanted was an experiment, not a torture. 

She picked up the, now empty, cup and pretended to fill it with a Syringe once more. [i]“Ineffectual it may be, you’re still going to drink this.”[/i] She was fairly certain what was going on, but had to make one final test. Walking over, Zanna began to force the cup to Lea’s lips, only to suddenly slap the human. It should have caused anyone who could feel to jump, hiss, curse, whatever. Nothing. Lea did, nothing. [i]“Now isn’t that curious? You don’t feel anything do you?”[/i] 

Lea continued looking at the Sith. [i]“No. I know your hand contacted with my chin, but I did not feel any of this so-called pain. I never have.”[/i] She was actually a bit surprised with herself about how truthful she was towards the Sith, but then there was no benefit to lying about that, and it would certainly remove her need to test more thoroughly. Though not truly difficult, it was a bother to hold this Sith out. There were things she had no business knowing in Lea’s mind. No business at all. Rather than continue the conversation, Lea decided to test the Sith’s own defenses, sending out a weak probe of her own. Considering how new the knowledge was to her, and the fact that she had to maintain her own walls, she could not put much effort into it.

Zanna opened her mouth to respond, when the Jedi did something...impertinent. She tried a weak probe into Zanna’s mind. She instinctively threw up a barrier upon the first tentative outreach. To be perfectly honest, the Sith was too surprised to consider a counter-attack. Jedi did not probe into other’s minds. It was one of their weaknesses as far as Zanna was concerned. She was about to send the, clumsy and awkward, probe back into the shell it had came from when an idea occurred to her. They did have two directives after all. So, rather than push back, she opened up. Carefully. There was only so much she could allow the Jedi to do in her mind after all. 

On the surface of her mind, as always in some way or fashion, was Sish. This time it was only his image with the usual disgust around it. Zanna didn’t really hate the lizard, he just disgusted and angered her to immense degrees and was only viewed as an enemy because of his status as a Lord. Regardless, she brought up the other information and memories she had of him and showed them to Lea. His torture methods, his combat methods, her analysis on his mental aptitude and personality, and so on so forth. Lastly, she made it perfectly clear what her feelings about the Trandoshan were, before firmly closing her mind to the Jedi. As Lea pulled away Zanna spoke, quietly so the cameras couldn’t hear and record what she was saying. She’d have to deal with the recordings later. [i]“Disgusting creature, isn’t he?”[/i]

Lea had not expected her probe to work at all, for though she knew the theory about probing, she had never before done it. What she got back was more than a little strange. It was tinged in disgust, showing some sort of strange lizard, possibly a Trandoshan. Lea had no idea who it was, but some accompanying feeling made her think it was someone else on the ship. She knew there was much more to it all, but she couldn’t make sense of the rest. When the Sith whispered, Lea’s face reddened upon the realization that she had been found out. [i]“It is a lizard. They’re strange.”[/i] Lea had nothing else to say there. If she could ever make sense of the other things she had probed out, maybe she might have something later.

Zanna gave a curious smile to Lea as she saw the human turn as read as...well, her. Still speaking softly, [i]“You can’t make sense of a quarter of what I let you see can you? Regardless, I think our session is over for now. You’ll understand exactly what I mean when I say ‘disgusting’ when you make sense of that. Strange isn’t even close to what he is.”[/i] With that, she called in the same Imperial guards from before, and they hauled Lea out of the torture chamber and back to her cell. Zanna herself went to dispose of evidence that would certainly get her killed. It paid to be cautious after all. 
[/hider]

[hider=Post 33, Ultimate523 & FallenReaper | Strago & Xid]Strago watched as Xid was lifted into the air with the Force choke. He was surprised by it, and felt the need to do something, but the Padawan was taken from the room too quickly for him to do so. He took a deep breathe, not letting his mind wander to what would happen to Xid, and instead moved over toward his cell, beginning to meditate again, hoping that Viera was totally fine now, and that she would ask for assistance if she wasn't.

After a short while of meditating, Strago heard the doors slide open once again. He slowly opened his eyes, and then quickly heard a loud sound as Xid was thrown into the middle area of the cell block. As soon as Strago saw him, he ran right toward him, getting down on his knees, and placed both of his hands on him, one on his shoulder, and the other on the side of his neck, [i]“Relax.”[/i] He said just to be sure. It was clear that he was in very bad condition, and Strago quickly began to put his entire focus on healing him, closing his eyes, and just letting the Force flow into Xid to aid in the recovery.

He hurt badly... by the Force's will, all he could feel was the dull echoes of fire in his bones. His mind couldn't help but take stock of his wounds. His face burnt from the lightsaber, blood soaked his shoulder coupled with burn marks, wrists raw from the bindings, the scorch mark added to the hole and slash down his face. To top it all off, his shoulders, both, were dislocated as the ball part gave the skin an unnatural look in it's push against it. When Strago touched him, Xid instantly jerked sending a fresh wave of agony through his body. His teeth clenched and nearly bit through his tongue, again. His image was pale, sweat poured from what felt like hours in the Sith's claws only to realize he was back in his cell.

[i]“Don't...I'll be fine... aww, please, I just need you to pop my shoulders back in.”[/i] Xid pleaded, mid gasp, his voice raw and dry from screaming. He knew unless the shoulders were reconnected, any force healing would only affect the surface wounds and not rejoin his limbs. They were distrubingly numb. He couldn't feel or move them, the sensation caused him to worry.

Truthfully he didn't know when another Sith or if the same one, his body tensed at the idea, would come walking back through those bulkhead doors. Or what condition the others would return in. Unlike Strago, Xid couldn't heal anyone properly and inwardly knew the strain it took to do so. Personally he was lucky he was alive because if the creature's Apprentice, he guessed, hadn't interrupted then likely he would be nothing more then a corpse attached to the rack.

Strago opened his eyes slowly after hearing the request, continuing to let the Force flow into Xid, but stopping for a moment as he grabbed one of his shoulders, and quickly pushed it back into place. After a moment, he grabbed the other shoulder, and did the same, leaving one hand on his shoulder, and moving the other back onto the side of his neck, looking into his eyes with a very serious expression, [i]“I know what I'm doing. Trust me.”[/i] He said as more of a command than as a way of comforting him.

Hoping that Xid would listen to him, he closed his eyes once again, putting his focus back into allowing more of the Force to flow into Xid, and start to heal him once again. Strago let nearly all of his focus go into it, achieving a state of very slight meditation because of it, aiding him even further in healing Xid without creating any issues for himself.

Xid let out a blood curling scream when the shoulder was popped back in with a wet pop, the fresh pain worse than when the Sith had jerked them out in the first place. Blood from his wound had leaked onto the floor, spreading across the cold metal into a small pool leaving his back sticky and soaked through the robes. Again another wet pop had the Padawan grunting, nearly pissing his trousers from the ach the filled his center. One hand still upon his shoulder and the other hand on his neck, it felt like razors had embedded within his joints from each touch or movement, his breath as well, seemed to sting.

He didn’t say anything, his head settled back into the metal grate floor. He trusted Strago, like any higher Jedi, so he didn’t argue or get frustrated. Instead he let the energy fill him. It cradled and soon his eyes relaxed, drifting into a state he often did during meditation whenever he worked on machines. Xid admitted to loving this sensation of inner peace even in a place shrouded in the Dark Force. Even now, feelings, both pain and misery, had seeped within the ship. It was almost tangible when he focused upon it.

[i]“I learned a few things if you want to hear them.”[/i] He said, hesitantly at breaking the silence that seemed to wrap about the scene.

Strago smiled slightly as he felt the Padawan relax, and embrace the Force the way he did. There was a lot of influence of the dark side on the ship, but for the moment, there was none in this cell block, something that comforted Strago quite a lot.

After a little while, Xid spoke, and Strago slowly opened his eyes again to look at him, [i]“As long as you feel comfortable saying it, I'll gladly listen.”[/i] Strago said, not wanting to have Xid think about the unpleasant experience he had any more than was necessary. He continued to aid in allowing the Force into Xid as well, just less so than before, wanting him to be as recovered as possible, especially before any other Sith came in to try to take another one of them.

The soothing sensation helped in spur his courage, even if the experience still was fresh in his mind. He took a moment or two to absorb what Strago had said, his words gentle and calm. [i]“There were two there, one was torturing me...,”[/i] his words paused, swallowing a bit, before continuing, [i]“and the other watched. The male, the one that dragged me in, she called him Sish. I think he’s a Sith Lord, one that clearly enjoys hurting me. He wanted to about Republic defenses, Jedi Temple location and battle plans but.. I don’t think he cared if I knew anything…just that I hurt. I can’t imagine how or why he’s like that and I don’t understand. I can’t understand why. The female, a Zabrak I think, she mentioned something about a Darth Nyiss and not to kill me, that she didn’t feel like defending him if I died.”[/i]

It felt like the fear would consume him as he let his mind settle, his thoughts returned to the blaster marks upon the Zabrak Sith. For a moment, he couldn’t fathom why the Tradoshan didn’t care about her wounds and instead seemed proud that she was strong. His eyes stared at the floor in a lazy before he piped up again, complete seriousness in his voice. [i]“She was injured by a light saber I think. Is it bad that I was more upset that she was injured then the fact she didn’t help me or I was being tortured? I wanted to focus on helping her more than the pain I was feeling… Is that selfish and wrong to use that?”[/i]

Strago listened intently as Xid spoke, taking time to think about what he was saying, [i]“They'll probably ask all of us about Republic defenses by the time all of this ends. We're in a war, and information is a very powerful weapon. As for why he didn't care much about it, it's likely because of how the Sith are taught to think. Unlike most beings in the Galaxy, they tend to enjoy the pain of others. Them not wanting to kill us may be a good sign, at the very least, though I don't like the idea of being some kind of bargaining tool.”[/i] He said, assuming that was the reason they wanted them alive for the moment.

Strago could tell that Xid seemed somewhat unsure, and confused about things, making him want to do his best to comfort him, [i]“I don't know if all Jedi would agree with me, but I don't believe it is. Helping others is one of the greatest things anyone can do. In the end, that's a large part of what we're supposed to do as Jedi. The will of the Force seems to be to do good, especially in dark times such as these.”[/i] He replied, not hiding that it was more his own opinion than fact, but obviously believing in what he said.

At the mention of being asked about Republic defenses, Xid almost groaned. He didn’t how much of this could take, especially if the same Sith brutally targeted him, worried slightly that he might give information that would cost thousands of lives. In the back of his mind, he rather die than let that happen. Personally it felt like this Sish had something beyond liking for pain, more like an addiction that gave the Padawan a shiver down his spine and curled tightly about his body. Deep down Xid couldn’t see him, a simple Padawan, being worth much in a trade. At least not like someone like Strago or Tolun Fi, then his heart slightly fell when he realized the alien Jedi was likely dead. Sith didn’t see aliens as worth much. Pushing the thought from his head, he smiled genuine at the compliment or at least he saw it as one.

[i]“Well, I’ve only had four years training and wasn’t sure. I heard that feeling pity or sympathy for Sith can lead to the Dark side, something I can’t let happen.”[/i] He said when he felt the last of his wounds heal, the robes still remained stick and bloodied but the flesh underneath had reverted to its former state. Even his face took on a more fleshy color then the charred ashy of dead skin, much to Xid’s relief. It wasn’t because he was vain but the smell of cooked flesh was disturbing to him, almost as bad as baked metal.

[i]“Ummm…thank you for healing me and can I sit up now? Part of me wants to wash off the sensation of torture but I think it’s best to at least sit up first. At least for a moment.”[/i] He rambled in his usual way.

[i]“So long as you don't sympathise with them over their beliefs, it shouldn't be an issue, though if you feel it could be for yourself, then be aware of that, and do your best to deal with it.”[/i] Strago said, not sure if it helped much, but feeling that it needed to be said. He then slowly moved his hands off of him as he asked to sit up, looking over him briefly, making sure that everything seemed alright, [i]“I won't try to convince you not to go wash yourself if you feel you need to, but just make sure you're feeling well enough to.”[/i] He said, not wanting Xid to rush to do it, but trusting his judgement of his own body, [i]“You look much better now, at least.”[/i] He added with a slight smile, beginning to stand up, ready to help Xid if he wanted to do the same.

[i]“That’s a relief.”[/i] Xid smiled at the knowledge. He seemed to breathe a little easier as the man removed his hands, the warm glow might’ve been exhausted but it seemed to remain strong in the youth. Though the man had used Healing force, Xid still felt him look over his muscles and the once broken bone, ensured everything had healed right when he started to sit up. It was slow at first. To ease the man’s concern, the Padawan lifted his broken arm and waved it slight to show it was perfect.

[i]“I was a real fright wasn’t I? Besides, even if I’m not ready to stand what’s the worst that can happen? I pass out, isn’t it?”[/i] He lightly joked when the man showed worry about him moving too fast. True he did know his own limitations but if he just sat upon the floor for any longer, he would still feel grimy and gross. It didn’t wash the blood off from what had happened. The man had already stood up leaving Xid sitting on floor a moment longer, his mind unsettled about an old thing.

[i]“I just wish I knew why he was like that…then maybe I could help him.”[/i] Xid answered, reassured the Jedi he wasn’t going to aim to join the Dark Side any time soon. Or ever. Slowly his body leaned over as he pushed himself up, his body wobbly like a new born animal, each time he nearly felt that it would give under him just when the Padawan had gotten to his feet. Instinctively his hand jerked out to grip some when he balance tilted one way too far.

Strago watched Xid as he moved, glad to see that the healing had done its job quite well. He didn't laugh at Xid's joke, but didn't mind it either, his face more relaxed now, [i]“I don't know if you'll get the chance to help him, but I suppose you never know.”[/i] He said, continuing to watch Xid move, able to tell that he still wasn't at his best, even if he had no injuries left.

When he began to fall toward the side, Strago quickly reached out to grab him, stopping him from falling down, then moving toward his side to help him stand, wrapping one arm around his lower back, moving with him to his room, then slowly letting go as he began to use the wall to keep his balance.

Strago decided to watch him for a few moments longer, not wanting to take any unnecessary risk, then slowly moved back towards his own cell, sitting down on the floor, beginning to meditate once again, focusing more on his breathe at first, wanting to make sure his own body was working fine to be more prepared for anything that the Sith would do to him. 
[/hider]

[hider=Post 34, Sundered Echo & Dervish | Tolun Fi, Ithan Kando, Darth Nyiss, Allanar Damarcus]
A soft voice filled air, responding to Tolun Fi's inquiry. It was fortunate he was not the only survivor, and this one sounded young and perhaps a bit shaken, understandably so. When prompted of his own physical well being, he responded, [i]“I'm quite alright. Tranquilized, or poisoned. Either or, no lasting harm outside of the injection marks.”[/i] he said, rubbing his now-exposed wrists. When he heard his compatriot become locked in another, decidedly more pressing conversation with someone else Tolun could not see, he decided to let them resolve their crisis and become acquainted later. Finding what he felt was the most central point in the room, the Kaminoan set himself down to the floor, crossing his legs. He suspected he was going to be here awhile.

A now common scene was about to repeat itself in Cellblock 2 as Inquisitor Ithan opened the first bulkhead. The Jedi Allanar was already waiting behind him, but Nyiss had requested the Kaminoan as well. Once again, as the inner bulkhead opened, the Ray shields flickered to life, isolating the Kaminoan from the rest of the Jedi. Ithan raised his hand and beckoned once to his target before slamming everyone else in the room to the ground with the Force. Partly in precaution, and partly because it was fun. [i]“Come with me.”[/i] He said, his voice leaving his helmet through the modulator he'd made sure to install.

Having been in meditation, sitting cross-legged on the floor, Tolun opened his eyes when the voice addressed him. He had suspected his time would be coming shortly, and it was not a prospect that excited him terribly. On one hand, he wished to get closer to the Sith to learn about them and see what would be valuable insights into what made them turn to the dark side, as well as the potential chance at grabbing elusive blood or tissue samples, although he didn't count on that. On the other, he was somewhat afraid and apprehensive about the prospect of torture. No sentient being looked forward to terrible pain or mental trauma, and even the most stalwart Jedi would not welcome the prospect willingly. Tolun Fi's yellow-black eyes met the Inquisitor's, and he took note of the young Jedi behind him. Interesting, they were doubling up. The Kaminoan stood, extending himself gracefully and as relaxed as possible to his full, standing height, and approached as if nothing were amiss. It's not as if he had a choice, and his research did take priority over his own safety. With a reluctant, but willing heart, he stepped forward. He paused momentarily before the Sith and glanced at the cells around him for the first time. [i]“It would appear our hosts are looking to entertain. Best not be rude and decline such polite invitations.”[/i] he said, hoping the others caught the jovial, mocking tone of his voice. It would not do to have the Jedi lose hope, not like this. The Dark Side was chaos and disorder, hardly the harmony required to bring balance and prosperity to the Force. The Sith simply could not be made to look stronger. He returned his gaze and glanced quizzically down at the Sith before him. [i]“Shall we?”[/i]

[i]“Save your babbling for the Darth”[/i] Ithan said as he shut the bulkheads behind them. He was in no mood to listen to the Jedi, he was eager to get to his own work. He led the two Jedi through the twisting corridors angular corridors at a brisk pace, until they reached a door labelled 'Triad 1.' He stood to the side as the door opened in front of them and waved the Jedi in. His work was done.

The room, made up of three hexagonal sections with the interior walls cut out. It was starkly lit, but not brightly, the dull grey durasteel walls seeming to suck the light in rather than reflect it. In the centre of the room stood a metal operating table, straps to hold the subject in quite evident on its cold, ridged surface. Around the edges of the room were various pieces of arcane alchemy equipment, as well as more mundane collections of blades and other implements of torture. Darth Nyiss stood beside the table, having just prepared the required implements for the first phase. She looked up when the door opened and was greeted with the sight of the pair of Jedi she had requested. The Human specimen and the Kaminoan researcher she'd expressly ordered taken alive. [i]“Hello Jedi. I am Darth Nyiss. I trust you are enjoying your stay so far?”[/i] She said conversationally. No need to unsettle them quite yet, besides, what was going to happen was for the good of all.

Tolun Fi looked around the room, noting the various primitive forms of torture sitting on display. The Darth, a full-blooded Sith from the looks of it, was uncharacteristically cordial. It didn't necessarily mean anything other than her luring prey into a false sense of security, but it certainly was a much more pleasant diversion from what he was expecting. The Kaminoan returned his gaze to the Darth. Even though they were alone with her, he made so presumptions of overpowering the woman. Not only was she armed but they weren't, but Tolun wasn't exactly the most talented duelist, but he suspected the young Jedi alongside him still had much to learn about fighting Sith. It probably didn't warrant explanation that Darths had that title for a very real and lethal reason. [i]“The accommodations are not as terrible as some I am accustomed to, but the service staff have quite abysmal people skills. No comment on the catering, but the amenities certainly don't look particularly enticing.”[/i] He said, gesturing to the torture rack. [i]“And to what do I owe the pleasure of this meeting? It's clear you're important to have people reporting to you, your title notwithstanding.”[/i] he asked.

Darth Nyiss couldn't help but smile at the Kaminoans sarcastic wit. She'd been expecting much less composure, bargaining for his life, maybe even begging, as so often came from the scientific types she'd captured in the past. But not this one it seemed. Here he was, making light of the situation in front of a Darth he knew nothing about. For all he knew, she could be a bloodthirsty monster that'd only taken him alive to kill him slowly. It was impressive that he maintained the composure that he did. For that, he'd get a little more information - and some extra 'treatment' from the other Sith no doubt. [i]“Ahh, the great Tolun Fi, creator of the blood identification of Force sensitives... The intelligence reports don't really do you justice you know. Did you know that your work has allowed both our orders to send countless more Force users to their deaths than we might otherwise have? You have quite a few fans in the Sith order.”[/i] A note of girlish glee could be heard in her voice, though it passed rapidly, returning to her usual measured tone. [i]“You, my dear Jedi, are going to have the rare opportunity to observe my work.”[/i] She turned to Allanar then [i]“If you would kindly lie down on the operating table?”[/i] When Allanar remained stoically standing, she backed up her statement with a viscous Force dominate, overpowering his defense quickly. He stepped jerkily forward and slowly lay down on the table, obviously trying to resist the domination at every step. Nyiss turned back to Tolun then, ignoring Allanar’s pained efforts. [i]“I'd be eager to hear your thoughts on my work once its finished, but for now you will have to simply watch. I'd like to tell you what I'm doing, but since I can't really trust that you won't go and tell one of the other Sith on this ship, I'm afraid you'll have to guess for now.”[/i] Once Allanar had finally laid completely down, she touched a button on the side table and metal restraints snapped into place over his wrists and ankles.

Ah, so that was the purpose of this Darth's interest in him. [i]“One can never be sure where information ends up in war, so it does not surprise me that the Sith appreciate my work, racial prejudice aside. Regrettable that it has been misused in such a manner, but we all return to the Force one way or another.”[/i] he said, refusing to rise up to the bait. He would not be held accountable for others actions anymore so than any other scientist who had their work grossly misused. It was the same ethical argument he had to endure from his fellow Jedi about the ethics of cloning more times than he cared to endure, and what had lead him to start recording his work in the ultraviolet spectrum to avoid pointless lecturing. He reflected that his lab was likely rubble by now, which was regrettable. Good thing he made a backup of the work. He tilted his head slightly in interest at the Darth's rather... feminine lapse.

When Nyiss turned on the younger Jedi, Tolun Fi could have struck the youth upside the head for being defiant when his power was no doubt far less than the Darth's. Being defiant was good and all, but not if it resulted in a pointless death that accomplished nothing. The Kaminoan winced slightly as Nyiss used her considerable mastery over the Dark side on the boy, a crude and violent Domination trick. It was a much more perverse and cruel method of manipulating someone, Tolun Fi preferred using Force Persuasion. [i]“Is it not a bit presumptuous to assume that even if I did speak to another Sith on this ship that I would describe various methods of torture with them? I tend to only inspire experimentation for scientific purposes, this is just... crude.”[/i] he said unflinchingly. [i]“I would much prefer if the young Jedi were not to endure sadistic practices, but being a prisoner does not offer much avenue of protest, I am afraid.”[/i] he shook his head, walking over to the assortment of blades. [i]“And people still use these? How uncivilized.”[/i]

Darth Nyiss looked up from her preparations, genuinely surprised. [i]“Torture? Oh no, I'm not going to torture the man. That would be a terrible waste of such a good specimen. Everything I will be doing will be for his own good.”[/i] She looked straight at Tolun then, her yellow eyes piercing, yet distant. [i]“For the good of us all.”[/i] She then looked back to Allanar, lifting a strange contraption made of some blackish metal. Her tone changed back to the disinterested, close to what one might expect for a teacher gently scalding a youngling for asking a silly question. [i]“Some people do indeed still use those methods. Not just among the Sith either, I've heard some interesting stories from those who escaped Republic captivity. And what alternative to this prisoner would you suggest? Surely you aren't offering up yourself? It seems a common, but misguided thing to do, particularly among you Jedi. You aren't compatible with the process anyway. Not yet.”[/i]

[i]“Substituting myself for the Padawan would be a futile gesture.”[/i] Tolun Fi replied, looking at the boy regretfully. [i]“I would not know about the various atrocities committed on either side of the war, one wrong does not justify another. It is so... counter-productive.”[/i] he said, looking back to Nyiss, curious as to what she meant by 'compatible with the process'.

Nyiss casually strolled over to the prisoner, holding the contraption carefully, as if it were fragile. She gently placed it down on his chest, then lifting it up and placing it back down, slightly rotated. [i]“Here. Watch this.”[/i] she said, as she smiled, taking a step back. She stretched out a single finger, pointing at the top of the device. A second later, a single spark of force lightning shot out, striking the top of the device. The previously inert device suddenly started moving, unfolding over his chest, even as the same spark of lightning did not die out. It continued to flow into the top of the device, though it disappeared into it. Then, the device suddenly stopped moving, and five thin, but wide beams shot out of its unfolded points, striking the prisoner simultaneously. One flowed over the head, and one over each arm and leg. They were a pale pink in color.

And he screamed in agony. The five points slowly shifted inwards, the beams slowly moving towards each other. When they met, they merged into a single, thicker beam, pointing straight at the middle of his chest. Then, a mere three seconds later, the beam disappeared and the device folded back up. Darth Nyiss stopped channeling the lightning into it, and lifted it off the prisoner. By this time, he had stopped screaming. She set it gently down on a worktable and connected some sort of cable to it. The holoprojector lit up, revealing a vast array of information, some of it reminiscent of human genetics, though all the markings and labels were written in an old dialect of Sith.

The Kaminoan had to look away when the 'device' was activated, producing a result that looked suspiciously like torture. It was somewhat infuriating to be so impotent to help the boy, something he quickly purged from his mind. He knew that the Jedi aboard were likely facing torture, and anything short of death was preferable to the fate of their brothers and sisters in the Temple. Emotions would not serve Tolun Fi here; only calculated logic and a devotion to his own personal mission mattered. He could not devote his thoughts to those who were beyond his reach, whether they were a world behind or strapped to a cold, unforgiving metal rack.

A sudden surge of light caught the Consular's attention and a treasure trove of information, including what looked like a partition of in the human genome sequence. He could not recognize the written dialect, but it was safe to assume it was Sith. Tolun Fi pondered how many Sith could understand the language, or if it was just hubris of the so-called Pure Blooded. He approached the projection, studying it intently, losing himself momentarily in the data. Why was Nyiss showing him this, to taunt him over what his research had produced? [i]“I recognize much of this, it is not dissimilar to my own diagnostics software.”[/i] he said, instinctively looking to where he had first noticed a discrepancy in the sequence between two humans, one Force sensitive, one not. Had the Sith figured it out, or were they simply content using the prescribed test perimeters the Kaminoan had established when determining Force sensitivity? [i]“I presume there is a reason you wanted me to see this.”[/i] he stated.

Nyiss noticed Tolun's fascination with her data, however brief it may have been. That was good. It was a sign that he might yet be salvaged, might prove useful despite his species. [i]“Yes, yes of course. Your work has allowed me to push my own forward years, decades perhaps. It allowed me to identify certain important markers in my subjects, markers that I can shape to my will. And now, unfortunately, comes the unpleasant part. You see, the process requires that the subjects body be unable to resist, and the best method I've found as yet is, well...”[/i] She took the device from his chest and set it down off to the side, turning and taking a few steps away from Allanar and the operating table as she did so. When she was a suitable distance away, she suddenly whirled on the spot with her raised in claw shapes, pointing towards Allanar. Lightning surged from her fingertips, roiling all across him in a sickening chaotic pattern. Unlike the controlled bolt from earlier, this was full on blast and hate and ambition oozed off of her while she channelled the energy. Allanar's body went taut and his muscles bulged, he was unable to scream as the volts coursing through his body locked up his muscles, though it was clear he was in great pain. Nyiss' face reflected her focus, but not her emotion, not even the hint of a smile showing on her mouth.

As it became evident that he could not withstand much more she stopped the lightning, the previously luminous display ceasing to exist in the blink of an eye. With it, the emotion that had been pouring off Nyiss abruptly vanished, as if someone had flicked a switch. [i]“There, now my alteration will be able to take hold unopposed.”[/i] She said to Tolun, before stepping back to the table and leaning over Allanar so he could easily see her as she spoke to him, genuine care licking at the edge of her voice. [i]“This is for the good of all. A little pain now will stop a great deal of pain later.”[/i] Her words said, she stood again and to now one in particular added with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. [i]“And it will probably make the process less uncomfortable for the future subjects.”[/i] With that, she returned to the device, which was showing a holographic symbol that obviously indicated a completed analysis.

Tolun watched the savage display stoically, the room lighting up with the surge of Force Lightning into the poor boy. The Darth obviously relished the opportunity to display her power, and Tolun did not believe for a moment that it was required to get the data she was after. [i]“And why, do tell, was that necessary? If you used my research to further your own goals, you would know I never needed to resort to such measures to obtain results. What is it that you are hoping to accomplish?”[/i] he asked, giving Nyiss a hard look before walking over to Allanar, checking his vitals. He said nothing; any reassurances he could utter would prove ultimately hollow. They were at the mercy of the Sith, and that would inevitably involve no small amount of pain and hardship.

[i]“Of course you didn’t”[/i] She replied, [i]“But your goals were always so short sighted. All your research lets me do is see what I need to see. It’s painfully lacking on the subject of change.”[/i] Darth nyiss turned back to Tolun then [i]“I do hope you’ll put some thought into research on changing a beings relationship with the Force. For the sake of this poor man if nothing else.”[/i]

With that, Nyiss started pressing buttons on the terminal, whereupon the images started shifting in rapid patterns that were seemingly chaotic, but she knew were precisely measured. After a minute and seventeen seconds, the images stopped suddenly and a machine somewhere off to the side started making noises. Soon afterwards, there was a loud ping of metal striking metal, and Nyiss walked over to the machine. Using the force, she pulled out a strange-looking tetrahedron, to which was attacked a cylinder filled with a dark, crimson fluid that glowed faintly. She held it aloft with the force, then carried it over to the restrained prisoner. Not touching it even once, she guided it down to the skin of his abdomen, where she held it in place with the force. The prisoner, Allanar, shivered slightly upon contact.

Then Darth Nyiss channeled a bolt of lightning into the top of the device using her other hand. Like the first bolt, this one was controlled. Something about the device shifted and the prisoner screamed, even as the cylinder emptied into the tetrahedron, presumably continuing into the prisoner’s body. Three seconds after the fluid had all gone in, Nyiss drew the device away. All evidence of anything visible on the prisoner was a faint triangular discoloration to the prisoner’s skin. There were no needle marks or punctures of any kind. She let the prisoner and the Kaminoan think what they wanted about it. She certainly did not offer any explanations. She waved her hand curtly at a small panel upon the wall, which then lit up. A minute later, a squad of imperial troopers marched in, picking up the two prisoners and marching them back to their cells. 
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