Korriban

[Qaela]

Staring down at the Sith's ancient stronghold, Qaela wondered if that was the future her own homeplanet was destined for if the Nightsisters managed to completely drive out the Witches. The world below her seemed to have nothing but death on its surface. There were traces of power here, true, and that was why she was here. She wanted to know more of what it was like to be Sith, of what drove them to do what they did, and of the power that they held. This was as good a place as any to start.

 

Her pilot landed them in the planet's only spaceport and waited there. Having left the tainted lightsaber with the hairy Jedi on Bespin, she armed herself with a blaster, wooden knife, and her last remaining grenade. There didn't seem to be much in the way of threats here, but that didn't mean that she would not be wary. Her still solid black eyes scanned the ramshackle collection of buildings as she wondered why any mere mortal would want to live here. She had come here wondering what the Sith throneworld would be like and so far, she was disappointed. The volumes of power she had hoped to find were absent, though there was at least a little chill to the Force that provided comfort.

 

Leaving the ship and Lucifer behind, she set out into the city. She didn't want anything these maggots could provide, but she was nonetheless drawn to this place. There was still something of power here, and it seemed strangely familiar. She kept herself wary as she glided through the dusty streets in search for whatever it was on this planet that still held power. To do that, she cast her presence wide and far, all but challenging whomever or whatever it was to come to her.

 

She could sense many individuals, all weaklings and Force blind, within the limits of this pathetic settlement. They didn't impress her at all and were of little consequence unless they approached her or remained in her path when she approached. What little power she could sense seemed to be out and away from the settlement.

 

She took the time only to steal some food and water--the vendors who protested were left with snapped necks--and begin her journey into the sands. The general absence of wildlife made the few things that were alive stand out all the more as she strode along at a brisk pace. Several creatures followed her progress likely hoping for an easy meal, but she was not concerned. Animals were no threat to her with the Force at her side. She was more curious about the rumored tombs of the long dead Sith and the hauntingly familiar presence she felt there.

[Qaela]

When she heard the voice first travel along the air, the hair on the back of Qaela's neck stood up straight. It wasn't in fear for she didn't care about anything much to fear about losing it, but in surprise. Brief flashes to her first true mission away from home came back to her and were quickly buried so she could focus. She had thought Raynuk Montar, the ersatz Dark Lord who couldn't tell friend from foe, was long dead and buried. Though, on second thought, considering what this planet was, she admonished herself for being surprised at his presence here.

 

The last time their paths crossed, he struck out at her without provocation or reason. She was not one to be fooled by the same trick twice, so she readied for at least some sort of attack. Though she was stronger than when they last met, he was still the more powerful of the two of them, so she needed allies. The presence of two Force users in these sands did not go unnoticed by the local fauna, so she stretched her mind out and summoned some of them.

 

He stopped a safe distance from her and made quips about her choice of destination. It was not the sort of reunion she would have pictured him giving her. She didn't care though, not one bit. The Sith were unpredictable, that was their nature. His thinly veiled threat did not escape her notice, but at least he hadn't attacked just yet. Last time, he didn't even give a warning before striking.

 

The fast, rather ferocious beasts [tuk'ata] that had been tracking her movements were answering her summons. She didn't like to fight alone, so if Montar was going to cause any problems, she had plenty of distractions to give her time and space to maneuver, attack, or retreat. The rage that had been simmering within her since Bespin was begging to be let out, but she denied it permission. As much as she wanted to strike out at this Sith and kill him or die trying, she wanted something else far more. It was something that was worth waiting for, worth denying herself at this moment for.

 

"I came to see why the Sith consider this place so special," she snapped back at his question. "But so far, all I see is the dust and long faded glory of an Order that can't seem to hold onto any of its gains. What, then, would be the draw to you: one who had achieved his dream only to lose it with hardly a fight?"

[Qaela]

So she had made a tactical mistake. It wouldn't be the first time.

 

Qaela had been slightly alarmed at her loss of control over her first pets. She had experienced hostile takeovers of creatures she had controlled before, but it had always been by one of her own kind, a Nightsister, who had mastered the spell. Now, though, she didn't think any of her clan sisters could overwhelm her, not with her normalized Force potential and her Sith inspired emotion driven use of the Force. Despite that, she had not yet encountered one among the Galaxy who could take an non-familiar animal once it was under her control. It gave even the rage within her pause.

 

Had the Sith resisted his urge to gloat, she might have remained alarmed and unable to know how he did what he did. But, like all the Sith she had encountered, the temptation to gloat and boast was too great. He had previous ties with the creatures she summoned. It would only make sense that he would be able to wrestle control from her. She briefly wondered if, knowing that, it would be worth entering a contest of wills to see if she could take back control.

 

But, there was always more than one path. There were always more than one type of creature on any planet with life that could be utilized. While he spoke on, she only half listened. Quickly and quietly, using all the arts of deception she knew, she found a new prey, a new minion to summon. This one was much smaller, much less noticeable [pelko bugs]. To disguise her silent spellcrafting, she made a feeble attempt to reclaim control of the canine creatures, but gave that up once she had what she wanted. Though they drew slightly closer to the two of them, she did not bring them out. She wanted a reserve in case she needed it.

 

She was somewhat taken aback that he simply wanted a ride off the planet. Though he was no less threatening than any of the other Sith masters she had encountered, he was not attacking. She had little doubt that he would be able to defeat her in combat, especially with her not having a lightsaber or any sort of melee weapon. She wouldn't go down without a fight, but that wasn't what he seemed to be looking for.

 

She considered and pondered for a few moments. If anything could be said of Qaela, it was that she was hardly a trusting individual. "The last time we traveled together, despite my delivering the Jedi's Grandmaster into your hands, you betrayed me and attempted to kill me. Why would I desire to travel with you again and what would stop you from killing me at the first convenience?"

[Qaela]

Qaela listened to the Sith and allowed her mind to roam through memories and options while doing it. She considered the possibilities and options laid out before her and knew she needed to choose. She wouldn't say that disagreed with most of his assessment of her. She didn't much value her life at this point. It was what it was and right now, it wasn't worth much. She had hoped that integrating herself in with the Sith would finally allow the Galaxy to find a way to kill her, but that hadn't worked. Julio had some further use for her and didn't kill her when she deserved it. The Jedi on Cloud City, too, had not killed her when she had given him the option. Now, not even Raynuk, a man who already tried to kill her, would kill her.

 

It was an intriguing situation.

 

What was more intriguing was that she didn't oblige him by attacking. As much as she wanted to allow the Galaxy to end her suffering, she couldn't yet bring herself to actually do it. Twice, she had tried to kill herself and twice she had failed. Twice she had purposefully tried to get others to kill her, and twice they had refused. Perhaps she was truly dull witted and slow at grasping the obvious, but it seemed that the Galaxy simply didn't want her to die off just yet.

 

She couldn't yet drive herself to force Raynuk to kill her, but she also didn't trust him. That didn't mean she wouldn't work with him. After all, she didn't trust anyone and that didn't stop her from working with them in the past.

 

With a nod of her head, she was decided. She said in an almost cheerful voice, "Did you know the Jedi and their CoreSec pawns wiped out the Sith Temple at Coruscant? The Sith were busy attacking Gala and left their homes undefended. The whole bunch of them there got killed or captured, and the Sith lost a lot at Gala, too. There aren't but a hundred or so actual Sith left, too. Furion is in charge now, so unless you aim to retake your title, it might be prudent to get in touch with him to see what he would make of you."

 

She turned and began walking back toward the settlement and the Sith ship. She kept the bugs on retainer, but had them give the Sith a wide berth. After a few paces, she glanced over her shoulder and gave him a wide smile, "You never know, he may want you to kill me. What would be fun, like living the good old days once more, wouldn't it?"

[Qaela]

Qaela looked confused for a second, then smiled again. In her previous lighthearted, almost friendly manner, she said, "I wasn't trying to get you to kill me. Not yet, anyway. I have had more than one Sith try to kill me, so when I realized it was you, I was understandably cautious. I brought forth the canines just in case you decided to attack me. I wasn't wanting to start a fight with you, but I am not going to back down from one should you desire it."

 

All at once, her voice dropped an octave and became serious. "I am tired of running. I am weary of being subservient. I am done with being afraid. So many have tried to kill me and yet, here I am. I couldn't even kill myself because the damn lightsaber refused to ignite. I decided that, no matter what I or others did, I wasn't going to die until Fate or the Force or whatever controls the universe wanted me to die. If a Sith Acolyte, three Sith Masters, two Dark Lords of the Sith, my own sadistic mother, a Sith Lord, a highly skilled and armed Vigo, and what I think was a Jedi Master cannot or would not kill me, then what more or less can I do?"

 

She shrugged at it all, though the gesture turned into an involuntary shudder at the memories. "I have suffered nothing but pain all of my life, so what is a little more? I tried to be invisible and keep my head down. I tried to be everyone's friend and not make waves. I tried to form alliances to keep myself safe. In the end, none of it worked, so why should I bother? If the universe is going to constantly throw pain my way, then I am going to be a pain to others in return. I no longer care what others think of me. There is nobody I care enough about to worry about their opinions of me. I am not a fool--well, most of the time at least--I know that I am, well, difficult to get along with. I am fairly rude, I am most definitely paranoid, and I push people's buttons.

 

"I am tired of simply taking the crap and arrogance from others with a meek attitude, so I don't. They think they can simply threaten me into subservience, but they don't know my secret: I have nothing with which to threaten me with. I don't care about material wealth and I have none to take away. I don't care about power and again, I have none to take. I don't care about my own life, such as it is, so threatening to kill me is meaningless. If someone wants to try to kill me, they will succeed or they won't. I don't care much at this point, though I will fight them. About the only thing I do care about is not running away or backing down any more. I can't control much of what happens to me, but I can control how I react to it. I am done running or being meek."

 

She chuckled at herself, but there was no happiness. "The only person I truly cared about is now beyond my grasp. I guess that is what I get for blowing his heart up and painting my face in his blood. He managed to clone himself--something I should have seen coming--and decided to join the Jedi. Worse, he gave my children to the Jedi and they aren't going to give them back to one as 'evil' and 'fallen' as myself, as if they have the right to keep children from their mother. And I thought Sith were arrogant!"

 

She stopped talking for a moment or two as she bled off some of the rage that boiled over. She had to keep it under control or it would take her over, and that wasn't something she wanted to let happen just yet. When she was more steady, she added, "Now, I must rely on a Sith of all people to get my children back and allow me to wreck vengeance upon the ones who keep them from me. That is, of course, if he doesn't decide that you should kill me for not securing his alliance with Black Sun. It wasn't really my fault, though, they seem to be dealing with their own civil war of sorts what with one of their senior Vigos going over to the Jedi.

 

"So, how have you been since we last parted?"

[Qaela]

Qaela walked in silence for a time after the Sith spoke. She kept her emotions and her mind tightly locked in a pit of oblivion deep within herself. The Sith spoke truth and she knew it. Much of it was what she had already concluded, but there were nuggets that she had not pondered or even thought it was possible for a Sith to think.

 

The biggest truth she gathered was his declaration of how she allowed things in her life to happen and accepted them. She had for too long played victim and passive survivor and it had showed. She didn't stand up for herself and her plan, not until recently. So many mistakes had been made, so many things she had done and thought were flawed. Pain was a constant, she knew that, but she didn't need to fear it. For the most part, she had not thought a Sith to be capable of such self reflective thought. There had been Julio, but her experiences around him had given her more the impression that he was far more calculating and viewed life as a dejarik board. He had impressed her enough with his wisdom that she had been willing to leave Dathomir with him despite her hatred of the Sith. Now, Raynuk, a being she had once feared and hated had shown that he was more than an impulsive power seeker.

 

It did not slip past her that he wasn't treating her with the same level of mistrust and hostility that he had on Ar-Pharazon's ship. He was treating her now as one who was worth notice, if not an equal, at least someone who had value. Perhaps now, if he didn't end up killing her, they might actually become allies someday and seek the same purpose.

 

At last, even as the edge of the settlement was coming into sight, she spoke. "You are right. I have always relied on the Clan for support. When I came into the Galaxy, I relied on various allies and pawns. There is strength and security in numbers, but sometimes those numbers aren't there and you are left on your own. I grew too used to having others to fight with me that I never much learned to fight on my own. It is a mentality that needs to be broken. I need to take control and do things my way and on my own. I have finally gotten to the point where I refuse to be pushed around or intimidated, now I need to take it to the next level and learn to force my will on others as they have done to me for so long."

 

She stopped and looked at Raynuk. "I wouldn't have thought that a Sith of all creatures would be the one who would help me see such a thing. I am tired of allowing things to happen to me and of accepting them. I have always been fond of the darkness, now I should embrace it. The Sith have strength, but they also have too many weaknesses. Where the Sith have weaknesses, the Nightsisters have strength and the same is true of the opposite. I may never be a Sith, but half of me revolves around their philosophy. As much as it pains me, I must thank you for your insight. It would almost be a shame if you had to try to kill me now. Before, I might have simply let you, but now, if Furion orders my death, I plan on fighting with all of my strength. I won't let him, or you, dictate my life any further."

[Qaela]

She was both interested and suspicious of the man's intent. Sith rarely did anything unless it benefited them. She had gotten entangled in their webs multiple times and was not overly eager to be back in the middle of a new one. He was right when saying that if she was not careful, she could become trapped by the weaknesses of both Nightsisters and Sith. For too long she had allowed others to dictate her future, so she was loath to simply allow someone to start anew.

 

Even though she wasn't eager to go back to how she was, there was a part of her that realized the pure rage she was channeling wouldn't sustain her for long. She had slipped into fits of uncontrollable rage before and with each time, it got worse and worse. On Bespin where she had been driven by desperation and depression, she had gone deeper than before and still hadn't come fully out of it even after almost two weeks. Even the brightest lights burned out if it didn't continue to get new fuel. While rage was strong, it burned rapidly. Right now, she was using her depression, desire for vengeance, and her hatred to keep her floating, but that would fail sooner or later. She didn't want to be in the wrong state of mind when that happened. Going down the path of the Sith had been what got her here in the first place. Nightsisters didn't use their rage and emotions like the Sith did, they kept such things under control. Only after coming into contact with the Sith had she learned the power of unleashing her emotions and that was a good part of what led her here. Depression, desperation, and all of the other things that were giving her such drastic mood swings were the result of her allowing her emotions to get out of control and to start using her.

 

Nonetheless, curiosity got the better of her. Qaela started walking rapidly in order to catch up with the Sith. When she was side by side with him, she asked, "You say you would have me on a particular path. What path would that be?"

[Qaela]

"I would never—" Qaela began, but stopped herself. She was going to say "—kill my children" but she realized that she couldn't guarantee that. As drunk on rage as she was, she still had enough presence of mind to know that she might not be able to completely control that rage. She had killed Ca'Aran while within the rage and she had at one point never thought she would be capable of harming him.

 

"You have a point," she admitted. It would take time to regain control of herself, but she would make the effort of changing. It would do her no good to finally get her children back and yet still be in this deep form of rage. At the best, she would only turn out like her mother. At the worst, she would kill them.

 

She walked in silence pondering these things and what she would do. "Look, I can take you as far as Coruscant. You can get a transport there to the Sith or wherever you're going." They would arrive at her ship soon. "First though, we should probably get into contact with Furion. He would want to know of your resurrection."

[Qaela]

"Fair enough," she said with a nod. They drew plenty of attention as they walked through the settlement, but none were foolish enough to say anything to them. She led them to where her ship had landed. Before she got there, she could sense that Lucifer wasn't there. Her blackened eyes narrowed at the prospect of betrayal from him, but she quickly dismissed the idea. The man was too keen on power to try to betray her. He was one of the few Sith who had a sense of honor and, since he owed her, he wouldn't betray her until that debt was repaid.

 

Her pilot was waiting patiently in the ship when they approached. "Lucifer," she said, and didn't need to say any more.

 

"He left for his own purposes," the acolyte responded. "He won't be coming back."

 

She was a bit surprised, but it didn't matter. Having him around as a pawn would have been useful, but now she had someone far more powerful. Even if Raynuk wasn't a pawn, if she could retain him as an ally, he was far more effective than Lucifer. "Very well then. We leave for Coruscant. Get us there by the fastest means possible."

 

The acolyte bowed his head and went to the cockpit to do her bidding. She glanced at Raynuk and gave him a thin lipped smile. "You may be a powerful Sith who has mastered many aspects of the Force, but controlling the realm of odors was not one of them. To put it mildly: you seriously need a long shower. The refresher is that way," she said with a jerk of her chin. "I have work to do before we enter hyperspace."

[Qaela]

While Raynuk was in the refresher, Qaela rummaged through the supply lockers and scrounged out a jumpsuit that she thought might fit him. It sure beat the clothes had had been buried in and wandered around the desert in. If he took them, that was up to him, but she didn't relish the thought of being cooped up in this fairly small shuttle with him if he didn't. She found the entire notion almost comical as, for most of her life, she wouldn't have cared one bit. She had been raised in the wilds of Dathomir where their idea of running water involved slaves running back and forth carrying buckets of the stuff. Since coming out into the greater Galaxy, she had become "corrupted" with their customs and habits, namely the idea of personal comforts and hygiene. Her mother, had she been alive, would have beaten her senseless for the very thoughts she was having.

 

Enough of that, though, she had work to do. Before she sealed the ship up for takeoff, she had to collect some new pets. The curious bugs that she had kept following them were now waiting outside for collection. She didn't know exactly what sort of nasty surprise they carried, but if they were native to the Sith tombs, then there was likely something dangerous about them. One never knew when such things would come in handy. She used to have a wide and varied collection of various plant and animal specimens from which she could create poisons and salves. She had lost all of her collection back in her ship. She had been forced to abandon it on Dubrillion within Delta's fortress. She had briefly considered trying to retrieve it while there, but figured it wasn't worth the risk. Likely, Delta's men had already broken into it and looted it or at the least, co-opted it into their own service. It was as good as lost to her.

 

Time to start a new collection. The bugs, likely very aggressive and dangerous on their own, were completely harmless while under her control. Raynuk might have the market on the canine creatures, but she was no amateur when it came to controlling creatures. She stood outside and allowed them to crawl up her leg and torso before settling around her arms. With dozens of the bugs secure on her person, she went into the shuttle and found a container suitable for them and ordered them into it. It was sealed and placed in the small bunk area that she had claimed. Once that was finished, she ordered the pilot to take off and prepare for hyperspace.

 

While he did that, she had one more thing to do. She accessed the message log and found Lucifer's note. It was slightly refreshing to know that he hadn't been ordered to kill her and fled at the very thought of facing her in combat. The other Sith might not think much of him, but at least he appeared to be loyal which was more than most Sith had going for them.

 

With that done, she prepared an encrypted text message of her own.

 

D.L.F., have made contact with the Black Sun Vigo Delta73 on Bespin. Vigo corrupted by Jedi and intends to defect to their side with many loyal followers. He has turned my children over to the Jedi for "safekeeping." He shall die in fire for that.

 

Took initiative in going to Dubrillion to inform Lord Diasaku of potential rebellion within his ranks. He received warning, but cut meeting short for reasons likely related to verification and counteraction. No deal negotiated, but Black Sun likely soon to be involved in civil war.

 

Traveled to Korriban. Lucifer left on own mission. Encountered former Dark Lord Quietus. Taking him to Coruscant per his request.

 

Awaiting further instructions.

 

— Q.

 

She tried to leave it as vague and short as possible in case it was intercepted. She wasn't entirely sure how secretive Furion wanted to be, but she wasn't going to be the one to be caught using his name in a message sent across the Galaxy. She sent off the message and then had nothing left to do but to sit back and wait for Raynuk to emerge from the refresher.

 

She didn't know if he would still be in his chatty mood, or if they would pass this trip in silence. Either way suited her more than having him attack her, but she wouldn't mind talking more. Her impressions of him had already been seriously altered by their conversation. She was interested in hearing more of what he had to say and to see if there wasn't a way for her to form some sort of alliance or at least, mutual goals. Until she received word from Furion, she had nothing else to do but plan revenge against the Jedi and Delta. Having someone of Raynuk's strength would come quite in handy if she could persuade him to join her cause.

[Qaela]

Qaela stood anxiously waiting for Ca'Aran to emerge from the cloning vault. She knew, intrinsically, that he had to have been cloned before after she killed him in a Force rage back on Dathomir, but she had never personally witnessed a reversion like this and wasn't entirely trusting that it worked. When his consciousness successfully merged into the clone and he woke up, she felt a tremendous sigh of relief. Telperiën was doing far better than before, but was still not what Qaela believed to be herself. Still, the girl had been raised as a Nightsister and was far from weak. She would recover, in time, though Qaela was leery about bringing the girl here to Korriban among all the Sith that were not known for being friendly toward her. Perhaps, with Sheog the Hutt here as a potential ally, they would not be molested.

 

She hugged Ca'Aran and humored him with an exaggerated eye roll when he joked. "I would like to find some friendly Sith, we could use all the allies we can get. What are you plans here?" She didn't want to doubt Ca'Aran, but coming to Korriban was dangerous.

[Qaela]

Landing on the Sith planet was a rather intriguing thing. As one who embraced the Darkness, she could feel the very planet humming with its power and comforting coolness. She could appreciate how much time and effort went into making a planet like this and respected the heritage of the Sith who did it. Despite that wondrous feeling, she couldn't help but also be ill at ease considering how many Sith tried to kill her or harmed her. She knew better than to ever let her guard down here, not when so much corrupted Darkness swirled about and so many Sith were present.

 

She could feel them, too: a much more focused concentration of malice and barely controlled passions (mostly of the homicidal kind) that grew stronger as their shuttle got closer to the temple or whatever they were heading to. She was along for the ride and hoped that Ca'Aran's reputation and influence would serve as a sufficient shield for her and her daughter. She wasn't here to start anything, but that didn't mean a single thing around some of these Sith. Of course, their hatred of them wasn't entirely unwarranted. She had antagonized them sufficiently at times to warrant a less than warm response, but not anything she thought deserved violence. But then, these were Sith and that came with the territory.

 

Just in case, she was wearing the Krath imbued armor that Sheog the Hutt had enhanced for Ca'Aran on Coruscant. Its dark power seemed even more potent as they neared the homeworld of the source of its power. She also carried a lightsaber, a nasty little disruptor pistol, and a few of the Force imbued metal knives that could take a direct lightsaber strike without a scratch. Add to that the two last ditch thermal detonators and she felt that she could at least weather a Sith attack long enough for her daughter and Ca'Aran to get to safety.

 

Once they landed, she followed Ca'Aran into the large hall where many Sith were gathered, some whom she even recognized. She even managed to keep her near horror contained to a simple wince at how Ca'Aran broadly had their names announced. He always was one for the dramatic. Keeping her hands free enough not to be threatening but close enough to her weapons just in case, she did little else. There was no point in intentionally antagonizing the Sith gathered here, especially not Raynuk, the one who tried to kill her in the past and who seemed in no good temper.

[Qaela]

Raynuk was one of the first to greet her in a surprisingly non-hostile manner. She bit back a comment on who tried to kill whom when he mentioned being agreeable. She had her share of hostility toward the man who was the second Sith to try to kill her, but figured it wouldn't be the best time to be snarky. "I come hoping to make peace with all of the Sith so we can better face our common enemies," she answered. Her violet eyes fell on Raia who she now recognized as the girl she helped get out of Nightsister imprisonment and who was also the one causing the Force storm back when she got Ca'Aran out of captivity. "I hope whatever advice I gave her helped her survive in the sometimes treacherous and dangerous Galaxy we live in."

 

She nodded in acceptance at Raia's greetings. "For you, I am simply Qaela. We are from different sides of the same coin, alike in as much as we differ. I have learned much since meeting you last and was impressed at the power of your wrath on Dathomir. If ever you wish help in controlling that so it doesn't over take you as it did me, you need but ask."

 

By this point, she had attracted the attention of one of the Sith she was actually most hoping to see. Though repulsive to the eyes, Sheog the Hutt was quite powerful with Sith magicks, something she definitely wanted to learn. Though, his own reaction to seeing her wasn't what she wanted. In honesty, she was surprised that he even remembered her children, much less was able to display the amount of seemingly genuine pain at the loss of her sons that he was. She was surprised when he elected to deny her use of the armor she was wearing. Without its magic, the armor crumbled and was possessed with a new magic that spoke for him. Without the armor holding it up, her belt and weapons fell to the floor and she was left in only a dark grey bodysuit. His actions immediately stirred indignation from her, so she responded to his accusation with the pain and anger she felt from the situation and loss.

 

"Their lives were in danger where they were. Not from death, but from losing their freedom, their souls, and their command over their own lives. Slavery and submission are worse than death. I admit my choices were not always the wisest and that fear and desperation drove me to do things and make alliances with those I should not have, but the fault is not entirely my own. The Sith whom I sought as my tribe abandoned or sought to kill me me. Only Ca'Aran remained to help me remove them from the clutches of Clan Darksong. Had other Sith as powerful as you been there, they might all be alive now. As it is, at least we saved my daughter so that she has a chance to live strong and of her own design instead of as a mere pawn of those women. It is one more reason why the Sith need to unify and stop the infighting that happened in years past. I can only hope that this gathering allows the Sith to do just that so that we may get our revenge and take our place as the rightful rulers of this Galaxy."

[Qaela]

Rather than lashing out at her for her defiance, it seemed at least some of the Sith might even agree with her call to end the foolish infighting. At the very least, nobody had tried to kill her and that was good.

 

After addressing Raynuk, Sheog turned his attention back to her. To her surprise and absolute fascination, the ashes of her former armor began to swirl and fashion themselves around her. Despite her initial alarm, there seemed to be no hostile intent from the Hutt, so she absorbed herself in seeing and sensing the usage of the Force that was at work. She knew enough of the occultic side of the Sith to know it was Krath work at its finest. Having grown up around spellcraft, she was quite familiar with how it felt and looked and this, though clearly different, wasn't completely alien to her. The remolding of the ash into a new material didn't seem to far different from how she could enchant and enhance seemingly soft materials like wood to be able to resist even a lightsaber or blaster bolt. Changing the matter in a way was extremely fascinating to her, something she knew those of her former Clan would have killed to know and wield.

 

Apparently sensing her interest, the Krath generously extended an invitation to learn of his skills. She wasn't naive enough to not realize there was more going on here. He and Raynuk seemed to be bantering over Shadowlord, a rival Krath, and aligning herself with either would likely both boost that one's prestige and earn the ire of the other. She had absolutely no love for Shadowlord who had already enslaved her kind and made his hatred of her clear in their past meetings. Siding with the Hutt wouldn't change that at all and would gain an ally. Learning any skills would be quite useful at ensuring survival, as would making even more allies.

 

"I initially came to the Sith as a friend," she replied, making sure to direct her words also at Raynuk. "I did what I could to help the Sith, namely betraying and leading Jedi Grandmaster Kitt to his death. My reward was an attempt on my life, and that wasn't the first time the Sith betrayed me and tried to kill me. I was driven away from the Sith by the Sith themselves trying to kill me and was forced to make unwanted alliances to survive. Some of my choices were very poor, I know, and I have corrected many flaws in my own self.

 

"I came here hoping to make peace with the Sith. My old Clan betrayed me and were destroyed because of it. None survive to my knowledge. I want no strife with the Sith or with you, Lord Quietus. I come here seeking a new Clan: the Sith. The question I have is: will the Sith accept me, or will I once again fight for my life against those with whom I should be allies?"

[Qaela]

Seemingly no longer the center of attention, a good thing in her mind, Qaela faded to the edge of the hall to observe and calculate. The Sith here weren't going to kill her, at least not today, so she needed to figure out what her next step was. She did take some interest in the interactions of both her daughter and Raia as the latter attempted to undo the tangles of the curse that still lingered within her. That interest quickly turned to alarm and fascination as she felt the presence she hadn't felt in years, that of the great Lord Ar-Pharazon. Normally, connections with the dead were handled by the oldest crones in her Tribe, so beyond her spells over Bothawui, she never really had great amounts of experience handling them, but it didn't take long at all before she could tell this was going to be an issue.

 

Somehow, Ar-Pharazon's spirit was clawing on the spirit of their daughter. She mused for a moment if this was a result in her tearing the veil between the living and dead to remove the core of the curse and that it had inadvertently attracted the Sith master to his own blood. That or being in this Sith haven and with so many other Sith present may have proven an irresistible magnet to him. That or he may have been hiding within her the entire time. She didn't know nor did she much care. What she did care about was the immediately hostile visions and emotions flooding the hall coming from both Ar-Pharazon and the Sith masters.

 

It took just two heartbeats to realize why. Abomination! Ar-Pharazon was not just projecting, he was attempting to take full possession of her daughter turning her into an Abomination. Her horror was apparently matched by the other Sith who were taking action in their own way. The hostility they were projecting wasn't directed at the girl, but rather the spirit that was controlling her.

 

Seeing Ca'Aran's stun bolts offer no effect, she knew that Ar-Pharazon wasn't simply a phantom, but had more than enough power to be a serious threat. She began forming a basic spell that would theoretically divide the spirit from the living, but before she could cast it, she felt the combined forces of the Sith masters building up. Whatever they were unleashing, here in their own temple, it was more powerful than anything she could wield alone. She dropped her spell and simply watched as the Sith did what they were aiming to do.

 

When all was done, she felt Ar-Pharazon's essence absorbed into the crystal Raia once carried. There, it was contained, full of his malice and hatred for all that didn't worship him. Even then, she couldn't help but get a very unpleasant feeling deep in her gut. Though there was no emotional connection between him, three beings with half of his blood grew within her for months. A part of her soul was bound to be affected by such a man's power and the connection they did have. She stared at the crystal, wondering what the Sith were to do with it.

 

For now, those concerns were secondary. Telperiën, now free of the Abomination, was in poor shape. Qaela rushed to her daughter, already whispering the words to a spell she had only vaguely considered using. For this time, for this small few moments, she had an opportunity to break through the remnants of the curse still trying to rewrap itself around the girl after the spirit of Ar-Pharazon broke free. For now, she could do something to end things.

 

When she got to Telperiën, she placed her hand on her daughter's forehead and closed her own eyes. The curse was there, weakened, but present. Telperiën was too young, too weak, and too broken at this point to resist it, but perhaps she didn't have to. When in its stronger form, it was anchored too greatly to its host, but that host had also been possessed by Ar-Pharazon who was more than powerful enough to shatter it in life. Unleashed as he was by Raia, the curse was ripped asunder, but not completely eradicated.

 

It took only a few seconds for her spell to work its purpose. Using their link and shared blood as mother and daughter, Qaela temporarily bonded her spirit with the girl and drew upon herself the curse. Pain immediately doubled her over and blinded her. She released the girl and collapsed to the ground as the full effect of the curse wrapped around her. Every cell within her body seemed aflame, every bit of malice poured over her, and for many seconds, Qaela felt what her daughter had felt on Dathomir.

 

Despite its strength and malice, Qaela was not her young, innocent daughter. As guilt and pain flowed, her soul fought back. She had done terrible things and accepted the consequences. Her soul was black, true, but it was also stronger and more mature. She resisted the curse until it was retreating back into nothingness. The pain gnawed at her, but she wouldn't let it take her. Despite it all, she loved her daughter and Ca'Aran, enough that she would do whatever she could to keep them safe. She would stretch out her own hand and hack it off if it was what was necessary. She would not leave them alone in this Galaxy, not when she could do more to keep them safe.

 

The curse weakened and faded, struck back by her own determination and stubbornness, a trait that had gotten her in trouble many times. She wouldn't let this curse beat her and so she beat it back. And back. And back some more. She beat the curse back until it was nothing but a speck, then she hammered it one more time until it was gone. When it was done, Qaela remained there on the ground, covered in sweat and in great amounts of pain leftover from her body's struggle.

 

Telperiën was free of the last remnants of the curse the Nightsisters had placed on her and now of the spirit of Ar-Pharazon. She was far from doing well as she still had much physical damage and psychological trauma from what happened, but there was bacta and she had time to heal. There would be a price for Qaela to pay in getting this victory, but she would pay it gladly.

[Qaela]

There was an inevitability to death that was, from time to time, strangely comforting. While her body was deep within a coma, Qaela's conscience was experiencing a hyper alertness. The greatest cruelty of the curse the Nightsisters had placed on her daughter was that she was able to feel the most exquisite pain and anguish while being utterly unable to even cry out in pain. While the girl had only experienced that for a few minutes before her mother had interfered and lessened the effects somewhat, Qaela was not as fortunate. Her anguish went for hours. Worse, the spells she cast to draw the curse to her and contain its soul searing effects meant that she was utterly isolated here: none of the Force sensitives around her could sense what was going on within her.

 

Time passed, things changed, and Qaela was stretched and molded anew in many ways. The woman learned many things and made many decisions in this time, much of which she would spend years sorting through. Time would reveal what changes she came upon as she battled to reclaim her soul.

 

* * * * *

 

After what seemed to be decades from the perspective of her soul, Qaela's violet eyes opened to see her daughter sitting next to her. She was no longer on the floor, someone had moved her to a couch which was at least more comfortable for her physical body. To her bemusement, despite the intense anguish she experienced, her body, after the first few seconds of absorbing the curse, had been utterly unaffected. Rather than being covered in sweat or bruised from thrashing around in pain, her body was cool and surprisingly well rested.

 

She smiled up at Telperiën and said softly, "Hello, my sweet girl. Feeling any better?"

[Qaela]

When she finally had the strength, Qaela got up and joined her daughter at eating. Despite this being the Sith, she doubted the food was tainted. The Sith preferred a more direct, brutal way to deal with their enemies, like blowing up shipfulls of them or shoving a lightsaber up various painful parts of their foe's body. Considering the tastes of the Hutt who presided here, she shouldn't have been surprised when the food was excellent. She began feeling better once her stomach was full and she had a good cup of rich sweet wine.

 

She noticed her daughter's fascination with the battle tiles with approval. Knowing history was always important, especially when this scene showed what an unified Sith could do instead of a fractured, split group all pursuing their own agendas. On that note, she noticed a lot of the Sith had left, including Ca'Aran, and wondered what they were up to. Right now, it wasn't of much concern: there were plenty of things she could do here in the meantime.

 

"You see how strong the Sith can be," she said at last, "never forget it. The one who sired you was the most powerful of all living Sith, and yet he was only normal compared to those of the past. His strength is both a blessing and a curse, but only you can decide which one. Now that you are free of the curse, you have a choice before you. I may be your mother, but I will not force you like my own mother did. You may follow my path and learn how to mold the Force to your will, or you may learn the technical and combat skills of your father. I do not expect you to decide now, but only when you are ready. Until then, sit with me and let me tell you the things I was never able to so that you may make an informed decision."

 

With the occasional cup of wine in between to keep her throat wet, Qaela spoke in great length about her past and life. She spoke of her harsh training as a girl on Dathomir and how it made her strong but hard and cold. She told of coming Coruscant, meeting the Sith, and how she became powerful in the Force but broken and beaten by her "allies." She spoke of meeting Ca'Aran and how she changed from viewing him as a simple tool for protection to a man she admired and loved. She spoke of her decisions: both good and bad, and how she suffered the consequences. She explained how she was unable to protect and care for her children and thus gave them to her Clan. She talked about how she was shot down on Coruscant battling Faust and how she survived in the Undercity until she was able to reunite with Ca'Aran. She described how much it broke her seeing her sons die and daughter suffer. She even told of how, while most Sith were not to be trusted, there were a few that weren't too bloodthirsty or prone to betrayal. She admitted her flaws and explained how she rectified some of them and accepted the pain of the repercussions of others.

 

In the end, after a long time, she leaned back and fell into silence, letting Telperiën soak it in and decide her own response, if any.

[Qaela]

Qaela took a deep breath before responding to her daughter. "Faust was a blight, an aberration who sought only to feed his own limitless appetite for pointless death. He went against nature and tried to destroy everything, even the Force itself. It was necessary, and wise, for the Sith and Jedi to join to stop him. It was one of the few moments in which both sides showed a bit of sanity instead of each following their own aimless, petty goals. For so long, the Sith have gone against nature in trying to over cull their dominion. As in nature, the strong should rule, but there are limits to how they should rule. In a pack of rancors, the alpha female is the strongest, most powerful, and wisest. She rules the weaker members of the pack with tooth and claw as nature intended. But if that female grows sick or becomes too power hungry, she destroys and kills other animals for more than food and kills her own pack members when there is no threat or reason. In this case, nature is shattered and only destruction and death follow. There is no need for rancors to hunt everything all the time. They only need to kill some of what they need to survive and fight among themselves only enough to establish the natural dominance. Any more is overkill and leads to imbalance.

 

"Faust grew sick with power and unchecked, unwise, unsustainable lust. He tried to take too much and needed to be put down. We did that and saved us all, even if it had terrible costs."

 

She took another sip of wine and swallowed only after savoring its exquisite taste. "Too many Sith have overgrazed, turned on their own, and are unable to control their own foolish lusts for carnage. They fight among themselves, they kill without purpose, and have become monsters nobody with a sane mind or a choice would follow. There may have once been a time when the Sith were worth following because they were the natural power and leaders, but that time has passed. Now, most are little better than rabid dogs killing and destroying instead of building. We have the ultimate power at our fingertips, yet so many of us squander it with pointless slaughter that only turns the masses against us. The Sith force the Galaxy to oppose them with their own well deserved reputation for carnage.

 

"The Jedi, on the other hand, take the opposite extreme. They have the same power, but choose to become servants to those weaker than themselves. They choose to sit back and meditate or focus inwards instead of taking charge and keeping the weaker, directionless masses in line. They are the strong rancor alphas who sit back and do not care for their pack. Instead of hunting, they allow weaker, less qualified rancors to divide and fracture the pack or lead them to foolish endeavors. They don't cull the weak or push the pack to grow through adversity. They don't even hunt enough to feed themselves, so they grow thin and weak through hunger and lack of drive to improve.

 

"It may not be popular, but I don't hate the Jedi as many here do. I would work with any who would advance my goals just as I would any Sith who does the same. In truth, I pity both sides. The Sith are too fractured and drunk on blood and the Jedi are too lazy and devoted to slavery to those who are weaker. I am not sure how this new Dark Lord will take things, but I dearly hope he is more rational and realizes that the Sith don't have to be mindless monsters only seeking blood and backstabbing. If he is able to wrangle them and control their urges and redirect their energy and power to something constructive, I would be happy to join. If they don't, I will seek my own path using my own means. I don't seek conflict with anyone, but I will fight any who opposes me."

[Qaela]

"Faust was defeated and banished to the darkness for a time. He may be back, as many do, but one can only hope he learned from his folly. If the other Sith, many who fought him earlier, have not done so now, perhaps Faust has learned from his mistakes and the madness has receded. We should all hope that is the case because if it is not, then there is no hope for any who may fall to the lure of utter chaos and lust for death. If he is not cured, then I will be the first to oppose him should it come to it, and I think Ca'Aran would do the same as he once did on Coruscant."

 

She was growing slightly hungry again, so she pulled off the leg of some roasted avian and began nibbling on its flesh. "Your sire was not quite the same. Despite his love for chaos and destruction that was often pointless and unnecessary, he had a sense of honor of his own. He stopped Raynuk from killing me before, and fought on my side a few other times against Sith trying to kill me simply because I was carrying you or not 'Sith' enough. Do not misunderstand, he desired power and killed more than was necessary, but he didn't want to destroy everything. I do not mourn his death, but at least he wasn't treacherous like others.

 

"The old Sith lords, from what I read, were generally monsters unworthy of following. They definitely culled the weak, but they also destroyed more than was needed. There may have been a few that restrained themselves and used their power in accordance to the balance of nature, but not all of them did. There is a large difference in accepting nature's purpose for those who are strong and seeking to destroy and pervert it. Life without death may seem merciful, but that creates overgrazing and eventually nature must strike back with disease or famine will wipe everything out. Death is a part of life, but too much death destabilizes that cycle as too few are left to replenish life. There does need to be war and destruction so that the old and stagnant can be swept away to make room for the new and strong. The old must pass so the young can rise."

 

She finished the leg and placed it on her plate before her. From there, she grabbed a cluster of sweet berries and put them on her plate.

 

"What good is it to have a massive legacy if nobody is there to admire it? What purpose is there to rule if there is nobody and nothing to rule? What point is there to be remembered if everyone only hates you? You will forever remember the Darksong Clan for what it did to you: but is that good for them? Is that the legacy that you would want for yourself? Being feared is not bad, neither is displaying your power through sometimes brutal means. Sometimes, death must be dealt and cities destroyed. Being petty and cruel is without value at all. People recognize strength and, even if they dislike it, they respect it. Cruelty and pointless slaughter don't garner respect, only disgust and hatred. My daughter, kill those you must, but do not kill all or without purpose.

 

"Yes, we must utilize a middle road of sorts. The dark side can lead many to insanity: it caused me to kill Ca'Aran and many of his men and cost me my children. The dark side can also lead to great strength. The key is to always be in control of your hunger and not to displace the balance of nature."

 

Taking a moment to consider the last question, Qaela took another sip of wine and then ate a few of the berries. "Ca'Aran is an honorable man who respects his clan and fights for his allies. He has his flaws, most of which are a result of his past and even some of my own doing. He, like all of us, is tainted and can do terrible, foolish things. However, he also knows how to control himself when it is needed. He would do anything to keep you safe, even if it costs him dearly. I believe he may need to spend some time on his own path just as we must walk ours. I can only hope that when he is reached the end of that path, he finds us there."

[Qaela]

Qaela smiled at the anger her daughter's response garnered in her. The girl was wise far beyond her years, she wondered if Ar-Pharazon's spirit had something to do with that. "Of course he wanted my body and of course he used me. What you forgot was that I also used him. He wanted some pleasure and to have a legacy of his own. I also wanted the same, but more than just a legacy. He had power, I needed it, and he was willing to give it. Not only did I get you, but I also grew in my ability to draw upon the Force as result. In his own interests to safeguard his legacy, he ended up helping protect me from some rather nasty characters."

 

She got up and joined her daughter in roving around the hall, staring at the tiles of past Sith glories, even if many were likely heavily fictionalized. "Nobody is all powerful all the time in all ways. We all need to make alliances and work together. That is why we form a tribal network, be that Clans or an Order or an Empire. Your sire and I made a trade of services to mutual benefit, nothing more."

 

She viewed a tile of what Korriban looked like long ago at the height of the Sith's power. It was nothing like the ruin filled, generally lifeless world they were on today. "Ca'Aran is indeed a man who serves, but in serving, he gains power and strength. He is a man who truly knows what it is like to work as a team without infighting or selfishness. He is confident enough in himself and his skills that he doesn't have to blindly claw to the top of everything. He understands his place, his strengths, and weaknesses and doesn't try to sleight anyone or steal their strengths.

 

"What I want is to live. I have had many try to kill me from many sides, and none have succeeded. I didn't do it alone, not by a long shot. I had allies and a clan of my own. If you wish to survive, you must learn to do the same, but finding worthy beings to trust is extremely difficult. Ca'Aran is perhaps my wisest choice of ally, one who has proven himself many times over. If you believe he is weak, then you have much to learn. Ca'Aran is one of the strongest men alive and we are fortunate he views us as friends rather than enemies."

 

She pointed to the tiles showing monuments and the glory of the Sith. "I want this. I want to see the Darkness rise and I want to see those who are truly worthy of power wield it wisely. The Sith, were they to unite, could build monuments and cities the likes of which this Galaxy has never seen before if they would but restrain their lusts. One can't build cities if all the people are dead. To answer your question: there is no problem in slaughtering the entire family children and all, but why are you killing them? Did they oppose you? Did they stand in the way of the Sith and building the glorious future? If so, slaughter away, they are not worthy of surviving.

 

"However, if they were just living their lives and offered no opposition to you, why did you kill the parents? Worse, if they are serving you, why slaughter them? So many Sith kill the acolytes and servants for pointless reasons thus wasting resources and making others hate them. And, even if they did oppose you and force you to slaughter them, that doesn't mean you must slaughter their neighbors. Sometimes, a patch of forest becomes blighted. You don't burn the entire forest down, you simply burn that which is blighted and allow the forest to regrow."

 

She did muse a moment on Telperien's last question. "We will stay here until such time as we need to leave. Do we have a need to go elsewhere just yet? More importantly, do we have the means? With Ca'Aran gone, we have no ship. Besides, I have interest in speaking to this new Dark Lord upon his return. It would do neither of us any good to have the Sith as enemies again, it is best to ingratiate ourselves to their leaders if for no other reason than self preservation."

[Qaela]

Why do they claim to be good if they kill so many people? asked Telperiën. It was a good question, one that did deserve an answer.

 

"The Jedi claim it is not how many people die, but why they died. They believe that if one kills in the name of vengeance and self empowerment, they are evil and it is a wrong kill. If they kill, even by accident, in the name of 'justice' and 'peace' then it is okay. Hypocritical, yes, but it is what they need to sleep at night. They do not understand that nature is full of death. All things, great and small, must survive on death. Carnivores kill and eat the flesh of herbivores. Herbivores kill and eat the leaves and fruit of plants. Even plants eat the bodies of animals and the decay of other plants. The largest creatures down to the smallest microbes thrive on something else that has died even if they did not actually kill it. The Jedi fail to understand that killing isn't evil, nor are the motivations. There are times that killing is necessary regardless of motivation, but also times when it is pointless and overkill, also regardless of motivation. The only difficulty is knowing where excess has created an imbalance in nature."

 

She detected a familiar presence on Korriban and, knowing she was in no shape to fight while protecting her daughter, directed the two of them to lay low for a time. It was best to avoid conflict when victory wasn't assured and it also gave the two of them time to recover fully. The Sith servants and acolytes here, recognizing her power if nothing else, left the two of them alone and provided food and a place to stay. She and Telperiën browsed the libraries of the Sith, learning both the history and lore of the Order and, for Qaela, some of their knowledge of the Force. The materials they had access to were not extremely advanced, but they were still useful.

 

When the two of them were ready, Qaela decided that it was time to move forward. In her studies, she had heard of some some references to a planetoid seeped in the Darkness and recently opened to a select small group of Sith by the Dark Lord Exodus. It intrigued her enough that she wanted to take a pilgrimage there and see if it would give her insight on what motivated this Dark Lord. From what she had seen, he was more focused on order and unity rather than simple excessive destruction and infighting. That was a good sign in her opinion, but she wanted to know more of his vision of the Sith. She knew the Darkness, but the Sith had always been somewhat of a mystery to her.

 

It took a little doing, but she finally managed to find a way to send a message to the Dark Lord. "Lord Exodus," she said with a slight bow of her head, "I am Qaela formerly of the Dathomiri Clan Darksong. I have been the guest of two Dark Lords and fought along both the Sith and Black Sun against the Jedi and Faust and am an ally of Vigo Delta. I regret missing you when I arrived on Korriban, but was otherwise disposed dealing with the fallout of dark side magick upon my daughter. I have learned some of the Sith and of your vision of the Order while here and wish to know more so that I may at last be able to formally join the Sith and be a simple guest no more. Word has reached me of a planetoid that is seeped in the Dark Side with magnificent monuments to the Sith. I wish your permission to make pilgrimage to this planet so that my daughter and I can truly come to know what it is to be Sith. If this is not your will, then direct me where you feel is best. I shall wait here for your answer at your convenience."

[Qaela]

The corners of Qaela's mouth rose slightly as her daughter drew the shortened lightsaber. For one as small as her, the weapon looked nearly full sized which would help make the weapon less awkward. Instead of relying on the brute strength and stopping power of the heavy armor she arrived on Korriban with, she elected to put the flexibility the light Krath leather she now wore to practice. She jumped into the air and did a backflip to give her several meters of space. When she landed, she fell into a crouch, ready to spring up in any direction.

 

Instead of pulling out her own lightsaber, she choose a different tact. She used a quick spell to drastically increase her heartbeat and the amount of oxygen absorbed into her bloodstream from her lungs. This, along with an adrenaline spike, allowed her to move quicker. She did pull her wooden knife off her belt and put it into a reverse grip. The 20cm long single sided blade covered most of her forearm. Her lips subconsciously moved as she uttered a silent spell using both her Nightsister heritage and Sith training to create a sort of passive field around her in the Force.

 

As her daughter came at her, she spent a minute or two evading various lightsaber strikes that showed great promise, but also lack of experience and physical strength. What blows she couldn't outright dodge found purchase in the field around her and were deflected by the Force just enough to glance off and away from her body. She didn't yet bring her knife into play, but it was ready as a failsafe should something go wrong: there was no point in either of them being harmed in something as simple as training.

 

As she bobbed and weaved and twisted and evaded, she spoke, "Often, the Sith and our Clan value only brute strength. They want to meet force with outright force. That is good if you have the strength to do so, but for those of us who are smaller and more nimble, a good tactic is to simply not be where the attack is and to wear down our opponent until the time is right to deal a final blow. You are not yet capable of meeting force with force, so you must learn how to avoid being hit until that opportunity comes.

[Qaela]

Qaela, being open to the Force as she was, knew something else was going on. Her daughter was fighting with far more vigor and strength that a 7 year old should. Part of her was quite pleased to see the strength in the girl, but there was a good part that was alarmed at it.

 

When Telperien asked her to go on the offensive, she obliged. She went into several attacks with slashes from her wooden knife and kicks from her feet. Though not as effective as a lightsaber, it was more than sufficient for the task on hand of training the younger girl to avoid attacks. She was proud to see her daughter react well: she was demonstrating some very good instincts and reflexes. Those skills, though, were growing to be worrying in and of themselves.

 

For a moment, Telperien stepped back and Qaela could sense something new from her. There was something directing her anger to spike to dangerous levels. Qaela was alarmed when her daughter asked about the hate and that alarm compounded with the changing of the girl's eyes. She knew that look all too well from her days of uncontrolled fury and rage.

 

Pulling back from the engagement, Qaela drew upon the Force and answered in an abnormally firm voice, "There are times to use hatred like you are, but this is not that time. Calm yourself and I will explain further." There was no room for argument in her tone, but Qaela knew that when enveloped in the rage and bloodlust like the girl was, sometimes the brain didn't quite react as it normally should. She remained ready, no longer in simple training mode, to unleash a good deal of power if the girl wasn't able to regain control.

[Qaela]

Qaela did feel sympathy for what she was feeling from her daughter, but she couldn't show it just yet. The Nightsisters were hard, as were the Sith. To show too much weakness or sympathy would mean a vulnerability that the girl simply had to learn to control and conceal. It didn't mean she couldn't feel the pain and sorrow, just that she had to be very careful how much she showed of it.

 

"They did kill your brothers for a reason: jealousy and envy," she said coldly. "They killed them because they knew I was more powerful than they and they wanted to hurt me. They died for that action and your brothers are thus avenged."

 

Her voice softened, but wasn't quite warm enough to melt butter. "You were not responsible to stop them, that was my task. There were simply too many of them to stop them entirely, so I saved the one I could: you. Nobody is invincible, not even the most powerful individual, so I was not capable of protecting you as I should. This is my failure, not yours. That is why we need a clan or tribe. A tribe must all watch each other's backs, fill in with our strength when others are weak even as they do the same for us. The Nightsisters did that, normally, though when faced with a power they couldn't compete against, they choose to destroy it and all of us along with it." It did not escape her notice that something was continuing to influence her daughter. She wasn't going to do anything about it just yet until she could determine whether these voices were a benefit or danger. The other Sith might not take too kindly to any remnant of a formal rival being present, not after how they reacted the last time. She wasn't going to let them decide that the only way to permanently be rid of Lord Ar-Pharazon would be to kill his offspring.

 

She approached Telperion and knelt before her. "You can possess that power, but you must first learn to control it. The Dark Side is very seductive and offers a very quick ascent to power and glory, but if you let it control you, it will consume and destroy you. As much as it may seem difficult and holding you back, you must learn to use the Dark Side at a pace that allows you to control yourself and it rather than being overwhelmed by it.

 

"I was foolish and did not have anyone to teach me that. I allowed my hatred and rage to consume me and it brought nothing but pain and hurt. I even struck down your father in blind rage shortly after killing my cursed mother. It is good that you have the capacity to summon that rage, but you must not do so yet until you are able to control it, no matter what you may be wanting to do or how badly you think you need the power."

[Qaela]

Qaela smiled down at her daughter. It was a good sentiment, but she knew it would take dedication and extreme drive to accomplish. It was something, alas, she knew would also likely be accompanied by failure and great heartache for some lessons could only be learned through suffering and the experience of loss. "We will see, it is the most difficult lesson to learn, but learn it you must."

 

There were other things she needed to do for, to teach, and to show her daughter. "Come," she said. "It is time we get you into some appropriate clothing." The old robes and clothes Telperiën wore did not suit one with her unique and devastating potential or heritage. It was high time she be clothed in something that was worthy of her status.

 

The two were able to quickly find one of the many servants that maintained the temples and were directed to a hall that was only three meters wide but that spanned for near fifty in length. On either side of the long hall were mannequins displaying clothes and armor of many different varieties, qualities, and styles. Black was, obviously, the predominant color, but many also came in other colors with those options listed clearly below. "My daughter, long have you lived in primitive squalor," said Qaela with a waving gesture of her hand toward the hall. "Now, you shall have the choice of the finest clothes or armor. There are many decisions that will be made for you, but this is not to be one. Select what you wish and how you wish it and I will ensure that it is made to fit your size. Don't simply pick the flashiest thing, but pick something that suits you, that calls to you. Heavy armor is good for one type of combat, loose clothing for another. You can get into places with plain clothes denied to those with rich ones, and of course, the opposite. Take your time and select a few of these outfits for we may not always get the opportunity to make such choices and accept the benefices of the Sith's resources.

[Qaela]

Qaela smiled approvingly at her daughter's selection. "There is no need to stay under your sire's umbrella. Forge your own name and surpass his fame."

 

She made some quicker selections of various articles of clothing for the two of them and commanded they be readied for them and delivered to the quarters they were staying at. A quick scan of the two of them got all the measurements required for tailoring the various garments. She wanted a wide variety of clothes for various purposes ranging from infiltrating high society to blending into the scums of the Galaxy.

 

"Come," she said when she was finished making the orders, "it is time for us to begin your education and training."

 

The two of them went to a small grotto dedicated to the great Sith Emperor Vitiate who led the Sith for a thousand years. Qaela had read some of his life and what he had attempted to do. It had initially fascinated her and created a sense of awe that someone could rule for so long, but when she began to realize just how this was accomplished and how it ended, her awe had turned to disgust. "Look at this man," she said. "He was born mortal just like any of us, but through the use of perverse manipulation and treachery, he drained the life out of an entire planet to make himself immortal. The Sith laud such powers, but it is truly a devastating perversion of nature. All things are meant to die as part of nature's cycle. While I applaud his desire to grow more powerful, he went against nature and took a path that could have led to the destruction of everything.

 

"Faust wasn't the first to try to wipe out the entire Galaxy to make himself greater. Vitiate did the same: he spent his entire life building a way to make himself a god. Instead of building an empire that would truly last and be great, he built something designed solely for his own selfish goals. Had he achieved his goals, the Galaxy would have been consumed by him and his greed. Here is a man who decided to unbalance nature and in the end, became consumed with his own delusions. He steered his people to ruin and waste leaving the Sith desolate and with little to truly show for it.

 

"You may one day feel the urge to ignore the balance of nature and instead gobble up all that you can without concern for the consequences. You may even be in a position to actually take action on those urges as Vitiate and Faust did. You might feel that the utter destruction of an entire planet is a small price to pay for your own power. If you do, remember: once you start to consume, it is hard to stop. If you do somehow manage to succeed, you will leave behind not a legacy of great strength and accomplished building that inspires others to follow your path, but a legacy of waste and destruction that inspires only hatred and loathing.

 

"The anger you felt and unleashed earlier was a very small taste of the greater power you can have access to. Know this: if you choose to tap into it, you must make sure you control it and not let it control you. If you do not or if you ignore my warnings, the Darkness will consume you and could lead you to do terrible things that will only gather everyone against you."

[Qaela]

Qaela scowled at her daughters question about being a perversion of nature. "Do not say such a thing, my daughter. You are not any perversion, not by any means. You were no conjured up in some lab, or created by the darkest of Krath or Nightsister spells. You were conceived naturally and are of nature. Even if your father's presence haunts and seeks to control you, you still have a choice how you will fit into the Galaxy. You can indeed become an unnatural, vile thing or you can do what nature intended you to do: cull the weak and rule as the fittest." She eyed the statue of Sheog the Hutt. To be honest, she didn't quite know where he fit into things. Was he simply what nature had him to be, or was he, like Faust before him, as much a threat to the balance of nature as any?

 

She watched as her daughter wrestled with her own demons, eventually casting aside the shoto and requesting to be taught strength. Qaela was more than happy to teach her daughter all she knew and, when the time came, let others teach her more. She wouldn't make the same mistakes her mother made with her nor would she allow Telpherien to follow her own foolish path.

 

"I will teach you all I know and then, we will learn more together," she vowed.

 

Taking the girl into the nearest empty training room, she sat the two of them down in the center. She placed her right hand on Telpherien's left shoulder and stared straight into those golden flecked purple eyes. "Before we begin, know that I must hurt you to teach you. To become strong, you must learn and to learn, you must suffer failures. I do this not because I enjoy it, but because you desire it and because I desire for you to be strong so that you can live as you please. This is a harsh world and to survive, you also must be harsh."

 

She opened herself to both her daughter and the Force using not the techniques of her ancestors, but of the Sith. "Our people have long used spells spoken and gestured. While that is what works for them, we are better. Speaking spells helps focus the mind on the task, but that is not the only nor is it the most efficient way. What our people did was to draw on the Force just as a Sith would, but through a different means. Sometimes, spells are too unique or complicated to be learned any other way, but for most of what we will do, the Sith methods are superior. They bypass the spoken ritual that is used to channel the Force in our minds and simply go straight to the heart of things. They directly access the Force, bend it to their will, and use it as they desire. So must you also do this if you are to become powerful.

 

"Keep what you may have seen and learned close to your heart. The Nightsister ways are different and sometimes weaker in many ways, but they can do some things better than even the Sith struggle or fail to do. Instead of abandoning the Nightsister ways, learn a new way to put along side them so that you have options no Sith would ever have. Listen, watch, feel, and learn as I teach you how to draw on the Force with control instead of letting it control you. Only once you have mastered this can you attempt to use the Force in anger without it consuming you like the fire does the forest.

 

"Killing is all well and good and unleashing massive destruction seems very flashy and appealing, but it is not the first step. No matter how powerful your offense is, if you have no defense, eventually someone will get around your attacks and kill you. You must first learn how to protect yourself before you can learn to attack.

 

For the long weeks after the Sith left for Onderon, the two spent whatever time they could working on the girl's ability to draw on the Force and use it without the use of spellcraft. Qaela was pleased to see the progress her daughter was making, be it with the influence of her father or not. She showed only minor disappointment when Tepherion failed, but unlike her own mother, she did not hide her pride when succeeded. The girl was still young, but Qaela was determined to ensure that she would not be helpless. As soon as the basis were out of the way, she began teaching her daughter how to draw the Force close to her thus concealing her presence.

 

When not focusing on the Force, the two of them trained in physical combat, mostly evasion and defensive tactics. Owing to the girl's small size, Qaela knew she would not be a brawler like many of the other Sith. Instead, she emphasized her daughter focusing on defensive and evasive moves while waiting for her opponent to make a mistake that she could exploit with a quick strike. There were times, she had said, that it is better to feign weakness in the hopes of making your opponent overconfident or to play innocent so they did not consider you a threat.

[Qaela]

Qaela didn't have the heart to tell her daughter that no, her sons could not be brought back. She had considered doing such, but realized some time ago that it was not possible. In his fury and desire to avenge their betrayal, Ca'Aran had leveled the place with fire from the Marie. The bodies of her sons were nothing but ashes, long since scattered and dispersed on the winds of the char that remained of the place they died. Perhaps had their bodies been left, clones could be made and spirits restored, but no, all was gone.

 

Over their weeks of training, it was clear to her that she wasn't the only one teaching Telperiën. She was learning too quickly, was frequently distracted, and at times seemed to be holding discourse with someone not there. She realized that in this hall of so many tributes to dead Sith spirits, that it was possible that any number of them were drawn to her daughter's power and legacy. The one most likely was, of course, the sire of her children. Either way, she was content to let them practice their influence as long as it benefited Telperiën. If, at some point, she deemed their influence to be negative, well, there were ways to banish and exile the dead. The Sith weren't the only ones who knew of such, and it just might be that her own people knew more than they.

 

Finally, one day, Qaela woke Telperiën in the middle of night. "It is time," she said without any further instruction. Without giving the girl any time to change out of the simple cotton shirt and shorts she was wearing, she pulled her out of bed and said, "Follow me now."

 

Qaela walked at a very brisk pace, not once looking back, but expecting her daughter to follow her. They went to a hall of stone, metal, and mirrors that was around fifty-five meters long and eight wide. Scattered throughout it were metal blocks, small half walls, blocks with holes that offered minimal cover, and reflective mirrors. The objects were not arrayed in a singular fashion, but scattered seemingly randomly. It was clearly an obstacle course with a clear objective: get to the other side. Everything was bolted down and quite heavy.

 

"Your task is simple: make it to the other side of the room and press a glowing blue button in the wall. You may use any means necessary to accomplish this task. You have one minute after it starts."

 

Simple rules, but execution would not be so simple. As soon as she activated the small remote in her pocket, four auto-turrets would spring out at the ceiling on the other end and start firing at any movement. The bolts, while not lethal, were extremely unpleasant to be hit by and would undoubtedly leave a burn mark on all but the most resiliently armored species. Even more interestingly, much of the cover was actually a trap with the reflective mirrors along the walls offering firing solutions for the turrets. A few of them looked quite fine to touch, but were electrically charged to emit a numbing shock if someone came in contact with them.

 

Telperiën had no tools or weapons, just her simple clothes, little sleep, her two hands, and her brain. It would be up to her to figure how she was to make it through: using the Force, agility, strategic use of cover, or some other means. Qaela stepped to a back corner marked in green that was a no-fire zone and would allow her to observe her daughter's progress.

 

"It begins," she said as she pressed the remote.

[Qaela]

Qaela was intrigued at how her daughter tackled the task in front of her. For one so young, she was quite skilled. Her reflexes needed a little work, but most importantly, she needed to plan ahead a bit more. Were this a real situation, the girl would be dead, but it wasn't. This was training: the thing that helped her prepare for the real thing so that she wouldn't end up dead.

 

I should focus more on dodging instead of flying I think, Telpherien "said."

 

Qaela shook her head gently. "Dodging is a reflex, one born of reacting to what is already coming for you. If you are simply reacting to your enemy, they are controlling the situation and you will find it vastly harder to succeed. Instead, you should focus on anticipating, positioning yourself in an advantageous position before anything comes at you." She began evaluating the girl's wounds and saw that none were actually dangerous, merely painful. A medkit was in the wall behind the safe zone, so she grabbed and opened it. She elected to allow the girl to experience the pain to teach her how to continue to fight on even with that distraction. Still, she didn't want any infection, so she got an antiseptic without pain numbing agents and sprayed the burns.

 

As she was applying the spray, she continued to teach, "Take charge of the Force, bend it to your will, and make it show you where the threats and obstacles will be before they even come into existence. In time, not only will you be able to gauge where the threats will be before they happen, but you will be able to guide their own actions through skilled actions of your own so that they will be vulnerable to attack."

 

Once finished, she stepped back to the safe zone and reset the course. "Remember, while I have taught you that defense is usually the best strategy, you can never win by only defending yourself. Do not forget the second part of my teaching: defend until you see an opportunity to strike and do so.

 

"Your task is simple: make it to the other side and press the glowing blue button on the wall. You may use any means necessary to accomplish this task. You have one minute," she said as she pressed the button to start the trial again.

[Qaela]

Qaela watched her daughter's actions with an arched eyebrow and a bit of bemusement. She noted that the auto turrets ceased their firing when the button was pressed and met the girl's eyes when she asked for her mother's appraisal. She crossed her arms and stood there for a minute, saying nothing and doing nothing.

 

Finally, she uncrossed her arms and lifted one hand out towards Telpherien. A tight grip in the Force grabbed the girl and threw her against the wall on the side of the course across from the safe zone with enough impact to definitely not be pleasant, but not enough to cause major harm. She held her daughter there as she walked up until she was only a few dozen centimeters from the girl. "You are clever," she said calmly, "however, you forgot the full measure of your task. Pressing the button and disabling the turrets was but one part. Tell me the other."