Space

[Qaela]

((From Bespin))

 

Qaela barely had time to instruct Gorgeni to return home before they were off into space. After being briefly on board the Mouth's ship, she somewhat expected Ar-Pharazon's ship to be similar. She was pleased that it wasn't, but appeared to be state of the art and likely full of more weapons and ways to get yourself killed than she could keep track of even were its master to show them all to her. She choose to play it safe and not touch anything or go anywhere unless others did so first.

 

As they took off, the first thing she did was get to an astrochart and begin figuring out where she was getting a feel for the Grandmaster from. She could sense his location, but the connection didn't allow her to simply know the name of the system he was in. She went into a light trance to get a sense of where he was before narrowing it down to a small number of systems in a general area. In that area were several small and insignificant planets, and one rather large and populated ones. The Y'Toub system was the only logical place she could see the Grandmaster going to within that area. She wasn't completely sure he was there, but when they got into the system, she would have a far better chance of pinpointing his exact location if he wasn't.

 

The others with here weren't exactly friendly. The Sith Masters were, well, Sith Masters. A mere apprentice, as she was in their eyes, was of little interest to them other than what she could provide. As soon as she told them to head to the Y'Toub system, she attempted to avoid them. It was best not to get in their way.

 

The young girl, Terra, was slightly disturbing. Qaela had felt many dark and evil things, but Terra was unique in that something just wasn't quite right with her. She couldn't figure it out and wasn't going to risk a confrontation by asking about it. Unless the girl approached her, she wouldn't try to get in her way.

 

That left the non-spellcaster male, a soldier who seemed to be named simply Delta. He was armed to the teeth and wore his armor like skin. Despite being a simple male and unable to cast spells, he made up for it in weapons and armor.

 

It was he who had first given her the pile of credits. Ar-Pharazon had given her his own share as well, so now she was far richer than she had expected to be. She didn't crave money, but she knew it had its uses and that other beings did. She only hoped she would be able to get the credits to somewhere they could be useful. She wouldn't carry them around, so if she needed to make a quick split from this group, they would be left behind.

 

She had finished divining the location of their target and had managed to procure something small to eat and drink. Sitting in a corridor tending his burned arm was Delta. She looked him over and decided that it may do well to be on at least friendly terms with someone here. Of all the others, he seemed the least likely to go into a rampage and kill her on a whim. He even showed some small interest in her from the start rather than outright hostility like others.

 

She walked up to the man and looked at his arm. It wasn't horribly burned, but it would be painful. She didn't think there was a bacta tank on the ship, so the best he probably could get was a bacta bandage. She wasn't greatly skilled in the healing spells, but she knew some small things. "I can help you heal that arm if you are interested," she offered.

[Qaela]

((Going to switch the timing Delta's and LAP's statements since it would only be logical.))

 

"Let me see your arm," Qaela said as she sat beside him. As she thought, the burn seemed to be mitigated by the heavy armor he wore. She could use some spells, but they would take time.

 

Before she could begin, Ar-Pharazon approached and asked her to follow. She arched her left eyebrow in curiosity wondering what he wanted to talk about in his quarters. It could be several things, but she couldn't say no. The last thing she wanted to do was anger the master of this ship. "I will attend to it when I can," she assured Delta with a touch of genuine apology. "I do not wish to anger him."

 

She got up and followed the Sith Master to his quarters. "What is it you wish to speak to me about, Master Ar-Pharazon?"

[Qaela]

Qaela smiled at the scene. Unlike some of the Sith she had encountered, Ar-Pharazon was no slouch when it came to taking care of his physical body. She was no naive girl and knew what he was doing by inviting her into his personal chambers and showing off his physical prowess. Even if he was merely taunting her, she was not unreceptive to playing along.

 

"Of course I don't trust you," she responded in a soft, almost playful tone. "You are Sith. I have already been beaten by two of your kind and seen plenty of others betray their fellow Sith, so why would I trust you?"

 

She walked closer to where he was lifting weights and said in the same voice, "But sometimes I like risk and danger, especially if there can be great rewards as result. I trust that as long as I am useful to you in tracking down our target, no harm will come to me. Once we find and defeat him and your purpose for me is up, then I may have to worry, that is, unless I have other uses."

 

She traced a hand lightly across his biceps as she spoke. "Your Mouth was a crass individual, vile in more ways than one. He wished to enjoy my skills in a way I would not give him. He was old, decrepit, and unappealing, not like you are."

[Qaela]

Qaela did nothing to remove Ar-Pharazon's hands from her shoulders, but looked at him with an arched eyebrow. She replied in a lighter voice, "Would it not be foolish to truly trust any Sith? Is not betrayal and the quest for power integral to the Sith way? Sith tolerate each other only when it benefits them, once they become rivals, they are to be destroyed."

 

Her voice became slightly more serious, "I have no intention of being weak or blindly walking into betrayal. Still, as long as I am of some use to you, I feel safe enough. If you want to persuade me of your intentions, you can always teach me more of the Sith powers so that I can become more useful to you."

 

She looked over his barely clothed body and licked her lips slightly, "And, while we are stuck together on this ship, perhaps we can find some ways to indulge in the first line of the Sith Code so that we both may become stronger and more powerful?"

[Qaela]

Ar-Pharazon might have been a little older than the slaves she preferred to be with, but he was in excellent shape and, more importantly, was a powerful spellcaster. That more than made up for being a little bit older. With a lustful smile, she joined him.

 

* * * * *

 

After they were finished, Qaela pondered her situation. The Sith were not exactly known for loyalty or truthfulness. She didn't at all believe Ar-Pharazon was being completely open to her, or that he would hesitate to kill her if it was of benefit to him. Despite that, it was worth the risk if he could teach her more about the Sith ways. Power was always welcome, especially if it could be mixed with pleasure.

 

She rolled over to look at the Sith master and said quietly, "Teach me more of the Sith ways. I want an instructor who is not afraid to use their power against the Jedi and any who stand in our way. Teach me and I will be at your disposal at nights. . . or whenever else desire strikes." The last part was genuine: whether it was that he was a spellcaster or because he was a Sith master, their passion was most enjoyable, an experience she would not soon forget.

[Qaela]

”œThere is a lot I can teach you,”

[Qaela]

While Ar-Pharazon finished dressing, Qaela dressed herself and considered her next step. He had offered to teach some, that was good. Any power that could be attained would make her stronger.

 

She didn't intend on immediately joining him in leaving, but he insisted and followed. As soon as they went back to the common room where the soldier Delta and the other Sith Master were, the animosity hit her like a brick wall. She had found the first opposition to her arrangement.

 

Ar-Pharazon sat down and pulled her into his lap, something she wasn't exactly thrilled with. She was all for enjoying herself, but being pawed by males was not in the bargain. As she had told Haphaestus, she was nobody's trinket. Right now though, she held her tongue and let the anger pass as it definitely wasn't the right time to bring it up.

 

As Ar-Pharazon and the other Sith Master, whose name she now learned was Raynuk, sparred back and forth, a great deal became apparent to her. She had assumed that the fifth member of their party that had left from Coruscant had been killed on Bespin. Now, she knew that it had been Raynuk's apprentice and perhaps lover that had been betrayed and killed by the others. That explained a lot, and made her wonder why Ar-Pharazon would risk his wrath by bedding her. It was an interesting turn of events, but clearly the Sith master had plans and reasons of his own for doing it. Perhaps they were just to inspire this very confrontation and get it over with. To lance the boil of discontent Raynuk seemed to have over the entire incident, perhaps.

 

It also became clear that they were planning to move against Haphaestus and install Raynuk as the Dark Lord. She didn't care either way what happened to Haphaestus or who the Dark Lord was, but having Raynuk angry with her and in that position would not bode well for her. She had to either prevent him from rising to that position or make her peace. The former seemed impossible and pointless, so the latter was what she had to try.

 

After a particularly long dialogue by Ar-Pharazon--the most she had ever seen a Sith Master say at one time--she decided to speak her piece. She made sure her voice was appropriately respectful and kept any anger or self righteousness out of her demeanor as she did. "I may not be loyal to the Sith Order, but I am loyal to the darkness, that which you call the dark side of the Force. The Sith are not the only philosophy that uses the darkness. Like Sith, I strive for power and will attain it however I can. If that means learning what I can from the Sith, so be it. If that means indulging our natural lusts and passions, I will. Right now, you and the Sith like you have the same goals, the same loyalty to the darkness and destruction of the weak fools that run the Jedi and this galaxy.

 

"Right now, I am your only way to track the Grandmaster. I fully intend on helping you kill him and any other Jedi I come across. Haphaestus is either too weak to do so or too wrapped up in his complex machinations to act. Either way, I hold no loyalties to him, only to the darkness and those who help me attain power. If you, Master Raynuk, are the one to kill Jedi and wage war on the pathetic fools of this Galaxy, I will support you. I am willing not just to help you kill the Grandmaster, but also to overthrow Haphaestus, the Droid.

 

"I want no quarrel with you, Master Raynuk. I regret that my actions with Master Ar-Pharazon have angered you, that was not my intent. When you take over the position of Dark Lord, I will support you and fight those who might side with Haphaestus. I want to make an alliance with you here and now, one that will benefit us both."

[Qaela]

The surprises kept coming from listening to the Sith masters duel. Qaela had no idea that a Sith like Ar-Pharazon would have a love, much less children or that he would care for either. She could understand having a mate or simple offspring from various passionate adventures, but actually loving them? That was a foreign concept to her and she was most surprised to hear it from the lips of someone like Ar-Pharazon, a Sith known for mass laughter and being the epitome of darkness. She wondered how serious and powerful his love was and how it didn't seem to interfere with his ability to touch and use the darkness. She had always been under the impression that love of any kind was weakness. This bore out more investigation, but later.

 

She said nothing, but instead kept her thoughts to herself. She had learned much from these two just from listening in. She was glad that Raynuk seemed less likely to stick a lightsaber in her back, but as he didn't trust her, she didn't trust him or anyone here. She barely trusted Mortin and Gorgeni, and then only because she could sense their betrayals as they were mere males.

 

Ar-Pharazon wanted her to follow him to the cockpit, so she did. She debated dealing with his reprehensible pawing of her at this point, but they dropped out of hyperspace before she could. Just a stop to help figure out their bearings. She had warned them that her ability to track the Grandmaster while she was in hyperspace was extremely limited even if she were meditating on it. Because of that, they needed to make multiple stops at various intervals to ensure that he hadn't moved.

 

She took a few minutes to verify that the Grandmaster hadn't moved before saying, "Keep the course, he is still where he was." She started back to the cockpit door before asking, "I trust you won't have a problem with me using your refresher?"

 

He didn't object so she did. He had a surprisingly varied assortment of luxury items, few of which she bothered given a second look. She showered and put on the only other set of clothes she had, a simple charcoal set of robes. She would have to see about washing her black dress.

 

As soon as she was done, she sought out the soldier, Delta. He had been treating his arm and had it covered in bandages, but she could tell it was still damaged and pained him. "Sorry about how long that took and the little spat afterwards, I was not completely sure of what Ar-Pharazon wanted and thought it might be a simple interrogation of my abilities to track our target. If you would like, I can see about helping heal your arm now."

[Qaela]

Qaela was not amused at the male's comment about washing. "Yes, I have bathed," she replied. She took his now uncovered arm and looked at it closely to see what changes had happened since she last seen it. Not much, to tell the truth, though he did clean it out.

 

She began to formulate the healing spells in her head. In this matter, she would not be able to utilize Sith techniques because she had never learned them and didn't even know if they existed. That meant that she must go through the spells themselves and they would take at least an hour done in several shorter phases.

 

She laid his hand on the arm of the chair he was in and began the spell. With her spoken words and hand gestures, she applied the spell, or rather the Force, into the wounded arm. First, as a consideration for his being male and thus inherently weaker, she deadened the nerves, then began stimulating the muscles and tendons. They would take the most time, but eventually they would heal and she would be able to work on the dermis.

 

After several minutes of chanting and work, the first phase was done and she needed to take a short rest. She was not as skilled in healing as others of her clan, so it was far more difficult for her. While she rested, she answered his question even though he probably didn't expect an answer. "As for Ar-Pharazon, he is as skilled in bed as he is on the battlefield," she said matter of factly. She could tell he was repulsed at the idea and wondered. "You do not approve. Why is that, have you not enjoyed the company of women before? It is a natural and rather pleasurable thing."

[Qaela]

Qaela rolled her eyes at his protests of numbing his arm, but couldn't say anything more because she was conducting further healing. Males in the Galaxy always thought more of themselves than they should, as though it was expected of them to be strong. It was a perverted system, just one more thing that needed to go.

 

After she finished the first round and he answered her question, she was surprised. He wasn't hard on the eyes, nor was he excessively young. He did mention something about a 'we' but said it in a past tense. Interesting, but something she would have to explore at a later time.

 

"I am Qaela," she said. "I find it difficult to believe you never had the pleasure of a young woman's company, not with a face and body like yours. Perhaps I can help you with that after our hunt is over. As for mission parameters, forget them. You aren't in the military any more so life is different. You are among Sith, and when they aren't slaughtering innocents or betraying each other, they have to entertain themselves somehow."

 

She gently grabbed his arm and laid it back on the armrest. "Hold still while I continue the healing." She had more work to go if she wanted him to be in top fighting form against the Grandmaster. She would let him digest her offer for the next fifteen minutes while she continued the spellcasting.

[Qaela]

Qaela was feeling drained after using the healing spells. Of all the spells available to her, healing was the most draining to use. They still had some time before arriving, more than enough to rest. That is, if Ar-Pharazon gave her any time to rest.

 

The soldier had an odd name, but then, she had heard of stormtroopers having similar designations. Though why Ar-Pharazon would be in the company of a single stormtrooper was beyond her. Perhaps this one had managed to do something particularly nasty in order to gain his attention and be deemed worthy of joining up. It wasn't her business yet, she had other things to attend to.

 

She gently stroked his mostly healed arm. There was no hair yet, that would have to grow in naturally because she wasn't going to waste the time and energy to do that, but it was healed with only the slightest trace of pinkness. "Well, Ca'Aran," she said in a velvety voice, "I look forward to defeating the Grandmaster and celebrating with you. For now, I need to rest and meditate."

 

She got up and headed back to Ar-Pharazon's quarters to do exactly that.

[Qaela]

Qaela opened her eyes from her meditation and looked at Ar-Pharazon. She could sense his lust even without him saying a thing, but was angry at him. "Among my people, respect is circular in nature. The lesser respect the strong for their strength, but the strong also respect the lesser for their potential," she said in as respectful a voice as she could muster. What she said was true, at least for spellcasting females of the clan. In this case, though, she felt justified in applying it to all who could use the Force. "I will respect you in all ways if you keep your side of the bargain, but in turn, I expect to be respected in kind. I offer myself freely to satisfy both of our needs for passion, but I cannot abide being treated as a mere slave in public, especially among other Sith. Slaves are treated as chattel and I am not your slave. Treat your slaves as you wish, but if you treat me again as you did before Raynuk and Ca'Aren, I will leave after we kill the Grandmaster."

[Qaela]

It was as good as she was probably going to get. She was still a little angry over being demeaned in such a manner, but sacrifices had to be made to attain power, or to even survive among the Sith. With a nod, she accepted his words. She got up from the ground, walked over to his bed, and gestured for him to join her with a seductive smile.

[Qaela]

((Just a bit much??? In the interest of not really going overboard, I am going to move forward a little bit.))

 

Even as the water from the shower poured over her body, Qaela struggled to comprehend what happened just minutes ago. Most of it was just a blur, but the raw dark power that Ar-Pharazon had unleashed was more than anything she had ever experienced. Even in her rage against the nameless Acolyte she had never felt as close to the darkness as now. The pronouncement of titles and rank meant little to her, but she knew it would to others. She was far more focused on the energy rush he had employed. Beyond the physical experience was the spiritual one and that would leave a mark not soon to disappear.

 

She turned off the shower and stepped out to look in the mirror. She was not surprised to see that her eyes had once again changed color to a fiery yellowish orange that she associated to being filled with the dark side. Her skin was almost on fire with the sensation of the darkness. It was a feeling she didn't ever want to do without. Her body was drained both from healing and from the experience, but her soul was full of fury and energy. She wanted to hunt, to battle, and to kill.

 

As she was drying, she looked over at her limited wardrobe. She had only two things to wear: her black dress and the charcoal robes. For this, the robes would be best. She had to collect them from around Ar-Pharazon's room, but once she did she put them back on. Before leaving the room, she made sure her lightsaber and knife were in their proper places. She currently had no other weapons to use and with the others present, didn't expect to need more. They were on a schedule, that much she knew.

 

They were in realspace by the time she got to the cockpit. She could clearly sense where her blood trail was leading now that they were closer to their target. "He is on the moon," she said. As they approached, she further directed them like a homing beacon. She was ready for a battle.

[Qaela]

((I do want to point out that she was Lorded by LAP before we all killed Kitt.))

 

Qaela was relieved that the mission was over and that phase of the attack was complete. She now had to start thinking of how they were going to kill Haphaestus. She didn't know the plans of the others, but it seemed very risky to her to just march into the Sith Temple and attack. It was possible nobody else would care, but if Haphaestus had any supporters, they would surely join either during the assassination or shortly thereafter in revenge. The other path was to catch him out of the Temple and ambush him. That was where Qaela thought she might be able to contribute to things. She could send him a message and lure him away from others and into the clutches of the others.

 

She was sitting down drinking something alcoholic that burned going down while she pondered this. She was no stranger to alcohol and enjoyed a glass as much as anyone. As much as possible, she was almost enjoying herself with these others now that they had killed together.

 

She was snapped out of her reverie when Raynuk proposed a toast. "I propose a toast, to Qaela. You have performed wonderfully in leading us to the Jedi Grandmaster, and now he lies dead and destroyed among the flames of that cantina." At first, he was friendly, but then his demeanor changed in mid speech. After his initial toast, he grew dark and dangerous. "Unfortunately for you, your usefulness is at an end!" he exclaimed.

 

The change in his tone was enough to put her on edge, but she couldn't respond in time to avoid his powerful attack through the Force that sent her into the back wall. She heard crunching as the wood splintered and pictures shattered. Most of the pieces dug into the bone armor that Ar-Pharazon had given her, but one stabbed into the back of her neck drawing blood.

 

She reached for her lightsaber as her attacker held her up with the Force as though she were pinned to the wall like an insect on display. The lightning began to arc even as she activated her Sith weapon. This time, the bone armor was only of minimal use. The first wave of lightning coursed over her sending pain throughout her body.

 

Pain was nothing new to her. She had dealt with it before countless times in training, on various assignments, and in her dealings with the Sith. A tinge of red fog began to form on the edges of her vision, but she refused to succumb. With the lightsaber in her hand, she ignited it and used it to absorb the lightning coming at her from Raynuk.

 

With the lightning no longer burning through her, she delved into every piece of Sith instruction she had received to take action. Emotion was key and right now, she had plenty of emotion. Betrayal, while not completely unexpected from a group like this, still infuriated her. Pain further added to the emotion powering her connection to the Force. There was no shortage of raw emotion to power her use of the Force in the manners taught by the very Sith she had been contemplating how to kill just moments ago.

 

With her free hand, she formed a jagged claw and grabbed the table where they had just been sitting in the Force. It still remained between her and her attacker and would be perfect. With the Force she flipped it up and at Raynuk hoping that its weight would do at least some damage to him or at the least, cause him to break his Force grip on her and buy her a chance to go on the offensive. At the least, she counted on it physically blocking the Sith's lightning attack against her.

 

<<--666--((KILLSHOT DEFENSE))--666-->>

[Qaela]

The first thing Qaela perceived after a hazy slumber was pain. Her joints ached from the lightning she had received. She had experienced such shocks before as punishment for failed assignments, but that didn't mean the pain was any less. After she got past the pain in her joints, she realized her head was pounding from being bashed against the wall.

 

It took a little time to become a little more aware of her surroundings. She found herself in a fairly familiar bed which was good because it was comfortable. She was surprised to find herself still in her armor and bloodied and burned robes. Perhaps Ar-Pharazon had not wanted to risk hurting her more by removing them while she was unconscious. She didn't know, but now that she was awake, the ill fitted armor was becoming painful.

 

After waiting for several minutes to allow her head to clear and strength to build, she sat up and looked around. She saw Ar-Pharazon sitting in a chair facing away from her. His mood didn't seem exactly pleasant, but Qaela could understand why. She began to struggle with trying to get the armor off, not an easy thing since it was below her robes. Moving around still hurt but she felt the pain now was necessary to prevent messing her back up even more.

 

"What happened?" she asked Ar-Pharazon quietly while she was trying to wiggle out of the armor.

[Qaela]

Qaela was grateful for assistance in getting the armor off. She realized that it had probably saved her life by stopping those splinters. While she had no personal attachment to items, she realized and respected their value. When she was able, she would repair the armor as best as possible and strengthen it with her own talents so that nothing short of a heavy blaster would be able to make a dent in it.

 

Now that it was off of her, she felt much better. Her back was still sore from the impact and her joints continued to drive pain up and down her body. It felt like they were full of sand from the calcification effects. Her exposure was limited, but still painful. She did indeed need rest, so she lay back down on the bed. Seeing no reason why not to, she curled up next to Ar-Pharazon, rested her head on his shoulder, and began going over what had happened and what she would do.

 

She was more confused after Ar-Pharazon's explanation than she had been before. If all four of them had been involved, it changed things. She had initially supposed that she had been able to somehow knock out Raynuk before he could kill her and passed out from the exertion. Ar-Pharazon said that Ca'Aran and Terra had been involved and she could see no way for her to survive their attack.

 

That meant that one or both of them had to have interjected and moved to stop Raynuk. It was an interesting concept since she had not thought that either would side with her over a much more powerful Sith whom they had been companions with longer. She couldn't understand why they would do that and it bugged her. As soon as she was able, she would have to ask them.

 

That would have to wait, though. Her body was in need of rest. Qaela found it harder and harder to keep awake. Slowly, she drifted off into sleep.

[Qaela]

Qaela woke to someone running their hand through her hair. For a split second, she thought it was Mortin, but then realized it was Ar-Pharazon. She didn't move, but found it odd that he would do something seemingly out of tender sentiment rather than the passionate lust she was used to. It struck her as an indicator as to exactly how disturbed by the situation he was. She fought the urge to simply enjoy it because, unlike her slave, Ar-Pharazon was a Sith Master and should guard against sentimentality. It was a difficult thing to do because a small, weak part of her enjoyed not having to deal with threats or death or danger.

 

For his own sake, so he would not risk becoming weak, she rolled over onto her back beside him and looked at him. "Though I have known you only for a short time, I have never seen you conflicted as you are now. What is troubling you? How did you persuade Raynuk not to continue trying to kill me?"

[Qaela]

She was not surprised to hear that Raynuk had been injured and thus required recovery. She couldn't see any reason why he would stop attacking her while he was able to fight. That made some sense, especially of Ar-Pharazon himself had intervened. That might have been why she was here, in his personal chambers, rather than the small medical bay. It was probably safer here than anywhere else on this ship, provided Ar-Pharazon himself didn't want her dead.

 

She choose not to comment on the matters between the Sith Masters. Ar-Pharazon had not asked her opinion and it was not her place to offer it to those of superior status. She would see what she could get from the other members of the crew before deciding what to do about Raynuk. If he was still recovering, he might not be as significant a threat to her as she had previously worried.

 

"I am recovering," she answered in a unconcerned voice. "That sleep helped, but I am still sore and quite stiff. I have been subjected to lightning attacks before and survived. Still, I should see about getting out of these tattered and bloody robes and soaking in some hot water. It will help, as will some minor applications of healing spells."

 

She slid out of bed and went to the refresher to draw up a hot bath. Her movements were still stiff from the lightning, but she was able to function. She left the doors open so they could still talk. She had nothing to hide from him at this point to require concerns about modesty. After she had settled into the warm tub and turned off the water, she asked, "What of the others, Ca'Aran and Terra?"

[Qaela]

Though she was enjoying the relaxing bath, Qaela paid rapt attention to Ar-Pharazon's words. In her experience, it was almost unheard of for a superior to actually ask advice. It was a very odd thing to her, just as was a lot of things since she regained consciousness. Perhaps it was due to her being deemed worthy in his eyes to attain the title of Sith Lord. Perhaps he was genuinely a different master from the cold Haphaestus. Or, it could be that their intimate relationship tipped the balance.

 

Either way, Qaela enjoyed it. She had always envied the full Sisters and their interactions with each other during the meetings. While there was always caution and wariness for betrayals, the Clan was just that: a clan. Rarely did betrayals result in death and sometimes not even in violence. It was different from the Sith who seemed to kill each other more than work together. Most of the time, the other Nightsisters were at peace and valued shared information and updates on the Witches and their movements.

 

It was definitely not a sentiment she ever expected to share with a Sith with the reputation that Ar-Pharazon had. Either he had carefully cultivated the reputation for the outside world, or something had shaken him deeply. She couldn't understand what it was, he had personally killed the Jedi Grandmaster, his chief opponent. Infighting was always the way of the Sith, even Qaela understood and accepted that. Raynuk's attack should not have caught her off guard as it did, but it was what it was. She hated the chaos of the Sith, but it was their ways and she couldn't truly hold it against any one of them. As long as they embraced the darkness completely and made themselves stronger, she had no problems with them.

 

"I have no anger toward Raynuk," she said after contemplating things. "He did what he did for his own reasons. For me to seek vengeance would be a futile exercise that would waste time and energy best spent against those of the light. If there is a greater purpose in killing Emily, I will do so. Unless she shows she did not learn her previous lesson and abandoned her ties to the light, I have no reason to kill her.

 

"As for Raynuk himself, I am curious to know why he choose to attack me. If he had good reasons, then perhaps I can still work toward placing him as Dark Lord. If he struck at me out of petty jealousy against you or a pointless reason, then he is unworthy of becoming the Dark Lord and should be abandoned until such time as he rectifies those flaws.

 

"Either way, I cannot trust him again, not at this point. I may not seek vengeance, but I do not forget nor do I turn a blind eye to what he did. He tried to kill me, something I do not take lightly. Though, if I were to refuse to assist any who harmed me, I would be forced to seek out the Jedi for companionship. Life is full of pain, growth often causes it, and power means you will have to survive it. I have suffered plenty of pain in my life and would have the scars to prove it were it not for bacta, healing spells, and a little corrective surgery a few months ago.

 

"Perhaps after you have spoken to him, I might have the chance to do so. I would desire you there as a mediator to prevent another foolish attack on his part. I believe serving the darkness takes precedent over petty rivalry or feuds and if you believe that he is still the one to become the Dark Lord, then I will set aside my personal distrust and follow you."

[Qaela]

Though she personally saw little difference in Raynuk's attack against her here and the countless other random acts of violence she had seen Sith perform, she held her tongue. It would not do to disagree with Ar-Pharazon, not at this time at least. The Sith were an inherently violent, fractious entity that killed each other as much as outsiders. It was the chief reason why she did not want to join their Order.

 

He asked an odd question, especially considering recent events. It was true, she had indeed manipulated others to kill a Jedi, though she didn't have to force anyone to do anything. She merely had to present the opportunity and let them take action. The assassination of the Grandmaster fulfilled everyone's goals and made all parties happy, but her own plans were broader than just killing a single man, though she doubted the present company would object to most of those goals.

 

She needed to respond, though, "In a way, I have. While all of you were more than willing, I set things into motion that would see the Grandmaster killed by your hands. It was most satisfying, as you said. I would be celebrating now were it not for the attack against me."

 

She did not miss the other hints of his story. Whether he intended on it or not, she was reminded that to one such as him, all were but puppets and tools to be used and disposed of when their purpose was complete. Qaela knew this and accepted this fact. She planned on remaining useful to the Sith Master one way or another. Everyone needs allies at some point, even the two of them.

 

The bath was getting cold so she got out and began drying herself. She still had her black dress, but it had not been washed. It wasn't very dirty, all she had been doing when last wearing it was healing Ca'Aran and meditating, so it would suffice for now. When they got to Coruscant, she had to acquire some more clothing and perhaps some armor.

[Qaela]

After getting dressed, Qaela debated on something. She was not completely bound to Ar-Pharazon in all things and she did not truly need his permission to do what she would. Despite that and her claim to independence, she knew it was probably best to seek his opinion before he found out another way and grew infuriated. Though she held on to independence, she also realized that sacrifices had to be made to gain further power and to survive.

 

"I will seek out the others, but I do not yet wish to confront Raynuk until I know the loyalties of the others. On that note, there is a small matter which I seek your opinion on regarding the soldier Delta. I will probably have the opportunity to introduce him to carnal pleasure, if he so chooses. Normally, I would do what I wished with whom I wished, but in this case, I wish to know if doing such actions would meet with your disapproval."

[Qaela]

Qaela had no intention of getting thus entangled with Ca'Aran on this ship. There were already enough problems brewing to add any fallout by doing that right now. She would bide her time until a proper opportunity presented itself. She wanted to develop an alliance with the soldier precisely because he wasn't Sith. In her opinion, Sith were too explosive, unpredictable, and quick to kill. Perhaps being one of the vast majority of this Galaxy who was not fluent in the Arts as a spellcaster, Ca'Aran would be more reliable as an ally. If he had a part in helping save her from Raynuk, that only made it more obvious that an alliance with him would be good, and if that alliance could develop into a more enjoyable discourse, she would welcome it. After all, when one could mix business and pleasure, why not?

 

With a sly smile, she said, "Do not worry, Ar-Pharazon, I have no intention of 'being penetrated' by him now and will return to spend the night with you." As she walked behind him, she gently brushed the back of his neck and left.

 

She had to be cautious now. As far as she was concerned, she was in the middle of enemy territory. With the Force, she could sense where everyone was: it was too small of a ship not to. Raynuk, though he was still in pain and recovering, appeared to be in the sitting room on the main floor. She would have avoided that level except that was also where Ca'Aran was.

 

She frowned for a moment, then choose a different approach. Instead of going down to where he was, she would see about getting Ca'Aran to where she was. It took a few seconds to prepare and cast the correct spells, but when she did, she was able to reach out to his mind. She nudged him and fed a quick image of her face with a suggestion to come up to the upper levels if he could.

[Qaela]

When she heard Ca'Aran coming into the sitting room, Qaela smiled. He had received her message and even more, decided to come up. It bode well for him possibly being an ally. Either that or he was coming to finish her off now that she wasn't holed up in Ar-Pharazon's quarters.

 

She was sitting in a couch when he arrived and gave him a warm smile. Despite the smile, her lightsaber was within reach, but not obviously so. She also kept her senses alert for any hint of deception, betrayal, or danger. Until she knew better what had happened and where everyone stood, she wouldn't take any chances. With Ar-Pharazon, it didn't matter what precautions she took: he would overwhelm any defenses she could muster. She wouldn't even try that tactic around him, but rather another.

 

He was armed, well armed. That didn't bode well in her mind. Though, to be fair, he could be arming himself in case whoever he opposed in the melee decided to get revenge. Despite the weapons, she didn't let the smile slip off her face. For a moment, she debated using some of the more subtle means available to her to help influence him, but rejected that just in case Raynuk sensed it and took action.

 

"I am glad you got my message, Ca'Aran. I know Raynuk is below and I didn't want to risk another confrontation with him by going down there to seek you out. As I was sort of knocked out in the recent fight and Ar-Pharazon is strangely mute on the details of what happened, could you help fill me in?"

[Qaela]

Qaela eyed the weapons on the table between them. She didn't think that was all of his weapons, not by a long shot, but it was better than nothing. "You will have to forgive me if I am a little nervous around 'allies' after what happened yesterday," she said. "These Sith are not the most trustworthy of allies and will turn on outsiders or each other with equal frequency and viciousness."

 

She listened to what Ca'Aran said and nodded. It fit in with what she figured might have happened in order for her to survive. Ar-Pharazon didn't say as much, but she could guess. "I don't think we have to worry about a simple disruptor, though. I am sure it is the least of the illegal things Ar-Pharazon has on this ship."

 

She shifted a little in the couch. "Thank you for saving me," she said with a genuine smile. It was rare for her to offer such a smile, but it was also rare that someone saved her life without expectations. Mother had several times, but she needed a daughter to do her work. Haphaestus had as well, but he wanted an alliance with the Nightsisters. If Ca'Aran and Terra wanted anything, they hadn't asked for it.

 

"I will not forget what you did, it is a blood debt that I owe to you. For saving my life, you have earned yourself a place among my people without fear of enslavement. Unlike the Sith, I do not betray those who save my life and fight beside me."

 

She looked intently into his eyes with her normal violet ones. "When we get to Coruscant, I will have to see if there is a way for me to at least partially repay you, but now is not the wisest time or place."

[Qaela]

Qaela blinked once and looked at the man in front of her in a new light. She had figured he was a soldier and follower of Ar-Pharazon. She did not think he would be from the Black Sun. Back at the Sith Temple, she had read that the Sith attacked the Black Sun's citadel on Coruscant just before the war ended. Why they would ally with the Sith again was interesting and something she would need to get to the bottom of.

 

Not now, though. She needed to make sure she survived this situation first. If possible, she would have to see if she could further secure Ar-Pharazon's trust and keep him from deciding to kill he. If she could do that, she just might be able to learn more Sith spells from him or, more importantly, gain a far greater power. If not, then she would have to withdraw from this bloodthirsty group and carry out her backup plans.

 

"I am glad to hear that, for it would be good to have an ally I could trust," she replied as she stood up. She walked over to where he was sitting and sat down beside him. "I am curious though, why do you believe it was right to save me and not the Sith master? I profess that he has killed many more than I, but I am not a paragon of righteousness myself, and neither are you."

[Qaela]

This one was most interesting. She could sense his turmoil, but didn't quite know the cause. Nonetheless, it was the very presence of at least some core of honor that made him a potentially trustworthy ally. "You are not Sith, you do not need to be as concerned about the encroachment of the light or goodness," she said softly. "If your remaining shreds of righteousness is what directed you to save me, then I am grateful and approve of them, no matter what the others say."

 

She reached out and took one of his hands in one of hers. "Loyalty can be a positive trait because it can inspire loyalty in others towards you. Everyone has to have allies at some point. Sometimes, allies can make you more powerful."

 

She let some silence reign before asking, "What do you know of Terra? Is she also of the Black Sun? Why would she not side with Raynuk?"

[Qaela]

At this point, it didn't surprise her that Terra was Black Sun. Though why they would take in someone as young as her was surprising. It was different with spellcasters than with normal beings, but then, Terra had something odd about her. Qaela would have talked to the girl except she seemed to be with Raynuk. That alone was concerning, but if she was loyal to Ar-Pharazon, that probably meant she would be loyal to anyone who was loyal to him. At this moment, Qaela was as loyal to the Sith Master as she was to anyone except Mother.

 

Though there was Ca'Aran.

 

Him she was not sure about. Part of her wanted to believe that he was willing to remain loyal to her and wouldn't betray her. It was an odd thing for anyone in this group to be truly loyal to anyone, especially when it meant risking their lives as he had done. He could have simply stayed out of the conflict just as she had with many at the Sith Temple and not risked his life. But he didn't. He got involved and intervened on her behalf, for whatever reason.

 

She didn't know him very well, not yet at least. If he, as a non-spellcaster, managed to gain the confidence of Ar-Pharazon, a man not known for suffering fools or the weak, then there must be something to him. It could be his ties to Black Sun or it could be his ability to unleash destruction. Either way, that alone meant he was not normal. If the opportunity arose, she would have to learn more about him, and in more ways than one.

 

"I hope you are right about her," she replied. "I think it is time to go down below and see what can be done with Raynuk. We still have a Dark Lord to remove and it will be very hard to do it without a candidate for the position to replace him. Ar-Pharazon doesn't want the position and I am not so sure about supporting a man who tried to kill me unless he had a damn good reason to do so. If some sort of understanding can't be reached, then we will not be able to carry out the mission. I hope you will back me up if he chooses to attack. Though, if he does again, don't spare his life. One unprovoked attack can be overlooked, but twice is unforgivable."

 

She started to get up, but thought better of it and remained sitting. "If we both survive the trip to Coruscant, we should find a nice, quiet place to spend a few hours and get to know each other better and I where can thank you properly for saving me." She reached and gently grabbed his jaw and turned his face toward her so she could give him a long, warm kiss. When she was done, she stood up and gave him another smile, "I guarantee you will enjoy it."

 

* * * * *

 

Hoping that he would follow, but willing to go forward if he didn't, she went down below to the main level of the ship. There, in the sitting room that had not quite recovered from the recent violence, was Raynuk and Terra. Raynuk was sitting down in the middle of conducting repairs on his damaged armor while Terra was standing before him. Qaela was surprised at the damage that armor had taken and that Raynuk had survived the attack. She would have to look into getting some armor like that.

 

The two had been talking, but she waited until they had paused before coming into the room. Her senses were fully employed to detect any threats. After his latest ambush, she wasn't going to be caught unawares again. If he struck at her, she would be ready to meet him with either spells or lightsaber.

 

"Raynuk," she began, "if we are going to ever be able to destroy the weakness that is Haphaestus, then we are going to have to come to some sort of understanding. You tried to kill me. I can get over that if you had good reasons, but I am going to be hesitant to help put you in a place of even more power if you are going to try again. Why did you try to kill me after I told you that I was willing to help make you Dark Lord?"

 

((Qaela didn't interrupt anyone, so Terra can respond before she steps in. I would wait longer, but we really need to come to some resolution regarding this and get to Coruscant where we can either part ways or continue together against Haphaestus.))

Edited April 22, 2011 by Guest

[Qaela]

It was a better reaction than she had feared, but not exactly what she wanted. She was going to be going through a lot of risk in helping to put him in command of the Sith. If he was simply going to bide his time and strike again when he had what he wanted--something he had already done once--it would not be worth trying to help him. He had already gone back on his word once when welcoming her into this group as an opponent of Haphaestus while standing in this very room.

 

"What, to you, is 'clear reason' enough to attack me?" she pressed. "You already said that though you disliked me, you would not act upon it where it to endanger our goals. Trying to kill me before you were Dark Lord and when I could be the key to leading Haphaestus into an ambush sounds to me like it endangers our goals, especially when you were nearly killed as result.

 

"What have I done to you to warrant such hatred? I am no threat to your power or strength. I have not threatened you or harmed you except in self defense. I have no designs on being Dark Lord that would cause me to challenge you. On the contrary, I have allowed this group to kill the Jedi Grandmaster and have pledged to fight Haphaestus along side you so that you could be made Dark Lord."

[Qaela]

Before her was the reason why she hated the Sith Order and would never swear allegiance to it. If this was who the Sith were going to put as their new leader, then they were in trouble. It was no concern of hers, though. Let the Sith follow one who simply kills people he doesn't have use for at that very moment and without regard to the thought that they might be useful allies later. They were so short sighted, just as Mother had warned. Momentary satisfaction for whatever passions they felt at that moment with scant little discipline or self control. She had seen it in the Sith Temple, she had seen it now here.

 

Deep down, she had been hoping that Raynuk had some solid reason to want to kill her. That much she could at least respect. Then at least the Sith might be getting a leader who was both ruthless and yet could focus their energy where it needed to be focused: at the Jedi, not at those who served the darkness. Haphaestus had plenty of the latter, but appeared to lack the former. Raynuk definitely had the former, but was lacking in the latter.

 

She debated on whether she should call him out on his speech's contradictions with reality, but it wasn't worth it. Unnecessary conflict with beings who were supposed to be allies was pointless. She no longer had any desire to help this man become Dark Lord. Before coming down, she had hoped, but that had proven to be a foolish thing. She would help him only if Ar-Pharazon wanted her to. It was the price she would pay to hopefully learn more power from him.

 

She held her tongue from what she wanted to say. Instead, she nodded and said simply, "Very well then."

 

Without another word, she turned and went back up to the upper level. When she was there and the door was closed to where Raynuk couldn't hear her, she muttered, "Fool, you are no better than Haphaestus, just for different reasons."