Alora

As Draken went to check the stables and Raynuk went to his ship, Alora went to organise what she would need to take with her. She got the attention of the droid and instructed it to look after the cub for her for the few days that they would be away. She then prepared what she would need to take with her for this trip. It had been quite some time since she had ridden a horse… in fact, not since she was last on Leria Kerlsil. While she would need her armor on, she wanted some padding for the saddle. She knew that they would probably all end up rather saddle sore after this trip so slipped a tube of heat rub into her bag just in case it was required. That done she sat for a while with the Panther Cub, bonding with her. She was sure a name for the cub would come to her though would take Raynuk up on his offer as a sounding board. “I would like her as a constant companion. I know these felines can be very aggressive when they need to be…” Her statement was followed by the cub hissing at Draken once more, causing Alora to laugh. She had a feeling that the cub and Vex might get along though was unwilling to test that theory yet a while… When Draken stated it was time to go, she settled the cub and joined the men outside. The horse she was riding had an easy gait, Alora soon getting in the rhythm of being in the saddle again. She looked down at the Nightsisters Draken pointed to as they came to a brief halt though they soon continued on. The Sith Mistress grinned as she saw Draken throw the parcel of meat to the stealthy feline that seemed to have taken an interest in him. Alora had to stifle a laugh when she heard Raynuk call Vex off from going after the meat parcel. The large tuk’ata was well trained though and did what his master wanted… even if it was grudgingly. As they passed the feline she saw Vex look back once more before looking ahead and keeping up with Raynuk’s mount.

That the ritual had caused Raynuk to wake in a rage was something for them to keep in mind when they went to the Canyon. Alora recalled something she saw within the memories of the Nightsister, it was something that she had a brief glimpse of before the Nightsister had blocked the rest of it. Replaying it over, she conjured up the memories via her illusions for them all to see and look over. The image was of a face, twisted with rage. You couldn't tell if it was male or female from the glimpse they saw. She replayed it again wondering if the men would see anything within the memories. "I guess we should be prepared for anything when we get there. In the mean time, I think I'll see how our little guest is doing then I'll get busy in the galley." Alora stood and headed towards the bedroom, finding the little cub still curled up on the end of the bed. She sat beside her and stroked her soft fur. "I guess I should give you a name if you're staying with me." Her soft words were met with a rumbling purr. She picked the cub up and headed back to the others, stroking and murmuring to the panther cub as she went. She sat down for a moment and looked up at Draken and Raynuk. "Any suggestions for a name for this little girl?"

She watched as Raynuk leaned back in his chair Alora could tell something was weighing on him. As he began to recount what had happened she listened with interest regarding Raia’s vision and how there had been the sense of urgency to follow through. That they found Jaina’s ship and daughter was a surprise. Hearing about how the ship had been neutralized and the girl left for dead triggered a surge of anger within the young woman. Who the hell would kill a child like that? She thanked the stars that Raia had had that vision and that they were able to save the young girl. That anger turned towards concern when Raynuk told them that the girls had gone into a kind of Force-dream that even He couldn’t bring them out of. She was relieved somewhat when he told them about Emily and Jaina arriving but that quickly reverted back to concern when the two women couldn’t bring the girls back either. That they had a Jedi with them was puzzling … so was the fact that Raynuk and Jaina were able to bring the girls back where Emily couldn’t. That may have been part of the hurt she'd felt in Emily's message to her. It surprised her with Emily’s reaction, never having thought that she would be jealous of Raynuk’s past, though not knowing both sides, and being friends with both of them, she couldn’t pick sides. She would remain neutral and offer both of them her sympathy’s. Alora could understand how Raia would be feeling as well, the anger at both of them when she had just started to feel safe and secure. Raynuk’s explanation, and the sense she got from Emily filled in part of the puzzle. Standing up she stepped closer to Raynuk, giving him a hug. “I am sorry you and Emily parted ways. Know that I’m here… not only for you, but for Emily and Raia as well. She stepped back, taking a seat next to Draken once more. Her thoughts went back over what he’d just told them. "Raia may have returned to her clan. Apart from you and Emily, she could sought refuge with them until she figures some things out." The Sith Mistress half turned towards Draken as he spoke, another thought coming to her, “Do we know which clan Raia belongs to? If she’s here, I do hope she’s safe from whoever it is that just unleashed that attack.” She fell silent again as he turned the conversation back towards the Nightsisters though she kept thinking back to what Raynuk had told them before. “Do you have any idea who it was that took Jaina’s ship and left Tirzah for dead? I don't know Jaina all that well though I'd gladly offer my support for any revenge sought on the perpetrators.To do that to a child...” Her violet eyes flashed with her anger towards whoever would do such a thing.

"I hope your time since we left Coruscant was less strenuous than mine was. Have you had any luck finding leads on the cult?" "Yes, you could say that…” Alora let Draken fill Raynuk in on what they had discovered, waiting for a break in the conversation to ask, “Raia not with you? I felt Emily briefly and she didn’t seem herself. What has happened?” There was only curiosity in her tone. When they had parted, Raia had been with Raynuk. She also wondered what he had meant by hoping their time was less strenuous than his. Stretching out her senses, she felt Vex outside, though didn’t feel that the apprentice was anywhere near.

It was fascinating how Draken broke through and searched the Nightsisters mind. She followed along though kept a light touch with the cub that she felt was now curled up on the foot of the bed. When her lover showed her the information regarding the Canyon she analyzed it and committed it to memory for discussing later when they all met up again. The Sith Mistress took a step back so she was just behind Draken when he started to fire the lightning bolts into their captive. Darth Alraune grinned as he hit the Nightsisters pain and pleasure nodes. What he did there, she could do with the press of a button and a flick of her whip, Prieksapes. For the most part she remained the observer although Alora lent him strength when she felt he needed the extra boost when he drew heavily upon the Force. Once he had recovered somewhat from the intensity of the mind probe, their eyes met. "I have it, the cultists were here seeking a spell from the Nightsister but it would seem that the spell went wrong. I know where it happened, but I don't know the exact spell that was used. Although I have a suspicion as to the type of spell used and if correct those can go wrong in a more than a few ways and all of them are varying degrees of bad. Anything from killing the area to killing the user and that's just to start." He then proceeded to behead the nightsister. Alora pondered over the information for a moment before she spoke, “If the cultists have tried these spells, what do you think we will come across once we reach the location?” She glanced at the body on the cargo bay floor, “Maybe we should get the droid to clean that up…” The two made their way out of the hold. It was while they were contemplating the information that Alora felt Emily touch her through the Force. ”Farewell, Aunt Alora. I can't join you...but I'll see you again.” The pain behind those words was obvious to her though why she was in so much pain was a mystery. Her presence faded just as quickly as it had come. “Something has happened. Emily was just here but she has departed. The pain behind her message was intense and raw.” She wondered what had happened to cause her niece so much pain and vowed to find out. “I hope nothing’s happened to Raia…” she added.

"You could let it go, although it does seem to suit you." Alora tilted her head to the side, her violet eyes sparkling as she thought about it. “She is cute…” Her hand continued to glide along the cub’s back, a brighter smile crossing her features as it started to purr. “What do you say little one… do you want to stay?” Yellow eyes met hers, a meow breaking up the purring before the cub went back to lapping the milk. The Sith Mistress couldn’t help the soft laugh that escaped her as the little black cub hissed at Draken, her smile widening at his wink. "Time to invade her mind, care to watch?" “I’ll just settle this little one and be there in a moment.” She watched as Draken headed to the cargo hold before she picked up the cub and bowl of milk and headed to the bedroom. Placing the milk down on the floor in a corner, Alora stroked the little black female panther, “I’ll be back soon little one. Stay here and enjoy your milk.” She placed the cub down and headed towards the hold. As she went, she activated her comm. to contact the compound’s droid with a request to get something to use as a litter box. The droid assured her that it would find something and bring it to the ship for her. With that sorted Alora entered the cargo hold, opening the bond she shared with Draken to follow what he was doing with the Nightsister. She placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently, a sign that he could draw from her if he needed to. She followed along like a passenger as he broke through each line of defense and helped him to sift through the information laid open to them within the Nightsisters mind.

Alora shared a look with Draken as they observed the Nightsister still hanging in the tree. She could feel the Force swirl around them as he snapped the branch, allowing their prisoner to fall though stopping her before she hit the ground. She felt his power as the Krath incapacitated the Nightsister before he turned his attention to the remains of the rancor. Their eyes met, the two Sith sharing a thought of what he wanted the rancor skin for. The Sith Mistress watched on as he procured what he needed from the rancor corpse before the headed back towards the compound. As they neared the compounds entrance, the ground trembled, the Sith looking around and seeing a mushroom cloud far off in the distance. The ground rocked a second time and some of the wildlife went a little crazy, some of the creatures racing out past them from the surrounding forest, some close enough for them to reach out and touch if they wanted to. Even the predators were not interested in anything but getting far away from the threat that shook the ground. Reaching the door, Alora keyed the code to open the doors, allowing Draken to go in first since he was levitating the Nightsister and skin. As she took a step to follow him in, a small black blur zipped through her legs, racing towards the shadows to hide. It didn't get far as the Sith Mistress levitated the creature off the ground and brought it back so she could see what it was and maybe put it back outside. What she found herself with was a small black cub. Her hands closed around the struggling creature, one of her hands closing around the scruff of it's neck, the other curling around it, petting it as she attempted to calm the frightened feline. She followed slowly behind, talking softly to the cub as she entered the ship. Alora went through to the galley, getting some milk in a shallow bowl and taking it over to the lounge. The cubs nose twitched as it smelt the milk and was soon lapping at milk. She kept patting it until she heard Draken approach. She stood to greet him, returning his kiss enthusiastically. When their lips parted, Alora spoke softly, her hand automatically moving to stroke the soft fur of the panther cub. "Look what I found. It was frightened by those explosions. Once it's calm and has had a good feed, I'll let it go."

Alora had picked up a few Dathomiri words but was in no way fluent as yet, though she had begun to study it, along with the Ancient Sith Language. She understood a few of the words Draken spoke to the Nightsister, enough to get the gist of his comments. After the Nightsister screamed in anger, Alora spoke as well, letting the young woman see that she was there too and just as powerful, "Not only one Sith but two accomplished Masters of the Darkside." As Draken dealt with the Nightsisters spell, Alora lashed out as well, filling the Nightsisters mind with images of her being tortured, repeated images of Draken's attack on the rancor, everything to make her know how helpless she was against the two Sith. As her lovers laugh rang out, Alora smiled with a wicked glint in her eye. Catching the look on his face, she began to laugh as the rancor literally exploded, bits of it flying out in all directions. Alora threw up a shield so she wouldn't be covered with gore. "Perhaps I used a bit too much of a charge for the last part, might have to adjust that. Well shall we see to our prisoner?" Once she had stopped laughing she raised an eyebrow and answered with, "You think?" She paused a moment before adding, "Let's get her down and see what she can tell us." With a grin on her face Alora linked her arm through Draken's, the two heading over to where their prisoner was hanging in the tree. She was looking forward to invading the Nightsisters mind to see what she knew.

Just as Draken did, Alora reduced her force presence to a minimum, something akin to being 'weaker' than the Nightsister. As Alora went off to the left she began weaving an illusion, working out what she would conjure up as a distraction. Knowing each other so well, the Sith Mistress revealed her presence only for a moment just as Draken did, making the Nightsister just a little bit confused when she couldn't find where they were. Alora crept closer so she could keep the Nightsister and Rancor in view. At the same time Draken revealed himself for his attack, Alora unveiled her presence as well though behind the Nightsister was the illusion of a larger rancor and Nightsister... both very aggressive towards the 'younger' pair. The Nightsister didn't know which way to turn, her beast roaring in agony from Draken's lightning attacks. The illusionary rancor roared also, moving in as if to attack as well, the young Nightsister didn't know which way to defend herself from, the lightning attack or the beast closing in on her. The Sith both heard her attempting to weave a spell, Alora lashing out with the Force to choke her just enough so that she would panic and forget about casting spells.

Alora smiled back at Draken when he mentioned John's library being the inspiration for his. Her violet eyes sparkled as she changed the subject briefly, "What would you say if I asked Emily to be my Maid of Honour and Raia our flowergirl?" Her eyes followed Draken as the look of a predator crossed his features. She stretched out her senses and felt the presence outside of the compound, her hand slipping around the hilt of her saber as his staff erupted with the crimson lightning. "It would seem that our presence may have attracted.... Scavengers. One with a rancor, I can do a lot with rancor skin, teeth and claws." His smile grew larger as he found her position. "Oh this will be fun, she has already crossed into the compound. Shall we hunt?" A matching grin crossed her own features as she answered, "Lead the way my love." Alora figured they would have to get the droid to let them out of a secondary exit so they could use the element of surprise on their 'visitor'.

Alora followed Draken into the training room and as he did, she knelt down facing him. When he offered her his hand, she placed hers in his and let him guide her. She smiled when he began to show her their auras, seeing the purple surrounding her own hand. “Did I ever tell you that I saw auras surrounding and intermingling around John and Sirvani? It was something I stumbled upon back when I was an apprentice and staying at Raxus Prime. The two Masters were vibrant in colour, reds and purples intermingling with each other while the other apprentices were all muddy browns and grays.”

Alora listened to the comm message along with Draken and nodded as he commented on it. "So... Kalyani is Zara's daughter... she sounds all grown up now. Wartide... is that as in Ronin Wartide?" The Sith MIstress shook her head... it didn't matter. She watched as Draken lifted the Grand Duke and headed to the compound. Alora imputed the codes when they were requested and watched as the hanger opened. Draken set his ship down and they both went through the post flight checks in companionable silence. "Well they wouldn't, would they. They are after Darkside items so in theory they wouldn't go near a lightside Clan." She paused for a moment before asking, "So do we wait for the others or do we go and find one of these Nightsisters?"

Alora looked out the view screen as Draken came in to land in a clearing surrounded on all sides by forest. The scenery was stunning. She continued to take in the view while they waited for an answer to the comm. “What do you think we can expect? Think they know anything about the cult?” An answer to the text comm. took a little longer than expected and instead of a text in return, a metallic voice spoke in response. “The Raging River Clan is no longer communicating with outsiders. If you are wanting access to this compound, please send any enquiries through to Zara Nargal on **** code Link.” Alora looked across at Draken. “That’s unexpected, I’m guessing that didn’t happen last time?” The Sith Mistress paused a second before adding, “I guess we had better contact Zara Nargal then.”

During the trip to Dathomir, Alora had searched the holonet for information on the planet. She liked to know a bit about where she was going. The Sith Mistress grinned as Draken told her he had worn a collar when here last. "Wasn't the first time you've worn one". Her violet eyes sparkled from recalling him wearing a collar for her. "I read that the Witches are lightside and the Nightsisters are darksiders. You came here with a Witch didn't you? What else happened while you were here last time?" She vaguely recalled him saying something about it years ago. She listened to Draken as he spoke while looking out the front view screen at where they had landed. "I wonder what clan Raia is from. She seemed very worried about coming back here. She also told me that her clan doesn't associate with outsiders, that they aren't tolerated." She stood and slipped her arm around Draken, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she asked, "Do you think you need a collar this time?"

Alora laughed with him as Draken went to get the bottle of wine. Her laughter abruptly cut off as she ducked away from the flying cork. It hit the wall behind her and rebounded back to bounce in the middle of table before coming to rest on Draken’s plate. Alora placed a hand over her mouth to help smother the laughter that threatened to escape again. Her eyes showed her amusement as he poured the wine into both glasses. She lifted her glass, taking a sip and savoring it’s sweet taste. “I’d forgotten how good this wine tastes.” As they enjoyed their meal, the two discussed what had happened on Korriban. “I have no idea why the Cultists wanted me there when they brought Quietus back… unless it had something to do with him being my former Master.” She shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not sure how long they were watching us before they caught me.” She was still mad at herself for being tricked like she had been. She hadn’t expected the lengths of planning the Cultists had gone to, right down to the mannerisms used by Slaanesh’s disciples so she wouldn’t become suspicious when they approached her. It hadn’t helped that her mind had been more on planning their wedding than anything else at that time. Maybe that was why they timed it like they did. The two Sith also discussed what they could likely expect once they reached Coruscant. Once their meal was finished, Draken headed back to the cockpit while Alora cleaned up the galley before she went to join him. She slid into the co-pilots seat just before he began the final checks before they reached Coruscant.

While she prepared the meal, the Sith Mistress also activated her cybernetic comm. link. She was glad when the comm. connected her direct to the manager she had left in charge of Darkknell Shipyard Industries. As she suspected, they had thought the worst had happened to her, even when reassured by Draken that she was still alive and well. She now reassured them herself, telling them to step up security and to run thorough background checks on every employee and visitor to the Shipyards, especially anyone new. Alora informed them of her brush with the Cult of Morthos and to be on guard against them infiltrating her company. She ended the comm. after getting their agreement. To begin with she had kept her affiliation from her Shipyards management team, only telling them that she was Sith years after she had become a Master. She still recalled vividly the intense face to face argument she had with her management board when they insisted she distance herself from ‘that Sith Lord’ they had seen her with on the news holos. She had kept her emotions in check during that argument, calmly telling them, “That Sith Lord was My apprentice. Did you think I was still the shy teenager that went to Coruscant with her parents so many years ago? Where do you think my ‘new found confidence’ came from? What I didn’t tell you was that I was the apprentice of Raynuk Montar. I also learned from Jedai Geki and Kakuto Ryu. Yes, I learned the ways of the Sith from the three most feared Sith Masters in the Galaxy.” When they hadn’t taken her at her word, she demonstrated some of her talents, nothing lethal but enough to prove her claims. Bringing her thoughts back to the present, Alora opened the oven to check on the braised bantha steaks and inhaled deeply. She was looking forward to having a decent home cooked meal. She added the vegetables and a little more stock and put it back in to finish cooking. It would be another half hour before it would be ready. Cooking was just one more thing that the cultists had deprived her of… and when they found them she would make sure to deprive the cultists of much more than they took from her. Feeling her lovers arms slide around her, Alora leaned back against his body with a contented sigh. “Much better now.” Turning in his arms, she raised hers to circle his neck. “I missed you, more than words could say…” The Sith Mistress touched her lips to his and proceeded to show him just how much… ** The buzzer on the oven drew their attention back to it. Alora served and brought their meal over to the table, “A nice wine would go down well with this…”

Once on Draken’s ship, Alora truly relaxed. The first thing she did while Draken was busy in the cockpit was to go through to the bedroom to get out a change of clothes, then into the bathing room. She filled the spa and was soon sinking into the bubbling water with a loud sigh of pleasure. It had been so long since she had felt clean… (some time later) Figuring she had better get out before she became a wrinkled prune, the Sith Mistress dragged herself reluctantly out of the spa. Since they were possibly going to run into more cultists at the Memorial, Alora had pulled out her black bodysuit and her deep crimson and black armored robes. She wrapped her whip around her waist, her sabers on her hips and her daggers in her boot sheathe. She also reloaded her dart launcher, making sure she had a good mix; lethal poisons, hallucinogens, sedation darts and pheromones. Now that her cybernetics were working again she would be able to choose which dart she fired instead of just relying on which one was next in the queue. She ran her maintenance checks on her cybernetics, making sure everything was in optimal condition. She would get some grenades from the armoury before they landed at the Memorial. Once dressed and armed once more, Alora headed towards the galley to prepare a meal for both of them. With a caress through the Force, she let Draken know what she was up to.

Alora watched as Draken activated the projector. She was very interested in the information because she had been so unaware of where she’d been while held captive. In that empty room with her senses dulled by the ysalamiri and her comms jammed so she had no contact with anyone except when they spoke to her over the speaker or allowed her to watch the holo screen – and that was only specific shows, never news of what was going on in the galaxy. That they had been on Coruscant came as a surprise, the same with Lehon and with Zoist. Especially Zoist. She had been right by his side, reinforcing him as Draken created that crystal temple. The Sith Mistress listened as Quietus and then Emily filled them in on what they had learned in the tomb and what had happened in the galaxy. She had no idea that Faust had been so fanatical. When Emily and Draken told them what Faust had done on Zoist, Alora stepped closer to Draken and rested her hand on his shoulder. She knew what that planet meant to him. Hearing that Darex and Onderin had been killed along with Faust left her feeling regret that she would never get to face either of them in battle. The Jedi’s reputations preceded them. When Quietus took off towards the other cultist ship, Alora looked at Emily. “Your new apprentice seems to be respectful. Have you had her long?” They made small talk to fill in time as they waited for Quietus to return. Turning to Draken she said, “Those cultists, they were watching you. They filmed you on Serenno and would show me the holo’s to torment me.” Now her glance took in Emily as well, “I wouldn’t be surprised if they had been watching you too.” When her former Sith Master returned and gave them further information regarding the cultists she listened along with the others. It didn’t surprise her that there were several branches of this cult. One thing for certain was that they were well funded and wide spread. Coruscant, Lehon, Zoist, Yavin IV, Dathomir, Tython. “Not all of these cultists were Force Sensitive. That could be how they got onto Tython. If they were only there for gathering information, the Jedi wouldn’t have sensed a threat from them. Perhaps that is how they managed to get around the Jedi world without discovery?”

Alora returned the hug warmly though was surprised at this move... he had always kept her physically at arms length and definately no public displays of affection ... she wasn't about to call him on it. When he awkwardly hugged Draken her sculpted brows rose in surprised confusion which quickly turned to amusement when the real reason became apparant. She had wondered if he was going to offer payback for that though was very glad her former Master didn't kill her love in return. Seeing the tak'uta get defensive, Alora eyed the beast warily, preparing to defend herself against it if became necessary. She only relaxed when the beast did. "The Cult of Morthos... they did call themselves that though didn't say much within my hearing. They preferred to keep me in the dark. It surprised me when they released me soon after they landed. I got the impression they wanted me in your tomb but for what reason escapes me. Jaina?" Alora's thoughts turned to the Goddess... especially when she noticed the whip in Emily's hand. She brought their attention to both whips - the one Emily was holding as well as the one coiled around her waist. "What is the connection to Slaanesh?" When Emily asked what Draken found in the information he gathered she turned back to him eager to know what he discovered.

Linking her arm through his, Alora returned his smile warmly, “You look dashing as always Draken. Let’s do.” The two of them left the ship to join those waiting outside for them. Stepping out into the sunshine, the Sith Mistress let her eyes rest upon the visage of her former Master. “Welcome back to the land of the living.” Her gaze shifted to the woman standing beside him and her smile brightened further. "Count Shadowlord, Aunt Alora," she greeted them. "So nice to see both of you. It's been a long time." “Emily. It has been a long time.” It was evident that something major was in play here. It wasn’t mere coincidence that all of them happened to be here at the same time. The cultists had not given her a reason for bring her here so she felt quite in the dark about it all. When Emily looked around and asked "What did they do to offend you?" the Sith Mistress felt her smile falter. “They held me prisoner for years and then brought me here. They never bothered to enlighten me as to why.”

With Draken getting the information from the bridge and navigation side of things, the first part of their revenge against the cultists had been completed as she observed the last vestiges of life drain from the two cultists dying in the room. She stretched her senses out once more, relishing in the rush she got from feeling the Force after such a long absence. It really was like welcoming back a lover… and for that matter, old friends… ‘Speaking of old friends…’ She felt her former Master’s presence as a vibrant spark within the Force, as strong as ever. She smiled as she recalled the early days of her training, thinking fondly of the man that had discovered her wandering the streets of Coruscant so long ago. She could also feel the essence of the young girl she had seen earlier, along with another familiar presence. Alora gave a final dismissive look towards the carnage she had wrought before she turned and headed back along the corridors, heading towards the exit to meet up for this reunion.

The Sith Mistress disengaged her lightsaber and watched the body of the cultist fall to the floor with unseeing eyes. Reaching out, she touched Draken’s mind, loving how it felt to connect with him once more ‘Can you check the Nav Comp. and find out where this ship’s been? I’d like to know where they were with me, even if they never took me out of this ship! See if you can find out any other information we can use to hunt these cultists down with.’ She ended the contact with a phantom kiss. Psyching herself up for the loss of the Force once more, Alora took a deep breath before stepping confidently through the invisible barrier. She hated the dulling of her senses, had lived for years inside the room she was headed for now, with only a holo-screen opposite the stasis field tube they had kept her in. There had been nothing else in the room. Most of her incarceration was a very lonely affair. Occasionally they would put the holo-screen on as some kind of “companionship” for her, something to break up the constant boredom. Mostly it was music clips or holo-drama’s, no news regarding the state of the galaxy if they could help it, though occasionally they would show holo’s that were secretly taken of the people she knew or associated with or of the man she missed so much it hurt. Whatever they were up to, it proved one thing for her… they had been spying on her friends. They had stopped coming into the room with her early on as she had talked a few of the cultists into releasing her from the stasis field, though with the constant monitoring of the room she hadn’t gotten out of it before their emergency protocols were enacted and the room was flooded with a knockout gas. She would wake hours later alone and back in that horrid stasis tube. So it had definitely surprised her when she had discovered her weaponry still in place. As she approached the door to the room she’d been in, Alora fiddled with her dart launcher, seeing how many darts she had left as well as which ones. Two were pure pheromones, two were a lethal mix of a fast acting poison and the last was another hallucinogen. She could make out three different voices within, a female and two males. ‘Decisions, decisions… now how will I dispose of this lot…’ A wicked grin crossed her features as an argument seemed to be raging between them. “Why the hell did you want us to come in here for? There’s nothing in here! Nothing to hide behind, nothing to use even!” “I told you there was nothing in here but you had to follow Ado.” “Sith and Jedi don’t like not feeling the Force so why would they come this far?” “Ado you stupid nerf herder! She’ll want revenge! We’ve had her in here for years so why wouldn’t she put up with not having the Force for a little while longer if she can kill us?” “Yeah and if that other Sith isn’t her lover I’d eat my blaster.” “What about the Stasis Field?” “What about it you slimy piece of worm-ridden filth!” “If we redirected it we could…” Hearing enough she opened the control panel next to the door. Rerouting the wires to open the door was easy for her, after all, it used to be her bread and butter on Leria Kerlsi growing up at the Shipyards which she still owned. Well… it was her occupation until she’d turned 18 and her parents had been killed while at a conference on Coruscant. Thinking of her former home she made a mental note to contact her manager at Darkknell Shipyard Industries and see what had been happening in the last few years. She had organized for the manager to take care of things in her absence and that there may be long stretches of time in which she wouldn’t be in contact with them… she just didn’t think it would be as long as it had been. They also knew to contact Draken if they couldn’t get in touch with her… but the writer has digressed… back to the door… Taking out a frag grenade from her robes, she readied it and touched the wires together overriding the lock command so that the door slid open. She threw the grenade in towards the stasis field tube, took hold of her saber hilt in case they tried to come out of the door and waited for it to explode. Three…. Two… *snap hiss* Her saber hummed to life across the doorway, shortly followed by a cut off, gurgling scream as one of the men decapitated himself on her blade. With a quick motion of her feet she leapt over the body, across to the other side of the doorway, getting a glimpse of where the other two were within the room and ducking down. …One… *boom* Cries rang out, indicating the two had gotten an unhealthy dose of shrapnel, as debris blasted out of the open door. As the dust cleared, the Sith Mistress peeked around the doorjamb her wrist tilted as she aimed towards the two who were writhing around on the floor. Deciding that she should at least put them out of their misery, she fired a dart into each of them… ‘Oops…’ Realizing she had used the pheromones instead of the poison Alora shrugged her shoulders and pulled out the remaining frag grenade. She debated for a moment on which to do … hit them with the poison to end them quickly, or just use the second grenade which she was going to use regardless so that she could kill that ysalamiri … Wanting to make them suffer horribly, she primed and tossed the frag grenade in towards where she knew the creature lived within the wall. Again she counted down… Three… two… one… *boom* The screams increased in intensity and moments later, the Force washed over her once more. Alora let out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding… “It is done…”

As she made her way into the ship the Sith Mistress came across the evidence of Draken’s path. First on the blood trail was a Wookiee. The howls had preceded her sight of him, the poisons injected through the spines causing an awful din. She stepped around the dying creature and followed the path of bodies. Alora felt the change in the air and stretched out her senses, reinforcing her mate as they had done countless times before. She had missed the connection with him, cut off from everything that had mattered to her. It was time to make them pay! The dark Mistress relished in the pain the cultists were being dealt as their lives were painfully snuffed out. Finally she closed the distance between them, only pausing momentarily to drink in the sight she had longed for. As she approached she remained out of the cultists sight, the large form of her sweetheart blocking her from his view. "Please Milord, don't kill me. We were only following orders. We thought she was alone." At his words she strode forward, violet eyes flashing, her hand raised so that before he died he would see the glinting clear coursca gem set in a platinum ring that her love had given her. “You knew! You took my pendant but you didn’t take my engagement ring! You knew I was not alone!” Alora’s harsh tone snapped the words out with barely controlled anger. As Draken dealt out punishment she looked on with nothing but contempt. These cultists didn’t know what level of hellish torture was to come their way now that she was free. She stared down for a long moment at the now deceased cultist, feeling the dark energies swelling around her, echoes of the pain the cultists had suffered pulsing through the very air they breathed in. Her extended hand came to rest upon her fiancé’s arm and in a gesture that was completely opposite of the previous actions, she leaned towards him, slipping her arms around the Sith Master to let their lips meet for the first time in years. When their lips parted she murmured softly, “I missed you.” The simple statement said more than was voiced. Alora paused but a moment more before releasing the love of her life, turning to peruse the armory. Reaching over, she grabbed a couple of frag grenades and winked at her love. “I’ve got things I need to do.” With those words she headed off towards the room that she had been held in, slipping the grenades into the folds of her robes. Mentally she prepared herself for the dulling sensation to return, the suppression of the Force that the ysalamiri bubble caused. She looked forward to ending that creatures life in spectacular fashion. As she approached the aft end of the ship she could hear another of the cultists ahead of her. A tall human man stopped in the middle of the corridor. He looked confident in his abilities as he stood still, a vibroblade held almost casually in his hand. “Your Force can’t work on me here Sith. Don’t think I’ll go as easily as my comrades.” Taking her lightsaber hilt in hand she couldn’t help the smirk that appeared across her features. “You think I’m helpless without the Force as my ally? I am a Sith Master, trained by the best of the Order and you…” The look that crossed her face was pure contempt. “…You and your comrades have brought about your doom!” With a slight tilt of her wrist she sent a dart flying which embedded itself in the man’s neck. It contained a rapid acting hallucinogen agent. Also subtly at first she also began to release her pheromones. Both of her actions would make it difficult for him to concentrate on fighting her. With a *snap-hiss* her fluctuating deep crimson and silver blade emerged, the Sith Mistress letting it solidify to crimson for the time being. She swung the blade, loving how it hummed and how it felt to use once more, even without the Force it became an extension of her being. With every move she made it was ‘getting the kinks out’ from having remained still for so long. Her eyes never left those of her opponent as he began to move, swinging his blade to a offensive position. Alora didn’t hesitate any longer, knowing the drugs would interfere with his concentration very soon. She could see his nostrils twitch as he caught the increasingly stronger scent she was releasing. He shifted uncomfortably and let out a yell as he charged her, his blade intending to run her through. She brought her saber up to clash against his blade, intuitively knowing that his weapon would be resistant to her saber. She danced out of his way and sent another dart to embed itself into his body. The second dose would ensure that he would begin to see things that weren’t there. He came at her again, trying to use his brute strength against her. The blades met again though this time she pressed him back with a flurry of her lightsaber. Again she danced backwards, subtly moving so that she could get out of the ysalamiri’s influence without him realizing it. She pressed him backwards with an attack meant to distract him further and when she had him thinking she was going to push forward some more, she again danced back out of the way. This time she felt the return of the dark energies so began to create an illusion that would only be enhanced by his hallucinations. He was already bringing his blade up as if to engage a second attacker. As soon as he crossed the ysalamiri bubbles influence she probed his mind to see just what he was seeing. Glee coursed through her at what she saw. ‘This could be fun…’ the Sith Mistress grinned to herself … In his mind he wasn’t facing her, he was facing a Trandoshan. Within a blink of his eye there were three of them, all scarred differently and differing shades of green. He began to swing his vibroblade wildly as they closed on him, his fear irrational. Alora amplified that fear and pressed her attack, slicing through his defenses both physically and mentally. His arms both hit the floor, the smell of burning flesh tainting the air. He screamed, his eyes widening in his panic. In his bid to get away from the Trandoshan’s, he impaled himself upon her saber blade.

The Sith Mistress paused once more, her senses tingling as she recognized another familiar presence along with that of her former Master. Emily. Sirvani and John’s daughter. Alora had been going to ask Emily if she would come to the wedding, had actually sent a message to Sirvani’s old com. frequency though before she could find out if the message had gotten to Emily she had been betrayed, been captured by the cultists. She felt such a fool for falling for the rouse – these cultists had not been Slaanesh’s regular disciples… no, they had belonged to another cult altogether. With her mind on her upcoming plans, she had missed the warning signs and then it was too late. At the sound of the ships ramp lowering her head whipped around to see a slight figure exit it. As she moved closer, Alora saw that it was a young girl. A black tuk’ata emerged from the tomb’s entrance and went straight up to the girl, it seemed to know her as it’s demeanor wasn’t threatening… just annoyed when the girl didn’t immediately follow him. When the girl bowed to her on her way past, the Sith Mistress inclined her head. She was going to follow along only for the fact she felt another familiar presence approach. It was a presence she had longed for over the years of her interment. When the ship broke through the atmosphere, leaving a trail of fire behind as it soared past, she knew exactly where it was going. Alora spun back towards the ship that had brought her and strode back towards it. Cannon fire sounded over the roar of the ship and then the sound she had waited so long to hear… a voice she had wished to hear over the many lonely nights she had spent in her captivity. Her movements quickened until she was running. As she raced around her beloved’s ship she saw him enter the cultists. Her right hand closed around her saber hilt as she followed him in.

[A short message comes in for Draken Shadowlord.] Hello my Love, I am finally free. The cultists brought me to Korriban and have finally released me! I have missed you so much. I can’t wait to see you again. All my love Alora [end message]