Spite Station- the Maw

[Emily]

Emily hadn't known where they were going, just that it was going to be the new center for the Sith Order. So when they arrived on a brand new space station, she was interested to explore the place. Furion had disappeared soon after they had landed, leaving orders only for them to settle in and wait for his summons. So with a smile aimed at Nishant, she disembarked and headed into the station proper.

 

An adept showed her to her room. It was of average size, rather simply adorned but functional. Everything was clearly still new. There was a small lounge and kitchenette attached to the bedroom, and a large window. She was immediately drawn to the window, and looked out with awe on the swirling gasses. This must be the Maw, she thought. She had heard of the massive conglomeration of black holes, and looking out on it now, she realized that there certainly might be some credence to the ideas that some had of the place being assembled, rather than a natural phenomenon.

 

She finally tore herself away from the viewport. If she looked too long, the sight might drive her insane. She drew the thin gauzy curtains over the viewport and finished looking around her small apartment. Overall, it pleased her. It wasn't too lavish, but also not too spartan. And unlike the rooms at the old Sith Temple, this place was clearly designed with Sith architecture in mind. She got all settled in and ordered a large sandbox for Roe'gall.

 

She thought about settling in to spend the evening in solitude, but her curiosity was strong. So she motioned for the monstrous tuk'ata to follow her, and headed out barefoot through the facility, intent on getting a full tour, and hopefully running into Nishant as she walked.

[Emily]

The place was beautiful and functional, the best of both worlds. Emily got quite a tour, and she still hadn't seen everything. She was working her way through a set of observation and meditation chambers when she saw Nishant approaching from down the hall. She smiled at him as he came within earshot and spoke in a teasing tone. Together they glanced out another viewport to the swirling gases of the Maw. "This place is pretty impressive," she commented.

 

They stood in comfortable silence for a moment. Emily knew they would have to continue their conversation from Coruscant. She had had a few days to think about the ramifications that training under Ar-Pharazon would have on Nishant, and had come to terms with the fact that he couldn't always stay the same man she had met all those months ago on Gala. She wasn't the same woman, either. And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She just hoped with all her heart that Ar-Pharazon wouldn't turn Nishant into a raving lunatic like himself.

 

But that wasn't just something you could ask someone. "So, have you savagely murdered anyone recently for no apparent reason?" No, she'd have to simply wait and see. Thankfully, she hadn't seen Ar-Pharazon among the Sith gathered here, so hopefully his influence on Nishant would be minimal.

 

She was about to speak and break the silence when she felt someone else approaching. As he came up to them, she turned to look at him. He was tall, with dark hair that fell over one eye haphazardly. He bore an aura about him that Emily judged to be that of a high-ranking Lord or a Master. He introduced himself and folded his arms behind his back.

 

Emily nodded in greeting. "I'm Emily Zsahra-Skywalker. I'm a newly appointed Sith Lord who trained under the tutelage of Master Quietus." She allowed a small smile to touch her face. "It's a pleasure, Lord Lucifer."

[Emily]

Suddenly it was turning into a party. Emily felt the presence of another Sith lurking nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation but not making his presence known. She inwardly shrugged. His loss.

 

Lucifer and Nishant had met before, and it sounded like under interesting circumstances. Emily listened, interested. She would have replied to Lucifer's question about her Sith name, but was interrupted by Furion's call. It was just as well, for she would not have known what to tell him. No, she hadn't yet taken a Sith name, but now that she was a Lord, that was at the top of her priority list. She would need some time alone to meditate on it, for she knew the Force would have an answer for her if she only sought to ask the question.

 

They all began to move out of the meditation room, and as they did, Nishant spoke to her personally. She smiled in response, a bit sadly. "So it seems," she replied. "Don't worry. There will be time. I'll meet you there."

 

She headed off down a separate route, for if this was going to be a grand announcement, she wanted to look the part. She dashed to her room and dressed in the red gown she had acquired on the space liner. Letting her hair hang loose and graceful around her shoulders and slipping into some rhinestone-studded slippers, she hurried to the ballroom. The use of Force speed and a shortcut brought her there not thirty seconds after Nishant--an impressive feat for a woman wanting to dress herself for a party.

 

The ballroom was inordinately elegant, and Emily was glad she had thought to change. Her workout clothes would have made her feel utterly out of place. It was awkward enough being the only female human in attendance; it was important for her to look her best as a result. Her two-toned eyes sparkled as she took in the place and the Sith the grand room contained. The place was beautiful to her eyes, but even more so to her Force senses. The place reeked with unbridled power, and she was glad she had come.

 

Her head held high, she took a place towards the middle of the room and waited for the ceremony to begin.

[Emily]

A few more women entered the room as the ceremony began, and Emily tentatively labeled them Nightsisters, although she couldn't be sure. One of them, she recognized. Although she had never spoken to Qaela, she had met Haphaestus' old apprentice at the Sith Temple. It had been her who had brought Nishant to her master, if Emily's memory served correctly. She also caught sight of Draken Shadowlord coming into the hall, and was glad to see him still around, although she wondered at seeing him without Alora.

 

Furion began to speak, first declaring himself the new Dark Lord. Emily raised an eyebrow and looked pointedly at Sheog. As far as she was aware, Sheog was still the Dark Lord. But the Hutt appeared to have no objections, something that Emily found a little strange. But it wasn't really any of her business. Furion went on, long and angry, waxing eloquent and simplistic in turn. She listened, and as she did so, her opinion of him improved. He seemed to be frustrated with the Sith who constantly acted for no purpose or reason, but were little more than animalistic in their thinking. That had always been Emily's biggest frustration with the Order as well. If Furion wanted to do what he could to change that, then perhaps she would find she fit in with the Sith better than she ever had in the past.

 

When he finished his tirade, he ordered them to kneel before him, and Emily hesitated only for a moment before sinking gracefully to one knee.

[Emily]

Emily watched the spectacle with disinterest. Furion clearly loved to make a dramatic statement. As the shards of the crystal pierced her skin, she gritted her teeth against the pain but didn't change her expression. It had passed in a moment, and closing her eyes, she saw the tattoo that had formed on her chest as a glowing sigil in the Force, connecting her with the group as a whole. She opened her eyes and glanced down, finding a black symbol the size of her fist over her heart. She knew from her studies that it was the ancient Sith glyph for 'one'. Appropriate, given his vision for us, she thought. Whether he succeeds in uniting is remains to be seen however.

 

The ceremony ended and a feast commenced. Hopefuls were battling in a kind of arena, but Emily had never had much taste for that kind of sport. Instead, she began to move around the room, heading for the buffet table. She grabbed a plate of something she couldn't identify but looked delicious and ate. It was as delicious as she had hoped. She also grabbed a glass of strong wine. She had never drank much, but this was a special occasion.

[Emily]

Emily turned at the voice behind her. "Good evening, Master Shadowlord," she greeted him with genuine warmth. "It is a pleasure to see you again. I have to say I'm surprised not to see Lady Alora at your side. How is she?" It had been a while since she had seen her 'aunt'. But Shadowlord himself was one of the few Sith that she had genuine respect for; he had long been a friend of her parents, and she valued that.

[Emily]

Emily was truly sad to hear about Alora's passing. Another family member lost, she thought bitterly, taken away from me by the wretched Force. "I'm very sorry to hear that," was all she said aloud however.

 

As soon as the words were out of her mouth, they were approached by a Sith she didn't know. But his presence was familiar; it was the man who had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Nishant and Lucifer. She nodded a greeting. Draken had a scathing reply, but Emily was more interested in the latter part of his statement. "Forget?" she asked.

[Emily]

Emily smiled. "When you put it that way, you're right. It is easy to forget where we are. I was looking out a viewport before the ceremony started, marveling that such a safe haven could even exist in the midst of the Maw." Her first impression of Cadivus was positive; he seemed well spoken.

 

As he mentioned the familiarity he seemed to have with her, she smiled again. It had been some time since someone had put two and two together, and she never minded being known as her parents' daughter, for they had been Sith of much renown and power. She gave Cadivus a graceful curtsey, her gown crumpling elegantly as she did so. "I am Emily Skywalker. Indeed, I'm sure you must have met my parents. My father was John Skywalker, and my mother Sirvani Zsahra. Both were Sith Masters of renown before they died. How did you know my parents. Lord Cadivus?"

 

There was something to this Sith's aura that she found curious. He was different from many of the others. What that signified, she didn't know, but as someone who had always felt herself different from the majority of the Order, she had a positive curiosity towards the reason.

[Emily]

The party, if that was what it was, had never really gotten going. Most of the Sith were mingling, but many had just left and headed out on their own business. Pity, Emily thought. I'd have thought the Sith at least would know how to throw a party.

 

She was about to head out herself when a man she recognized approached her and brusquely demanded she return his lightsaber. She was puzzled for a moment, not recognizing him, when suddenly memory clicked. He was the strange man who had tried to help her escape on Tatooine, whose price was that she deliver his lightsaber to Slicer. He seemed angry that she hadn't done as she had said she would, but he didn't let her explain that she hadn't seen Slicer once since they last met. Instead, he grabbed it from her, fiddled with it, and challenged Lucifer to a duel.

 

She arched an eyebrow and turned away. Glancing around, she caught Nishant's eye, but didn't move over to him. Instead, she headed out the door, her dress sweeping behind her and her heels clacking on the stone floor.

 

Once out of the ballroom, her mood changed, become darker and more serious. She headed to her quarters and changed out of her dress, wiping off her make up and putting on a simple outfit of black that she wore for training. The Force was whispering, beckoning, demanding, and she wouldn't ignore it any longer. Barefoot, she padded through the station, heading into the bowels of the station where the atmosphere was brooding and the architecture rough. There she found an unused forge. It was time to make her lightsaber.

[Emily]

She didn't move for the longest time, but remained kneeling on the cold stone floor, her eyes closed and her hands on her knees. To a droid, she would appear almost asleep. But to those with the Force, there would be no doubt.

 

Emily sat there in the dim light of the room, and opened herself further to the Force than she had ever dared to before. It was a massive vortex, even more powerful than the pull of the black holes surrounding the station. It pulled her further and further, tempting her and testing her resolve. It was intoxicating, and it caused her blood to burn within her.

 

She finally reached a threshold. One inch closer, and she feared she would lose her sanity. And that is the real crux of it, isn't it? she thought. I've always been taught that Sith have no fear. That they control their fear and harness it. But Sith also control the Force and shape it to their own desires. That is an impossible dichotomy. I want to control more and more of the Force, but it is my fear that prevents me from doing so. Fear of the Force itself, and what it could do to me. The moment I lose control, I will be swept away by it and lose myself completely. That is something I will not allow. No matter what. Even if it costs me power.

 

That was what she believed in her heart of hearts, but the conflict inside her still remained. She comforted herself, however, with the thought that the more she learned, the more control she was able to maintain and the deeper into the Force she could delve. I'll just have to remain vigilant not to exceed my abilities.

 

She gritted her teeth and forged her iron will into a tool. The Force would submit to her, and she would be the one who remained in control. She knew she was playing with fire, but it was so intoxicating that she couldn't resist. So she would do everything she could to protect herself from it's deadliness.

 

Her attention was drawn to the forge. With a few motions, she ignited it. Leaving it to heat up, she assembled a casing for her lightsaber from the parts available. It was elegant and had the benefit of being made to fit her hand. The Force guided her, filling in her lack of knowledge. Then, when the moment was right, she grabbed a sack of raw elements and tossed them into the furnace. With the power of her determination and will, she used the Force to bring the atoms together in the heat of the fire. She bonded them together at a molecular level, slowly creating, lattice by lattice, a flawless gem.

 

It was grueling work, but she refused to walk away defeated. She poured herself into that gem, and it reflected it's maker in it's very formation. It formed and compressed and grew, and Emily's focus never wavered.

 

While the gem baked, she found that changes were happening in her too. She was able to look objectively at her life for the first time. It was a hard one, and one full of turmoil and loss. Every time she had allowed herself to grow close to someone--her parents, Andon, Quietus, even Nishant--she had ended up broken and alone, feeling abandoned at the mercy of cruel fate. It was as if the Force didn't wish her to be happy, but that it constantly worked against her. Perhaps that is my destiny; to be constantly alone, bitter and powerful, cruel because life has made me cruel. It wasn't what she wanted for herself, but in that objective state, she could accept the possibility. If that was meant to be, then it would.

 

But her rebelliousness reared up again at that thought. I do not accept that I have no say in what my destiny is. I will choose to be whomever I want to be. I do not conform to molds or stereotypes, and I never want to. Maybe that means I will be forever alone, always an outsider among the Sith, always a source of suspicion among the Jedi, and a source of confusion and fear to those whom I meet. Neither the Sith nor the Jedi are right in their philosophy. Neither has all the answers. No, the Force is more than they see. And that is what I choose my destiny to be--someone who bridges the gap, who belongs to neither and both orders, a seeker of truth as to the true nature of the Force.

 

Her vigil continued deep into the recesses of the night.

[Emily]

Eventually, Emily felt a shift in the Force signifying that the crystal was complete. Using the Force, she pulled it out of the furnace. The gem shone, light reflecting off it's many-faceted surface, casting shimmering blood-red flecks along the walls. It was beautiful, and Emily could feel the potential power it held.

 

With reverence, she slipped the gem into the casing she had made and sealed the lightsaber up. The last step was the most crucial--she had to bathe it in the Force, or it would fail to work, or even blow up in her face. As she did so, she sensed the miniscule changes being made in the weapon...and in herself. She could no longer waffle about, dithering. She was a Sith Lord now, and with that came prestige, power, responsibility, and an image that others would expect her to uphold. By declaring herself Sith, she was binding herself to the Order. And she was no longer beholden to anyone. She was her own master.

 

As the final adjustments were made, she heard a voice whisper in her mind from the Force itself. It spoke a name, a name that suited her perfectly, for it referred to an ancient goddess of chaos, both inner and outer. A smile broke her lips. Rising to her feet, she flourished the handle and then ignited the crimson blade. It sprang to life with a beautiful *snap-hiss*. "I am Darth Eris," she said.

 

She stood there for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, she shut off the blade, plunging her back into semi-darkness. Hooking it on her belt across from her mother's saber, she headed back to her room. She had lost all track of time while she was in the forge, but her body was exhausted and hungry.

 

When she got back, Roe'gall was snuffling impatiently. "Sorry for leaving you so long, boy," she said. She reached up and scratched his cheek affectionately. Grabbing a bland nutri-bar, she flopped back on her bed. After stuffing the bar into her mouth, she allowed herself to fall into a deep sleep, Roe'gall watching protectively over her by the side of the bed.

[Emily]

Time had passed in bursts for the newly-christened Darth Eris. She had kept herself busy, although hadn't left the station very often. She saw little of Nishant, and only really had contact with other Sith in passing. It gave her a lot of time to think, and she didn't mind being alone.

 

She had spent so much of her time convincing herself that this was all that life had to offer, but she still felt empty. She didn't know what to fill her life with now. She had no interest in taking an apprentice of her own. She still felt that despite her rank and experience, she knew little about the nature of the Force. Most of her fellow Sith, however, simply laughed at her if she expressed those feelings, for the pursuit of knowledge was more a trait of the Jedi than of the Sith.

 

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but hear her parents' wisdom echo in her mind. They had encouraged her strongly to study the Force as a whole. She had tried. There was no denying that. But she hadn't fully succeeded, and that bothered her. Emily Skywalker was not one to quit.

 

So when she heard the news on the Holonet about a dojo on Mechis III that would train about the Force as a whole, she knew she had to investigate. She had nothing to take with her but a few changes of clothes and her lightsabers, along with some food for Roe'gall. She had been working with the monstrous tuk'ata a lot, and the beast was now both companion and partner.

 

So it was that the pair of them made their way to the hanger, where the Shadow's Shine had waited, ready to go on an adventure. Before long, they were aboard and navigating their way out of the Maw and into hyperspace.

[Emily]

The Shadow's Shine made its way through the Maw towards Spite Station. As worried as Emily was about Roe'gall, she was needed in the cockpit for the approach. The black holes had drifted in the years since she had been here, and she was having to use the Force to find her way through the cluster without getting sucked in. But soon enough, the shiny black ship entered the stable zone in the center of the Maw, where lay Spite Station. She sent out her access codes, and to her surprise, they worked. Clearly the station had been fully abandoned after Furion's time, and no one had bothered keeping its defenses up to date. Satisfied that she'd have no problems, she brought the ship into a hanger and settled it down on its struts.

 

She then hurried back to Roe'gall. He was almost unconscious. She loaded him with some effort onto a stretcher and headed down the ramp, taking a moment to assemble her "Sith face". One acolyte had come out to greet her. "You there!" she said urgently. "I need a fully equipped labratory. Where is the nearest one?"

 

The Twi'lek gave her directions, and she nodded tersely before heading off. As she hurried, she sensed very few presences aboard, and none that had the mental presence of one who had been trained. It was just as well; although she wouldn't have minded the help of a Sith Master, she was just as pleased to not have to worry about other Sith interfering. Roe'gall was hers, and she might well be the only being in the galaxy right now who knew him well enough to heal him right now.

 

Once she arrived in the lab, she transferred Roe'gall to a table, using the Force this time to lift him. Grabbing a syringe, she drew a large sample of the tuk'ata's blood and set it in a centrifuge. She did the same with her own blood. Then, she lowered herself deep into the Force. It was time to get to work.

[Emily]

As the physical world around her faded, the world through the eyes of the Force awakened to Emily's perceptions. It played out as colors, sounds, smells, feelings, and at the center of it was her. She held the power to reshape the world into a way that more pleased her, and that feeling was practically addictive. For now, though, she focused that power on Roe'gall, using the strength of their bond and the power of the Force to immediately ascertain the problem. Not only was Roe'gall low on blood, but there was a taint left in him from those dragon-lizards' poison. Emily grimaced, glad that Roe'gall was unconscious, for this was going to be painful. A true devotee of the light could heal painlessly, but that was not within Emily's ability.

 

Throwing herself deeper into the whirlwind of the Force, she drew the poison out of the tuk'ata, drop by drop, letting it pool in a shallow dish by the monster's inert form. It had had some time to work it's way into his bloodstream, but it was still mostly concentrated by his wounds, which made her job slightly easier. Heedless of the time, she persevered until the Force told her he was clean. She then turned her attention to the blood she was making, and cleansed it of the remaining particles of poison as well. Satisfied that it would be good when it was finished, she turned back to her companion and began to sew closed the lacerations, this time using the lab's instruments. She was still a little burnt out and didn't want to overdo it. Once the wounds were closed, she lifted him with the Force and dumped him in a vat of bacta.

 

By this time, the blood was ready. She quickly transferred it to the IV hookup and got it going into his system. Then she let out a deep breath and once again became aware of her surroundings. Roe'gall would need several hours in the tank, and some rest afterward, but the medical instruments and her own senses told her he would recover. She wiped the sweat off her brow and realized she was starving. She rose, and then suddenly realized she was not alone. Someone was watching her from the shadows, from an access tunnel next to the lab. She raised an eyebrow, then made a quick decision.

 

"You don't have to lurk," she said aloud.

[Emily]

((OOC: Sorry this is so poorly written...my mind is fuzzy...))

 

Emily was going to comment back, but the young girl who had stepped out seemed immediately drawn to Roe'gall's tank. Tired as she was, Emily was no fool. She wasn't about to let anyone near Roe'gall. But the Force sang to her in that moment, urging her to wait. And so she listened and watched as the girl began to chant. She raised her eyebrows as the Force flowed. She could sense what was happening, and she was astonished.

 

Emily waited until the girl was finished, then spoke again. "You're a Dathomiri witch, aren't you?" It was an educated guess. Emily had never met a witch personally, although she had naturally studied their methodology in depth. "What are you doing here on Spite Station? I'm surprised that, with a gift like yours, you left Dathomir."

 

Her interest was piqued by this young woman. She was clearly untrained in the Sith arts, and yet, she was here on Spite Station. But Spite Station was abandoned long ago, so perhaps she had not come here to learn the ways of the Sith. The fact that she was healing Roe'gall seemed to point to that. Perhaps she was a Jedi apprentice? Regardless, Emily was curious, and decided to be friendly.

 

"I'm Emily, by the way," she said with a small smile. "Emily Zsahra-Skywalker. And that monstrous tuk'ata in the tank is Roe'gall."

[Emily]

“Isn’t that the question of the month?” Emily muttered to herself when the young woman asked if she was a Sith. She had noticed the girl didn’t speak fluent Basic, so as she pondered how to answer, she tried to put it in simple words. “I was, but no longer,” she finally said. “I am now…more. A Master of the Force itself.”

 

“So you were brought here by Qaela, and you started training under Furion?” Emily didn’t care much for either of the two Sith mentioned. Qaela was always harsh and aloof, and while she held a measure of respect for Furion, it was mostly buried under a pile of dislike for his conniving, manipulative nature. “Despite his leaving you, the fact that he took you for training speaks highly of you. It’s not everyone who gets chosen to train under a Dark Lord of the Sith.”

 

She motioned for Raia to follow her. She was still famished. As they headed towards the mess hall, Emily could tell that this woman was the answer to some of the direction the Force had been pointing her towards. There had been a reason she had come to Spite Station particularly, and she knew without a doubt that the reason was Raia. She gave a mental shrug.

 

“How long have you been here? Have you been on your own the whole time?” she asked. “Oh, and don’t worry about bowing or anything, or be afraid of me or anything. Like I said, I’m not like other Sith. I just want to talk to you.”

[Emily]

Emily didn't miss Raia's almost apprehensive looks at the other acolytes. Clearly, she hadn't made friends. In fact, Emily felt sorry for Raia. It seemed that the girl had been brought here, possibly against her will, forced by Furion to kill someone, promised power, and then abandoned with no way to make her own way in the galaxy. Emily's opinion of the order wasn't very high, but she had thought better of them than this.

 

As she grabbed some food and began to eat, a memory stirred. Last time she was here, Furion had gathered all the Sith together and given a speech, and then tried to unify them, going as far as to give everyone matching tattoos. Then after the presentation, he had arranged a feast and "entertainment", which had mostly involved acolytes and hopefuls fighting to the death. She had left early, but now the Force brought back to her mind that Raia had been one of those in the arena. She put down her sandwich, a bad taste coming to her mouth that had nothing to do with the food. If she had been a different person, Emily's fate might have been the same as Raia's--abandoned, forgotten, alone. She had felt that most of her life, until she had sought the Sith out and taken the initiative to do something about it. But if Quietus hadn't taken her as his apprentice, who knows what would have become of her. That was not a fate she wished on anyone, and now, she had the power to change that for Raia.

 

"Raia, I know we just met, but I want to change things for you." She leaned forward intently. "I want to take you with me. I want to train you in the ways of the Force and give you the ability to make your life whatever you want it to be. The Force will free you. You will never be forced to do anything you don't want to do, ever again, and no one will be able to tell you otherwise."

 

She paused for a moment, then leaned back again. "What do you think? Is that something you want?"

[Emily]

Emily smiled as Raia accepted her offer. "Good. This will begin to make things right."

 

She resumed eating, and quickly finished her sandwich. "Oh, and I should probably start by helping you with your Basic," she said with a small smile. "I can set you up with some lessons on a datapad for now, until we're ready to leave this station." She rose, seeing how Raia was also finished eating, and headed to what her feet told her were the quarters she had stayed in when she was last here. A flicker of memory crossed her mind--the last time she had been here, Nishant had been here too. She wondered what had become of him. Given the state of the galaxy, probably little good. It made her sad.

 

Once she got to the room, she was pleased but unsurprised to find it still clean and ready for use. "Raia, I've got to get some sleep. I haven't fully recovered yet from a battle with a dragon-lizard queen and her entire hive. But I don't know what sleep cycle you're on, so take this." She handed the girl a datapad with some moderate level Basic lessons programmed on it and showed the girl briefly how to use it. "Feel free to use the common room in here, or if you have your own place, that's fine. When I wake, I'd like you to show me those books Furion had. Then we'll collect Roe'gall and be on our way. Alright?"

[Emily]

It was a good nine hours later when Emily awoke. She rose, stretched, and realized how much better she felt. A Force-user was able to heal quickly, and as much as she had worn herself out, she now was completely healed. She showered, dressed quickly, and headed immediately to the medical lab where she had left Roe'gall. He had come out of bacta on schedule after a few hours and had been sleeping since then. She wanted to make sure she was there when he woke--there was no telling how grumpy he might be.

 

Her fears were not unfounded. She found him growling in the corner, very upset at having been left alone locked in a strange lab. It took a lot of coaxing and threatening for her to calm him down, but he eventually did. It was strange; her connection with him seemed stronger than ever before, clearly because of how much more blood they now shared. She did a quick checkup with the Force and found him almost completely healed. A day or two and he'd be back to normal.

 

She smiled. "That was too close, Roe'gall," she told him. "I can't lose you, too." He nuzzled her and let out a smelly tuk'ata breath in her face. She mock-groaned and elbowed him in the side. "Come on. I can feel how hungry you are. Let's get some food and then I'll introduce you to...well, she might end up being the newest member of our pack."

 

She could tell the tuk'ata's curiosity was piqued. Finding their way to the mess hall, both Emily and Roe'gall had a large breakfast, albeit of very different food. Finally, once they were both full, Emily rose. Together, they made their way towards Furion's quarters. Rose wouldn't have roomed far from her precious father. Emily snorted thinking about the wishy-washy girl. When she had seen her on Mechis III, she had hoped that Rose was finally moving out of her father's shadow. But Rose's attitude had quickly proved otherwise.

 

In truth, Emily was unsure of what she hoped to find by perusing Furion's files, but wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. In fact, she hoped to establish a permanent link with his databases. She felt certain his library was quite thorough.

 

Using the Force to guide her, Emily soon arrived at the room Raia was staying in. "Now Roe'gall, be nice. Raia is not an enemy." The mutant tuk'ata whuffed his disappointment, but Emily could tell he remained on high alert. He wouldn't attack unless Emily let him--he was too well-trained for that--but his instincts and thorough training to fight Force-users were not going to simply go away. After a moment, Emily knocked on the door.

[Emily]

Emily didn't miss the girl's smile when she saw them, and how her gaze had lingered on Roe'gall. Here we go, she thought. She was irrepressibly reminded of the first time she had met Roe'gall. The giant beast had broken her arm. For a moment, Eris considered letting the same thing happen here--it had been a good lesson for her to learn right away how dangerous the tuk'ata was. But the moment passed, and Emily decided she'd demonstrate Roe'gall's ferocity another time.

 

While this was going through her head, Raia had knelt down, making herself even smaller before Roe'gall. Even without the Force, it was clear that Roe'gall was on alert. Every inch of sinew was taught, and a vicious light glinted in his eyes. But he glanced at Emily first, and she smiled and nodded. So instead of pouncing, he took a step forward, bent his large head down, and touched the tip of Raia's outstretched hand with his nose. He sniffed once, then let out a rumbling grunt and backed off. Emily let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "Well, that went better than I thought it might. Raia, this is Roe'gall. He's accepted that you're not a threat to me. Who knows?" She raised her eyebrows. "Eventually he might even like you."

 

The 6-foot beast whuffed. He knew Emily was talking about him. She tossed him a glance. "Sinf da'arad," she said in the Sith language.

 

She turned back to Raia. "Will you give me access to Furion's files? I'm curious to see what information he had stored here. And in the meantime, you can tell me what new things about Basic you learned."

[Emily]

Emily nodded as Raia spoke of the rancors. "Yes, you understand. And yes, sometimes I do ride him." She watched with interest then, as Raia unlocked Furion's office with a Dathomiri spell channeled through her Sith tattoo. She was using the Force; that was clear. But she was doing it in a way Emily had never felt before. It was intriguing. Perhaps Raia would have something to teach her in return.

 

She was about to comment as she stepped through into the office, but her comment died in her throat as she glanced around. Books?? I didn't think she meant literal books. She shook her head. "Furion always was an old-fashioned bastard," she muttered. Well, this was just going to be more challenging. She'd have to get the acolytes to bring these books to her ship. When she got back to Rish'navin, she'd have time to pour through all of them. She touched the flimsy of one, then looked up as the young woman next to her admitted to not being able to read.

 

"What a blinkered existence you've lead so far," she commented. "How did you have the determination to even get up in the morning? I've been alone for many long periods of time myself, but then, I always had a goal to work towards that made life worth living. What has kept you going?"

 

She shook herself. "Sorry, you don't have to answer that if you don't want to. I tend to get philosophical at times. Don't worry--I can teach you how to read. You'll pick it up quickly. Let's get as much of this packed up as we can. Once we load it onto my ship, we can get out of here. I sense the Force is calling me onward, and we have your Force-training to begin."

 

For a moment, her mind suddenly flashed back to the only other person she had ever started to train. The foolish and witless man--Kent? Kirk? Kenneth?--who had been foisted on her by Quietus and failed to even turn up after a simple assignment. She remembered how much she had wanted to kill that man. And she remembered Quietus' words to her--that the reason he wanted her to train him was for her own growth and development, not for Kenneth's. He is my gift to you, Quietus had said. It was, perhaps, the type of gift only a Sith would give, and only a Sith would want to receive. And Eris had appreciated the sentiment, even if the boy himself had been an arrogant, ignorant fool.

 

This was so different. In Raia, she had found someone intelligent, with a thirst for knowledge. She was quiet and reserved, a grey little mouse hiding in the ducts of the station--but her potential in the Force was limitless. Raia, she sensed, would be a joy to train, and perhaps still, Emily could finally grow in the way that Quietus had always wanted. She smiled wistfully. It's taken me longer than we expected to get here, my love. A ray of amusement pierced the wistfulness. But of course, I'm not going to train her to be a Sith. Now that was something he would never have approved of.

 

Roe'gall's hot breath on the top of her head brought her back to the present. "I'm eager to learn what knowledge these books has to give," she commented to Raia. "Though I think it will take me a while."

 

She reached out with the Force and summoned some acolytes. "Pack up all of this," she commanded them once they arrived, "and put it on my ship." There was a moment of hesitation on the acolyte's part, but Eris let her eyes flash with tell-told Sith impatience and anger, and they began to comply.

[Emily]

Emily caught Raia's flash of terror as the acolytes began to pack things up, but then noted her gain control of herself, and her terror quickly turned to relief. It was curious, but not unexpected. These books were, in a way, her only friends. But she gained control of herself and then spoke again, explaining what Emily had suspected. "We have much in common," Emily couldn't resist saying. "The search for knowledge...it is unending."

 

Raia seemed eager to go. "Sure, go pack your things and meet me in the hangar."

 

Turning back to the acolytes, Emily supervised as they finished packing, then headed the procession down to the hangar. Once there, she supervised the acolytes packing everything onboard. They finished remarkably quickly given the amount of boxes. Once they were done and Raia was back, Emily turned to the young woman. "Are you ready to leave?"