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[Raynuk Montar]

Just as Quietus was set to ramp his efforts up even more, just as he was about to test the mental limits of this young woman that he had come to care so deeply for, everything changed. Over their time together, from the simple moment when she had come to the Sith Temple looking for someone to guide her along the path that her parents had walked, until this very moment, they had been different. He was a Sith Master, unquestioningly dark, evil, and a source of chaos. He was the stuff of nightmares for the galaxy. She on the other hand, had been been cautious, reserved, and wary of everything. But she had become his apprentice, and he had trained her to the best of his ability. Whether it was out of the duty to her parents that he had called friends in life, or out of the unconscious knowledge of what she would become, he had taken her as his apprentice and grown enjoy her presence.

 

Their journey had been pot-marked with trials and tribulations that would have separated lesser pairings. Quietus had faced the finality of death not once, but twice. Both times he fought his way back, and both times he had missed a large chunk of her training. But both times he returned and found his way to her again, to continue her training. For one who had lost her father, and then watched her mother fall deeper and deeper into despair until she took her own death, Emily had to face losing someone important to her again. And she had held onto her devotion to Quietus, the man that she had called Master.

 

But as time went on and the training continued, the two grew more and more fond of each other. For a long time, Quietus repressed such feelings, knowing that he could not, that he would not, take advantage of his position of authority over her. But with time, even that barricade fell away, leading the two to grow closer and closer together. The second brush with death would prove equally challenging for them both. Quietus was gone even longer the second time around, and in his absence Emily was forced to move on with her training without him. But true to form, he returned again; returned to find that his apprentice had become a Sith Lord. She had followed the path of her parents, and now stood among their memories as Sith, and Quietus only held the regret that came with not having been present for the final leg of her journey. But in the end he found his way back to her, and from that moment on there was nothing that could stop the two growing even closer.

 

What had once been Master and apprentice, had grown to so much more. They had become lovers, and found the solace and comfort in each other that no one else could have provided. And it was in that capacity that Quietus had pushed against her mentally. He was a Sith, and he had found sadistic joy and pleasure in torturing her in his way, denying her the releases of the flesh, while increasing her desire for those releases. Much like her, it had started off so innocently. He had grown to love her, and more specifically, grown to love how different she was from him. She was much more kind and caring than he was. She did not carry the dark burden of a life as a Sith like he did. She had never fully accepted the ways of the Sith; never fully submitted herself to them. She was a better person than he was, and he knew it. Perhaps he saw, through her, just how far he had fallen to the darkness. She was perhaps, his one redeeming quality. But now that had all changed, and he was the cause of it.

 

The moment that Emily went limp in his arms, Quietus thought that he had won their little mental mental war of teasing. He thought that she had merely passed out from the intensity of it all; but then he felt the change in her mind. Gone were the girlish reservations about herself, and gone was the youthful joy that she had carried the entire time that he had known her. Her mind had all but shut down in that moment; she was still alive and still breathing, but he felt only the cold darkness that had plagued him for most of his life within her mind. Gone was the warmth and fire that had once resided there. But perhaps the most telling aspect of just how wrong things had gone, were her eyes.

 

It was something that Quietus himself had experienced, long before he was even a Sith hopeful. The complete blackening of the eyes signified the fundamental shift that Emily's mind had made, and it reflected in those eyes. He had also experienced seeing it from this perspective once before, witnessed the fall to the darkside that few experienced. But now here it was again, and this time it had claimed Emily right from under his grasp. For the few seconds that she remained limp with those black eyes, those seconds that felt like an eternity, Quietus attempted to probe her mind, to see just how far down the rabbit hole she had gone. But by the time that Emily blinked, and once again found strength enough to control her body, Quietus had realized the awful truth.

 

She was gone.

 

The woman that Quietus had grown to care for, grown to love, was but a whisper of what was left inside. A whisper that had completely been engulfed in the darkness and had thus filled her mortal shell to the brim. Her eyes returned to their normal hues, but there was no mistaking the feral, almost haunted look behind that that only came with the complete and utter surrender to the darkside.

 

"No.." he whispered softly, barely even hearing the words himself. After all this, after all that she had done to walk the line and keep her humanity, it had been his childish taunting that had pushed her over, and broken the tightrope on which she walked.

 

“Have your way with me, Darth Quietus, for nothing now shall hold me back.”

 

The words came from her mouth, but it was not Emily's voice. The soft, almost harmonic voice that had been hers was gone, replaced by a much more hardened, gruff voice that sounded just as haunted and possessed as her eyes showed. This was not the voice of Emily Zsahra-Skywalker; This was the voice of Darth Eris. And just as his mental prodding had broken the woman that he had loved and replaced her with this mistress of darkness, so too did that change break what was left of Raynuk Montar.

 

"NO!" He roared, one last act of defiance from the man that he had once been. Everything that had been human, everything that had been nice and caring about Emily, had awoken what was left of those same feelings within Quietus; It had been Raynuk who fell in love with Emily. It had been Emily that had anchored the being known as Quietus by that strand. But with Emily gone, Quietus was no longer anchored, and with that one last roar, Raynuk too slipped back into the darkness. Without even fully thinking, his own mind still shattered slightly, he lashed out in the rage that had boiled up. The rage that he felt, not for this change in Emily, but for allowing Raynuk to dictate their lives up until then.

 

He lashed out in this rage, and with all the might he had, grabbed Darth Eris by the waist, and threw her across the room at the couch. But he did not follow her; he spun on his heel, his mind now a torrent of hatred, of anger, and of fear for what had just occurred. Then he spoke, loud enough for Eris to hear, but clearly speaking to himself as increasingly larger and larger objects began to rise from their perches around the room and fly. Some objects collided violently with others, smashing and bashing their way around as Quietus struggled with his pain.

 

"Fear leads to anger... Anger leads to hate... Hate leads to suffering... Peace is a lie..."

 

The words were almost inhuman to him now, and as the room became more and more of a tornado of rage, Quietus spun again and practically glided across the room at Eris. Quietus had always been strong with the Force, but he had always taken more pleasure and pride in using his physical prowess, and without pausing, gripped her by the neck, hoisted her off of the couch, and pinned her to the wall, her feet off the ground. But perhaps more disturbing was that she did not fight him; she did not claw and grasp at his hand upon her neck that pinned her so, she just looked down at him with those eyes that had been so full of life for so long. Those eyes that now mirrored his own. It was far too much for even Darth Quietus to handle. The impenetrable shell that he had been, the statuesque man who showed little emotion, had cracked. For the first time in a long time, he spoke with sorrow in his voice and in his heart.

 

"I... loved her."

 

And with those three words, Raynuk Montar was gone forever within Darth Quietus. And in that moment, Quietus took over completely once more. He lowered her to the ground, his grip on her neck loosening only slightly as his eyes never left hers. Her last words still ringing in his ears, Quietus blinked once, before engulfing Darh Eris in a rough kiss, his free hand falling to her thigh with a firm grip. Darth Quietus would oblige her request.

[Emily]

His reaction was unexpected, to say the least. After what Eris had just experienced, she would have expected him to wholeheartedly approve. Only belatedly did she realize that he had truly cared for Emily. That she had been an anchor, a lifeline for the humanity in his soul. Well, it was no big deal. She had him to partially thank for freeing her, and if she could do the same for him, so much the better. Humanity was a weakness; compassion, a lie. Better to set Quietus free from that which would hold him back, and the weakling that had been Emily was certainly a chain about his neck. Eris understood now what Ar-Pharazon had seen. They had only been trying to help Quietus, to end his attachment to one that was not worthy of him.

 

Quietus thrashed and raged, the room spinning around them in a violent display of anguish. But she stayed quiet, watching and savoring his outpouring of emotion. It was emotion that she echoed; it wasn’t easy to lose part of oneself in a matter of minutes, even if the change had been for the better. She felt a little raw, but it was akin to the pain one felt after a hard workout; it was pain that was weakness leaving the body.

 

Somewhere, locked deep inside Eris, bound with the chains that had formerly held the Sith in check, Emily raged and cried, a wounded animal struggling to break free of the prison she had built for another. She had been tricked and betrayed; the dark had promised her everything and given her only captivity in return. She saw the humanity slipping from Quietus, saw Raynuk being bound with the same chains that she was being held with, and she knew then the truth of how much she had loved him.

 

But it was too late; she was bound, and now the one person who would stand the best chance of freeing her was bound as well. They were both lost together, and it would take the greatest miracle in the history of the universe to change that.

 

Eris wasn’t truly aware of any of this. There was a moment, a split second where she felt…discomfort? It wasn’t strong enough for sorrow or regret. Those were two emotions foreign to her. It wasn’t pleasant, whatever it was. She hadn’t wanted to hurt Quietus, but she knew it was for his own good.

 

He was on her then, and the two expressed their mutual lust for each other in many creative and depraved ways for a long time afterwards. Through it all, Eris felt very little. She was detached, her mind on a icy, wind-swept plain. Emotions were strange here; they were echoes of something she used to know. There was pleasure there, certainly, but it was almost something clinical, something to be examined and stored and harnessed later when she needed it.

 

In the end, even their Force-fueled stamina wore out, and Eris succumbed to her exhausted flesh and slept.

[Raynuk Montar]

What had transpired shortly after Quietus wholly consumed the mind and body that had once been Raynuk Montar was, in a word, intense. Gone was the love, the tenderness, and the caring that Quietus had once held, just as the young woman who he had felt those things for was gone. In its place was left only passion and desire. He had broken the will of Emily Skywalker, and in her place Darth Eris had risen. With that transition came a similar change in Quietus, as Raynuk Montar was similarly pressed back by the darkness. But for Quietus, this was merely him reverting to the man, the Sith, that he had been prior to Emily entering his life. He still held emotion; the emotions of anger, hatred, passion, and desire. he fed off of the anger and fear of others around him and bent them to his own will. Darth Eris however, was void of emotions for the moment, feeling nothing. He was like fire, and she was like ice. Just as Raynuk and Emily had been opposites in their own right, so too were Quietus and Eris, but for completely different reasons.

 

Considering all that had occurred to her, Quietus was not the least bit surprised when Eris was the first to succumb to her bodily exhaustion. He of course, was the superior specimen, the one who was not only more capable of handling such an intense experience, but less impacted by his own change. And so she slipped into exhaustion while Quietus did not. It did not however, stop him from continuing to have his fun with her until he decided to end it. Afterall, there was only so much amusement that one could have with a partner who had slipped out of consciousness without causing more, perminent damage. He had no need to damage her, at least not now. By his estimation, there would be plenty more opportunities to explore each other's bodily and mental limits.

 

With his intention to preserve the future amusement to be had, Quietus rose from where Eris had come to rest, untangling himself from her form, and began to collect his belongings. Much like had happened on Mechis III, he found that his belongings as well as various pieces of clothing had been spread around the room, some in strangely odd places that left Quietus wondering momentarily how it was even possible. But perhaps the most peculiar thing that Quietus noticed were the thousands of little peices of black cloth that seemed to be stuck to the walls and various metallic objects via what appeared to be static electricity. By the time that he finished collecting his belongings however, the mystery solved itself.

 

It seemed, that those tiny pieces of cloth were what remained of Quietus' pants. As the process of elimination developed, Quietus suddenly conjured up a memory from his time of depravity with Darth Eris. He suddenly recalled that at one point, she had quite literally tore his pants to shreds with the Force while he was still wearing them; an example of both her prowess with the Force and her seemingly endless desire and lust. He looked at the wall nearest him, tilting his head slightly as he studied the shreds of cloth. A thought floated through his mind as he turned to leave the room sans pants.

 

Hrm... Interesting. Perhaps this is her vengeance for me tearing her outfit apart on Mechis III...

 

A few minutes later, Quietus stood still, adjusting Navemiba and the bracer that contained it as he stood in front of his mirror. He had decided that, considering he was a Sith Master of the Warrior Path, he should be always ready for the inevitable combat. To that end, he had donned his black and crimson Dark Knight Armor. He had forgotten the sense of power that its weight on his frame brought him. The feeling was almost intoxicating to him. All that was left was to place his various weapons in their designated locations.

 

But as Quietus moved to place Torch in its scabbard at the small of his back, he paused, almost certain that he had heard a noise. he stood completely still for another few heartbeats, using the Force to enhance his hearing even further. Those few heartbeats were all Quietus needed, as he heard the same noise again. This time however, he had identified it. Keeping his keen eyes on the doorway, he blindly finished attaching his weapons; his lightsabers on either hip, and his warhammer on his back, parallel to his spine. With Navemiba and Torch already in place, Quietus turned fully to the doorway, and made his way to confront the source of the noise.

 

Quietus had not so much forgotten about the two massive tuk'atas aboard his ship, so much as he had better things to think of until this moment. But now, as he crept along his ship towards the cargo bay, the pair were brought to his attention. He was three meters from the hatchway when Quietus finally realized that the sound he was hearing, was one or both of the tuk'atas. From his time raising Roe'gall and now Vex'aedr, he then knew that what he was hearing was the sound of a tuk'ata whining and bumping against the cargo bay door. The Sith paused just outside the door, and extended his presence inward, touching the minds of both tuk'atas.

 

The reaction he got from both of them was rather violent, as both of their minds recoiled in panic almost instantly. Barely being able to tell the pair of minds apart, he then felt one of them - Vex'aedr he concluded - slowly return from its recoil of confusion. Roe'gall on the other hand, seemed to only recover slightly. Finally deciding that there was no inherent danger, but steadying himself for some none the less, Quietus hit the release on the door, and was nearly bowled over as both tuk'atas came charging out.

 

Vex'aedr was the first to recover, instantly recognizing Quietus as its Master and slowly padding towards him. But it then stopped suddenly and raised its head towards Quietus, a look of slight confusion on its face. Roe'gall on the other hand, had apparently gone completely mad. Quietus could feel only chaos, confusion, and panic in the tuk'ata's mind. Roe'gall was likewise visibly agitated, pacing around the cramped hallway, snuffing and huffing almost non-stop. He reached out to Roe'gall, both physically and mentally, and was surprised at how well the beast responded after all these years and all the training it had done with Emily. Quietus was able to invoke at least some calm into Roe'gall, but could still feel the massive amount of emotion pouring from its mind as Roe'gall paused his pacing and looked up at him. Risking a hunch, QUietus decided to enter the beast's mind fully in order to get the truth.

 

<<...is gone! Cant feel her! Cant find her! Mistress is gone! I am alone again! But... you... are familiar... BUT YOU ARE NOT MASTER! WHO ARE YOU?!>>

 

It was Roe'gall's pure panicked rage that pushed Quietus out of the tuk'ata's mind, and only a moment later Roe'gall was hunched down snarling at Quietus, prepared to defend itself. Quietus sensed the tuk'ata's actions a second before Roe'gall was set to pounce on him, and was about to batter it into submission; but he was not the only one to sense Roe'gall's actions. Before Quietus could force his will onto Roe'gall, and before Roe'gall could pounce on the Sith, Vex'aedr barked once and gave its older brother a very harsh nudge into the wall. That action proved enough to break Roe'galls intentions before Vex'aedr turned back to Quietus. The same look of puzzlement was upon the white tuk'atas face. But for whatever reason, while Roe'gall had become hostile, Vex'aedr appeared to be more calm, although cautious.

 

Sensing the change in demeanor, Quietus extended his hand out towards Vex'aedr, as he had done so many times prior. It was a sign that Vex'aedr would surely recognize, and after only a momentary pause, the snow white tuk'ata padded forward cautiously, and caught Quietus' hand on the side of his snout, nuzzling it slightly. Only then did Quietus bring his other hand to land on the other side of Vex'aedr's head and focused his mind onto that of his pet. Vex'aedr only shuddered slightly before allowing the Sith in.

 

<

 

Those few words, only understandable to Quietus because of his time training Vex'aedr and Roe'gall as well as the tuk'ata blood that flowed through him, spoke far more truth than Quietus expected. The Sith suddenly understood. He understood the unease of Vex'aedr, and knew the source of the panic from Roe'gall. He risked a glance at the older tuk'ata, still with a stance of unease as it had returned to pacing, before turning back to Vex'aedr. He paused for a moment, aligning the words in his mind so that Vex'aedr would understand. Once he had Vex'aedr back in line, he could work on Roe'gall. Finally he looked the white tuk'ata in its massive, curiosity filled eyes, and spoke in its mind.

 

Master was sick... Was infected. had a parasite eating away at him. Had been there since before Vex'aedr was born. This is true Master; this is Master when he is healthy and free of parasite. Not worry about Master now.

 

Like so many other statements made in the galaxy, this one was true from a certain point of view. It also served to best squash any lingering questions or doubts that Vex'aedr might have. And after a few moments of silence, during which Quietus could see the tuk'ata thinking and felt its limited prodding back at Quietus' mind, the tuk'ata nodded slightly and snuffed again. It moved its massive head out of Quietus' hands, and turned to face its older brother. As near as Quietus could tell, the two tuk'atas were communicating silently, as he saw Roe'gall wince slightly, its eyes darting back and forth between Vex'aedr and Quietus. Then with what could only have been trepidation, Roe'gall padded its way forward cautiously towards Quietus.

 

Just as he had done with Vex'aedr, Quietus extended his hand to the black tuk'ata. it took Roe'gall a distinctively longer amount of time, but eventually it too met his hand.

 

<

 

Quietus nodded silently before pressing forward. Since Emily had taken over as Roe'gall's master, Quietus had lost his own ability to talk to the beast. Without words to explain, Quietus would have to use other methods to get through to Roe'gall. After a moment of consideration, he determined the best course of action. Using Roe'gall's own memories, Quietus reminded the tuk'ata that before Emily, there had been another that it had called Master. That there was a Sith who had created the tuk'ata from little more than a drop of blood, and that that same man had taught and trained Roe'gall so much of what it knew. Like a slide projector these images of memories would flash through Roe'galls mind, until the last image came.

 

The image of that tall man bringing Roe'gall into a room the beast had known so well. The man had smiled, and offered Roe'gall words of comfort and ease before the door slid closed. And then the man was gone, leaving Roe'gall stuck in that room for many days and nights, clawing at the door and whimpering in fear and hunger. But then the door opened, and Emily had let Roe'gall out. But just as suddenly as the images progressed forward, they suddenly stopped and reversed, back to that moment before the door closed, and froze.And then Quietus knew that Roe'gall understood. The image that hovered in its mind was the image of the man who stood before Roe'gall now. The words from Roe'gall's mind came suddenly, still carrying a fair amount of question.

 

<>

 

Again Quietus nodded, seeing the understanding spread through its mind.

 

<<...Where is Mistress?>>

 

At last the question had come. Quietus had been waiting for Roe'gall to get to this point. But Quietus was not going to answer him. Vex'aedr was bound to Quietus, and Roe'gall was bound to what was now Darth Eris. It would be up to her to explain to the beast what had occurred. At the very least however, Quietus could always re-possess the older tuk'ata if things didnt go well. Suppressing a devilish grin, Quietus turned and beckoned both tuk'atas to follow him. Vex'aedr instantly followed, but Roe'gall paused, its answer still hanging in the air.

 

Not long after, they arrived at the cockpit, and with a simple command, Roe'gall and Vex'aedr took up positions facing the entryway of the cockpit while he checked on the flight systems. When Darth Eris finally did rise from her exhaustion, if she came to find him, she would run face first into two tuk'atas who would not recognize her presence at all. Her only saving grace was bound to be that she looked like Emily.

 

At the very least, it would be an interesting show to watch.

[Emily]

Eris slept for a few hours. When she woke, she continued to lay there for a few long minutes, thinking. Her head was clearer now, lying there alone, than it had been before. It was as if she had been drunk and now was recovered. So she took this opportunity to really think.

 

While Emily was gone, chained up deep inside, Eris couldn't deny that they were two sides of the same coin. Everything that had happened to her had also happened to Eris. It was only a perspective shift, and Eris needed to work though that. So she thought through her life systematically.

 

When it came to her parents, Eris felt only the old bitterness in her. Emily's feelings towards them had begin to change, but in Eris' mind, the fact that they had abandoned her meant that no matter what Montar had claimed, they hadn't felt much love for her. It had been out of duty only that they had saved a spot for her in their tomb on Korriban. So she would think of them as she had before.

 

The next thing that came to mind were Emily's attachments. She had felt very strongly for several people in her life. Eris remembered those emotions. Her attachment to Quietus was dealt with already, and both Sith were satisfied with what had resulted. They would be each other's partners and playthings, but that was pretty much the extent of it. Emily had also had some attachments to other people--the gray Jedi/Sith Nishant, her uncle Andon Colos--but they were all people that had long since passed out of her life. If they came back, Eris would deal with it then, but otherwise, she would take away the feeling of abandonment and pain and use it to fuel her.

 

Lastly, there was Roe'gall. Eris knew her dealings with the tuk'ata would have to be very cautious. She remembered the first time she had met the beast, he had broken her arm. She knew firsthand how much more he could do, and the Force wouldn't aid her that much, because he had been specifically trained to fight Force-users.

 

She saw two ways to approach him: she could dominate his mind and force him to submit, or she could be gentle, make him understand, and thus win his loyalty again. She weighed it in her mind. She wasn't sure the former would even work. Roe'gall was extremely hardy, and his ability to resist mental domination served him well. She would be successful in the end, but it might cause the beast some permanent damage. One of the biggest assets of Roe'gall was his ability to work fairly independently at times. She didn't want to put that in jeopardy.

 

So the solution then was the latter option. It didn't bother Eris to resort to "light" methodology. Emotions were the weapons of the Sith, regardless of which ones. Nevertheless, it would require her to show more emotion than she felt to win the tuk'ata back. To that end, she reached down inside of her. She took a moment to reassemble her Emily Skywalker face. Rising, she reached out and summoned the tuk'ata to her.

 

She felt his panic as she touched his mind, but knew that he would come. She rose, realizing with some measure of surprise that she was quite sore from her and Quietus' exertions. She kept herself very fit, but they had been quite...dynamic.

 

She was ready when Roe'gall came in, bristling, ready to attack at the slightest provocation. She immediately reached out to him, physically and mentally, taking her time, trying to be open. "Roe'gall," she said in the language of the ancient Sith. "Roe'gall, it's me. I've changed, but I'm still your mistress. I know I feel different. I was a pup and now I'm an adult. Don't let this change ruin our partnership." She repeated the words over and over, speaking kindly, softly. Roe'gall was a huge asset to her, and she would do anything to keep him that way. She crooned them over and over as an almost lullaby.

 

It took a long time for him to relax a bit. It was tense, for she was constantly on edge, aware that if he decided to attack, she'd need all her wits to escape him. But finally, he stepped forward and let her pat his nose. The stroking calmed him even more. She could feel his reluctant acceptance through their bond, and she drew on that. "It's alright. Nothing will change between us."

 

For a good twenty minutes they stood there, the giant black tuk'ata and the naked Sith. But finally, Eris knew he believed her. She let out a breath and relaxed. That had been a very, very close thing. She rubbed Roe'gall behind the ear habitually. "C'mon. I better make myself presentable."

 

She headed to the 'fresher and took a short shower. She dressed in a clean outfit, noting with something like pleasure that she still very much approved of the clothes she had recently purchased. She let her raven hair hang loose, pulling the top back to keep it out of her face. "Roe'gall," she said, "go to the cockpit. Tell your brother what has happened. Ensure that he knows we are still part of the same pack."

 

The tuk'ata padded off while Eris returned to the living area and picked up her things. Her mug of caf had shattered during Quietus' rage-storm, and it took several minutes to get the stain off the decking. But soon enough the place was in shape once more, and Eris headed to the cockpit. The door slid open to reveal the two tuk'ata looming right at the entrance. It was enough to give another person a heart attack, but it merely put Eris on edge. Vex'aedr gave her a low rumbling growl, but it seemed that Roe'gall had convinced him enough that he would accept her. So she walked in and slipped into the co-pilot's seat, noting that they were fast approaching Coruscant.

[Raynuk Montar]

Quietus said nothing as Roe'gall seemed to tense up in an instant, figuring that Eris had finally awoken from her unconciousness and had reached out to her pet. Roe'gall merely turned to glance at Quietus, seeking answers from the closest thing he knew to a master for the moment. The Sith merely glanced at the tuk'ata and nodded before turning back to the flight systems. A few seconds later he heard the padding of heavy feet, and the door to the cockpit opening. A few more seconds left Quietus alone in the cockpit with Vex'aedr, who let out a low groan as its older brother wandered off into the ship.

 

It was nearly twenty minutes before the door slid open again, causing Quietus to turn fully. He saw Roe'gall come padding back in, glance at him and then at Vex'aedr, and stop. For another minute Quietus merely watched the two before it dawned on him that they were once again communicating, a fact that was confirmed when Quietus enhanced his hearing once again. Only then did he hear the low grunts, growls, and snuffs that the two were emitting over the general din of the Ogariv II. What the two were speaking about he would not know unless he again invaded their minds. But then at last Roe'gall turned and glanced up at Quietus, as if wondering what the Sith was doing just sitting there before turning and resuming the position that he had taken originally when Quietus and the two tuk'atas had entered.

 

Quietus turned and found that Vex'aedr was looking up at him too, waiting patiently for some command. Curiosity getting the better of him, Quieus reached out with his mind and connected it to Vex'aedr's.

 

<

 

Quietus could not hide the smirk that crossed his face at the questions from Vex'aedr. It seemed that for whatever reason Eris found herself leery around a tuk'ata that was not hers. it was a peculiar thing to behold, and made Quietus wonder if deep down, Emily had always feared Vex'aedr because he was not bound to her the way Roe'gall was. But then memory served Quietus a delicious platter of explanation as he recalled that the first time Emily had attempted to meet Roe'gall, the reaction had been violent and nearly cost Emily dearly. Perhaps Darth Eris had failed to retain the lesson that Emily had learned so well. With an idea forming in his head, he addressed Vex'aedr.

 

No, Master does not want Vex'aedr to attack Mistress. Much like Master, Mistress had parasite that made her feel and seem different. Parasite was much larger in Mistress, made her change much. She will feel very strange to you, practically foreign. Brother spent much time with Mistress before Vex'aedr was born, and spent long time with her now to regain trust. She moves and looks like Mistress, but will not feel like Mistress.

 

He stood then, walking over to Vex'aedr, who likewise sat up as he approached. Quietus then placed his hand on the snout of Vex'aedr to express the importance of what he was to say next.

 

Mistress no trust Vex'aedr, so Master will not ask Vex'aedr to trust Mistress. Mistress sent Brother to try to pacify you in that. Vex'aedr may react as it chooses, but will not attack Mistress. Understand?

 

Vex'aedr seemed to consider those words, its eyes searching Quietus' face before it snuffed and nuzzled Quietus' hand, indicating its understanding. Quietus likewise nodded, and turned back to sit down again, setting the last few setting on the flight controls to prepare the Ogariv II and the Shimmer Scale, which was still slaved, for their arrival at Coruscant. A few more moments passed in relative silence before the door opened once more. This time however, Quietus did not turn, but merely allowed the evil grin to return to his face as he heard the low rumbling growl that emanated from Vex'aedr. Whether she thought that her subterfuge bargan had worked or not, Eris paused only a fraction of a second before she slipped by and sat down in the co-pilots seat next to Quietus.

 

"Enjoy your nap did you?" Was all he said to her, his tone quite sarcastic, letting his amusement fill the last few seconds of their trip through hyperspace.

 

((On to Coruscant; Upper Levels specifically))

[Frozen_Slicer]

the Galactic Chaos floated around the space not far from Courscant, it had been a while since Erdric had taken a bounty, he was stil living rather well off the previous one that they had completed, but it was about time he had taken on another mission.

 

"What we have on the Holonet?" He asked his friend Vailiance.

 

It was silent for a little before he could hear a happy shout from around the way.

 

"There is an open bounty on any CoreSec agent brought in, looks like 10,000 credits a head."

 

"Perfect" Erdric shouted back, smiling to him self, he headed out into deeper space in an attempt to track down some CoreSec agents.

[Onderin Starlisk]

A shuttle bearing Onderin Starlisk and Qaela hurtles through hyperspace en route from Ilum to Kashyyyk.

 

Onderin considered carefully what Qaela had said. There were points during her discussion that he had seen nothing but the ways in which Qaela was totally different from a Jedi, her belief system completely incompatible. But then at other times he wondered how different she would be if she just took that first step and decided to serve something other than herself. There was a lot about her that seemed fair, even honorable, but with a sickly twist that came from the corruption of the dark side. Her near worship of Ar-Pharazon did not do her any favors, though it was in many ways quite interesting for him to hear someone talk about the Sith who neither hated them nor was a member of their occult.

 

More than anything, though, she had spoken of power.

 

"It's interesting that you went to the Sith for power," he said. "It's true that they seem obsessed with it, but I don't think they really understand its purpose. Power that can only service yourself is wasted; it's not enough, or you die and take it with you. Ar-Pharazon may be strong in the Force and able to murder hundreds of people with it--and he will do so without considering the rules of the game, as you put it--but preying on the weak does nothing but sow strife.

 

"Do you know what happened to Ar-Pharazon? Last word from CoreSec was that he was captured and brought into custody by a man named Fett, a Mandalorian soldier who doesn't use the Force at all. He's locked in a top-secret, ultra-secure prison somewhere where he will rot for the rest of his days. What did all that power bring him? What does it buy him now?"

 

Onderin shook his head. "I have seen Jedi Masters accomplish amazing things. The path the Sith take to power is quick and easy, yet even such great forces as the Sith Triumvirate have been defeated by such Jedi as Talon and Malin Kyrell." He remembered back when Talon was leading the Order at one point during the war. He had killed more Sith in that short time than Onderin had perhaps even met. "Now more and more Sith have fallen, and the only legacy they have left behind is a swath of destruction. The galaxy may never see Barohm Zar, Heretic, Ar-Pharazon, Geki, or Faust again, and will only remember them for their crimes.

 

"The path of a Jedi requires self-sacrifice, control, and patience, but we serve a higher purpose. Surely when you touch the Force, you can feel how it comes from life and thrives on it, but distorts and diminishes when death is caused. If you quiet your mind, tune out your emotions and act at peace, you can hear that it has a will, an enduring purpose. I believe that it led these very events to transpire--your capture on Ilum, the fortuity of which you pointed out yourself, my arrival there, and now this very discussion. I do not know what purpose the Force has here, but when we follow the currents instead of fighting them, it gives us a very different sort of power than the Sith think they have."

 

It was almost like a lesson he would give to a padawan, but he addressed her as an equal. "The problem is how hard it is sometimes to act impartially. There are some of us still who know how to listen--myself and Darex Trevelian, and I believe Kitt Fitt as well. When Kirlocca acted against your children, he spent too much time thinking, trying to hurt his enemies. He was trying to prevent your children from becoming Sith like their father. I realize now that you would never allow that to happen, but I bet he didn't at the time. He lost sight of what it meant to be a Jedi and became for that moment no better than the Sith themselves," he continued. "I would urge you not to think that this action, made in a moment of oversight, is indicative of the Jedi Order as a whole."

 

He gave her a close look. "I think if you detached yourself from seeking power, you might actually find it. You may find that love for people close to you is not a weakness, but a strength, and that forgiveness is a higher purpose than revenge. It's a fundamentally different reality, but looking at what the great Jedi of our time and times past have accomplished, surely you cannot conclude that it made them weak!"

[Qaela]

Qaela stood in the cramped cockpit with a look of incredulity on her face while Starlisk responded to her. Of all things. . . . . he was trying to convert her? She had just told him that she was a wretched murderess who had killed many of whom he would deem innocent, and he didn't once try to scold her or tell her she was evil. Oh sure, he tried to tell her she was wrong in a circular fashion, but it was nothing like what she expected from the stereotypical sanctimonious Jedi.

 

When he finished, she just stood there turning slightly pink while trying not to explode into laughter. She wasn't able to succeed for long, but before she did, she quickly leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She stood back up with a chuckle of complete, pure bemusement. "Oh Master Jedi," she said in an uncharacteristically light tone, "you have made all of my humiliation at being captured worth it with that. I know what you are doing, and I must tell you that it isn't going to work. In fact, it is almost charming that you would even try with one such as me, but I must warn you not to waste your time. I am what I am. I will no more change than you likely will."

 

She laughed lightly for a couple of seconds before continuing in a more serious, controlled voice. "You asked me what good power was? I will tell you: it is the key to life and survival. Power is what keeps you safe and allows you to protect your own. I can tell you from personal experience that if I hadn't learned what gave me the power I have, I would be dead many times over. The Sith may be brutal, but they are strong even if you don't like to admit it.

 

"Not all power is personal, it can come in other forms. If I didn't acquire allies who increased my power, I would be dead as well. You see, I don't care about who adheres to what philosophy or what government, I only care about what people can offer me by way of power or strength. I am not part of the Jedi or the Sith or the Galactic Alliance, I am myself. I represent me and what is best for me and mine. When I ally with people, we form a clan of sorts, and a clan must always look after each other because they are stronger together than alone. I made an alliance with Ar-Pharazon and others because they offer protection and strength. At the time, I was the weaker member and benefited the most. There are those that I have claimed that are weaker than myself, but I watch over them and avenge wrongs against them because I know that perhaps one day, they will repay me in some way.

 

"I approached the Sith because I knew they followed the darkness and would accept it in me. They may not like that I am different than they, but at least we have that common ground. If I had gone to the Jedi, there is no way they would ever consent to teach me their secrets knowing I would use them to protect myself and my own using any means possible. I will never abandon the darkness because that is who I am. I may not be as reckless and randomly violent as others, but I am of the dark and I like it."

 

"With that being said, it is interesting to know Ar-Pharazon is in prison. That man always did make too big of a target for himself. It figures that one day, someone would end up taking him down. Shame, though, because he was on such a streak. You try to point out how powerful Jedi Masters could be, but I ask: how many Jedi Masters has Ar-Pharazon killed? Sure, eventually everyone has to fall, but you have to admit, there are not many people in this universe who have been as successful or killed as many enemies as Ar-Pharazon himself. Why, I personally saw as he marched into a packed cantina and slaughtered the Jedi Grandmaster with hardly a fight. With that sort of power, I would be able to protect myself from far more threats than I can now."

 

As I said, I don't discriminate who I work with as long as they don't try to kill or betray me. I would work with you if you could stand being around someone such as I. After all, that is what we are doing now, right?"

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin was surprised by the kiss, enough that he flinched slightly. Still, the surprised turned into chagrin and then a sort of indifference when she laughed and spoke of how she would never change her ways. He had rather hoped it would have seemed less like an attempt to convert her and more like an attempt to get her to better understand what a Jedi was, since her opinion had been somewhat skewed. Ultimately, the goal was to see if he could get her to turn away from the dark side by realizing it served her no better than what he believed but indeed was a threat to her and ultimately a pathway to destruction.

 

But he would be foolish to think such change could be enacted in a day, especially for someone as rooted in her ways as Qaela. The truth was, though, that as they conversed he became even more convinced that she did not need to be an enemy of the Jedi Order, but that rather she could be a potential ally. He wondered what it would mean to have an ally who was an unrecalcitrant wielder of the dark side, and whether it was better than turning her loose and hoping she upheld her oath not to harm the Order. This was one situation where there was no clear choice that a Jedi should make; traditionally, the dark side was an abomination and its wielders deserved death because their hunger for power drove them to murder and slaughter remorselessly. But Qaela was a dark sider with greater purpose, and by making a friend of her she could potentially accomplish some good in the galaxy, wittingly or not. Or was compromising concerning her methods with this goal in mind no better than the kind of war-time decisions that had led Kirlocca to have her children cut off from the Force?

 

Onderin just didn't know yet. For now, he would wait and see. Despite what she claimed, he did not see her as beyond redemption. How much had he already evolved her peception of the Jedi? There was the major matter of her desire for revenge against Kirlocca, which Onderin was not sure he could allow. But if that hurdle could be overcome and he was able to observe how she operated in practice... well, it would be enough to build a plan on.

 

"I do not think I would want that kind of power no matter how bad I needed it, not with the cost it brings," he said when she was done talking about Ar-Pharazon. "For now, though, I think I have proved that I don't have a problem working with you. We may even be able to learn a few things about the Force from each other." Of course, if she wanted to learn Jedi techniques, she would have to learn to draw on the Force like a Jedi, but she might consider it worth it given how hungry she seemed to learn from Ar-Pharazon.

 

((If you want, you can include us arriving at Kashyyyk during your next post.))

[Qaela]

((I am not in any hurry unless you are and this is fascinating. Feel free to cut the conversation off at any time by hopping to Kashyyyk and I will follow your lead.))

 

Qaela shrugged. "I am glad you are willing to work with me. Otherwise, I would have likely attempted to break out and there would have been a bunch of panic, pain, blood, and death--likely with my own as result." She paused then smiled, "Either that or I would have demanded a lawyer and turned my imprisonment into a huge media circus. Neither option seems exactly appealing in light of the path you have opened up." Despite her cavalier attitude, she did find herself grateful that she didn't have to throw her life away in what would very likely have been a futile escape attempt. As it was, she had not imagined in her wildest dreams that she would be actually on her way to her children at this point. She expected a long, protracted, bloody, and dangerous war against the Jedi that would have lasted months or years before they surrendered to her demands. Either that or she would have eventually been killed without ever finding them. That was also highly likely, though she wondered if she would have even cared by that point. When she was consumed in the rage, she didn't care about such things. At least now, after talking with Raynuk, she had come to terms on a few things and no longer sought death so eagerly.

 

If this Jedi proved honest, then she would owe him a good deal. That thought alone was disturbing because she made it a habit to repay her debts, be they good or ill. She wasn't sure how she felt being beholden to any Jedi. Surely her mother would have killed her without hesitation if she had found out her daughter was even considering doing such a thing. Good thing that hag was dead.

 

Qaela looked down to find that her hand was resting on the Jedi's shoulder, and in a manner that wasn't at all related to inflicting pain or death. With a start, she pulled back and desperately thought of something to talk about. She backed away a step or two and leaned against the bulkhead. Being careful not to press on any buttons or screens, and folded her arms in front of her to keep them from straying off.

 

"I would admit, it would be interesting to learn some of your Jedi skill from an educational standpoint, but I don't think it would work well. There really isn't much that you can offer that I don't know already or even want to learn, but there is a question I did have. I always wished that I could heal as fast as your kind were rumored to be able to, and without being so drained after it. I mean, I can heal something well enough, certainly better than bacta could, but it leaves me exhausted and drained. I was actually surprised that the Sith were not able to do it without draining life energy from someone else or something of the like. Some of them seem fascinated with my ability to, and it led one of them to his death." She smiled at that last delicious memory. She defended her own, even if they were foolish enough to get themselves in trouble.

 

"Anyway," she said with a sigh, "I assume it has something to do with your embrace of the light and its connection to life. Unless you can think of a way for me to heal faster and better while being in commune with the darkness, I doubt that I would even be capable of healing your way. I know what happens to people who try to straddle both sides of the fence and it is rarely pretty. I embrace the darkness and that is where I will stay, but that doesn't make me Sith nor does that make me evil any more than being called a Jedi and embracing the light will make someone good."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin noticed the hand Qaela placed on his shoulder as well as her reaction when she realized it was there. He decided not to mention it, though, because he didn't really want to think about what it meant. He was too busy trying to grasp Qaela's philosophy regarding the dark side. Use of the dark side corrupted the wielder--he knew it did. He had witnessed Jedi taking one step toward the dark side and then being drawn down the path, committing greater and greater sins as the dark energy influenced them until it consumed them. The Sith were ones that allowed this to happen willingly, caring only for the fleeting power that it gave them to manipulate, control, and end the lives of others.

 

Qaela, too, had shown signs of this corruption. The disrespect she held for the lives of others, how little she had thought of the slaves she had killed, was an affront to the natural order. Yet she could stand back and claim that dark siders were not evil, Jedi not good. It was, he realized, the result of a radically different moral perspective. He considered moral objectivity to come from the Force; when he acted dispassionately, he could hear it guiding his actions. He could feel through it that something like murder was wrong, and he could feel how it urged him to compassion and forgiveness. But to Qaela, morality was relative. She watched out for herself and the ones close to her, and any means that were at her disposal were acceptable as long as they supported those ends. She had chosen the Sith because they were more likely than the Jedi to give her what she wanted; Onderin suspected that was probably a correct appraisal--the unfortunate truth was that not many Jedi would do as he was doing.

 

But the thing was, Onderin realized, that her mentality wasn't that foreign to him at all. There were tons of morally gray situations in war, weighing lives against lives and victory against collateral damage. But at the end of the day, it came down to us versus them, and the driving force behind tactical decisions was how to protect his people, whether his people meant the soldiers under his command or the civilians of the galaxy who wanted to live free of the oppression of an Empire that cared little for them. Maybe he could claim the moral high ground in such engagements, believing his cause to be the will of the most people, but hadn't that morality been subjective as well? He believed that he had been serving the will of the Force by choosing to fight, but could he say that about each decision he had made?

 

There was no clear answer, but Onderin suspected that moral relativism--intrinsically selfish--was the province of the dark side, and so it simply was the only side of the Force she could serve. In order for Qaela to understand what it meant to be a Jedi, to truly alter her perception of them, she would need to experience the concept of moral absolutism, to touch the light and feel something that she had perhaps suppressed long ago: her conscience.

 

He gave a slight smile when she mentioned healing. He had learned the basics the hard way when his borderline-psychopathic Master had deliberately wounded himself with a lightsaber to provide a learning opportunity. But he had learned much more from two of his padawans, now-Chief-of-State Sabian Devanus and Aira Cadan, both of whom had found a natural affinity for the techniques.

 

"I do believe you are correct about our ability to heal being tied to the Force's affinity for life," he answered. "I don't know enough about the dark side to even consider adapting the technique, but I don't believe it would kill you to try using the Jedi version of it. I'm not sure why you are so afraid to touch the light, as if doing so would in some way make you less than what you are now. There are many individuals who draw on the Force the way a Jedi would but do not serve the Order or feel beholden to protect and preserve life and peace as a Jedi would. They call themselves Gray Jedi, although I never thought that term particularly suited, since Jedi they are not."

[Qaela]

Qaela sniffed in indignation at that, though she maintained a slight smirk to let him know she wasn't too offended. "I know what these Greys are and they are the worst of them all. Even if I disagree with them and think them foolish, I can respect the Witches or the Jedi for at least picking a side and holding to it. These Greys don't even do that, and I believe they weaken themselves by only halfway embracing one side or the other. Darkness demands devotion in order to attain its maximum potential, so does the light. I will not sully myself by dabbling in the light because I would only be able to partially embrace it while weakening my grip on the darkness."

 

She glanced at one of the viewscreens and caught a slightly distorted reflection of herself. She was glad to note that her eyes seemed to have faded back to brown and that she didn't have any blood blisters from her earlier brush with rage. She was pretty good at controlling those now, but when the rage overtook her, she sometimes tripped up. There wasn't too much that the Jedi could offer that she was interested in, at least, not in the way of Force knowledge. She was about to see about changing to subject when something sparked in her memory. "Though," she said half musingly, "there is something else I would be interested in learning that you may be able to help with. I know that the darkness offers a couple means by which to summon and control lightning. I have yet to be able to learn that ability as the Sith Masters guard it jealously, but in my research on the subject, I do recall reading that the Jedi have their own version. If I am not mistaken, it is closer to natural lightning and wouldn't have the dark side corruption that some of the Sith prefer. I intend on learning this power eventually," she said leadingly, "but if you teach me your version, would it not mean I no longer have to learn the far more 'corrupting' version the Sith wield? That would, in your view, save me at least from a small amount of the evil of the darkness, right? Plus, if you could teach that to me, I would be willing to teach you something you may not know, something that I assure you is not inherently connected to the darkness."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin frowned thoughtfully. "I actually don't recall having heard of a Jedi using a technique like that, perhaps due to the taboo surrounding the similar Sith technique. It's certainly not something I know myself," he said. "I do recall coming across the mention of the Baran Do sages having a similar ability. I'm not sure how they feel about the Jedi, but I believe they draw on the light side. I have almost no idea what would happen if we were to turn up on Dorin asking to learn from them."

 

He wasn't sure how he felt about helping Qaela learn something like that. While he was always interested in exploring parts of the Force himself, in order to better understand it, he still couldn't necessarily trust her to use such abilities responsibly. If he helped her learn a lightning technique and then she used it to murder, he would have failed. She had admitted herself that she was having trouble learning the Sith ability, so her point about substituting this less malicious ability for the other wasn't particularly valid.

 

Onderin wondered idly how much she knew about him. He had been a significant holonet presence for much of the war, and someone who watched consistently probably knew about his mastery of Battle Meditation and, on a lower scale, the Battle Meld. Battle Meditation was a technique he knew was shared by dark siders and Jedi--he had fought in battles where both sides had access to it, although there were presently perhaps only two or three living Force wielders who could do it. Perhaps Qaela knew about it, but wasn't interested due to its limited application in single combat. After a moment he decided not to mention it, as its exclusivity was what made it powerful.

 

Something else she had said was bothering him. "You mentioned Witches before," he said, then figured he'd take a stab. "Is that what you are?" He didn't know a ton about the Dathomiri Witches, but from what he recalled they drew on the Force through spells, focusing the power through their voices. He thought of most of them as not serving either side of the Force, for their knowledge was too incomplete, but there had been records in the Jedi archives of dark side Witches called Nightsisters. It was his best guess so far as to what Qaela actually was, since she hadn't revealed anything definitive yet. Either that, or she was a part of some other Force tradition like the Jensaarai or Falanassi, but they weren't dark siders either. She could still be a fallen Jedi, but that didn't fit with the way she spoke of her past.

[Qaela]

Qaela wasn't sure if Starlisk was lying when he said he hadn't even heard of Jedi using lightning, or if he was merely trying to come up with an excuse not to teach it to her. The Sith were more than happy to display their knowledge of the ability, but they refused to teach it to anyone but their fellow Masters. It could be that this Jedi was reluctant to share such power with her, or simply that he didn't want to give her another weapon. It was no matter. If she couldn't learn the skills here, she could return to her Sisters. Nightsisters had plenty of experience with lightning, including an affinity with weather that made it even more potent, if unpredictable. They may exact a price from her, but she had plenty of skills that any one of them would be willing to trade for.

 

Her face darkened when he asked if she was a Witch. She didn't mean to let that slip out, but it was almost offensive that he thought she was one of those sniveling weaklings. "I am no Witch," she said harshly, and it was the truth. "I am what I am, and I believe I can say with certainty that there is nobody else in the Galaxy with my unique set of skills. All I can say to classify myself is that I embrace the darkness, no other description would adequately work. Maybe I should make my own Order and teach what I know to others. Wouldn't that be a load of fun?" she added with a dry chuckle. She hadn't ever considered teaching others what she knew. She was planning on teaching her children, but that was gone now. There may be a few of her Sisters whom she could trust enough to teach some of what she knew, but right now, her knowledge of the Sith methods of drawing upon the Force were the one thing that put her well ahead of the others in her Clan and she was loath to give that up.

 

"The Jedi and the Sith aren't the only schools of thought on how to use the Force, not by a long shot. Nonetheless, your way of thinking is most useful and blends well with what I learned as a child, once I figured out how to do that."

 

She fixed him with a glare and asked, "You seem to be eager to contaminate me with your light side powers and way of thinking. It might be slightly possible to adapt at least a little of that without weakening myself, so I am willing to learn. You can't or won't teach me how to summon lightning, and I don't necessarily blame you. It is a powerful skill and not one that should be traded lightly. The question is: what is it that you would feel safe teaching one as 'evil' and dark as myself?"

[Onderin Starlisk]

Perhaps not a witch, then, Onderin decided. Qaela seemed quite determined to be known as something new and different. Ultimately, Onderin was probably going to just keep an eye on her and decide for himself what he thought she was, or maybe he could at least find out what she started out as. Whatever it was, he felt like it had gotten distorted by her time spent learning with the Sith... and now it seemed she was slowly coming around to adding some Jedi teachings and techniques to that. To Onderin, that was a good thing, for he was hoping that by exposing herself willingly and with an open mind to the teachings, she might come to recognize the truth. She would probably hate the truth with a passion, but in the long run it would be better for her to at least be exposed to it.

 

He nodded. "I am willing to teach if you are willing to learn," he answered. Then the hyperspace proximity alarm went off. "But perhaps it will have to wait until we retrieve your children." He turned back to the controls and confirmed that they were indeed coming up on Kashyyyk. The trip hadn't been bad at all, he reflected. It could have been much worse.

 

((Continued on Kashyyyk.))

[Calmin Ayion]

Calmin Ayion sat within the main deck on the Supremacy, no longer within meditation as he was just before. Before him sat a single crystal, which glow was now beginning to dissipate as the Miraluka had used up much of it's natural ability. It was a technique he had spent some time trying to uncover, and it was buried deep within records of the Sith and the Jedi. He mused over how effective the technique was considering how much time had been placed over it. His ship was now enroute to the Outer Heaven, his own personal fortress that he had built up with scum and villainy. It was also going to be the main place he would host his machine upon building it, which the room was under construction now. All he really had to do was wait upon the arrival of more Crystals so that he could launch his next phase. Soon he would be abel to do that which he had long wished for. Destroy the Force.

[Zutia Lavell]

Treated in a fashion just slightly preferable to inanimate cargo, the unconscious body of Zutia Lavell was hauled through hyperspace to the hiding place of her Sith captors.

[Raynuk Montar]

After having cleared Coruscant and setting in the proper hyperspace route to their destination, there was little else for the occupants of the Ogariv II to do in terms of preparation until they arrived. As the ship roared through hyperspace, Quietus took the oppertunity of this down-time to turn and address Karys once more. Ever since he had accepted this Massassi as his apprentice in the cargo area, Quietus could detect that Karys still had questions floating around. He had not spent enough time around the Massassi to get a good grasp on his presence within the Force, and so without the aid of the Force, the questions would have to be revealed the old fashioned way. Turning in his chair, his gaze sweeping over Eris and pausing to meet her eyes for just a moment before continuing, Quietus' focus came to rest upon the Massassi who was seated silently behind him.

 

"I suppose now would be as convenient of a time as ever to ask your questions my apprentice. Obtaining knowledge, as you will come to find, will be a keystone of your training. For without knowledge, how do we know where to strike? Or when an opening presents itself? Without knowledge, we are blind and ignorant. Without knowledge, we will never beat the Jedi. For now, questions shall be your blade. Let us see how you wield it."

 

There was a certain amount of irony and nostalgia in this moment; the first lesson to be taught to a new apprentice. It was a moment that Quietus always found himself to be fond of, having clear memory of this very moment in the training of Emily, now Darth Eris, and of Alora before her. Quietus could even recall when he himself was the apprentice; a brash and cocky young man, having known the darkness of murder and death long before he found himself standing before his own master, Barohm Zar. Back when he was too stupid to see the grand picture, and back when my hair was short and brown he mused silently to himself.

 

This would be his third apprentice as a Sith Master, but if all things went according to plans, it would be the first apprentice that he would mold to follow in his footsteps as a Warrior. Alora had taken the path of a sorceress, effortlessly spinning illusions, Force powers, and her natural abilities of seduction. Darth Eris seemed to desire the path of the Assassin, moving among the darkness and shadows; to strike without ever being seen by her target. But Karys would be different; for Emily and Alora, he had taught them the basics of life as a Sith. He taught them the foundations on which they would build their own destinies and lives. But for this Massassi, Quietus would be teaching him most of the things that Quietus himself had learned, either from Zar or through hard won battles. If there was one certainty though, it would be that Karys would not learn everything the Sith Master knew. Just because I taught him everything he knows, doesnt mean I taught him everything I know... Quietus recalled the rather well known phrasing, and found it to be the perfect way to summarize his thoughts.

 

In the end, Quietus ventured that by the time Karys ascended to a Sith Lord, that the Massassi could quite possibly even teach Quietus a thing or two... maybe.

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

Karys had spent much of the time before Quietus had spoken thinking. Now he was a official sith in every sense of the word there was much to ponder upon, how did he fit in with the greater design being but some of these things, but for the moment just one thing came to the forefront of his mind and seemed the most relevant. How does one unlock what lay within them...what was the key and how did it connect with the gift he had.

 

The massassi answered clearly and without delay. Ever the warrior he was to the point.

 

''I suppose the most obvious question and place to start would be how does one unlock what is within them. What is the key that turns the lock to whatever potential I may have, what is the connection...the release that would help me understand and to connect to the force. The key that would connect me with my ancestor's power and how does one take control of it.''

 

Karys waited for his answer with baited breathe. He had long awaited this moment and desired the answer, everything he had done was to lead up to this point and beyond. He could not fail himself now.

[Raynuk Montar]

The question came just as Quietus expected it to, but it came with so much hope and longing, so much desire for an answer, that the Sith found himself taken aback. It seemed, to Karys, this was the question, the only question that mattered for now. Quietus had not fully realized until that moment just how far Karys was from true mastery of the Force and the darkside, but it was clear that there was nothing he wanted more than to wrap the darkside around him, just as Quietus had. After regarding Karys for a few moments, studying the Massassi's face, Quietus responded, his words slow and methodical; he needed to get this perfect.

 

"There is no singular action that will unlock what is within you my apprentice. No magical key to suddenly make you a terror of the darkside. It will take time, it will take practice, it will take sacrifices. You will experience pain, you will experience endless rage, and you will experience utter hatred towards me and my brothers for what we have made of your ancestor's power. The Jedi fear and recoil from emotion; the Sith feed off of emotions, just as you must do. Your connection to the Force, and to your ancestor, is already there, waiting for you to see it. But your mind is clouded and jumbled. Your thoughts must be focused, must be clear of doubts. The Force whispers to you, you are just too preoccupied to hear it."

 

Leaving the words to sit upon Karys' ears and mind, Quietus turned back around and stared off into the streaking stars of hyperspace, his own mind briefly recalling the conversation with Furion. He would have to come up with a location for this new training center of the Warrior discipline, and the sooner he could do so, the better. In the meantime however, he decided to pose a question of his own at his apprentice, one that might spark Karys' own ascension.

 

"Now a question for you; why do you really want to reconnect with your ancestors? So that you might feel worthy of carrying their blood? To prove yourself to not be a disappointment to them? What do you think they are saying about you in the afterlife Karys?"

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

The massassi listened, methodically and cautiously hearing out what his new master had to say. He took it all in eagerly as if he were drinking liquor from a barrel and nodded his head objectively as he processed everything. Yet such eagerness was all a very clever facade, he knew exactly what he was doing and how he was projecting himself. Deep within locked away his true thoughts on all of this lay. He had learnt long ago to be careful around the unknown, never to reveal your true self until you were certain the risk was worth it. He was uncertain of the man despite the fact he was a sith. History of what he had read spoke highly of their skills but at a heavy price to themselves and those around them in that they often ended up destroying themselves. He wondered was this man of that pedigree or had the sith he had heard about changed over the years into something less destructive to themselves, that the infighting had seized to some degree and put such skills to better use...against their enemies in the jedi.

 

When he listened he began to understand, it was as he had thought emotion was the key, it always had been. It explained the moments when he was most angry that objects seemed to of no accord of their own take flight around him, or the fact he seemed to run faster and last longer when enraged as opposed to when he was not. It now all made perfect sense as the puzzle pieces fell into place, as his doubt began to fade and be replaced by anticipation of what else he might learn. as Quietus continued he thought it all over and the answer came. When he spoke of sacrifices his answer was instantaneous and without regret.

 

"I will make any sacrifice required, no matter what it may mean to me personally. It is a cost I would gladly pay a thousand times over. I regret nothing of what I do only that my enemies shall not live to see what I may become. As for my ancestors if they chose to mock me in the afterlife they will be considered less than equal and therefore worthy only of my contempt, for I care not what they think of me in their petty jealousy only that they shall remember I will surpass where they have failed.

 

It is true I wish to reconnect with them but not all of it is to do with proving myself. I am not so foolish as to be so narrow minded abut what my gift will afford me. I wish to claim the power I hold and not just be as a ant is to a boot or a speck of dust is to a mantle. Forgotten and decaded, stamped upon. My relationship to such power and authority is that I crave for it. People need somebody to watch over them. Ninety-five percent of the people in the galaxy need to be told what to do and how to behave, it is in their nature to obey just as it is in ours to rule them. It's the unspoken truth of humanity that the galaxy craves subjugation. The bright lure of freedom diminishes their life's joy in a mad scramble for power. For identity. And it is for this reason that most in this galaxy were made to be ruled. In the end, they will always kneel. For freedom is life's great lie. Once the galaxy accepts that, a fact the jedi can never accept in their heart...only then shall the galaxy know peace. A peace born of the chaos and sowed by disorder. The jedi however do not understand this and never will it is why they sought to destroy us. We were once feared, we were once gods, I want that feeling to return. I desire that power over others. I wish to be as a god not as a sniveling sheep is to a wolf that most are content with and accept as 'life' in this galaxy.

 

I wish to command the power to have others obey my whims, answer my desires, to crush my enemies under boot and to accomplish my ambitions. I was born to be more than a sheep. I was born to be the boot that stamps on the ant and not the latter so the galaxy may truly know why they fear the darkest corners of this universe.''

 

Karys finally paused hoping his answer was satisfactory.

[Raynuk Montar]

As Karys spoke, Quietus set about preparing the ship for its eventual arrival at their destination. The Sith Master was listening to what his apprentice was saying, although he did not give his apprentice his full attention. There were many things weighing heavily on the mind of the SIth Master, and some of them just simply were more important than others. When Karys had finally paused, Quietus waited a beat before replying.

 

"Indeed my apprentice, we of the Sith are born to climb the mountain of greatness and power. To rule the 'sheep' as you put it and to bring our chaotic form of order to the galaxy. It is rare these days for a Sith to posess those ideals; the ideals that your ancestors built this order upon. Perhaps your destiny is to rule and obey as you wish, but do not think that there is nothing else for the Sith to accomplish, other roles for us to fill..."

 

Having adjusted the course of the Ogariv II slightly, and glancing at the computer that was in the process of counting down the time until they would emerge from hyperspace, Quietus turned in his chair once more to gaze upon the Massassi seated behind him.

 

"I for example... I am not one to rule from a throne built from the corpses of my enemies. I have, and always shall be a Sith of action. I am the armored fist of the darkside, always inevitably charging towards the next great, galaxy shaking battle with our enemies. I have risen to become the Dark Lord of the Sith several times, to lead the Sith forward through the galaxy. All but once was this a result of necessity; when a Dark Lord directed us away from the path of our destinies, I would rise to depose him. But my reigns were never long... My destiny has always been that of a tool of the Sith, a tool of the Darkside. I am directed rage and hatred. And that is my role."

 

He turned again back to the controls and continued, but instead changed the subject and with it, his tone.

 

"We will be arriving at the Kuat system shortly. There the Kuat Drive Yards have built for me, and for the Sith, a symbol of our power and our right to rule the galaxy, an order that I placed some time ago. Now we shall pick it up and set it loose upon the galaxy for all to see, and you shall accompany me my apprentice. From there we shall begin to set up the facility that shall train you and those that will follow the Warrior discipline. There is much work to be done my apprentice, and the sooner we begin to rally the Sith into an empire worthy of your ancestors, the better."

 

Mere moments after Quietus finished speaking, the computer indicated that their time in hyperspace was at an end. With just a hint of a grin; a product of recalling the last visit he made to the Kuat Drive Yards; Quietus pulled the Ogariv II out of hyperspace above Kuat.

 

((To the Kuat Drive Yards thread; but feel free to make another post here if you want to respond to what I said before we arrive))

[Karys Narat iv-Adas]

((Ah ok sure thing.))

 

As Quietus spoke, Karys listened and looked at what his master was doing. For just as he craved knowledge of the darkside he also craved knowledge of the workings of ships other than his own and of what had become of the galaxy his people once knew. He wondered what role would he serve some day. Would he become a tool as his master proclaimed to be, a leader or something in-between. Anything was possible. His interest was further peaked when he heard how his master had been Dark Lord before many times, and that he was also of a warrior persona. Both revelations that only served to heighten his interest in what he might learn. Clearly he had been guided to the right man for both shared a similar path if one were to think of it like that. A path not made of stealth or of sith magic but one made of meeting the enemy blade upon blade.

 

As his master spoke of how a new symbol of the Sith's power and right to rule had been built at Kuat, Karys couldn't help but smile. His smile further expanded into a grin that could kill a cat once he heard he was to be the first of many of a new breed of warrior's for the sith...he felt truly honored. The drums of battle called and he could not wait.

 

Turning to Quietus he spoke briefly before the alarms went off that they had entered the system.

 

"So I am to be the first of a new breed of warrior? I am truly honored. Rest assured I shall not let you down.''

[Qaela]

((En route to Dathomir from Bothawui))

 

Qaela was smiling as she left the cockpit. They were heading home and into the next step of her plans. Her children would be safe, her power base secured, and things would be looking up for her after so long of despairing. She returned to the small lounge area and considered the Jedi pup. He had been silent for some time, but that was no matter. She wanted to see if he could be pushed toward the darkness, but now might not be the best time. For now, she would get to know him and determine how far she could trust him when they arrived on Dathomir.

 

"So, young Ads, how is it that you came to be ensconced within the ranks of the Jedi?" she asked. "I doubt that you were born to them, so you had to have made a choice at one point or another to join them."

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Ads looked up as he heard Qaela approach. He already knew she was coming though, as he had become quite used to feeling her presence in the Force even though they had only met but a short while ago. She was unmistakable to him even despite his lack of proficiency in sensing others through the Force.

 

"So, young Ads, how is it that you came to be ensconced within the ranks of the Jedi? I doubt that you were born to them, so you had to have made a choice at one point or another to join them."

 

Ads pondered Qaela's motives and his response for a moment before answering. "Ensconced. Good word." In fact he had never heard the word but could guess its meaning so that didn't really matter, it's just a little extra detail that you might like to know. If you care. "Well," he continued, "the story is a bit complicated, but my family has a bit of a history with the Force. Through circumstances quite beyond my control, I was separated from my relatives and I decided to make a break with...the family business, of a sort. So I decided to join up with the Jedi and actually do something good with my abilities. I have been with them off and on for the last decade or so, although it really doesn't seem to have been that long..."

 

((Sorry to restrain the conversation, but don't expect an answer about who his family was; I'm still trying to figure out how to incorporate backstory that I came up with when I was 11 in a way that won't seem completely stupid. And it doesn't seem to have been as long to Ads because he has only aged a few years, if any over that decade due to him starting out older than I was and my not wanting to age him to be so old that Force training would seem pointless.))

[Qaela]

Qaela was interested in this one's past. It hinted of his ancestors being of a darker nature if breaking away from it meant joining the Jedi. She was hoping to hear more, but his voice trailed off. Secrecy was nothing strange to her, even if she had been in a more open sort of trend since coming across Starlisk. She still had plenty of secrets, but it was surprising what it did to her to find someone in him that she could tell all of her dirty deeds and not have him either leave or try to kill her. Perhaps this pup would be the same, though likely not. He might still have that zealousness that came with beings who were still young and not yet exhibiting the wisdom of age like Starlisk. She had done plenty of foolish and irrational things herself and was not at all above doing them still when the situation suited her.

 

"You surprise me, Pup," she said, though her words weren't harsh. "So many in the Galaxy here do not come from venerated ancestry of spellcasters. Dathomir is rich in such lines, but that is due to the same isolation that diluted our potential. Most here are nothing more than accidents of the Force, born to parents who cannot cast a single spell. That you do is not something to be ashamed of, but to embrace. The Jedi foolishly prevented unions that would have produced Force sensitive children for thousands of years. In doing so, they weakened themselves and lowered their numbers. As you are well aware, I and my kind do not make such mistakes. We embrace the strength and power that can be found in such relationships. Children provide a means to continue yourself long after you have passed on. They also keep you sharp and strong because they will seek to surpass you and take your place.

 

"We are heading for Dathomir, to meet with my clan. You would do well to consider the many options that could present themselves to you there. I mean to form a truce between Nightsister and Jedi, and you could greatly benefit from such dealings. There are many Sisters there who would take great pleasure in making children with you. Of course, special considerations would need to be taken since you are a Jedi and not a normal male, but one of them could provide you with children strong in the Force. Unlike women of the Galaxy, Nightsisters do not require any of the frivolous gestures or protection, so you would be free most of the time to do whatever Jedi tasks are required. You could take time between your duties to visit your children and see them grow strong and powerful. It may do you a great deal of good to know that something of you will continue on even if you should fall in battle, plus I can guarantee that you would enjoy the time spent with your woman."

[Onderin Starlisk]

When he had made the jump to hyperspace, Onderin remained in the cockpit for a few minutes while Qaela went off to speak with Ads. He was slightly wary of leaving the two of them alone together for long, not able to be certain if she would have a negative effect on him, but she certainly wouldn't be turning him to the dark side in the few minutes it was going to take him to accomplish the two tasks he had before he could join them.

 

The first thing was a report that would find its way to Sabian's desk. He explained his reasons for being on Bothawui, he explained the Force presence that incited the Senator's suicide, the secession, and the riot, and he explained the circumstances of their departure. Thankfully, the Chief of State was a Jedi Knight and would fully appreciate Onderin's insight on the situation. It was something that the Holonet wasn't covering, and indeed it was particularly important that the news did not get wind of the Force manipulation that was at work. Even if such news could make the Sith look like the villains again, he couldn't imagine it would go over well with the Bothans if they were told they were being manipulated.

 

The second thing he drafted up was a comm that would be sent out to an old friend as soon as they dropped out of hyperspace. So far, the plan was to take Kitt's advice and stay out of the war directly. However, he knew good men who would not be bound and kept away from the action. If he could get in touch with them early, they could exchange insights as the conflict grew. It would at the very least be good to know that he had someone he could trust on the front lines, keeping things from getting out of hand.

 

Once both were finished, Onderin headed back to the lounge area and caught the last sentence of what Qaela was saying to Ads. He paused and blinked, but decided not to say anything until Ads had a chance to respond, lest he arrive at the wrong conclusion.

[Ads-Gop Flif]

Ads couldn't help but chuckle at not just the suggestion that Qaela was putting forth but also at her wording and how matter-of-fact she was about it. She definitely had faith in the abilities of her Sisters. Ads wasn't really used to hearing people be so forward about these things though and while she did her best to make it sound like a good offer, having a child brought up by someone like Qaela had absolutely no appeal to Ads.

 

Ads noticed Onderin entering the lounge as he responded. "I don't think that I'm quite ready to make any children even right now even though I'm sure your women would produce strong offspring. Maybe later, after we form some kind of truce with them."

[Qaela]

Qaela sighed at the pup's response. "Of course any such union would be after a truce was made. My Sisters aren't as open minded as I am and would surely rather kill you than lay with you. It would have to be a very special Sister to ever be willing to treat a male Jedi as anything but a slave, but such a woman could be found once the Jedi show their strength and willingness to stand to their words of peace.

 

"I know that in many ways, our culture is quite basic and primitive compared to the rest of the Galaxy. We prefer simple things rather than the complex and often superficial trinkets favored by your people." She looked pointedly at Starlisk as she continued, "Taking a Jedi as mate would be seen as a true bond of purpose, one that would bring assurances on both sides that the other could be trusted to maintain the truce. Of course, such a thing would only work if both involved accept that the other is what they are and will not change, but that they can still show the openness of mind to work with one that abides in a different light." She returned her gaze to Ads. "My kind can be difficult, true, but I am sure some sort of agreement could be worked out if there are two willing to make such sacrifices. It could even be that any offspring of such unions would be divided between Jedi and Nightsister, say with the males going to live among the Jedi and females raised as Nightsister. No Sister is so without honor as to strike out against one of her own, so if there is such a union formed, then it would go far to solidify a truce between our kinds."

[Onderin Starlisk]

Onderin grimaced slightly. There were going to be some non-trivial cultural incompatibilities that were going to pose a unique set of challenges between the Jedi and the Nightsisters, if things proceeded as Qaela seemed to have in mind. Such things were far from Onderin's own ideas of how the negotiations on Dathomir were going to resolve. It was probably a good idea to be up front about that so Qaela didn't get the wrong idea.

 

"Okay, first," he said, "that's not really the way we do things. A Jedi's first allegiance must always be to the Force. Attachment is discouraged in the Order because it applies a bias to our actions, and central to the way a Jedi operates is that he or she acts passively. That is also why an alliance between the Nightsisters and Jedi could never work... the Jedi do not form alliances. Jedi do not have political standing. We do not take orders from the Galactic Alliance, but often serve them because their goals are similar enough to ours."

 

He paused. "What will work is negotiating peace between the Nightsisters and Jedi. There is no reason for us to come into conflict unless the Nightsisters were active in the galaxy, working against our goals. Any peace treaty must have an enforcement mechanism[check out this neat article for more reading!], of course. Blood may be a convenient and classical way of doing this, but it's culturally unacceptable among most of the races that make up the Jedi Order," he continued. "Ultimately we'll have to find something else, whether it be accountability from a third party or perhaps a resource we can share."

 

Onderin would have to spend some time considering the possibilities before the trip ended, so he at least had something to present to the Nightsisters if they seemed willing to hear him out.