Remi the Grey

This was too easy. Remi thought as she docked with the other ship. They never fired back even once. She had her blaster rifle ready. She extended her senses and found no conscious presence. The gas had done its job; everyone on board the ship was unconscious and paralyzed. As a precaution Remi had inoculated herself before boarding, her helmet filtered the air but it still tasted sickly sweet.

She entered the main area of the ship and realized why no one had fired on her; they had been fighting each other. She counted at least eight Sith on board the ship assuming none were hiding. She quickly loaded her data spike onto the main terminal so that T7 could begin analyzing the data. She turned to the shapes on the floor, it was dark and the gas was still thick in the air, only a few emergency lights outlined the unconscious crew.

There were several injured here, they seemed familiar but it was hard to tell in the darkness. She dragged the injured to the medical bay. One of them was barely alive. Stripping off his clothes in the darkness, she loaded him into the kolto tank. Luckily, the tank was on backup power. She filled it watching the blue liquid illuminate the room. The man floated in the healing solution, his face was obscured by the breathing mask but he seemed familiar. Remi recognized him, the Captain she had taken as a hostage, Malavai Quinn. He looked different now, he had a scar on his face and something about his eye seemed artificial but it was definitely him. One of his lungs was punctured, his throat was crushed, and he had severe burns. If she had not come along, he probably would have died while his companions fought.

She tended to the other two, now she recognized Vette and Pierce. Vette had a concussion and Pierce’s throat had been crushed neither of them needed a tank. She took her time tending them making sure she did not miss any injuries. The gas would keep everyone unconscious for hours even after it dissipated. She knew she was stalling, if this was Lord Ninka’s ship then she knew who else would be out there. Lord Scourge. Her heart ached; it seemed he really was involved.

She went back to the main room. T7 beeped on her com.

T7 = Found relevant communications.

“Patch them through here.”

Remi watched a replay of the last transmission surrounded by unconscious Sith. When she got to the part where they spoke of performing a ritual on a child, raising him as a Sith, and making him the Emperor, she considered killing everyone and leaving.

“You are all so lucky I’m a Jedi now.” She said to their unconscious forms. She would have to question them before she could leave, she would have to secure them before she could dissipate the gas.

The Taalz was uninjured but too large to shackle, she dragged him to the cargo bay and locked it from the outside. She efficiently shackled the hands and feet of each of the Sith face down, including one who appeared to be dead. She hoped the shackles worked as well on Sith as they did on Jedi.

The final Sith had a familiar presence. Remi turned him over. Every day since she began her recovery, she dreamed of seeing him again. She never expected it to be like this. She calmed her emotions and shackled his hands; Lord Scourge had better have answers.

Scourge could not speak. Our son. We have a son. They have our son. His mind repeated. Remi was not looking at him, she could not see the surprise on his face; her eyes were closed as she regained her composure. He wanted to tell her they would get him back, he wanted to shout at her and call her a liar and he wanted to kill her for losing their son. He did none of these things.

She set her jaw and pushed away from him; he lost his paralysis, grabbing the front of her armor with his bound hands, he jerked her back onto him. He held her in place forcing her to look at him. He did not care if she believed him. He needed to say the words. “I did not know.”

She studied his face as he had studied hers. She knew the truth when she heard it but she needed more. “Did you know about the attack?” The steel in her eyes and the edge to her voice warned him that she would kill him for attacking children.

“No.” he answered simply. He liked to think that killing children was beneath him and was relieved he could say he did not know they would attack Tython or that the Vessel would be a child at all.

She repeated her previous question, “Where did they take him?”

His chest contracted as the rage he felt grew, “I do not know,” he growled, “but we will find him.”

She nodded slowly, and entered the code to release his bindings. Scourge sensed her immediately, the strength of light so intense he was surprised he had not felt her presence outside the ship. She pushed away from him to get up but he grabbed her hips and pulled her back down. The tiny gasp that escaped her lips nearly undid him. He pressed his lips against hers, he was not gentle; he sensed her fear, anger, and need. He was Sith, he could not help but feed on such things, and more they were hers. Her lips he tasted, her breath he stole, her body he crushed against his, things he thought he would never have again.

After a breathless moment, she pulled back. She sat with her eyes closed, her face almost touching his. He reached up and touched her cheek; he wanted her to open her eyes, to see them again, to reassure himself that she had healed, that she was back with him. Instead, she turned away, sliding off his lap. She put her helmet back on and handed him his mask, she would not look at him. When it was in place, she opened the door, leaving him alone to regain control of himself.


“So why were you fighting these guys?” She asked once he joined her. “I assume they were together against the lot of you?” She had lined up The Five away from Lord Ninka and Jaesa.

He nodded confirmation of her assessment. “The Hand ordered them to kill us.”

“The usual Sith business then.”

“There is nothing usual about them.”

“I noticed one of them was dead when I arrived.”

“You shackled a dead man?”

“Can’t trust a Sith, even a dead one.” He noticed she had placed distance between the two of them. She did not trust him either, he said as much.

“We can discuss it later,” she said turning over the Sith who had previously been dead.

“I think we should discuss it now.” He said crossing his arms.

“Fine,” she said as she ran a blood sample through a portable scanner. “You’ve killed a lot of Jedi in the past two and a half years.”

He should have guessed she would keep track of him but his operations should have been harder to trace.

“So what would you have done if you had to fight me or Kira? More to the point what would they have done?” she tilted her head toward Lord Ninka’s crew, “and would you have tried to stop them?”

He frowned there were no good answers to that question. “I would regret killing Kira.”

She waited in silence, the portable scanner beeped periodically. She finally glanced up at him, “And me?”

He clenched his fist, hurt that she needed to ask. “I would kill anyone who tried to hurt you.”

“Hmm,” she replied, “What about this ritual and our son?”

“We will find him, I will not let him be anyone’s puppet.”

She heard what he said, and what he did not say. “You want him to be Sith.”

“Of course.” He saw no reason to deny it. He frowned, “and you do not.”

“I know what it took to make me a Sith, and I was willing. What would you do to an innocent child?”

“Sith pureblood are naturally attuned to the dark side of the Force, he would not require such measures.”

“I felt no darkness in him only strength, and ‘such measures’ would be taken anyway. That’s what Sith do.” Her voice heated with anger, “They stole an innocent child to perform some kind of ritual on him to force him to be a pawn for the Hand, just another tool to maintain their power.”

“And what were the Jedi doing? Do you think they would give him a choice? Did they even tell you that you had a son?” He paused and waited, she did not answer. He sneered, “No. They just took him from you and hid him away in their Temple another tool for the Republic. They would force his path just the same, and if he chose differently they would hunt him down.”

“They would not hunt him down unless he was hurting innocents and how would they tell me? I was crazy, for a long time even after I gave birth. What was I to do with a child? They could have given his father a choice, but he wasn’t there was he? No,” she said harshly, “he was out killing Jedi.”

“Did they tell you I abandoned you?” He shouted, furious that she could think that. “Do you think I would not have followed you if I could? They banished me once, they would not let a Sith be near you.”

“No,” she said quietly now, “they would not let a Sith be near me.”

They were both silent.

“I will always be Sith.” Scourge said without any anger, he had told her that many times.

“Yes,” she agreed, reading the scan results, “I know your limits.”

There's a mini-puzzle that opens a giant box full of T7 gear in the giant room before you co confront the Emperor, so even if you had not kept his gear up to date, you weren't totally hooped. Just felt like sharing this little tidbit.

Scourge tried to think of something to say, sensing it, Remi looked up at him and shook her head. Readying a pair of syringes, she injected the Sith who shivered and opened his eyes.

“The Five cannot be killed.” He said.

“The Five?” Remi looked at the other four, “Ok. Where is the ritual taking place?”

He seemed to struggle and choke, finally, he said, “I do not know, we were to take a shuttle to Korriban.”

“When? How long before it happens?”

“Ssssss” the Sith struggled, “Sseven days… from now.”

“What does the ritual do?” Remi grabbed him and held him down.

He began writhing, his hands jerked against his restraints, he panted then choked on the poison gases still in the air. “It will make the Vessel the Emperor.”

“Vessel? Why do you keep calling him a vessel?” Remi asked, now the Sith began convulsing and bucking. Scourge moved forward to help hold him down but lightning started to crackle inside the Sith’s mouth. Remi grabbed his arm and hauled him away from the shuddering Sith. Lightning arced from Sith’s mouth to his four unconscious fellows. They all shuddered and convulsed, then the shuddering ceased, the lightning went out, and they all stopped moving.

Remi moved to check their bodies, “Dead.”

“What was that?” Scourge asked.

“I don’t know, he said they couldn’t be killed.”

“No, why did he answer your questions. He did not try to resist you.” Scourge crossed his arms.

Remi shrugged, “One of the syringes was anti-toxin the other was SLV-X serum. It forced him to answer my questions, obviously there was something else in him that wanted to prevent those answers.”

“Did you give me that serum?” he asked, wanting to know how far her mistrust for him went.

“Wouldn’t have worked on you, that’s what the scan was for. These Sith are genetically engineered.”

“Impossible.” Engineered beings could not control the Force, it had been tried for centuries.

“They’re not clones, they’re modified at birth, they have the same conditioning they give to Imperial Intelligence, or they used to. Now I guess Sith Intelligence uses it on other Sith.”

“How could Sith Intelligence have modified them at birth?”

“According to the scan these men were biologically five or six years old. Forced maturation, mental conditioning, genetic modification, implanted memories, and some kind of hive mind.” She snorted derisively, “Perfectly loyal Sith.”

“Would they,” Scourge’s throat choked on the words, he tried again, “Would they try that on our son?”

Remi’s fists clenched hard enough he could hear her knuckles crack through her armor. “Yes, they would.” She replied, “Luckily it only works on infants, Koa’s too old.”

“Koa?” he asked hesitantly.

She turned away and walked to the bridge. Scourge heard a buzzing sound and the poison gases began venting. When the air cleared, he removed his mask.

“Do they know anything?” she asked pointing at Lord Ninka and her crew.

“We all only learned of the ritual just before the Hand ordered the attack on us.”

“They may still know something; I’m going to question them.” She paused, “Do you want to be shackled so they won’t think you betrayed them?”

He frowned at her, “I do not care what they think.”

She shrugged and walked to the medical bay. A few minutes later Pierce and Vette, both wearing shackles behind their backs, walked into the main room. Remi held her rifle on them and indicated they should kneel. Pierce looked at Lord Ninka then glared up at Remi.

“Grey isn’t it?” he rasped, his voice was still affected by the Force choke, but the anger and hatred were palpable. Lord Scourge was almost impressed. “What did you do to her?”

“Same thing I did to you, I’ll wake her up now.”

“I thought you said no hard feelings,” Vette said shaking her head.

“Trying to arrest me so I can be taken to Dromund Kaas, tortured, tried, then executed is all in a day’s work.” Remi replied almost amiably then her voice turned hard. “Participating in the kidnapping of a child, there aren’t enough credits for that.” Pierce actually flinched though he looked down so it was harder to see.

“We didn’t know anything about that.” Vette protested. “We don’t even know where this stupid ritual is taking place.” Lord Scourge realized this was Remi knew Vette was most likely to talk if she did not think she was being questioned. Pierce realized it too.

“Nice, Vette.” He said shaking his head. He looked up at Lord Scourge, “Guess I was right you couldn’t be trusted.” He turned to the bounty hunter, “Why isn’t he shackled.”

Remi crossed the room to kneel at Lord Ninka’s side. She turned her back on the shackled soldier, Scourge wondered if she was testing him. “As a former client he received the privilege of being interrogated first. He has agreed to join me so he gets to be free.”

Remi injected the lady Wrath with a cocktail of anti-toxin and stims, she began to stir immediately. Looking around she focused on Remi as the only stranger in the room, “I’ll kill you.” She said. Remi pulled her to her knees.

“Kidnapped child, ritual, the Hand, go.”

Lord Ninka was silent, obviously weighing her options. She looked at Lord Scourge who was unshackled and leaning against a wall. “You’re Grey aren’t you?” Remi nodded. “How did you find us?”

“Tracking the child led me to your ship. Do you know where they took him?”

“No, I don’t know anything about the ritual.” She looked at Lord Scourge, “I assume your former employer is joining you. Why do you trust him? He is Sith.”

“I trust that he wants revenge.”

“Does the offer stand for all of us or do you plan to kill us?”

“As long as you have no interest in the child I have no plans to kill you or stop you. I will leave the codes for your shackles on your main computer when I leave, and I’m sure Vette will be free from hers as soon as I’m not looking at her.” Vette had been slowly picking her way through the lock bit her lip.

“Might as well kill us,” Pierce said as Remi began waking up Jaesa. “The Hand will send someone to check on us, we’ll be easy targets since you took out main power and shields. Without shields, can’t make a proper hyperspace jump with that thing sticking out of the hull.” He jerked his head at the boarding pod.

Jaesa began to rouse, she looked around growling, she focused on Remi, “I’ll kill you.” She yelled.

“Is that how Sith say good morning?” Remi asked ignoring her. She sighed, “I could take most of you to the nearest spaceport, if you’re willing to stay shackled. I’m sure you’re resourceful enough to find your way from there.”

“Most of us?” Lord Ninka said looking around. “Where’s Quinn and Broonmark?”

“Broonmark’s fine, he’s just too big to shackle so I locked him in the cargo bay. Captain Quinn is in the kolto tank without it he’ll die and I don’t have one on my ship, he’s the one we can’t move.”

Lord Ninka thought it over, “Take the others, I’ll stay with Quinn.”

“With all due respect, my lord.” Pierce said, “You’ll just die with him.” Lord Scourge could see the man trying to stay calm, the animosity between Pierce and Quinn had been the lone source of amusement for him these past years.

“I won’t leave anyone behind.”

“Then I’m staying too, I’ll try to get repairs going.”

Jaesa had been staring at Lord Scourge, she had not said anything after her initial disorientation. “I should stay with you, master.” She said with difficulty.

“Yeah me too,” Vette said, “I don’t really want to go with Lord Scary and Bomb-girl.”

“You’re going with her?” Jaesa asked Scourge, she stared at Remi, cold hatred in her eyes.

“I have no loyalties or affection for your Captain.” Was all he said.

“That’s enough,” Lord Ninka said before Jaesa could say anything more, “You’re all going, that’s an order.”

“Sorry, my lord,” Pierce said, “either you let me stay or I’ll walk into that medical bay and kill Quinn to solve our problems.” He thought about it for a moment, “Actually, that’s…”

“Pierce.” Lord Ninka said sharply.

Scourge had been studying Remi during their conversation. He felt something from her, aside from the anxiety and growing impatience. When Pierce demanded to stay it intensified, she was impressed with the Wrath’s crew, she wanted to help them. She turned to look at him, and he knew what she was thinking.

“Well,” Remi began.

“I would speak with you,” Lord Scourge interrupted. She hesitated, but nodded and followed him to the conference room.


Remi removed her helmet, “I can heal him.”

“If you do they will know what you are.” They both spoke quietly to make sure the Wrath’s crew could not overhear. “They’ll know Grey’s identity.”

“I only brought Grey back to find Koa, I’ll never be Grey again.” Scourge frowned at the implication but she continued, “I can’t just leave them,” she smiled a little, “They’re Imperials but they don’t deserve to be left here to die. Maybe they’ll be willing to help, Lord Ninka seemed to consider the idea.”

“She did not know you were Jedi. Has being among them again made you foolish?”

“I don’t see any other choice.” She said softly, “I can’t just do the expedient thing anymore; I have to save life when I can.”

“I cannot let you do this. What if you go mad again?”

“I’ll be fine, just weak for a time afterward.” She paused eyeing him speculatively, “Assuming you would guard me, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

His rage built at the insinuation, he shoved her up against the wall and looked into her eyes. “You still do not trust me?”

“Should I?” She asked, putting her hand on his chest plate and pushing him away, a small disk clattered to the floor. It was a lock of red hair preserved in resin. She picked it up, her eyes questioning.

“It was all I had of you,” he whispered looking down at the disk she held in her hand. “I thought I would never see you again. If something happened to you,” he stared into her eyes looking for any trace of the madness that had hidden there. She took his hand in hers and placed the disk on his palm, she closed his finger around it.

“If anything happens to me, I know you will find Koa, because I do trust you.” She spoke so softly he had to lean closer to hear her. She tiptoed to whisper in his ear, “I need you to trust me.” She kissed his cheek, then his lips, but backed away before it could become something more.

He closed his eyes, Sith feed off of fear, he needed to conquer his and use it to make him stronger. When he opened them, he nodded. Now all they needed to do was convince a crew full of Imperials to help the Jedi that had killed their Emperor.

Vette had worked the lock on her cuffs despite it being behind her back, she made short work of Pierce’s cuffs when she was free, but Lord Ninka’s shackles were a completely different story.

“That’s some serious hardware.” Vette said examining the lock.

“Built to hold Force users,” Lord Ninka confirmed, “I can’t sense anything or the Force with these on.” Vette got up to look for some tools to try to unlock the cuffs anyway, “Vette, stay here, I don’t want them to hurt you if they see you freed yourself.”

“Grey knew I would as soon as she stopped watching me,” Vette said defensively but knelt and pretended to be shackled.

“I’ve got a spare gun nearby, I could try to take the bounty hunter hostage, turn things in our favor.” Pierce said quietly.

Lord Ninka shook her head, “Too risky, I don’t want a repeat of the last time, and that time we had the advantage.”

Pierce nodded reluctantly. “We should get started with repairs as soon as they leave, it’s possible we could get moving before the Hand sends someone to look for us.”

They heard a loud thump coming from the conference room.

Pierce raised an eyebrow, “Wonder what that’s about, if they’re fighting the bounty hunter doesn’t stand a chance.”

“I think he’s trying to convince her to help us.” Jaesa said a small smile played over her lips. “He doesn’t want to abandon us.”

Pierce frowned, “He jumped ship as soon as he got a chance.”

“He’s going after the Hand,” Lord Ninka replied. “I would too if we could.”

“We could if you didn’t insist on keeping the Captain about.”

“Pierce,” she said smiling sweetly, “I thought you never leave a man behind.”

The Lieutenant snorted, “For the Captain, I’ll make an exception.” He looked toward the medical bay, “Still love him?” He spoke quietly so only the Wrath could hear.

Lord Ninka frowned, “I wouldn’t abandon any of you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“I’m not sure I have one.” She did not want to think about Quinn right now. She looked over at Jaesa who stared at the conference door.

“Jaesa told me you said you’d never been in love.”

“Truth.” He replied looking into her eyes.

“Well then,” Ninka said smiling with difficulty, “I’m not sure if I should be disappointed or relieved.”

He touched her chin very briefly, “Loves about giving, my lord. I’ve got nothing to give someone like you. Gave my heart to my daughter, my vows to her mother, my body to the military, and my oath to the Empire. You already have my loyalty, but you deserve more.”

“Your loyalty’s more than I’ve gotten from anyone else, Pierce.” She said softly.

“Don’t start talking like we’re going to die.” He said firmly, “We’re not.”

“They’re coming,” Vette whispered.

Lord Scourge and Grey exited the conference room, for the first time she was not wearing her helmet. Pierce studied her face, human, strange eyes, younger looking than he expected but looks could be deceiving.

The bounty hunter regarded them thoughtfully. “You can stop pretending you’re shackled.” Pierce and Vette relaxed their arms and stood. “Did you win a bet?” she asked Pierce.

He was surprised for a second but grinned, “Kaliyo thought chiss, I bet human.”

“Well, I guess Xenophobia does pay.” She said wryly. She walked around Lord Ninka and released her. Lord Scourge stood nearby, watching them closely.

She immediately stood and backed away from the bounty hunter and Scourge.

“You were not like that when I saw you last,” she said.

“No, I had reconnected with the Force, but I didn’t use it.”

Pierce turned to the bounty hunter with surprise. “You’re a Sith?”

“No,” Lord Ninka held out her hand, a lightsaber she always kept hidden near the holo-terminal flew to her grasp. “She’s a Jedi.” Pierce rolled to where he kept the spare gun, he reached for it but Lord Scourge had somehow gotten behind him.

“They need to work this out so they can trust each other.” The Lord Scourge said as he bent the large man’s arm back in an unbreakable hold. “We should not interfere.” Pierce looked for Vette, she was floating in the air, not by her throat, just floating and spinning slowly. Jaesa was fighting her shackles but Lord Scourge gave her a look and she stopped.

Remi kept her lightsaber in a compartment behind her belt, but she did not draw it, instead she simply stood and watched the Sith Lord.

“I am after the boy the Hand took, Lord Scourge believes you can help me find him. This is my proposal,” she said as if the lady Wrath was not ready to pounce on her, “I can heal Quinn, we can all get on my ship and go after the Hand.”

“A Jedi that runs with Lord Scourge,” Lord Ninka said ignoring her words, “I am not a fool, you are the one who killed the Emperor.”

“You know the reason, or you wouldn’t allow Lord Scourge to be here.”

“Sith prerogatives,” Lord Ninka smiled, “Jedi don’t get to claim such things.”

Remi sighed, “Do you really have a better plan?”

“Kill you and take your ship.”

“If you try to take my ship, my droid will jump you to Republic space and turn you over to the Jedi. Those are his instructions.”

“How do I know that you won’t do that anyway?”

“It would have been easier to do while you were all unconscious.”

“Why haven’t you drawn your lightsaber.”

“I’m hoping I don’t have to.” Remi shrugged helplessly, “You’re all as good as dead if you stay, you won’t leave the Captain, I just want to get out of here and find the boy.”

“You’re not in this for money,” Lord Ninka’s eyes narrowed, “Why are you trying to save this child.”

“I’m a Jedi.”

Lord Ninka rolled her eyes. “I very much doubt that’s all there is, but I can’t argue with your logic.” She put away her lightsaber. Scourge released Pierce’s arm. “Very well, I will trust you for now.” She turned to Pierce and Jaesa, “We will work with her.” She eyed Jaesa warningly, her apprentice nodded subserviently.

“I’ll get Quinn.” Pierce said.

Remi waved a hand and Vette floated gently to the floor, the Twilek wobbled a little and hurried away from the Jedi.

“Sorry about that,” Remi called after her.

“It was fun,” Vette said teetering toward the cargo bay. “I’ll get Broonmark.”

Remi removed Jaesa’s restraints. The Sith looked up at Remi sensing the Force in her immediately. She narrowed her eyes, “Are you the former Jedi?”

Remi glanced at Lord Ninka looking confused, “No, I’m the Jedi, Jedi.”

“Oh,” she said her face clearing. “Well, we’ll kill you when we no longer need you.”

“That’s how Sith say nice to meet you,” Pierce said as he carried Quinn to her ship.


“Why is it that when you show up Quinn always ends up naked and unconscious.” Vette asked, setting up a kolto drip.

Remi grinned, “I would think the answer to that is obvious.” Her grin widened when she saw both Lord Ninka and Scourge scowl.

“You didn’t sedate him did you?” Pierce asked as if he realized something.

“No, he didn’t seem to need it.” She replied. “Why do you ask?”

“Nothing, I just think um, he’s allergic to depredine.”

“Hmm,” Remi murmured no longer listening. She touched the middle of Quinn’s chest with her right hand and his forehead with her left. It was not strictly necessary but she had trouble healing without touching her target. She hoped she could get him to the point where he would not need a tank. She closed her eyes and reached for the Force. She asked it for help and let it use her to heal the Captain. She did not know how long she worked, but when she opened her eyes, he was breathing evenly and his color was better.

Remi looked at six pairs of eyes. She blinked not quite remembering who these people were. She turned and walked toward the cargo bay entrance trying to get to her quarters. They had jumped to hyperspace before she began healing Quinn, T7 had locked himself on the bridge. If anyone tried to force their way in, he was to jump the ship to Coruscant and turn them over to the authorities.

Lord Scourge was in front of her, she had missed how he had gotten there. She looked up at him, “I think he was more injured than I thought.” Then her eyes rolled back into her head and she fainted. He caught her and carried her to her quarters.

“How long are we going to need her?” Jaesa asked casually.

“We’ll see,” Lord Ninka replied, both a warning and an acknowledgement.