Loved this story so far! I only discovered it earlier today and have managed to read it all in one sitting! A really interesting protagonist and one that I find myself caring about!

Really well written and I can't wait for the next instalment :-)

Thank you I wish I could be more reliable with my updates but, unfortunately my free time can sometimes disappear in a hurry thanks to work, other games, and shiny objects

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Revel proved to be more useful than I expected, decrypting the information that Casey Rix had provided us with in a matter of only hours. That wasn’t to say I was pleased with the man – every additional moment I spent on Tatooine was one too many – but it was less painful than I had imagined it would be.

Not that I did not value a little time to contemplate what the man who called himself Vharmir had said. I was not surprised that my actions on Nar Shaddaa had caught the attention of the Republic – a Sith power play was something the SIS was bound to notice, regardless, let alone one that resulted in a cult being repurposed for charity. I failed miserably in containing a laugh at the thought of the SIS analysts that must have been tripping over themselves trying to figure that one out.

It was an opportunity of sorts – to reach out to the Republic without having to abandon my mission – but it was also a danger I had not anticipated and did not particularly want to embrace. Involvement with the SIS, however incidental, would no doubt create attracting unwanted attention. If not from the Sith, then from Imperial Intelligence. Even the best of that organization were like that Chiss, Mina; pleasant enough on the outside, but cold and impersonal killers within. Vharmir P’loesti might offer me the hope of reconnecting with my past; he might also doom me to having no future.

No matter. You have things to accomplish in the here and now, you cannot distract yourself with what might never be.

I collected Khem from the cantina, where he had spent the previous several hours glowering at the customers while nursing what appeared to be some sort of toxic mix of radioactive materials, alcohol and what was likely to be the blood of the local wildlife. I decided it was best not to ask any questions, though; my usual policy around the Dashade. It was a policy that had served me well so far, and I anticipated it would continue to do so in the future. Khem seemed more than happy with the arrangement, in any case. I supposed that he would be comfortable with almost anything so long as he was allowed to maim and murder his way across the galaxy.

The odor from whatever he had been drinking was just about awful enough to do that on its own. I wrinkled my nose and turned my face away. “Khem, I try not to intrude into your personal life and choices, but please refrain from drinking whatever that was in my presence.”

<As you wish, Little Sith. Dewback urine was a delicacy among my people.>

I skewered him with a sharp look out of the corner of my eye, uncertain how to take that comment. Khem was a sour creature, but also strangely fond of sarcasm. Like Ayrs had been. I frowned at that thought – my brother had been nothing like this monster that now traveled by my side. Nothing.

Of course, if Khem was a monster, what did that make me?

Revel was waiting for us in his room, surrounded by several trays of half-eaten food from the cantina below. I was pleased – and somewhat surprised – to not see any bottles around him. Dealing with a sober Andronikos Revel would no doubt be quite the adventure.

“Tell me what you’ve learned, Revel. Make it quick – I would like to be off this world sooner rather than later.”

The pirate smirked at me; I did not like that. “Ease up there, Sith. I want to talk about our arrangement, first.”

I rolled my eyes and wished Revel’s assistance was not as important to finding Wilkes as it had turned out to be. The man was the very definition of aggravating, turning the simplest of requests into the most complicated of situations. I would have liked nothing more than to send his tattooed face flying into a window – or perhaps out of one – but I refrained from indulging myself and merely ground my teeth some more.

“Yes, of course you do. It would not be a proper conversation with you unless you took it off on a needless tangent that wasted time.”

His damnable smirk merely grew.

“I just want to make sure we’re on the same page here, Sith. No need to get your robes all aflutter.” He eased himself back into his chair, reclining as if he hadn’t a care in the galaxy. It was clear enough, even without the Force, that he did. “We agreed to take down Wilkes together, and that then we’d go our separate ways.”

“And that remains our agreement, only I have also decided to rescue Casey Rix at the end of the mission. You and she can live in happy, piratical, bliss for all I care.”

“Heh.” He snorted slightly. “I’m still not convinced you won’t just off me and screw us both over. You’re a Sith.” His eyes flicked to Khem for a moment. “No offense, of course. Heh.”

“And you are quite the keen observer of the world around you.” I struggled to hold back the fiery explosion I could feel within me; I had little patience for his antics, but I also knew that slicing my way through everyone that annoyed me would leave a body trail as great as any Sith’s and make me as great a criminal as one. “I gave you my word that I would not harm you; are you suggesting that I may not be entirely honest.”

I heard someone sputter and was unpleasantly surprised to realize it was Khem.

“I’ll think about it.” It didn’t seem like either one of us was particularly happy with the arrangement, but it would have to do for now.

We began our excursion by trading our speeder in for a larger model – the dealer looked less than happy about the prospect of Khem being in the vehicle, but we were able to persuade him with the promise of a few extra credits. I let Revel take control of the vehicle – Khem’s piloting of our ship left much to be desired, and I had never spent much time behind the controls of a speeder back on Ithaca, so I doubted mine were any better. It was…strangely amusing to see Revel’s clear, almost childlike, joy at being allowed to play pilot, as well.

“You seem rather happy with yourself,” I opened – cautiously.

“No feeling like being at the helm of your own ship. Even if it’s some broken down speeder that should have been broken down for parts years ago.” He gave us a sardonic grin. “Especially when you get to drive around good-hearted folks like yourself.”

I stifled a grin by covering my mouth with my hand and coughing loudly, a gesture which Revel did not fail to notice, though he had the sense not to say anything.

<You are a fool to think that there is any true joy in frivolous activities such as this.> Khem always knew how best to be a part of a conversation. <Joy is the feeling of striding across a battlefield with a weapon in one hand and the severed head of your enemy of the other. Only then can one understand what being a true warrior means, knowing that your enemies tremble from your very presence and abandon all hope when you come into view.>

“Thank you, Khem. That was very…enlightening.” Revel and I exchanged a look. “Now, if you don’t mind, I-“

I was cut off by the squawk of my communicator. Concerned, I quickly deciphered the source of the transmission – Imperial command in Mos Ila. A curious thing – they had not thought to speak with me while I had been in the settlement itself, yet now it seemed to be imperative. I sighed and activated the comm, motioning for my uncivilized passengers to keep quiet.

“Yes, who is this?”

“Sir – uh – Ma’am. My Lord. Lady. Uhhh.” A low level Imperial soldier, no doubt barely capable of putting his own uniform on. “Uh. I was told to speak to you by Major Dyer. Ma’am. My Lord.” The voice trailed off into awkward silence. “Please don’t kill me.”

I sighed loudly.

“Please refrain from saying anything until I allow for it. I would not want you to strain yourself any further.” I had not thought to familiarize myself with the command structure of the Imperials on Tatooine, largely because I simply did not care. I wondered if this Major Dyer was at all important, or whether this was some trivial matter – a local heavyweight hoping to look impressive by calling on a Sith. It would be prudent to find out. “What does your Major Dyer want?”

Only silence answered me. I waited for a few moments, then realized my mistake.

“You have permission to speak.”

“Uhhh yes, my Lady. Major Dyer had, ummm, a situation she wished to discuss with you, in private. It regards certain Republic activities on the planet. The major was hoping you might assist us with the situation.” There was an audible gulp after he finished speaking.

I found myself in a difficult position. There were no words in Basic that could accurately describe how little I cared about helping the Empire solve its problems on this or any other world. If the local garrison was so concerned that they would call upon a Sith, then it most likely meant that something had gone terribly wrong. If so, my only regret was that it had not gone worse. On the other hand, I might learn something of value – about either side, or even both. Something that might be useful to the SIS or my own plans. Information was a power of its own, and I could not deny that I was curious about what might have transpired.

“Very well.” I could sense the man’s relief from clear across the planet. “I have some matters to attend to first, a private matter that is neither your concern nor Major Dyer’s. When I return, I will contact you on the appropriate frequency and we can arrange a meeting.” I let a moment go by before finishing. “Do not speak. Simply nod your head and inform the Major as best you see fit.”

I disconnected from the call, making sure to silence my comm at the same time – I had no interest in risking having to hear the man stumble his way through another inexplicably butchered sentence.

“Problems, Sith? Maybe I can help you out.” Revel’s leer was back, as was my desire to see him dead.

“Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Revel. Rest assured, the matter will be handled once we return.” I flinched involuntarily at the we. “For now, just do your best not to get us all killed while piloting us to the first of Wilkes’ camps.”

He snickered. “We’re already there, Sith. Guess you’re not used to having a real pilot around.”

Khem and I exchanged a look, knowing all too well that the man, however distasteful, was right. I could not begrudge him for being good at his one profession I could tolerate, in any case, not when it spared us further travel time on this Force-forsaken world.

The camp looked deserted from afar – unsecured, with cargo containers strewn about as if thrown around by a windstorm. At first glance, I would have assumed that that was precisely what had happened, but the scorch marks on several of them belied that easy explanation. And the corpses, them most of all. There were four bodies lined up on the ground of the largest of the tents; each felled by a blaster bolt to the head. I could still sense their fear, distant but real, and Tatooine suddenly felt like a rather cold place.

Revel, of course, did not seem at all bothered by the grisly scene, even rifling through their gear. Presumably, he hoped to rustle up enough credits to buy another drink back at the cantina, though I did not deign to confirm my hypothesis. Instead, I inspected each body more closely, doing my best not to get too close to the blood and gore. The wounds were relatively fresh, only several hours old from what I could tell, and the contents that remained in the containers seemed to be items of little value – implying that their more valuable counterparts had been removed from the encampment. That suggested an attack of some kind, though it was unclear who would have been responsible for such an action.

“What do you make of this, Revel?” I kept my tone light, to encourage him to be more forthcoming with any insights he might have.

“Only a few hundred credits,” he replied dejectedly, shoulders slumping slightly. “Looks like whoever hit these guys took anything of value.” He spat on a couple of the bodies as he stood up. “Never liked those guys anyway, Garr and Vakar, always trying to be my best friend. Sure showed their true colors, didn’t they?”

I grunted softly, trying to remember why it was I had agreed not to kill the man. “Do you believe it was Wilkes and his men that were responsible? Or was it the…what were they called, Khem?”

<Sand People. A foolish name.>

The pirate shook his tattooed head swiftly. “No chance, the shots are way too personal. Sand People would’ve just taken them out and left their bodies where they fell. This was Wilkes. Probably will see the same at the next sites Casey had picked up on, too.”

And so we did – the second and third sites were in the same shape as first, although both of them had only two corpses left for us to find. Their bodies were even fresher, however, which suggested they had been attacked after their compatriots. I had to clench my fists and grit my teeth as we surveyed the scene – the echoes of their screams resonated in the Force...as did all of the fear and horror that they had felt in their final moments. I tried to remember that these men and women had been pirates, just like those responsible for Ithaca, but I could not find it within me to accept that wholly.

Avenging those that had been denied justice was one thing, particularly when those that fell were able to defend themselves. This…this was butchery, coldblooded slaughter that was exactly what a Sith would want. And I am not a Sith. Not yet, at least. The second thought had me nearly in tears, but I realized that it was something I could never forget – the moment I assumed I Was not at risk of corruption would be the moment that the corruption began to take hold over me. Eternal vigilance was difficult, and would sometimes feel unrewarding, but it was a small price to pay for preserving my soul.

“Casey did not have all that much information on the data pad she gave me. Is there anything to suggest where Wilkes might be launching these attacks from? He obviously has mechanized transport of some kind, so he could be in any number of places.”

“Maybe. But if he hit that first camp before these two, I don’t think he would’ve left hostiles to his rear. Four people aren’t much of a threat, but it’s four more than is necessary.”

“You almost sound like a soldier,” I offered, jokingly.

He flinched at that. Noticeably. I wondered what kind of sensitive spot I had hit on. Mostly, I wondered which side he had previously served.

“I know Wilkes – he was my second in command for a reason. If he’s hiding somewhere, it’ll be back in the direction of that first camp to the south. Maybe southwest, if he wanted a little more distance from your Imperial friends.”

This time, it was my turn to flinch, but I had no need to correct Revel’s mistaken understanding of my loyalties – to the Empire, or anyone. Instead, I gestured at our speeder. “Shall we?”

The sly smirk I hated so much returned to the pirate’s face as he returned to the speeder, keeping an eye on both Khem and me out of the corner of his eye. His presence in the Force did not so much as flicker, but I noticed a small twitch in his eye. His concern was misplaced – it was not as if we would kill our pilot before we dealt with Wilkes and returned to Mos Ila. And it wasn’t as if I was planning on killing him then, either.

As we approached the first camp site, Revel began fiddling with something on his data pad. I was tempted to ask him what he was doing, but refrained upon realizing that the answer was likely to be so obvious as to be embarrassing. Instead, I found a particularly interesting series of sand dunes to the left of the vehicle and focused my attention on them instead of my companions, neither of whom seemed particularly bothered by me ignoring them. A half hour later, a building came into view – some kind of secure bunker which had no business being out there in sands; it was clearly only a few years old, and the armed sentries on either side of the entrance spoke to the intentions of its builder.

I did not need to ask the obvious question. Khem, Revel, and I slipped out of the speeder and approached the building from the side. The two guards were hardly paying attention to begin with, no doubt convinced their bunker would never be attacked, that I did not even need to cloud their minds with the Force for us to achieve complete surprise. A slash from Khem’s blade and a pair of bolts from Revel’s blaster took them out quickly enough.

“Wilkes’ crew. About as sloppy as I remember, too. Heh.”

“Not so sloppy that they couldn’t mutiny against you,” I noted evenly, doing my best not to reveal how amused I was by that. “How many more men would he have inside?”

Revel glared balefully at me for a moment before regaining his composure. “Heh. You’re funny for a Sith. There shouldn’t be too many more, probably about ten or so. Depends on if he’s killed any others.”

A morbid statement, but a useful one.

There ended up being eight in all; five that we killed as we quickly cleared the majority of the bunker, and two fools guarding Wilkes in his office. I felt like Khem for a moment as we strode in – the fighting had been cursory at best, and my blood was up.

Wilkes was a grungy looking man, his face weathered by hard years of living, and those ugly features were twisted even further when he saw Revel. His two guards were unsettled as well, nervously running their hands over their holstered weapons. It would have made for an amusing scene were its inevitable results not so…unfortunate.

“I’m gonna rip out your throat and laugh as you try to scream, Wilkes.” Revel made a slashing gesture across his throat that might have put fear into an akk pup or a small child. “I’ve been waiting for this for a long time.”

“Nicky , as unpleasant as ever.” He glanced away from Revel to look at me; I did not like the way he did so. “And you’ve brought a Sith! She’s cute.”

“I am here for the artifact. If you hand it over now, things will be less unpleasant than they otherwise will be.” I slid the sleeves of my robe up slightly, already knowing what his answer would be. “If you make this difficult, you might end up looking as bad as Revel.”

“Ha!” Wilkes laughed loudly, baying like a donkey in labor. “I like you. After we finish with you, I’ll urr******-“

As it happens, the human body is not properly equipped for speech when the windpipe is being crushed by a Force-sensitive individual from across the room. I reached out, lifting him off the ground so that is stocky legs flailed about in desperation. His two guards were dissuaded from taking action by Revel’s blasters, and remained where they stood. Having secured the situation, I returned my gaze to Wilkes.

“I asked nicely, and you ignored it. I have no patience for scum like you, who prey upon the weak and relish being parasites. The galaxy will be a better place without you.” And anyone like you I thought to myself, afraid to vocalize something that might identify me or my pain. I used the Force to hurl Wilkes clear across the room. His collision with the wall was marked by a satisfying crack, and his lack of movement was a satisfying end to the encounter.

“Remind me never to get on your bad side, Sith.” Revel was eyeing me closely, but remained in place.

<You should worry more about me than the Little Sith> Khem intoned. <If you step out of line I will tear you apart so that there will be nothing left of you to distinguish you from the sands of this world.>

“Uh, yeah. I’ll just look for your artifact and my blasters then.”

I crossed the room with crisp, determined, strides. Wilkes’ two guards were still where we had found them as we entered, though they were now mostly focused on their former boss’ corpse. They snapped to attention quickly enough as I approached, though, clearly eager to avoid his fate.

“You will surrender your weapons and be taken into Imperial custody for your crimes against the Empire and the galaxy.” I felt slightly disgusted at legitimizing the Empire’s authority in any way, but it was not as if I could find the nearest Republic-affiliated settlement and drop the two men off there. “My associate will take you in a speeder from your hangar.”

The two men started toward Revel.

“No, not the pirate. Khem.” I smiled innocently as I pointed at the Dashade.

<I will ensure they understand their position.>

I smiled tightly and retraced my steps back to the Dashade, leaning in close so no one could hear. “Scare them all you like. Just be sure they arrive alive and intact.”

Khem nodded and began to saunter his way over to our prisoners. At least, what I assumed was the Dashade version of sauntering – his posture was somehow beyond proper description.

When I was satisfied with those arrangements, I made my way over to Revel, who was still rummaging through some of the cargo containers and safes Wilkes had piled up along the side wall and in a pair of small attached offices. I quickly noticed the Sith artifact that Zash had been after – its twisted and cruel design left no doubt about that. Revel seemed to be inventorying the rest for valuables, which seemed logical enough for a man that had made a life out of acquiring other people’s property.

“Are you ready to depart, Revel? I would prefer to leave before Wilkes begins to stink as badly as you do.”

Revel merely chuckled. “Heh. You keep that up and you might want to reconsider your career choices, Sith. You might have a future as a comedian, just as long as you don’t send hecklers flying across the room.” He turned back to the box he was inspecting, while I violently squelched a giggle.

I was not going to be amused by a man like Andronikos Revel.

Instead, I picked up the artifact and walked a short distance away before looking at it more closely. It looked to be some kind of holocron, though corrupted by the Dark Side – I could feel its seductive tentacles trying to worm their way into me just from my first touch. There was something deep-seated to its evil, which was not surprising for an item that Zash would want, but concerned me nonetheless. It occurred to me that I had not actually done any work to investigate my “master’s” plan, and still knew nothing about why each of these artifacts was so important to her.

All other things being equal, it is something I need to look into. Sooner, rather than later.

After what felt like an eternity, Revel walked up with a large sack in each hand. My curiosity got the better of me.

“What sort of treasure has the galaxy’s least successful pirate scrounged up this time? All of Tatooine waits with bated breath.”

I was expecting and almost hoping for an angry glare, but he just laughed. “Some mementos.” He carefully ran his hands up and down his holsters. “My guns.” Then he got rather sheepish. “Something for Casey, too.”

“Oh.” I wasn’t sure what else to say, and it was too late to cover for my reaction. “Perhaps we should return to Mos Ila – I…I doubt it would be good for anyone to have Khem waiting around for very long.”

“Alright then, Sith.” Revel winked and gave that annoying grin of his as he swept past me and headed down the corridor to the entrance. I trailed behind him, pretending to be studying the artifact.

The trip back to Mos Ila was pleasantly silent, as Revel seemed content to enjoy my obvious discomfiture.

I was unable to determine anything useful about the artifact, but I could not say I had put forth much of an effort. I had not spent enough time researching Sith archaeology or history while on Korriban, instead focusing on Force techniques that I thought might be useful for the fight ahead. I did not regret my decision – it still seemed like the clearly right one – but it left my ability to analyze the strange device in my hands rather lacking.

“We going after Casey after we take stock of everything back at Mos Ila?” His voice was fraught with worry, though I was unsure if it was concern about Casey, about my intentions, or both.

I nodded. “I made her a promise and I intend to keep it. I will need an hour or so to take care of some things in Mos Ila, though. You can wait in the cantina again, if you so choose.”

“Only if Khem keeps me company, heh.”

I snorted before falling back into a contemplative silence for the rest of the trip.

After we pulled into the docking facility in the settlement, I left Revel and made my way to the local Imperial garrison. Khem was waiting outside, having delivered the two prisoners. For a moment, I wondered if I had spared the men anything but a quick death they might have preferred. It was too late now, though, so I informed Khem of my plans and left a message for Major Dyer, who was ‘indisposed’.

Lacking any kind of plan beyond meeting with the woman, I decided to return to the ship to review any messages I might have received.

Most were rather routine – communications sent to broad swaths of the Sith order, commercial communications that urged me to purchase one item or another, and the occasional request for aid from bureaucrats I had never heard of and would never care about. More interesting was the encrypted message from Zash, which contained some information on the last item she required – an artifact on Alderaan currently in the possession of House Organa.

What was most notable was the lack of any messages from Quorian, something that bothered me far more than it should have. We had made no commitments or promises…but….

Being with him is more than physical pleasure or even an emotional salve. He...I….

I did not have the words for it; the ones I might have used back on Ithaca would be wholly inadequate now. Instead of wasting time on a hopeless endeavor, I began to write out a short message to him, to let him know what my plans were. After a half hour of struggling with that, however, I realized that I didn’t have the words for that, either. I wanted him to know I wanted to see him, not merely read some words saying that I did, and there was only one – risky – way to do so.

I queued up the recorder.

“Quorian, hi. It’s me.” I grimaced at my own stupidity and awkwardness. “I wanted to let you know that I would be on Alderaan shortly, and thought….maybe you could find the time to meet me there. Or respond to this message, either way, it’s not that important. I just wanted to…I just thought it would be nice to see you again or hear your voice. Anyway, I-“

I cut myself off as my comm buzzed an alert. Major Dyer was ready, which meant I had to be, too. I sent back a signal to let her know I was on my way, and turned back to the console.

“Anyway…I just thought I would let you know. I hope to hear from you soon. I lo-....I'd love to hear fro you.”

The recorder closed with a soft click.

I sighed softly, but somehow felt a little better.

Imperial headquarters in Mos Ila was a nondescript building that would have been completely unremarkable had the roads leading up to it not been blocked off and patrolled by pairs of Imperial soldiers. I supposed that such security measures were always necessary for Imperials, even on a backwater planet such as Tatooine. I wondered if they even understood why that security was necessary. Somehow, I doubted it. Imperials always seemed to have a certain hint of obliviousness about their evil.

The soldiers paid me little attention, no doubt well-conditioned to avoiding eye contact with anyone wearing a black robe and wielding a lightsaber. I imagined it was a life lesson ingrained into the heads of every Imperial growing up by their parents. The ends of my lips curled into a small, vicious, smile at that thought – it was the epitome of the stupidity of allowing power-mad sociopaths to have any power at all.

I would need to keep such sentiments to myself, however. Somehow, I doubted that the local Imperial troops would be too fond of a Sith that exhibited such…unorthodox political ideas, and I suspected that they would be more than happy to express their displeasure with anything ranging from words to a blaster bolt.

The command center was easy enough to find, particularly with the personnel inside practically falling over themselves to direct me toward Captain Dyer. In some strange way, their obsequiousness was amusing to me – that they would practically fall over themselves to show respect to someone that wanted to destroy the system they held so dear. The irony would have been delightful, had the reality of my existence not been so terrible.

No matter. Now is not the time for idle amusements.

Captain Dyer was hunched over her desk, focused intently on a data pad, when I entered her office. She was surprisingly young for an officer of her rank, though her assignment to a world like Tatooine probably said much for her standing with the people that mattered. As she glanced up from her reading, I was struck by how normalshe seemed – if it hadn’t been for her uniform, she would not have been out of place back on Ithaca.

“Captain Antonia Dyer, my Lord. Thank you for agreeing to see me.” I could sense some apprehension from her with the Force – probably because she assumed I might kill her if I felt my time was being wasted. “There is a situation at an Imperial outpost not far from Mos Ila and I could use your assistance.” There was a flicker of outright fear in her hazel eyes. “If you have the time for it, of course.”

“What sort of situation?” I was intrigued at the possibilities, but I wanted something concrete before I wasted any more of my time on this Force-forsaken planet. “And why does it require my assistance when there are plenty of Imperial soldiers around to do your bidding?”

“My apologies, my Lord.” She flushed slightly. “The Moff has taken most of the garrison for his own purposes, so I am left with a skeleton crew. I would not think to trouble someone of your importance if I had any other option.”

“Of course.” I gave her an enigmatic smile. “Now, tell me what your situation is, and I can determine if it is worth my time and effort.”

“Yes, my Lord.” Dyer straightened up, smoothing her uniform. “A Colonel Gorik had been operating a…research team…in a small facility to the northwest of Mos Ila. That facility went dark two days ago – no communications, no energy signature, nothing. Ordinarily I would not be too concerned given the colonel’s secrecy about his project, but long-range scanners picked up what looked to be an explosion, and sources in Anchorhead reported Republic activity in the area.”

“And you suspect that the Republic might have attacked the facility?” She nodded, which raised another obvious question. “What was Gorik doing at the facility?”

Dyer flushed again. “I’m not sure if I am authorized to give you that information, my Lord.”

“Come now, captain, if you don’t give me the information I need, I can’t possibly provide you with the help you need.” I was still uncertain about whether this was worth my while, but I suspected it might be. Captain Dyer seemed reasonable enough for an Imperial, so a friendlier approach would likely be more successful. “Help me help you.” I smiled slightly, and was pleased to see her posture relax somewhat.

“Yes, my Lord, of course.” She smiled tremulously for a moment, then seemed to think better of doing so in the presence of a Sith. “Colonel Gorik and a defector from the Republic were working on experimental designs for explosive devices.” Dyer leaned in conspiratorially. “I wasn’t supposed to know that, but the colonel reassigned some local troops, who were more than happy to provide details.”

I was taken aback for a moment – Captain Dyer had seemed friendlier and more rational than most Imperials, but I had not suspected such openness. Still, I would not look a gift nerf in the mouth. “A defector for the Republic and explosives testing on a world like this? That hardly makes sense.”

Dyer flushed yet again, though this time the red in her skin seemed almost angry. “The explosives were being tested on civilians living in the settlement of Anchorhead. Being Republic-affiliated but outside official Republic jurisdiction made it a prime target for the colonel. I attempted to dissuade him, but…”. The captain trailed off, leaving her reasoning unclear.

“Explain why you attempted to change his mind.” It might have seemed irrelevant to her, but it might mean the galaxy to me.

She pursed her lips and clicked her heels together, clearly steadying herself to give an answer she expected me to disapprove of. That alone made me optimistic.

“My Lord, I recognize that politics and history make the Republic our enemy, but I cannot condone the wanton murder of innocent civilians, regardless of their affiliation. Colonel Gorik’s methods were barbaric, and his insatiable lust for destruction even worse. He was a disgrace to the uniform and the principles that are meant to be represented by it.”

I smiled slightly, though I was still unsure whether she held truly progressive views, or was merely another of the many useful idiots the Empire employed in order to convince its people that it was the only appropriate master for the galaxy’s population. Still, even the latter meant that I would have a sympathetic ear in the future, if I needed one.

“I agree, Captain Dyer. Such criminal activities only undermine the Empire.” It was my turn to purse my lips; I wanted the Empire destroyed, not merely defanged, but meeting the likes of Captain Dyer always weakened my resolve, somewhat. They were not evil, simply misguided, and there was always the chance to turn someone that was misguided back onto the right path. So we were always told, at least. So I’d like to believe.

“If you could investigate what’s left of the base and determine if there’s anything the Empire should be aware of, I’m prepared to compensate you generously,” she said. "Not that you are a mercenary, of course." Dyer must have mistaken my lack of an immediate reply as anger, because her cheeks turned an unhealthy shade of red. “I meant no offense, my Lord.”

“Of course not, captain.” I unconsciously waved away her concerns with my left hand. “I will investigate this facility for you.” Seeing her obvious sense of relief forced me to repress a laugh. I decided to give her an overstated wink, instead, causing all of her discomfiture to return in a rush, and again requiring me to refrain from laughing. “Can you provide transportation? I have colleagues in Mos Ila, but they have their own matter to attend to.”

Dyer nodded briskly. “Of course, my Lord. I’ll assign a speeder to you and provide a pilot for it.” She paused, as if going over some kind of mental checklist. “And anything else you need, of course.”

I decided I had had enough fun with poor Antonia Dyer for the day, so I merely nodded in appreciate and let a number of more…amusing…responses die in my mind. “Have the speeder prepared immediately. I will contact my associates and brief them, and then I will be ready to depart.”

There didn’t seem to be any need to wait for another reply, so I left the captain in my wake and made my way to a conference room down the hall. I suspected that anything I said would be recorded and scrutinized, but – for once – I had nothing to fear on that front, unless Casey Rix had another surprise up her sleeve when it came to her background. Since I felt safe in assuming she was not on any Imperial watch lists, I calmly dialed Khem. It will be so nice to hear his voice again.

<Yes.> His voice was more sullen than usual, most likely because Khem had spent so much time around Revel.

“Khem, I’m afraid plans have changed. You and Revel will go and retrieve Casey Rix from her settlement, while I handle another matter for the local garrison. I don’t anticipate it being too much trouble, but if you require any assistance, you may contact me directly or speak with Captain Dyer at the garrison.”

<My place is by your side, Little Sith.>

I choked back an amused chuckle. “Your place is where ever I need you to be, Khem. In this case, I promised revel that we would rescue Casey Rix, and so you will ensure we uphold our end of the bargain. I will not need assistance where I am going.”

Khem responded with what sounded like a harrumph, but acknowledged my command and closed the channel. With that torturous bit of socialization complete, I returned my attention to the task at hand.

The speeder dock was technically located below ground, with a carefully secured ramp leading up to the streets above. There was a single row of command speeders, notable for the rather obvious target the command module made, and two rows of six standard speeders each. The machines looked old, though not quite decrepit, but serviceable enough for what was supposedly going to be a relatively routine scouting mission. The pilot Dyer had provided, a pasty-looking man named Kurtz, waved at me as I came into his view. He was pleasant enough to look at, but had the demeanor of a small child let loose in a candy store for the first time.

“My Lord, over here!” He waved again, paying no attention to the sheepish and worried looks the mechanics nearby gave him. “I can’t believe I’ve been given this honor!”

“Of being a glorified chauffeur,” I noted drily. “Yes, quite the honor.”

The point flew over his head and soared into orbit.

“I have never been presented with such an opportunity before. To serve as the personal liaison to a member of the Dark Council! The Emperor has blessed me this day.”

“I’m not a member of the Dark Council.” I wrinkled my nose and studied the fool more closely, looking for signs of mental incapacity.

“A true Sith Lord, in that case. Truly, an honor.”

I sighed, already tired of his antics. “I am merely an apprentice.” The light in his eyes went out, and a gratifyingly glum expression took hold of his face. “Now, unless you plan on licking my boots clean, I believe it is time to depart.”

Kurtz, apparently eager to prove even my low expectations were too optimistic, knelt halfway down to the ground and hunched down toward my boots. He removed a small white cloth from a pocket in his uniform and began to lean in closer. “Like this, my Lord?”

For a moment, I could do little but cover my face with the palm of my right hand. I should not have been surprised by the man-child’s rank stupidity; one generally did not end up assigned to a world like Tatooine if you had the potential to learn to breathe without orders. Unless you are a political liability, like Captain Dyer, I suppose. I sent a small burst of Force energy toward his hand, causing him to cry out in shock and drop his cloth on the ground.

“Enough. Retrieve your cloth and show me to the speeder; I have no time for mindless fawning or childish antics.” I tapped my foot loudly, making sure to send a look of death at the mechanics that were now alternating ogling at me with their mockery of Kurtz. The threat of a painful, Force-influenced, death proved to be enough to get them back into line, though there was still some grumbling.

Kurtz was mercifully silent during the trip to where Colonel Gorik’s forces had presumably met their end, even managing to contain his excitement about the chance to give me a detailed description of the sand dunes as we passed by. There was a moment of concern when the ululating cries of the Sand People rang out, but we never caught sight of them. In order to ensure we weren’t going to run into any kind of ambush, Kurtz decided to park the speeder several minutes away, hidden from view in a small scouting emplacement Gorik’s men had set up.

There was no ambush, though, or any sign that there ever had been one planned. I did sense -something -within the smoking ruins of what had once been Gorik’s base. A familiar presence. No. Two presences, but one has faded away. I reached out with the Force, trying to identify what or who I was feeling, but the presences slipped away like grains of sand through one’s hand. All I could determine for sure was that there was still someone alive in the base, and that they were doing an excellent job of masking their intentions, let alone their true identity.

I bit down on my lower lip as I considered my options. Kurtz would most likely be completely useless in any kind of fight, particularly the kind I would expect from anything brave enough to explore whatever was left behind after the Republic destroyed the base. On the other hand, it was rarely a good idea to dismiss potential assistance in an uncertain situation – Kurtz might well prove me wrong, or at least prove enough of a distraction if I needed one. He might also serve as adequate cannon fodder. I frowned at that – he might be stupid and Imperial, but I had no reason to hope for his death.

“Kurtz, follow me in. I am not sure what we will find inside, but I imagine I will be better equipped to deal with it than you.” He nodded slightly and slipped behind me. If there is something I don’t want you aware of, you won’t be able to see it, either.

The base was surprisingly intact for a place that had apparently seen major combat so recently – there was still smoke and some isolated fires, but it could probably be salvaged. The computer systems looked completely shot, of course, and it wasn’t as if I wanted the Imperials to be able to rebuild, but I supposed it would be a small morsel of information I could give Captain Dyer. As we continued to progress through the facility, it became clear that it might be the only one, though, apart from being able to confirm that the entire garrison appeared to be dead.

Then, I felt the presence again. One of them, at least, but a familiar one at that. If my sense of him as right, he was also someone I could not afford to have Kurtz see, unless he died soon thereafter. I turned to my companion and smiled broadly, hoping to throw him off balance. I succeeded.

“Kurtz, be a dear and keep this floor secure. I will attempt to meditate on what happened here, but I require silence and security.”

The poor fool nodded and turned back towards the doorway we had just come through, not even bother to spare me another glance. I wondered if that meant he was as oblivious as I imagined, or if he was simply smart enough to know not to ask any question. Either suited my purposes well enough, so I decided not to question it.

No. There is someone else here that needs my questions as much as I need his answers.

I made my way to him using the Force, as he had dropped whatever cloak had kept him partially hidden before. Whatever Vharmir P’loesti or his SIS wanted, it was obvious they did not entirely trust me, which was entirely fair given that I did not trust them, either. I was not a fool – they viewed me as a potential asset, not a person, and I suspected that P’loesti was here to make his pitch again. It would be interesting to see if his song had any new notes.

P’loesti was leaning against the burnt-out remains of a standard Imperial shuttle when I found him in the hangar, acting as casual as a teenager would at their favorite hangout. His eyes were brown now – whether from some kind of lens or from removing ones he had been wearing, I did not know. His clothes were still the same nondescript civilian attire that Khem had mentioned was fashionable out on the Rim. He offered me a smile as I approached, but I could easily discern that it was a professional one.

“Greetings.” I noticed that he had dropped any pretense at an Imperial accent. “I see you left your driver elsewhere.”

I smirked slightly. “I was worried you might murder the poor thing. Bad enough that you waste my time with this cloak and daggers nonsense. What is it you want?”

“No doubt.” He winced. “I realize you haven’t had the time to properly consider what we discussed in the cantina.”

“And yet you are here,” I noted pointedly. “But not answering my question, I see.”

“I meant no offense. I got in contact with certain other members of my organization, and apprised them of your situation. They have agreed to allow for some flexibility.” Flexibility? Why does he speak as if I have already accepted his offer? “They wanted me to prove that they have only good intentions for your potential partnership.”

“How considerate of them.” I bit down hard on my lip to avoid releasing a laugh. “And how do they plan on doing that.”

It was P’loesti’s turn to bite down on his lip. “They have arranged for certain discretionary funds to be made available to you. And…” He glanced down at the pack around his waist as he rummaged around in it. “They wanted you to have this.”

He extended his arm out; a package was in his hand. I let out an audible gasp as I recognized what he held.

“I haven’t seen any wellberry cake since –“

“Since you left the Inner Rim,” he finished with a triumphant smile. He knew before we had ever even met. “I thought you might like it.”

I narrowed my eyes as I calculated the situation, but the SIS knowing I was from the Inner Rim meant very little given how quickly some of my mannerisms could probably be read. It isn’t as if wellberry cake narrows things down, anyway. It still left me feeling like I was at a disadvantage, though, as I knew next to nothing about the SIS or its agents.

“Time for me to go.” P’loesti tossed me a jaunty salute. “I’m sure you can hide the cake somewhere in your robes. Force knows you’ve got all sorts of things hidden there.”

For once, I found my tongue hopelessly tied in a knot for too long to reply, and was forced to respond by shaking my fist at his retreating back. I was unnerved to learn that the SIS had a leg up on me. Even more so when I realized that in order for P’loesti to have been waiting here in the first place, he must have been made aware that I would be coming. That suggested a traitor within the Imperial ranks…or that my own ship was not as secure as I would have liked. A troubling thought.

I shifted my direction to return to Kurtz when I noticed what appeared to be a marking on the wall across from the shuttle. I decided to investigate – after all, what was a minute spent on idle curiosity compared to a lifetime of regret? As I drew closer, I realized that it was not just any symbol; it was one that I had seen regularly growing up.

The shield of the Maker.

My mother’s faith had always meant more to Ayrs than it had to me, but the shield had been an ever-present part of my childhood. The Faith was primarily practiced by the human population of many Inner Rim worlds, but it was not nearly common enough to expect to see it here, in this place. I doubted that one of Gorik’s soldiers would have been responsible for it – Imperials weren’t known for overt displays of religious belief, and the Faith was almost entirely followed within Republic borders. If all of that was true, though, it meant that one of the Republic attackers was likely responsible for the marking. Why, though?

The shield was not merely a symbol for the Faith as a whole; it also represented the duty that adherents had to those that required their aid and support. Most of all, it represented a way of life that had led hundreds of thousands to dedicate their lives in service to the Republic, including so many members of my own family. It was…curious…to find it here, today. And strangely unsettling.

There would be plenty of time to consider the symbol in more depth later, though, so I forced myself to step away from the wall and continue on my way back to the central part of the base. Kurtz was there waiting for me, casually leaning against what was left of a control panel. He looked different than he had when I had left him, somehow, though I could not quite decide how or why. In the end, it did not matter all that much – people like Kurtz were not who I needed to be concerned with. Fortunately, he seemed to agree with that sentiment without me ever needing to vocalize it – he said nothing to me as we returned to Mos Ila.

As we pulled into the hangar at the Imperial base, that changed. He swiveled in his seat and gave me a strange look – not quite a leer, but something like it. “I trust your visit to the base was productive, my Lord. Perhaps we shall meet again.” He gave me an impish smile as he left without the groveling salute he had given when I had first met.

I felt a cold wave pass through my body. You were a fool to let your guard around him so easily. Every bit the fool you thought that he was.

My cheeks were still somewhat red when I reported back to Captain Dyer, who seemed strangely disappointed by the news that the base had indeed been destroyed, with no survivors. Then again, I imagined that this sort of incident was probably the most interesting thing to happen to the Imperials on Tatooine for some time, possibly ever. I felt a strange sense of satisfaction when the meeting was over and failed to convince myself to not feel guilty because I was helping a decent person specifically, and not the Empire.

I sighed as I left the building and headed back to the cantina. Life was much easier when the Imperials I were dealing with mirrored the personalities of the Sith on Korriban. It was more…confusing…to deal with someone who seemed a better fit for the Republic. I had no quarrel with such people, only with the system that they served, sometimes unwillingly. It was a lesson that I sometimes felt I was continually relearning. Perhaps that was for the best, though, as I could not afford to forget to distinguish between those Imperials that were truly my enemy and those that were not.

Khem and Revel were waiting for me in the room where our misadventures had begun, along with a very relieved-looking Casey Rix. I spotted the hint of disgust at the number of empty bottles in the room, but she seemed in good spirits otherwise, which pleased me more than I would have expected.

“Sith, good to see you.” Surprisingly, Revel sounded like he meant it. That realization immediately put my mind on alert. “We’ve been waiting for a while. Have fun with your Imperial friends?”

I snorted in response. “Is there anything else you require of me before I depart? I am more than tired of this world.”

“Heh. As social as ever.” His laugh was filled with something other than mirth, though, and it looked as though he was gathering himself for a difficult question. “Got a favor to ask of you, Sith.”

Of course.

“Zash can arrange for your reward better than I can, so I fail to see why you would need to ask me.”

“Not something she can offer.” He took a deep breath, then continued. “I want a place on your ship.”

“What?!” I was not sure who was more surprised – Casey or me.

“I got to thinking – the only reason Casey got into trouble was because of me, and I can’t have that happen again.” I was flustered at the thought of Revel acting selflessly – it was like the galaxy was upside down. “I need to do something more, anyway. Figured you might find me a spot aboard your ship. Heard you need a pilot, anyway. Heh.”

“What I don’t need is a pirate,” I managed to sputter.

“Look, Sith, I’m not saying we need to be friends. Just saying we could be good partners in crime.” He flinched, as he realized he’d used a phrase he shouldn’t have. “Partners, at least. You never know when you might need a good gun by your side, either.”

I chewed on my lip – every instinct I had was screaming to turn him down and throw the offer back in his face, but there was a certain, unwelcome, appeal to it. I did not want to admit it, but Revel had proven himself to be useful in a fight, and I could use someone to pilot my ship. He isn’t what I would have expected a pirate to be like, either.

“Andy, are you sure –“

Revel gently stroked her hair, a surprisingly sweet gesture from a man that seemed to have lived a very bitter existence. “Don’t worry, Cas. The Sith here’s good people.”

“I –“ You, what? “I am not fond of pirates.” I decided to begin with the understatement of the century.

“So I’ve heard,” he replied drolly. “We don’t need to be friends, Sith. Not sure I’d ever want to be friends with a Sith, anyway, heh. We have something in common, though.”

“And what is that?” I narrowed my eyes, attempting to disintegrate his head with the power of my imagined telekinetic powers.

“We both want to make people pay for hurting us….and the people and things we care about.” He gave me a curious look, not unlikely what the SIS agents had earlier. “We work together, and we can make that happen.”

I wanted to say no. I should have said no. And yet, when I tried to open my mouth to say the words, I found I could not.

“You will pilot my ship, but obey my commands. You will commit no acts of piracy or commit any crimes against anyone but my enemies. You will not speak unless spoken to, and you will not – under any circumstances – refer to me as anything but your superior.” He bristled at the last one, but said nothing. “And if you cause me any undue problems, I reserve the right to throw you off the ship and/or dismember you.”

Rix’ eyes went a little wide, but Revel just laughed. “I think we’ll get along just fine, Sith.”

Oh, I like.

To miss her brother so narrowly. She was so close, even thinking about him, and she still does not know.

I mean, I knew she was too late from the beginning, but still I sat here and hoped with every sentence.

Very nicely done!

And I think having Revel aboard her ship will lead to some interesting situations. Looking forward to it.

I contacted Zash from my cabin after we returned to the ship; it had been bad enough when I had Khem looking over my shoulder, and I had no interest in hearing any sort of commentary from Andronikos Revel. Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, I wondered what I had been thinking when I allowed the pirate to come aboard. Perhaps I had not been thinking at all; it would not have been the first or last time for that, either. A small smile crossed my lips, until I killed it by remembering that there was nothing particularly happy about my lot in life.

Strangely, Zash seemed to be in good spirits as well. Not that I should be complaining – there were few things in the galaxy more unpleasant than a Sith in a bad mood. Her smile broadened as my picture came into focus on her end, a toothy grin that reminded me more of a predator advancing on prey out in the wild than a person.

“Apprentice! I was so happy to hear of your success on Tatooine. I hear you were even able to assist the local garrison with an unpleasant military situation.” She clasped her hands together.

“Yes, I was busy winning the hearts and minds of Imperials across that sand-covered wasteland. Rest assured, if you ever find yourself on Tatooine, you will find your name will open many doors.”

“Oh, how wonderful.” I did not appreciate her effort to be even more sarcastic than I was. “I look forward to the day I am greeted by hordes of admirers in the streets of Mos Ila.”

I managed to avoid rolling my eyes too conspicuously, but the conversation was already becoming rather tiresome. “Did you have information about the artifact on Alderaan?” I raised an eyebrow at her in lieu of calling her Master, a practice which I found distasteful in so many ways.

“I have made inroads, yes. Unfortunately, it appears this particular artifact may have fallen into the hands of Republic-aligned forces on the planet.” She paused to take a breath. “Fortunately, I have an old acquaintance on the planet that should be able to assist you in your efforts to reclaim the artifact. Tell me, how much do you know about Alderaan, apprentice?”

More than I would ever admit to you. My grandmother had been intended for an Alderaanian nobleman, once, a member of House Organa. My siblings had never cared too much about that episode – save for Ayrs, when he had another of his jokes to tell – but it had always fascinated me. So much of our lives depended on individual decisions, where even the slightest of alterations might unravel the entire thread. I had often wondered what my life would have been like had things been otherwise…of course, that was all too common a hobby for me now.

“I know a little – it is a Core world with historically strong ties to the Republic. I believe that it recently seceded, though.” I knew all of this for a fact, of course, but I did not know if it would be wise to reveal that I kept abreast of politics to Zash. It was a delicate balance – appear too ignorant, and I would lose my position and any chance at meting out the justice so many in the Empire richly deserved, but appear too intelligent and I would be too obvious of a threat.

Assuming Zash operates along those lines, of course. Even after all this time, I still had far too little understanding of what made my ‘master’ tick. She wanted power and influence, like any Sith, but there was something more to her than the base desires of a normal Dark Side Force user. Khem had mentioned as much before as well – Zash was after something more than titles and power, it was only a matter of what and how. And here I am running around the galaxy running her errands and assisting with whatever she is doing. I regretted not doing more to try to discover the truth, as Khem had suggested – any surprise Zash had planned would almost have to be unpleasant for me.

“Yes, the politics of the planet are quite intriguing,” she was saying. “Fortunately, the intricacies of Alderaanian politics also presents us with a glorious opportunity. I believe that House Organa is hiding the artifact somewhere in one of their vaults. Naturally, that suggests we approach their rivals – House Thul – and secure assistance.”

“I assume this is where you tell me that your third cousin ten times removed is the former roommate of the head of House Thul’s daughter’s friend’s cousin?” I was not in the mood for more games, not when my entire life was a game to her.

“Something like that.” Zash was smiling, but the expression was a mask for something else – anger, annoyance, I was not entirely sure, but there was more than a hint of menace to it. “I have made contact with Elana Thul, a noblewoman in that house. She has agreed to provide assistance in exchange for you assisting her house with their war against House Organa.”

“And if I do not deign to assist them with their petty war?” I had little interest in attacking or harming a house affiliated with the Republic.

“Apprentice, you are so amusing. I will leave the specifics in your hands – you have proven more than capable. That being said, I would ask you to remember that House Thul has proven to be a valuable asset to the Empire’s interests on Alderaan.”

An asset – not an ally. I wondered if that was an intentional slip from Zash or an unintentional revelation of how the Empire truly viewed House Thul. Perhaps it was both – I doubted that Zash cared all that much about Elana Thul, and it would hardly be the first time that the Empire had expressed less than total care for those fighting for it or on its behalf. Either way, I resolved myself to dealing with the Thuls as coldly as I could. As it should be.

“I will do so,” I heard myself say out loud – it would be regrettable to show my hand to Zash if I was wrong about her choice of words. “Is there anything else I should be aware of?”

“Do try to keep the Force pyrotechnics to a minimum. Our role in the Alderaanian civil war is currently unofficial at best, and it would be best if your presence went unnoticed for as long as possible.”

I snickered slightly as I nodded in understanding and terminated the link. My experiences had demonstrated that Sith activities were rarely the kind to go unnoticed, and I could not imagine a scenario where reclaiming an artifact from a hostile noble house would be any different. Then again, it cost me nothing to give Zash off-the-cuff reassurance. If things went sour, it was not as if she could realistically hold it against me.

Of course, the Sith don’t particularly care about what’s logical or ‘realistic’.

Small comfort, then.

I slipped away from the holoterminal before Khem could get into range, and beat a hasty retreat to the cockpit. It was not that I preferred Revel to Khem, but he was at least circumspect enough to not question me about details and information he did not need to know. In addition, I had found another use for him.

He tilted his head from the pilot’s seat as he heard me approach. “Sith, what can I do for you?”

You can start by calling me by my name. Only, I did not want him to do so, not really. I did not want him to begin seeing himself as a part of my life or as having the potential to be anything more than an inconvenient business partner. Not to mention his shady underworld contacts could no doubt do all sorts of damage with even a first name.

“I was reviewing our mission parameters on Alderaan and I believe I have found an opportunity for you to prove your worth as a member of this crew beyond piloting the ship.”

“Oh?” He cocked an eyebrow and gave what he must have thought was a charming smile. It was anything but.

“My task is to retrieve another artifact for Zash., as you might have expected. Unfortunately, it looks like this will require certain…skills…that I do not believe are in your repertoire.’ Revel gave me a look of wounded pride, though I did not need the Force to see right through it. He said nothing, though. “It occurred to me that you might be able to assist me in a different way, though.”

“I’m listening.” Revel had swiveled the seat to face me and was reclining with arms folded across his chest.

“I assume you have retained at least a few contacts on Alderaan. Black market contacts, I mean, scoundrels and never-do-wells like yourself.” Revel eyed me carefully but did not reply. “I want you to reach out to them and see if you can establish a business relationship with any of them. Nothing overly formal or extensive, but I feel I can trust your judgment in that area.”

“A business relationship?” The pirate looked as if he was unsure whether to be amused or baffled by my instruction. “What kind of Sith are you?”

“An odd one.” We shared a smile, which only made me even more uncomfortable, so I attempted to steer the conversation back on course. “Essentially my problem is this – I am entirely too reliant upon Zash and her resources for everything I do – nothing gets done without her being aware of at least some aspect of it. That needs to change.”

“Little Sith is growing up and looking to leave the nest? How charming, heh.” I squelched the sudden impulse to strangle the man.

“Indeed. There are other words I could use to describe it, but I would also label it prudent.” I paused to gauge his reaction. His face gave nothing away, but he seemed content with the plan when I reached out with the Force. “I believe you can establish the connections we need to secure alternative methods of financing. Should Zash prove to be as untrustworthy as any other Sith, it would be rather unfortunate if I was cut off entirely from my funding.”

“Some of my contacts are going to be Republic side. That going to be an issue?” I got the distinct impression he was interested in my response more because of what it would say about me and less because of how it would affect his activities.

“That won’t be a problem unless you get yourself arrested by Republic authorities, in which case you are on your own.” I considered that for a moment, then pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You are to avoid causing any incidents.”

“Yes, mother. Heh. Not like I want to risk hurting future business.”

I suddenly felt like I was talking to a child, despite the fact that he was at least a decade older than I was. For a moment, I contemplated asking him exactly how old he was. After consideration I realized that that idea ran the risk of having him take the question as an invitation for further conversation, and conversing with Andronikos Revel ranked somewhere near the bottom of the list of things I wanted to do in the near future. Or ever.

“I’ll consider that a promise, then, Revel. In exchange for your service, I will include you in any profits we make. Say, 30% of any profits, less operating expenses.”

The pirate twisted his tattooed face into a grimace. “Let’s not play games, Sith. I deserve more than that.”

“Forty percent, then, and a share of any loot we acquire during our rousing adventures.” I stretched out a hand, which he gripped firmly and shook.

“It’s a deal, Sith. I-”

“Oh!” He frowned at my interruption. “Anything I deem necessary for my studies of the Force will always be mine.”

“We had a deal,” Revel retorted.

“I am altering our deal,” I shot back, favoring him with a look that would freeze the blood of any but the bravest of people. “Pray I do not alter it any further.”

“Sure.” He put his hands out in front of himself, protesting his innocence. “Whatever you say, Sith.”

“I say you should pilot us the rest of the way to Alderaan and keep any other opinions you might have to yourself. Or tell Khem Val,”

Revel tossed me a jaunty salute as I left, angering me further. I hoped I had not made a mistake in allowing him on board – my psychological strength was not what I would have wanted it to be. Every night found myself confronted by the dark whispers and every day was greeted by even darker urges. I had thought I could easily control the darkness bound to be unleashed by training and working with the Sith. I…I was wrong. I would have to try harder, work harder, do better.

The rest of the flight was pleasantly uneventful, so I was able to meditate on my circumstances the entire time. Revel had managed to work out some kind of arrangement with customs, allowing us to land directly at House Thul – a minor, but quite welcome, convenience. Khem and I disembarked first, drawing more than a few stares. For once, I was unsure whether they were directed at Khem or me; while a Dashade was quite the sight for anyone, the foolish nobles of Alderaan were also the type to be taken aback by a young woman wearing decidedly unfashionable black robes and wielding a lightsaber.

After pushing our way past a few Thul lackeys that wanted our attention – no doubt to assist them with their war against House Organa – we arrived at the main building of the palace. Opulent to the extreme, the palace exemplified why so many viewed nobility with such disdain – the credits that had been spent on its construction and maintenance could have fed and housed thousands of poor, but was instead wasted on sculptures imported from off-world and other nonsense. Even Khem seemed put off by the extravagance. Rather – more put off than usual.

Elana Thul was waiting for us in one of the first entry halls, escorted by a tall hulk of a man with the telltale eyes of a Sith. Whether he was on loan to House Thul or the noblewoman’s personal lap dog was unclear, but it was an unwelcome complication. For her part, the Thul representative was a petite woman with sharp facial features and an irritating voice that echoed across the chamber as she spoke.

“My lady, greetings!” She gave me a half-bow which I chose to ignore, causing her to step back, flustered. “I – I spoke with Darth Zash prior to your arrival and she informed me of your mission here on Alderaan. I will assist you to the best of my ability, of course.”

I stared at her through narrow eyes, trying to decide how best to approach our conversation. I had no use for Elana Thul or her house, but she was still my most useful source of information and assistance. Given that, I decided it would be unwise to alienate her unnecessarily, even if I found her Sith pet distasteful.

“I’m glad to hear it, Lady Elana. Have you any information regarding the artifact that I am after? Darth Zash suggested that it was under the control of your enemies in House Organa.”

Thul nodded. “Indeed. But, first, let me introduce you to Urtel Moren.” She gestured toward the behemoth next to her. “He is a fellow Sith, serving House Thul and its interests.”

“How intriguing.” I gave the Sith another look, then returned my gaze to Thul – though Moren might prove to be an obstacle regardless of what I did, showing interest would only increase the likelihood, by my calculations. Better to be rude and avoid further dealings with him than risk having a new ‘friend’ to deal with. “What can you tell me about the artifact?”

“I, uh-.” She stammered for a moment, then recovered. “I was unable to locate much information, but I was able to pinpoint its location – the Elysium, a storehouse for many of our houses’ greatest treasures.” Thul bit her lip before continuing. “Unfortunately, there are significant security systems in place, and even if you were able to circumvent those, you would need the appropriate key for the vault…and that key is in the hands of a Jedi Master.”

Damn.

“Which one?”

Thul sighed softly. “Nomar Organa – a proud and virtuous Jedi that left his noble house behind to serve the galaxy.” I noted that the woman spoke those words with barely-contained contempt behind them, where most people would have had admiration. “He is off-world, and I do not know how we might ‘convince’ him to return to Alderaan.”

I pondered that for a moment – I needed that key, but I did not need trouble with the Jedi Order. I don’t want any trouble with them, either. They were my father’s family before we were. It seemed that conflict might not be something that I could avoid, though, and I found that prospect…troubling.

“A thought.” It was Moren this time. His voice was strangely pleasant, particularly for a Sith. “House Alde is responsible for maintaining the records for every house on Alderaan. Perhaps there is something within their archives that we can use against Nomar Organa to force his hand. Some secret or relationship.”

Thul furrowed her brow. “It is possible. House Alde is a staunch ally of House Organa, though, so you would almost certainly find yourself fighting your way to their archives.”

“Perhaps.” I gave Thul and her pet a crafty smile. “On the other hand, I have proven to be quite persuasive before. Perhaps I can speak to the members of House Alde and…convince…them not to take up arms against me.”

Khem growled softly, but I quieted him with a sharp hand gesture.

“As you say, my lady.” Moren bowed politely at me, further irritating me. “If I might have a word in private?”

Elana Thul was already leaving, but Khem was still available to avoid the Sith. After studying the man more closely, though, I decided it would be better to deal with him now, rather than run the risk of him interfering later on.

“Yes. Urkel, was it?”

“Urtel, my lady.” I felt somewhat guilty when his voice remained perfectly calm even after my provocation. “I merely wished to express my satisfaction in being allowed the chance to work with a Sith of your caliber.”

“Oh?” I hadn’t been aware I had any caliber.

“You were the one responsible for killing Darth Skotia, yes?” For a moment, Urtel Moren almost reminded of my younger sister eagerly pestering me for another story or details of the day’s events with my friends. “That was quite an achievement.”

“I try to remain modest.” I shrugged slightly, radiating an aura of cool disinterest. “Given the homicidal nature of so many Sith, I find it best to maintain a low profile and avoid making myself a target. I trust I am not a target to you.” I eyed him closely, but he did not flinch.

“Not in that way, my lady.” I narrowed my eyes as a slight blush grew on his cheeks. “I-I merely meant I find you intriguing. Your career, that is.”

Somehow, I could not find anything good in having a Sith admirer, so I decided to beat a hasty retreat instead. “I should go, Urtel. I still have to determine how best to deal with House Alde.” I glanced behind me and saw Khem staring at us with his mouth open. I still could not read him well enough to tell if he was amused or disgusted – or, perhaps, both – but I could sense the potential for trouble. “And deal with Khem, naturally.”

“Of course.” Moren bowed his head again.

I did not wait for him to say anything else, so I returned to Khem’s side, giving him a side-eye glance to forestall any commentary. “It seems I have a fan among the Sith. You best prove yourself to me again, Khem, or I might have to replace you.”

The Dashade gaped at me in silence for some time before speaking. <That is a joke, Little Sith?>

“I’ll let you puzzle that one out.” I sighed softly, wondering if the Force had decided to torment me today, and began heading for the entrance. I was still concerned about how to deal with House Alde – I was not interested in massacring anyone, let alone for something as mundane as gossip about one Nomar Organa.

I was still mulling things over as we secured a speeder and began our trip to the northeast, where House Alde’s holdings were. Elana Thul had helpfully provided the latest scouting reports on Alde’s forces to help us avoid running into patrols, but that also reduced the amount of time I had to plan. Clearly, any nonviolent solution would require leaving Khem behind – somehow I doubted the Alde forces would be too pleased having a Sith monster roaming around their lands. Beyond that, though, I felt helpless – the only thing of value I could part with was the book on Sith history I kept with me, and I doubted that would be enough to convince anyone of my good intentions.

Well, not good intentions, per se. My non-hostile ones.

Still, the book was as good a place as any to start, assuming the guards at House Alde did not choose to simply blow us up on approach. As we neared the main entrance to the Alde compound, I turned to Khem to alert him to my plan.

“I do not wish for this to end in a bloodbath, so you will have to remain with the speeder, Khem.” I pre-emptively silenced his complaints with a sharp look. “I realize that you would like nothing more than to tear through dozens of helpless soldiers, but I have neither the time nor the inclination for such an encounter. I am after information, and it will be easier to obtain if we avoid starting a major battle.”

<Very well, Little Sith, but if you continue to deny me battle, I cannot say I will always be so willing in the future.>

I was silent for a moment, mostly because I had not anticipated such an easy resolution to the situation – Khem routinely expressed great frustration when denied the chance to slaughter people, and this seemed like yet another of those times. Still, after a day of somewhat trying situations and conversations, I was not particularly interested in creating more trouble for myself. Instead, I remained silent and piloted the speeder up to the central guard post, where we were stopped by a middle-aged man wearing a captain’s uniform and a completely absurd hat.

“Halt, in the name of House Alde!”

“We’re halted,” I noted as the speeder came to a full stop. “I need access to your libraries.”

The man seemed taken aback by my frankness and casual bearing. “B-but you are a Sith! You are with the Thuls!”

I smiled sweetly at him. “Let’s consider the Sith thing an alliance of convenience. And I am most certainly not working with or for the Thuls.”

“Then why are you here?” His eyes narrowed with suspicion.

“I have personal business that requires some research. I am not looking for trouble, despite what the frightening face of my companion would suggest. Al I seek is some time in your archives, and in exchange I will donate this book I appropriated from Korriban.” I reached into my robes and removed the tome, displaying it for the captain’s benefit.

“You wish to patronize our library?” His eyes were bugging out now, stage two of the normal reaction to reasonable requests coming from a Sith. “You are quite the odd creature.”

“I get that quite often. Unfortunately, though, I do not have time to banter about this. If you could please extend my offer to the curator, or whoever is in charge, I would appreciate it.” And if this does not work, I will be forced to kill you. I For the first time in what felt like forever, I found myself praying to the Maker, hoping it would not come to that.

It didn’t. The captain returned from calling his superiors within minutes, and they had agreed to my proposal as long as Khem remained off of their lands and I was monitored to ensure I did not sabotage the archives. Both conditions were reasonable and hardly unexpected, so I found myself traveling into the Alde compound with a handsome soldier as an escort mere minutes later. As we drew closer to our destination, I wondered if I should ask whether they had agreed out of principle or because they feared a massacre, but I was not sure I wanted to know the answer to that question.

The archives were rather impressive, with each section dwarfing all of the libraries on Ithaca put together. There were many ancient books, electronic records, holos; a virtual smorgasbord of resources for learning and intellectual development. Somewhat disappointing, then, that I was here to dredge up gossip and dirt about Nomar Organa.

My search proved to be quite difficult – there were numerous restrictions on my access, and much of the information on Organa was heavily sanitized due to his position within the Jedi Order. What scraps of information I could find were useless – virtually a list of talking points one would expect a politician to read from during a speech. I spent hours within the Alde system, but could find nothing – I was nearing my breaking point when I happened across an old looking still picture of a young Nomar Organa holding hands with a woman. They were both smiling and seemed happy. I wondered how it had gone wrong.

The same way everything went wrong for you, no doubt. The galaxy does as the galaxy will.

I decided to inspect the still and its related files more closely – perhaps this woman could lead me to something that would entice Nomar Organa to return to Alderaan. Several layers into my search, I found something – an old and short story about the impending nuptials of one Nomar Organa and a Rehanna Rist. I did a separate search for Rist and found myself looking at the older copy of the woman from the still. A simple query revealed that Rehanna Rist was still alive and living on the planet.

So Nomar Organa was betrothed to Rehanna Rist, and something made it all go wrong. Interesting.

There was no other information available, but it was a start. House Rist was not aligned with House Thul, but neither was it allied to the Organas, so it was possible that I would be able to speak with Rehanna Rist and determine if there was something I could use. I suspected there was, but something in my heart recognized it would end badly for someone. Or everyone, possibly. There was not much I could do about it now, though.

I retreated from the console I was working at and returned to my escort, who had been quietly suffering through hours of watching me do research. To make up for his misfortunate, I gave him a salacious wink, which threw him off balance and nearly caused him to fall down. To cover for himself, he huffed loudly and stood up even straighter as he caught up to and then passed me, leading the way back to the vehicle that had brought us in.

As we left the building, I glanced at my comm and saw that I had two messages. The first, heavily encoded to anyone but me, made me smile. Quorian.

The second...I had to check a second and then a third time to be sure I was not reading it wrong. When I realized I had seen the name correctly the first time, I felt a cold chill pass through me – there were few people in the galaxy I wanted dead more than Harrion Vular, the man that had taken me to Korriban and started me down the treacherous path I now found myself on.

No matter, you will deal with him.

Perhaps I could ensure he never left Alderaan, ensure he never ruined another life. I smiled slightly. Something more enjoyable to plan, for once.

I decided to take advantage of the somewhat lengthy trip back to House Thul by contacting Vular. If the conversation ended up being as unpleasant as I suspected it would, I would feel less constrained about following social norms if we were traversing the Alderaanian countryside than I would be in a palace surrounded by the likes of Elana Thul.

Particularly when he is taking this long to answer the call.

“Ah, Veresia. It is good to hear from you again. I had feared our interactions on Nar Shaddaa might be our last, but the Force has smiled upon us.”

“If the Force is doing anything, I suspect it is something other than smiling,” I retorted. “Also, refrain from calling me Veresia, if you would.”

“What should I call you, my lady?”

“Nothing. I would prefer you not call me at all.” I waited patiently during the silence that followed; perhaps the fool would be self-aware enough to know when to cut his losses.

“I can indulge some of your requests, my lady, but not that one. I still believe we have quite the future together as Sith rising to the top, as we were meant to.” I had never heard a man that sounded so smug before. “IF you would only just agree to meet with me again, I am confident I could persuade you of this.”

“Did you ever stop to consider that I may not want to be persuaded of anything by the likes of you, Vular?” I was tired of the man; tired of his posturing, tired of his harassment, tired of his existence. “I have no interest in your delusions of Sith grandeur. I never will. Accept that as the answer to your question, or be destroyed.”

The silence was as deafening as it was welcome, and it was almost enough to convince me that I had rid myself of the detestable man for good. Of course, the galaxy was rarely that kind to me, and it proved that maxim yet again.

“I…regret…your obstinacy. I had hoped that we could find common ground and reach some sort of arrangement. Perhaps you will reconsider my offer – think it over. I believe we have a future together, even if you do not yet see it.”

“Perhaps you will see the light about where we stand soon, Vular. For your sake, as much as mine. I think it is you that needs to consider their position and meditate upon it. If you are wise enough to heed my warning, you will leave this planet and never make the mistake of attempting to contact me again.” I sweetened my voice somewhat, to better emphasize my point. “If I were to encounter you in person again, I might be forced to commit all sorts of terrible misdeeds. It would be a shame if you were found dismembered or otherwise hurt.”

“Of course.” He sounded about ready to say something else, but the moment passed and I heard him close the channel instead.

I could not deny that the man confounded me. He had been the one to take me from Imperial custody to Korriban, but he had always treated me with a twisted sense of gentleness. Not to spare me the horrors I was about to see, of course, but to feather his cap and look good for his masters. That was the way of the Sith, after all – they did nothing for anyone else unless it would improve their own lot. Or cause someone else to suffer.

Vular wanted me, but not in the same way that Quorian did. The latter wanted to be with me, to share in my joys and support me I had none. Vular wanted to control me, to own me. He wanted me to be his, and I never would be. It was a disturbing realization, and one that suggested I might need to take action against him.

There was no time to do anything for the time being, though. Elana Thul and her Sith pet were waiting for us upon our arrival, looking entirely too pleased with themselves. I hoped their expressions might be due to having information regarding Rehanna Rist, but I had learned to never hope for the best since entering Imperial space. It was far more likely that they had devised a scheme to poison orphans or some such thing than anything useful.

“My lady, you have returned.” Moren bowed slightly, a respectful gesture that did not quite reach the subservience of a servant’s bow. It was rather obnoxious, either way. “We were able to locate Rehanna Rist and I have begun plotting a strategy for incorporating her into a plan to lure Nomar Organa to Alderaan.”

“Truly?” I left the sarcastic edge in my voice somewhat understated. “And what plan have you managed to concoct?”

An awkward silence followed, which answered my question as well as either of them could have. Thul fidgeted with her hair, and neither her nor Moren could seem to meet my gaze.

“You were unable to create a plan, I take it? I suppose you did emphasize that you were only plotting a strategy on how to incorporate the information into a plan.” I slapped my thigh with exaggerated gesture. “I cannot imagine what madness led me to believe an actual plan might have resulted.”

The pair shared a look, far too quickly for me to read accurately. Their nervousness was more than obvious in the Force, though. I decided to allay their fears with a soothing gesture.

“There, there. I am sure you worked as hard as you could. Rest assured, I have begun my own contemplation of the issue, and I formulated my own plan.” They nodded their heads in approval, as if that mattered to me. “Before I begin acting on that plan, though, can you think of anything I should know about House Rist in general or Rehanna Rist in particular?”

“House Rist has a rather poor reputation here on Alderaan, my lady.” Thul’s face was scrunched up, as if carefully considering what she was going to say next. “They have long been surrounded by dark rumors of being master assassins and poisoners. How much of that reputation is true…I cannot say for certain, but I must admit I am surprised the Organas would have ever considered such an arrangement.”

“Perhaps the houses did not arrange anything,” I speculated. “Perhaps it was simply a matter of two people falling in love.”

Moren seemed to agree that my hypothesis was at least possible, but Thul was regarding me as if I had said the Alderaanian sky was purple.

“That…that would be most irregular. Most irregular. I would never even consider such a rash course of action, and I somehow doubt a man of Nomar Organa’s psychology would do so either. Why would a man who a dedicated his life to the Jedi Order be so irresponsible?”

I shrugged; the woman was beginning to irritate me. “I cannot say. Perhaps it fell apart and that trauma was what drove him into the Order. Perhaps his adherence to the Order was wavering and he encountered Rehanna Rist at precisely the right time – or the wrong one. For the moment, it does not matter; the only thing that does is that Rehanna Rist represents a potential opening for drawing Nomar Organa to Alderaan. I must speak with her and determine how much of an opening that is.”

“That…that is the other problem, my lady.” Thul and Moren both looked nervous. “House Rist is hostile toward House Thul and has allied itself with house Ulgo, another of my house’s enemies. I fear that Rehanna Rist may not be receptive to working with you.”

I skewered the woman with a harsh glance.

“I believe she intends to coerce Rehanna Rist into assisting,” Moren murmured.

“Nothing too extreme, I hope.” In fact, I hoped I could discuss the situation with the woman peacefully. “I would not want House Rist to hold any grudges against House Thul, after all.”

“Of course.” Elana Thul’s face scrunched up again, a most tiresome display. “My lady, I was wondering if it would be too forward to ask a favor of you, while you are already working with House Thul.”

I was tempted to say that it would be too presumptuous, but managed to restrain myself through a supreme effort of self-control. Instead, I made a noncommittal gesture toward her. “I can consider it – my work iis of paramount importance, though.”

“Of course, of course. The political situation on Alderaan may be in disarray, but no one in House Thul would ever fail to appreciate the sacrifices the Empire has made to support us.” She coughed twice, though both seemed natural and unrelated to what she had just said. “I have heard rumors of planned operations by House Organa that may place this house in jeopardy. Can House Thul call upon for aid should we require it?”

“You can certainly call.” I left the rest unsaid. “In the meantime, I have a meeting with Rehanna Rist to attend to.” Elana Thul bowed her head somewhat shakily.

As we neared the entrance to the palace, I felt a hand around my right arm, a gentle grip despite the potential firmness behind it.

“My lady, I was wondering if I might speak with you for a moment?” It was Moren again, with his damned Sith eyes and creepy voice.

“One might say you have just spoken with me for several moments, Moren.” I planted my hands at my hips. “However, I am in a forgiving mood. What is it you want?”

Moren frowned . “A man came to House Thul while you were away. A Sith. He spoke of you and wished to learn about your movements and plans.”

“Harrion Vular.” The name was a bitter taste upon my tongue. “He has haunted my life since the day I was taken from the camp that made me and was brought to Korriban for training. What did you tell him? Be truthful.”

“I told him nothing of value, my lady.” Moren’s clipped tones were somehow reassuring now. “I spoke in general terms of you operating on behalf of Darth Zash but stated little beyond that. I believe that he accepted my words as truth, but I cannot say for sure.” The lumbering oaf flushed slightly. “I must admit that I am not as proficient at lying as one ought to be as a Sith.”

I eyed him curiously, wondering if that was a true admission or merely a lure to draw me in. “One must always look to one’s weaknesses to know where next to begin work. Perhaps your encounter with Vular was meant to be a lesson to you, to show you how you might better develop within the order.” I wonder if that even makes any sense – I am hardly one to be giving motivational speeches to a Sith of all people.

He nodded. “I will take your words under advisement, my lady. You are as wise as you are beautiful, if it is not too much to say.”

It was with exasperation rather than surprise that I replied. “It is not too much to say, but it is too much to expect me to care. You would do well to remember your place.” I whirled on Khem as I heard the chuffing of laughter from behind. “You would do well to remember the same, Khem. I am your master, not your friend.”

The Dashade’s facial expression was a profoundly irritating mixture of annoyance and faux shame.

“I regret any impertinence on my part, my lady.” Moren gave another of his apologetic bows; I almost hoped that he would unbalance himself and fall over. At least he would then be amusing as well as annoying. “I only wished to express my admiration for you.”

“Yes, of course.” I gave him a cursory nod. “And you wished to express your interest in bedding me.” His face turned a delightful shade of purple. “Oh, don’t play the coy innocent with me, Moren, I have been around the Sith for too long, to say nothing of males in general. Perhaps I can spare you further blushes by leaving now?” I arched an eyebrow.

“Y-yes. That would be good, my lady. I think.”

I smiled sweetly. “Do try to get ahold of yourself, Moren. It would be a shame if Elana Thul discovered you were nothing but a foolish boy in a man’s body.”

His mouth snapped shut with a satisfyingly loud noise as Khem and I resumed course and made our way back to our speeder. I let my murderous companion take the controls, while I took out my comlink. Khem was hardly the kind of company I wanted during a call to Quorian, but it wasn’t as if I had all that many options. Not with so much more work to do.

The wait I experienced after dialing the necessary codes and entering the appropriate catchphrases felt interminable, but at long last I heard his soothing tones in my earpiece.

“Veresia? I was hoping to hear from you.”

“As always, Quorian.” There was something strangely tense about him; I could sense it in his voice alone. “I hope you are well?”

“Much better now.” I visualized him giving me a trademark wink and smiled. “I did manage to find my way to a certain Core planet, though what the Imperials and Sith scum are doing here is quite beyond me. Perhaps I can interrogate you and find out. Make myself look good for Master Shan.”

I wrinkled my nose even as I laughed – despite his playful tone, there was definitely something off about Quorian. “I am sure you would fail no matter how hard you tried.”

Khem glanced over at me and glared menacingly, baring the tips of his fangs.

“Perhaps.” He took a deep breath. “I am not sure what your…schedule…is like, but the Jedi have a safe house near House Alde that happens to be available for a few days.”

“That sounds like something I might be interested in, though I require some time before I can arrive…perhaps hours, I am not quite sure.” My stomach was strangely twisted into knots, both because of Quorian and because I realized that Khem had parked the speeder beneath some trees and looked about ready to murder me. “I have some business to attend to.”

“Some business to attend to,” Quorian replied, somewhat dubiously. “Do I want to know what it is? Are you hacking and slashing your way through Organa soldiers, or blasting herds of akk hounds with Force Lightning?”

Jedi humor. I snorted. “Nothing quite so macabre, though you seem to have quite the Sith-like imagination, if you ask me. I have a meeting with a representative of House Rist that I must attend. If it isn’t too much of a bother, I can contact you on this channel after I finish and arrange for our rendezvous at your safe house?”

Khem growled something at me that I did not quite catch. It did not matter, though; I could already sense an argument with the Dashade brewing once I finished the call with Quorian.

“That, uh, sounds like a plan. Is my dear friend Khem there, by any chance?”

I pondered how best to answer the question, seeing as I did not want to spark a larger argument that might end up with one or both of them dead. “Yes, did you want to say hello?”

Quorian laughed uneasily at that. “No, was just checking. Can’t be too careful, even around my favorite Sith.”

“Of course.” I felt suddenly tongue-tied, as if I was back in middle school. “So, I’ll contact you when I finish with House Rist. I will attempt to keep any bloodstains away from my clothing, to enhance your experience.”

For a moment , Quorian’s silence worried me, but then I realized he was merely trying and failing to come up with a snappy comeback. “Looking forward to it, Veresia.” He was strangely serious again, but the connection was dead before I could even begin to ask why.

“Little Sith, it is time to speak.” With his arms crossed over his monstrous chest, Khem suddenly felt like an unwanted parent or older brother. “You demean both of us with your continued dalliance with your Jedi lover.”

“And you need to learn your place. I will offer some advice, Khem, my love life is not it.” I frowned at him, feeling the beginnings of genuine anger forming in the pit of my stomach. “I’ve spoken with you about this before, and I thought we had reached an agreement about it. Why are you raising the subject again?”

“We had also discussed the importance of our mission, Little Sith. Yet again, you have placed your own unnatural desires above fulfilling your destiny as a Sith. Tulak Hord would never have allowed himself to be distracted by passions of the flesh.”

“Tulak Hord was also so consumed by the Dark Side that he probably would not understand what we’re talking about. I grow tired of explaining myself to you – if you cannot accept the fact that I have no intention of becoming a grim and brooding beast such as yourself, perhaps I can find a black hole to shoot you into.” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Or, you can remember your pledge to me on Korriban and ignore those aspects of my life that do not concern you. The choice is yours.”

His jaws tensed, as if he was considering a sharp response. Or he is considering whether to eat me.

“This Jedi fiend will bring you only shame and despair, mark my words. You may be strong with the Force, but you are still a foolish little girl, Little Sith. The galaxy is no place for the likes of you.” He huffed and returned to the controls.

“Perhaps even foolish little girls need their rays of sunshine,” I murmured, too quietly for him to hear.

House Rist was located in a mountainous region, with every one of the easy-to-access paths patrolled by large groups of guards. If what Elana Thul had stated was accurate, I could expect a hostile greeting from them, and there were far too many to hope to force my way through. Fortunately, I had an ally that the planners of the fortress had not anticipated; the Force. I infused my muscles with the raw energy flowing through me, and used my newfound ability to begin clambering up an otherwise unclimbable outcropping of rock, stopping only to use the Force to levitate Khem along with me. It was not an easy exercise, but the weight pressing down upon my chest grew lighter as we progressed toward the top.

At long last, we found ourselves looking down upon the Rist palace, though the complex was so large and complex that I realized our task was only beginning. I reached out with the Force, but soon realized that it would do me no real good because I did not know how to tell Rehanna Rist from anyone else. We will have to do this the old fashioned way. At least Khem will be happy.

As we carefully made our way toward the buildings, I noticed a security captain patrolling the courtyard alone, the perfect target. When he approached our position, I silenced his attempt at a scream by choking off his airway as gently as possible, and then levitated him toward us. His eyes were as big as sensor dishes when he arrived.

“Puh-puh-lease don’t hurt me. I m-might have a wife and children some day!”

Khem snorted. “You are a pathetic creature and it would please me to rain death and destruction on all in this house, but the Little Sith requires information.”

I leaned in and offered the panic-stricken man a slight smile. “Hello. I am looking to become acquainted with Rehanna Rist. Where might I find her?”

“I-I don’t…” His voice trailed off as he carefully studied my face and realized that I was not in the mood for games. “She is located in the library tower, over there. She has chambers marked with a crimson blade.” He gestured toward a tall, thin, building that was a few minutes’ walk from our location. “P-please don’t kill me.”

Khem looked at me with expectant eyes, like an akk dog pup waiting for a treat. I shook my head, and sent a wave of Force energy into our captive, rendering him unconscious. Khem then draped the man’s limp body over some rocks, out of sight of anyone in the courtyard. After I ensured he wouldn’t be discovered any time soon, Khem and I began our march toward the tower Rist was in. We were fortunate – the patrols we encountered along the way were filled with weak enough minds that some careful persuasion convinced them to leave us alone.

We reached the door with the crimson blade over it, conveniently located on the ground level of the tower. With the door magnetically sealed, I was left with no alternative except to slice through the metal with my lightsaber, cutting open a large enough circle to fit both Khem and me . Once Khem had pushed the smoking remnants of the door aside, we stepped into a console-filled room. A woman about two to three decades my senior was waiting, more handsome than beautiful. She jumped back as we entered, clearly startled.

“Who are you?” Her hand hovered over a hold-out blaster at her hip, but I dissuaded her from any foolish action. “W-what do you want?”

“Lady Rist.” I gave her a half-bow, though even I was not sure if I was being sarcastic about it. “I have come to discuss someone you were once acquainted with, Nomar Organa.” Her eyes lit up for a moment, betraying her recognition…and his importance to her. “I need to speak with the man, and I believe you may know how to get in contact with him.”

“Nomar…” She shook her head. “That was a long time ago. I have not spoken with him in too long. Many years, that is. I am afraid I would not be too useful , even if I were inclined to help you. The monster beside you suggests caution, at the least.”

I could not really deny the wisdom of being skeptical of anyone that traveled with a Dashade.

“I realize that my companion is…a sight. However, I have no interest in harming anyone; I merely need an artifact that he has control of access to. Surely you could at least help me communicate my need to him?”

“What need does a Sith have of a Jedi artifact?”

“My…master…requires it. I do not share her taste for violent resolutions, though, and am hoping to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”

Rist shook her head. “I still don’t understand what you hope I can do for you. Obviously, you must have discovered our engagement, or you would not be here. That was years ago, though…I doubt he even thinks of me any longer. Not after he broke it off to dedicate his life to the Jedi Order.”

“I was under the impression that the Jedi Order did not strictly forbid romantic relationships, perhaps he was unaware of that.” It did not take the Force to sense that the woman still had feelings for Organa. “I will leave if you ask me to, but it seems to me that this situation is an opportunity for you as much as it is for me.”

The Alderaanian woman was silent for some time, pursing her lips and twisting a loose strand of hair around her index finger. She was not nervous; if anything, she radiated a hopeful feeling in the Force, which suggested that she was inclined to agree with me. For a moment, I wondered if I should retract my statement – some part of me did not want to see someone else hurt so I could secure a trinket for Darth Zash. The moment passed – I could not afford to derail my greater project over trivial matters.

“Why should I believe that you won’t simply kill one or both of us once you have whatever it is you need?”

“A fair question. However, I believe you have answered this yourself with how you have approached this conversation, Lady Rist. You have not summoned any guards or attempted to set off any alarms – you are aware of what I might do, but you also realize that I do not intend to act in that manner. The same is true here. “ I grimaced. “While I do not doubt that Nomar Organa would gladly run me through with his lightsaber if given the chance, I do not feel the same way and…I also know what it is like to lose that which you love. Some Sith are born into their role. Others are….forced.”

“To ensure I understand properly, you want me to contact Nomar and entice him back to Alderaan with false talk of reigniting our relationship.”

“No.” I spoke more forcefully than I intended, because she took a step back. “The talk need not be ‘false’. I do not need the Force to detect your unresolved feelings for him. Regardless of what you think of me, not all Sith have forgotten what it means to love. I certainly have not.”

Rist eyed me suspiciously. “What would you know of love?”

A difficult question in the best of times for most people, an impossible one for me right now. How do I explain the friends and family that I lost? How to describe what I feel when I am around Quorian?

“I know,” I replied quietly, hoping my intonation would answer her in ways my words never could.

Her voice was quieter now, too. “And you swear you won’t harm him in any way? That this isn’t some trap for your own gain?”

“I’m not here for any of that,” I replied as reassuringly as I could. Silently, I cursed the fact that I was fond of wearing dark robes to imitate the Sith that people assumed I was. “There is nothing I need that requires violence – my master never decreed that I could not make this a diplomatic mission. I ask that you trust me on that.”

“Very well. I…I do wish that Nomar and I had resolved things. One way or another. I-I will need to…prepare myself.” A small, shy, smile flashed across her face. “I feel almost like I did back then. How strange.”

“These are strange days for all of us, Lady Rist. When you have news, please contact me on my personal channel.” I glanced behind me. “I will be sure that my intimidating friend is not there to meet Master Organa.”

With that, I bowed my head slightly and led Khem out of the room. We retraced our steps back to the outcropping we had started from. The captain was still lying there unconscious, so the descent proved rather simple, though Khem’s weight was more difficult to manage through the Force than it had been when we were going up. I made a mental note to more closely monitor his diet.

I contacted Quorian the moment we were safely away from House Rist. His voice was livelier this time, which cheered me somewhat. “How’s my favorite Sith doing? Did you manage to avoid getting your robes stained with the blood of your enemies.”

Khem snorted loudly, so I began by shushing him. “My meeting was successful, yes. I appreciate your concern. I would appreciate directions to your safe house even more.”

“This conversation is nauseating,” Khem interjected.

My system beeped as the coordinates arrived. I entered them into our navicomputer, allowing Khem to put the speeder on autopilot for the remainder of our trip. Khem continued to grumble about the insult to the memory of Tulak Hord under his breath, but soon realized that I did not give a damn about his continued judgment of my social life, and then fell silent. The Alderaanian landscape was much more enjoyable without Khem’s commentary and the ever-looming threat of imminent death. A part of me was saddened by the fact that the petty war between the nobles was likely to damage much of the lush foliage beyond recognition.

We arrived at the Jedi safe house half an hour later; it was another nondescript building that would never have drawn any attention to it if I had not been looking for it. Quorian was waiting by a tree near the front door, partially hidden by its large branches. Khem stopped the vehicle so I could get out. I landed softly on the grass, then turned back to my Dashade companion.

“Feel free to roam as you please, Khem, so long as you are ready for action when I call. Please try to avoid any mass murder while I am occupied.”

He glared up at me, but I no longer cared about Sith artifacts or Alderaanian nobles or even the feelings of my closest to companion. It was important to remember that there was far more to the galaxy than the machinations of those around me.

Quorian’s arms were warm as they enveloped me, and his lips were even warmer as they brushed against mine. I let you a girlish squeal as his kisses moved down my neck. The wind blew gently through my hair as we went inside. For a moment, I was no longer the conflicted woman on Alderaan; I was the dreamer on Ithaca, the girl with so many potential futures ahead of her.

It was a nice feeling.

So losing your internet is fun. Anyway, back to Veresia on Alderaan.

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I felt a chill run down my spine as a light breeze invaded the room – as usual, Quorian had been too…distracted…to properly close the window. And he stole the warmest blanket as well. Still, there were worse situations to wake up to. I smiled slightly, and I gently moved his arm from where it was draped across my stomach, kissing him lightly on the cheek to distract him in case he was more awake than I anticipated.

For a moment, I wondered what Ayrs would have made of Quorian. I think he would accept him, if only after he went through the proper routine that every overprotective older brother had. Or, so I imagined.

My lips twisted into a humorless smile, and my heart stung for a moment. Yet again, I wondered if it would not be better to find some way to at least find out how Ayrs was doing, if not contact him, but I was not sure my resolve could survive that kind of temptation. How could I truly commit myself to undermining the Sith and Empire if I knew there was a far easier and more pleasant life in the Republic for me? Truth be told, I could not risk that possibility. The war against the Sith required people like me to use every advantage they could, and my position was too important to abandon for easy emotional comfort.

Quorian murmured something under his breath as I crossed the room, carefully tracking down each article of clothing where they had been discarded the previous night. The undergarments and dark robes were hardly the height of fashion, but I needed them in order to continue to pass as a generic Sith within the Empire. As I leaned over to pick up my utility belt, I heard Quorian’s voice again, louder this time.

“You know, if staring at you like this is wrong because it violates the Jedi Code, then I don’t want to be right.”

He shot me a mischievous grin. I replied by using the Force to send a discarded pillow flying into his face. Then, I used the distraction to my advantage, slipping into the bathroom and claiming whatever warm water we’d have for the day for my own. The bathroom door’s locking mechanism activated with a satisfying click that was only matched by Quorian’s jokingly plaintive begging to be allowed in. A part of me wanted to leave him outside to revel in the schadenfreude, but the more rationale part of me realized that I would do well to find what joy I could in life, for the path I was walking was unlikely to lead me to any on its own.

It was strange how different the world around me felt when he was with me, when he had his arms around me and I had mine around him. I wanted to berate myself for wasting time on frivolities but there was no point in such recriminations. Sooner or later, the Sith would discover my true intentions and it would take more than the Force to save me then.

Besides, he’s remarkably skilled for a Jedi. One would have thought his upbringing would have left him lacking in some ways.

I left the refresher first, not wanting to but knowing I needed to - as much as Quorian offered a refuge from the darkness, he was still a distraction. I disengaged slowly, but firmly, and took advantage of my initiative by seizing the larger and softer of the two towels to dry myself off with before returning to the bedroom to get dressed. Remember, the most difficult part of any journey is beginning it.

Each step was more unpleasant than the previous one, but I forced myself to don my robes and equipment. Much like how children make things more difficult for themselves by delaying what needed to be done, I knew that I would only make my departure more painful if I stretched it any further than was required. It was not that I wanted to remove him from my life; rather, it was that I recognized the need to carefully ration the time I spent with him, especially when compared with the time spent on planning for the future.

While Quorian was getting dressed, I contacted Khem and let him know to return to the safe house. He was not entirely forthcoming about what he had been up to during his time away, but I was not all that eager to pursue the matter. More than likely, I would find out soon enough if he had done anything particularly unfortunate anyway, so I decided it would be best to avoid provoking a fight now. My second call was to Rehanna Rist, to let her know that I was ready for our rendezvous at the coordinates that she had provided in her last message. She was not likely to respond – making social calls to a reputed Sith would probably do little to endear her to Nomar Organa – but the plan was already set. I hoped that her meeting with him was progressing well. Perhaps their youthful romance might bloom again.

I wasn’t entirely comfortable with how smoothly things were going on that front, but I was also unwilling to risk ruining a peaceful solution to my problem unless I absolutely had to. Perhaps Nomar Organa is coming but is unaware of my mission. That seemed to make the most sense – I somehow doubted that a Jedi Master would be all that eager to travel half the galaxy to help turn a Jedi relic over to a Sith. I grimaced at that thought. Logical though that point might be, I realized that also meant it might have rather unpleasant consequences when he learned of the true reason for Rehanna’s message and invitation. No matter – you can fight that gundark when you get to it. There is nothing to be gained from excessive hand-wringing before the fact.

Quorian finally rejoined me a few minutes later, his hair still dripping from his shower. I smiled slightly and ran my hands through that hair, squeezing some of the moisture out.

“You look so dashing with your unkempt hair and scraggly beard,” I said with only the most barely perceptible hint of snark. “You might well be the most handsome hobo Jedi in the galaxy.”

He flushed slightly and rubbed the stubble on his right cheek ruefully. “We’re taught to avoid negative emotions like vanity when we’re young in the Jedi Order.” His frown suddenly inverted itself into one of his usual, decidedly un-Jedi-like, grins. “Though, for you I’d gladly break with the Order on that point.”

I rolled my eyes and snorted loudly, in case he did not take the hint. “You’re just a scruffy-looking nerf herder.”

“Who’s scruffy-looking?” He replied, a shocked expression painted on his face even as he wrapped his arms around my waist to draw me in closer. “That’s not what you were saying last night.”

“You’re scruffy-looking down there too, hotshot.” I gave his chest a gentle two handed shove before kissing him quickly. “I really should go, though. If you remember how disagreeable Khem can be on a good day, just imagine what he is like after I’ve left him on his own for a few days.”

“Not to mention when you’ve been spending that time with me. He’ll be like the demonic child you hope to never have.” He smiled at me, but I sensed something else behind it. “Before you go, though, I’ve been meaning to talk with you.”

I knew that the words ‘been meaning to talk’ were rarely followed by an enjoyable subject. I was not entirely sure what Quorian’s would be, but I suspected one thing more than any other. “What about?” My tone was cheery and untroubled, but I doubted he would fall for the act.

“You. Us. What we have, I mean.” He sat back down on the bed, motioning for me to sit next to him. I could not take that risk, though, so I shook my head in response and pulled a chair in closer, taking a seat there. “You know that I’ve always wanted you to come back with me , to leave the Empire and your quest for vengeance behind you.”

“And you know that I cannot join the Jedi if there is to be an us, Quorian.” I felt my throat dry out in an instant. “Just as you know that I cannot let the murderers of my friends and family run free so long as I am in a position to stop them.” I tried to wet my throat by swallowing, but the Force was not with me on this matter. “Quorian, I don’t want to fight –“

“We’re not fighting, we’re talking. It’s what people who care about each other do.” He looked almost confused, but I supposed that made sense. Life in the Jedi Order hardly prepared someone for relationship troubles. “I understand what drives you, I really do, but…” It was his turn to swallow hard. “I can only guess what it is like for you when we aren’t together, but I know that it’s torture for me. Even worse when I know that you are just as likely to find yourself on the wrong side of the wrong Sith and I might never know what happened.”

“I am not as foolish as that.” It was a comforting line, but not one that really addressed the heart of the matter. “I…I hate our time apart as much as you do, but I cannot abandon my mission. Not now. Not yet.” My heart sank as I sensed his reaction in the Force.

He took my hands in his, gently stroking them with his fingers. “When will it end, though? When every Sith has died and you find yourself the new leader of the order you swore to destroy? You can fight those responsible for what happened to your friends and family as a Jedi, too. Or even just as someone fighting for the Republic. It doesn’t have to be this way.”

“Maybe it does,” I heard myself say absent-mindedly. “We cannot choose what path the Force sends us on, only how we choose to walk it.”

Quorian’s lips twitched slightly. “I want to walk that path with you, Veresia, but you’re making it difficult. They starting to ask questions about my absences, wondering why I can’t always be contacted as easily as I used to. What do you think they’ll say when they find out I’ve been going behind their back to spend time with a Sith.”

I felt a sudden surge of anger at that word and extricated my hands from his grip. I pointed an angry finger in his face. “Don’t call me that. You of all people should never call me a Sith.”

He flinched before responding. “That’s how they’ll see you, though.” He sounded almost resigned. “I understand why you feel the way you do, but I don’t understand why you are so willing to throw your life away….throw everything else away...when you know you can never truly satisfy your need for vengeance. Why can’t you –“ He shook his head. “Why can’t we find our own path. Together.”

I could not meet his eyes. My voice was even weaker than my resolve. “I’d like that…someday.” I felt his answer even though he did not say anything, and wanted more than anything that things could be otherwise. “I cannot promise you that right now. I would not lie to you like that.”

“You probably need to go.” His response was surprisingly abrupt. And harsh. He did offer a weak smile before continuing. “Give Khem my regards.” He stood up somewhat shakily, and I followed suit a moment later.

Realizing that the situation called for a softer touch, I stepped forward and cupped his cheek in my hand. “Please, Quorian. Know that I understand what you are saying. I know that I cannot make a life out of nothing but vengeance, but it is the life I must lead for now. If…if that cannot work for you, I understand, but I will never lie to you about that.”

He shifted uncomfortably on the bed before rising to his feet and enveloping me in a firm hug. I felt him rest his head on the top of mine. “I know, Ver. It’s just hard sometimes when both you and the Force tell me so little about our future.”

I slipped my head out and kissed him on the chin. “I will endeavor to keep you better informed then.” He smiled slightly, and then more broadly when I gripped his head with one hand to either side of it and lifted it to face me. “In the meantime, consider our escapades the Jedi version of a teenager’s rebellious stage.”

Quorian smirked and kissed me for an eternity that did not last nearly long enough. I disengaged reluctantly. You have a mission to accomplish. After you have secured this artifact, you can take the time you need to consider your path going forward. Now is not the time, but soon you will have plenty of it.

Khem was waiting impatiently outside, arms crossed in front of his chest and fangs bared unpleasantly. There was some red splashed across his claws which might have been blood, but I decided it would be best not to ask him about it, particularly given the expression on his face. Quorian gave him a sarcastic wave, which Khem did not seem to appreciate, and then did his best to avoid looking directly at me. I did not blame him, for I had a similar problem facing him as well. As I piloted the speeder out of its hiding place, I looked back long enough to see Quorian tossing a jaunty salute. It was as childish as it was sloppy, but somehow made me feel better nonetheless.

Rehanna Rist had chosen an odd location for our rendezvous – an old farmhouse to the northeast of House Rist. I suspected it might have been where she and Nomar Organa met in secret, because I could think of no other reason to meet there, unless she was planning to double cross me. She seemed entirely too intelligent for that, though. The buildings were obviously old and abandoned, somewhat strange for such prime real estate, but a war wounded the land as much as it did the people fighting it. There were scorch marks from blaster fire, and I noticed several pock marks from where grenades must have been detonated during fighting. The mild breeze was somehow sad, too, echoing the whispers of the dead through the Force. I wondered if Organa would sense that too.

They were waiting for us in the main ranch house, which was mostly notable for the way its orange paint job remained nauseous long after its vibrancy had faded into familiar dullness. I decided to allow Khem the chance to appreciate that fact more fully and left him outside; I had also determined that my odds for success would probably be substantially increased without the potential intervention of an already-grumpy Dashade. He did not appreciate that logic, judging from the expression on his face, but he also understood his role and accepted my judgment.

Nomar Organa must have detected me immediately with the Force, because I encountered him in the entryway I first came into, hand wrapped around the hilt of his lightsaber. His eyes were narrowed, and the tension was thick enough that even a Force-blind person could detect it. Rehanna trailed in his wake, looking decidedly worried as she reached a hand out toward his shoulder.

“You. You are a Sith.” The Jedi Master was a master of observation as well as the Force. He whirled to face Rist. “You never told me that your ‘friend’ was a Sith. I suspect because you knew that I would never come. I can’t believe that you would abuse our past relationship like this.” His anger was most unlike a Jedi, and it concerned me.

“Nomar – it isn’t like that at all.” Rehanna’s eyes flitted between him and me. “I knew she was a Sith, yes, and I knew you would not be pleased by that. But I did not lie about my feelings for you.”

Organa’s face was an unpleasant shade of red – clearly, his years spent as a Jedi had not done much for his ability to control his emotions. I decided to intervene before matters got worse.

“Master Jedi, what she says is true. She did avoid mentioning me because she feared your reaction would be negative, but she also genuinely wished to see you. I cannot say anything with regards to that matter, despite being as much of a romantic as one can be after spending time on Korriban.” I paused, attempting to gauge how well my good humor was going over with him. “I am merely here to collect an artifact for another Sith. I do not intend any harm to anyone, and I do not wish for anything unpleasant to happen. I am not like the Sith you expect me to be. Far from it.”

“Sith lies, no doubt.” Organa turned on his companion again. “What did this…woman…tell you to get you to agree to be a part of her schemes? I would have thought you better than this, Rehanna.”

Rist had managed to gather herself somewhat. “She told me precisely what she told you – that she had been sent here to retrieve an artifact from the Elysium, and that she wanted to avoid any conflict over it. She was the one that…” Rehanna’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “She was the one that noted that I still had feelings for you and suggested that we could kill two gundarks with one stone.”

He did not respond right away; instead, he alternated his gaze between the two of us. His expression had softened somewhat, though I could not tell if it was genuine relaxation or merely resignation to a particular course of action. “I see,” he said, demonstrating the Jedi talent for saying things that sounded profound to no one but themselves. “Perhaps I misjudged you, Sith. I am not used to meeting reasonable members of your order.”

“There are not many to meet,” I replied with a wry smile. And I am not much of a Sith.”

“You could have taken the relic by force,” he noted without directly acknowledging my statement. “It would have been bloody work, but the Elysium’s security is hardly impenetrable for someone like you.”

“True, but I did not come to Alderaan to murder innocents. My master, such as she is, ordered me here to retrieve the artifact; she did not give any instructions on how I needed to do so. If I can recover it without any bloodshed at all, then I would consider my mission a greater success than if I had to fight for it. As I said before, I am not the Sith you think I am.”

“That does not mean you are a Sith that I would want to help in any way. Do you even know what the artifact is or why your master wants it?” I kept silent, as I was not entirely fond of revealing my own ignorance. “Perhaps you are not a threat to the peace or to the innocent people of Alderaan, but what if your master is?”

Truth be told, I knew almost nothing about the objects that Zash had me traversing the galaxy for, and even less about why she wanted them. I had always found that problematic, but it was not as if I had that many options – Zash was not the kind of person I could approach to casually ask prying questions about her business to.

“I know that I am fully capable of handling any issues that might arise from her acquiring these objects. I may be a mere apprentice in their eyes, but I am more than that in reality. Use the Force, if you must, and you will discover that I do not make empty promises and am free from deceit. The Jedi are supposed to be open-minded and fair, impartial judges of the truth as it is presented to them. What does it say about you and your order if you judge me solely on your preconceived notions?”

Organa did not look particularly convinced by that line of argument. “It could simply say that you and your Sith brethren have earned our distrust after millennia of doing nothing but bring darkness and sorrow to the galaxy. Perhaps you are somehow different, but please forgive me if I do not shed any tears for your supposedly maligned reputation.”

I shrugged slightly, doing my best to pretend as if he had not correctly pointed out that the actions and philosophy of the Sith Order were largely to blame for the inevitable hostility that I faced. No doubt, there had been other ‘Sith’ before me that had encountered the same problem; implacable hostility not because of what they had done but because of what others using their name had once done in some long-forgotten place during another of the intermittent wars between the Sith and the Jedi.

“I cannot speak for the actions or motivations of others that call themselves Sith, I can only do so for me.” I grit my teeth, wondering if this might well end in violence despite my best intentions. “I do not wish for this to end in violence, and have always sought to avoid unnecessarily causing conflict since arriving on Alderaan. I came to Rehanna peacefully, and suggested a mutually beneficial arrangement that would solve all of our problems without spilling a drop of blood. I do not deny that you have no particularly compelling reason to trust me given your past experience, so I can only ask you judge me for what I have said and done and not what others have.”

“Nomar,” Rehanna began as she slipped her arm into the Jedi’s. “This woman has been nothing but diplomatic with me since she…err…accosted me at my residence. I do not believe she is attempting to deceive you, and I know that I am not trying to do so either.”

“Indeed,” I interjected. Better to catch Organa while he was still off-guard. “If the relic were truly of any importance or posed any danger, the Jedi Order would not have placed it in a personal vault here on Alderaan. It would make no sense to potentially endanger such a populous world if the object could be safely housed in a Jedi temple or repository. I admit that I am not entirely sure what the capabilities of the artifact are, but I believe we can be reasonably sure that they cannot possibly be as catastrophic as you fear.”

“Perhaps.” Though Organa still had a disturbed look on his face, I could sense he was at least considering what I had said, which was a start. “Even if I were to believe all that, though, what reason do I have to assist you? If I give you the relic, then I have aided my order’s sworn enemy for nothing.”

I smiled gently and removed the package I had been carrying on me since we had landed on Alderaan, opening it to reveal several scrolls I had appropriated from the libraries on Korriban. “These are descriptions of Sith history dating back several centuries. If I read them correctly, they also include navigational data for several Sith worlds located beyond Republic space. I cannot say whether that information would be of any value to you, but I believe the Republic would be interested in analyzing its potential. I believe that would be a fair exchange for a single artifact.”

“And you would give this information to me, knowing that the Jedi and Republic might well use it against your Sith brethren?” Organa eyed me suspiciously. “Again, I must question your motives.”

My smile grew. “You mistakenly assume that I care even a whit about the Sith and their minions. I do not. Whatever you or the Jedi Order or the Republic decides to do with the information I have provided is not my concern. My only interest is in acquiring the artifact and then returning to Dromund Kaas so I can find something better to do with my time than serving as an errand girl for…my master.” It had occurred to me that Zash might be known within the Republic, and not for good reasons. “You can also consider me in your debt if you choose to cooperate, for whatever that is worth.”

“Nomar, please.” Rehanna reached her hand out to him and I was pleasantly surprised to see him reciprocate the gesture. “We can discuss this somewhere more private, and you can consider her offer more fully.”

Organa glanced back in my direction for a moment and gave a surprisingly sly grin. “Perhaps. I will have to be on my guard; you were always rather persuasive.”

Something I did not need to hear. I grimaced at the imagery in my head. “Take the Sith scrolls as a gesture of good faith. Keep them, send them to the Order or Republic, do with them as you like. Rehanna knows how to contact me, once you have made your final decision.” I inclined my head slightly and retreated the way I had come, taking several deep breaths as I did so. The meeting had been more confrontational than I had hoped but less than I had feared. Perhaps it would require Rehanna’s…feminine wiles…to complete the deal, but I was reasonably satisfied that the Jedi would at least consider my offer.

And if he does not…

I decided to push that thought aside. Though I had not known any of my father’s comrades in the Order, I had heard enough of his stories to know that the Jedi were trained to approach such situations with an open mind so that they could judge the proper course of action free from bias. It was hardly surprising that a man like Nomar Organa would not jump at the chance to make a deal with someone he viewed as a representative of everything he had been trained to fight.

I also decided that I could use a drink.

Khem was waiting for me, my own Dashade-sized akk dog pet eager to do my bidding. As I approached him, he reached out with his hand and returned my comm. “The pirate wished to speak with you regarding your….business dealings.” Khem said business dealings the same way a normal person would speak of a repulsive substance or event. “I informed him that you were busy committing treason against the Sith Order, but the pirate merely laughed. Tulak Hord would never have brooked such insolence.”

“Tulak Hord would not have had such a splitting headache, either. Please shut up and wait in the speeder, Khem. I will be along shortly.” We glared at each other for a few moments, but he broke first and sulked his way back to the speeder. Once he was safely out of range, I punched in the code for the slightly less-unpleasant member of my crew.

“Sith,” he said as he answered.

“Revel.”

“You free to talk?” He sounded like he was lounging in some third rate cantina, stretching his arms and being exactly the kind of lout that had made me so hesitant to accept him aboard my ship in the first place.

“No, Revel. I decided to call you in the middle of a furious lightsaber duel with Grand Master Satele Shan. “I rolled my eyes. “What did you want?”

“I’m over at the Republic spaceport, have a few deals I’m working on. Good stuff, heh. Heard some interesting stories about your friends in House Thul, sounds like they had some major units taken apart by a Special Forces unit from the Republic. Really fascinating stuff, if you ask me.”

“I don’t believe I did.” My head was pounding.

“Well, I thought you might wanna know that the Thuls need you. Guess they got hit hard enough that they’re calling in all the favors they can. Not sure why they didn’t contact you directly, but they asked I play messenger boy. Heh.”

“Most likely, they did not think Khem would do an adequate job as a secretary.” I pondered the situation – I did not know how long Nomar Organa might take, but I was also uninterested in becoming entangled in the planet’s civil war. I glanced over my shoulder at the Dashade glowering at me from the shade. I do not want to have to keep him busy, either. “Very well Revel. We will return to House Thul. I would suggest you wrap up whatever arrangements you have going on, as well. I believe we will be leaving sooner rather than later.”

“You got it.”

I disconnected from the call before he could say anything more – conversations with men like Andronikos Revel were best killed as soon as possible. I made my way over to Khem and looked him squarely in the eye. “There is trouble with the Thuls, Khem, and I believe we may be forced to resort to violence. Extreme violence.”

He grunted in approval and then smiled.

It was an uncomfortable trip back to House Thul

So after a move, lack of internet access, job change and various other things, I return.

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Elana Thul was waiting for us at the speeder pad when we arrived. I noticed a sharp uptick in activity kn the area; dozens of Thul soldiers and support personnel were scurrying about the area like headless chickens. There were at least three dozen heavy tanks lined up toward the road leading north out of the palace, and behind them were another fifteen or so armored vehicles, quite the formidable display of firepower. Ayrs would have been so excited to be here...if he was not charged with blowing it all up. I smiled slightly, but the warm memory quickly turned sour in my mouth and I spat to the side of me, as if that would remove the bitter taste.

I forced a smile for Lady Thul as she approached our speeder. “Greetings, Lady Elana. I was informed that you might be in need of some assistance.” I hoped that my similarly forced interest in the troubles of House Thul was not too obvious.

“Yes, yes. It is good to see you, my lady.” Her disheveled appearance belied the routine nature of her words – clearly something had gone quite wrong for her house. I carefully maintained my concerned expression, adding a dash of sympathy. “I fear that the situation has become quite dire over the past several days. Had events proceeded otherwise, I would not have thought to impose upon you, but...” She trailed off.

“Go on. What is it that you need?” I motioned for her to continue. I was enjoying this topic far too much for the conversation to end so abruptly.

“Of course.” She took a deep breath and ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it slightly. “Our war against House Organa has taken a decided turn for the worse over the past week. A secret arms project was d, and Duke Organa was able to enlist the aid of several Jedi to capture Bouris Ulgo and return House Panteer to the throne. Naturally, they have thrown their support behind the Republic, and we now face invasions across our territory.”

“Is there nothing that can be done to rectify the situation?” It was growing harder to contain my desire to smile, and I sensed that even Khem was having a similar problem.

“I sent Urtel Moren with several other Sith to join our conventional forces in an attack on an Organa palace to our northwest where their Jedi allies were congregating. We received a transmission from him approximately a half-hour ago, stating that they were encountering heavy resistance.” She licked her lips. “I ordered additional forces to join the attack, but I am still concerned about the situation.”

“If I were in your position, I would be concerned as well.” I just barely managed to contain a smirk. “What is that you are desire from me?”

To her credit, Thul looked slightly embarrassed to be essentially begging for assistance. “I will be leading further reinforcements…these soldiers and vehicles you see before you. I am requesting that you join us in the assault at the head of another relief column.”

I shook my head. “I am afraid that my assistance is not something I can offer – my mission is of paramount importance, even more so now that the strategic situation has been altered so drastically.” Her face fell, which inspired a strange pang of shame in me. “However, I may become available as time goes on. I cannot say anything definitively until I learn more about the progress of my own mission.”

She nodded tentatively. For a moment, I thought that she might argue with me further, but my reassurance seemed to assuage her fears. At least for now. “Will you be waiting here at the palace, my lady? It is a lengthy trip to the Organa compound.”

“For the moment.” Truth be told, I was not entirely sure how best to pass the time while I waited for Nomar Organa’s response. The Elysium was located fairly close to the Organa palace that the Thul forces were attacking, but I was not particularly interested in loitering in that area, particularly if it meant being out and exposed with only Khem for company. In addition, the Jedi might well view my presence in or near a Thul attack force to be sufficient reason not to turn the artifact over to me. “I anticipate that I will be leaving shortly, though - my final objective is within reach. Perhaps I will have news for you sooner than you anticipate.”

“I understand. I wish you luck, my lady. May both of our efforts prove fruitful.” She bowed her head slightly, and then strode off toward a thick-chested man that appeared to be the commander of the forces Elana Thul was taking with her.

I turned to Khem, lowering my voice to avoid being overheard. “I do not wish to be here for any longer than is necessary, but I also wish to avoid committing ourselves to what will likely be a futile assault on the Jedi. Do you have any ideas?” I could have stopped there, but I could not resist. “Perhaps some inspiration from the spirit of Tulak Hord?”

Khem’s face darkened. “You should not toy with me, Little Sith. You are not as capable as you believe yourself to be, and my patience for your games grows thin. Our bond is strong, but if it becomes a leash, it can be broken.”

“Perish the thought, Khem. I simply wanted to hear your opinion on the situation.” I flashed another of my patented smiles at him, which did not seem to go over too well.

“We should join the Thuls in their attack.”

For a moment, I was caught off guard by the Dashade’s sudden interest in Alderaanian politics. Then, I realized that Khem did not give a damn about the Thuls or their war; he simply wanted the chance to murder some Jedi. A part of me wanted to give him what he desired. Most likely, some Jedi would die, but so would Khem and the Thuls.

I knew that idea was wrong even as I first contemplated it, though. The Jedi did not deserve that fate. Most of the Thul soldiers did not, either. I was not entirely convinced that Khem did, either, despite his terrifying presence and ominous intentions. So far, he had proven his worth as a traveling companion, and had remained true to his word that he would obey my commands…even if I could never entirely trust him.

None of which helped much in deciding what to do while waiting for Nomar Organa.

Perhaps it would be best to simply make myself scarce for the time being. I only wish that I had thought to ask Quorian to stay longer so I could return to him.

Unclipping my comm from my belt, I gave in to desperation.

“Revel? Are you there?” I bit down gently on my lip, almost as eager to end the conversation as I was to hearing whatever ideas he might have. “Do respond, if you can.”

There was a burst of static and what sounded suspiciously like Revel chuckling. “Is that you, Sith? It’s been so long since you honored me with a social call.”

“Indeed, it is a rare honor for you.” I contemplated testing the hypothesis I had read in a Sith tome on Korriban about the possibility of Force Choking someone across a communications connection. “You must be so proud of your accomplishment.” I tried to ignore the sudden appearance of a twitch in my eye.

“You need something, Sith? I’m taking some of the goods I picked up bac to your ship.” I was pleasantly surprised that he had enough self-awareness to refer to it as my ship.

“Do try to control your excitement at hearing from me, Revel, difficult as it is.” I tried one of my father’s old Jedi calming techniques before continuing. It only helped a little, but I had long ago learned that every little bit of additional self-control was always helpful. “I find myself in need of something to pass the time for the next few hours.”

“You didn’t mention anything about providing entertainment when you brought me into your crew, Sith. Heh. What did you have in mind?”

I ducked into a less crowded corridor, eyeing the passersby carefully to ensure none were eavesdropping on the conversation. I could ill-afford a slip up that would tip the Thuls off as to my true intentions. My voice was a mere whisper when I replied. “The Thuls are assaulting an Organa base to the northwest of the palace. They requested my assistance, but I fear that it might interfere with my business and I have little interest in involving myself in their civil war, regardless.” And I have no wish to fight the Republic and Jedi. “With that in mind, perhaps my presence would facilitate further business arrangements with your contacts.”

“Hmm. Would love to help you out, Sith, but I can’t really think of much. I wrapped up what deals I could, and I don’t think having a sour-looking Sith hovering around would do much to help with those I couldn’t.” Revel cleared his throat loudly, most likely to irritate me. “Not sure what else I can do for you. Wish I could help.”

The line cut out, prompting an annoyed growl from Khem. That he was simply amusing himself at my expense was a possibility, but one I discarded quickly. Whatever else Revel was, he was no fool. He would not needlessly antagonize me, nor would he put his own interests in jeopardy by. Not that any of that actually helps my situation. I sighed, and turned to my companion.

“We will rest for the night here, Khem. In the morning, we will join Elana Thul’s assault on the Organa palace.” I noticed, and was dismayed by, the sudden gleam in his eye. “That being said, remember what our true goal here on Alderaan is. We will not allow ourselves to get overly entangled in Alderaanian politics, not even if the very survival of House Thul depends upon our assistance.”

“I do not care for our allies from House Thul.” Khem smiled a savage grin that made me distinctly uncomfortable. “But I will relish the chance to fight our true enemies again, to tear the throats of the Jedi from them as they whimper for mercy. It will be a glorious day, Little Sith!”

The Dashade was eyeing me closely, and I could tell he was quite pleased with the discomfort he was causing me. Of course, he took pleasure in the discomfort that everyone felt when they were around him.

“Naturally.” I wrinkled my nose and glared back at him. “Do try and contain your excitement Khem. I would hate for you to have no energy left for our true enemies.” He nodded his head slightly, but it was all too obvious that he was not entirely on the same page that I was. I lowered my voice and hardened it, to emphasize the importance of what I was saying. “Regardless of how much pleasure you get out of murdering the defenders at the Organa Palace, our priority is the artifact. And our true enemies are not some Alderaanian Jedi or even the Republic. Do not forget that.”

He glared at me balefully before nodding his head again. Then, he wandered off into the palace grounds for the night. I found myself praying to the Maker that he was not engaging in any last minute murderous antics elsewhere on the grounds. Having to explain mutilated corpses to my erstwhile allies would be inconvenient.

I wearily dragged myself into my quarters for the night, eager to leave the insanity around me behind, if only for a few hours. The room Elana Thul had arranged was a particularly luxurious one, with what looked to be imported carpeting and artwork to go with the expensive furniture and solid gold fixtures. I supposed there were worse places to spend my last night on Alderaan as I drifted off to sleep.

It felt like it had only been a matter of moments before I felt a presence in the room with me. His presence, the spirit that had called himself Kallig and claimed to be my ancestor. It was a slippery, oily presence, and it slithered into the room like a snake. For a moment, I considered trying to ignore it, in the hopes that it would give up and go away, but it only drew closer as I did so. Apparently, I was unfortunate enough to have acquired a Sith spirit follower that was as persistent as it was obnoxious.

“Blood of my blood, I have come again.” Apparently, the spirit did not have much faith in my observational skills. “I am here to warn you about your master, Zash. Even now, she plots against you.”

“A Sith plotting against me? I shudder to even contemplate that possibility.” It was bad enough that I had to be haunted by an insane Sith spirit, still worse that it was devoid of usefulness. Why could he not at least offer appropriate advice or information?

“Take care, child, this is no trifling matter.” I was pleased to hear a hint of annoyance in the spirit’s voice. “I have been watching Zash and her new apprentices carefully when they have found their way into the Dark Temple as of late, and their activities concern me. That should concern you, blood of my blood.”

I arched an eyebrow, genuinely interested for once. “Other apprentices, you say? How intriguing. And here I thought I meant something to Zash.”

“You should not be so flippant about these matters!” Kallig was angry now; it was almost amusing. “The witch plots against you with her every breath, and you would waste your warning with jokes!” I hid a smile from the spirit. “I have been unable to lean of her precise plan, but I have heard her speak of unpleasant plans for your future. Beware, blood of my blood, for she is more powerful than you can imagine.”

“Are you saying you do not believe that I can defend myself from her? I find your lack of faith disturbing, Kallig.”

If it was possible for a Force spirit to be angry, I imagined that Kallig would be a perfect example of it. The apparition shimmered in the low light of my quarters, almost as if he was quivering with rage. I managed - barely – to restrain an immature giggle.

“Joke if you will, blood of my blood, but I would not leave the heir to my legacy defenseless against such a threat. In fact, it is another remanant of mine that will serve you well in the days to come.” The spirit eyed me with something that felt all too similar to the looks my parents had shot in my direction so many times. “Long ago, I wore a mask that protected me from even the most powerful of Dark Side rituals. It now lies in the hands of a Sith lord named Khreusis on Korriban. You must travel to his compound and seize the mask.”

I snorted rudely. “Of course. Your mask is going to provide me with protection against Zash’s ritual.” I smiled slightly and then yawned exaggeratedly. “Your storytelling needs improvement, spirit. Do run along and work on it.”

“I am warning you of imminent peril and you simply mock me. I grow tired of this stupidity.” The spirit sounded as outraged as an apparition could. “You may be the living embodiment of my legacy, but it is clear you have much to learn. I pray that you open your eyes before your blindness ends you.”

With that, the spirit shimmered and then disappeared, leaving me alone, and shivering somewhat from an unexplainable chill that filled the room. Perhaps it would not be entirely preposterous to investigate the spirit’s claims – if Zash was moving against me, it would be foolish to confront her without a valuable weapon by my side.

Of course, it could also be said that heeding the advice of a mysterious Sith ghost is the far greater folly.

My bed was more luxurious than any I had had since Ithaca, but it somehow provided less comfort than the rocky ground at the camps that night. I wondered if I would ever have a pleasant night’s sleep again.

Khem woke me several hours later with several rough shoves, clearly not understanding the importance of a proper night’s sleep during times of stress. And a lack of understanding of proper morning etiquette. After a quick glance in his direction, I decided that the Dashade probably was well aware of it, and was simply choosing to continue making my life as miserable as possible. I only wished he was less successful at it.

We encountered no obstacles as we made our way to our speeder, though the hustle and bustle of what looked to be reinforcements for the assault on House Organa was a sight to behold. Fortunately, the Thul soldiers were intelligent enough to know not to get in a Sith’s way. Or they have had other, unpleasant, encounters with a Sith before.

I grimaced slightly, but there was nothing to be done about it. I was not entirely unhappy - the crimes the Sith committed against their own allies only hastened their own demise. It was unfortunate that ostensibly innocent people living under the rule of Imperial allies suffered because their masters associated with the galaxy’s greatest monsters, but that was not my battle to fight. It was more than enough for me to fight for people like the ones I had grown up with.

Khem and I had traveled roughly half the distance to the Organa palace when my communicator vibrated with a secure call. Organa. I flashed my companion a look to ensure his silence, and then answered, trying my best to keep my voice and facial expression neutral as the holographic projector whirred to life. “Master Organa, it is good to hear from you. I had feared you might disappear without an answer for me.”

The Jedi snorted loudly. I ignored it, remembering that he no doubt viewed cooperating with me as no better than working with the butchers that had attacked Coruscant; there was no chance that several short conversations could ever undo a lifetime of justified bitterness. Not even if he knew my true name…and my true purpose.

“Yes, Sith, I considered your offer carefully. Much as I hate to admit it, you presented an honest argument and I cannot deny that you have done your utmost to avoid bloodshed. I spoke with Rehanna as well and she… convinced me that you are not attempting any sort of deception. While I am loathe to trust the word of a Sith, I must also remember my duty to uphold the principles of the Jedi Order. If you still require the artifact, I am prepared to turn it over to you.”

Something about his words did not sit right with me, but that feeling was hardly unusual under normal circumstances, and these circumstances were anything but normal. Still, there was something about his manner of speaking as well; he was almost too eager to say what I wanted to hear. Calm. I steadied myself before responding, trying to remind myself that it was only natural that a Jedi would be suspicious of a Sith, even a cooperative one.

“I am glad to hear you say that, Master Organa. Should we return to the same location to transfer the artifact into my custody?”

“No, I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” His tone was slightly harsh, but I attributed that to his latent suspicion about me. “I can provide you with the necessary codes to access the inner vaults at the Elysium and transfer the artifact you with the artifact there, though.”

I bit down on my lip, contemplating the possibilities. The Elysium would be a more secure point to hand the relic over to me, and a safer one if Organa suspected me of treachery, so I could not entirely blame him for preferring a change of venue. Despite that, I could not help but note how his plan required me to take on all of the inconvenience and risk. Patience. Better to put the Jedi at ease and ensure that this goes as smoothly as is possible.

“That would be satisfactory, Master Organa.” I attempted to put a genuine-looking smile on my face. I seemed to have to do that a lot. “Perhaps it would be wise to exchange the artifact as soon as possible, lest we be discovered. There are many on either side of this conflict who would be….less amenable to friendly interactions between us. I would not want anything to go amiss.”

“Neither would I,” he said with a nod. Something dangerous flashed in his eyes, but only for a moment – far too quick for it to properly register. “I will await your arrival at the Organa vault. When you arrive at the security checkpoint, provide them with my personal entrance code – Surik. That will allow you to pass through to the vault without any issues.” He paused again. “Also, the process might be smoother without your Dashade alongside you.”

I nodded in response, not trusting myself to speak with the lump in my throat for a moment. “I look forward to our meeting, Master Organa.” I wondered if he truly thought me so foolish.

A faint smile creased his face. “As do I.”

The channel closed with a loud click, and his image faded a heartbeat later. I did not even bother to look at Khem to gauge his reaction. “You do not like this Khem, but we have no other choice. This is the most efficient way to acquire the artifact.”

Khem growled out his response. “It is a trap, Little Sith. The Jedi fills your head with pleasant thoughts of cooperation but his words reveal his true intent. We must move against him before he can strike. You cannot allow him to betray you. The Jedi will learn the price of treachery.”

I would have thought Khem, of all beings, would have been less bothered by the idea of being betrayed – it was practically the go-to tactic for his treasured Sith, after all.

“I sense something wrong with him as well, Khem, but I am not quite prepared to assume treachery. Not from a Jedi.” My father would never have abused a peaceful meeting, at least. I repeated that thought to myself several times, but still felt the doubt gnawing at my stomach. Organa had been too eager and too hesitant at the same time – too quick to reassure me when necessary but too reluctant to step out of his comfort zone. Of course, a man reluctant to work with a Sith would have acted that way just as much as one planning a betrayal.

There was an awkward moment of silence before I realized that he had nothing to say.

“We will continue on to the Elysium as if we suspect nothing – it will be easier to deal with a trap than explain our own betrayal. I hope to avoid any issues with the security personnel – allow me to deal with them first should they raise any objections to our presence.” I chewed on the top of my lower lip for a moment. “Should the Jedi prove disagreeable…we shall determine our course of action as I see fit.”

Khem apparently disagreed. “I will remove the Jedi’s head from his body should he oppose us.” It seemed my companion had other plans. “You do not appreciate what it means to be Sith. You do not understand what it means to know the Jedi as enemies. I will teach you that lesson.”

We glared at each other through narrowed eyes and barely concealed disgust. I wondered how long Khem’s tenuous loyalty would last when it came for more difficult trials against the Sith, particularly given my specific motivations. His distrust of individual Sith like Zash was useful for now, but it would not likely transfer over to my greater ambitions. I decided to worry about that eventuality later, when it would be more appropriate.

“If the Jedi proves disagreeable, I will determine our response accordingly.” I repeated. “Our primary objective is to secure the artifact and leave Alderaan before the Thuls note our…lack of enthusiasm for their war effort. If that means setting your bloodlust aside again, then so be it. I will not sacrifice our mission so you can enjoy slicing off a few heads.”

It was not the first time we had had this conversation; clearly, it would not be the last. Something else to account for going forward. I sighed, feeling the weight of the galaxy upon my shoulders, made all the worse by having no one to share the burden with.

“I will follow…for now.”

Khem paused for a moment. I took the opportunity to disengage from the conversation and motioned for him to restart the speeder and continue our trip to the Elysium. He tensed, making me think that he might well challenge me at last, but then gave an almost imperceptible nod and turned toward the controls. He continued grumbling during our delightful trip through the picturesque Alderaanian countryside, and repeatedly shot me glances that were murderous at best.

It all left me feeling unsettled about the future. It seemed obvious that Khem did not fully understand the depths of and reasons for my loathing for the Sith that he idolized. I somehow doubted he would have cared even if he did, and I would soon have to reveal everything to him one way or another. And when he did realize that I did not wish to kill Sith as part of a plan for advancement within the order, but rather because I was meting out justice for their crimes against the galaxy? Only the Force knew what would happen then.

I sighed softly and tried to meditate for the rest of the journey.

The Elysium was not quite what I expected it to be. I would have assumed such a valuable site would have been a modern building surrounded by the most sophisticated defenses. Instead, the most important vault on Alderaan was made up of a series of ruined buildings with scattered patrols guarding the entrances. I supposed it might be a situation where their ancient traditions were actually useful for once – none of the noble houses would risk the consequences that would follow from any kind of incident here.

Several of the guards motioned us over and, after hearing me produce the correct password, proceeded to inspect the speeder with the intensity one would expect from security at a shopping mall on one of the Core worlds. Their captain glanced briefly at Khem, but only long enough for the Dashade’s glare to produce an involuntary shudder. I hid a smile and waved sarcastically in the guard’s direction as he motioned us toward a landing pad. Khem set the speeder down and sprung out of the vehicle, still glaring in the guard’s direction.

As we began our trek away from the landing area, I reached out with the Force and felt a strangely familiar feeling from further within the complex. Not Organa, though… something that brought back the memory of nightmares. I could not identify who or what it was that I was sensing, but there was something wrong with the Elysium, even beyond the treachery I expected from Organa. The feeling of dread hung over the entire area like a dense fog.

There is definitely something else amiss. Something worse than Nomar Organa could ever be.

Despite my best efforts, I could not decipher anything beyond the barest of whispers in the Force. Minutes passed before I realized that I was exerting myself pointlessly. There was nothing to be done about it, though – vague feelings and discomfort were not the sort of things that should drive decision making even in the best of circumstances, let alone when the fate of my mission was at stake.

Khem and I passed through the last of the outer security checkpoints, waved along by the guards. Unsurprisingly, they seemed uninterested in doing anything even remotely threatening towards Khem. The inner sanctum was more of the same, only the uninterested guards were more heavily armed and armored. I heard the faint sound of what sounded like an alarm over the intercom at one of the checkpoints, but it must not have been too serious given the guards’ reactions.

My comm buzzed, breaking my concentration. After making sure none of the guards were in hearing range, I activated the channel.

“My lady, are you there?” It was Urtel Moren, his usually smooth voice fraught with tension. “I am with Lady Thul. The assault does not go well.”

“Regrettable.” I let the word hang there for a moment. “Perhaps the attack would benefit from your direct, personal, intervention.”

“Uh…yes. That is, the news is indeed regrettable.” It sounded like he was choking on something. “Lady Thul had hoped you might come to aid us, as you agreed to, previously. House Thul can ill afford a defeat of this magnitude at the juncture the conflict is at. Your aid might well turn the tide of battle here. I would even go so far as to say that the future of the Empire’s presence might well hang in the balance, my lady.”

“How terrifying!” Try as I might, I could not always resist temptation. “Sadly, I am presently occupied with my own mission and am not in a position to assist before your battle is already over.”

“But-but…” It was somewhat amusing to hear the usually-polished Sith unable to form a coherent sentence. “Perhaps if you were to speak to Lady Thul?”

He did not give me a chance to respond properly. Instead Elana Thul’s somewhat panicked voice replaced Moren’s a moment later.

“My Lady, I overheard your conversation with Urtel. I pray that my words will convince you where his failed.” I heard her swallow hard. “House Thul has been a loyal ally to the Empire.”

“Indeed. House Thul has faithfully stood by the Empire for as long as the Empire has provided it with weapons and supplies. A remarkable coincidence, I think.”

“Perhaps, but we have more than done our duty as Imperial allies since that time.” Her tone became more plaintive. “My forces will be annihilated without reinforcement.”

“Truly?” I pretended to stifle a yawn. “How unfortunate.”

“We helped you with your mission, my lady. I don’t understand why you – why the Empire – is betraying us.”

I shrugged my shoulders, even though she would not know it. “Perhaps that is something to ruminate on for as long as you can. Goodbye, Lady Thul.”

“I don’t want to die.”

“Neither did my family.” I closed the channel.

Khem was practically grinning at me, and I could sense something bordering on paternal pride through the Force. Somehow, that made me feel far more uneasy than abandoning Elana Thul and Urtel Moren could ever have. I grimaced and turned my back to him.

“There is hope for you yet, Little Sith. These weaklings have their uses, but you must never confuse a tool for an ally.” He flashed his teeth at me. “Now it is time to demonstrate that Nomar Organa is the same. “

“No. The Jedi are different.” I wanted to wipe that smile off of his face, but I did not find my own argument entirely convincing. “You will follow my lead during the meeting. Do not attempt to provoke anything.”

He remained silent as we began moving again, slowly walking up the slightly inclined ramp toward the Organa vault. We walked in silence, though at least the scenery was somewhat nicer in this section of the Elysium. Apparently, the Organa family had decided that their vault’s area needed to be as ostentatious and over the top as the rest of their lands. I was amused at the thought of some Alderaanian nobles fussing over the décor of what amounted to a bank’s safe deposit box.

There was something wrong, though, and I felt that unpleasant mixture of dread and unease again. I should have been able to sense Nomar Organa from where we were, and all I could detect was vague disquiet in the Force. It was something decidedly unnatural, which concerned me at least as much as the lack of clarity did – anyone powerful enough to so definitively cloud my Force-sensitivity was dangerous, and it was not as if I had all that many friends on Alderaan right now. Except, perhaps, for Khem. It was a depressing realization.

Fortunately, Khem headed off any possibility of bonding by jabbing his arm furiously at something ahead of us and striding forward purposefully. Picking up the pace, I sprinted to catch up with him, but the sight ahead stopped me dead in my tracks. Nomar Organa was indeed waiting for us, but he was not alone. The looks that I received told me all that I really needed to know.

For once, Khem had been right and I had been wrong.

This was no meeting. It was an ambush.

Well it's great to have you back and it will be great to see your stories continue.

Welcome back

There were six of them waiting for us in front of the Organa vault. The pair to the rear of the group looked like mere padawans; they had the smooth and unblemished features of callow youths that had yet to see any action and I could easily sense their hesitation and fear through the Force. I could not understand why Master Organa and his comrades had brought them – they did not intimidate me, and would be a hindrance to him and a danger to themselves if the worst were to happen.

The three other strangers – a pair of male humans in their 30s and a slightly younger Twi’lek woman- looked more imposing. All three looked to be in fine fighting form and radiated cool serenity through the Force. Though I still hoped to peacefully resolve the situation, their stoic demeanor troubled me. They did not seem eager to provoke a battle, but I also sensed that they were not particularly interested in negotiations, either.

They were arrayed in a pyramid, and at the head was Nomar Organa, who was looking the part of the grizzled Jedi Master. His hands were balled into fists that were planted firmly at his hips. “You brought a friend, I see.” Organa’s voice was cold and unfriendly. “This would have been easier without the Dashade.” I noticed that his hands remained away from his lightsaber. It was not much to rest my hopes on, particularly given the power of the Force, but it was something. Something is better than nothing, is it not?

“I was not aware that transferring an artifact required an entire squad of Jedi. If I did not know you to be such an honorable man, I might even wonder if you consider me a threat.” I flashed a fake smile, then gave each of his compatriots a casual glance, as if I hadn’t a care in the galaxy. I only hoped that the Force would help me find a way out of Organa’s trap. “I thought we had an agreement, Master Organa.”

“Did you really think I would make a deal with a Sith?” His final word was practically spat out and clearly meant as the nastiest of insults. “I would never turn such a valuable artifact over to a vile creature perverted by darkness and evil.”

“You are not turning the artifact over to Khem, though.” That earned me a glare from both Organa and my faithful companion which made it necessary to hide the smile I wanted to show. “Regardless, I thought the Jedi way was to promote understanding and peace? Perhaps I was mistaken about that, though.”

Organa’s face darkened. Stupid girl. The sarcasm was unnecessary and unhelpful.

“You dare try to play the victim, Sith? When you and your kind are guilty of committing the most heinous of crimes and celebrate the depths of depravity to which you sink while the galaxy suffers? Did you think I would simply kowtow to your violence and excess out of some misguided misinterpretation of the Jedi Code?” His features twisted into something quite ugly. “You must think me a fool.”

He nodded to the knights behind him, who spread out from their previously tight formation. Organa remained at their head, but shrugged his robes off and brought his hand down onto the butt of his saber’s hilt. The implication was clear, and I realized I was quickly running out of time to find a diplomatic solution to my predicament. The only apparent hesitation from the Jedi came from the two padawans, who hovered behind their compatriots and appeared more than a little uneasy with how the situation was developing.

Tread carefully. I steeled myself and took a deep breath to center myself.

“I thought you an honest man. I came to this planet seeking the artifact and have gone about my business peacefully. I worked with Rehanna Rist to contact you when I could have threatened her life instead. I have done my utmost to avoid violence and conflict. It is you that have proven unworthy of trust.” I snuck in another breath. “I still wish to complete our arrangement as we agreed to. I only ask that you reciprocate.”

“You bore me, Sith. You prattle on with your denials that even you cannot believe.” The so-called Jedi waved a dismissive hand in my direction. In truth, it was the dismissiveness that disturbed me more than the hostility. A Jedi that did not trust a Sith was understandable and someone I could reason with, while a Jedi that denied me my own agency was something else entirely. “You speak of things you do not understand but think yourself wise. You stumble blindly in your own darkness and yet expect others follow.”

It took a great deal of effort to squelch the flash of anger that followed his statement. “I know more of the light than you could ever realize, Master Organa, and I hope that you allow yourself to recognize that fact and consider it before resorting to violence. I have demonstrated a great deal of faith in you, and I merely ask you do the same for me.” I realized that my voice was growing more plaintive, but I knew we were perilously to a permanent breach; it was no time for games. “I have no quarrel with you, the Jedi or even the Republic. I am simply here for a single artifact.”

Organa laughed harshly. “Did you really think I would be taken in by your inept attempts to portray yourself as some kind of servant of the Light, Sith? I am not even sure whether to call it stupidity or naivety.” He drew his lightsaber with a flourish and activated it, filling the small courtyard with its hum. “You and your fellow Sith here will be judged as the monsters that you are.”

Fellow Sith?

I heard the steps behind Khem and me before I sensed the man, though the oily sensation that resonated through the Force suggested he was a creature more than he was a person. Vular, the man that had started me on the path that had forced me to become what I had always known to hate. And lead me to this place at this time to confront Jedi who had once been my father’s brothers and sisters. A cruel twist, indeed. The Sith slithered forward to stand next to me and favored me with the kind of smile a used speeder salesman would offer a particularly gullible client.

“A curious situation, my lady, to find you deep in discussion with a Jedi. Had I not known better, I might have even become suspicious of where your true loyalties lay.” His eyes narrowed as they fixated on the Jedi before us. “We shall have much to discuss after we discard of these fools.”

“Silence, Vular.” I scowled balefully at him for a moment as I scrambled to find something, anything, to say to the Jedi that would placate them. “I did not invite this man with me…” I saw Organa’s eyes narrow and felt his heart harden. I realized that there was no time for any further bargaining or arguing. “Please, Master Organa. Use the Force, if you must, and see that I am being entirely honest about my intentions.” I swallowed hard. “I do not wish to fight you. My father was a Jedi –“

“Spare us your lies, Sith.” Organa’s eyes were open, but they did not see. It saddened me. “Even if your father was once a Jedi, he obviously was nothing more than a failure and a disgrace to the ideals of my order.”

“You will not speak about him like that!” My entire face went red as my temper flared. And, as I was wont to do when that happened, I said something rather stupid, particularly with a snake like Vular next to me. “His name was Montclair Martell and he fought alongside for the Jedi and the Republic during the Great War.” I swallowed hard, nearly choking on bad memories. “He died your Jedi Order, too.”

For a moment, Nomar Organa looked almost thoughtful as he sorted through his thoughts. “As I recall, he abandoned the Order during the war.” He was not sneering any more, but the disdain was impossible to miss. Or ignore. “And, regardless of who you might share blood with, you have thrown in your lot with the Sith. Perhaps your father taught you that as well.” He arched an eyebrow.

“You bastard!” This time, there was no holding back the raging torrent of anger I felt inside. My saber was in my right hand, and purple lightning arced around my left. Mother always said that my temper would get me into trouble. Like Organa, though, I realized that I no longer controlled matters; our own biases and blindness had driven us toward this point, inexorably and without pity. I had been a fool to think I could peacefully resolve the situation just as much as Organa was a fool for assuming my intentions were anything less than honorable.

And now it is too late to rectify those mistakes.

“I do what I must,” I told him sadly. Though I recognized the necessity of my actions, I could not deny that they were also a perversion of the philosophy my father had taught me. Father had meant it in the sense that hard choices were sometimes required in order to accomplish something moral; this was an entirely different scenario; the greater good being the chance to remain a snake hidden in the Sith’s grass. I somehow doubted that he would have approved of this. I knew that I did not, either.

The knights behind Organa all shot him inquisitive looks; none of them looked particularly comfortable with where events had dragged us all. ]Perhaps there is a still a chance to avert the inevitable. A furtive glance over my shoulder at Vular dispelled that notion quickly – his lips were curled into an almost feral grin, and he exuded the kind of deadly calm that a predator would wear the moment before launching itself on an unsuspecting prey.

“Consorting with our enemy? Assisting the Jedi in their war against the Empire? And the spawn of a Jedi, no less.” The words rolled off of Vular’s tongue, silkily smooth to the last. “I must admit, my faith in your loyalty to our cause has been shaken. I imagine Darth Zash will be similarly disappointed.”

“It is as I suspected, then.” Organa sounded resigned, but not entirely unhappy. Perhaps this was what he had been expecting all along. “We have nothing more to speak about, Sith. Your treachery had been laid bare for all to see. I will see you judged for it.”

The two padawans slipped further away, until their backs were nearly pressed against the gateway to the Organa vault. I noticed that their hands remained far from their lightsabers, and I sensed no hostile intent from them. The same was not true for their companions. The Twi’lek had shrugged her flowing cloak off and was striding toward Vular, and the two men that had been flanking Nomar Organa were now lined up across from Khem, sabers at the ready. And opposite of me was the Jedi Master himself, a look of grim determination on his face.

“Master Organa, I ask one last time for you to reconsider. I –“

His saber flew from his hand, arcing just past my right ear before returning to its master’s hand. Organa said nothing as it did so, and remained silent even as he launched himself toward me. He was far faster than I would have expected a man of his age to be. I rolled to my side and managed to avoid his initial attack, but my movements were slow and awkward. Not for the first time, I regretted the emphasis I had placed on non-physical training during the years after Korriban. He drove toward me again, forcing me to sluggishly avoid yet another attack that would have prematurely ended my head’s connection to the rest of my body.

I interrupted his third attack with a wave of Force energy that caught him full in the chest and hurled him back ten feet. He grunted and fell to one knee, but did not appear to be seriously injured. I took advantage of the opening I had gained to quickly glance around the battle. The Twi’lek and Vular were still doing more dancing than fighting, their blades clashing only occasionally. Khem had apparently killed or grievously wounded one of his opponents, who was now lying face-first on the ground with a pool of blood slowly growing underneath his torso. The Dashade was steadily driving the other one back; I did not imagine he had much longer to live.

And once that Jedi falls…

Organa’s saber was slashing toward my face again – his strokes were wild and undisciplined, though, so I parried them away easily. His attacks were already getting sloppier, though they were more than enough to keep me on the defensive. I wondered if that might present me with enough time for one last attempt, but even as I opened my mouth, Organa swung viciously at my head and nearly decapitated me.

“Speak no more, Sith!” His face was contorted with rage.”

My heart sank, and I sighed heavily as I rolled away from another attack. I had tried my best and attempted diplomacy at every turn, all for naught. I had put my faith in Nomar Organa and the Jedi, but my open hand had been greeted by a mailed fist. These were not the Jedi my father had spoken of. These were not the Jedi that young children around the galaxy were raised to see as the guardians of what was right in the galaxy. Somewhere along the way, Nomar Organa had forgotten about the principles that his order championed, and he now had no more right to call himself a Jedi than I did.

Nomar Organa’s expression was ugly and unpleasant as he charged yet again, this time with a more determined look, as if he had decided that my death was the only outcome that mattered. I stepped to the side, throwing him off balance, and again hurled a Force Wave at him. This time, I did not hold back any power, hitting him with enough energy to lift him off his feet and sending him hurtling across the path against a wall. His saber fell from his hand and – for a moment – I hoped I had managed to knock him unconscious, so I could avoid killing him, no matter how flawed he was. I was not so lucky, though, as Organa carefully picked himself up and called the saber to his hand just as Khem’s blade decapitated his opponent.

Something flashed across his face; he looked a decade older than he had just moments earlier, all too much like Mother had the day the Jedi had come to tell us how Father’s secret mission had ended. For a brief moment, I felt something more than pity for him…the pained kinship that can be born only from grief. The moment passed quickly, though, and he was upon me a heartbeat later. His attacks were sloppier still, weighed down by his increasing sense of pain and loss. It was enough to feel even more regret that events had led us to this, but I could not feel guilt over the path Nomar Organa had chosen to walk.

Not that I cannot attempt to dissuade him from it, even now.

“Will you yield, Master Organa?” I dodged another blow and hoped he would see reason at last. There was no need for any more blood to be shed, and there never had been. I grimaced as Vular thrust his saber into the Twi’lek’s stomach, leaving her gasping for air in the background. “Your apprentices need not die here.”

“If I die, I will become one with the Force. That is a fate far better than submitting to a Sith.” His chest was heaving as he spoke, but he had enough breath in him to spit in my direction. “I have accepted my fate. Have you?”

My response died along with Nomar Organa himself. Suddenly and with surprising stealth for a creature of his size, Khem suddenly loomed behind him. Even as I reached out with one hand in a mute plea for mercy, the Dashade’s vibrosword slid into the Jedi’s back and exited through his rib cage. Organa’s face twisted with pain, and yet…his features softened somehow, perhaps because he truly was content with the fate before him. The hilt of his saber slipped out of his hand and hit the tiles below with a loud clanking noise as Organa himself fell silently to his knees, eyes slowly dimming even as they stared back at me almost plaintively.

“I never meant for this,” I heard the girl from Ithaca whine pathetically. “I never wanted this.”

Khem merely shrugged at my dismay, then turned his back on me to face Vular. As the two glared at each other, I could feel Organa fading away in the Force. His eyes fluttered twice, then closed, and then I sensed nothing from him. I felt the crushing weight on my chest become even heavier – the man might have been a dogmatic fanatic, but he had also known my father and had not always been the bitter man who had wanted me dead more than he wanted peace.

I heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber activating across the walkway from me, then a second. Glancing past Khem, I saw Vular striding purposefully toward the two padawans. The young men had drawn their weapons to defend themselves, but I could already that they would not survive for long against the likes of Vular and Khem. Hoping against hope, I strode forward and raised my voice, hoping to salvage something from the horror.

“Khem, Vular…lower your weapons. I do not wish for any further bloodshed.” I casually brushed a stray hair off of my forehead, hoping to give the appearance of calm. Khem speared me with a dirty look; Vular’s expression was inscrutable. The two padawans exchanged a look and then re-raised their sabers, but I could sense their mixture of hope, relief and shame. I turned my attention to them. “If you lay down your weapons, you are free to go.”

They did not respond to me. Instead, they began whispering furiously at each other in the hushed tones of two angry librarians. No doubt, they had the same concerns about trusting a supposed Sith that Nomar Organa had had, understandably made worse by the carnage that had unfolded in front of them. I could only hope that they would find it within themselves to see me for what I was rather than the monster they must have been told to see me as.

Vular interrupted my ruminations with a sharp bark of laughter. “Spare these Jedi? What an…amusing…notion.” His eyes glittered for a moment before he continued. “Though perhaps not unexpected given your heritage. Yet another matter for Darth Zash to consider.”

I felt a fire move down my neck and into my back, but managed to restrain myself. “That was simply a story I told to try to defuse the situation. I wished to avoid unnecessary conflict because it would delay my departure from Alderaan.” It was a poor attempt at a lie, and he brushed off with an amused smirk.

“I suspected there was more to you than what scant information was in your records on Provar. At first, I merely assumed that the Force must have smiled upon me to discover a slave with such a strong connection to the Force, something which impressed Zash to no end. After further investigation, I discovered you displayed a level of skill that only appropriate training could allow for.” His eyes shone brightly, as if this was the culmination of his life’s work. “Of course, the labor camp records did name you as Veresia Martell. Curious, then, that your made-up Jedi father shared your name.”

My jaw tightened as I contemplated my options, none were particularly appealing. Everything that could have gone wrong had done so, and it was now clear that I had erred greatly in revealing the information about my father. I should have recognized that Nomar Organa was never going to negotiate with a woman he considered irrevocably hostile to him. And you should have known that revealing what your father had been would not have gone unnoticed by the likes of Vular.

“What is it you want, Vular? To expose my ‘dirty little secret’ to Zash to curry favor with her?” I attempted a confident smile. “Release these two Jedi and I can offer more; I will allow you to join me as I move forward.”

He remained silent as he looked back and forth between the Jedi closest to him and me. Then, without warning, he reached out with the Force and ripped the lightsaber from the young man’s hands. The padawan’s eyes widened and were filled with fear. Before I could react, Vular reached out again and pulled the boy toward him until they were almost close enough to be touching. Only then did he turn back to me with a leering smile.

“That is no longer sufficient.” Before either Khem or I could react, he activated his saber and slashed through the padawan’s stomach. The other apprentice, his mouth open in shock, took another step backward. I found myself unable to move. “I require more than merely ‘joining’ you as you move forward if I am to jeopardize my position in the Empire.” His eyes took on that unseemly glow again. “Especially given these sudden revelations about your past...they would not be well-received by many in the Empire.”

I was still formulating a response when I sensed him – unexpected but as welcome as he ever had been. Rather than sputter at Vular, I turned to face the dashing hero of the hour as he hurried up the ramp. When he arrived, brandishing his deactivated lightsaber before him, I smiled warmly, but refrained from running to him. There were serious matters to attend to.

“Quorian. I did not realize you were still on Alderaan. I am glad that you are. Very glad.” He did not return the smile, and even seemed uncertain about how to greet me. His eyes maneuvered across the area, narrowing the entire time. I felt a lump growing in my throat as I realized what he must be thinking. “This was not my doing, Quorian, you must realize that.”

He scowled and scrunched his face up in the way he always did when he was unsure about something. “What happened?” I noticed that he was keeping his sight squarely on Vular and the surviving padawan. “And why is Master Organa dead?” there was an unpleasantly hostile undertone to his voice.

“I was here to secure the artifact, as I mentioned to you before. Master Organa had agreed to turn the artifact over to me, recognizing that I had committed no misdeeds on Alderaan and that I had no ulterior motive. When Khem and I arrived, however, we realized that the entire arrangement was a trap.” I paused to catch my breath and collect my thoughts. So far, Quorian had merely nodded along with my story, which gave me hope that he would accept it. “I tried to convince him that his concerns about me were unnecessary but then he showed up.” I pointed at Vular, who simply laughed.

Quorian glared at him. “Who is he?”

“The Sith that took me from the camps and forced me into this life,” I replied. “The Sith that turned me into…this.”

“Master Organa would not have reacted well to that.” He turned to face me and interrogated me with his eyes for what was only a minute but felt like forever. “There was no other way, then?”

I shook my head. “I only defended myself when attacked.”

“Sh-she’s telling the truth.” The padawan’s voice was weak and tinged with fear but was reassuring all the same. “She tried to stop all this from happening.”

“If only her Dashade companion shared her restraint,” Quorian commented sardonically. I finally let out a loud sigh of relief as he continued, “What do we do with Vular?”

The Sith remained silent, though I did not like how he was looking at the remaining padawan.

There was only one viable solution, though, at least if I was to maintain my position. “He is a slaver and a murderer – not just the Jedi he killed today, but other innocents through the years. He is too dangerous to allow him to go free and does not deserve the mercy he denied to so many others. “I put additional emphasis on my final words. “Hard as it is, he must pay the ultimate price for his crimes.”

Vular laughed. “She seeks to turn you into her executioner, Jedi. Would you allow yourself to be so easily manipulated?” His eyes glittered as his words sank in. “Or does she offer you something more than the chance to avenge your fallen comrades?”

“The Jedi are not executioners,” Quorian said slowly, deliberately. “But Veresia is correct. I can’t allow you to leave here unless it is in my custody.”

I shook my head violently. “You cannot let him escape punishment, Quorian. I…he does not deserve to live a life of luxury as a Jedi prisoner. Not after what he has done.”

“Perhaps I do not intend to be a prisoner at all,” Vular snorted. “Perhaps I will simply kill you instead, Jedi. After I kill this whelp, of course.” With that, he turned and hurled his lightsaber at the padawan cowering in the doorway behind him. The poor boy did not even have time to scream.

Quorian reacted first, activating his saber and moving into an en garde position. I followed suit, protecting his right flank. It was not until we had advanced another ten feet toward Vular that I realized Khem had not done the same. I turned to face him, giving him a quizzical look. “

“I am your companion, not your servant. I will not fight a Sith alongside a Jedi,” he said contemptuously.

Quorian shot me a look out of the corner of his eye, but only for a moment. I gave Khem one last piercing glare before turning back to face Vular. The Sith had not moved the entire time, though I sensed his attempts to pierce my defenses and pry into my mind. It was a small joy to see a flicker of frustration as he failed again and again.

“This is your last chance, Sith. Throw down your weapon.” Quorian took a step toward Vular and two to his left, putting more space between him and me so we would be properly spaced when we came to blows. After a minute of silence apart from our breathing, he turned to me with a sheepish grin. “Veresia, do you remember our third night here?”

I flushed as memories…and more…flooded back to me. They confused me as well, for our third night on Alderaan had not included any activities related to fighting, however physical they might have been.

“Enough! I will not be talked like some child.” Vular’s façade finally crumbled momentarily and the oily snake within revealed itself. “You wish to see me dead. I wish to see you try.” As he looked in my direction, he licked his lips as they curled into a feral smile.

If Vular wanted to die, I was more than happy to oblige him. Quorian did not know him as I did, did not know the depths of the man’s evil. It was all well and good for him to fall back on Jedi principles, but Vular was not a man to be chained up. He was a beast, a purveyor of evil, and the galaxy would be a better place when it was rid of him. If Quorian was not up to that task, I was more than willing. The years I had spent as an Imperial slave and then a Sith pawn only fueled my desire to see Vular’s head on impaled on a sharp object.

Quorian made the first move, an unsubtle feint at Vular’s right that did little except amuse the Sith, who chuckled slightly as he coolly sidestepped the maneuver and tentatively slashed at the Jedi’s face. Vular’s attack was no more successful than Quorian’s, and the two cautiously eyed each other in response. Feeling somewhat ignored, I sprayed Force Lightning at Vular, but he batted it aside with a contemptuous wave of his lightsaber. I repeated the maneuver, this time to serve as a distraction, but Vular was a step ahead of both of us.

Even as my lightning crackled toward Vular’s left and Quorian advanced on his right, the Sith proved that his title was not as empty as I had thought. He caught the burst of Force energy on his blade and somehow bent its path, not toward me but rather so it caught Quorian full in the chest and sent him flying backward. His head and neck hit against a pillar with a distinctly unpleasant cracking noise, and his entire body went limp, though his chest still rose and fell enough to let me know he was still alive; a quick reaching out through the Force confirmed his survival. But he will not live for long unless you eliminate Vular. The sound of Khem’s delighted laughter confirmed that.

The Sith was already halfway to Quorian’s prone body, enhancing his speed with the Force. There was no more time to play around with Force tricks. Instead of simply hurling Force energy at Vular, I called upon the…perverse…lessons I had been taught on Korriban and hit the Sith with a bolt of what could best be described as pure corruption. I realized that I was violating the trust that my father had placed in me when he had trained me on Ithaca, but Quorian’s life meant far more to me than a philosophical ideal. The blow staggered Vular as much as it seemed to thrill Khem.

I followed up my attack quickly, heartened by the sound of Quorian quietly coming to his senses to behind me. I sent another bolt at Vular and then another. The first missed, but the second caught him in the face, turning his cheeks a delightfully sickly shade of purple. He snarled and charged at me, still capable enough to deflect my Force Lightning aside, though it required a great deal more effort than it had before. A few moments later and he was upon me, and there was no more time for anything but survival. Vular’s saber narrowly missed my neck and then my right shoulder, and it was all I could do to regain my focus and defend myself. Our sabers clashed again and again as we traded blows, but he could not find a way past my defenses.

Where before I would have feared the ill-effects of my inexperience in combat and weariness from the fight with the Jedi, but I was determined that I was not going to die at the hands of Harrion Vular. Quorian was not going to die by his hand. And Khem would be there to watch as his precious Sith died at my hands.

Parry, riposte. Parry, riposte.

The critical blow was also an unexpected one. I had managed to drive Vular back several steps when he took another step back with his left leg and tripped over the outstretched hand of the Twi’lek Jedi’s corpse. His arms flailed as he frantically attempted to regain his balance, but he was not fast enough to deny me my prize. I sent a half-dozen bursts of Force Lightning at him as I sprinted toward him. He deflected some, but the rest sent him to the ground in a heap. As he attempted to push himself up, my boot caught him squarely in the jaw. When he then tried to raise his saber against me, I took his right arm off at the elbow. Vular’s screams were surprisingly pleasant to hear.

“Ver-Veresia,” I heard Quorian say weakly.

“Do not worry, I will ensure he is dealt with.” I did not imagine Quorian would be pleased with my decision, but it was mine to make – not his. Men like Vular had destroyed my world. This was justice, nothing more.

I could feel Quorian reaching out to me again. “Don’t do this.”

There was no point in wasting breath on a debate that had already been resolved. Vular was too dangerous to let free and too evil to let live. The Jedi could never allow themselves to see that truth and act upon it, because it would threaten their carefully cultivated sense of morality. I could and would…the people of Ithaca and a hundred other worlds would be avenged. I would be their voice where they had been silenced.

Vular’s eyes turned toward me, offering a mute appeal that would have been laughable had the creature behind it not been so vile. My breathing slowed along with the rest of the world around me as I readied myself. There was no more time to be distracted by Quorian’s misplaced sense of ethics or Khem’s deviousness.

My lightsaber hummed as it descended toward Vular’s neck and separated it from his body. Twitching and convulsing, the headless body fell to the ground with a loud thump. I heard Quorian groan and someone that sounded suspiciously like my father disapproving in my head.

Then, there was nothing to hear but Khem’s laughter echoing across the platform.

For a moment, there was no sound except for the rustling of small pieces of debris across the platform and the faint whispers within my head. They were my constant companions; the voices of those that I had lost and those I had left behind. Now, they had company. The Jedi corpses were sprawled about the area, but it was as if their heads were all turned toward me. Their eyes haunted me with empty stares, and their mouths open in mute accusation.

I shuddered and turned my back on the scene to check on Quorian. He was on his hands and knees, coughing and wheezing as he attempted to rise to his feet. It did not seem that his injuries were too severe, but it was hard to tell for sure. I noticed that he was refusing to look me directly in the eye. Instead, he was watching Khem quite closely. I could not entirely blame him – an injured Jedi would be an inviting target for the Dashade.

“You shouldn’t have done that.” His voice was so quiet that I almost did not hear him. It was louder when he spoke again. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Should not have done what, precisely?” I grimaced at the hint of annoyance in my tone, but I was not in the mood for second guessing.

He glared at me coldly and refused the hand that I offered him, instead choosing to force himself up from the ground. I noticed a small red stain on the right side of his stomach, but the wound did not appear too severe. In fact, the only thing that looked at all wrong about him was the expression on his face as he finally looked at me – cool detachment that could not quite mask the anger beneath.

“That Sith. He was no threat to you. No threat to any of us.” Quorian let out a hacking cough which ended with a rather disgusting line of spittle coming from the corner of his mouth. He wiped it away with his sleeve. “You didn’t have to kill him, you chose to.”

“I did.” My tone was a touch more defensive than I had intended it to be. “But only because it was what needed to be done. Sometimes unpleasant things are required of us.”

Quorian looked genuinely angry, so much so that I took a step back in shock. Khem merely chuckled from behind us.

“What needed to be done,” Quorian repeated mockingly. “I could have taken him into custody, brought him back to the Jedi Order. He might have given us all sorts of valuable information on the Empire and the Sith. He might have even found his way toward redemption.”

“Redemption? Are you mad?” I could not understand what I was hearing. “You did not know Harrion Vular like I did, and you do not understand the Sith nearly as well you think you do. I know you think you can solve the galaxy’s problems - that is what Jedi always think – but you are wrong. You cannot solve a problem like Vular in any other way. He was a parasite leeching off of the misery of others. The galaxy is a better place now that he is dead.”

“She speaks the truth,” Khem interjected unhelpfully. “The Little Sith has come a long way since her days on Korriban.”

“Indeed, she has.” Quorian’s eyes narrowed as he continued staring at me. “You told me on Korriban that you weren’t like the others and I believed you. All this time, you’ve kept telling me you were different, and I believed in you.” His voice grew harsher. “I always believed what you said. I always believed in you. And I’ve been wrong the entire time.”

“Quorian –“ I did not understand why he was so angry – surely he could see why men like Vular did not deserve the mercy that the Jedi were so fond of. That sometimes the hard decision was the right one, even if it was unpleasant. “I never lied to you. I am not like the Sith. I am no monster. I’m not.”

He glared at me before shifting his gaze to Vular’s body. “I think he might disagree.” He looked directly at me, and his voice sounded so tired and sad. “I think I might have to as well. What you did was wrong.”

“This was the man that forced me into this life. Who are you to judge him worthy of the mercy that he denied me?” I could feel the temperature rising, but I did my best to hold my temper back. “I understand that the Jedi have their perspective on the way the galaxy works, but it is not the only one. It certainly is not the correct one here.”

“Is that right?” If anything, my tactful answer had made Quorian even angrier. “I wasn’t aware that the morality of murdering defenseless people was just a matter of perspective. I suppose I should go back to Tython and inform them of the misunderstandings the Jedi teachings are creating.”

“That is not what I am saying.” I grit my teeth hard in a last-ditch effort to stave off the disastrous explosion I could sense was coming. “I was merely noting that some situations might require an approach that the Jedi Order does not approve of.”

“And maybe your time with the Sith has you confused about the difference between what must be done and what you want to do.” He jabbed an angry finger in the direction of Vular’s body. “You didn’t have to kill him, you just wanted to. I understand why you wanted to, but that doesn’t make it any better. And it doesn’t make it right, either.” Then, he said it. “You’re more like a Sith than you realize. Maybe that’s why you’re always so defensive about people comparing you to one.”

Without even realizing what I was doing, I shoved him in the chest with both hands to get him away from me. He stumbled backward, but managed to keep his footing. “You don’t have the right to talk to me like that. You don’t know anything about me or what I have been through.”

Temper. Temper.

“No, I don’t know all that you’ve been through,” he admitted quietly. “Maybe I never knew anything about you at all.”

I should have restrained myself again, but I could not resist the opening he had provided. “No, I suppose not. Perhaps if you had a more open mind…”

“You mean, maybe if I was more willing to betray the principles that define the Order and my life?” His voice was sad again, even more so than before. He swallowed hard before continuing, “Whatever you are…whatever I feel about you…”

“What are you saying?” My eyes narrowed as my heart beat faster and faster. Some part of me already knew. Some part of me had always known that this was coming.

Quorian’s voice was stronger now, tinged with sadness but still firm. “I would have walked beside you on almost any path, but you’ve chosen one that I can’t follow. I wish things were different.”

“If you were more fair about what I have been through and what must be done - “ I noticed that his face kept falling, without even the slightest hint of hope or agreement. “This is not what you seem to think it is Quorian. We can –“

He stepped back toward me and took my hands in his before I could react. His hands were warm, but their touch was cold. “We can’t be anything unless you’re willing to take that step away from what you’re becoming, Veresia. I know you won’t understand, but I hope that someday you might.” He looked down at his feet for a moment. “I wanted things to be different, I thought they could be. I was wrong.” He looked me squarely in the eye again. “No matter…no matter how much I love you.”

“I…what are you saying Quorian?” I had not imagined that this would have been the way I found out that he loved me.

“I’m saying that I can’t do this anymore.” He seemed to be choking on every word. “Not unless you stop…this.” He motioned at the bodies strewn about the platform. “Whatever else I may be, whatever I feel about you, I am a Jedi Knight. And, I hope, a good man.” He gave me a knowing look. “Like your father was.”

“Don’t bring him into this. Don’t patronize me.” I planted my fists at my hips, angry at him and myself and the entire galaxy for all the good it would do me.

He put his hands out in front of him in a conciliatory gesture. “I’m…I’m not saying that I don’t care about you, Veresia. I’m just saying that I’m not the man to follow you down this path. I’m the one that wants to take you somewhere else. Somewhere better.”

It sounded all well and good, but I knew that such sweet promises led to nothing more than the most bitter of disappointment. I should have known from the moment that our…dalliance…began that this would have been the inevitable result. No amount of self-delusion or naivety should have been enough to blind me to that reality. And yet, here you are with it staring you in the face. You are the galaxy’s biggest fool.

As much as I enjoyed being around him and as much as I cared for him, it seemed that the entire…relationship…had been a terrible mistake. He did not understand me even now, and he was unlikely to ever understand the importance of what I was doing. To him, I was nothing more than a misguided Sith, committing morally dubious deeds for morally questionable reasons. He did not see the galaxy as I did. He did not understand it. A sudden and irrational burst of hope flowed through me – perhaps his eyes might be opened.

“Come with me,” I heard the little girl from Ithaca say. “Come with me and see for yourself what my life is like. Perhaps it will cause you to change your mind, perhaps not, I cannot say. Either way, it would allow you to better judge, based on evidence rather than prejudice.” I licked my lips slightly and inserted a coy undertone to my voice. “And it would allow us to spend more time together, as well.”

Quorian’s expression suggested that he felt as if I was asking him to take a public oath of loyalty to the Emperor.

“You want me to follow you around the galaxy so I might “understand” why you’ve become like this?”

“Become like what?” I asked, more pointedly than I might have a few minutes before.

“You just killed a man that couldn’t defend himself. You have dead Jedi lying at your feet because you were on some sort of mission for a Dark Lord of the Sith.” There was a definite edge to Quorian’s voice now, though he was simply repeating the same assertions he had already made. “All this time you kept insisting you weren’t a true Sith, that you were different, that you wanted to make the galaxy a better place. Can you look at me now and tell me any of that is still true?”

“I think you should go now.” I attempted to keep my voice as even as I could, but I was tired of this line of questioning. “I think you should go before you make it any clearer how little you understand me.”

“Only because you haven’t made any effort – “

“I suggest you stop there, Quorian. It would be better if you left now, -.”

He did not let me finish. “Yes, I think it’d be best if I left. I should have left a long time ago.” With that, Quorian turned his back and began descending down the ramp, back toward the command hub.

I bit my lip.

“Quorian.” My voice was pathetically feeble. “Quorian, wait. Just a moment, just wait for a moment.” I guessed that he heard me well enough and was choosing to ignore me. I heard the little girl from Ithaca speak, then. “Quorian, please.”

He did not so much as hint at changing his mind as he walked away from me. I was reminded of the day with the sky raining fire on my home; the hole in my heart felt much the same way. A minute passed, five, and then ten. I took deep breaths and bit down upon my lip as I did my utmost to keep from crying. I did not know what felt worse – Quorian abandoning me or my embarrassing inability to control my emotions.

When I turned back toward the platform, I noticed Khem was holding a datapad with the markings of House Organa inscribed on its back; I guessed that he had been rummaging through Nomar Organa’s belongings while Quorian and I had…while I had been distracted.

“Does the data pad contain the codes to open the Organa vault?” I was weary, so tired of this place and everything about my life that had brought me to it. I was also tired of the leer that Khem was giving me. “Just answer me. I have no patience for your games.”

“Of course, Little Sith. I live to serve.” I could feel a blood vessel straining and about to burst in my forehead. “Would you like me to unlock the vault for you, Little Sith?”

I gritted my teeth and tried not to let the Dashade know he was getting to me. “Yes, Khem, please do so. I appreciate your service in this matter.”

For a moment, it seemed as though he was going to press the point to further annoy me, but the look on my face must have convinced him that discretion was the better part of valor. He muttered something under his breath and meandered off toward the entrance to the Organa vault, leaving me alone with the corpses of Vular and the Jedi. They did not make for good company.

I felt a sudden chill run through my body, and stooped to the ground to reclaim the cloak I had discarded minutes before, minutes that now felt like they stretched across a lifetime. I drew the dark cloth over my shoulders so it wrapped tightly around my body, but felt no more warmth than I had without it. It was more than the slight breeze, though; it was the realization that I was more alone than I had ever been. Worse, I could no longer avoid the unpleasant fact that my isolation was – at least in part - my own fault.

You should have considered that Quorian might not approve of your methods. Perhaps you should have considered making him more aware of what your life meant when you had the chance.

How seriously Quorian had meant his last words, I did not know. Somehow, that frightened me more than anything else – it was something I did not have even the pretense of controlling. Instead, it was something that had very unwelcome control over me. Quorian was still a mystery to me, but how I felt around him was not. Perhaps what we had had…what we had...was little more than a fling, but it was still the only remotely healthy emotional connection I had had with someone in quite some time, perhaps since Ithaca. I…I had not wanted it to end like this. Truthfully, I had not wanted it to end at all.

I shook my head to clear it of the distracting thoughts that would only hold me back. I did not need to blind myself to the hard choices in front of me today because of the illusive promises of tomorrow. There would time enough to reconsider what had happened between Quorian and me and make amends if he was willing and I was able.

So I hoped, at least.

I was almost pleased to see Khem’s ugly face as he returned from the vault with a strange black idol in hand, the latest addition to Zash’s collection of precious artifacts. Our mission on Alderaan was complete. Zash would get her trinkets and I would be in the good graces of an up and coming Sith Lord. It was not often someone could consider that a good thing, but it would do wonders for my efforts to undermine and destroy my enemy from within. Whatever the cost, whatever it took, I knew in my heart that the sacrifices I made would be worth it.

Unbidden, my thoughts turned back to Quorian and the nights we had enjoyed. The memories had once given me joy, but now they left a bitter taste in my mouth. I reminded myself that I had only done what I had to, and I would have to do so again. No matter how badly it might hurt, no matter how good being with him felt, Quorian would always be another distraction from what was truly important – the destruction of the Sith. Perhaps once I had accomplished more…

Khem was staring at me. “You are distracted, Little Sith. Perhaps you are overwhelmed by your first taste of the true power of being a Sith.”

I glared up at him as I seized the relic from his hands. “You are more pleasant company when you are silent, Khem. Keep that in mind.”

“Perhaps you are recovering from the loss of your Jedi lover,” he retorted with a decidedly nasty tone to his voice. “I can resolve that situation the next time that he and I meet.”

“I can resolve the situation myself by ending your existence.” I felt the air between us go icy cold. “Regardless of what may or may not have happened between Quorian and me is between the two of us. I have neither the time nor the interest to hear your ignorant commentary about it. If you feel the need to say something about my personal life, I will only allow you to speak over the sound of you choking on your own blood. Am I understood?”

Khem merely chuckled as he nodded his head. I reminded myself yet again that he enjoyed more than simple violence; he enjoyed seeing my emotional anguish just as much. I needed to control myself better, to deny him these small victories.

We continued on our way back to our speeder. There were no guards waiting for us as we left; apparently, Quorian had decided not to report our activities. I was not quite sure what to make of that. Then again, I was not quite sure about anything regarding Quorian anymore.

The rest of the trip back to the spaceport was uneventful , apart from having to evade a small Organa patrol at one point. At first, I had found its presence in Thul territory somewhat puzzling, until I remembered that Elana Thul had drawn off many of the usual Thul defensive formations to use in her attack. And now that she is dead, the road to the Thul heartland lies open for Organa advances. Despite my mild guilt over abandoning her, I could not deny the joy I felt knowing that her failure had so greatly affected the course of the Alderaanian civil war. I only wished that I had the time to enjoy the fruits of my labor.

I ignored the hustle and bustle of the Thul spaceport workers as we approached the ship. They meant nothing; their house was doomed. I hoped that the more innocent among them would get the chance to atone for their poor choice in allegiances. For the rest…I did not much care what House Organa did with them.

Andronikos was waiting for us on board the ship. Apparently determined to be as annoying as possible, he decided it would be best to meet us sprawled across several cargo containers and drinking some sort of sweet-smelling alcoholic beverage. I decided that I did not need to force myself to tolerate his presence any longer than I had to, and made my way to my cabin. After all, Khem was more than capable of directing the man to fly us to Korriban, and I could use the time to myself.

Everything was just as I had left it when we first landed on Alderaan, except for the object I had known would be waiting for me and had dreaded seeing. The Alderaanian tulip had always been a favorite of mine since I’d first read about them in botany class as a young girl. Quorian couldn’t possibly have known that, but I supposed it did not require any great amount of deduction to realize that I would appreciate receiving a gift of the most popular Alderaanian flower.

Would that I had seen these before everything happened. Would that those things had not happened at all. I shook my head as I shrugged off my robes and slipped into more comfortable clothing to sleep in. Quorian’s habit of sending me flowers for each of our rendezvouses had once been heartwarming and endearing, but now it was a distraction that only caused me pain. Some part of me knew that I would do well to remove them from my presence, to avoid exacerbating the issue, but I knew I could never actually follow through with it. Not when he was the only part of my life that could be even remotely considered normal. And the only hope I ever have of living a normal life in the future.

I did not want this to be the way I received his last gift. I…

You need to rest. There is no time for immature regrets about your love life when there is a mission at hand.

My relationship with Quorian would either resolve itself or it would not, and there was little point in wasting time and energy on it now. If Quorian could accept the necessity of what I was doing, if the opportunity presented itself…then things could be set right. If not, there was so much important work to be done, and I could not allow myself to fail those that needed me because I was starry-eyed over a man.

My dreams were unpleasant, and I was not entirely displeased when a sudden chill woke me from my uneasy sleep. The momentary relief ended when I recognized the figure before me.

“You are dead. You cannot be here.”

Harrion Vular did not answer. His head was attached to his body again, but he spoke only through the hateful glare in his eyes. I wondered if I might have found a Sith ghost that was more aggravating than the one that claimed to be my ancestor.

“Be gone, spirit.” I gave the apparition an irritated wave of my hand. “I am not threatened by your presence. I am not afraid of you, not now and not ever. I have purged your evil from the galaxy and I will do the same with the rest of your Sith.”

The spirit remained silent, rooted to spot where it had first appeared. Only its eyes moved; they grew larger and larger and began to glow. I opened my mouth to speak, but I found that my throat had dried out completely and was only able to croak out something unintelligible. I reminded myself again and again that Vular was dead and that this…projection…was merely my own subconscious playing games with me. Or some cheap trick Vular conjured up.

I closed my eyes and held them shut until I felt the heat on my face begin to dissipate. When I opened them again, the apparition was gone, but the bad feeling it had inspired remained. I decided I would rather spend the remainder of the trip in the cockpit rather than risk another such experience. After carefully slipping back into my black robe, I meandered out of the room.

Khem was standing over the controls when I arrived in the cockpit. He was too large to fit in the chair and too foolishly stubborn and proud to ask for a more appropriately sized one to be installed. He glanced in my direction as I approached, huffed, and then moved aside so I could sit in the pilot’s chair.

“How far are we from Korriban?” I tried to keep my voice as flat as possible. “I wish to dispense with the business with Lord Khreusis as quickly as possible.”

“We will arrive in three hours, Little Sith.” The Dashade eyed me suspiciously. “Plenty of time to discuss your Jedi –“

I was out of my chair before he could finish his sentence. “I do not believe you want to say another word, Khem. In fact, I think it would be best if you left the room and made yourself scarce for three hours.”

He shook his head, so I loosed a bolt of lightning that fizzed past his face and fried some of the less-important circuitry behind him. For a moment, it looked as if Khem might actually refuse, but then his face gave its telltale twitch and I knew I had won. Khem huffed once more, as if to soothe his bruised ego, then turned tail and walked briskly from the cockpit.

Only then did it occur to me that I had left my cabin specifically to avoid being left on my own. I considered going after Khem, but I doubted the Dashade would make for pleasant company. I also pondered checking in on Andronikos, but the man’s presence was barely tolerable enough as it was; he was unlikely to be less unpleasant after being woken from the sleep he needed. I would simply have to make do.

The two hours and fifty-eight minutes that followed were among the longest I had ever experienced in my life.

Korriban was much like I had left it so many months before, its horror as familiar as the day I had left it to join Zash on Dromund Kaas. The same voice rang out from the command center of the space station orbiting the planet, and the same overwhelming feeling of dread permeated my entire body and being. It was more of a black hole than a world; a vortex that drained the life and vitality from everyone and everything around it. I would be happy to be away from Korriban once I had secured this mask. Unless the spirit is playing you for a fool and has led you astray.

I shook my head and glared balefully at Khem as he met me at the top of the ramp off the ship. He gave me a toothy grin and directed me toward the speeder he’d arranged through the academy. I decided to go easy on him in recognition of his service, and merely nodded along with him. We clambered into the speeder and made our way across the desolate landscape toward Lord Khreusis’ compound.

The building was far less impressive than I had expected based on how important the spirit had claimed the mask was. It looked closer to a military bunker than the kind of opulent estate that high-ranking Sith seemed to enjoy so much. Perhaps this Lord Khreusis would also prove to be a surprise. Or this may simply be evidence that you have been hoodwinked by an apparition.

There were only a handful of guards in the outer areas of the bunker, none of whom were particularly interested in challenging me once they discovered that I was not only Sith but also affiliated with Lord Zash. The latter’s name did not inspire respect, though; it merely set off ripples of fear and uncertainty in the minds of the guards. As one of them communicated with Khreusis over the comm system to announce my presence, I could not help but wonder what my ‘master’ might be up to.

Khreusis met me in a large room that appeared to be some sort of training facility or exercise room. He was flanked by an angry-looking slim woman to his left and a bulky hulk of a man to his right; his apprentices, I assumed. Neither of them appeared to be much of a threat, so I focused my attention on their master. His gait and posture marked him as a man at least in his thirties, but the mask that he wore obscured his features. Kallig’s mask.

“What brings the servant of Darth Zash to my abode?” His voice was cool and collected, as if he had not a care in the world.

“I am not here as a servant – I am here for your mask.” For once, I was unable to completely hide the disdain in my voice. “My mask. It belonged to my ancestor and I have come to reclaim it. Hand it over and there will be no need for…unpleasantness.”

The two apprentices looked rather intimidated by Khem, but their master did not so much as flinch.

“I think not.”

My cheeks were suddenly flushed and as warm as they had been in the Korriban heat. “Why not?”

Khreusis laughed. “Because I do not fear you, child. Because I do not believe this mask belonged to anyone related to a former slave like you.” His eyes gleamed as they stared at me through the eyeholes of the mask. “And because I do not wish for your master to have it. Run along, now.”

I did not have time for this nonsense. I had spent so much of my time giving second and third chances to those that did not deserve them that I found myself completely uninterested in extending the same favor to Lord Khreusis. My lightsaber hummed into life in my hand, and I took two steps toward him and his lackeys. Khem followed suit, stationing himself slightly behind me and to my right.

“Give me the mask. Now.”

The Sith were at the ready and brandishing their sabers before I even finished the sentence. I was not unduly bothered by their hostility – I had not expected to escape the situation without bloodshed, and so I would not mourn the deaths of these Sith. They had chosen their fate, regardless of what someone like Quorian might think. They had earned their fate. If Khreusis did not understand the choice he had been given, it was not my responsibility to correct his error.

“Khem, take the acolytes. I will deal with this…fool.”

The Dashade nodded his acknowledgement and rumbled toward Khreusis’ companions. The Sith Lord ignored all three of them and strode confidently toward me. I could tell that he assumed I was nothing more than a helpless acolyte being sacrificed by Zash on the off chance I would be successful. Knowing that he considered me such a trivial threat was aggravating enough as it was; his dismissal of me as nothing but Zash’s pet was far worse.

I am no one’s pet. I am no one’s tool. Khreusis will learn that today. The rest of the Sith will learn it as well.

Khreusis had only made it halfway across the room when my lightning caught him across the chest and hurled him several feet backward. He stumbled, almost regained his balance, and then slipped back to one knee. I followed up on the attack immediately, leaping forward with the strength of the Force propelling me further than a normal human ever could have gone. I was upon him an instant later, slashing at his defenses as he attempted to stagger back to his feet.

He managed to roll out of the way of my first few attacks, but his guard slipped a heartbeat later, and my lightsaber found its way through his armor. Khreusis gasped slightly and fell back down to one knee again, then attempted to roll away again. This time, I was prepared, and my blade slipped past his defenses again and found its way into his thigh, far enough that the tip extended out the back of his leg. I smiled grimly as his lightsaber slipped from his hand and he fell to the ground.

“I am no child, and I am no pet of Zash. Give me the mask and I will make your end as swift and painless as possible.” I nodded kn owingly in the direction of Khem, who was standing proudly over the sprawled corpses of Khreusis’ apprentices. “You have ten seconds to decide.”

His response came in the form of a weak burst of Force Lightning, which I caught on my saber and deflected to the side. It was surgical work after that – a pair of slashes to remove his hands and end his threat. His moans of pain were as piteous as they were pathetic, and they were almost enough to make me forget that the man had been a proud Sith Lord only moments before.

I leaned in and carefully removed the mask from his face. Beneath it was the tired face of an old man that had lived too long with nothing but hate and fear and darkness to sustain him. I would have felt sorry for him…if he had not been another monster unleashed on the galaxy by the Sith. He attempted to rise to a sitting position as I turned to leave, so I turned back to face him. After a moment, I placed my foot on his chest, and pushed him back down with as much forced as I could. He groaned loudly.

“I would have left you in peace, if only you had had the sense to give me the mask,” I told him coldly. “My only regret is that the punishment for your crimes will be too brief. Your brethren will soon follow.”

With that, I slid my saber into and through his throat. Khreusis gurgled something through the released air and blood, but only for a moment.

Khem sidled up behind me and placed a monstrous paw on my shoulder. “Now, you are ready for what is to come, Little Sith.”

I shuddered and pulled my robes tighter to my body as a sudden chill traveled down my spine.

Just wanted to step in real quick and say that I got super excited when I saw there was a new post. These last two parts were both phenomenal and I think that you did a fantastic job showing that Veresia is not balancing on that fine line between light and dark as well as she thinks she is. Furthermore, it looks like that Quorian might have had a more stabilizing and balancing effect on her than either of them realized and that his departure has really upset that balance. I am rooting for Veresia to have a happy ending though so I really, really, really hope they find a way to patch things between them.

Thanks for the kind words!

Without spoiling too much - I felt it was important for Veresia to suffer some real, hard, consequences for deluding herself the way she has. She's still not fully aware of the problem (that she's really not some great crusader for justice), but that's part of the story to come. As for Quorian...I wanted to build a couple of different, positive, relationships for her outside of a romance. His part in the story is definitely not over, and when he returns, (hopefully) things will work out better with both of them going in with their eyes open.

Ayrs should be updated hopefully by Monday - this last bit of Veresia's story just took longer to write because I needed to get the breakup's tone right for later events to make sense.

So, it's been awhile since I've last posted...I had anticipated some trouble keeping up with my writing schedule due to my job, but ended up throwing in a job search/change and a move on top of writer's block and other real life fun. My new job is a lot more time-consuming, but my schedule has stabilized so I intend on getting both of my topics rolling again.

I sighed heavily as we made our way back to the spaceport. I wished we could avoid the prying eyes of acolytes and apprentices, but there was no way to avoid attention as the apprentice of Darth Zash.

Worse still was the fact that I was alone again.

Fool. You will always be alone.

I had been something worse than fool to think that things might be otherwise for someone in my position...to expect Quorian to thrust aside his years of Jedi indoctrination because of an extended bout of lust. A year ago, I would not have been so stupid as to fall into this trap, but I had allowed emotion to cloud my judgement, and it had led me dangerously astray. You were stupid because it felt good to be stupid. Now you know the price.

This was exactly the sort of ill-considered behavior I could not afford to indulge in if I truly believed in the possibility of accomplishing my goals. My entire dalliance with Quorian had been nothing more than a distraction from what I should have been accomplishing. I had allowed myself to become entranced with the idea of living a so-called normal life when I should have been more concerned with preparing for Zash’s next move or considering my longer-term options. Now that my…fling…with Quorian was over…

It is not over though. Not yet.

Now that it was over –

It is not over!

I felt disgusted at my own childishness –

I don’t want it to be over.

I frowned and blinked back unwelcome tears as I boarded the ramp to my ship. Khem had been intelligent enough to remain silent – whether out of courtesy for my feelings or because he was plotting my demise, I did not know. Regardless of his motivation, it allowed me a moment to collect myself. I did not need or want the pirate Revel to see me in this state; given his proclivity for mayhem, I suspected he would use any hint of emotional vulnerability to seek an advantage that would later haunt me.

Not that I was experiencing any vulnerability, of course.

Revel was waiting for me outside my cabin, with one of his absurd smirks on his face. It took all of my self-control to not send him flying through the door with the Force. Or out an airlock. Instead, I crossed my arms in front of me and scowled, making it quite clear what I thought of him. “What do you want, Revel?”

He jerked a finger toward the cargo bay and flashed a small grin. “Scored a good deal on some supplies that’ll come in handy. Heh. I think your friend will enjoy them.”

My heart skipped a beat as it took me a moment to realize he was talking about Khem, and not Quorian. I attempted to cover for my reaction with a grimace, but it did not appear as though the pirate bought it. No matter. “I very much doubt that Khem enjoys anything save for killing things. Unless that is what your supplies are used for, I imagine he will be quite disappointed by them.”

“Heh. Luckily, that’s exactly what they’re used for. I doubt you’ll need them, but for those of us who aren’t luckily enough to be able to throw lightning bolts around…” His voice trailed off, as he shrugged.

I did my utmost to avoid revealing how appalling I found his very existence. “Very well, Revel. Perhaps you might find yourself more useful in the cockpit, flying us away from Alderaan and back into Imperial space.”

“Can’t say I ever thought there’d be a day I’d find myself deliberately flying into Imperial Space.” He rubbed his chin ruefully. “First time for everything, I guess.”

“I suppose.” I had never intended on spending time with a pirate, after all, save for whatever interval was necessary to kill them. One needed to be able to adapt to circumstances as they changed; perhaps I needed to be more open-minded about the addition to my crew. I considered that for a moment as I gazed determinedly into his eyes. Then I considered the terror he must have inflicted upon his victims and thought better of that notion. Revel was a tool, and it would be foolish to consider him as anything else. “Be on your way, then. I require rest.”

He nodded and slipped past me, heading toward the cockpit. Perhaps, if I was lucky, he would antagonize Khem and one or both of them would end up dead. In the meantime, I needed the time to reflect on…on what had happened and determine what my next steps might be. I would still need to play the dutiful servant to Zash, but I clearly needed to reconsider my longer-term goals and strategies. I needed new allies now that Quorian was –

Perhaps I simply needed to rest. That is almost certainly all I need. It would be irresponsibly stupid to act impulsively or emotionally.

Merely sleeping would not be sufficient – I needed to isolate myself from everything that had happened and from any potential distractions on the ship. Fortunately, I had identified several useful techniques during my time on Korriban – what essentially amounted to a Force-induced hibernation that would grant me the time to recover both physically and emotionally. I had been surprised to find such teachings at the Sith Academy, as they were far more appropriate for a Jedi, but I was grateful now. No dreams…no nightmares. Nothing but the Force.

For once, the darkness was a welcome refuge from the light.

I contacted Zash via the ship’s holo-terminal as soon as we arrived in range of Dromund Kaas. I did not enjoy our talks nearly as much as she did, but the discussions were still of great use to me because of the small slips she made in discussing her future plans. It was true that she had grown increasingly secretive as of late, but I suspected that her suspicions were directed more at the Sith that opposed her than anything else. After all, the death of Darth Skotia was still widely believed to be her doing, and any Sith as ambitious as Zash was certain to attract unwelcome attention.

Quite like the attention she was giving me when the channel opened.

“Apprentice? Apprentice!” She was not even trying to hide how angry she was. It was a strangely satisfying realization that I had done something to get under her skin – that Zash was human, flawed, even vulnerable. “Do you care to explain your actions on Alderaan? I have heard the most outrageous stories and could scarcely believe them. I am hoping to hear that my faith in my apprentice has not been misplaced.”

“Oh?” My tone was coy and calculated, designed to elicit an angry response and – even more importantly – designed to make it clear that the provocation was intentional. “I must admit that I am curious about what you might have heard. I felt that my time on Alderaan went swimmingly.”

Her face darkened noticeably. “Do not play games with me, apprentice. This is neither the time nor the place for such banalities, such stupid games.” Zash’s lips twisted into some strange bastardization of a frown, requiring even more effort on my part to maintain my neutral expression. “Just what did you think you were doing on Alderaan?”

“Securing another of your artifacts, of course. You trusted me with only one task, and I have done nothing but act as your dutiful servant as I travelled the galaxy in your name.” I realized that I was laying it on rather thick, so I took a breath to collect myself before continuing. As much fun as annoying Zash was, I did not want to say something I would later regret. Infiltrating the Sith was still my best chance at fully integrating myself into the Imperial hierarchy, so I might do as much damage as I could. “I assume that you have concerns about some other aspect of my time on Alderaan?”

I briefly wondered if she might have learned of my dalliance with Quorian, or even his intervention at the Elysium, but I thrust the thought aside as quickly as it had arisen. She would not have been this angry over something so easily construed as a dalliance or development of an asset. No – for her to be reacting in this manner meant that my activities with House Thul had been reported. A pity. I had hoped to have the opportunity to frame the narrative.

“I asked you to coordinate your efforts with Elana Thul for a reason, apprentice. She was a valuable asset, both to me and the Empire.” Zash stared daggers at me over the holo. “And now she, Urtel Moran, and their entire force are dead, and you lifted not a finger to aid them. Perhaps you have some explanation for that, however?” Her expression suggested she did not believe an acceptable explanation existed.

It was worth an attempt anyway, if only to throw her off her game as much as possible. “You asked me to go to Alderaan to secure an artifact for you, Master, not to take on the responsibility of assisting House Thul with their war against the Organas. I would have gladly helped her, but she requested assistance at the same time that I had arranged to acquire the artifact in question. I made my priorities quite clear to her when I arrived, and I cannot be held responsible for her refusal to take them into account.” I cleared my throat. “It is not my fault that our allies were so profoundly stupid as to throw themselves at House Organa the way they did.”

“You lie well, even for a Sith.” I sensed what almost felt like a hint of pride hidden behind Zash’s anger. “House Thul is the Empire’s only significant ally on Alderaan. As such, it is imperative that we support them in order to ensure the Organas and their Republic allies do not secure control over the planet. Your actions…your inaction has severely undermined the Imperial cause on Alderaan. Do you understand the lengths to which I had to go in order to smooth over the ill-feelings that were directed toward both of us because of your failure to save Elana Thul and her forces?”

I took a moment to evaluate my position - better to avoid allowing my temper to get the better of me, even if it meant revealing a certain lack of decisiveness in my response.

Leaving the Thul forces to die had been quite satisfying on a personal level, but I could not deny that it had been a questionable decision from just about any non-emotional standpoint. Elana Thul had been a fool, and her house was little more than a collection of lickspittles and incompetents, but she could have made for a useful tool in my greater plans. Worse, they had been useful to other Sith, and I did not doubt that they had been more than happy to attack Zash for what I had allowed to happen on Alderaan.

Perhaps I had been rash by being so eager to make the Thuls pay for their arrogance and the destruction they had visited on their home world because of their insatiable lust for power. Perhaps it would have been wiser to bite my tongue and accept their faults, to avoid drawing undue attention to myself, or Zash.

I could not be sure, not with so little time to consider the situation and a furious Dark Lord of the Sith before me. Such considerations were a matter for another time, when I had the opportunity to properly reflect on the circumstances I found myself in. I suspected just such an opportunity might be arriving sooner than expected, now that I had collected all of Zash’s trinkets for her. She had not hinted at what my role would be in the future, so I did not know what she would expect from me, but I hoped that my role as her apprentice would allow me a certain latitude with my activities. I knew all too well that I needed it, now more than ever.

Shaking my head, I returned my attention to Zash. I was concerned that I would have angered her even more, but if my absent-minded daydreaming had annoyed her, she did an admirable job of hiding it. Or she simply reached her limit of annoyance when she learned of your actions on Alderaan and nothing you do could make matters any worse.

“I…realize that my actions were – perhaps – not the ideal ones from your perspective. However, I determined that House Thul was not salvageable without compromising my mission, and that their value was not sufficiently great to warrant that decision. I do not doubt that the Empire has suffered a blow because of my choice, but it is not as great as you or anyone would think. I cannot say what the leaders of House Thul told the Empire’s representatives, but I am quite sure it was overstated. Their forces were weak and the Organa forces were driving them back on every front.”

Zash snorted derisively. “You may be correct, Apprentice, but it was not your place to decide.” She paused, rubbing her forehead as a vein there pulsed dramatically. “Fortunately for you, I reached the same conclusion that you did based on various reports I received and intervened accordingly. The Dark Council debated your fate for some time, but the matter was not in doubt.”

I felt a weight lift off my chest as the narrowness of my escape became clear. I did not know if I would ever be in the same position again, but I would exercise more caution if I did – removing the Empire’s allies was helpful, but it was foolish to risk my life over what were ultimately very minor successes. Driving House Thul from Alderaan would be a real victory for the Organas and the Republic, but that mattered little to the galaxy as a whole, and even less to the Sith. I needed to devote my time and energy in more productive ways – to identify weaknesses in the Empire that would allow me to do real damage.

It almost sounded like a matter that Khem could help me with, a realization that made me shudder as a wave of disgust flowed through my body.

“Apprentice? Apprentice, are you listening?” Zash’s annoyed voice rang out again.

“I apologize, Master.” For once, my subservient response was not completely false - I had not meant to antagonize Zash by appearing to be not paying attention. “I accept responsibility both for my own actions and the effects those actions had on the Empire on Alderaan. While I feel I acted appropriately given the importance of the mission you assigned me, I also recognize that I could not possibly account for all of the circumstances that you and the other Sith lords are aware of when making your judgments on Sith and Imperial policies and actions.” I lowered my head to imitate humility. “I only hope that I have not destroyed the faith you have shown me all along, and will accept my service for as long as you desire it.”

For a long, painfully awkward, moment it seemed as though Zash would reject my offer; she almost reminded me of how Mother reacted when I attempted to avoid punishment for my actions. Almost. Mother would never have propped up a system of hate, deceit and death. Mother would never have sold her own soul for a title and the power to destroy the lives of others. In truth, Zash was the epitome of everything my parents had not been, and was a worse person for it.

“I am still disappointed in you, apprentice. Gravely disappointed.” She sighed, much like a parent scolding a young child would. “But I cannot deny that you have served me well for the most part, apart from this regrettable lapse in judgement. You should consider yourself fortunate that I find myself strangely fond of you.”

Fortunate was not the word I would use for someone that received much attention from someone like Zash, but I nodded along with her regardless. Better for her to think I am grateful for being in her good graces again. “I consider myself most fortunate that you are my master, Darth Zash.” I bowed my head subserviently to embellish the effect. “Are there any ways in which I can serve you?”

Something flashed in Zash’s eye for perhaps half a second, but it was gone far too quickly for me to analyze in any depth. Her smile was equally enigmatic; I decided I did not like it. “I am currently occupied with preparations for an intensive ritual at one of the many Sith temples outside Kaas City. Perhaps you could spare your pirate companion for a few hours so that he might deliver the artifact fragments to me?”

“Perhaps.” I pondered her request for a moment – it seemed odd that she would want Revel to be the one to deliver the last artifact, but most likely she simply sought to turn him against me. As if that would be some kind of accomplishment. He is a pirate, a man without honor or substance. If anything, I hoped he would betray me, so that I might have an excuse for killing him. “Is there anything that my Dashade monster or I can do while you prepare for your ritual?”

“No, apprentice.” Zash paused. “Actually, I received a message from Imperial Intelligence two days ago, from one of their junior agents. She was hoping to meet with you, but I was unaware of your plans and could not confirm anything.”

“Was it a Chiss?” I could think of no one other than Mina that would contact me specifically; I wondered what she was after, and suspected it was nothing good.

“As a matter of fact, she was. I can provide you with her contact information.”

“Please do.” I did not have much else to do, and suspected the Intelligence agent would at least liven up my experience on Dromund Kaas. The Imperial capital was bustling and ever-busy but also interminably boring. Zash tapped a few keys on the console in front of her. “There you are, apprentice. Do tell me if our friends in Intelligence have anything interesting to report.”

“Of course.” I wondered if Zash was stupid enough to believe I would do any such thing. “I expect that Intelligence will be requesting that I assist them in some trivial matter due to my travels across the galaxy on your behalf.”

“You would know better than I would,” Zash replied with a profoundly disingenuous smile. “I will look forward to your report when I next contact you.” She paused, and licked her lips delicately. “Do be careful when you reach the surface – while I did my utmost to smooth things over with the higher-ranking Sith, I have no doubt that there are many newer members of our order who would gladly kill you for the approval of their masters.”

“It would be a shame if they met untimely ends because of it,” I replied grimly. I shall have to watch myself – I cannot afford to become too obvious a target.

Zash’s smile grew somewhat as the line disconnected. Still, there was something about her entire demeanor that made me feel uncomfortable. There was something afoot, something larger than simple Sith plotting. Zash had been acting oddly since the moment she had first sent me on her foolish mission to collect her precious artifacts. I was not stupid enough to think there was not some greater purpose to her request, but there was plotting and then there was plotting, and this was of the latter variety.

"The Witch is planning something."

I nearly jumped out of my robe. I had been so focused on Zash that I had not sensed Khem’s arrival. “You fool, I did not give you permission to eavesdrop.”

"I am not the fool that follows the Witch," he replied. I did not appreciate how amused he sounded. "I have heard the plotting of Sith before, and it has always ended badly for the less fortunate Sith." The look on his face left no doubt as to who he thought the less fortunate Sith would be.

“I agree, Khem, but I do not see a viable alternative to allowing Zash’s plans to play out. We have no information about what she might be doing, no potential sources to find that information, and no allies within the Sith order to help. Anyone that might be willing to support a move against Zash would be equally happy to see me dead as well.”

"You must be vigilant." I waited for him to continue, but he lapsed into silence.

“How profound, Khem. What would I do without your valuable insight and advice?” I glared at him for a moment, unsure if I wanted to continue speaking with him. “Tell Revel to travel to Darth Zash’s office and provide her with the artifact. I have included the necessary clearance codes to pass through security.” He opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off before he could say a word. “I want you to travel to the Dark Temple and determine if anything strange is going on. I do not want you spooking the Intelligence agent.”

"The Intelligence agent is plotting against you too."

“Of course she is, do you think I am stupid enough to believe otherwise?” I gave him a sharp look. “Don’t answer that, Khem, or we will both regret it.” He chuffed, but remained silent. “For now, she is a potentially valuable resource, especially given my relatively high profile within the Sith. If she proves useful, so much the better. If not…” I let my voice trail off; if anyone in the galaxy would appreciate the implication, it would be Khem.

Khem nodded and turned back toward Revel’s quarters.

“Oh, and Khem?” He did an about-face. “Do try and avoid unnecessary bloodshed. I do not wish to paint an even bigger target on my back.”

The Dashade looked as though he disapproved, but nodded his head and disappeared down the corridor. I did not trust him in most things, but I believed I could this time – he was not as simple-mindedly focused on slaughter as he liked to pretend, and he would surely understand the need for discretion. Relative discretion, at least. I sighed, and returned to my quarters, walking as swiftly and silently as I could to avoid attracting any further attention, especially from the ship droid, which was proving to be a real nuisance.

I believe I can finally understand why Ayrs always hated droids so much.

I smiled for half a moment, and then felt an intense wave of sadness as I remembered what I had seen on Tatooine. What you wanted to believe you saw. You wanted to believe it was a sign that your brother was alive, when it meant nothing of the sort. I wondered if I might be able to ask Mina to investigate my brother’s situation if she proved trustworthy, but decided that was little more than idle fantasy. Intelligence agents were not to be trusted unless you wanted a vibro-blade planted in the small of your back. I would find another way, when it was prudent to do so. I will find him. I will find a way.

I remained in my quarters until after we had landed on Dromund Kaas and my two companions had left the ship for their designated tasks. I did not want to deal with either Revel or Khem, and it would alert me to any…unpleasant…surprises waiting for us at the spaceport. When I did not hear any screams, blaster fire, or explosions, I decided it would be safe for me to proceed.

There were no ambushes along the way to the residential area that Mina had indicated to meet her at; no silent attacks from behind by a Sith apprentice desperate for approval, no blaster bolts or poisoned darts from a hired assassin. Perhaps Zash had been exaggerating the threat…or perhaps the would-be attackers were merely awaiting the ideal opportunity to kill both of us together. I smiled mirthlessly at the thought of dying alongside my hated master.

Mina’s residence was a nondescript building several kilometers away from the center of the city, the better for avoiding attention, I supposed. The residents appeared to be low-level functionaries, and several were even non-humans. For a moment, I was grateful for Mina’s foresight, but I quickly realized that I should have expected no less from her.

I found her waiting inside the living room of the small one bedroom apartment. It was sparsely furnished, and gave the impression of being a place that was occasionally inhabited rather than one that was truly lived in. I wondered if it was her residence, but decided better of the notion after noticing the barest hint of dust on the kitchen counters. This was no home; it was merely a convenient, out-of-the-way meeting place for Mina and her Intelligence contacts.

“Veresia, it is good to see you.” Mina was looking well, and her smile was as reassuring as was possible given the circumstances. “I am pleased to see you came alone.”

“It does make it easier for you to murder me,” I replied lightly. We shared an awkward, unearned, laugh. “Darth Zash did not inform me as to the purpose of this meeting; I am curious to hear why you wished to see me.”

“Imperial Intelligence has taken a great interest in your master. A very great interest.”

“That does not surprise me. Darth Zash has been particularly active in rising in the Sith hierarchy as of late. It would only be prudent for Intelligence to be interested in taking stock.” I narrowed my eyes and stared intently at the Chiss. “I do hope you did not have me come here simply to ask me to spy on my master.”

“Oh, of course not.” Mina sounded almost insulted. “I would have simply asked you via a holo if that was all I wanted.”

“I see.” In truth, I did not know what else she could want from me.

“I wanted to speak to you about your brother,” she replied brightly.

It felt as though the world had collapsed beneath my feet. “M-my brother? What do you mean?”

“Ayrs Martell, brother of one Veresia Martell. Both children of Valeria and Montclair Martell.” Mina smiled tightly and raised an eyebrow. “Did you think we were any less aware of who you are than the Sith?”

Of course not. It occurred to me that the same was equally true of the SIS, which would explain the agent that had accosted me on Tatooine. Fool. You should have foreseen this. Did you really think that no one else would take an interest in your past?

“Go on.” I did not trust myself to speak any further.

“He is alive and well, though you no doubt knew that already.” She studied me for a moment as the ecstasy of having idle hope confirmed as reality permeated every part of me. “He’s doing rather well for himself, too. Our sources indicate that he was placed in command of Havoc Squad, one of the Republic’s most elite Special Forces units.”

I could not help but smile. “He was always one to do his best.”

“Did that include doing his best while participating in the cold-blooded killing of Imperial agents?” Mina’s words cut me like a knife. “Does that sound like something your brother would do?”

“I – I could not say.” Ayrs had always been intensely patriotic about the Republic, but that fervor had been tempered by his good nature. Perhaps the years had changed him – it would not exactly have been fair for me of all people to judge him if they had. “I have not seen or heard from him in several years; I could not tell you anything of use about him. I would not be surprised if Intelligence has a better understanding of him than I do.”

“Perhaps.” Mina studied me closely, as if she expected me to reveal something to her. It was rather stupid of her, as I would be no more likely to do so even if I had anything to offer her. She might have caught me off guard before, but I had learned my lessons about revealing emotions in the Empire long ago.

“Perhaps the identity of the agent or the nature of their mission provoked him in some way.” I raised an eyebrow to encourage her to respond, but she ignored my cue and instead offered a blank look and a wan smile. “Apart from that, I could not even begin to guess why he would do such a thing. Did he act on behalf of the Republic?”

She gave an enigmatic smile, but did not respond immediately. I felt a droplet of sweat forming on my brow, but forced myself not to react – I did not need to give the Chiss woman any reason to suspect me of withholding information or even supporting what Ayrs had done. Of course, given your previous reaction, she would have to be a fool to think anything else. I did not sense any deceit or malice from her, but I suspected that that was par for the course for anyone interacting with her. Intelligence agents who could be easily read through the Force were not likely to last long in the Empire.

“I will have to investigate further,” she replied, finally. I found it curious that she so refused to answer such an innocuous question – perhaps the agent’s identity was indeed a significant part of the encounter. “In the meantime, I fear that there is something else that I must ask of you.”

“You do want me to spy on Zash?” I smiled slightly. “It simply was not the only thing you wished to ask me about.” I paused. “It certainly sounds appealing.”

“I knew I had a good reason for liking you,” she exclaimed cheerfully. I decided that there was no more intimidating sound in the galaxy than an Intelligence agent sounding cheerful. “Mind you; we aren’t looking to get you into any trouble with other Sith, of course.”

“Perish the thought.” It was not that I thought she was lying so much as it did not matter what their intentions for me were – as soon as I was a liability I would be cut loose. Still, it would provide me with an additional resource within the Empire, as well as a possible fallback option if I was ever compromised. And when I am rid of Zash, it will be useful to have a favor or two to call in with them. “What is it that you want me to do, specifically?”

“Watch her. Understand her. Ensure that she does not destabilize the entire Empire due to her lust for power.” If only. Mina licked her lips before continuing. “Do understand that this is not simply about reigning in Darth Zash, but also about ensuring your future within the Empire.” She narrowed her eyes. I felt her gaze boring into me. “You represent a new, better, kind of Sith. You could do great things if you are allowed to.”

“I could do quite terrible things as well,” I noted. And I very much want to. “So, Imperial Intelligence wants their new, better, Sith to act as its eyes within the Sith Order. What stops me from simply revealing your plot?”

The Chiss sighed softly and smiled. “You are free to do so, but I doubt it will have much of an effect on anything.”

“I suppose not.” No doubt, Intelligence would be quite prepared for me if I chose to betray their confidence. “Are you my handler, then?”

“And quite happy to be,” she replied jauntily; her eyes twinkled as well. I felt my stomach do a small dip and twist to the right. “I’ll contact you whenever it is appropriate. For now, I think it best that we go our separate ways and not arouse suspicion.”

“How thoughtful of you.” I smirked slightly. “Shall I depart first, or do you wish to have the honor?”

Mina gave me an odd look, then smiled. “I’ll make sure the coast is clear.”

We rose in unison from our seats. She reached out with her hand and I took it in mine somewhat shakenly – it seemed an oddly human gesture for an Intelligence agent. Particularly a Chiss agent. Still, I could not help feeling a slight reduction in the weight on my chest as she left.

I was now ensnared in a game when I knew neither the rules nor the true players, but that did not matter. I had my brother, and that was all that mattered.

I will not lose him too. I will not be alone any more.

It's a lonely internal monologue when you dislike everyone around you. Definitely a refreshing take on the story, though.

And Ayrs...!

The living quarters that Zash had arranged for me on Dromund Kaas left much to be desired, perhaps an intentional decision on her part to punish me for my actions on Alderaan. The mattress was too hard, the walls were too thin, and the rooms too small. The latter defect was exacerbated by the presence of two entirely unwanted roommates, both of whom seemed hell-bent on driving me insane as soon as possible.

Surprisingly enough, it was Revel rather than Khem that was the more problematic of the pair. Khem, at least, had the good sense to stay out of my way for the most part. Revel, on the other hand, foolishly assumed that my refusal to speak with him was merely a pretense to encourage him to be the one to begin the conversation. The man was proving himself to be as infuriating and insipid as I had suspected when we first met. He insisted on boring me with preposterous stories of attacks on wealthy merchants and even wealthier luxury liners. It took all the self-control I had not to throttle the man and end his stupidity. I wondered if he understood how precarious his position was.

I almost wish the Sith ghost would return to harass me instead. At least he tries to give me advice.

Despite my restlessness, I dared not spend much time outside my quarters, especially as rumors of an influx of bounty hunters on Dromund Kaas spread. It was not safe to be a citizen with a minor traffic violation on one’s record, let alone the apprentice of a despised Sith Lord. Let alone an apprentice responsible for sabotaging the Empire’s strongest ally on Alderaan.

Still, I could not deny that I desperately wished to be away from Khem and Revel and this place. I wanted Zash to reveal what her grand plan was, so I would not need to play games with her any longer. I wanted Mina to tell me what it was that Intelligence wanted. I wanted to know how my brother was, and to know whether he knew that I still lived. You want too many things that you will never get.

I sighed heavily.

And I want to know that Quorian does not hate me for what I did on Alderaan. What I was forced to do.

I slapped myself forcefully. My self-control had once been my strongest weapon, but it was now a dangerous vulnerability that I needed to address. What had happened on Alderaan had been…regrettable… but we had made our decisions, and now had to live with the consequences. Every moment I wasted on pointless regrets was a moment I would never get back. The Sith would not destroy themselves, like I could if I allowed myself such weaknesses as regrets over a fling gone awry.

Focus. You must focus. Everything depends on your ability and willingness to sacrifice what you want so that you are able to do what you must.

I decided I would risk the dangers of being seen in public; I had spent too many hours hiding in the apartment .I was distracted, confused and dangerously unfocused. In truth, I had been a fool to be so cautious – Imperial Intelligence had known of my arrival well in advance. IF someone was truly determined to kill me, they would have done so already or they would be prepared for me regardless of where I was or what I was doing.

The weather outside was awful, even for Dromund Kaas. The sweltering heat and humidity would have been unbearable even in the best of circumstances and were that much worse when wearing thick, unforgiving, robes. I made a mental note to acquire more appropriate apparel before my next visit, though I hoped it would not be for some time. There was a certain grimness to the Imperial capital that weighed me down with every step. It was as if the Force, in some sort of cruel joke, had found some way to combine the misery and pain and suffering of Dromund Kaas’ inhabitants into a single, crushing, oppressive, weight upon my chest.

I continued to walk, pausing every so often to scan the area around me for any presences that were too out of place, or too curious about me. I found myself disappointed in the results – there was not even the slightest hint that my presence was being monitored any more so than the billions of others on the planet. It confused me – surely, there must have been some additional interest in monitoring my activities given what had happened on Alderaan, but it was as if I meant nothing.

It was discomfiting; the absence of surveillance being as disconcerting as an obvious tail would have been. There was little I could do about it, though – it was not as if I would feel any better if I returned to Khem and Revel. My stomach did a slight roll to the right as I contemplated spending even more time locked in so small a place with the two most intolerable people in the galaxy.

I used public transportation to secure passage from the outer section of Kaas City to the Mandalorian enclave, drawing more than a few curious glances from the ordinary Imperial citizens aboard the vehicle.

I had long been curious about the Mandalorians, who had sparked quite distinct reactions from my parents. To my mother, the Mandalorians had been dangerous but capable enemies during the war, and she had respected their prowess as warriors even as she had disdained their politics. My father, on the other hand, had nothing but contempt for their culture, which he felt compelled them to act in violent ways against weaker and undeserving foes. Perhaps I would be able to learn more some firsthand investigation.

The Mandalorian Enclave was not all that impressive-looking, but I supposed that a martial culture would not likely find much value in such things. It also occurred to me that they might well not find much value in nosy Sith as well, but they would also understand their place on Dromund Kaas and not cause trouble. They should understand their place, more like.

There were several dozen Mandalorians milling about the entrance to the enclave, clad in their distinctive armor and acting as if they owned the world just as much as the Sith. Their arrogance was amusing, and almost Sith-like. Perhaps that explained why the two groups were so willing to ally with one another time and again.

They did not seem to react much to my presence, but their barely-contained hostility was obvious through the Force. I did not imagine they had much more love for the Sith than anyone else – alliances mattered little when forced to deal with the Sith and their Imperial lackeys, and any Mandalorian who spent time on Dromund Kaas had surely had more than their fill of such interactions. The fact that I was wandering through their sanctuary would not have improved their moods.

I made my way across the outer promenade and walked calmly toward the main entrance, sparing an occasional glance at the most impressive of the Mandalorians. I had heard stories of their beskar from Father; their armor that could resist even a lightsaber and made them such dangerous opponents for Jedi and Sith alike. It would also make them valuable tools if they could be convinced to turn on their Imperial allies. They claim to love a good fight – what better one would there be than one against a tyrannical regime that seeks to dominate the galaxy?

An interesting thought, and one that I would need to consider in more depth when I had the time.

As I approached the corridor that led to the entrance of the enclave, two of the Mandalorians stepped up to block my path. The one on the left, a towering brute who might have made even Ayrs look small, pointed some sort of blade at me. I glanced around the area to gauge the reaction of the bystanders, but none seemed particularly interested in the confrontation. Not that it mattered much – I was not interested in a fight, only a swift resolution to whatever issues they had with me.

“Good afternoon, friends. I am an apprentice in the Sith Order and –“

“We know what you are, Sith.” The shorter of the pair was apparently their spokesman. His voice was quite deep, though how much of that was due to the modulation caused by his helmet, I did not know. “You weren’t invited to visit the enclave, and you aren’t wanted here. You’d do well to find your way elsewhere.” He nodded toward a nearby speeder pad that offered public transportation.

I swallowed as I considered my options – I did not want to fight these Mandalorians, but neither did I have much interest in being seen as weak or easily bullied. I did not doubt that being seen as running from confrontation would damage my reputation, perhaps permanently, and the Mandalorians had too much potential as allies.

“No, I believe I would rather admire the view from here, friend.” I offered him a wan smile. “It is rare to see the famous Mandalorians up close without having to worry about them firing a blaster bolt in your head.” I nodded toward his companion. “Though I would rather he put his blade away so we might be friends.”

“Friends?” His voice was steady enough, but it was clear he was not sure how to react to my question. “I don’t want to be friends with you.”

“More’s the pity. That news saddens me more than I can say.” I gave him the sort of despairing look that would not have been out of place on a holo-drama. “I am sorry if I offended you. I very much wanted to be friends with you and our companion.”

“What is the hell is wrong with you?!” I could almost hear the sound of his eyes straining from their sockets under his helmet. His partner laid a hand on his shoulder, which seemed to steady him somewhat. “Don’t play games with me, Sith. This may be your world, but we have jurisdiction here. We don’t have to put up with your mind games.”

His companion stepped forward menacingly; his blade mere inches from my chest. “You’d best be moving on now, Sith.”

Any response I was going to make was cut off as I felt an armored hand on my shoulder. Foolish girl, you were so focused on your childish amusement that you missed her completely

I turned to confront the newest of the Mandalorians and discovered an attractive blonde with a cybernetic implant around her left eye and a scar running across her right. She was a decade or so older than me and would have been noticeable irrespective of anything else because of her armor, which was tinted slightly pink. Her helmet was cradled against her body by the hand that wasn’t resting on my shoulder.

“She’s with me. Don’t give her a hard time. Or any more of one, I guess.” She gave me a strange half-smile as she pushed me to the side and stepped in front of me. “Tell Mandalore I said hello. Been awhile since I talked to him.”

The other two Mandalorians exchanged a glance. I could detect their uncertainty turning to fear – whoever this woman was must have been enough to intimidate them. Perhaps she was some old comrade of their leader’s. Perhaps that was enough for these two to let me go.

“I-I’m sure he will be honored to know the Champion was thinking of him,” the taller one stammered at long last, before turning to face me. “My – err our – apologies for disturbing you. We did not realize that you were an associate of the Champion.”

“Of course,” I said through a forced smile. Though she had saved me from embarrassment, she had given me no reason to trust her. On Dromund Kaas, you were either being using others or being used by them – there was no room or place for altruism. Whoever this woman was, she clearly knew more about me than I did her and intended to use that knowledge for some purpose; I could only hope it was not something that would imperil my position…or my life. “Shall we go, then?”

The woman grunted and motioned for me to follow her. We walked in silence until we had put some distance between us and any interested ears. “Didn’t think you were that stupid.” She paused and spat something disgusting-looking on the ground, before resuming her pace. I trailed slightly behind. “The enclave isn’t for tourists. Not even Sith.”

“I was merely investigating the area,” I insisted. I did not imagine I was convincing her of anything. “I did not think they would be so hostile, particularly to a Sith.” I spoke quickly, the better to avoid getting caught in an overly elaborate lie. “I would note that I was about to leave on my own, though I do appreciate your intervention.”

She gave me a sharp look, which reminded me of how Mother would look at us when we had disappointed her in some, very easily avoidable, manner. It made me feel a twinge of sadness, even after all this time. There had always been some distance between my mother and I - because of the Force, because of the obligations that the Jedi Order had placed upon Father…and because it had been the combination of those things that had led to Father’s death. She had never blamed me, but…

This is not the time or place for such distractions. Focus. Focus

“Sure.” She snorted loudly enough to attract the attention of an Imperial trooper patrolling toward the enclave. It looked as though he was considering questioning us, but then caught sight of my robes and the lightsaber clipped to my belt; in an instant he had turned and begun marching in the opposite direction. My companion snorted again as she watched him go. “You have a way with people.”

“As do you,” I shot back pointedly. “Though perhaps it was time you found another person to have your way with.” I flushed slightly. “I have my own business to attend to.”

“Doubt it. You were just visiting the Mandalorians, remember?” She smiled tightly. “Anyway, we need to talk, Veresia.”

My eyes widened slightly, but I regained my composure quickly enough. This woman was clearly something more than a bounty hunter. It was one thing for Imperial Intelligence to be aware of my true identity, quite another for her to know my name and track me down on an unannounced and unplanned trip. I could not imagine how she had done it – I would have detected her presence in the Force. I should have detected her. Of course, I had been too distracted to detect her presence when we had first met..

“We should talk away from the city.” She grunted at a passerby to discourage them from paying any closer attention to our conversation. “My ship would be best. Fewer ears, more security.”

I considered her offer for a moment – her ship would be out of range of any potential help, but I did not sense any ill-intent from her and her point was a good one – if she had something of interest to tell me, it would be far better for her to do so in a private arena. Too many people knew too much about who I was already; it would be disastrous for them to learn about what my actual plans were. Perhaps this woman would be of some use – after all, the Mandalorians seemed to respect her.

“Very well,” I said, still somewhat hesitant. “But I trust that you are not wasting my time – my master would not have me wandering around the capital with a bounty hunter for no reason.”

“I’m sure she’s happy with you sightseeing at the Mandalorian Enclave,” the woman replied sardonically. “Trust me. It’ll be worth your while.”

She directed me away from the public transport pad and toward one filled with private vehicles. Various personnel and droids were scuttling about the area, no doubt attaching tracking devices onto some vehicles while hacking the computer systems of the others. I wondered if any of the speeders’ owners were having their lives destroyed while they enjoyed what passed for free time in the Empire – even the smallest of transgressions could result in dire consequences; visiting a disgraced family member, attending a community event with a proscribed speaker…it was so easy to fall and yet so hard to know the fall was coming.

The bounty hunter’s speeder was an Echelon that was older than I was and had been out of date almost from its first day of production. Still, it was a functional machine; comfortable enough to not warrant complaint, fast enough that you would not notice the length of a trip, and reliable enough that it would not need much maintenance work. We had had an Echelon back on Ithaca; I could still remember the joy on Ayrs’ face when he piloted it for the first time.

Focus. Focus

It was as if I was a child who lost all their self-discipline when deprived of their favorite toy. Only Quorian is no toy. And you are no child. You are a woman with a mission greater than you can possibly imagine, a mission you regularly sabotage and undermine through your own selfishness and stupidity. I felt like slapping myself in the face, but restrained myself; I doubted my companion would react well to the gesture.

“You okay?” The woman was giving me concerned glances out of the corner of her eye, keeping the majority of the attention ahead of her as she piloted the vehicle toward one of the smaller hangars at the main spaceport. “You look off.”

“It’s nothing,” I lied. “Just Sith business; it affects the mind more than people think.”

“Uh huh.” She did not sound convinced, but I did not much care if she was or not. At the moment she was little more than a potential tool, not someone that needed to be kept abreast of my psychological state. I was thankful that she remained silent for the rest of the trip, until she pulled up to a secondary hangar at the spaceport and parked the speeder safely out of sight. “We’re here.”

Her ship inspired less confidence than her speeder – I did not recognize the model, but could easily identify it as what Ayrs would have called a “kriffing piece of space trash”. It was battered and bruised, like a prizefighter well past its prime, and there was scarring around the engines that suggested it had seen more than a few fights itself. A young woman, slim and with a cybernetic implant of her own, was inspecting some of the damage and directing repair droids to do their work. She glanced over in our direction and waved at my companion. If she had any reaction to my presence, she did not show it, though I felt a minor tremor in the Force.

“Where’s our friend?” The bounty hunter asked as we passed the other woman and made our way to the ship. “Off making a deal?”

“He said something about looking up some old contacts. I didn’t really want to ask too many questions.” She shrugged and pointed at me with the end of her hydrospanner. “This the woman you were looking for?”

“Yep.” My companion was quite the wordsmith. “Keep an eye out, Mako.”

The other woman – Mako – nodded and returned to her business. It was curious that she seemed so uninterested in my presence, but I supposed that it was due to her life as a bounty hunter – I doubted anyone in the profession cared much about anyone else, regardless of who they were.

“This way,” the hunter said. She led the way through the cargo hold and into a small living area with a pair of undersized coaches. “Sit. I’ll grab drinks.”

I made myself as comfortable as I could and awaited her return. It occurred to me that her idea of an appropriate drink could be entirely inappropriate, but she came back holding two glasses of water. As I took my first, tentative sip, it also occurred to me that she might have spiked my drink, but she had had multiple opportunities to act against me if she had wanted to.

“What is it that you want from me?” I decided to be as direct as possible. “You obviously know who I am; I suspect you would not acquire that information without having the intent of using it in some manner.”

“Correct.” She smiled tightly. “You haven’t asked who I am.”

“No, I have not. I felt I could rely on you to tell me which Mandalorian clan you belong to and why you are interested in me.”

“Name’s Amurri. Not part of any clan, though.” She laughed bitterly. “Mandalorians only respect me because I won their Great Hunt; means I’m one of the top bounty hunters in the galaxy. Even if their leader would love to shove me out an airlock. He wanted me in his clan. I said no.” Her laugh was brighter this time. “Should have seen the look on his face.”

What a strange woman.

“And your interest in me? Should I be concerned that a contract has been placed on my head?” I kept my tone jovial – perhaps there was a contract on me, after all. “I do not understand why a rogue bounty hunter would be so desperate to contact me.”

“No contract.” She shook her head. “Not yet, at least. Mine’s a personal interest. Professional too, I guess.”

“Go on.” I could not tell if she was being coy or was naturally inept at having a conversation.

“You’re an interesting woman, Veresia Martell. Heard a lot about you on Nar Shaddaa – the Dark Lady that saved everyone. Not like any Sith I ever heard of.” She took another swig from her glass. “On Alderaan, too. Tried meeting you there, but your man Revel wasn’t having it.” For once, I was quite grateful that the pirate had joined my crew; perhaps he was not quite as useless as I suspected. “You helped bring down House Thul. Odd thing to do for a Sith.”

“I am not like most Sith,” I said through clenched teeth and a bone-dry throat. “But I doubt you made such an effort to track me down to review my activities with me.”

“No,” she agreed readily. “An Imperial Intelligence agent was killed on Nar Shaddaa. Did the Chiss tell you?”

“Yes.” And she told me that Ayrs had killed them. “Why does that matter to you?”

“Tell me,” she began, pointedly ignoring my questions. “What does the name Fillo MacTyre mean to you?”

I felt something icy cold move up and down my spine. “He was a friend of my family when I was growing up. He was very close to my parents. He was always there when they needed him.” This cannot be true.

“Also an Imperial agent. Probably the one that sold your world out to the Empire.” She eyed me carefully. “Hope he didn’t mean that much to you.”

“Yes – I mean, no. He was closer to my parents than he was to me.” My mind raced as I recalled a dozen different memories, all tainted by knowing what I now knew. We had let him into our home, treated him as though he was a member of our family. And he had betrayed us, all of us. The icy feeling in my back suddenly turned quite hot. If only I could have been the one to kill him. If only I could have torn him apart and made him pay for his crimes. “Imperial Intelligence kept that part of the equation from me; I am not surprised. No doubt they were concerned I might get more involved.” My eyes narrowed. “How did you learn about the agent?”

“I helped your brother kill him,” she said with a smirk. “Didn’t take much detective work to put everything else together once Mako got working.”

A sudden, foolish, hope took hold of my tongue. “Could you contact Ayrs, then? Tell him that I am well?”

“Maybe. Units like his don’t take social calls,” she replied. “But I could -“

“No, no. Never mind. There is no need for you to do so.” Every word felt like torture, but necessary. “It would do neither of us any good for you to contact him. I have my…duties…here in the Empire. And Ayrs would surely find himself under investigation – or worse – should his superiors ever discover that his sister is a member of the Sith order.” My frustration almost moved me to tears. “I was a fool to consider it.”

Her voice was strangely thick with emotion. “You sure? Family is family.”

I did not have a family any more, though. Veresia, the girl from Ithaca, had had a family that she had loved dearly. Veresia, the woman she had become, could not afford that sort of vulnerability. Not now, at least, and perhaps not ever. There were forces at work well beyond the mundane emotional bonds between family; no matter how much I wished to see Ayrs and have him know I still lived, it would serve no purpose save to provide some largely meaningless emotional comfort. My brother would not understand what I was doing, and would not support it. Better for him to remember me as I had been, not mourn me for what I was now.

“I am sure. Perhaps…perhaps you might keep an eye out for him - on my behalf, of course. I may not be in a position to help him, but you would be.” I cursed myself with every word, recognizing them as unfathomably stupid even as I said them. “I would finance your work, of course.”

The look on her face suggested what I had said might well have been the stupidest thing she had ever heard.

“Not a nanny or bodyguard. Not like he needs one either; he’s got good people with him.” She eyed me warily.

“I didn’t ask you here to talk about him, anyway. Just thought you might like to know what the Chiss was talking about.”

“Of course.” I felt somewhat dizzy, but I steadied myself. She was correct, of course – the matter with Ayrs was unimportant. “What is it that you wanted to speak about, then?”

“Didn’t want to talk, really. Wanted to meet you. Heard a little about you from your brother. Heard a lot more from the people on Nar Shaddaa.” She swished her drink around. “Don’t know what you are exactly, but you aren’t a Sith like the rest.”

“No, I am not.” She was still hiding something; she had gone through too much trouble for her interest to be limited to meeting me. “And you were hoping to confirm that by talking in person.”

“Yes.” She smiled grimly. “We have a lot in common. Too much, almost. But I needed to be sure before I offered anything.”

“What sort of an offer could a bounty hunter make that would interest me?” I hoped my words were not as

condescending as they sounded to me; my question was genuine, but meant to be inoffensive.

“As a bounty hunter, I don’t have much to offer,” she agreed. “As Amurri of Clan Ordo, I could offer more.” She paused and studied my reaction. Clan Ordo was one of the most prominent Mandalorian clans in the galaxy, and had fought a losing battle against the Imperial-aligned clans. Some say Clan Ordo had once sworn an oath to Revan himself. “I’ve lost what I had. So did you. I want to punish those responsible. So do you.” She made a contemptuous gesture with her hand, waving it at the holographic projection of Imperial space between us. “And neither of us wants the Empire to get in the way.”

“What makes you think I oppose the Empire? I am a loyal member of the Sith –“

“Please,” she cut me off with a sharp hand gesture. “You’re Republic-born. Your family was murdered by Imperial-backed forces. My story’s almost the same.” She took a breath. “And you have a strange way of showing loyalty. On Nar Shaddaa you turned a cult into a charity. On Alderaan you ruined House Thul. Whatever your plan is, it isn’t helping the Empire. I think you want revenge, on the Sith and the Empire.”

“Perhaps,” I said slowly. “But the Empire also serves my purposes at times – why should I not use them instead of relying on you? You have no clan, no power base, nothing but a title and the grudging respect of some Mandalorians. Why should I not reveal your true identity to Mandalore, and curry favor with him?”

“Because that would be stupid.” She leaned forward over the table. “You need reliable people on the ground. Mandalore sold our people out to the Empire and Sith. He’ll do the same to you, if it helps him.” Her smile turned a tad vicious. “And whenever you make your move, you’re going to need muscle.”

“I might die before I make any moves,” I noted coolly. “So might you.”

“True.” She took another, smaller, sip from her glass. “But I’m thinking ahead. Working together could help us both. Just not now, not yet.”

“I cannot deny the truth of that.” I did not know what else to say – if the woman could secure the loyalty of a Mandalorian clan, she would be quite useful. If she could do more, so much the better. And if she understood what drove me to the ends that I had gone…so much the better. “It would make sense to let events play out until –“

My comm buzzed loudly; I glanced down to see an incoming call from Khem. I would have ignored it had it been Revel, but the Dashade was not one to frivolously socialize. “Yes, Khem?”

“Your master has completed her preparations for the ritual. She wishes for both of us to be there.” Khem’s tone revealed all I needed to know about his opinion on Zash and her ritual; it was an opinion that I shared. “She arranged for transport, but I must know where to send it.”

“Very well, Khem.” There was no sense in attempting to avoid the inevitable. Whatever Zash’s ritual was, I would do well to find out sooner rather than later. “I am at the spaceport. I shall await pickup outside the main terminal.”

“As you wish,” he replied, a decided edge to his voice. I understood the reason for it, but his reluctance to play along with Zash’s schemes was foolhardy and pointless – I could not begin to counter her plans until I knew what they were.

The bounty hunter – Amurri – was gazing at me with clear eyes; they betrayed nothing of her thoughts on our conversation or what Khem had said. “We’ll talk later.” Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “When there’s something to talk about.”

“Indeed.” I smoothed my robes as I rose to my feet, and shook her hand. “You are an interesting woman.”

“Says a lot coming from you,” she replied sarcastically. We walked back toward the exit from her ship in silence, and it was not until I was nearly outside the hangar that she spoke again. “If you change your mind about your brother…”

I glanced over my shoulder to find her and Mako looking at me curiously. “You will be the first to know if I do.” But now was not the time for such thoughts or distractions.

It was time to see what Zash had planned for her ritual…and for me.

The transport that Zash had arranged arrived only a few short minutes later. I wondered how much earlier Zash had contacted him…and if their conversation had covered more than simple transportation issues. I did not doubt that Zash would leap at the opportunity to turn the Dashade against me, and could not help but feel the same was true for Revel as well. The pirate was in the pilot’s seat. Though he gave me a jaunty wave when I sat down, I could easily detect his nervousness.

Perhaps Zash has co-opted both of them.

I eyed the Dashade warily – though he had sworn to follow me, I was not foolish enough to think Khem was truly loyal to me. It was not that the concept was alien to him - his obsession with the memory of Tulak Hord was demonstrated he understood the concept - but he had no particular loyalty to me I am a usurper to the role that Tulak Hord once filled. I am a perversion of the Sith tradition that means so much to him. I was fortunate that our worldviews overlapped enough when it came to destroying our enemies – I suspect that was the primary reason he had not yet attempted to betray me.

At long last, Khem noticed my attentions and gave me a curious look…at least what I thought was a curious look. Dashade physiology did not lend itself to easy analysis, and the months I had spent with him had done little to improve my ability to read his expressions, such as they were.

“Your minions from Nar Shaddaa sought to speak with you,” he rumbled. “I told them you were busy.”

“Did they say why they wished to speak to me?” I had not heard from Rylee and Destris in some time. It had been my own fault, having allowed myself to get distracted with other matters and failing to maintain the appropriate amount of oversight.

“They wished to report their status.” He sighed, as if speaking with me was some great burden. “Nothing of any importance.” He wagged a disapproving claw at me. “You should be focused on the witch and what she surely has planned for you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And what does she surely have planned for me? You and that accursed Sith spirit do nothing but warn me about her intentions, which does me no good. I already know she is not to be trusted - what I need to know is what she actually plans on doing.” I stared daggers at him. “Perhaps you have some sarcastic commentary that might offer some insight, though.”

I heard Revel’s laugh from the cockpit and forced myself to squelch the sudden urge to Force Choke him from the cabin.

“The witch could be planning any number of things - I have heard stories about her – that she practices techniques that even other Sith consider unnatural.” Khem had a thoughtful look about him. “If she has gone to the Dark Temple, this ritual must be something very significant. You must be on guard against both her and the dangers of the Temple.”

I shivered involuntarily. The Dark Temple was one of the focal points of Dark Side energy on Dromund Kaas. Many a Sith had died…or worse… inside its grounds attempting to unlock its secrets. Those that did brave the dangers – both physical and otherwise – rarely did so except in the most extreme of circumstances. That Zash had decided that this ritual of hers needed to be performed in the Temple suggested that there was much more to it than she was letting on, and much more danger to me as well.

What troubled me most was the sudden realization that I could not even be sure that Zash had ever mentioned the purpose of the ritual or described what it would entail. As far as I could remember, she had simply asked me to secure her artifacts, but never said why. Perhaps you are exactly the kind of fool you try so hard to pretend you are not. A bitter laugh escaped from my lips as I realized that I had wasted my time preparing for plots against the Empire and Sith and completely missed the obvious danger in front of me.

“The artifacts that we gathered are required for her ritual, but I could not determine how they will be used.” That much was true, though due to a lack of effort on my part. ”I don’t suppose you know anything, Khem?”

He shook his head. “They are relics from the time of my master, Tulak Hord, but I cannot say what the witch plans on doing with them.”

“Naturally.” We both fell silent after that, and I was almost overwhelmed by a sense of foreboding.

Revel landed the ship at the Imperial outpost nearest the temple – it was still a good distance away, but the Empire’s non-Force sensitives were smart enough to know the danger of attempting to establish their base any closer. It would not have surprised me if they enjoyed their position – they would have been in prime position to watch as Sith passed through but did not return.

That would certainly explain the distinct feeling of smug satisfaction emanating from them. Imperials are not usually so thrilled about Sith being around.

It was not something I needed to concern myself with, though. Zash and her ritual were waiting for me and no amount of philosophizing about Imperial-Sith relations would do anything to prepare me for what was to come. Not that one could prepare for the unknown, of course, but it would have been nice to pretend as if it were possible. What I needed now, more than ever, was to focus my energies and attentions on the here and now – I was in enough danger as it was.

Khem took the lead as we hiked our way through the dense jungle, our travel occasionally interrupted by the attacks of the local wildlife. There was not much in the way of civilization or modern technology that I could see – a few scattered remnants of trooper armor, some scraps that might have been Imperial electronic devices.

The jungle had reclaimed the land, and infused it with the darkness from the Temple that loomed in the distance. There was a certain desperation infused into the rage I could feel in every beast that flung itself toward me or Khem…as if the creatures were content knowing that someone was going to die. It was an unsettling thing to sense from another living creature, and it was with some relief that we reached a clearing that brought the Temple into full view.

The building was the epitome of all things Sith – dark, foreboding, and terrible. The true origins of the Temple had long since been forgotten, but it was clear that whoever had designed it had been a megalomaniac of the first order. Their monstrosity now served as the tomb for those that had perished within its grounds…and a prison for those not fortunate enough to have died after entering.

We slipped through most of the outer areas of the Temple without too much trouble, stopping only when a fight was unavoidable. Fortunately, it seemed as though the scattered Sith and Imperials that wandered the temple grounds remained intelligent enough to avoid Khem and me, scrambled though their brains might have been. I would have pitied them, but I knew that my pity was something to be saved for those that deserved it. These minions of the Sith and their empire now served as reminders of the perils of the Dark Side.

Perils you would do well to remember. You walk a similar path, claiming to be a righteous crusader even as you plot the demise of those around you. That your targets are worthy of punishment, even death, does not matter if you lose yourself to the same darkness you seem to fight.

I thrust that thought aside – such moralizing was useful when one was a Jedi on Tython, less so when confronted by the realities of the galaxy. It was true that I had become…fond… aggressively resolving conflicts that I found myself engaged in, but I was always careful with how closely I toed the line. I had never willfully ignored the will of the Force in order to strike a blow against my enemies; I had always exercised discretion and waited for them to force my hand.

Your lies do you no credit. You butcher those that stand in your way when you have the chance, and would do worse if only you were able. You cloak your crimes in half-truths and deceit, so you might claim that your hands are clean even as the blood of your victims drips from your fingers.

I wondered if the Temple was already having an effect on me. It was a discomfiting thought.

What is truly discomfiting are the lengths to which you will go in order to deny your own awareness of what you are doing and who you have become. Your father would be disgusted with your perversion of his teachings. Your mother would be appalled by the innocent lives that have been ended or ruined by your thirst for revenge.

I shook my head, attempting to clear out whatever was responsible for my idle thoughts. It struck me as odd that the influence of the Temple would manifest itself as criticism of what I had done - what I had been forced to do – but the Dark Side was often difficult to understand. Perhaps destroying me psychologically was enough. Perhaps attempting to ascribe motives to the Dark Side is merely more proof of your insanity.

“We should continue to the witch’s chamber,” Khem said from behind me. If he suspected anything about what I was experiencing, I did not detect it. So much the better. “The longer we are exposed, the greater the risk.”

“I agree. We should make haste.” I eyed him suspiciously, but he simply nodded his head. “Keep your eyes open for anything suspicious – from Zash or otherwise.”

Khem nodded again and fell silent; we continued onward. The main building of the temple was even more intimidating than the exterior; its denizens had decorated the walls with all manner of grotesque decorations: trophies from their victims, strange messages in languages I did not understand written in what appeared to be blood, and worse. The entire scene was one that would not have been out of place in one of the horror holo-dramas that Ayrs had enjoyed scaring me with when we were younger.

I shivered and drew my cloak tighter – despite the humidity, even the most childish of comforts was welcome.

We proceeded up several ramps and flights of stairs, avoiding the shadowy presences that were all around us – I used a technique I had studied that essentially befuddled the minds of those creatures as we passed. I was cautious with sensing the areas around us – not just because I did not want to attract unwanted attention, but also because I could not help but recognize that I was not skilled enough to properly defend myself from the corruption that was present in the temple.

As we passed through yet another antechamber with the usual scattered piles of bones and debris, I felt the faint hint of something…light…behind a sealed doorway. It was an odd sensation, entirely out of place in the temple, and I could not determine whether it was something truly unnatural for such a dark place or merely some sort of trick or trap. I paused and motioned for Khem to hold his position; I did not mind making Zash wait for a few more minutes if it meant solving an intriguing puzzle.

Could it be a Jedi artifact that was abandoned here long ago? Or perhaps some trinket of one of the elusive Light Sith occasionally mentioned in the records?

“We should not wait,” Khem said. There was a distinct edge to his voice that I had not heard before. “This place is not for idle gawking.”

I shook my head. “I am not gawking. There is something…strange…behind that door. Something that is strong in the Force, but not consumed by the darkness. It is not something I would have expected to encounter here. It is not something that belongs here.”

Khem had a disgusted look on his face. “It should be ignored, then. Or destroyed.”

“It should be studied,” I corrected - more gently than he deserved. “I would very much like to know what it is, and if it might be useful to me.”

“And if that study results in your death?” He sounded more annoyed than angry, which was curious. “You are too curious. It distracts you from what is truly important.”

“Perhaps.” I had been distracted as of late, but I sensed great potential with this object. “I would have you open this door, regardless.”

He stared at me silently for a long, awkward, moment. I began to regret my decision, but before I gave those doubts life Khem nodded slowly and leaned his shoulder against the door. For a minute, and then two, nothing happened but after he wedged his blade into the gap between the door and wall, there was a loud rumbling sound, and the ancient door gave way.

The room beyond was small and almost entirely empty, save for a cube-shaped object resting on a pedestal. A holocron. Curious. It was a strange sight to find in the temple. The Sith were no fools; they did not lock away precious knowledge unless they felt compelled to. I wonder, what about this holocron made them feel as such?

I stepped toward the holocron, but before I had made it even three steps into the room I was cut short by the appearance of a shimmering spirit before me. Instinctively, my hand slipped from my side toward my lightsaber, but my weapon would have served no use, and I did not sense any hostility from the spirit, regardless. It hovered a few steps in front of me – a human male wearing one of the ridiculous pieces of headgear that the Sith seemed so fond of.

“I greet you, Veresia Martell.” How does it know me? “Born in the light, reborn in darkness.”

“Who are you?” I narrowed my eyes and did my best to instill a sense of menace in my voice. “And why should I listen to you prattle on?”

The spirit smiled at me, albeit in an almost patronizing manner. “I am Kel’eth Ur. They were frightened of what I would have the Sith do, so they locked me and the memory of what I taught away, hoping it would never be revealed again. But here you are, lost as you might be.”

“I do not have time for your games. What is it that you want?”

The spirit smiled again. “The Sith gain their strength through channeling the power of raw emotion. Too often they rely upon fear and dread to fuel their drive for power. But it is a lie. All of it is a lie.”

“Is the Empire that they have built upon fear and dread a lie? Is the suffering that the Sith and their Empire cause a lie, as well?” I was already regretting my decision to investigate the antechamber. “For all I know, you are simply a mad spirit walled away because of the danger you posed to those within the temple.”

“I doubt I would be the greatest danger facing visitors to the temple.” The spirit pursed its lips and smiled again. “But you are not wrong. The damage and destruction of the lie are very real…but they do not have to be. True strength does not come from fear and dread – that strength is only temporary and ephemeral. True strength comes from banishing those emotions and acting from true conviction, and not governed by fear.”

An intriguing thought, if an odd one coming from a Sith.

“This strength can only come when one allows the Force to guide them, when they lose their desire to grasp for power and control. The Sith Code would have them believe that they are breaking their chains, but in truth they are only binding themselves with different ones.” The spirit paused, as if collecting itself. “You are something different. Something more. You might alter the fate of the Empire with the help of my teachings.”

I might also alter the course of the Empire with my lightsaber and some well-timed usage of Force Lightning.

“And how would I do that?”

“Take my teachings to the Sith. Find those that would listen to your words and have them take it to those that would listen to their words.” The spirit’s voice was louder, more insistent. I almost pitied its sincerity. “I have long since lost the ability to shape events on my own, but you might be my second voice…my second life.”

I only wished that I could have been there at the end of his first. “And you would have me reshape the Empire with nothing more than your words?”

The spirit shook its head; the sight was somewhat amusing given its headgear. “Take my holocron with you and spread my teachings with it. Doing so will require you to walk a dangerous path, but only through your perseverance can the Empire truly become as strong as it should be. Only you can break the hold that the perversion that is the Sith Code has on the Empire.”

It was true – the Sith were too consumed with inspiring fear and dread, in unleashing their anger and petulance upon those they viewed – rightly or not – as obstacles in their never-ending quest for power. The galaxy was lucky that the Empire was dominated by enough of those self-destructive Sith that it did not pose as great a threat as it might have.

If enough Sith were convinced of Kel’eth Ur’s teachings, and they were able to master their emotions in a way the out-of-control fools that now dominated the Empire could not, they would pose an even greater danger to the Republic…and everyone who valued life free from the jackbooted thugs of the Sith Empire. A Sith that mastered and controlled all emotions might well be powerful enough to challenge the Emperor himself.

“You have convinced me of the truth in what you say.” I smiled at the spirit. “Your teachings could well bring about the golden age of the Empire.” Kel’eth Ur’s spirit smiled again. “That is why your teachings must never leave this room.”

“But –“ The spirit never had the chance to finish its sentence. I sent a wave of Force Lightning into the holocron, then another and then another. After the third arc, I formed a bubble around the cube with the Force, a bubble which I shrunk again and again until it had crushed the cube into an unrecognizable scrap of smoking metal. When I was finished, there was nothing left of what had once been the storehouse of knowledge that might have changed the galaxy.

I heard Khem step forward to stand behind me. “You confuse me, Little Sith. This false Sith offered what you wanted and yet you destroyed the last memory of him.”

No, he only offered what he thought I wanted. He did not understand me, not truly.

“His heretical teachings have no place in the Empire.” Khem eyed me suspiciously as I scrambled to correct my rather clumsy excuse. “Though our methods and goals are not totally opposed, his stupidity would only weaken me and those that would follow in my path. We must harness the most powerful of our emotions, not shackle ourselves by pretending as though they do not give us strength.”

Khem nodded along with me, but the look on his face suggested he saw through my act. Fortunately, we were too busy for him to have much time to think on the matter; I seized the opportunity his silence presented to continue speaking.

“We must continue on, Khem. My master awaits us, and I suspect that she will be most displeased if we delay any longer.” I could feel Zash’s presence in the Temple; it was still distant and faint and somehow wrong. “We can worry about Kel’eth Ur and his Sith heresies after we meet with her.”

The Dashade nodded and motioned for me to follow him back toward the staircase we had been ascending prior to our detour. I grunted and allowed him to lead the way – I wanted whatever time we had before meeting Zash to refocus myself. Regardless of my master’s constant showing of friendliness toward me, I knew that her ritual was a danger to me, even if I did not yet know how.

As it happened, I did not have much time for self-reflection – after two flights of steps, Khem abruptly left the stairwell and strode purposefully toward a large chamber. The room was quite dark, with only the occasional flash of unnatural purple light to make anything within it visible. I could sense Zash as well, though her presence was far weaker than I had ever sensed before – had I not been as talented with the Force as I was, I might well have thought she was dying.

Of course, I would never be as lucky as that. The witch will end up being one of the last to fall…if I even make it that far.

My skepticism was validated as we strode into the main chamber itself – Zash was facing away from us with her hands clasped against her back. Around her were the relics that I had gathered, the remnants of the legacy of Tulak Hord. I shot a glance at Khem out of the corner of my eye, but he did not react to the sight. Again, I could not help but notice the gloominess of the room – the ethereal glow from several spots did little to improve the mood.

“Such marvelous power radiates from you now,” Zash began, though she did not face me. “Clear, strong…you have truly come into your own. I have arranged for you to receive the title of Lord of the Sith. I hope you appreciate the honor and responsibility of that position.”

“One step closer to ascending the throne,” I replied sharply. I was not sure what to make of her…gift.

“My, my. Don’t get ahead of yourself, my dear apprentice.” Zash’s voice was full of warm humor. “There is still the ritual to undergo, and I’ll warn you – the process might prove to be a more difficult to complete than you imagine.” She paused for a moment to catch her breath. “But I believe you will find the results more than justify any pain.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, though my gaze proved unable to penetrate her back. “Perhaps. Though I might be able to judge better were you to explain what the ritual is, precisely.”

“I agree," she replied, sighing. “I must admit that I have not been entirely forthright with you, my apprentice. Perhaps it is time for me to come clean.”

“Far be it from me to demand something as terrible as honesty from you, but I would prefer to know whatever it is that you have hidden from me.” I felt my heart beating faster, and forced myself to take several deep breaths to calm down. “Surely it cannot be so terrible as to justify months of deceit.”

It occurred to me that the Sith had built an order with deceit – and worse – as part of its foundation. An order that had survived for centuries.

“Too true, apprentice. I must apologize for having not been honest with you until now.” Zash sighed heavily and removed the hood that she had been wearing; unfortunately, the room was too dark for me to determine if that alone had been her grand reveal. “You see, I have only been able to increase my power and understanding of the Force with the help of very taxing rituals.”

“Much like the one we are about to attempt,” I noted suspiciously. My mouth was suddenly quite dry. “Come out into the light where I can see you.”

Zash stepped forward. I took a startled step back.

The woman I had known had always been more handsome than beautiful, but the creature that stood before me was closer in appearance to a decaying corpse than a living person. Her flesh was a sickly shade of gray, and it was stretched tightly across whatever corruption lay underneath. It was a gruesome sight, made worse when she began speaking and her lips moved to reveal that her teeth had decayed as badly as the rest of her.

“These rituals have taken the best from me, apprentice. I do hope you can forgive me for the dishonesty of my previous appearance – I could not resist the temptation of a little vanity.” She twisted her lips into a smile that I found utterly revolting. Fortunately, Zash recognized the reaction she was inspiring and killed the gesture quickly. “My efforts are failing, though, and I fear that I am dying.”

My heart leapt, and it took all of my self-control to kill the smile I wanted so badly to show to Zash. “And this ritual of yours will change that?”

“Indeed. Once we complete the ritual, I will not need to worry for many years.” Zash’ gaze flitted from me to Khem and then back again. There was a curious glint in her eyes. “And then we will show those that oppose us the danger of picking the wrong side.”

Of opposing you. Instead of speaking, I merely nodded at her. “What would you have of me.”

“If you would kindly stand over there, between the relics.” Zash’ eyes were even shiftier this time. “The ritual will not take long, but it does require careful positioning.”

“I think I’d rather assist you from where I am right now,” I shot back. There was something…wrong about her ritual. “Perhaps Khem can stand over there instead.”

“That will not do, apprentice. The ritual can only go forward if it is performed exactly as it is meant to be.” Zash pursed her lips. Her voice remained light and friendly, but I detected something menacing beneath the surface. “I need you to stand by the relics. Trust me, it is the only way to ensure you receive the full benefit of the ritual.”

I stifled a laugh. Surely she is not stupid enough to believe I would trust her? “I think I will remain here. Feel free to begin the ritual at your convenience.”

“I see.” Zash grit her teeth – what was left of them, at least – and stared at me. The only sound I could hear was the beating of my heart echoing through every part of me. “I had hoped you would be more understanding.”

“My mother always said I was a difficult child.”

I smiled. So did Zash.

And then, she hurled the first of three arcs of Force Lightning at me, hurling me against the pillar behind me. I rubbed my back ruefully and forced myself to my feet. “Do stop resisting, apprentice – I would hate to damage my new body.” Her smile inverted into a rather unpleasant frown. “This is for the best – you must understand that.”

“I understand that I would rather keep my body for myself, particularly after seeing what you managed to do to your own.” I practically spat the words out. “I would see us both dead before I surrendered myself to you.”

Zash bared her teeth in an almost feral sneer. “So be it. I did not realize you were such a fool.”

She shot more lightning in my direction, but I was ready this time – I unsheathed my lightsaber with a flourish and caught the attack on my blade…if only barely. I returned the favor with my left hand, but Zash countered my attack with ease, deflecting my first few attempts and then raising a Force-based barrier of some sort to absorb the rest. Try as I might, my attacks could not penetrate her shield. Fortunately. I was not alone.

“Strike her down, Khem.”

For a long moment, the Dashade did not move. I could not help but wonder if I had been right all along; if his betrayal had been in the cards all along, and if I had been unforgivably stupid in not foreseeing it. Then, Khem made his move.

He came at Zash from behind, slashing his sword down in a violent arc that aimed to separate her head from her body. She was fast, though, too fast. Before his blade had descended even halfway, she had moved ten feet away with the aid of the Force. With his target no longer where he had anticipated her being, Khem’s surgical strike became a wild maneuver that threw him almost completely off balance. Zash did not waste a moment of the opening, hurling a large piece of rubble at my companion and catching him full in the chest with it. Khem was thrown backward and landed hard upon the stone floor. For a moment, he struggled – attempting to retain consciousness – but then he was still.

I was alone, in the end.

Zash seemed to relish that fact, as she returned her attentions to me and began circling around me like a bird of prey. “The time for such foolishness is over, apprentice. Give in now, and I will ensure the ritual is as painless as possible.”

It was not pain that I was afraid of, and there was nothing that Zash could offer that would make her plan acceptable to me. I responded with a renewed burst of Force Lightning, a move that she mirrored. Our lightning bolts clashed against each other, but hers began to push mine back. Slowly, inexorably, I found myself pushed back too, as I attempted to fight back against her power. My right foot slipped on some gravel, forcing me to divert my attentions and costing me precious room to maneuver.

In the end, it did not matter. I found myself with my back against the wall, panting from the exertion of attempting nothing more than to not die quite as quickly. Zash was…too strong, too adept at using the Force…and too well prepared. I raised my saber to block her next bolt of lightning, but lacked the strength to carry out the technique. Instead, her energy pulled the saber from my hand and sent it flying.

I faced her as bravely as I could, staring her directly in the eye with all the fierceness that my grim determination could provide, but I knew that she was not intimidated by my false bravado. “One way or another, you will fail. You have too many enemies, many of whom wish to see you dead even more than I do.” I spat at her feet. “I will not let you enjoy a victory at my expense.”

“You were always too dramatic for your own good.” Zash sighed, then laughed loudly. “Fortunately, everyone will think that I am you; my enemies might view my sudden disappearance as an opportunity, but that is a risk I am more than happy to take.” Her eyes opened, glistening in the erratic light. “And now, it is time to complete my ritual. Goodbye, apprentice.”

A strange, purple, light emerged from her hands and enveloped me, lifting me off the ground - I had the strangest tingling sensation in both of my hands. Then, just as quickly as Zash had lifted me up, she slammed me down into the ground with all the force that she could muster. I felt bones break and the air leaving my lungs. When I attempted to move, I felt nothing but a strange tingling sensation up and down my back.

I wondered if this was how it felt to be dying. If this was how Father had felt in his final moments as a Jedi, how Mother had felt as our family and home had burned. I wondered if they felt what I was feeling as well – the bitter taste of failure, knowing that they had failed so completely.

Just as you did. You swore to avenge those that fell on Ithaca. You swore to defend those that swore oaths to you on Nar Shaddaa. You swore that you would find Ayrs and make things right again. And now… And now I was to be a vessel for one of the Sith that had been the bane of my existence for years.

The irony was not lost on me.

As my vision became blurry and the room around me dimmed, I dreamt of a monster flying at Zash. It was Khem, his blade at the ready yet again and a maniacal glint in his eye. An odd thing to imagine at such a time, but my life had been anything but normal for so long.

I felt myself smiling as I faded away. I could see Father waiting for me, Mother as well. Perhaps this was how it was always meant to end. Perhaps that was not so bad.

My back was on fire, the pain radiating from where its base to my neck. I could feel the tenderness in my ribs as well – possibly broken, but damaged enough to make it too painful to breathe normally. At least two fingers on my left hand and one on my right were broken, and I could taste blood in my mouth as well.

I opened one eye and the next, and found myself peering into near complete darkness, though I was not entirely certain I wished to see what was left in the room, regardless. A vile smell from elsewhere in the chamber wafted into my nostrils, nearly overloading my gag reflex. I strained with every muscle to move my head to the side to relieve my stomach of its contents. How dreadful.

But I was still alive, somehow. It was a not entirely unpleasant realization.

“Khem.” My voice was scratchy and weak; my throat felt as parched as Tatooine. “Khem?”

There was no response, only the faint sound of something moving on the other side of the chamber. I could not be sure of who or what it was, but I could not help but imagine it was some creature from within the temple. Most likely a creature with terrible claws and fangs, as well.

I forced myself into a sitting position, though the dizziness and pain that resulted almost forced me back to the ground. The room was spinning, or would have been if I could have seen anything, but I did not appear to be in any immediate danger. I could sense Khem, but he felt…different in the Force, though I could not quite describe the manner of difference There was a hint of Zash remaining in the area as well, but only the faintest impression of her; as my eyes adjusted to the dimness, I saw that her body lay lifeless on the floor, arms sprawled about awkwardly.

That would explain the smell. I smiled anyway.

After a few minutes, I was able to infuse myself with enough Force energy to rise to my feet, though I still felt decidedly unsteady. I surveyed the scene and finally located Khem; he was slowly recovering as well, holding his head gingerly as he also came to a seated position. He had cuts all up and down his body, and a deeper gash in his abdomen. Still, his wounds did not appear to be any more significant than mine.

“Khem, you survived.” I thought about smiling at him, but felt a wave of overwhelming nausea instead. I pointed at Zash, instead. “She is dead. I hope that makes you as happy as it makes me.”

The Dashade did not respond. Instead, he stared at me curiously and then shook his head. After a moment, he rose to his feet, somewhat less shakily than I had, and recovered his blade.

“Khem.” I waited a moment. “Khem, can you hear me?”

It was strange that he did not respond, because he had clearly heard me. What game is he playing? I strode toward him, a motion he mirrored. As I approached within a few feet of him, he suddenly raised his blade over his head, then lowered it in a sweeping motion that clearly aimed for a decapitating blow. I rolled out of the way and activated my lightsaber, but kept my distance from him. The Dashade followed me with his eyes, but did not move.

“I cannot….I cannot do it. Why can I not do it?” Khem’s voice was strange as well – slightly higher in pitch and even angrier than usual. His eyes gleamed with raw hatred as he stared at me.

“Khem? What is wrong with you?” I narrowed my eyes and attempted to decipher my very strange companion.

“Curse you and your bond! That body should have been mine! I planned for so many months, only to be foiled by this creature!” Zash! I recoiled in horror. “This is not how it was meant to be!”

“Zash? What are you doing in Khem’s body?” I scowled and made an angry gesture at her. Him. Whatever. “Khem is my monster, not yours. Release him now!”

There was no response. Khem - or Zash, I could not be sure - shook his head, as if clearing out mental cobwebs.

<The witch is inside my head> He sounded as angry as I had ever heard him. <I can hear her whispering, trying to take control.> His voice deepened, and sounded more determined. <I will not let her have me. This body is mine. She will not have it!>

I could not decide if I wanted to laugh or cry - instead of stealing my body, she had stolen Khem’s. It was an infuriating situation. While I was more than grateful to have not lost my life or body, the Dashade was my most reliable fr-resource. I could not…would not…allow my treacherous former master to steal him from me in this manner. I could not let her control him like this. Not, that is not entirely accurate. She does not completely control him – perhaps we can work together to drive her out entirely. I cannot allow her to remain within him for any longer than is absolutely necessary.

“Can you fight against her influence, Khem? Drive her away!” I grit my teeth in frustration. Nothing I had studied had prepared me for a situation like this. “I must admit that I do not know how to rid you of her, but I swear to you that I will find the way.”

He looked at me again, but this time his expression was almost appreciative. <That…that is what we must do. The witch will be our undoing if we do not get rid of her soon.>

“Agreed.” I leaned over Zash’s corpse before nudging it away with a small kick. “I look forward to the day that this galaxy is rid of her forever.”

“Of course,” Khem replied, a bit too agreeably for my liking. “We will uncover the information we need sooner or later, and then we will set things right.”

Zash again. I would need to be far more cautious around Khem – given Zash’s expertise with Force rituals, she might well attempt to trick me into another attempt at body theft. Of course, being more cautious in general would be a more intelligent thing to do, you fool. You regularly place yourself in dangerous situations through your negligence. I sighed and turned back toward the Dashade.

“Of course.” I grimaced as another flash of heat and pain exploded across my back, but managed to soothe the discomfort with the Force.“We should leave now, and regroup somewhere safer. I do not wish to face the horrors of the Dark Temple at less than full strength, to say nothing of the dangers present elsewhere in Dromund Kaas.”

Khem did not respond immediately, as he was too busy massaging his forehead with both of his hands. When he looked up, though, his eyes were clear. <I am with you, Little Sith.>

It was strangely comforting to hear to hear those words again – perhaps it was a sign of my growing desperation that I found solace in Khem’s presence. Perhaps you are merely losing your mind. Regardless, it was a good thing that Khem was back in control for the moment. I motioned for him to follow me as I shuffled out of the chamber; he followed a moment later.

We had only managed to walk a few steps when I heard loud footsteps coming toward us from the corridor ahead. Khem tensed at the same time that I did, and we both drew our weapons. He looked far more threatening with his large blade at the ready, as I lacked the energy to do much more than raise my saber in a pathetic imitation of a guard position. We stood there and waited the agonizingly long minute it took for the oncoming visitors to appear.

There were two of them – an angry-looking young man already bearing the skin discoloration that marked being overcome by Dark Side corruption and a younger woman with strangely white hair. They stopped fast at the sight of Khem and me, and gaped further when they saw Zash’s corpse sprawled on the floor behind us. The woman simply took a step back to put more room between her and us, but her companion swept his cloak off his shoulders and activated his lightsaber. Its red blade glowed eerily in the darkness as he held it out in front of him.

<Who are you to threaten my master?> Khem’s voice rumbled as he took one step forward. <Put your blade down and we might let you live.>

“You killed her,” the man replied angrily. “You struck down our master!”

Ah, so these are the other apprentices the accursed spirit warned me about.

“Our master.” I looked over at Zash’s corpse again and corrected myself. “Our former master, more like. Though I doubt any of us will miss her.”

The fool was practically quivering with rage. “I should cut you down where you stand. You are unworthy of the honor of being a Sith.”

“You might be surprised to hear how popular a sentiment that is,” I replied dryly. “I do admire your loyalty to Zash, but it is entirely misplaced. She betrayed me and would have sentenced me to a fate worse than death. She would have done the same to you given enough time.”

The woman spoke for the first time. “What do you mean?” I already liked her better than her partner – a willingness to hear someone out rather than immediately waving a lightsaber around and threatening them was always a pleasant surprise in a Sith. “What was she doing?”

“Our dear friend Zash was attempting to perform a ritual that would allow her to transfer her essence from her body into mine. Naturally, she did not feel the need to inform me of her intentions until it was time for the ritual.” I gave each of the two apprentices a small smile. “If you wish to see what your cherished master really looked like, with no Sith magic to mask the horror, feel free to investigate her corpse.”

“C-Corrin, you go check it out.” The man – boy, really - sounded far less sure of himself now, which was good. I did not want to fight them. Not because I had any particular attachment to these Sith pretenders, of course. I was simply too exhausted for a prolonged fight. And I am tired of being forced to kill anyone that raises a hand against me. It would be nice to resolve things as Father would have, for once.

The woman – Corrin – walked cautiously over to where Zash lay sprawled on the floor. She went down to one knee and gingerly turned the corpse over so it lay fully on its back. Her instant recoiling in horror was enough for me to know that she saw the truth in what I had said.

“Kaal – there’s something wrong with Zash.” Corrin swallowed hard. “I don’t even know how to describe it – it’s as if she’s been drained.”

“W-what do y-you mean?” Kaal’s resolve was clearly failing him. I allowed myself to breathe a little easier.

“Her body – it’s almost not human. And it reeks of Dark Side energy.” I caught sight of Khem twitching slightly out of the corner of my eye, but could not tell if Zash was attempting to seize control or not. “Maybe what we heard about Zash back on Korriban was true.”

That piqued my interest. “What did you hear about Zash on Korriban?”

The two apprentices exchanged a glance before Kaal responded. “She had a…bad…reputation among the overseers and other teachers. They were always talking about how ‘unorthodox’ she was and how overly ambitious she seemed.”

“It seems they knew her far better than they probably realized. Perhaps even better than I did as well.” That realization made me feel a pang of sadness. Though Zash had been untrustworthy and manipulative, I had come close to thinking of her as something like a mentor. For better or worse, her…end…had left a large hole. “Though I wonder if anyone truly knew her. I suspect not.”

A part of me wondered how Zash had become the person she was – had she been plucked from a happy childhood like I was, and then twisted and corrupted into yet another Sith that viewed people as playthings and the galaxy as their playground? Or had she been born into the Sith hierarchy played the role that had been set out for her by so many generations of Sith before her? Perhaps the truth was somewhere in between – I doubted I would ever find out.

“I-I think that makes you our new master.” Kaal went down to one knee before me; his lightsaber lay on the ground beside him, deactivated and forgotten. “We will serve you as we served Zash.”

My mind raced as I attempted to calculate variables that I had not even known existed – I did not want apprentices. I had no wish to spread Sith knowledge to anyone, but I also could not exactly tell two Sith apprentices what my own thoughts about the Force and Sith were like. If they had found Zash to be unorthodox, I could well imagine what their reaction would be to someone that advocated the eradication of the Sith and their Empire. Somehow I did not imagine my thoughts would endear me to either of the two apprentices.

But they require an answer just the same.

“I – I accept your offer of service, though I am not prepared to fully take on Zash’s role. We must take stock of what

has happened and prepare ourselves for the consequences. Zash’s allies will no doubt seek vengeance, while her enemies will see this as an opportunity to strike against us. Once matters have settled somewhat, we will be better able to move forward.” I pursed my lips as I stood a little straight; I felt a sudden surge of energy now that I had a more clearly defined issue to deal with. “I will need both of you to consider whatever tasks Zash had assigned to you and determine if they might be important for me to know about. In the meantime, Khem and I will need to find a safe place to lay low for some time.”

“You might stop by Zash’s office before you do so,” Kaal replied. “She kept many of most valuable items and information there, which will probably help you figure out what other plans she might have made.”

“As well as information on what kind of threats she was facing that might well be directed at us. A good plan.” I paused and looked at each of them in turn - I would not miss either of them if something went awry, but I did not want to risk having either of them interrogated about me. “Do you have a place to hide?”

“We’ll make do,” Corrin replied, almost too quickly. It would only be fair for them to have the same reservations about you that you have about them, fool. “I should give you our communications code before you leave – contact us whenever you require anything, Master.”

I bristled slightly at the word but nodded as she uploaded their code – it was not being called master that bothered me so much as the subservient way in which she did so. Now is neither the time nor place for such moralizing. “I will be in touch sometime soon.” My mouth closed as I attempted to piece together some sort of reassuring message for my new apprentices, but I could find no inspiration. “Do not get yourselves killed.”

“Uh, we’ll try not to.” Kaal’s expression softened slightly. “Stay safe, Master.”

“You, as well.” I nodded awkwardly at both of my new charges, then directed Khem to follow me out of the chamber and back the way that we had come. The same shadowy presences still hovered around us, but neither they nor the crazed inhabitants of the temple seemed interested in a fight. It was another welcome respite from what we had already gone through.

Revel made none of his usual futile attempts at witty banter when we arrived back at the Imperial encampment. Strangely enough, he had almost nothing else to say even after greeting us, though I suspected that was because he had enough good sense to recognize that neither Khem nor I had any interest in his antics. Pirates rarely lasted long in the business when their tongues were sharper than their minds.

The rest of the trip passed in uncomfortable silence, broken only when Revel deigned to tell us that we had arrived at the Sith Sanctum. We disembarked and proceeded toward our destination as inconspicuously as was possible given the circumstances.

There was no one waiting for us in Zash’s office, which was an unexpected but quite welcome surprise. Given her high profile and the number of enemies that she had made in recent weeks, I would have expected hostile company of some kind, but I neither saw nor sensed anyone. I shrugged as Khem and I made our way into her inner office – the day had been long and trying enough without the extra stress of seeing shadows where there were none. Better to enjoy whatever luck we were granted, now more than ever.

Unfortunately, our investigation of the office did not yield any useful information – whatever texts or artifacts she had studied in order to prepare the ritual were either long gone or simply not obvious to me. It was quite difficult to piece together the truth of something totally unknown was determining which pieces of the puzzle actually mattered. I had no way of knowing what was relevant to our search and what was not - perhaps the very tomes I was tossing aside were the ones that had all the answers I needed.

“Khem, any thoughts on what sort of material Zash would have been referencing for the ritual?” The artifacts that she had used had belonged to his precious Tulak Hord; perhaps that could be used to our advantage. “I must admit that I have not found anything.”

The Dashade shook his head vigorously…and a little sadly. <I do not know what the witch would have used in her studies. Tulak Hord was a great Sith that did not share his secrets with me.>

“I do not blame him,” I quipped. “You are not the sort of creature that secrets are meant to be shared with.”

He gave me a pointed look, but did not disagree. <Perhaps you are not as foolish as you sometimes act.> He sifted through a few documents before staring at a holoprojecter I had just discarded. <Perhaps…>

Whether our minds were moving along the same track or not, I would never know, but his present condition suddenly felt like an opportunity rather than a dangerous vulnerability. What we lacked was Zash’s knowledge and expertise with Sith lore, but it was not as if she was entirely gone.

“Khem, perhaps you could…allow… Zash to take control of your body. Temporarily.” His stared daggers at me but did not respond; I suspected he knew full well what my reasoning would be and did not entirely disagree with it. “So long as you do not allow her to seize full control, we might use her as a resource to determine what we need to reverse the ritual.”

<I have changed my mind.>

I gave him a quizzical look. “What do you mean?”

<You are as foolish as ever, Little Sith. Even if the witch did not gain control over my body, it would be impossible to trust anything she says. Why would she tell you how to reverse the ritual, if it would mean the end of her?>

“Of course.” My cheeks felt warmer, and I imagined they were turning a rather embarrassing shade of pink. Khem was right – thinking that Zash would be willing to provide the very information that would lead to her undoing had been profoundly stupid. If anything, whatever Zash told me would be inherently suspect, and likely something intended to mislead me into doing whatever would assist her in finally completing her plans. “Perhaps we should leave, then. I suspect that this office will become rather full of all the wrong people soon.”

<Agreed. Though our safe house was provided for by the witch, as well.> His mouth twitched. <Perhaps we should seek another refuge.>

“My ship is surely being watched. The bounty hunter I was speaking to will be shadowed by the Sith as well.” I bit down on my lower lip, wincing as the pain forced me to stop. “I believe there is someone that I can turn to, though I cannot say that I trust her any more than I can trust anyone else on this world. Even you, Khem.”

The Dashade huffed, but I suspected he was more amused than he was willing to admit. <There is no one on this world that you should trust. That is a lesson you must learn.>

He was not wrong - not entirely wrong, at least - but I did not have the luxury of relying only on those that I could trust. It is not as if you have anyone you trust in that way, regardless. Only Ayrs…and possibly Quorian. I cursed at myself silently – my brother was in no position to help and the Jedi would be unwilling to do so even if he were not surely half a galaxy away. I still had resources, though, if not friends.

I entered the contact code that I preferred to ignore as much as possible into my communicator, and waited the few seconds it took for the call to go through. A moment later, two red eyes framed by a blue face appeared before me, flickering slightly due to the interference. The woman blinked once, then offered the same false smile that her victims saw before her blade entered their back.

“Veresia. I did not expect to hear from you so soon after our talk.” Her smile disappeared for a moment, but then reappeared. “It is a pleasure to speak with you now, as always.”

“I can only imagine how hard it must have been to survive those lonely hours since we last spoke, Mina.” I decided I did not really care all that much if I came across too harshly to her. “But I suspect Imperial Intelligence has you prepared for just about anything at any time. I only hope that is still true today.”

Her red eyes narrowed, and she did not respond for some time. No doubt, she was processing the implications of what I was saying and determining if the value I had to Imperial Intelligence outweighed the risks of assisting me when I was clearly in a bad spot. I wondered if she – or Intelligence – knew about what had happened in the Temple. There were stories about what the organization as capable of…

“I see,” she said, at long last. “What is it that I can do for you? I never took you to be the kind of person who made social calls to Intelligence agents.”

No longer, and never again.

We gave each other false smiles that meant nothing and everything at the same time.

“Your assessment of my character is accurate,” I said slowly. “This is not a social call.” I swallowed hard – it was difficult to admit that I needed the help of anyone else, let alone someone I could not and would not fully trust. “I require your assistance – I must…lay low for a few days while certain events blow over. Perhaps you would be able to arrange for a safe location for me to do so.”

Mina sighed heavily. “Do I want to know what you did that warrants going into hiding?” Before I could respond, she shook her head vigorously and put her hand out to quash any intention I had of speaking. “Actually, never mind. Keeper did warn me not to involve myself in Sith affairs.”

“Keeper’s advice is sound.” Those that meddled in Sith affairs, regardless of station or influence, often times ended up dead because of it. Sith politics were a breed apart even from the infighting that was so common in the Imperial military and political hierarchies, and the number of victims they had claimed was too numerous to count. “I do not know whether I am actually in trouble or not, I merely suspect I will be.”

“Oh,” Mina replied lightly, teasingly. “You just suspect that some unknown number of homicidal Sith might be trying to find you. That’s not nearly as bad as I feared.”

“No, I imagine not.” I managed to squelch the stupid, girlish, giggle that threatened to escape my mouth. “That being said, I would prefer to be prudent and I would imagine your superiors would agree.”

The Chiss nodded. “I agree. Fortunately, I have a certain degree of operational freedom that will allow me to assist you without authorization from my superiors.” Her eyes twinkled slightly as she finished the sentence. “Leave your transport where it is and meet me at the Dark Star café in Imperium Plaza in…” she glanced at her display for a moment. “In thirty minutes. Do try and be as inconspicuous as you can manage with a Dashade in tow.”

“Of course.” The screen went blank before I could finish. “And…thank you.”

<Why thank her when she will only use this as leverage against you? She is not your friend or ally, she is a coward who operates in the shadows.> It did not surprise me that Khem was not thrilled with my plan. <This will create more problems for you soon enough, Little Sith.>

“Perhaps. But it is the option I have chosen to take, and you will respect my decision.” I glared up at him just long enough for him to flinch. “Contact Revel and inform him of our destination – ensure he removes anything that might lead any pursuer to us. I will finish my search of the office and take anything of value.”

He nodded and left the room. I surveyed Zash’s office again, but found no more inspiration than I had before; there were too many tomes I had no time to read, too many artifacts I had no time to research and too much information for me to possibly absorb. The idea had been a good one, but in retrospect it had been one that was doomed to fail. Perhaps you might return again, when your life is not in imminent jeopardy. Perhaps not. But now is not the time to waste valuable time staring blankly into space.

I swept out of the room with nothing more than regret about how much time we had spent in the office that would have been better utilized in making ourselves scarce. That uncomfortable truth was emphasized as Khem and I began the trek out of the sanctum and toward Imperium Plaza – we received the usual attention and then some. One acolyte even attempted to follow us surreptitiously, though I could not tell if he was acting on his own initiative or on behalf of some member of the Sith hierarchy.

In the end, it did not matter – a lightsaber through the ribs ended the threat of an overly-curious individual just as well as it did the established agent of a high-ranking Sith.

The Dark Star café did not live up to its name – it was cold and sterile, but also flooded with as much natural light as was possible on a world like Dromund Kaas. The clientele was made up of mainly low-ranking Imperial bureaucrats and even a few aliens; Khem still garnered a few glances in spite of the latter, though. Revel was there as well, seated on the opposite side of the building as he chatted up a young woman who would surely regret the experience soon enough.

I sighed and rolled my eyes slightly as I slipped into the booth across from Mina. She flashed me a smile and a look that would have passed for one of concern had she been capable of that emotion.

“We should move quickly,” she said quietly. “Send your Dashade through the back and have him speak with Urmon. We’ll watch to see if anyone follows him.”

“What will we be doing? I hope you aren’t about to suggest we have a meal here.”

“You don’t want to spend some quality time with me?” Mina arched an eyebrow and then laughed lightly. “No, I don’t want to tempt fate like that. I have a speeder waiting outside.”

I frowned. “I see. And Revel?”

“He insisted he had his own plan in place.” Mina’s nose twitched. “I can’t imagine it would work as well as one backed by Imperial Intelligence, but I didn’t have any interest in fighting him over it.”

“His presence is rather tiresome,” I agreed. I turned to Khem. “Do as she said. Be on your guard for any surprises.” I did not need to say any more – both of my companions would understand how broad my final statement was.

<As you command, Little Sith.> Khem rose from the table and sidled toward the kitchen, drawing more stares from the other patrons. I wondered how many of them would report his presence to their superiors – having so many witnesses might prove inconvenient. Not that there was much that could be done about that.

“So, how are things?” Mina’s airy, almost careless tone, brought me back to reality. “It has been way too long.”

“Um.” I found myself struggling to remember what a normal conversation would be for someone my age, let alone someone in the Empire. Let alone a Sith. “Quite busy. You know how it is in the Sanctum. All torture and no play makes for a dull life.”

“Of course. I have heard such dreadful stories about the Sith.” Her red eyes were twinkling with amusement. “Is what they say about the akk dog livers true?”

“Oh, the truth is far worse.” I gave her an exaggerated grimace. “You would not believe what they have us do after we finish disemboweling the slaves the moffs send us. The screaming is bad enough, but the smell, as well.” I made a wafting motion in front of my face. “There was this one man who clearly had not relieved himself before –“

From behind me came the sound of someone valiantly, but futilely, attempting to keep their lunch down. Mina and I shared an inappropriate giggle at the sound.

“That sound absolutely dreadful darling. You must tell me all about it when we get home.” Mina gave me a careful look and nodded.

I stood up and walked with her to the door, then allowed her to lead me toward an unmarked speeder that I otherwise would never have noticed. There was a nondescript man piloting the vehicle, who paid neither of us any attention as we slid into the passenger area in the back. Mina remained silent for a few minutes as we made what felt like at least two dozen turns, presumably to shake off any possible pursuit. It was only after she was apparently certain that we had evaded any would-be followers, she finally spoke.

“What in the hell do you think you are doing, Veresia?” And here I thought the Chiss were known for being exceedingly unemotional. “When I approached you about working with Intelligence, I didn’t mean for you to run off and become a fugitive immediately afterwards!”

“It is not as if I meant for this to happen,” I retorted. “I was forced into a situation that left me with no options save for the one that I took.”

She almost sneered, but maintained enough self-control to turn it into a mirthless smile. “No doubt. Can you at least tell me why you have to go into hiding, so I can tell Keeper why my prized asset needed an extraction on such short notice?”

I am a prized asset now, how droll.

“I killed Darth Zash in the Dark Temple.” I could not help but enjoy watching Mina’s eyes widen with surprise. “It was self-defense, but somehow I doubt that too many people will care about that.”

“I suppose not,” she murmured. “This…this is a good deal more complicated of a situation than I thought. I’ll need to consult with my superiors before we can decide our next move.”

It was interesting that she referred to it as our next move rather than hers – I was not quite sure how to take that. “That sounds more than fair. In the meantime, I could use some quiet time to meditate on what has happened.”

“After you’re debriefed,” she said flatly. “It’s a story I need to hear for myself before I file any reports. I want to be sure I understand exactly what happened.”

Mina's smile was warm, but I felt myself shiver as the speeder suddenly felt rather chilly.