Rheeve's eyes flicked open, she draped her legs over the side of her bed and gracefully landed on the floor. The orange-skinned Sith silently pulled on her greaves, zipped up her leather vest and collected her light saber.
She stalked through the Fury, it felt strange to be sneaking through her own ship but the Captain Quinn and Vette were still asleep and she did not want to wake them. This undertaking was for her and her alone.
Rheeve was nearly off the ship when she came across Veevee, her protocol droid that her Twi'lek companion had affectionately named 'Suck-Up Bot,' due to the way he was always announcing new tasks he had completed to 'make her life better.'
The Sith held her fingers up to her lips when Veevee turned to face her, she knew even in the dark the droid could see the gesture and she was able to leave the ship undetected by her crew.
—
It was still early on Tatooine, the twin suns the planet was known for her not yet begun to rise and the cold chill of the night still hung in the air. Rheeve wrapped a cloak around herself, mounted her speeder and headed for the Mandalorian Outpost on the outskirts of the Imperial Rennar base.
—
When Rheeve arrived at the Outpost she could hear the first stirrings of soldiers awakening and going about their morning duties. She approached one of the doors and made her way inside.
The Mandalorian she was here to see was already inside, Roggar Den.
For a force-blind Roggar was quite an intimidating man. Roggar was a dark-skinned human who towered over Rheeve, battered but impressive Mandalorian armor spread across his hulking chest, a large jet pack weighted upon his back, his face displayed his many years of battle and scars weaved and curved their way across his chin under his trimmed beard.
"Roggar Dan. I am here for the trial." Rheeve announced, crossing her arms across her chest easily matching the Mandalorian's intimidating bearing even if she couldn't match his bulk.
"I had heard some talk around the camp that a Sith newcomer was interested in taking part in the trial. I am pleased to see that this was was not mere scuttlebutt gossip. Never know with these men, gossip more than Alderaanian biddies." Roggar looked down at the Warrior, summing her up. "I am always pleased to lead another Imperial dog to their death."
If it was anyone else under any other circumstance Rheeve would have cut them off at the ankles for such a comment or savored the feeling of crushing their windpipe with just a motion of her fingers, but she simply smiled back at him her eyes burning with confidence and malice.
"I usually have a very low tolerance for insults, Mandalorian." she spat the last word from her mouth as it it were a piece of gristle she had just dislodged from her teeth. "But I will give you a chance to apologize when I return from the trial that you will permit me to take part in."
"Ha! A dog with a backbone, I like it!" Roggar playfully his large hands together and gestured to his desk. "The trial is this, the Sand People distil a lethal poison. Only the holiest of their own shrines carry the antidote. The task is simple; inject yourself with the poison behind me, make your way through the desert to their encampment and secure the antidote for yourself before the poison reaches your brain. Or you fall to one of Sand People themselves, of course."
Yes. Excitement rushed through her. The Warrior had rarely been gifted with the opportunity to test not only her combat prowess but her grit in some time. As much as she had hated to admit it, Vette and Captain Quinn had become a crutch for her to lean on. Rheeve needed to break the chains of dependency she felt around them and rediscover her own solitary potential.
Rheeve pulled off the cape she wore and strode to Roggar's desk as if she was approaching a dangerous predator, her eyes locked on the poison-filled injector. The sickly yellow liquid emptied into her arm as she pushed on the trigger.
"I feel obligated to warn you Sith, just yesterday one of my own men failed to complete this test. The Sand People ripped him apart before he even make it to the antidote."
"It's a bit late for me to turn back now, isn't it"' the Warrior smirked back at him, removing the needle from her arm.
—
Rheeve left Roggar's office and stepped back into the sweltering air of Tatooine. The Warrior struggled to catch her breath as a sudden wave of heat pressed against her. It scalded her arms and rushed up her face burning her cheeks. She gritted her teeth as the pain intensified, it felt like her very muscles were on fire, pushing molten liquid slag through her veins.
Her mind swam and she looked around, there were now more Mandalorians scattered around the camp but they seem completely unaffected by what-ever torment that now wracked the Sith's body. She looked down at her arm where she had injected the poison, the wound had turned black and green spider-web like lines were beginning to spread down her wrist highlighting her veins.
Interesting.She remarked to herself the poison was quick indeed. The Warrior balled her fists and begun her journey through the dunes to the Sand People camp.
—
By the time Rheeve had entered the Sand People camp and downed a dozen of their forces, her vision was beleaguered by large black spots that flickered across her eyes. It had become so distracting that she held her eyes closed as she felt out with the force, pushing outwards with invisible hands to touch and feel their way through the camp.
Her arms had become heavy from the pain that now pounded through her muscles and her movements had become slow and labored. Every moment she crossed blades with a Sand Person or deflected one of their blaster shots had nearly been her last, but she continued on.
Rheeve stumbled, one hand outstretched against the side of a rock face while her other lazily gripped the hilt of her lit light saber. Her toe caught on a rock and she fell head-first into the craggy surface below. She tasted blood and sand.
As much as her will pushed for her to continue, her body lay still in the dirt. She was so tired, her limbs felt like cement blocks and a sharp pain now stabbed at the back of her head screaming at her to just give in and let herself be taken in by the sands of Tatooine. She could do that, she could stay here. Soon she would be forgotten, the galaxy would move on and her existence would only be a tiny speck in the memory to those that knew her. The thought calmed her, she could be free of it all.
Free of the feelings for her own Captain that made her heart ache in ways she didn't know she could feel, free of the grasp of her own Master that she was sure was plotting her death even now.
Rheeve's reverie was snatched away by a rushing sound behind her, before she even processed the movement of her own body she had raised her arm and thrust her light saber hilt to block the attack of a wooden staff that crashed down upon her.
Well kriff it, guess I'm living after all. The Sith Warrior let out a scream the likes that the inhabitants of Tatooine had never heard and pulled herself up out of the sand. If anyone were present to see her rise from the sands, they would have described her as the very embodiment of Sith. Fierce red energy poured around her, spilling onto the sand in waves of crimson fire. Even if were not already blind from the poison, rage blinded her now. Her eyes black and red pools of pure fury.
The Sith Warrior's scream had bought her a second of hesitation, she lit up her light saber and rushed at the foe before her. She couldn't see but she felt knew knew her opponent was large and they were stronger than the others and very, very angry.
The Sand Person let out a cry in a guttural voice as Rheeve rushed past them, slashing along their side with her light saber. She spun around to parry another blow, beating them back with her own frenzy of attacks. Before long the Sand Person had tired and in one last flick of her wrist, Rheeve had sliced his head from his shoulders. Body parts dropped to the ground around her boots, blood dripped from the sky like rain and Rheeve glowed in the intoxicating carnage of it all, taking it all in as the warm liquid ran down her cheeks.
As the adrenaline from the battle subsided, Rheeve was pulled back to reality of the poison working its way through her body. She strained her eyes through the black and discovered that she had found her destination, past the body parts of the Sand Person was a crudely decorated tent.
The Warrior made her way inside and found her salvation. She drank it down eagerly, filled with a new craving for life that she quenched with the antidote.
—
It was around midday by the time Rheeve's feet touched the edges of the sand of the Mandalorian Outpost. She strode formidably into the camp, an air of imposing pride one might expect of an apex predator safe in the knowledge that they were at the top of the food chain.
Blood and sand had mixed and were slathered across her skin like a gruesome war paint, Mandalorians turned toward her and raised their fists in a triumphant salute.
"Oya!" Rheeve was unfamiliar with the phrase but she was sure it was some sort of victory cry.
—
"I will have your apology now." the luscious words dripped from Rheeve's lips as she entered Roggar Den's compound. The four figures inside all turned to see her; to the Warrior's surprise Captain Malavai Quinn and her blue Twi'lek companion Vette were among the Mandalorians waiting for her.
"Rheeve!" Vette bounced towards her Master and was about to force a hug upon her until she noticed in the gory state of her person, covered in sand and all sorts of Sand Person viscera. "…Uh, hug later."
"My Lord." Quinn's voice had a twinge of concern that touched his blue eyes until he reined-in his feelings, placing his arms behind his back and nodded to her coolly.
"Well well! Kandosii!" Roggar pushed past the Sith's companions and looked her up and down. "This is unexpected but I am not so full of pride to admit when I am wrong. The Empire is certainly lucky to have such a fearsome Warrior at their disposal. You have my respect Sith, you have proved yourself worthy of the people of the Mando'ade."
Rheeve drank in his words, his approval was nearly as good as the thought of making him beg for mercy before her as he crawled along the floor by his fingernails because she had removed his feet, blood seeping out of the bloody stumps of his ankles.
"And you in turn are blessed in your choice of crew, I tell you the Captain here had me on the holocom with-in an hour of you leaving for your quest demanding to know where you were. Never heard such language from an Imperial Officer!" Roggan laughed, a blush spread across Malavai's cheeks. "Get yourself cleaned up my friend and then we will talk."
—
Vette had left to wander the Mandalorian camp while Malavai escorted Rheeve to the refresher, he was more than a little uncomfortable at how hungrily the inhabitants of the Mandalorian camp now looked at his Master.
"I don't see what possessed you to undertake such a reckless endeavor, and without either Vette or myself." through the sound of the water running past the Sith's ears, Captain Quinn almost sounded angry. A smile pricked at her cheeks as she pictured him yelling at her from the other side of the door, she did love it when he let his passion show.
"If I had told either of you about what I intended, neither of you would have let me go." Rheeve replied matter-of-factly.
"That is beside the point." Malavai huffed.
"Whether you'd like to admit it not, endangering myself like this has garnered us some very valuable Mandalorian allies. Surely you can see the benefit to having more resources at our disposal during our coming campaigns."
Rheeve washed herself in silence for a few minutes, Malavai was obviously still stewing over her words and composing a very long response full of tedious facts and data. The quiet was broken when the Sith reached a dripping arm out of the stall and requested that the Lieutenant hand her a towel.
"My Lord, how am I able to fulfil my duty to you if you do not include me in your plans."
"Quinn." Rheeve stepped out of the stall with the towel fastened around her chest. The fabric gripped her body closely, barely covering her powerful thighs that now glistened with beads of water. Malavai took in her shape of her, more droplets sparkled on her skin on her chest and fell into places he dare not look. He blushed and took a few steps towards the door to survey the camp outside.
"I cannot always count on you or Vette. I don't mean to say I do not trust you, just that you may not always be by my side. We may be very well thrown into circumstances where we will be separated. I needed to know that when and if that day comes, I will be prepared."
Malavai felt a pang of guilt at the comment about trust, he still held onto some small sliver of hope that he would never have to choose between his Masters. When that day came, even he was uncertain of his final decision. His growing affection for the Sith behind him had certainly complicated things.
Rheeve sighed. "If it makes you feel any better, you can use that medical scanner-y thing on me to check I'm all in one piece. Okay?"
Malavai turned back to the Sith, she cocked her hips and an exasperated smile danced across her lovely face.
"Thank you my Lord."