Spiora sat in her room on her defender, staring at the wall.

There was a knock on the door.

"Hey. Got a sec?"

Spiora started, then looked up and smiled. "Certainly Kira. What's up?"

Kira stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. "I wanted to talk to you about Watcher One. You killed him after he was beaten. Why did you do that?"

Spiora shook her head. "Kira, I haven't killed anyone."

"Spiora, I was there! I saw you do it! And what of the other people and animals that we've encountered that I've seen you cut down?"

"Yes, they died. I'm not arguing that. I'm just telling you that I have never killed. Ever."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "Care to explain that statement?"

Spiora sighed. "I would, really. Trouble is, I don't think I can-"

"Tell her."

Kira took a step back, hand going to her lightsaber. The voice had come from Spiora, but the accent, the tone, the look in Spiora's eyes...all had changed in an instant.

Just as suddenly, the change reversed itself. "Are you sure? We decided that-"

Again the shift. "She won't stop prying. She'll find out in her own way, in her own time. Better to do this on our terms."

Kira unhooked her saber. "Spiora, what are you-"

Shift. "Kira, just a moment. Are you sure?"

"No. But I think that our hope was naïve. If we must reveal our secret, better to someone who might keep it."

Spiora sighed. "Very well. I hope you're right."

"I am."

"Do you want to tell her, or shall I?"

"I see your fear of this conversation. I have no such limitation. I'll do it."

"Alright. I'll cede total control to you until you're done. Standard rules on actions apply."

"Very well."

Spiora shuddered briefly, then relaxed. Smiling, she stretched luxuriously.

Even as she raised her weapon defensively, Kira wondered at the change in her friend. The normally quiet and reserved Spiora now exuded an aura of confidence and power unlike that of any Jedi. In fact it rather reminded her of her instructors on...

Kira activated her lightsaber. "Spiora, what's going on?"

Spiora smiled, a predatory look. "Hello Kira. You're not talking to Spiora at the moment. She can hear and see, but she's not able to respond right now. We haven't been officially introduced. My name is Lord Imalra."

Kira's eyes went wide, and she swung at Spiora/Imalra.

Imalra grabbed one of her sabers and caught the blow.

With their blades locked, bathing Imalra's face in red and green light, Imalra looked up at Kira and smiled. "Striking before you hear me out? Not very Jedi-like of you. Rest assured, if I wanted you dead, you would never have gotten to strike at me."

"What makes you so sure?"

Imalra's smile grew wider. "Where's my other lightsaber?"

Kira felt something cold press against the back of her neck.

"Here's the deal. You put your saber away, I put mine away, and we sit and talk. Or is it too hard for the little padawan to imagine that the evil Sith might not want a fight?"

The two of them held their pose for a moment, blades locked, staring at eachother. Then Kira took a careful step back and lowered her weapon.

Imalra deactivated her saber, summoned the one behind Kira, and returned both to her belt. "Good. Glad we could come to an agreement. Now, will you let me explain what is happening here, or are you going to run away? Again?"

"What do you mean, again? I haven't run from anything since I met you!"

"Since you met Spiora. But I remember you from before. Do you remember a girl at the academy named Indris Sirtad?"

Kira thought for a moment, then her face paled. "How do you know about her?"

Imalra shook her head. "Because I am her. After you left, I grew up to become Lord Imalra, champion of the Sith. At least, until I was cut down during a mission on Quesh. But I wasn't ready to die, so I hung on, desperate not to become one with the Force."

Imalra shook her head. "But after a few months, I was losing my hold on this world. Soon I would have passed on, whether or not I wanted to."

Kira's eyes widened. "The muka attack..."

Imalra nodded. "You begin to see. When Spiora was attacked, she actually died. And when she did, out of desperation, I possessed her body, and started her heart again. I thought I had cheated death. I didn't realize that wasn't the only thing I had done. When I took the body, I trapped the spirit. Spiora and I initially didn't realize that we were sharing a body. Eventually, it became obvious. At first we fought for control, but it became clear that in this state,neither of us was strong enough to dispose of the other. So we came to an agreement. Now we share the body. Sometimes she has control, sometimes I do. We have rules on what we can do when we're in control, so that the balance remains fair. For example, I'm not allowed to take the ship to an imperial world, and she isn't allowed to tell the council about my existence. We share our thoughts and memories, so that when one makes a decision, the other knows why."

Kira crossed her arms. "What's to stop me from telling the council about you?"

"Aside from my knowledge of your past? Knowledge that Spiora also possesses? I'm keeping her alive. Remove me, and Spiora dies as well." Imalra smiled. "There is no heroic move to make. There is no way to destroy me and save your friend."

Imalra began to shiver. "So now that you know about us, what are you going to do?"

"You're Sith. You should be removed."

Spiora shook her head. "We are no more evil than you are. We ask only that you do what you would want done. We have kept your secret. Will you keep ours?"