Close Encounter
Sharilia sighed as she walked through the entryway of her stronghold. She had just returned from a tiring session of the Dark Council. As always, they had debated for hours on end and never once resolved anything. What was more annoying was that they were debating things that Imperial Intelligence, if it was still active, would have been able to gather. It frustrated her to no end that the other Dark Lords on the Council couldn't see that was one of the many reasons they were losing the war with the Republic.
Which was why Sharilia had suggested reinstating Imperial Intelligence. As always, the other Sith Lords were too afraid to relinquish whatever meager power they attained when Intelligence had been dissolved. Luckily, Darth Marr had agreed with Sharilia. As the Dark Lord in charge of the frontlines, Marr understood that unless a miracle occurred, the Republic would eventually crush them. Perhaps the two of them could convince the other Lords of what needed to be done.
Still, if Intelligence did eventually get reinstated, Sharilia was unsure who the new Minister of Intelligence should be. Naturally there was only one person the Zabrak Sith trusted, she was just unsure if her wife would agree. For who better than the one who broke the galaxy wide conspiracy, though that was the problem. The Chiss woman was head of this vast underground network and Rollishia had stated, multiple times, that she had no desire to use it for the sole purpose of aiding the Empire.
They had argued over that many times, often heated and passionate. They both wanted this Force-forsaken war to end, the outcome of the war was what they disagreed on. Sharilia wanted the Empire to dominate the Republic and rule the galaxy. Rollishia, however, wanted the two sides to live peacefully together. The Chiss woman was a firm believer that with the right changes - with the right people in charge - both the Empire and the Republic could coexist. Sharilia wanted to agree with her wife, if for no one else's sake than their daughter's.
She didn't want her daughter raised in the middle of a war. She didn't want her daughter to have to constantly look over her shoulder for rival Sith. She wanted her daughter to live a peaceful life, to find love and have children of her own. Sharilia didn't want to have to worry about losing her daughter to this pointless war. It was bad enough she had to worry about other Sith trying to kill her daughter just to weaken or blackmail her. This was why she wanted her wife to be the new Minister of Intelligence. To help protect their daughter, to perhaps start that change in order to provide a better future for their daughter, Draleeria.
She found her wife, as she always did, standing before a vast display of computer terminals. The Chiss woman stood before the wall of terminals, their daughter held in her arms. Rollishia swayed gently from side to side, muttering quietly to herself as she reviewed whatever was on the display terminal. Walking over to one of the terminals which lined the wall, Rollishia typed out something with one hand. Sharilia couldn't tell what it was from where she leaned against the doorway, she assumed it was orders to one of her wife's agents. The Sith woman smiled to herself, perhaps Rollishia would never use her network to aid the Empire, but the Chiss woman would certainly use it to protect her family.
Sharilia chuckled as Draleeria tugged Rollishia's hair, the Chiss woman gently removing the infant's hand. Rollishia turned at her wife's voice, Draleeria reaching out with her tiny hands. Sharilia reached out as they neared, wrapping her family in her arms, placing a light kiss upon her daughter's forehead and a deeper, longer on upon her wife's lips. Pulling back Sharilia tickled her daughter's blue chin, the infant squealing in delight. Draleeria could have passed as a Chiss, only the tiny bumps which indicated growing horns gave away her Zabrak blood.
"I'd ask how the session with the Dark Council went," Rollishia remarked, "Though I can guess how it went."
Sharilia gave her wife a look, "You've been spying on the Council sessions again, haven't you?" The Chiss woman merely smiled, adjusting her hold on Draleeria. The Sith woman sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "We need to reinstate Imperial Intelligence or we'll never have a chance of winning this war."
"We've been over this Shar. I have no intention of taking up the mantle of Minister of Intelligence," Rollishia stated.
"Then who?!" Sharilia snapped, all of the day's frustrations finally boiling over. "Who could possibly be better qualified than you?! Who could not cower to any demand of the Sith?! Who would have the courage to report the actual facts and not what the Sith Lords want to hear?!" Sharilia ranted, her voice progressively having gotten louder.
Any reply Rollishia would have given was interrupted by Draleeria crying out. The Chiss woman swayed from side to side, trying to calm the wailing infant. Sharilia covered her face with a hand, breathing deeply to calm herself … trying to reign in the red hot rage surging through her chest. When the Sith woman finally regained control of herself, she wrapped her family in her arms. They merely stood there, taking comfort in each other's presence.
"I'm just tired of it all, Rolli," Sharilia trembled, resting her forehead against her wife's. "Tired of all of the Lords deluding themselves into thinking we can win. Tired of the officers telling us what they think we want to hear and I …" she choked back a sob, eyes clenched tight to prevent tears from falling. "I just don't want her to only know war."
"Shar," Rollishia whispered, "I know how you feel, believe me I do." The Chiss woman paused, gathering her thoughts. "But if I become the Minister of Intelligence, the other Sith Lords would assume I'm taking my orders from you. That I'm pushing your agenda forward before everything else. They'll fear us, perhaps up to the point where they'll try to kill one or both of us."
Sharilia sighed, this was what made Rollishia the best choice to take over Imperial Intelligence. The Chiss woman could see the larger picture, which very few people within the Empire could. The bulk of the Sith were far too short-sighted, only caring about gaining more power with no thought to the consequences. Likewise, many Imperial officers were too scared of the Sith to disagree with them. "Something needs to change," Sharilia mumbled.
"I'll never run Imperial Intelligence, but perhaps there's someone who can," Rollishia stated, walking over to one of the computer terminals. Handing Draleeria over to the Zabrak Sith, Rollishia quickly filed through several dossiers. The Chiss woman stepped over when she found what she was looking for. "Ensign Raina Temple," Rollishia explained, "She's part of my crew, so I know she's loyal." The Chiss woman paused briefly, silently debating if she should add something. She trusted her wife, so Rollishia knew it wouldn't get out. "She's also mildly Force sensitive, so with the right training she'd be able to resist the other Sith Lords."
Sharilia contemplated the new candidate, tilting her head to the side to avoid her daughter's grasping hands. While Sharilia would have preferred her wife, this Ensign Temple appeared to be the next best choice. Did they have the time to properly train Ensign Temple? Would the other Sith Lords agree with this choice? Sharilia wasn't sure. What she was sure about, was that it was only a matter of time before the Republic won if something didn't change. Sharilia chuckled, it gave new meaning to the saying "damned if you do, damned if you don't." Draleeria squirmed in her arms, drawing the Sith woman's attention. Reaching out through the Force told Sharilia what her infant daughter wanted. "We'll discuss this more later," the Sith woman addressed her wife.
Rollishia smiled, pecking her wife on the lips, "Go relax, I'll join you shortly."
Leaving the Chiss woman to her own devices, Sharilia made her way up to her bed chamber. She quickly changed into a set of more casual robes, holding Draleeria in her arms as she sat on the couch. She moved aside part of her robes, exposing one of her breasts. It took only a few seconds for the hungry infant to latch onto a nipple, sucking softly as she fed. Out of habit, the Zabrak Sith hummed a lullaby as she read over some kind of report. It was difficult to concentrate on the report, however, since it was repeating what they had discussed during the Council session.
Setting aside the holopad, she reached out through the Force, turning on some music. Still humming along to the soft instrumental music, Sharilia shifted her robes around, moving Draleeria to the other breast when the infant had stopped feeding. As her daughter continued to feed, Sharilia gazed out the window, watching as the rain continued to fall. Recently, she was more worried about what the other Sith Lords would do. It was bad enough that Sharilia had to worry about assassins targeting her daughter. Unfortunately, unlike other female Sith Lords, she had been unable to hide the pregnancy.
Being a member of the Dark Council, Sharilia couldn't disappear for months on end. Well, she supposed she could, not that it would have made much difference. Even if she had managed to hide the pregnancy, some of the Sith Lords would have figured out what was going on. If for no other reason than the fact that they were always looking for some kind of leverage. At least her "allies" on the Dark Council outnumbered her enemies. Though she used the term in the loosest of definitions. It was more of an unspoken agreement of "you don't get in my way, and I won't get in your way." Not that that would stop them from sending assassins after her daughter; betrayal was, after all, a core belief of Sith teachings.
Even though she hadn't been able to hide the pregnancy, she had, of course, taken precautions during it. She had rarely left the stronghold, and when she did it was only because there had been no other option. She had also attended the Council sessions via holo from the safety of her wife's office. HK-51 became a silent shadow who followed her everywhere and Sharilia always made sure that at least one of her crew members was with her as well. Unfortunately, she had to rule her Sith followers with an iron fist. Many apprentices and acolytes challenged her because they thought the pregnancy made her "weak" and that they could gain power by killing her. The truth, however, was that she had never been as powerful as she had been during that time.
It had felt like her already considerable Force power had been doubled. Sharilia was unsure if it had been the Will of the Force, or if it was some kind of instinctual "defense mechanism" or even just "motherly instincts." It didn't matter what it was, the affect had been profound. It had also been the strangest sensation that she had ever felt. Out of her vast amount of power, a small part had been kept in reserve. She could feel it sitting in and around her womb, ready to react and protect from danger. It was also surreal, as she could feel her daughter's presence in the Force long before her body showed any physical signs.
She was broken out of her thoughts when Draleeria finished feeding. Shifting her daughter to her shoulder, Sharilia straightened her robes and rose to her feet, gently patting her daughter's back. Heading into the infant's room, Sharilia tucked her daughter into bed, lightly kissing Draleeria's forehead. Smiling softly the Zabrak woman dimmed the lights as she left the nursery. When she re-entered the bed chamber, Rollishia was waiting for her, a small meal spread out on the table in front of the couch. They ate in relative silence, cuddling together when they had finished.
A few hours later, both she and Rollishia had changed into their nightgowns, and were snuggling together in bed. Sharilia listened as her wife's breathing deepened and evened, unable to fall asleep herself. Something nagged at the back of her mind, as if the Force was warning her of something. Yet reaching out around her she could sense no danger. She could sense her wife beside her, she could sense Draleeria in the nursery, she could sense their crew members in the barracks, and she could even sense the servants in their quarters. There was nothing out of the ordinary, no hidden assassin waiting to strike. Even so, Sharilia drifted off into a restless sleep.
Lightning flashed outside.
Sharilia bolted up in bed, eyes darting about the darkened room. Thunderstorms were common on Dromund Kaas, and over the years she had grown used to them. The Zabrak had slumbered through thousands of storms, so it couldn't have been what had woken her. She reached out through the Force and it blared a warning back at her. "NO!" she yelled, scrambling out of bed and running to the nursery.
Lightning flashed once more.
Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sight before her. A shadow loomed over her infant daughter, the blade of a vibroknife flashing in the light cast by the storm that raged outside. Fear gave way to anger and she summoned her power, lightning arcing off her body. The assassin reacted quicker than she expected, snatching the bundle from the crib. The Zabrak Sith's eyes narrowed, nearly glowing purple from the power she wielded, "Release my daughter."
The assassin merely laughed, "I'm dead either way." Sharilia raised her hand, ready to call on the Force, the assassin hovered the vibroknife closer to the bundle in his arm. "Don't try it Sith, I've been trained to resist your powers."
Sharilia grit her teeth, lowering her arm, fingers balled into fists. "Who sent you?" She could sense her wife behind her, the Chiss woman ready to act. "I promise you, I will kill you. How slowly you die is up to you."
"You've lost bitch!" With that, the assassin raised the vibroknife and drove it down.
Sharilia reacted on instinct, calling upon all of the power she had accumulated over the years. She brought all of that power to bear, freezing the assassin. Yet even with all of her power she couldn't hold him for more than a second … that was all Rollishia needed. A blaster bolt slammed into the assassin's hand, the vibroknife clattering harmlessly to the floor, giving Sharilia the perfect opening. Within a split second the assassin's concentration slipped, all of the Dark Lord's power bore down upon him again. The Zabrak woman levitated her daughter into Rollishia's arms even as she blasted the assassin into the window. Lightning arced around her body, rage burning within her crimson orbs as she advanced on the trapped assassin. "Who sent you?!" Sharilia yelled, blasting another wave of Force energy, cracks spreading throughout the window as it impacted.
"Do your worst Sith," he panted out.
Her eyes narrowed, teeth bared in a snarl and her power exploded outwards. The window shattered and the assassin flew out into the storm. The Sith woman held him there, the raging thunderstorm quickly soaking him to the bone. Sharilia lashed out with her lightning, the man screaming in pain as the rain water conducted and amplified the electricity. "WHO … SENT … YOU!" Sharilia roared over the howling winds, not caring that the rainwater soaked her.
"Go … fuck yourself," the assassin panted out through the pain.
The scream that tore itself from her throat was almost inhuman, Sharilia's power lashing out, lightning blasting into everything. The bound assassin howled as the continuous stream slammed into him, eyes rolling into the back of his head. At the same time, Sharilia dove into his mind, ripping and tearing it apart to find what she wanted to know. It was harder than she had expected, even with her vast amount of power. The assassin had been well trained. Even so, she slammed against the mental barriers, tearing them down until there was nothing standing between her and that which she sought. Sharilia released her hold over the assassin when she had taken all that she needed, the brain-dead man plummeting hundreds of stories to the ground. Being so high up, she wouldn't hear the satisfying splat of his body hitting the durasteel below, but she didn't care. She had more important things to worry about. "RAVAGE!" Sharilia roared, the boom of thunder drowning out her voice.
The Zabrak cried out, pouring all of her anger, all of her frustrations, all of her grief into lightning and blasting it out of the ruined window. Her power surged around her, lifting all of the furniture and blowing it into the walls. Rain mixed with tears as it continued to blow against her, yet she paid it no mind. How long she cried out for, Sharilia was unsure, she just continued until she exhausted herself and dropped to her knees. Sharilia picked herself up, leaving the demolished nursery and searching out her family. The Sith woman found them in her wife's office, wrapping her arms around them. Sharilia buried her face in Rollishia's neck, the Chiss woman murmuring gently to help calm the Zabrak. For several minutes they merely stood there, basking in each other's presence … reminding themselves they were safe and alive.
Sharilia pulled back slightly, "I want to know how that assassin got through all of our defenses."
"I'm looking into it and I'll find the one who sent him," Rollishia stated.
"No need," the Sith woman snarled. "I know who sent him … Ravage." Sharilia stepped away from her family, fists clenched tight as she paced. The mere thought of Darth Ravage was enough to make her blood boil in rage. Ravage was always opposing her in everything she brought to the Dark Council … he even objected to her ascending to the Dark Council in the first place. "I'll kill him. By the Force, I'll kill him for this!"
Rollishia sighed, "You know that since the assassin is dead, we have no actual proof of his involvement."
"You want me to do nothing?!" Sharilia yelled.
The Chiss woman ran a hand through her hair, adjusting her hold on her daughter. "I didn't say that. We're just going to have to be careful on how we approach this."
Sharilia growled in frustration, launching a bolt of lightning at the wall. "He will pay for this."
Rollishia placed a calming hand on her wife's shoulder, "We'll worry about that later. Right now let's get you out of those wet clothes and warmed up."
An hour later, Sharilia was dry and in a clean set of robes, curled up on the couch. The Sith woman cuddled up to her wife's side, Draleeria bundled up in her arms. Sharilia closed her eyes, relaxing into her wife's arms. Even so, she found her mind wandering. She was constantly reaching out through the Force, constantly sensing for any danger. She had to steadily remind herself that her family was here … with her, alive and safe. She silently renewed a vow; nothing was going to harm them … not now, not ever. She would make an example out of anyone who dared to attempt to harm them. She would make them fear her and her power. With that thought she finally drifted off to sleep, surrounded by her family.
This oneshot was inspired by another prompt I had done for swtor-prompts over on Tumblr. That prompt had been "your character wakes up in a Hutt prison, write what happens". In that prompt I had Draleeria be kidnapped, so I thought about what might happen in an assassination attempt. And so this fic was born. If anyone is interested, my tumblr name is nightprince. I may also compile the prompts I did and submit them here, but I'm not sure so we'll see.
I hope you enjoyed and feedback is always welcome!