Somewhere in the Outer Rim…
"Focus your power Ashara, let the dark side flow through you..." A young woman spoke clad in darkened armor draped with robes over it as she peered at the young Togruta woman with thick crimson red eyes. Her delight for her first young apprentice since breaking free from the binding shackles of her former master who attempted to steal her very body from her had now long since faded into irritation. A master she had loved like a sister no less! And although it was regrettable her now former master was possessing the body of one of her most loyal servants Khem'Val it was for the best to keep her master's soul where she could decide how to dispose of her later. Her mind was now focused on training a certain false Jedi who had the foolish notion she still served the light. The small pyramid shaped Sith holocron pulsed with an intense energy resonating within the dark side of the force as the young Togruta winced and whimpered within her meditation.
"M-Master I...I can't...I must not…!" Ashara whimpered as her eyelids twitched as dark side force energy stung at her naked flesh. The Lady of the Sith known as Shav'lan Kellig gritted her teeth and furrowed her brow as despite the fear she was sensing from the former Jedi the stupid girl was being stubborn about blocking her powerful dark side potential.
"Yes you can Ashara! you know you can! you are just stopping your own power out of your foolish pride!" Shav'lan snapped as her apprentice's brow furrowed deeper in concentration as the electric sting of energy being emitted by the holocron continued stinging at her legs, arms, chest, engulfing her slender form with each sting as her mind fought against the promised whispers of power and knowledge within the dark holocron. Finally she let out a cry of pain as she pushed away the power torturing her as the holocron's light faded and crashed against the metallic wall of her master's quarters while she fell on her back.
She sensed the boiling rage of her master as she walked past her smoldering form going to pick up the holocron staring at the artifact as despite the agonizing pain soaring through her body Ashara made the mistake of sitting up and asking.
"Was this the sort of treatment you went through as a slave Master…?" She had seen her Master's skin beneath the armor before, the scars beneath all the sickly pallor of Sith corruption. It was skin Ashara considered beautiful, but bruised and bloodied from lashes, electric torture, scars that she knew Shav'lan was not proud of showing that wasn't already shown upon her face. These were hallmarks of a being that had been forced through a horrific life of slavery, unfortunately this incited her master's rage. She felt a pressure close in hard around her neck as her body was lifted up and smashed against the wall like a rag doll.
"And what right do YOU have discussing MY life that you don't know you foolish girl?!" Shav'lan growled as she had her hand out in a choking motion before releasing a burst of force lightning electrocuting her young apprentice as she let out a loud shriek echoing throughout the ship. As a grin creased her lips increasing her release of energy a flurry of ghostly voices bombarded her mind causing her to stop and fall to her knees.
YES! Kill her! Show her what it means to fail her master!
She is a filthy weakling who refuses to accept the gifts of the dark side!
She cannot be allowed to live!
"AUUGGHH! SHUT UP! SHUT UP ALL OF YOU!" She cried as she lashed out at the souls of the fallen Sith lords she had previously consumed to increase her own power. However, after her battle with Darth Thanaton in the Sith Citadel on Dromund Kaas this power was proving to be her down fall. Force-walking, the power she had first learned to not only commune with, but consume the spirits of fallen Sith lords into her own body to use their power as her own amplified. However this came with a downside, only one spirit could be bound to the users form, if multiple spirits were bound to her user, the user was bound to be killed, their minds driven mad, their flesh fading from existence. As she and her companions had traveled throughout the galaxy, hiding from the Sith forces of her rivals as well as the Jedi within the Republic they discovered a cure that saved her flesh from vanishing. Now however the ghosts had become more determined than ever to destroy her mind, something she was determined to prevent from happening, and despite advice she had heard from a trusted partner who had his own apprentice. Ashara held a special place in her heart, she knew that her apprentice had the potential for being a ruthless Lady of the Sith, that potential was something she had seen begin manifesting itself the longer Ashara fought against her former allies.
To her disappointment however the girl seemed to be just as determined to appeal to the person Shav'lan used to be, the light she had yet to stamp out and was still trying to kill. As she stopped releasing her force lightning into her apprentice she stared at the young woman as steam permeated from the Togruta's flesh. Before she could continue she heard a gravelly voice on the intercom.
"Hey Sith! if you two are done in the bedroom we're getting close to Yavin IV!" the voice spoke as Shav'lan began to smile, good; they'd arrived. She opened her hand letting her apprentice go from the force choke leaving her coughing and heaving trying to catch her breath while Shav'lan walked over to the communications panel of her quarters.
"Slow our approach Andronikos, if any Sith patrols see us just transmit the security codes otherwise steer clear of them." As the gruff former space pirate acknowledged the order Shav'lan felt a shift in the Force as she turned calling her lightsaber to her hand and met with a strike from two blades, one purple and one crimson. To her surprise and delight as she blocked her apprentices attack she saw the yellowing of the dark side within Ashara's once dark brown eyes.
"Yes Ashara you're doing it! Your embracing the power! let your anger flow through you!" Shav'lan cried as she stared at her with a wide grin, by the Sith it was the most beautiful thing she had seen since she first received her lightsaber and felt it hum with delicious hatred within her grip. Ashara seemed to realize what was happening as her eyes widened, her strike weakening as the Sith yellowing in her eyes faded back to their normal brown hue much to Shav'lan's disappointment. She pushed against the blades of her apprentice forcing her back and using her advantage at slamming her into the wall once again with the Force. Upon impact Ashara let out another cry of pain as her two lightsabers, no longer those belonging to a Jedi, but instead those her master crafted for her as they had no time to travel to Korriban to dig up a pair that would compliment her Jar'kai style had now deactivated, steam pouring from their ignition ports as they clattered to the floor. Shav'lan walked to her apprentice, lightsaber still in hand and ignited she glared furiously at the young Togruta woman and raised towards her, the tip aiming for her heart.
"You show so much promise Ashara...if you would quit being so damn stubborn you would see the immense power you are capable of...just now out of rage for my torture against you, you're emotions came to a fiery boil and you lashed out wishing for nothing but my death..." Shav'lan spoke solemnly as if she were reading out a guilty crime that the former Jedi just committed. Ashara felt her breath catch in her throat as her eyes clouded with tears.
"P-Please master no! I didn't mean to-" She began to plead as she could feel the stinging heat from the blade of her master's lightsaber, ready to strike down her useless and defiantly disrespectful apprentice. Shav'lan held up a hand to silence her apprentice causing Ashara to close her eyes, awaiting her death and hoping she could still become one with the Force wallowing in sorrow at failing at guiding her tortured master from the slavery that broke her, into the warmth of the light. And in that moment a cold silence followed as nothing was heard but the humming of the ship and the humming of her master's lightsaber as suddenly she heard the hissing sound of the weapon being deactivated. Ashara looked up to the cruel red eyes of her master, the Lady of the Sith who seemed determined to shatter her connection to the light.
"And I couldn't be more proud of you my sweet little apprentice...~" Shav'lan purred as she reached down and cupped Ashara's cheek, caressing its softness as despite the young woman's Jedi instinct to wince in disgust at such an act she felt comforted at the Sith's affectionate touch. A soft smile creased the human Sith's lovely corrupted lips as she then spoke her next command.
"Now then my dear girl, get dressed...we have arrived at Yavin 4…~" She seemed to almost whisper as Ashara stared at her inquisitively, why were they on such a desolate jungle world?
"Why are we on Yavin my lord…?" She asked as she heard a soft squeal of joy from Shav'lan every time her apprentice called her that.
"We are here to continue your training my dear~ As true power within the dark side lies within the ruins of those who came before..." She spoke as she felt a tug in the Force….dark times were coming to the Sith Empire and the Republic...something darker than she was guiding it...and she was going to ensure Ashara was ready even if it killed her.