Jade was updating Vaos aboard the Wrath's bridge trying with all her mental strength not to let him know by any means that she was aware that he had killed her father. She felt as though it were some cataclysmic secret when in reality the monster probably couldn't have cared less if she knew that he had killed Quauhtli. Though the young woman kept her professional demeanor, inside she was scanning every inch of his arrogant face. The contemptible way he held himself, despite the fact that he wore no expression of malice or really any expression whatsoever. Vaos was unusual for a Sith, it was as if there was always something on his mind as his expression was flat a void. But on occasion his eyes would flare to life subtly as if declaring his training, knowledge or secrets were better than everyone else's in the galaxy.
She couldn't help this odd attraction to his eyes which were this bizarre ghoulish red of those few Sith that had become so corrupted their very skin putrefied in rejection to the overwhelming nature of the Darkside within. Blinking his eyes every few minutes he kept them wide open as if peering into the soul of the individual before him. Along with his impeccable social skills, he wore the black armor of a Sith Marauder, and since he was not the younger thin man he once was he looked a lot more like his broad shouldered uncle. He was the new monster who wielded death at will and he unlike his uncle, he head the cunning and manipulative mind of his mother.
"And that concludes todays agenda my Lord." "Very well, see to it that the purebloods behave while I am away. I cannot hold Deva responsible for failure because she has fallen in favor with my master, but I can hold you responsible Commander." He said as he swiveled sharply on his heel. "Lord Vaos…" she called to him stopping him. He came to a stop refusing to face her, if no one had seen him it could be heard by his armor settling into position where he stood. "Commander Khar, because you're a woman and because my Master prefers high ranking female officers, you will get extra leniency than most other officers that have crossed my path. But be warned, I have little if any patience so speak as if walking on thin ice." She paused briefly. "I want to know, how did Quauhtli die?"
Vaos eyebrows wrinkled in confusion, even anger hadn't registered. "What does that have to do with anything?" Jade paused as she thought of something that she could convince him with. "I was a trooper who served alongside the great General Quauhtli and no one had ever been able to defeat him. In the battlefield or one on one, how did you succeed?" Vaos turned to face her and walked right up to her gazing deep into her eyes. "You're lying Commander." He informed giving an eerie grin. He paused continuing to stare at her. Jade could feel her legs trembling as though his eyes were sucking her soul out of her body. "You knew him, who was he to you?" he demanded to know.
As Jade came to realize the last moments of her life where near. She suddenly saw a viridian blade appear from behind Vaos. She enveloped the Sith in an embrace and fell back ignoring the jolting pain of his Cortosis armor smashing her against the floor. The green blade swiped past harmlessly cutting through air and exposed the Jedi Shadow. Vaos instantly rolled off of the Imperial who in his mind was either the stupidest creature he had ever come across or something else entirely.
Vaos had rolled to the side and sent his armored boot up at the Jedi who had fluidly reversed his blade to end him with a scorpion like sting. His boot kicked the Jedi's hands knocking the precision of his strike so the saber hit Vaos's shoulder plate and deflected down into the ground. Next came his other boot that slammed hard into the Jedi's jaw crushing bone, cartilage and shredding soft tissue. Vaos finished the Jedi by igniting two of his three blades, spinning himself onto his feet all while cutting the Jedi into pieces. Two other Jedi suddenly became visible through thin air as they ignited their own blades. "Vaos, by order of the Jedi Order you will surrender and submit to Republic law for your crimes or face execution."
Vaos didn't bother replying as he used the force to hurl the ignited blade of their comrade at the two Jedi. As each one deflected the spinning blade, he took the advantage and pressed them by hurling himself at the nearest Jedi and attacking her with all his fury. The female Jedi was immediately overwhelmed as Vaos came at her low, high and from the sides. He used her momentum against her, he used her defenses against her, he used her attacks against her. The only thing that kept her alive was the fact that she was doing a somewhat decent job of maintaining half an arm's length between her and her aggressor. Even when she tried to get into his swings he would try head butting her which she knew if he did would give him the perfect opportunity to end her.
Her companion, using the force to propel himself, ran up behind Vaos coming in for a killing blow in hopes to end the rampage before it began. However he hadn't been prepared for Vaos to actually cease his aggression on his companion completely and meet his force charge head on. Before the Jedi impacted against Vaos, Vaos had clipped one of his sabers to his belt allowing him to grab the Jedi's neck before sweeping the Jedi Shadow's legs out from under him. The Jedi still stunned at the extreme turnabout of events could barely hold his saber against the Sith's while he was being choked out against the floor.
The female Jedi had raced to the aid of her companion and was about to send her saber into Vaos's back when he elegantly dodged her thrust by letting her companion go and twisting to her side close enough that they were shoulder to shoulder. Vaos placed his own saber on top of hers while he locked his leg around hers then twisted around allowing his back to push against her back forcing her forward and tripping her due to their legs being entangled.
The Jedi clumsily fell to the floor on top of her comrade. "This was truly pathetic. Who did the Jedi send, the three most incompetent Jedi of the entire Order?" Vaos clipped his saber to his belt and called out for the fallen Jedi's viridian blade that instantly obeyed by coming to his hand. He then raised two fingers and eight black skinned pureblood Sith assassins revealed themselves by igniting red double-bladed lightsabers.
Vaos pulled his gauntlets tight on his hand before dismantling the viridian saber through the force and disrespectfully scattering the parts across the bridge. "Deal with them. If their shuttle has records of sending a message of our location to Republic territory, send their remains to Republic space. If not, throw their corpses out the airlock." Vaos ordered as he walked off the bridge followed closely by Jade who was speechless at all that had happened so quickly. "Commander Khar, you asked how I killed Quauhtli." He paused to face her briefly in the corridor. "I impaled him prior to decapitating him. He was weak and failed to find whatever weakness he had. The Sith cull weakness from our order by devouring those who once held tittles of power. His death was ironic in a way, he died much like those Jedi just did, never anticipating the true threat. It was Venna's saber that impaled him, but mine that killed him." He then turned on his heel and strode off leaving Jade nearly in tears with an inferno building within.
Vaos never bothered with insignificant acts of cruelty such as making someone cry. But in this rare instance, he needed to know the connection between her and Quauhtli because he could sense there was a lingering threat rising from the grave of Quauhtli. Causing a reaction from Commander Khar gave him a large piece of the puzzle. It informed him that Quauhtli was someone special to her, much more than a General she looked up to or admired. There was a fondness perhaps even a sense of love. But Quauhtli didn't seem like the kind of Sith to be tempted by the female form. Then again he didn't seem to be the one who would fall at the hands of a younger scrawny boy.
Venna grabbed the scroll she was studying previously and held it up to the dim red lights of her quarters. She was frantically almost fanatically switching between scrolls scrambling through the pages of the ancient manuscripts. Until her the doors to her chambers opened and Vaos walked in. Venna calmly set the scroll down and headed to the dining room. She was clothed in her night gown that exposed skin but its purpose was not to make a fashion statement or to allure. It gave her the ability to provide a false sense of vulnerability to any would be attacker while being able to use her swordsman skills to their full advantage without being hindered by heavy garb or armor.
"Hello my dear apprentice," she said walking into the dining room where Vaos had taken a knee in respect. "I heard what happened on the bridge are you alright?" she asked. Vaos was becoming uncomfortable because her behavior was very much out of character. "My Lord, is there something I can help you with? I have duties to attend to." He asked cautiously. "Yes, come here." Venna said signaling him to come to her room.
Vaos obeyed but entered slowly and remained at the doorway. "News of the intruder has reached my ears as I told you, do you know what went through my mind when it did?" "Blinding rage?" Vaos retorted. "It was a rhetorical question!" she snapped suddenly. "I wondered why my loyal apprentice whom I have diligently worked to develop didn't inform me the instant he learned about it himself. Now apprentice, what have you to say for yourself? That was not rhetorical."
"The trespassers were dealt with, it was unnecessary to burden you with inconsequential information." "And how many of these trespassers did you find?" "There were only three Master. All have perished in a failed assassination attempt. Our agents are going through their databanks on the ship to see if any messages of our location escaped. If that is the case ill deal with it." Venna nodded with a frown on her face. "You'll deal with it… So the fact that we're as an Order of the Sith nearly extinct didn't register as a serious threat to our survival that Jedi discovered our location?" Vaos gritted his teeth.
Venna turned around to her massive table with scrolls scattered all over it. "I've learned more from these ancient scrolls than I have ever learned under any instructor I have ever had." She stated simply before turning back around to her apprentice. She took a knife and cut open the palm of her hand. Aiming the gaping wound at her apprentice, the wound let out a sudden dark red flash of lightning that carved a path through the air before consuming Vaos.
Vaos screamed in agony as he fell to his knees, then to his hands using all his might to hold himself up off the floor. He could smell his skin starting to boil but realized it wasn't his skin, but his own blood. He felt this need to just crumple to the floor and allow the red lightning to cook him alive but instead he fought the urge and lashed out with the Darkside calling it to his aid. He pulled himself to his feet and held his head high while regaining control of himself and then stared at his master who couldn't help but have an expression of surprise on her face.
Venna couldn't believe it, she knew the Blood Lightning was easily one of her most powerful recent additions to her arsenal. The mere fact that Vaos had been able to hold himself from crumpling to the floor was enough to impress. His ability to stand and face her despite the fact his blood was literally boiling in confined specific non-lethal areas within his body was nothing short of the impossible. A chill went up her spine and the wound on her hand sealed itself shut. Letting the red lighting cease its chaotic twitching and burst into droplets of blood.
"You've obviously grown in strength." Venna noted quietly. A slight sensation of concern bit at her gut as she briefly wondered if now he was going to make his move. "Well, now that my secrets out, I might as well tell you. You're not the only one who can read the text of the ancient Sith." "Just because you can read some ancient piece of canvas and avoid crumpling on the floor doesn't mean you're my equal." Venna hissed. "Just ask and I'll be glad to give you a demonstration." Vaos grinned, "Challenge you? Oh no master I wouldn't dream of it, yet. But I would look a litter more closely at the scrolls that promise invulnerability." Vaos replied maintaining his sadist grin before bowing and excusing himself.
Venna had to stop herself from launching at him and giving him that demonstration right on the spot but now Vaos had become an unknown game piece. Though she truly didn't think he was near her abilities he certainly was scratching uncomfortably close…
Deva had the Imperial pilot land the shuttle in the middle of one of the few remaining forests of the planet. "Air lock has been unsealed, landing ramp is down." The pilots voice came over the com. Deva stood up and waited for her personal bodyguards to go first. As they did she drew her D-406 and shot both troopers in the back of their helmets dropping them instantly. She then turned around to the cockpit of the shuttle and stepped to the side allowing the wall to hide her presence. The two pilots rushed out with blasters drawn and she gunned them down just as easily.
After making a clean sweep of the shuttle which was second nature to her, she piled the four bodies at the top of landing ramp. Deva then removed her over coat before bending over to correct her pant leg cuff. She then stood up and slashed the neck open of the Sith assassin with the small 2in knife she had removed from her boot. She grabbed the covert agent by his shirt as he became visible and held his hand in check so he couldn't reach for his saber. She calmly watched the iris of his eyes expand to black orbs, a common occurrence in death of the human species, as he gurgled in his own blood and tried to scream which only came out in a shrill cry.
Deva then let his unconscious and soon to be dead corpse lay on the others with his head elevated so the blood could continue to drain. She then cut off a piece of the assassins robes and cleaned her hands of his blood. Before placing her overcoat back on. Deva then headed to the cockpit and brought the shuttle back to life. She flew low and over the nearest swamp where she put the shuttle into a hover and locked the controls to hold it in place. Then she ran back to the pile of bodies and pushed them all down the landing ramp and into the swamp making sure they hit the water. She didn't have to worry about them being discovered because the wildlife in the area would smell the blood of the assassin and come running as if ready for a free buffet.
Deva raised the landing ramp and sealed the airlock. Then took the shuttle over to where she would meet her contacts. Upon landing the shuttle in the new location she met up with the two Jedi that had faced Vaos. "I apologize for the loss of your fellow Jedi." She said to the two who were unwrapping their facial garb. "His sacrifice was not in vein as we have found an ally within our enemy's ranks." The male Jedi replied. When the female Jedi uncovered her face Deva was taken by surprise. Aren't you the Jedi I faced at Dromund Kaas when we…" Deva paused.
"Yes, when you assisted the traitor in killing my old mentor." Oomi replied. A silence began to permeate the air briefly. It wasn't filled with malice or a sense of awkwardness, but simply an acceptance. Deva accept that this Jedi was doing what she believed in, just as Deva was doing what she believed in at the time. It was impersonal and both parties accepted that. "So why now?" Oomi said finally breaking the silence as she drew her attention away from the sky.
Deva meditated briefly on her answer before responding. "I suppose I knew the Sith were evil and I accepted that. But the way they betray each other so easily for power is simply twisted. I'm a solder at heart of the Imperial Empire. I enjoy my job, but it requires a trust and you simply can't trust a Sith. I learned that, that day we faced each other. My husband was murdered by your traitor. I'm ready to do whatever is necessary to end their reign." Deva explained.
Deva pulled a data recorder from her pocket. "This has all their current plans for the future along with the designs that I have access to of that ship they're building. Please use the knowledge wisely." Oomi nodded and took the data recorder then headed into the shuttle with her companion.
Oomi stood at the top of the landing ramp as Ido went to cockpit and brought the shuttle to life. "Are you sure you don't want to come?" Oomi called out to Deva. "Positive, there are tasks here that I must do. Bring the cavalry Jedi before the cavalry no longer matters." Oomi nodded in understanding. She then headed to the cockpit and watched as they went around the massive structure in the sky then through the atmosphere.
The two Jedi's sat in silence while Ido worked the controls. Oomi couldn't understand how Vaos had become so powerful. She kept trying to recall how his skills in war were hammered out to a near flawless point. A cold shiver disturbed her body when she thought of the strength of his master who they hadn't even had the opportunity to face. Then she thought about Mastius and his grim fate and the sheer disrespect for the Jedi's lightsaber. Most Sith couldn't have cared less but Vaos seemed to want to torment them. "Oomi, why don't you go see if what the Imperial Captain told us about that data recorder is true." Ido said snapping Oomi out of her own thoughts. "Ofcourse," came her solemn reply.
1 week later on Coruscant
"The council has reviewed the information and has decided to, for the time being. Hold off on taking any action." One of the council members informed Oomi and Ido. "What? If you have truly seen the information on the data recorder then surely you must see the severity of the situation. We must take action now. Send all our fleets and wipe them out before they can continue further in their plans, please I beg the council." Oomi pleaded.
"Jedi Knight Oomi, the council has made its decision. We will hold off on taking action for now. The Republic is still recovering from the long war and the risk of starting another war of any kind is simply out of the question. Instead, you and Ido will be sent to the Corellia to assist the 232nd battalion in the restoration of order to the planet." Oomi felt like her heart had been ripped from her chest and stepped on. She shook her head, "no, this is insane. Master's please forgive me but I must voice my opinion. The power that these Sith have stumbled upon will come back to haunt us if not dealt with now. They're constructing an Intergalactic vessel. If it becomes functional and they leave this galaxy, who knows what havoc will ensue."
"Oomi, listen to what you're saying, an Intergalactic vessel? Never in the galaxies history has it been accomplished. Not even the Emperor with all his assets even try to create such a vessel or make such a journey." Jedi Master Py'ka explained trying to help the younger woman see reason. The two had been close friends ever since Oomi was a Padawan and had been taken under the wing of Jedi Knight Saysha Suna. Oomi paused to take in her friends words. "I will report to Corellia." Came Oomi's obedient reply as she bowed respectfully and excused herself.
At the dock Ido and Oomi stood beside each other waiting to board the next Republic transport to Corellia when Py'ka met up with them. "Hello my friend." The older Twi'lek woman said to Oomi as they embraced briefly. "Hello Master Py'ka." Oomi replied with a weak smile. As they disconnected from their embrace Oomi instantly noticed that everyone around them was frozen. "What… What is this?" Py'ka grinned. "Jedi Master's trade secret, I sensed the discussion was not settled for you." Master Py'ka continued.
"No, no it wasn't." Oomi said with irritation in her voice rising as she took a few steps away from Py'ka and braced herself. "Master these Sith we faced are just pure evil. They aren't like any other Sith we faced. We can't just let them go." Oomi explained. "What would you like us to do?" Py'ka asked listening carefully. "Send half of the entire Republic's naval force; pacify their planet and execute these Sith. I know that it's way beyond violent and far from the Jedi way but in this case just like the Emperor's death, it is necessary. If not a fleet send an elite team of Jedi led by the Hero of Tython and stop this threat."
Py'ka meditated on her answer before giving it to Oomi. "I sense that this is more than just the Sith. You have never dealt with the loss of Master Saysha have you Oomi?" Oomi froze and instantly tears began to streak down her face at the very name as she put her face in her palm to hide her pain. Py'ka walked over to Oomi and rubbed her back comfortingly. "I know I shouldn't feel like this, but… But I just can't help it. She was my mother, she was everything I looked up to in a Jedi. I miss her so much." She said clutching her hand. "The very fact that she was killed by the one whom she… she…" Oomi choked on her words.
"She loved like a son." Master Py'ka finished. "Yes." Oomi managed through her tears. "Dear Oomi, I know that us Jedi have this idea that emotions are something to be shunned and buried, but nevertheless we still have them. Does that mean you should beat yourself up over them? No, why didn't you ever come to me with this before?" "Because, I shouldn't even have gotten this attached to her. All living beings die eventually." "Look hun, the tenets of the Order are important for you to follow. But we aren't perfect; we're not supposed to be. Even if we were, what would perfection accomplish? Our diversity in strengths and weaknesses makes us united." Master Py'ka explained.
Oomi looked up at Py'ka, "then you have…" "Yes I too had a hard time when news of my friend's death came to me. I still miss her and all the masters of the Order can tell me that my emotions are wrong to have or that I need to work on my self-control. But In the end I will always have them. In all the logic of our Order, we let fear rule us when the topic comes to emotion. Now I agree, uncontrolled emotions can lead to the Darkside; our mortal enemy is ruled by emotion. But the Jedi take control a little too far at times."
"Now then, let's get you two on your way." Master Py'ka said with a kind smile. "Yes Master Py'ka and thank you for helping me." "I will always be there for you Oomi." With that the outer world came back to life. "Greetings Master Py'ka, how can we help you?" Ido asked just now able to greet the Jedi Master. "I just came down to say travel well and may the force be with you two."
Once the two younger Jedi had boarded the transport Oomi watched the Jedi Master on the landing platform get smaller and smaller. She was always impressed that a non-combat efficient Jedi Master such as Py'ka had the impeccable ability to effect one in ways a lightsaber could never do.