It had suddenly become a very strange group. Kiarna's half-Mandalorian Jedi 'friend' was resting in the medical bay, the earlier removal of all the torture tools being a convenient development. In the right wing quarters, the silent Sith from the hospital bed next to her was meditating until her return. It hadn't taken long at all to work out she could only communicate telepathically, which initially had only given her the name Bellara.
Instead, she had decided to wait in the chair beside Carudan, still stuck with wearing the black attire until Jayden was transferred off her ship. However long that would take. "Is this going to be the pattern now? I go out and get into bad situations while you run back here and bail me out at the last moment?"
"Don't get into bad situations then." Carudan punched in the next set of hyperspace coordinates and left the ship to do the rest. "It seemed unlikely we would be the only ones who had an interest in this woman. But I must say I didn't expect the groups actually involved at all. You're certain that they were referring to Maarani as the 'One'?"
"The droids explicitly stated her name, and those grey people used female pronouns. Now unless there's something you're not telling me…" She noticed his head turn and quickly moved on. "I think it's pretty obvious that there's a lot more to this than any young Twi'lek should be involved in, knowingly or otherwise. I need to return to the Sith and consult with my master again. She will have a far better plan on what to do next. In the meantime, we let Jayden loose and wait for her to investigate the matter from inside the Jedi."
Carudan nodded as he leaned back into his chair again, watching the view ahead as they hurtled through space. "Do you really believe she will be able to obtain the information we need eventually? It seems unlikely that they would share the truth so readily with someone otherwise posted to the border areas."
"Jayden is the only Jedi to encounter the 'Following' that we know of, and will mention what was said to her superiors. Like it or not they will have to bring her up to speed, unless they actually have the gall to silence her. Something I doubt very much." Growing bored with the view, she turned and stood up, taking a moment to test her shoulder again. The soreness had subsided a little more, but was still vividly present. "I think it's about time I bring our other guest up to speed."
The comm relay lit up as she was making her way down to the main deck, though Carudan immediately noticed. About to respond, he was struck with hesitation as a message came through anyway.
"Shadow Hand, Darth Lasidia has issued an immediate recall. Please respond."
A few seconds passed.
"Shadow Hand, come in. Acknowledge you are receiving this transmission."
His hand drifted towards the cut-off switch.
"Kiarna, your mental link with Darth Lasidia has been severed. Whatever you are doing can wait."
He froze up, a feeling of concern starting to take hold. What little he knew of Force connections told him that breaking them was a truly monumental task. Maarani was obviously the cause in this case, but she had managed to do it within minutes of contact without either party apparently noticing.
After clasping his throat briefly, he finally opened up the audio link, imitating Kiarna's normal voice. "Shadow Hand here. I have 'recruited' a Jedi to seek out information from her brethren. Once she is deployed, I will return without delay." He closed the channel again to avoid further questions, leaning back once more with his usual sly smile.
On her way to the compartment where Bellara was waiting, Kiarna allowed her ethereal gaze to move further down to the medical bay. Jayden was still asleep, though had her lightsaber immediately at hand. Even after what they had been through she had no objection whatsoever to her continued caution. If anything, it was a prudent measure when Carudan was nearby.
Who is he, Shadow Hand?
Kiarna waited until she was in the room itself before responding.
An ancient being, in his words. He disposed of my pilot to take her place, do not trust anything he says for a moment. And do not let your thoughts betray any secrets.
She carefully stepped around the kneeling woman, soon adopting the same posture opposite her.
I was not aware we had an Umbaran among our ranks still. Less so one that lacks the ability to hear or speak. A fitting pair we make.
Bellara tilted her head slightly as she looked over the black mask and hood in front of her. Such a stark contrast to the white she normally wore.
You continue to hide your true identity from the Jedi, for reasons that escape me.
Kiarna kept herself from shrugging. The 'plan' was still unresolved, as she had no idea of how she could possibly get in touch with Jayden in future.
Yes, she will play an important role in the greater plans. We need a foothold on Mandalore. That is all you need to know.
Very well, Shadow Hand. I will not inquire on the matter further.
There was another period of silence, during which Kiarna observed Bellara's eyes. They were constantly moving, examining her appearance in detail. It was the sort of behaviour she had seen most often from Rak'Sakar. The observation of a calculating killer.
Answer me this, if you will. Why am I completely unaware of who you are, when I should know every single Sith in our forces?
Bellara looked directly at her mask, hints of red flaring across her violet irises.
I was one of Lord Rak'Sakar's many slaves until recently. What he tells Lord Lasidia and her Shadow Hand are not my concern.
It answered why she shared Rak'Sakar's mannerisms, and fuelled her growing suspicion. Getting the whole truth would have to wait until she had Lasidia's protection.
So you are apprentice to him, then? Or does he still think of you as a slave?
The red in her eyes flared out momentarily, opening to a tiny ring of fiery gold around the pupil. She was good at keeping her emotions hidden, but not her grasp of the dark Force.
I serve the Empire, my status does not matter.
Beneath the mask, a small smile came to Kiarna's lips. That was her way into undermining whatever scheme Rak'Sakar was beginning to form.
I will discuss this with Darth Lasidia, discreetly. You may find your status will matter to many others soon enough.
She stood up at last and moved to leave, though her gaze was still on the Umbaran's face. Watching for the power hunger that was key to being Sith. To slaves, it was either an unknown concept, or the only thing in existence they desired.
Judging from her change in expression, Bellara was one of the latter.
She was in the makeshift medbay within a minute. Carudan had been busy with making it less and less of a lab of pain, to her distaste. Jayden was sitting up on the main table, clutching around the skeletal limb now serving as a temporary right leg.
"Your husband is very generous, Giving me this so I can actually walk to a hospital on my own two feet, like a Mandalorian should." She looked over at Azera quizzically, still finding it odd that a Sith of all people was so relaxed in her presence. "So what's the plan you've cooked up now? Giving me a temporary leg only to shoot me right after doesn't seem practical. You can't exactly fly up to a Republic ship and drop me off with them either, though."
"There's plenty of neutral places to leave you off at. Mandalore itself for one, though it would be a large detour for us." A simple enough lie to conceal where the fleet was stationed. Judging by the reaction it got from Jayden, the lie had worked.
Jayden herself shifted her body up a little more despite the pain, running through possible locations that would be safe overall. "I think less time on the same ship would be better for everyone concerned. Arguing opposing views really doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, and it's pretty clear that you're happy where you are with the Sith."
Kiarna stepped into the room fully at that, motioning her hand at a nearby chair to bring it closer. "I lost my face to a Jedi, a very arrogant, self-fulfilled man. No amount of apologizing can undo the damage he did, because he believed Sith had to be destroyed, not redeemed. We all have our reasons for taking sides in this war."
Her smile only grew as she continued to watch Jayden's reaction. She had completely bought into her twisted version of the true story. At some point, she had clearly seen the same arrogance in the Jedi for herself.
"After everything Mandalore the Preserver did to help stop Darth Nihilus, there are still some who treat me with disdain because of my heritage." She tilted her head back up to stare at the void inside the hood before her. "They are few, and Master Sereti has worked hard to stamp it out altogether."
"Sereti also distrusts other Miraluka, as did Darth Lasidia before her apprentice came along. I may not like the White Terror as your kind call her, but she opened a door for me. Would I have been better under the distrustful eye of your Grand Master?" She coughed a little, reaching a hand up to her mask to further emphasise the effect. "I mean her ever-present gaze of course."
Jayden didn't say anything for a while. The risk of offending Azera to a point where her hospitality would end was too great. And she needed the peaceful Sith, not an angry one. "I think we are both people who have issues with first impressions. I've seen your courage in the face of death, and willingness to work together to overcome threats. That is enough for me."
"As a Jedi, or a Mandalorian?" Kiarna tilted her head downward, glancing at the lightsaber by Jayden's side. "Take this bit of information for what it is, a leak that might just cost my head. Mandalore is not in real danger from the Sith. The cost of taking it vastly outweighs the prize."
It caught her off guard at first, such a bold revelation would change the situation back home significantly. But her pride had to remain subdued in favour of precaution. "I suppose I'll rest slightly easier at night. Thank you, Azera."
"Don't thank me yet. I'm just putting a favour out there for later. What those people said about me, about being touched by a presence… I need to find out what they meant, because I'm not sure I like the sound of it."
"I understand completely. Personally I want to know how they knew exactly who we were at a glance. Between the two of us, they had half a face to go on."
Again, Kiarna tilted her head about, feigning concern as she stood back up at last. "Food processor is on the upper deck, help yourself. I've told Bellara to stay in her quarters until you're gone." As she stood up, she gripped the bed momentarily to leave behind a small communicator. One of the simplest ways to test if her suggestions had worked after all.
Being in her own room after so long brought a very liberating feeling. The few items it contained were arranged exactly as she needed them to be. It was far away from the engines, and had a nice view of whatever lay ahead.
A quiet place to focus her mind, and let her vision wander out amongst the stars. She knelt down at last, not as comfortable in the Sith robes as she was in her own white attire. It was a mild distraction that she easily overcame, easing into the meditative state.
You have been touched by her presence. The One we follow.
Her head tilted a little. It felt like she was actually hearing the voice, not just recalling the memory of it, especially since that was not exactly what had been said.
Azera of Dakkan. The dark Miraluka, touched by the Lady of Balance, and the Lord of Hunger…
For a moment, she could feel her eyes open, an impossibility given she didn't have any. And yet, she was now looking at events unfolding in front of her through sight of flesh, not of the Force.
A Jedi, and a Sith, standing over her. After a moment, she recognized the latter as her own master. The former was completely unfamiliar to her, the face obscured by her… blue hand?
As that vision faded, a far more disturbing one took its place. This time of herself, standing alone amongst fiery ruins. Two lines of red had been drawn on the mask, down from exactly where her eye sockets would be. In the left hand was a lightsaber, the handle unmistakably hers. The blade itself was a bright red, rather than her distinctive violet.
Her jaw went slack as a third manifested. 'Her' body was standing a few metres away, now in grey attire, and fighting Lasidia viciously. At some point, she would betray her master for some reason, rather than following through with her final wish for revenge against the Togruta.
She hadn't ever been allowed near her master's meditation room before. Then again, she was only thirteen. It was nearly impossible to go anywhere without being given a disdainful look, whether it was from the Imperial officers, older Sith, or the scaled man that made her spine freeze whenever he glared at her.
The door to the room itself looked even more imposing up close. Solid black, without a single scratch in the surface. Just standing in front of it, she could feel the cold brushing against her cheeks and lips.
They opened abruptly, startling her as the air hissed momentarily. The air that seeped from the room itself was surprisingly warm, considering how cold the door was.
"Enter, Azera."
Azera swallowed as she stepped through the threshold, flinching as she heard the door close behind her. In front, a dark figure was kneeling in front of the expansive windows, gazing out across the stars before them.
"Approach."
The young Miraluka immediately followed the instruction, nervously stepping towards the Dark Lord. She had only heard a few words from within the shadowy hood, the first of which had been telling her to leave after slapping her to the ground. A bit over a year ago, she had announced that an apprentice had been chosen.
"You have exceeded my expectations, apprentice. Embrace the pride that such high praise should bring. Take it, control it, use its power."
At that moment, Azera was feeling very little in the way of pride. She was still somewhat terrified of her master, and had been forbidden from speaking under the threat of death. Now it seemed she was unable to do as her master instructed, or explain why.
The terror grew again as laughter echoed around the room, sourced from her master. At any moment, she would watch her head roll back along the floor in the brief seconds before darkness set in.
"Pride has led to the downfall of the Sith countless times. It must be set aside if we are to remain strong." The dark figure stood up at last, towering over the Miraluka that was just over half her size.
"Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering. This is the path to the dark side, something the Sith have forgotten. Substituted with their own code that merely builds upon corrupted pride. Passion for strength, strength for power, power for victory, victory for freedom. A twisted lie."
At last she turned around, reaching up to her hood and pulling it back over her montrals. There was raw fear to be seen on Azera's face as she finally received her master. "Answer these, my apprentice. What are you afraid of? What are you angry about? What do you loathe?" She leaned down towards the Miraluka, her solitary lekku barely touching against the floor. "Who do you want to suffer?"
Again, Azera swallowed. After a year of silence, it wasn't easy to make herself form words at last. A few sputtering attempts followed before she cleared her throat and finally spoke clearly. "I fear you, my master. I feel anger for the teachings of light. I hate my family…" Her jaw began to shudder as her desperation grew. She had to answer the last question. "I want them to suffer. I want everyone to suffer. Pain makes me happy."
"Then, my apprentice, I shall give you the tools to inflict pain. To make your family suffer for driving the corrupt teachings of the Jedi into your head." A slight hint of a smile formed, about as much as she could manage. "You need not fear me any longer. In time, you will become the most powerful Sith Lord the galaxy has seen. Ruling it as Empress, with armies at your call, and billions of lives at your fingertips. Does this make you feel prideful, Azera?"
She shook her head.
"You are learning, my apprentice. I have spent many years learning the ways of the Sith, and I will teach the right ones to you." She stood upright and began walking around the observation room, her hand trailing through the air along the shafts of light projected along the walls. "When the times comes, I plan to go to my homeworld, Shili, and cut off the lekku from every single Togruta I can find. When they are all burning in a glorious blaze, you will end me, so that I will always remember the sight of my final revenge."
As she turned her head, she noticed that Azera had fallen to her knees, her hands clenched tightly against her sides. Fear had given way to doubt. "Do you know why you feel the allure of the dark side? I did not realize it when I first saw you, but you are of a generation of Miraluka touched by it. A very special generation."
She made her way over to the girl slowly, resting her red hand on the light strands of hair. "I have encountered others of your generation. None have learned to keep the darkness from driving them mad. And yet, you have full control over it. It was for this reason that I chose you after all."
Azera tilted her head slightly. Her gaze was already exploring out from the ship, taking in the sight of infinite stars surrounding them. All promised to her without a condition.
When she was finally drawn back to her own body, she lifted her head up to face her master properly. "Teach me, master. I want to know everything about the Force."
"It will take many years, and there are many tasks that must be fulfilled between now and your ascension." Lasidia circled around again, this time so she could kneel down in front of Azera. "One of them can be started now. Search the Force for a name. The name that will make you the Dark Lord of the Sith."
Both hands reached around her head carefully to the tie holding her blindfold in place. It came loose with a simple tug, dropping down to her shoulders without a sound. The blindfold itself had pressed marks into the outer edges of her eye sockets and across the bridge of her nose. Between the marks, the unblemished flesh that filled those empty sockets stared at her.
"You are the seer with no eyes. A healer who spreads death at her touch. The ruler who ensures she has nothing to rule. A living paradox of ideas; born to the light, enshrouded by the dark. The perfect balancing point of the Sith. Unrivalled malice, with an infinite thirst for blood."
The smile grew just a little more. "Prepare for the day I turn you loose on the Jedi."
"Done doing whatever it is you Force walkers do?"
Normally, Kiarna would have been very upset over being broken out of her meditative state. In this instance, she was quite relieved, if not confused. "You don't know what Force walkers are at all." Her vision was now her own again, allowing her to observe Carudan gripping her shoulder. "I experienced visions, not an unusual thing for Miraluka. However, these were very, vivid."
She turned her gaze to the view outside. They had arrived somewhere, though at a glance she did not recognize the configuration of the stars. "Did you have to make an emergency stop?"
"We're over Mandalore. You've been meditating for fourteen hours straight. Aren't you aware of the passing of time?"
"I should be." She stood up abruptly and twisted around towards him, taking hold of both his shoulders. "What colour is Maarani? I was looking through biological eyes in all three visions, and I saw a blue hand in the first. Twi'lek can sometimes be blue, right?"
"They can be many colours, and I've not seen her for myself." He was very far from dismissing her concern. If they had become linked somehow, sooner or later Kiarna would become a threat to himself, in presence alone. That particular concern had to be brushed aside for the moment. "How do you even know what blue is, though? If you can't perceive colour-"
"I've looked through the eyes of my master. She taught me what colours are. It's how I navigate the ship." Kiarna released her grip on him and moved past into the corridor outside, still trembling from the experience. "Let's get Jayden out and run for the fleet. If she bought into my story, we'll hear from her at some point in the near future."