Sarna had just been released from the Halls of Healing within the Jedi Temple on Coruscant with the reluctance of the head Jedi healer. The high council had summoned him the moment he was able to walk on his new prosthetic. He walked with an obvious limp and due to great pain but the last thing on his mind was his own pain. He was in great fear for Padawan Shamara the Nautolan padawan who had also been trained with him. Keekay claimed he wouldn't kill an unarmed opponent, but there were worse things than death. And he couldn't bear to imagine what his evil might do to his lovely Shamara. Sarna was desperate to get to her as fast as he could. He remembered seeing Keekay walking off to the control tower and despite Sarna's extreme pain it wasn't hard to connect the dots.
Unfortunately the Jedi Council had summoned him before he could sneak out. Now he was pushing open the doors to the council chambers. He walked to the center of the large room where all the Jedi High Council members sat waiting for him. "Hello Padawan Sarna, thank you for coming before us during your time of healing." Master Shan said appreciatively. "I live to serve masters." He replied. "We have received word that Padawan Keekay is the one who instigated all this. We need to know everything you know now." One of the Jedi Masters said quickly getting to the point. Sarna nodded and proceeded to explain the events how he saw them. From even the council's perspective he had portrayed himself as the venerable hero defending the innocent from a monster, but they sifted through the extravagant details.
"I must ask that I be allowed to track him down before he finds Jedi Knight Jaesa Willsaam." He said. "Do you know why he is after her?" Another of the Masters asked ignoring his request. "I'm afraid I do not master. He was just adamant to get to her, adamant enough that he drew his sabers and just attacked me." He explained leaving out the fact that he had ignited his own blade first. "Very well Padawan, you have done your duty to the best of your abilities and you need not worry about Jaesa and Padawan Shamara. We have two Jedi Knights already on their way there. All you need worry about is your recovery."
Sarna's irritation rose. He felt cheated, like he was being taken off of a serious case. He also felt as though he couldn't come to the rescue of his beloved Shamara. But he was swiftly reminded that his injury seriously diminished his capabilities. He had to walk with assistance because he had yet to get used to his prosthesis. He was grateful that there were two Jedi Knights en route anyhow. After he had been excused he returned to the Halls of Healing laid back down on the bed with assistance from a Jedi Healer and began to plot his revenge on Keekay.
Venna had been on too many worlds with an entirely snow covered surface during the war and had seen Sith and Jedi alike as well as soldiers and officers of both sides fall through sheets of ice that hung over a bottomless drop. There were also such things as underground lakes that if one fell into they could expect to freeze solid in under a minute. Sometimes the snow would simply be covering a deep concavity but look completely safe on the surface. The unfortunate soul to step on the soft lower layer that lightly filled the concavity would fall deep under the surface of snow and end up being buried alive with so many tons of ice atop them. They would then be abandoned because it would be an inadequate use of time and resources to find and rescue one man.
But she had learned during her time as a General, that there were methods to get around these obstacles. Though slow, it was best to disperse the weight of a convoy in one long line. But obviously this made the entire convoy a large and juicy target. She also preferred to put new recruits or troops whose loyalties she was not familiar with on point. In this case it was the second HK unit leading the way with her a meter in a half away, followed by her commander who was also dispersed with the same distance.
This was one thing about her HK units she loved. Not only could she advance their assassination skills by adding some of her own techniques to their programing in minutes, but droids were fearless and heartless. Despite the fact they were digging through four to five feet of snow the lead HK unit made no complaint or noise of irritation or hesitation in fear of its life. It simply trudged on, kicking and pushing heaps of snow away from its body creating a thin trench for Venna and her commander to follow.
It took more than a few hours for the trio to reach the entrance to the academy. Unlike the droids who were built to survive extremely harsh conditions. Venna was not, but it didn't mean she wasn't able to. Venna holding an officers rank of General and "spec ops" for simply being a Sith. Had undergone what every Imperial special forces unit had, survival training. By consciously forcing her muscles to contract rapidly or forcibly shivering, blood was pumping throughout her body at a continuous and steady rate. This provided her with added warmth underneath the armor that also assisted in maintaining safe body temperature. This allowed her to refrain from using the force to maintain warmth and wasting it when she had a feeling she would need it inside the academy.
As they walked to the blast door Venna reached out to the panel standing where she was a few feet away and began manipulating the internals until there was a low clanking noise from inside the door signaling that it had been unlocked. "Open the door." She ordered. The two HK units responded and grabbed notches in the door and began pulling with all their might only to be met with failure. "Obvious Statement: It would appear these meat bags have neglected maintenance of this facility, this door is solid ice!" The subordinate HK unit stated, looking at the HK commander.
Venna's lightsaber hovered in front of her igniting it then thrust it all the way through the door. Then with her finger guiding her saber through the force, she carved a door large enough for them to fit through. Afterwards her lightsaber deactivated and returned to her belt followed by the newly made door squealing as it was removed. "Full illumination, side by side formation." Venna ordered as she pointed to the subordinate HK unit signaling it to go first. Both units turned on their flashlights located on their repeating blasters as well as the lights on their head components and all three entered the Academy.
Keekay landed the freighter next to the vessel he had followed from the space port. They had traveled some distance away from the main city of Coruscant to a remote single hanger. His heart was pounding in his chest as he continued to try to strike down this woman in his mind. He had tried to imagine how to kill her in so many ways. Disconcertingly, the emotion invigorated him to hold the power of life and death for a criminal in his hands. He had done the same thing to some of the prisoners he supervised during his time in Ard squadron and got off lucky cause his master had stepped in and claimed that he had done it because the force knew what they were going to do and had worked through him. But that wasn't true; he had done it in anger. He had done it because he couldn't stand the crimes of that filth that was allowed to live. Or maybe it was because he secretly enjoyed the sensation of controlling another's life.
Keekay shook his head to free it from those thoughts. When the ship landed he ran down and out the boarding ramp where he saw the hooded figure that he suspected was his target. "Stop right there Jaesa Willsaam!" He yelled across the Hanger bay as they were about to walk out the door opposite the hanger bay vessel entrance. He suspected they had assumed he would have been defeated so they hadn't rushed to their destination, thus his ability to catch up to them. He hadn't been sure it was truly his target until she removed her hood revealing a mid-aged woman with chestnut hair that reached down her shoulders.
The two briefly paused and turned to face Keekay as he began to sprint towards them. The Nautolan female's bulbous black eyes went wider. An expression easily registered as anger, even to a human. He grinned, knowing full well that this teal and blue skinned squid head was Sarna's lover. He had no idea how that relationship could work because either way you looked at it the fishy species had the distinct odor of a fish when wet, at least to the nose of a human. However for a smelly fish Keekay had to admit this Nautolan was surprisingly gorgeous.
"You killed Sarna!" She screamed as tears began roll down her face; she activated her saber. "Yes I did, he was too stupid to realize he was outmatched, I suggest you don't make the same mistake." Keekay threatened. The Nautolan was about to give the white haired human a new face but Jaesa stopped her. "He did not kill Padawan Sarna." She said meekly. The Nautolan looked at Jaesa with a look of doubt mixed with hope. "He is in too much turmoil to kill a fellow Jedi." Jaesa said with a humble look as she stared straight into Keekay's eyes.
This unnerved him. "What are you supposed to be, some kind of seer?" He mocked in a pitiful verbal remark to break her piercing stare. "Not at all, I simply have walked that road you are going down. I know what it is like and I know what to expect." She stated. Keekay raised an eyebrow as if her words were ludicrous. "Whatever, Jaesa Willsaam, by order of my soon-to-be Master, I am here to execute you. I would suggest you surrender to your fate and make this easier on yourself, but I don't mind a fight." Keekay stated officially with venom underlying his words and a dark grin.
"You will not touch her while I am still alive you twisted-" The Nautolan hissed as she aimed her saber at Keekay. But Jaesa immediately pulled the Nautolan's arm down to her side. "Shamara, trust me." Jaesa stated with kind warmth to her voice. The Padawan stared at her confused but, with reluctance obeyed slowly. Then, with the older woman leading, the two knelt before Keekay to execute them. Keekay was stupefied; he didn't know how to respond. This threw his confusion into utter chaos. Part of him was saying kill them both, another was saying spare them, another part was saying just walk away. So many voices of himself were being echoed throughout his mind at one time.
Keekay ignited one saber and held it close to the side of Jaesa's head. He drew his saber up into a side slash position. His eyes were widening as if he was about to commit to the act. Then he swung hard but he stopped his blade at her cheek just barely singeing her cheek leaving a mark. The entire time however her eyes were closed with resigned content even when the saber blade was marking her. He deactivated his lightsaber and turned around clipping his saber to his belt before folding his arms and grabbed his chin. He clenched his teeth in deep thought; he hadn't realized that his "target" had gotten up behind him.
"Take this." She said as she unclipped her lightsaber and handed it to him. Keekay turned to face her and observed the unique design of the double-bladed lightsaber. He could tell it had seen to the death of many opponents through many years. "What is your name?" She asked. Keekay didn't speak still deciding whether to deprive this force sensitive of a symbol that represented her. After a few moments he reached out taking the saber from her. "I would suggest you disappear. For the next time I find you, I know that this individual who struggles with morality will be dead and who I truly am will execute you without remorse."
Jaesa gave a sad grin. "Death can only free me. Before you go, a warning young Padawan: or whatever you consider yourself. That poison inside you that is the Darkside, in the end will only take from you and you will be left with no one and nothing." Keekay's eyes went blank. "Then nothing will have changed, the Jedi have forsaken me, and the one person I had any love for is dead." He replied flatly then walked off. For the first time Jaesa's neutral expression broke by raising an eyebrow of curiosity as she and the Nautolan watched the young Echani walk away.
Keekay hadn't realized that Jaesa had signaled two Jedi Knights that had been nearby for some unknown time to stand down as well. But he strode past them anyway, got in his freighter and took off leaving a haunted image of himself in the hanger. He had her saber, and that was all that mattered, he could make up the rest of the execution. He did however know that a time would come when his inability to kill an unarmed opponent would come back to haunt him during his training. But right now, he just wanted to get away from Coruscant. The Lightside surrounding the planet nauseated him.
Venna and her two HK units had been walking down the Academy halls carefully observing everything closely. It had been quite impressive to say the least. That was at least, to a Sith Lord of her standing. Dried blood coated walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, doors, everything. It was as if an army had taken bucket loads of blood and thrown it randomly over everything smearing it and spreading it. Every once in a while the trio would come across some black and green intestines or organs that had been removed from their host body and sitting out for weeks.
Venna had taken note that most of the innards showed signs of forcible removal, teeth marks and tares mainly. "Theoretical diagnosis: It would appear, master. These meat bags have finally seen why droids are physically superior to soft organics. However, in the process of their realization they did not realize that metallic components rarely, if ever, integrate with organic tissue without proper medical procedures." The HK-51 Commander stated. Venna grinned under her mask, "Commander, if I didn't already know what this is I would agree. But either way, the instigator of this was a fool. A fool I'm sure that paid for his mistake with his life." She said stepping on some more rotten organs. If she wasn't already familiar with the smell of rotten and decomposing flesh, she may have gotten sick making the experience less enjoyable, thankfully she was bathing in memories of the battlefield she so enjoyed.
"Query: What else could have driven these meat bags to take these measures except the realization that droids are simply superior?" The subordinate unit asked. Venna's grin held under her mask at the simplistic thought process. She enjoyed the blunt arrogance of the HK series because it held nothing back. She wouldn't have bothered answering had it not been for security reasons. "Sith Alchemy droid," the two units looked at her. Though no expression was on their face they both had the same question in their electronic brains. "Skeptical statement: I find Sith Alchemy to simply be a form of hyperbole." "Oh really?" Venna said amused still leading the way through the dank, musky and eerie gloom of the blood stained halls.
Just as the droid was about to respond someone or something stepped with an audible limp into the hall. One thud of a heavy foot, another, then another. It was humanoid for sure, and it sounded like it was wearing some kind of boot. "Lights," Venna said calmly. She was more curious than anything to see what Sith Alchemy had achieved. The HK units aimed their gun lights in the area of the noise but their light revealed nothing.
"Statement: request further instruction." The Commander stated. They could still hear the unusual off-kilter stepping of the object. Venna decided to lead them down further into the halls to meet this unusual thing. As they neared the noise the lights from the droids began to reveal a regular Imperial trooper crouched over as if clutching his lower abdomen. Venna didn't say anything just waited for the trooper to turn around.
As it did, it was revealed that the face mask had been cracked open. Inside the helmet was the head of a disfigured human. His face was half gone with twigs of hair sticking out of his head. The skin was a sickly green and only one eye was half open, with a very low baggy eye socket. The eye moved around in a grotesque manner as if taking in the three. Its jaw was mostly bone and barely hanging on with sinew the only thing stopping it from dropping. It rocked unsteadily as if its legs could hardly hold itself up. Venna looked down and saw that its lower abdomen had been opened and it was holding in whatever few intestines it had left. Looking deeper into the creature she could see the inside of the skin still sticking to the bones of its lower spine.
It recoiled then let out a loud shriek that was cut short as the supposed organs that allowed it to make noise came up through what was left of its open throat. It then tried to spurt its black sludge at Venna's face mask. Venna held her hand up and the black pulp of what was most assuredly infectious dropped to the floor. "Dispose of this," she ordered. The HK units shot their target with multiple rounds but the rounds went through it like paper and did nothing. In response it lunged at the HK subordinate and began trying to bite the steel droid. The two fell to the ground as a struggle ensued. It kept snapping its jowls at the droid. The Droid grabbed its neck snapping it. But now it only snapped at the droid from a grotesque angle while what was left of its hands clawed at the droid.
The HK Commander shoved its hand through the lower back plate getting a firm grasp of the monstrosity's spine then grabbed hold of its neck. Lifting the thing, the Commander charged to the nearest wall while it squirmed and shook like a fish out of water then smashed it against the wall dragging it like a piece of chalk back and forth. Pieces of the creature flew everywhere as the HK Commander sanded the monstrosity into oblivion.
"You were saying something about Sith hyperbole Commander?" Venna grinned through her mask flicking a few pieces of sinew off her forearm plate. "Annoyed statement: Your pontification is not necessary, master." The Commander replied. As the two were speaking, a series of growls, heavy breathing and snarls along with the patting of feet began to grow. "Obvious statement: It would appear our presence is now known. Tactical proposal: perhaps we should withdraw to a less obvious area." The subordinate HK unit said.
Venna said nothing and walked away from the growing noises, scanning the walls and ceiling until she found it. It was an air vent that was tight but big enough to fit all of them one at a time. "Commander follow me." "Acknowledgement: You need only lead on, master." it replied in its usual bright tone.
Saysha walked into the center of the council chambers where she came to a stop beside Master Threnton who gave a bow of his head in acknowledgment. Saysha did the same and faced Master Shan. "How might I be of service, masters?" "Master Saysha, we have a situation that requires your special skills." "Whatever I may do to assist," the togruta weapons master said genuinely. "There was a recent assassination attempt on a Jedi Knight who is of great importance to the Order. There was only one guard who lost his leg defending the target of the attack. Everyone else managed to survive unharmed. We know that the assassin is a member of the Jedi order so be cautious. The coordinates of the attack are here on this datapad. You will be working with Master Threnton on this, this mission is high priority, it is also not well known that we have a renegade Jedi loose and the council wants to keep it that way. Find the assassin and bring him or her before us." Master Saysha gave a curt nod then the two weapons masters walked out to carry out the wishes of the Order.
Saysha and Threnton went down to the space port where the incident had taken place and began to gather evidence and statements. They spoke to dozens of supposed witnesses that despite the fact the event was long over with they had supposedly stayed there to give their side of events. Some statements were simply outrageous, others were more probable. It wasn't until they spoke to the two Jedi Security Officers that had responded to a call by the local police informing them that two Jedi's where having an "aggressive dispute," that they began to get somewhere.
Masters Saysha and Threnton went to the local police office and had them pull the vid feeds the police droids had captured. Saysha's mouth dropped when she saw Keekay sever his downed opponent's leg and she had to sit down. "Master Saysha, are you alright?" One of the security droids asked as it helped her into a seat. Saysha felt like she had been punched in the gut and her breath was caught in her throat. "No, I'm not alright, that is my apprentice!" She exclaimed breaking her self-discipline as she held her head in her hand. "Master Saysha, take heed that you are a Jedi Master and regain your composure." Threnton reminded. Saysha was having none of it. "Master Threnton, if you see one of your Padawans willfully attacking another Padawan and don't react in like manner in anyway, then tell me that." She said pointedly to him holding much more in that she let out. He bit back a harsh return, but he had to admit that it would affect him.
"Where did he go after the incident?" Saysha asked the droid sharply. "The control tower to the spaceport, he obtained the destination of this vessel." The droid explained as it handed her a datapad with coordinates. The two masters instantly recognized the coordinates as the rural Coruscant spaceport that was closest to the Jedi safe bunker, where those in protective custody were placed. They instantly made their way to the rural hanger bay. After they had landed they took two speeders and flew off to the bunkers location.
The bunker was a quarter of the size the Jedi Temple on Coruscant was and it was located in the lower levels of Coruscant on nearly the opposite side of the planet in regards to the Jedi temple. There were nearly 100 Jedi Guardians posted to protect the bunkers residence, all of whom where there because of their serious need of protection, along with a certain degree of importance to the Jedi or the Republic. Saysha and Threnton showed their credentials to the six Jedi Knights in full battle gear at the entrance. They bowed their heads with respect and explained how to get to Jaesa's quarters.
A visual of a young Nautolan appeared on the vidscreen that was linked to the interior of the door. "Credentials?" She asked being true to her duties as a guard. Saysha and Threnton flashed their credentials again. The Nautolan shut off the vidscreen and opened the door. "Master Jedi, I apologize for my suspicious nature but we only recently," "Were attack. We are aware of this and it is why we have come." Saysha said as she stepped passed the young female Nautolan. She entered into the dorm where she found a human woman that appeared to have been around her age at least in looks, meditating on the floor in a peaceful trance.
"I sincerely apologize for barging in like this but we are here on behalf of the Jedi High Council. We need to ask you a few questions." Saysha said trying to hide the desperation in her voice. The woman stood calmly to her feet and motioned for the two uninvited guests to sit down. "I'll make this easy; I'll tell you everything I would ask, were I in your position then you can ask what I miss. First, how he managed to find me despite the force cloak the Council had placed on me, I do not know. I do not know why he wanted me dead. However I don't believe he was acting alone and I suspect it has to do with a Sith that I knew in my previous life. How I survived, was because he chose not to kill me. He is still in the struggling phase so instead he took my lightsaber with my express permission. I know how the Sith respond to failure and I-" She explained.
Saysha raised her hand interrupting. "Struggling phase?" She asked. "I have an ability to see an individual's true nature be they of the Lightside or Darkside. He was in flux, even without my abilities, it was obvious in how he held himself. He didn't carry the arrogance of a Sith but neither the serenity of a controlled Jedi mind. I tried to explain what to expect with the Darkside, but he couldn't hear me in his current state of mind."
Saysha clung to each of her words and there was a brief pause in the air. "You said 'a Sith you knew in your previous life.' I don't desire to stick my nose where it does not belong, but do you know the name of this Sith? Maybe how to find him?" Jaesa stood up showing distress and anxiety in her face for the first time during the meeting. She embraced herself as if feeling a cold chill. "Vette, Quinn, Lt. Pierce and Broonmark, were old friends I once had become close to in my own way. I won't deny we did horrible things on behalf of our leader and… nevertheless, they deserved better than what she gave them." Jaesa mumbled to herself with obvious discomfort as she stared down into the alley way. She finally turned to face the two Jedi Masters with the Padawan guard also intrigued.
"I will not tell you anymore about her. I cannot let you or anyone else waist your lives, for that is all you would be doing if you went to seek her out." Saysha and Threnton raised an eyebrow at each other. "Ma'am apparently we may not look it, but the Jedi Order has sent us because we are considered to be the Orders top weapons masters of the current era." Threnton explained with his all-to-familiar self-assuredness. "Trust us, we will be able to defeat her. But in order for that to happen we need you to tell us all you know. Give us an edge. Give us anything." Saysha explained trying to reach out to the woman's compassion.
Jaesa gave a small sigh of submission. "Venna, her name is Venna. I was, involved with a Sith Lord commonly known amongst the Sith as 'The Emperors Wrath.' I know the Republic is aware of his exploits so I need not go into detail. Lord Venna came to him at one point on Dromund Kaas and warned him that he had grown weak and lax in his duties. She explained if he didn't dispose of the close connections he had established over the years with those he traveled with, she would cull him.
Of course like any Sith our arrogance blinded us and we simply laughed a dismissal at what we believed to be an empty threat that was all too familiar with Sith politics. A few days later she met us on a world that we had just executed a Sith Lord because of treachery. And for the first time we heard the similar last words of execution that we had spoken to so many other Sith including the one we had just executed. Then she attacked us.
Her skills were unlike anything we had ever faced. She was one motion throughout the entire duel. Flawless and graceful wasting nothing, yet able to force us to use movements we otherwise wouldn't use. Mistakes no experienced veteran would make. They were simple and subtle gestures that affected the entire output of the duel from both combatants but only she was taking an advantage from the effects she was forcing upon us. It was as if she had trained to learn all the flaws in every style, then had manipulated them into strengths, adding them to each style as a unique sequence. She made each style, in essence, flawless.
Venna ended the duel by impaling my… The Wrath, through the stomach in a fatal region but with a blow meant to make him suffer. I attacked her in response for her outrages disregard for loyalty to someone who had served the Empire with distinction, but she disarmed me as if I were nothing more than a mere Padawan and that gave me the suspicion that she had been toying with us, mainly me, because she had many opportunities to disarm me like she had done so. Afterwards she casually took a seat to watch and wait for his death to come. When the Wrath did eventually die, she simply tossed my saber on the ground and walked away. When I returned his body to our ship that was when I found the bodies of all the people I once considered, in my own way, friends." Jaesa explained, finishing her account.
She purposely left out the fact that she and her lover had shed tearful goodbyes as he died and that she had been left there with her lovers lifeless body in her arms as she cried over him. "So Master's, that is the experience I had with the great Lord Venna." Jaesa mocked, with obvious hatred in her tone. "Don't take offense if I'm a little skeptical. I hope it helped, now please leave I have had enough of this topic." The two Jedi Masters nodded understanding. "You have given us quiet a lot, we will not bother you any further. Again, we do apologize for forcing you to relive such events." Saysha said then the two Masters exited the residence.