Vestara had seen these One Sith in action, and she didn't know what to think.
To her surprise, there hadn't been much action. Whatever strange ships had been pulled into the Yuuzhan Vong fleet's gravity well, they belonged to one of the races native to the Unknown Regions. Their strange, insect-like mechanical drones swarmed over the Yuuzhan Vong fleet even after the gravity well was dropped, tearing open an entire frigate within the first few minutes of battle.
She had watched all of this from the bridge of Revenge, that strange Rakatan vessel. It took only a dozen beings to control it, and except for Darth Nether, none of them bore the red-and-black tattoos Vestara had assumed to be the symbol of these One Sith. Perhaps these other beings, drawn from a variety of species, were not Sith Lords at all, but merely their helpers. As she reached out with the Force, she felt Nether and Vidious shining more brightly with Dark Side energy than the rest of the crew.
Despite the initial shock of the attack, the Yuuzhan Vong fleet managed to outfight these strange vessels. However, just when it seemed the enemy was on the brink of annihilation, the first Yuuzhan Vong frigate winked out of existence as its dovin basals pulled it into hyperspace. Others promptly followed.
"I don't understand," she'd looked to Vidious. "They've almost won."
"This was to be a place of ambush," the Devaronian had shook his head. "We've no place to hide now."
A moment later, Nether had shouted a command to the Bith at the astrogation station, and Revenge had joined the rest of the fleet in hyperspace.
When Revenge returned to realspace, it was surrounded by twice as many Yuuzhan Vong vessels. It looked like a massive field of asteroids as it drifted just above the axis of a silvery ring of ice fragments slowly spinning over a cold blue gas giant.
Her first instinct was to think them cowards. What Sith ran from a fight, especially one they'd just about won? Of course, that had been her own people's philosophy and look where it had gotten them. These One Sith, whatever they were, had been made a different breed. They seemed to treasure secrecy, and picked their battles carefully. She found that, despite his different personality, Darth Nether's Force-persona was much like Vidious's; rather than hot anger it was marked by cold determination, a patient ruthless desire rather than a desperate hunger.
Darth Vidious did not try to justify their flight from battle. Perhaps he assumed Vestara would figure out their reasons on her own. Instead, he took her by the shoulder and said to her, "Come. We should show our find to Lord Wyyrlok. He should be most interested in hearing your story."
Since he didn't give her a choice, she followed without a word.
After another journey through dimly luminous corridors, watching the ancient ship's life-blood pulse beneath the skin of the walls and ceiling, Vidious brought her to another room not unlike the one where they had met Darth Nether. This one, however, contained a tall throne, carved from some black chitinous substance, beneath the pointed center of the ceiling. On it sat a figure in black robes. Two tall horns protruded from the top of its head, while two more hung from tentacles around his neck and rested against his chest. One of those horns was half-broken off, probably from some past battle. A Chagrian, Vestara thought. Like Nether and Vidious, his face was a curious pattern of black and red tattoos.
His head was bowed as if in meditation, and did not raise when Vestara and Vidious stepped into the room.
Vidious cleared his throat. "Lord Wyyrlok, I have returned from my mission to Yavin 4, and I have brought spoils."
Without lifting his head, the Sith on the throne rumbled, "Did you lead those aliens to us?"
"No, my Lord. Darth Nether believes that they were crossing through this space and were pulled in by the gravity well."
"This encounter was most unfortunate. The trap was sprung too early, and by the wrong prey."
"I am sure My Lord will find a new plan." Vidious hoisted the satchel with Naga Sadow's holocrons. "Perhaps these may be of assistance."
Wyyrlok looked up, finally. His eyes were a mix of red and gold, like that of most Sith, but these seemed to blaze across the room. He asked, "Have you attempted to access them yet?"
"I was waiting for you to have that honor, My Lord."
"Good." Wyyrlok grunted. He pushed himself off the throne and stepped carefully across the floor, trailing a pool of black-as-night robes behind him. He didn't even look at Vestara as he approached, and she frankly didn't mind. She could feel the power from this Chagrian, dormant but waiting to be unleashed. Yet still, she felt as though even Wyyrlok was just a dim star compared to the power she'd felt when arriving on Revenge. It had to be their mysterious leader, whoever or whatever he was.
Vidious seemed to treat Wyyrlok as leader in himself. He handed the satchel over to the Chagrian, and Wyyrlok fished through its contents. He pulled out one red pyramid and held it up to the light.
"Marvelous," he breathed. "You have done well, Lord Vidious."
"I had fine assistance," Vidious put a hand on Vestara's shoulder. "Lady Khai of Kesh was a great help."
"Kesh?" Wyyrlok looked at her, finally. She didn't need the Force to feel his disdain. "We have encountered a few of your people. They were... most foolish."
"Because they all got themselves killed fighting the Jedi?" she asked.
Wyyrlok raised one eyebrow, perhaps surprised by her bluntness. "Among other reasons."
"Well I'm not dead," Vestara put pride in her voice. It didn't take much effort; she saw the missteps her people had taken that had led to their destruction, and she knew changes had to be made. It was why she did not judge these One Sith for fleeing the battle. Unlike the Lost Tribe, these One Sith clearly had more important things to do than slaughter all challengers. They were playing a long game of some kind.
Wyylrock regarded her coolly with his hot red eyes. "And why did you survive when your people were wiped out, Lady Khai?"
She paused for a second, wondering what to tell this man to gain his approval. She knew very well that being found unworthy could mean her death. She also knew she stood before a Force-user more experienced and powerful than any one she'd ever met save Luke Skywalker. If she tried to lie or obfuscate, he would know.
She took a deep breath, held those terrible flame-red eyes, and told him everything.
-{}-
Her story took a long time to tell. She talked about her father, about apprenticeship to Lady Rhea, about the discovery of Ship. She talked about what her father and Lord Taalon had attempted in the Maw, and how she had come to travel with Luke and Ben Skywalker. She saw new fire in Wyyrlok's eyes when she mentioned that name. Knowing he could have sensed subterfuge, she admitted the feelings she had for Ben Skywalker, and detailed the lives she had taken in order to protect the young man whom she had loved. She talked about betraying the Jedi and the Lost Tribe both.
She tried to think of the last time she had ever told the truth to someone like this. Maybe she never had. What she didn't tell him was that she wished she could have unburdened this to a man she trusted instead of a man she feared.
But she had a feeling Wyyrlok sensed even that.
She didn't know how long she spoke for, but when she was done her mouth was dry and they throat was sore. She bowed her head to signal that she was finished and waited for some judgment to be passed on her.
Wyyrlok seemed to take forever to speak, but when he did he said, "You have a very unique tale, Vestara Khai."
"It has been a long journey, Lord Wyyrlok."
"And now you come to offer yourself to the One Sith?"
"I believe I have much to offer you, Mr Lord."
"How much do you understand of what we are doing?"
"Very little," she admitted. "But I am eager to learn."
Wyyrlok snorted. "There is much you do not know. Much you never shall."
Vestara felt icy fear in her gut. "I will serve you the best I can, Lord Wyyrlok."
"From what you have told me, you serve no one but yourself. You switch sides again and again to further your interests."
"Ambition is a Sith trait, Mr Lord." She was terrified of this man but had to show him, or try to show him, that she was not, because she knew fear would get her killed.
"Indeed it is. But the One Sith are not just any Sith. We also serve."
"Please explain to me, My Lord. I want to understand but I can't if you don't tell me."
A long silence lingered where Vestara didn't dare look up. She heard a deep rattling sound, and realized after a moment that Wyyrlok was chuckling.
"The One Sith are like none that have ever come before," Wyyrlok said. "We are guided by my Master's design. We serve it, above all else, even our own ambition. Can you do that, Lady Khai? Can you take your own ruthless need to survive and suppress it in the name of that design?"
"What is that design, My Lord?"
"The eradication of the Jedi and the dominance of the Sith over the entire galaxy, of course."
That seemed to be the only design any Sith ever had, and she was getting a little sick of it. "My Lord, the Lost Tribe had a similar goal."
"My Master has been planning this for the better part of a century. Now the Jedi are weak and the galaxy divided. Thanks to failed Sith like your Tribe and Darth Caedus, our time of ascension is at hand."
"Where do the Yuuzhan Vong fit into this, My Lord?"
"The Yuuzhan Vong sow chaos and destruction wherever they go. They are made for the Dark Side. A pity they cannot touch it, but if they did, I suspect the entire universe would be in flames." He sounded like a man contemplating a tasty meal. "They are too few in number to ravage the galaxy as they once did, but their very presence will help tear the Alliance apart. What they break, we shall remake in our image."
"Then what are you waiting for?" she asked. It came out ruder than she intended and she wondered if she'd just brought on her own death.
Instead Wyyrlok chuckled again. She hated that noise. He said, "We have spies everywhere. In addition to the renegade fleet we hunt, two more forces have entered the Unknown Regions searching for us. Aboard them are three Jedi, and not just any Jedi. Tahiri Veila, apprentice to Darth Caedus. Jaina Solo, the so-called Sword." He leaned in close. Vestara felt his rancid breath at the side of her face. "The third is Ben Skywalker. Tell me, Lady Khai, what would you do if you see him again?"
She fought back a shudder. Because she knew she couldn't lie, she said, "I don't know."
"At least you are... honest," Wyyrlok's low voice was almost a purr.
"My Lord, do we know where these fleets are?" Vidious asked. Vestara had almost forgotten he was there.
"We are hunting them now," Wyyrlok said. "Our Yuuzhan Vong allies are quite familiar with this region of space. They know all the best places to hide."
"What happens when you find them?" Vestara asked.
A red-and-black hand reached down and gently took her by the chin. Wyyrlok tilted her face upward so her eyes had no choice but to look into his.
"Vestara Khai, I think we shall find out together."