Imperial Vessel 'Chainbreaker', Bozhnee Sector, 12 ATC
Anshanai Kallvaros was resting in the pilots seat of the Chainbreaker, her pale eyes starring at the frozen surface of the planet they were approaching as if it could provide her with some reassurance that what she was about to do was anything but foolish.
Clack. Clack. Clack.
The sound broke through the complete silence that had reigned over the Fury-class Imperial interceptor before as the cortosis claws attached to her gloved fingers tapped anxiously on the armrest of her seat.
Usually the ships halls would have been filled with life and noise, but most of her crew had been left behind on Dromund Kaas or kept occupied with some task.
Nine Corellian Hells, she had even flown the Chainbreaker herself instead of letting Andronikos take care of it, as usual. She was…subpar at it. Then again, there hadnt been much of a chance to train that particular skill during her years in slavery.
The thought alone made the scars on her face and neck itch again.
It was necessary, she told herself for what felt like the hundreth time, every member of her crew had proven to be invaluable assets to her in one form or another and she was not gonna risk them. Not for a task like this with the outcome being completely unpredictable even if everything went perfectly. Additionally, most of them had warned her of what she was about to try when Anshanai had revealed her goal to them. Khem Val had even made his intention clear that, if not bound to obey her commands, he would have blocked the exit to her office with his massive body to protect her from her own foolishness. Well, she also was not about to drag others into such a gamble against their will.
Darth Occlus. That was the name given to her by Darth Marr after she stepped over Thanaton's broken body.
"In light of my inscrutable reputation…"
She reminisced.
The Rattataki could barely withold a soft chuckle. If word of what she intented to do here ever got out it would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt how accurate that description had been.
Well, she liked being mysterious. Still, this was beyond mysterious or excentric, some might consider it even mad.
Anshanai didnt need to hear the soft hiss emitted by the doors opening behind her to know she was no longer alone. His approach had been quiet, but not quiet enough.
"Are you sure you want to go through with this? We can still turn back if you want."
She turned her head at the sound of the low, soft voice.
Pandomus' slender, cat-like figure which might almost be considered delicate by male Rattataki standards was deceiving. He could be a deadly opponent if he wanted to, his raw potential and skill in the force rivalling hers. However, he had lacked any prior knowlegde of physical combat when their apprenticeships first began. Anshanai couldnt imagine him surviving in the fighting pits and without her he would have certaintly met a gruesome end on Korriban. Both of them were more than aware of that fact and it had been the first step to lead them to a point where she trusted her former fellow apprentice…her friend enough not to simply assume that this whole endevour was a trap to take her place.
"If I recall correctly this was your idea to begin with."
She replied drily with a raised brow.
The pair of vertical scars across Pandomus' mouth that seemed to mimick the two tattoed lines covering the pale skin around his eyes convulsed as he slightly pursed his lips in amusement before his expression got serious again.
"And I recall you being less than enthusiastic about it at first. Apart from the fact that you are the Dark Councillor, it was ultimately your body she wanted to steal and not mine, so its only fair you make the final decision."
He paused for a moment.
Anshanai had to admit to herself that this particular thought hadnt even crossed her mind. She snorted slightly.
"I was always the favourite, wasnt I."
She murmured, more to buy herself a few more moments as she glanced out the window again.
Thanks to the autopilot they were now steadily approaching Belsavis. By now she could see the few green areas on the surface. Pure chaos reigned there. Even now there was still bitter fighting as the imperial strike teams still held onto key areas on parts of the planet. Additionally, large parts of the prison population were still far from restrained and the Republic too occupied with other fronts of the war for them to regain control over airspace. But the imperials had gotten what they wanted as far as they were concerned and Anshanai would rather feed herself to a Sarlacc than tell the rest of the Dark Council why she required access to Belsavis. If what was buried in the dephts of the planet would remain a secret, that was fine with her. Rather sooner than later the remaining imperials would most likely be pulled out. But right now, slipping past republic scanners unnoticed was childs play for the Chainbreaker. It was now or never if she wanted to act.
If.
Did she really want this?
Her thoughts returned once more to the person that caused such a divide within her. Master. Teacher. Benefactor. Schemer. Betrayer.
On a purely logical side Darth Zash was still useful, even now. Her knowledge on Sith sorcery and alchemy was matched by few. Anshanai knew she was still potentially decades away from learning all the mysteries of the force that Zash had uncovered during her lifetime, if ever. Leaving all this knowledge locked away in a rakatan mind trap forever would be an incredible waste and ignoring a possible advantage over potential rivals that wanted the alien on the Dark Council gone. She needed to stay alive at all cost if she wanted her vision of a reformed Empire to ever become a reality. On the other hand, a Sith apprentice who had surpassed her master in rank and cast her down could only be described as incredibly naive to help her back on her feet. That or suffering from the aftermath of a major head injury, which is what she first suggested to have happened to Pandomus after he had originally brought up the idea. Especially considering Zash had tried to kill her once already and clearly desired the Dark Council seat Anshanai was currently occupying. Zash was dangerous. And it was foolish to rely on someone elses strengh, Anshanai had learned this lesson early on, especially when this someone had proven to be as helpful as she was treacherous.
Then again, apart from her final betrayal, Zash had always been kind to her, the first person with power over her to behave this way. Not all of this could have been a trick, Anshanai told herself. She had taught her and Pandomus what it meant to be Sith. She would have only needed one apprentice for her plans, yet she had listened to Anshanais pleas and had taken Pandomus as well, when no other Sith Lord would have. That she considered Anshanai an apprentice perfect enough to inhabit despite the social blowback of being an alien was almost flattery. Betrayal was the norm between Sith Lords and their apprentices, at least Zash had a semi-valid reason. Still, Anshanai wasnt an idiot, even if Zash might have spoken the truth when she told her that her and Pandomus had grown on her, that still didnt mean her old master would hesitate for a moment to betray both of them once more if she deemed it necessary. Or plotting her terrible revenge on them for locking her in the mind prison.
The choice between her and Khem had been easy, considering the latter had literally put himself into harms way to stop the former from taking over her body. This was quite different. It was taking a risk or playing it safe.
In the end the question was, did she believe Zash deserved her current state or, more importantly, did she want her to stay that way?
Anshanai had to admit that she felt no joy at the thought, no satifsfaction. Maybe at some early point of her journey she would have. Back when she had relished in every opportunity to prove that it was all the others who were now at her mercy and not the other way around. But she had grown past that Anshanai. The Councilor had to admit that even after her betrayal she had enjoyed Zashs presence while she had been trapped in Khem's body. Mostly because she was unable to harm her in that state. Still, her masters rage had waned over time and her occasional words of advice had been genuine. It had reminded her of home, of her fathers lessons when she had been a child. It had brought back images of her and her younger sister Kummara sitting on cold stone floor, father's voice echoing through the glistening cavern where his training had always taken place. Back before she had been taken.
She liked having the older Sith around.
She missed her teacher. She missed Zash.
A slight cough took her out of the moment.
She glanced up at Pandomus who had until now silently waited with his arms crossed behind his back. How long had she let him wait for an answer now?
She blinked irritatedly.
Oh force. Awkward. You lost focus again. Say something you idiot, anything…
It was taking a risk or playing it safe, she reminded herself. Well, she could not go on like this forever. In battle, hesitation was death. This was no different. She would have to face her fear or she would drive herself insane with doubts.
Anshanai took a deep breath and tried to smirk reassuringly.
"Well then, lets do something incredibly stupid and dangerous."
Her companion returned the smile.
"Just like old times then, ominous ancient ruins included. You go first my lord."
Anshanai ellbowed him in the ribs for that last comment but couldnt quite stop the chuckle from escaping her lips this time.
The cold hit Anshanai the moment she descended the ship's ramp. She had landed the 'Chainbreaker' some distance away from her destination where it would not easily be discovered. Even without any of her crew to protect it, the Rattataki was confident that 2V-R8 would take care of everything, including guard duty. The droid could complain all day that it was not designed for combat, it's latest modifications said otherwise.
She just got done wrapping a dark cloth around her head that only left her eyes visible when she spotted a transparent shape emitting a soft blue glow to her left.
Horak-muls gaze seemed to pierce her very core, death having restored the eye the ancient Sith lord had lost in life.
He had been the only Force ghost to remain when she had released all of them after her victory over Thanaton. They hadn't deserved being bound forever either, no matter their deeds in life. She would have helped them find some kind of peace, if she could have.
Too dark. Even now. The knowledge that she had been unable to help the spirits and that one day she might share their bleak existence sent a cold shiver down her spine, though she mentally quickly blamed it on the planets harsh climate.
"You have made a strange choice. A unique choice even. A foolish one perhaps but unique nonetheless."
The spirit stroked the once fleshy tendrils under his chin as his voice boomed through her mind.
"Try not to waste more time than necessary here though. This place reminds me too much of Hoth."
With that he was gone again, his presence replaced by another.
Behind her, Pandomus' robed figure was using the force to carefully float the pyramid shaped rakatan artefact through the air as he descended the ramp, a bag with force knew what slung over his shoulder. The egg-shaped helmet under his pointed cloak that protected him against the elements revealed nothing.
But Anshanai knew him better than that, she could sense his nervousness. Well, at least she was not alone.
"I'm going to go ahead and take care of anything that might reveal our presence."
She informed him and got a slight nod as an answer before his focus went back on not dropping the mind prison and damaging it beyond use.
Anshanai took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She recalled the teachings of her father when she had been little and which she had refined over the years. As a child she had never understood why those exercises that she and Kummara had to go through were so important. Why her father had lectured them about the technique having been critical to their familiy's survival for generations. It had all just been a fun game back then. Now, years after being torn away from her family, she understood.
Her breathing went slow and relaxed as she opened her mind to the living force.
Carefully, she wove herself a cloak in the Force that would hide herself from all overly curious eyes. That was the easy part. And then, far more delicately, she wove a second one. One that could make dark appear as light, light as dark or as it did right now could mask her presence in the force. One that would make it seem unimportant, not worthy of a second glance, a closer examination, in fact had there even been anything or had whoever might sense the presence just been mistaken? Probably just the latter. It was nothing. There was nothing but the force.
And just like that, the heir of the line of Kallig vanished from one moment to the next.
How long had it been now since her last visit? Months? Wandering the rakatan vaults brought back some less than savory memories for Anshanai. Still, at least her body wasnt actively desintigrating this time, which left some time for closer examination of her surroundings on her way to the center of the vault.
Convincing the mother-machine…Ashaa, she had a name Anshanai reminded herself, had been the easy part. Whetever her emotions were real or fake, she seemed to be grateful enough for her release not to do any 'trying to take over the galaxy-business' at least for the time being. The machine might be a danger, but Anshanai could never have left a slave chained.
"So you can help us? You can create a new body for a jailed mind?"
Anshanai asked cautiously as she pointed at the mind trap they had brought with them and which Pandomus was in the process of carefully moving into one of the machines chambers. The faces engraved on the side of the pyramid seemed to watch her since they had entered the vault, but that might just be her imagination.
The holo-projection nodded softly.
"Of course my child, I have not forgotten what you two have done for me. Recreating it will be a little more difficult than it was with you as I do not have a template for this body but…"
Pandomus held up a little data-stick which he had salvaged from one of Zashs secret labs and shoved it into one of the machines seemingly countless ports. As far as the Dark Councillor knew it contained numerous bio-scans her fomer master had performed on herself during her failed attempts to restore her withering body. Anshanai still wasnt sure how exactly her companion had located said secret facility in the first place, but the male Rattataki had always been better at such things than her. Although Anshanai too enjoyed following the call of new mysteries in the dark, she had always been most comfortable with the role of an assassin.
"Ah yes, I see. Please stand back."
Bolts of electricity hit the artefact in the chamber, forcing it open. Cell by cell, bit by bit something seemed to take shape, white smoke slowly rising around the device.
The councillor threw a worried glance at her companion, had her own 'treatment' by the machine looked like this? She had been kinda too busy with being in excrutiating pain to really take in the visuals back then. But the Sith Sorceror seemed unconcerned, as far as she could guess from his still masked face anyway.
Finally, the smoke seemed to clear.
"It is done. Go now, child and thank you once more."
Were the last words of Ashaa as her projected image vanished and the attention of the two Sith was pulled back to the machine's chamber as for the first time in weeks they could sense a familiar presence again.
There stood her former master Darth Zash, in the flesh once more, still a bit wobbly on her legs, taking in her new surroundings with visible confusion and in somewhat of a daze.
The younger, unbalanced Anshanai whose eyes had burned with molten spite and contempt at the galaxy would have likely relished at this sight of weakness.
"Its still not too late for us to break this final chain. You are still so weak, but it doesn't have to be this way."
Whispered a quiet alluring voice in the back of her mind as if her thoughts had opened a locked passage for it to slip through. She knew that voice and it certaintly wasn't Horak-mul's. It was her own and yet it was not.
"Finish it. Fulfill our true potential."
Anshanai forced the voice back into the dephts of her thoughts. It was the part of her that had clung the most to the intoxicating sense of power the Dark Side had filled her with when she had indulged in it during her early apprenticeship. A part of her that had become far too vocal and independent for her tastes after the ghosts had clawed and torn at Anshanais mind. She had thought that after Voss, after she had recognized both the light and dark inside her that the voice would slowly fade away. But Nox, as the voice called herself still lingered, just out of sight, always hoping that she would embrace her fully again. And she was as stubborn as the rest of Anshanai. It would seem mere acknowledgement was only the first step of mending this particular wound.
The heir of Kallig was pulled back into reality by the words of her companion.
"Master? Darth Zash, can you see us? Can you hear my voice?"
Pandomus asked gently as he removed his helmet. Somehow he had never lost the respectful tone with their master, even after she had tricked them. Then again, it hadnt been his hide on the line, had it?
Zashs half-mad gaze focused on them.
"You."
The young Sith had never heard as much contempt in a single word. Sparks of blue lightning seeming to glow in her former masters eyes, then concentrate in her hands, ready to launch at the both of them.
Only to slowly wane and then dissipate altogether as Darth Zash's poised posture shattered and she began muttering to no one in particular as her voice cracked and became hoarse.
"Is it still not enough to leave me in this emptyness to be left alone and forgotten? Now you mock me by swapping the void for giving me the false hope of seeing something else than grey mist? Whats next, torturing me with the false scent of a living world, or the feeling of sunlight on my skin maybe? Get on with it already, you cannot fool me. No more."
The last words were little more than a feral hiss.
Anshanai didnt know what had come over her as she approached the older Sith. She just wanted to put a hand on her shoulder to make her realize that what she saw was real. Instead, she felt herself pulling Zash into a careful embrace, as if holding her too tightly might make her new body shatter like glass. Luckily she had posessed the foresight to remove her clawed gloves before entering the vault.
Her former master blinked, confused.
"A…apprentice?"
She asked quietly, hesitant as if she dreaded the answer.
"Yes, its me Zash. You are no longer alone, we managed to get you a new body. How does it feel right now?"
"I feel…cold."
Her voice sounded surprised as she studied her own bare form.
Anshanai was suddenly very glad that most of her face, especially her cheeks, was still covered by her veil.
"Oh, um yeah, about that…I should have probably…"
Luckily at this moment Pandomus handed her a crimson robe for the reborn Sith lord, which explained the bag that he had brought with them.
It seemed at least one individual present knew what they were doing.
As she dressed herself, Zash glanced back at the mind trap still resting within in the chamber she had just stepped out of.
"How long was I…gone?"
"A few weeks. It took some time to prepare everything and to come to a decision."
Pandomus answered carefully.
"Only weeks? It felt like I was wandering the void for years."
Zashs face distorted to a slight grimace.
"My throat feels so…dry. I need to taste something."
Anshanai dared a soft smile.
"Not to worry master. I had Two-Vee put on a kettle of tea before we left, your favourite. Everything else can wait until we are back on the ship."
Wait, what had she just called her? Force dammed it, barely two minutes of Darth Zash restored to her original form and she was already falling back into old habits like the naive trusting acolythe she had started out as. Unacceptable. Teacher and advisor maybe, but she would not allow herself to be chained to a master, never again.
Anshanai eyed Zash intently as the blond Sith Lord took another sip from her cup and leaned back on the couch like it was hers. Considering they were currently in Anshanai's quarters on the Chainbreaker, this did not particularly increase her mood. But they were still hours from Dromund Kaas and leaving her former master unsupervised right away was out of the question.
The Sith Sorceress seemed to have regained her composure remarkably quickly and once more displayed a relaxed, smooth demeanor. It was almost as if nothing had happened since the last time that Anshanai had seen this face in her office on Dromund Kaas.
That face. For the first time it was truly what it appeared to be and not that blasted mask made of Sith sorcery that Zash had conjured to hide her bodies true state from them. The heir of Kallig still shivered at the memory of her dried up, corpse-like form seemingly kept alive through sheer force of will alone. Yet, as much as she discreetly studied it, the Councillor was unable to find even a tiny disparity between the face Zash had worn when she had first met her and her current one. Further still, nothing about her felt any different in the force either. To conjure such a perfect masquerade could prove invaluable.
Even now with all the ressources of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge at their disposal, Anshanai and Pandomus, who was currently brooding next to her, had so far been unable to accurately identify, yet alone recreate such a ritual. Then again, they had only been in charge of the Sphere for a few weeks, so that was not particularly suprising. She hadnt even redecorated Thanatons office yet.
Still. It was just one more reason they might still need Zash.
Her old master closed her eyes and let out a content sigh as she seemed to savour the tea's taste to the fullest.
"Ah, you cannot imagine just how much I've missed such simple pleasures my dear apprentices. Where were we? Oh yes, your rather curious actions. Lets start with an easy question shall we?"
"Would you have left me in this…twisted abomination of a contraption if your little expedition had proven unsuccesful?"
Her brown eyes narrowed slightly.
"Unlikely. My Plan B involved finding and or altering a Sith holocron for suitable and humane containment as well as creating a specialised droid unit as a chassis. However, that would have probably taken quite some time without a guarantee of success. It would have also only served as a temporary solution until we would have eventually found a suitable host-body and a ritual for transfer."
Pandomus replied with the calm confidence of a Sith who took great pleasure in extensively planning such unlikely alternative scheemes if it gave him an excuse to further study and experiment on more Sith artefacts. Anshanai sometimes feared that her friend would one day get himself into a similar dire state as Zashs old body if she wasnt there to prevent him from overindulging in his curiosity.
"Containment is it? You wound me apprentice."
Zash smiled as she placed a hand on her chest in mock-indignation but seemed rather pleased with the answer she received.
"Well then, lets get to the main issue, shall we…"
She leaned forward, cupping her chin in her hands as her tone got serious.
"Why? You allowed me to be pulled into that box to rot and now suddenly you change your minds."
The silence was palpable. Anshanai had to mentally refrain herself from tapping on her armchair for reassurance as the claws still attached to her gloves would have slashed open the cushion. How in all corellian hells was she going to explain her actions if she could barely give herself a fixed answer for more than a minute? Or worse only give an answer that made her seem weak in front of Zash. She decided to start with something that was not a lie, but not the whole truth either.
"I was not going to betray Khem, you should have known that Zash. That's why I did not intervene back then. But even so, even after everything that happened, you did not deserve such a fate."
Zash seemed skeptical.
"You could have simply destroyed the mind prison and put me out of my misery if that had been your intention, though I am glad you did not."
This time it was Pandomus who spoke.
"You are still useful Zash. There are few Sith alive with your knowledge on Sith alchemy and sorcery. An apprentice should only kill their master once they have learned all their secrets, you forced our hand long before that."
Anshanai almost let out a sigh of relief as her friend came to her rescue. His interjection gave her a few precious moments to think of a convincing lie, or at least distort her reasoning enough to not make her appear like a desperate child clinging to a mother figure.
"Oh please Pandomus. You were never a particularly avid example of Sith tradition. But I am willing to believe that a thirst for more knowledge was enough reason for you to free me. For someone of your origins you were always so eager to learn the secrets of the Force."
Zashs gaze shifted to rest on Anshanai who tried her best to make a stoic face. Her scars started to itch once more. She was certain she would not like where this was going...
"But it would not have been enough to convince you. Curious as you are, you always did have a somewhat vindictive tendency..."
Vindictive? Vindictive?!
From one second to the next scorching red fury was burning itself through her veins to fill out every fiber of her being.
Anshanai almost launched herself at her former master to kill her with her cortosis claws right then and there, no need to bother with the Force, this was personal.
"You tried to kill me and wear my body like a coat you double-crossing snake!"
She could feel Nox stirr inside her, but Anshanai did not care. She would not let the manipulative witch dismiss her so easily. She had every right to feel resentful, to feel betrayed!
Said witch only sighed.
"I did, but only to ensure my own survival. Even before that you genuinly managed to impress me and have only continued to do so since. But did I not always teach you to be the master of your anger, to channel it in order to strenghten you in critical moments and not to simply let it take control of you?"
Anshanai let out a sound more fitting for an angered Nexu. She would not let herself be lectured like the foolish apprentice who had blindly trusted her master. She had had her on her knees in the dark temple. If not for that blasted ritual...
"I have surpassed you Zash. And I have surpassed the need for this kind of lesson."
"And yet you dont protest when I continue to adress you with apprentice. Is it possible that the enigmatic Darth Occlus feels lost without her teacher?"
Her assumption was correct. And Anshanai hated that, hated that she was apparently this easy to read for her when her true intentions were such a mystery to most others she encountered.
"Maybe bringing you back was a mistake. Maybe I should just tear out your throat and resolve this once and for all."
Pandomus crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back. He didnt seem particularly thrilled at the prospect of their whole trip going to waste, nor their teacher being killed for good. But Anshanai knew that he understood how she felt. He would not intervene.
Zash smiled softly.
"I see my little vine kitten still has her claws. Maybe you should, but you won't. Am I wrong?"
"Do it."
Nox whispered in Anshanais mind.
"Do it and be done with it. Cut her out of your heart once and for all before you chain yourself to her again like a weak little acolyte. You cannot allow yourself to be weak if you want to survive on the Dark Council, never again."
A part of her, a very vocal part at that really wanted to kill Zash. Or at least to hurt her, to make her feel like she had felt. To make her understand.
But...had she not already done this by allowing her to be trapped in the mind-prison? Doing this had filled her with a sense of satisfaction...for about a day. After that there had just been cold emptiness where her many contradictory feelings for Zash had been until Pandomus had informed her of his plan. It had felt horrible.
She would not kill Zash. Not yet.
But she would make her understand just exactly what she had done. Why Anshanai had allowed her to be pulled into the mind prison. This time her former master could not simply evade her by slipping back into the dephts of Khem Val's psyche and only resurface when she needed her. She would have to listen.
Finally, she spoke.
"Do you have any idea what you did to me? I trusted you. You were the only one in years with power over me who showed me kindness instead of cruelty. You gave me praise for my successes and comfort when I was hurt. You showed me that there could be more to being Sith than I ever expected. When you handed me my first lightsaber I promised myself that I would make you proud. That I would never use it against you unlike all these scheeming sycophants I had seen on Dromund Kaas. When my ancestor Aloysius told me that you were planning to betray me, I told him that he was wrong. That you would never do such a thing. Because I truly wanted to believe that you were different."
Her voice gave out for a moment.
"Can you even imagine how much what you did hurt me? How it still does?"
Zash became very quiet for a moment and seemed to stare at something nobody else could see. When she finally answered she seemed tired and jaded.
"I do. Trust me Anshanai, I do. More than you might know."
Then she did something neither Anshanai nor Pandomus would have expected. She reached out and gently caressed the two Rattatakis' cheeks.
"I am sorry Anshanai. I am sorry that I hurt you. I will admit that I might have made the wrong choice. And I am sorry Pandomus. I am sorry that I forced you to choose between a friend who always stood up for you and a teacher who made you what you are now.
You are beautiful to me, my apprentices. You are my masterpiece. My perfect students. After all you achieved together it would be such a waste for us to destroy each other now."
Anshanai was gobsmacked. So much so that she didnt even flinch when she felt her former masters fingers on her skin. Zash had apologized and not in her usual dismissive way either. She seemed...honest about it. But was she really? Anshanai wasn't a fool, she knew that the Sith's words often dripped with poisoned honey. It had become so difficult to know just where the mask ended and where the real Zash began.
Unhindered, Zash continued.
"I dont expect either of you to forgive me and I wont promise that everything will go back to the way it was, because you deserve better than comfortable lies.
If that is what you want, I will leave and you will never hear from me again. But even after you locked me in that cursed device I am still willing to continue our...partnership. I will make my secrets, my knowlege and experience available to help you two with your little dream of reforming the Empire if you in turn help me get what I want. So far we can already cross 'Revenge on Thanaton' off that list. I might have actually trained you too well considering how quickly you managed that one."
It sounded enticing. Even if she might not be speaking entirely truthful and, as Anshanai had not overlooked, was being purposefully vague regarding her own desires. But even so…
"Dont. Dont you even think about..."
Nox' voice threatened but Anshanai pushed her back down. Nox' approach on this particular subject had little prospect of long term gain even if it might make her feel good for a time to indulge in her anger. And if there was anything Anshanai had learned since she had become a Sith, it was that long term gain was worth some personal sacrifices and potential risk.
"Keep telling yourself that coward. You are only dooming us."
Nox fading voice hissed with contempt.
Anshanai continued to ignore Nox, acknowledging her would only make that particular problem worse and she could not exhibit any doubt now.
Her own voice was calm yet firm when she spoke up.
"I wont forgive you. Im never gonna forgive you for what you did."
"But I am going to give this..."
She made a gesture encompassing the three of them,
"...another chance. A chance for you to prove that you mean it. But know that if you ever try to pull something like that again, I'm going to put an end to you."
"I expect nothing less."
Her former master said with a slight nod before she turned her gaze on Pandomus.
"And you?"
The male Rattataki, who had so far been rather sparing with words simply shrugged as he seemed to ponder his answer.
Anshanai knew from experience he could talk for hours about forgotten artefacts or the mysteries of the force but in situations like this he preferred to listen.
"All great Sith in history were keen to keep their masters around until they could be sure that they had learned all their secrets. Then they struck them down, a final stepping stone on their path to power. And sooner or later, all of them found themselves alone, without anyone around them to trust. Until finally, they themselves fell at least in part by treachery. Betrayal breeds betrayal. We can all agree that the Sith's biggest flaw is their refusal to learn from their mistakes. We need to be different."
When he was in his element people tended to hang to his lips and Anshanai could easily see why in moments like this.
"I for my part am more than willing to uphold this…alliance."
"Well spoken apprentice."
Zash's lips formed into a self-content, almost smug grin as she settled back to sprawl herself across Anshanais couch.
"Well then, first order of business, as far as I am aware I am officially still dead. That is an opportunity that we should take advantage of, no?"
A/N: Welcome to "A Shattered Legacy" and welcome to Anshanai Kallvaros, one of our three main protagonists and an absolute mess of a person.
You might find this story also on AO3. Yes, I am in fact the same author. I'm also posting the story here as I'm currently testing the pros and cons of both sites, writing fanfiction is still a new hobby for me. The other already published chapters will be uploaded on this site over the course of next week.
I hope you are looking forward to the adventures of the three Kallvaros sisters and I'm grateful for any and all feedback.