One month earlier...

It wasn't a great view from that balcony, overlooking the industrial powerhouse below. Smaller craft ranging from fighters like her own to Republic corvettes were flying through the network of aerial lanes every second. Above in orbit, the larger ships could be seen moving into an array of docks. Lantillies certainly wasn't a boring place to be, but it was far from actual excitement.

"Sorry to hear about your fighter."

Maarani glanced over her shoulder at the approaching Jedi. All the way from Alderaan just to brief her on the upcoming mission. The fact that her fighter had spontaneously burned itself out had somehow become the last thing on her mind. "I'm not. Fighter is no good when it starts to blow up before I've even left the hangar bay."

A sigh followed, after which she turned to lean back against the railing. "It's set off nightmares about getting stuck in those things, haven't had much sleep. And I was never any good at meditation." She reached her hand out to the arrival with the best smile she could make. "Maarani, though you probably know that."

"Elira." As she took the Twi'lek's hand, she could see the recognition in the young woman's eyes. "Yes, the same Elira who trained one of your brothers, and sister in succession. I felt it was time we talked face to face." A sinking feeling settled in as Maarani's hand fell away. About as cold a reception as she could get.

Maarani herself was already trying to hold back the bitterness that was welling up. Feelings that she had tried to bury years ago. "Well, we're face to face. After how long?" She bit down on her tongue, reminding herself that Elira wasn't to blame. It was still difficult to keep away from the sarcastic tone she often adopted. "You want to get it off your chest, or should I go first and say that I don't blame you?"

Despite the mental preparation she had put herself through, it was still a difficult moment for Elira. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. What happened was a horrific tragedy. More so for you more than any of the others affected by that day."

"Oh yes, hearing my entire family was killed is a horrific tragedy. So is being told that I'm not actually going to get any support from the Jedi that were supposed to protect them." Now that it was out, she couldn't hold back any longer. "Was it the decision of the Council to not tell me that my sister survived only to become a Sith?"

Elira leaned back off the railing as she felt Maarani's anger grow. In a way, it was somewhat fortunate that she had never developed force sensitivity like the rest of her family. "You were sixteen when we found out, a year and a half after the massacre. Our plan was to bring her back to the Jedi before Darth Lasidia corrupted her."

"Six years later, still not a word about how that's going, huh?" Maarani huffed and turned back around, gripping onto the railing very tightly. "Just tell me what this mission is so I can go and do it. No more trying to apologize for the past."

It took a bit for Elira to face the Twi'lek again. Asking for the assignment was proving to be a mistake. There was too much emotion between them. "In three days, we're making a massive counter-strike against the Sith forces. Where that's happening doesn't matter, because we'll be handling the real mission while they're occupied."

Maarani folded her arms at that. "A covert mission. You know I'm just an average pilot, there's others in my squadron alone who are better." The Jedi already knew that though. Playing dumb would get her the real reason as to why she was selected.

"This mission doesn't need a pilot."

That left the Twi'lek very confused. "What then? I really don't see what else I'm supposed to bring to this mission that anyone else couldn't. Even if it's simply a matter of my race."

Elira approached her at last, gently resting her hand on the woman's shoulder. "The Sith are looking for an artifact, and they have sent one of their apprentices to secure a clue to it's location." A faint smile began to form as Maarani finally turned her head. "I realize it's been far too long in the making, but there's a chance that this is the moment we can save your sister, if it is her."

She almost didn't believe it. The chances that everything had aligned just right were slim to none. But for the first time in a long while, she had a shred of hope to cling to.

"When do we leave?"

"This evening." Elira's hand slipped away from the Twi'lek's shoulder, moving to gently grip her hand instead. "Do you see why we waited now? The Sith have used family members as bait before, so we had to be sure they had lost interest in luring you to them." She glanced over the city one last time before beginning to move away again. "Let me know if there's anything I can do for you in the meantime."

By then, Maarani had already made a decision on just that. "There is, actually." She turned away from the balcony and reached down to the lower pocket, slowly drawing the lightsaber out. "When Kadano came home to visit, he began building it for me, so I wouldn't feel left out. He never finished it."

Elira carefully took hold of the unfinished lightsaber as it was passed to her. "He did mention that he was going to train you in how to wield them at some point." It was definitely similar to the design that Maarani's older siblings had constructed, though missing virtually all functioning parts. "After this, I'll try to arrange time to train you. I think we owe you that much. Just keep in mind that you won't be anywhere near as effective as a Jedi with the same level of training."

"I'm fine with that. For now, it's a heavy rod of metal that reminds me of what I've lost." Leaving it with Elira, she made her way back into the building itself. What few possessions she had were still in the travel case she had arrived with. "So, I assume we're headed to a remote planet, which means you did need a pilot after all."


Dark and pouring with rain wasn't how Maarani pictured the world they eventually arrived at. It wasn't listed on any official starmap, and required navigating through some particularly rough space to locate. Ideal for hiding things on.

"Sharp eyes. It's possible this place is crawling with old Sith traps."

"That's what you're here for, I've got no problem following." The rock beneath them so far was near black, only visible because of the rainfall giving it a reflective surface. What little plant life to be found around them was covered in thorns. "I can see why they must've liked this place back in the day though. Natural death trap without adding whatever else."

Elira glanced back at Maarani, barely able to see her now that they were both in dark clothing. "I wasn't kidding when I said they'd be crawling. There could be any number of creatures they mutated into sentries for this." Her head turned back towards the cave structure ahead of them. "On top of the mines and poisonous gas. They never were an original lot."

"Is this how you train all your padawans? Get them worked up and depressed only to uplift them a few seconds later? I'm waiting for the positive now." All she received in response was a handwave for her to follow. "Of course, there's nothing positive about the Sith."

As they approached the cave, the lightning storm above seemed to pick up in intensity. The actual strikes were landing some distance away. A good way to narrow down potential landing sites.

At the cave threshold, Elira stopped to begin examining the path ahead of them. Something wasn't right at all. "We should've seen at least one trap in action by now. Which means they've probably been deactivated, since there are no remains to be found." She drew her lightsaber and activated it, casting a blue glow over the cave ahead. The rock further in was dry, making it much harder to see the ground itself. "I was hoping to beat her here, force a confrontation with the clue in our possession."

"Perhaps we should work out what we're doing when we do confront her." Maarani bit down on her lip as Elira stood back up and looked at her. "If it is Masaka, then she's been with them for eight years. What if she's so indoctrinated that there's no way we can get her to come back with us?" The blaster hanging from her belt suddenly felt very heavy.

"She was just starting her training when they took her. As such, she won't have an innate knowledge of Jedi techniques. Like the methods that would allow me to render her unconscious without any real harm." She gripped Maarani's shoulder again to further reassure her. "If that fails, hit her with stun shots until she goes down. I won't let this end with harm coming to either of you."

Elira left it at that, proceeding into the cave. On the surface, she could feel echoes of the Sith who had carved into the planet. Now, they were whispers, dark and terrible in their speech. Often she would glance over her shoulder at Maarani, who was clearly growing more and more disturbed as they moved deeper in.

Roughly fifteen minutes in, she finally stopped and turned back to the Twi'lek. "Maarani, I think I know what the clue is. What it's contained in anyway. If Masaka is there, and she's opened it, we may be too late." The inhale she drew was shuddering, as she struggled with her growing fear and the evil surrounding them. "You don't have to come the rest of the way. I'll call for you."

Maarani took a deep gulp, already having trouble with holding her stomachs steady. "So much for reassurance." She glanced past Elira towards the next turn in the cave. They had to be close if she was bringing it up. "I'm seeing this through. If it's not Masaka, then you'll need someone to shoot him or her in the back."

Elira frowned a bit at that last statement. "That's not the sort of thing I like to hear, being honest."

"Against a Sith when I've got no Force or lightsaber to defend myself with. I'll live with it. Let's go." She drew her blaster at last, keeping it ready as Elira moved forward again. Whatever waited ahead would be faced together.

"Tsawak midwan woyunoks."

Elira froze again, her skin going pale. This time she didn't even glance back at Maarani. "That's Sith speech… We are too late."

Maarani grabbed onto her arm in a moment of desperation. A few shakes brought her out of the shock. "Doesn't mean we can't try. This is still on the Jedi to make right."

There was another pause before Elira moved forward again, now gripping her lightsaber tightly. "Then I suppose we can consider this the first lesson. This is the enemy we have fought against for so long."

Upon turning the next corner, both found themselves stepping into an aura of red light. The whispers were too loud to ignore now, filling the passageway with the ancient language. At the end of the passageway itself was a round room, in which a Twi'lek was kneeling away from them.

Any doubt had been rescinded. The markings on the lekku were unmistakably those of Masaka.

In that moment, Maarani glanced to Elira. Approval to approach was what she sought, and received with a nod.

Her blaster remained aimed steadily at Masaka's back as she cautiously stepped towards the room. "Masaka. Talk to me. Tell me you're still… you."

"Maarani…" There was a subtle head turn from the kneeling Twi'lek as she spoke her name. A glimmer of recognition. "The empty one." In a fluid movement, she stood up and twisted to face the intruders, gripping Maarani with the Force. Her eyes had turned a fiery red, and several scars had already begun to form over her face. They were spreading up towards her lekku.

Elira was quick to respond, reaching right into Masaka's mind while she was distracted. Almost immediately she was driven back out, something well beyond her supposed power. Her plan was quickly falling apart. "Masaka! The holocron will consume you!"

"I've already destroyed the personality contained within the holocron. Underestimating me, as always Elira." Her other hand lashed out towards the Jedi. The lightsaber on her belt detached itself and activated in the process, slashing through the air towards her.

Maarani could only hear the sound of clashing lightsabers, still suspended above the ground by her sister. There was little she could do but try to reach any remnant of the personality she knew. "Masaka, please…"

The distraction was brief. A momentary glance between the two, their own way of understanding each other.

It was enough for Elira to hurl Masaka back against the wall, grabbing her lightsaber before it fell. She barely had time to grab Maarani's hand and yank her out of the room before Masaka would recover.

Maarani was quick to start running once she regained control of her senses. Fear of what her sister had become was far stronger than anything else in her mind. "What's happened to her? The scars and the eyes aren't normal for Sith!"

"It's the holocron. She's absorbing the persona as well as knowledge of whatever Sith Lord created it." As they passed another corner, Elira stopped and pressed herself up against the wall. "She wouldn't have been able to open it without instructions from Darth Lasidia. And she wouldn't have it imprint itself onto an apprentice unless she knew Jedi were coming to destroy it."

A chilling cry came from deeper inside the caves, echoing around every surface around them.

Elira's head dipped as the truth came to her. "It's done. Masaka is gone." Her hand was trembling as she slowly passed Masaka's lightsaber to Maarani. "When she comes to attack me directly, you'll have to swing at neck height. We'll only have one chance at this, and I won't let you be the bait."

The weapon weighed very heavily on Maarani's hands as it was placed there. They arrived with the hope of saving what remained of her family, only for her to become her executioner. She wanted to believe it was something she wasn't capable of. That was another lie to herself. "Elira, you should know something…"

By then, Elira had stepped back out to face down the corridor, ready for what was coming. "Wait until it's done. Concentrate on the fact that we are releasing what remains of your sister from this torment."

Maarani's hands were sweaty before she even activated the lightsaber. There was little comfort to draw from the idea of ending Masaka's suffering. In a way, losing her in the massacre as well would have saved both of them a great deal of grief and pain.

Her hands began to shake, but not from the nervousness she was experiencing. "Elira, she's trying to take it!"

Elira's gaze was already fixated on the other side of the corridor. Masaka's body was staring back at her, arms slightly outstretched from her sides. The scars across her face and lekku were complete. Whatever the case, it wasn't Masaka's mind anymore. "Who are you, now?"

Masaka slowly formed a grin, raising her arms up. A red glow was emanating from her palms. "The key that opens destruction. You are not worthy of hearing my name." Her head snapped towards the corner where Maarani was hiding. "She will be, however."

Everything that happened in the next second was too fast for Maarani to process properly. The lightsaber wrested itself from her grip and flew out into the corridor. A black blur rushed past at the same moment, taking hold of the lightsaber as it did so. The blade itself seemed to pass right through Elira's own lightsaber, cutting cleanly through her neck.

She was slouched against the wall when her mind caught up, staring at Elira's shocked expression. Gone, just like that.

"Still feeling left out after eight years. I've done you a favour, sister. Stop following dreams that won't come true."

Maarani felt the anger growing as she watched the dark robes pass by her feet. Perhaps the choice made years ago had just saved her life. It certainly hadn't saved Elira's life though.

"Make me." She shoved herself towards Elira, reaching for the lightsaber in her lifeless hand. Before her fingertips even brushed the surface, she was hurled up against the wall and held there. Once again completely helpless, forced to watch as her sister revelled in the powers of the dark side.

"You don't have the right to hold that weapon. The Jedi will tell you as much when you return it to them." Masaka sneered at her before turning to leave. This time there was no haste in her step, as if there was any further need to demonstrate her confidence. Before moving out of sight, she paused one last time. "Tell the Jedi that Darth Lasidia will be the least of their problems soon enough. I do relish the idea of watching you all squirm in terror."


"I don't like this one bit."

Torbut glanced to Koor, almost bemused by the Zabrak's unusual moment of pessimism. "That's a first. What was it you said back on Metalorn?" His eyes returned to the view of Phaseera. The longing to be down in the oxygen-rich atmosphere had been present ever since their arrival.

"Misfortune is another word for sloppy work." She waved her hand at the Chiss in a dismissive manner before moving around to the lower level. From there, she approached the communications pit. "Exact count since Master Elira departed Lantillies for the designated coordinates."

"Time since departure set at exactly fifteen hours within the next few minutes."

Koor clenched her fist and turned back to Torbut above. "Time's up. If we don't extract Elira and that Twi'lek of hers now, the Sith definitely will."

"And what if they smash into us while we're travelling towards them? We cannot risk a rescue like this until we receive some sort of signal." Torbut sighed as he looked across the deck. None of the officers seemed ready to put forward any proposals. Whether it was due to a lack of ideas or fear of Koor was beyond him.

Koor herself was moving further up the bridge, looking like she was about ready to pounce through the forward windows and lead the rescue mission in person. To the relief of everyone, she settled for leaning back against the command railing and staring out at space. "At the very least we should have gone as well. We both have experience with Sith traps."

Again, Torbut found himself sighing, though this time he kept the exasperation down. "Sith traps that are more likely to activate if there is a strong light side presence. There is no use arguing about what is done anyway."

"Generals, tracking hyperspace corridor. Estimated arrival in ten seconds."

Koor immediately turned around to the leading officer, circling past the pit to see for herself. There was no mistaking the ship signature. "It seems you were right after all. Let us hope the mission was successful." She quickly made her way back up the steps, moving past Torbut on her way to the lift. "I'll meet them on the hangar deck."

To her surprise, she was promptly joined by Torbut in the lift. "I thought you didn't like being around all the shuttles and starfighters."

"You've been insisting I take more action. Besides, it's been a long time since I spoke with Maarani." He immediately noticed Koor's eyeroll at the mention of her name. That was definitely unlike her. "You still think asking her to help save her sister from the Sith was a mistake?"

"I think it was unwise to thrust this mission on her so abruptly, given her emotional nature. If she is to work with us, there should have been time to ensure she wouldn't prove to be a burden." Upon arriving at the hangar deck, she made her way out to the bustling space. Several of the flight deck crew were gathering around the landing zone as the shuttle closed in.

As it drew in closer, Koor's gaze narrowed. "I was right, something unfavourable happened. I don't see Elira, or a Sith." She increased her pace towards the landing deck, motioning to some of the nearby guards. "Bridge, has there been any contact from the shuttle since it came out of hyperspace?"

"No direct contact, General. Just the docking request and acknowledgement."

"Alright, remain alert." With a nod to Torbut, she approached the shuttle door, resting a hand on her lightsaber. "Weapons down, but don't holster them just yet." She glanced at the flight deck crew, who nodded once finished with securing the vessel. On that, she moved up to the shuttle itself and opened the door.

She was nearly knocked clean off her feet as Maarani shoved her way out, stumbling to the flight deck. About to approach, she backed off as she noticed the Twi'lek was starting to cough up blood. "Med team to hangar deck immediately!"

While Torbut moved to the young woman's side, Koor returned her attention to the shuttle. "There must be dark energies on that planet. Some time in a tank should-" Her jaw dropped a little in horror as she noticed Elira's head sitting on her lap in the co-pilot seat. The wound was definitely made by a lightsaber.

"You bastard! Get away from me!"

Koor rushed back to the shuttle door upon hearing the exclamation. Maarani had Elira's lightsaber in her grasp, pointing it directly at Torbut. The look on her face was nothing short of manic.

"Maarani, the Sith are gone. Just tell us where Elira is so we can help her." Torbut shot a glance at Koor as she reappeared, her expression telling him enough.

"She was decapitated with a lightsaber. No apprentice could do that, and certainly not one who lacks Force sensitivity." Koor stepped back down the shuttle ramp carefully, very subtly reaching into the Twi'lek's mind. "Maarani, you're going to turn off the lightsaber and tell us what happened."

Maarani turned to the Zabrak as she approached, waving the blade threateningly. "This happened!" Her other hand dived into her jacket pocket, yanking out the Sith holocron and holding it out for all to see.

At the same time, Torbut took the opportunity to back away from her. His attention was fixated on the holocron as he did so. "It's been opened, and downloaded… Did Elira-" The lightsaber was pointed back in his direction again before he could finish.

"Masaka killed Elira! Because we weren't prepared for fighting a Sith Lord!" The strain on her throat triggered another coughing spasm, bringing her to the deck again.

Koor wasted no time in pulling the lightsaber from her grasp, deactivating it as soon as it landed in her hand. "Maarani…" She looked over at the approaching med team, motioning towards the Twi'lek in front of her. "Attend to her first. We need a second unit for Elira's remains."

Torbut in the meantime wrested the dead holocron from Maarani's grasp. By that point she was coughing too heavily to actually notice. "Keep her sedated until we arrive. I don't want to imagine what she's been through."

While they carried her away, Koor approached Torbut at last. Her focus was now on the holocron in his hand. "Pre-Sith Wars, perhaps? Which means they could be after another superweapon, like I suspected."

"Older. I think we're looking at something from the early Sith Empire. Lasidia might not actually know who she just released back into the galaxy." Torbut finally tore his eyes away from the holocron. Without even realizing it, he had begun to peer deep into the fine details on its surface. Even dead, there was a sinister lure about it. "Someone get a containment box, quickly."

While that was being arranged, he turned back to Koor. "One of us will have to take this back to Coruscant. The other sees to Maarani's recovery, so she can tell us what happened." He ran a hand back through his dark hair. Neither task would be easy in the long term.

"You should go. While you offer Maarani the comfort of a familiar face, she will need strength to face this." Her eyes followed the Twi'lek as she was carried into the lift. The sedative seemed to be working for the time being at least. "I will get answers, and she will return to a stable condition in due course."

A guard arrived with the requested box, opening it towards Torbut. "Admiral's been notified of the situation, he wants to know if there's any change in the plan."

"Tell him I will be returning to the capital alone. Our patrol plan stands in my absence." Torbut took great care in lowering the holocron into the box. As it left his fingertips, a sense of relief washed over him. He could hear Koor sigh as it settled into place as well. "I want the fastest vessel we have ready to leave, as well as however many guards will fit in as well."

"Right away General."

Koor took hold of his arm before he moved to follow the guard. "Force be with you, Torbut. Safe journey." She released his arm and stepped back towards the shuttle, watching him head further out onto the deck. In the next few days, she had a hysterical Twi'lek, half a dozen battle drills, and a funeral to oversee. For once, she would have to pace things out.


A disturbance in the Force was an overused description, and in this case, a great understatement. The return of a horrific pain that pierced directly into the core of her being was more appropriate. Almost identical to the same pain she experienced when her left lekku was taken from her.

That was exactly what it was supposed to feel like.

Lasidia's eyes shot open to the crimson haze before her. Where there had been empty space, a red giant was now present. And yet, they had not moved from their previous location at all. "General, scan the area in front of my observation room. I am looking at a red giant…"

She didn't even need to hear his answer. It was a very powerful mind trick being put to work, one that worked on Sith Lords from across the stars. There was only one potential source. "Disregard that, General. Have the fleet assemble at coordinates I will designate myself." As she prepared to get up, the deck beneath turned cold well beyond that of ice. Another mind trick, though this one had somehow left her immobilized.

"Show yourself!"

"I have seen what the Sith were, and what the Sith are. One is a pathetic shadow of the other, and you are one of the prime examples."

Lasidia tore her fingers from the floor at last, breaking the illusion. The red giant vanished from her vision as well. For the moment, she was free of the influence. "If you seek to mock me, you are wasting your time."

"Oh, I am well aware of this. A self-proclaimed Sith Lord, the Togruta exile who lives in hatred of her kin for what they took from her head. Physical and emotional."

A cloud of darkness formed between Lasidia and the doorway into her room as she turned around. Both hands were quickly raised in preparation for what was about to emerge. "I took the lives of countless others well before I was declared Sith Lord. There is nothing self-proclaimed about this, ancient."

To her utter shock, it was not the ghostly form of an ancient Sith that emerged from the portal. Instead, it was a heavily scarred Twi'lek, now practically glowing with the power of the dark side. "Masaka… The holocron could not have done this!"

Masaka laughed as she approached Lasidia, hovering just above the ground. "Knowledge from the darkest minds of the ancient Sith. You sought it in search of a weapon, ignoring the raw potential that had been locked away along with your precious clue to its location."

"With that amount of knowledge comes a great amount of overconfidence, apprentice."

Lightning sprayed through the air right at the Twi'lek, though it did not emerge from Lasidia's fingertips. She fell to the ground in a rather undignified manner, a purple lightsaber hovering just over her neck.

Now free to move, Lasidia advanced towards her. "No, we will need her soon enough. Do you see now why I didn't send you, Kiarna?" She knelt down beside Masaka's form, placing a hand on the side of her head. Even while unconscious, her mental defences were truly fierce. "She has absorbed at least three personalities into her own. I did not expect a Twi'lek's mind to be so strong, but this has worked in our favour."

"I don't understand, master. She seemed completely uncontrollable. How is this development an advantage?" For once, Kiarna was genuinely afraid of touching a body, even an unconscious one. Shocking the Twi'lek down had taken a significant amount of effort on her part, not to mention what her master had to have endured as the distraction.

Lasidia herself was less hesitant, running her hand along Masaka's lekku to spread them out to either side. "We learn from our mistakes." She lifted a hand to pull her hood back, brushing over the stump where her own left lekku had once been. "Make the cuts swift, and exactly where I indicate. A hair over the mark could disintegrate too much brain matter."

She marked out the lines with her finger, leaving a light impression in the scarred flesh before standing up. "We will need them later, to ensure she remains loyal. The desire to have them back will be quite strong. This is something the Jedi among my people taught me."

Kiarna activated her lightsaber, though there was still some lingering hesitation. Incurring the wrath of whatever the Twi'lek apprentice had become wasn't something she wanted. But backing away from her master's instruction was unacceptable.

With two quick strikes, it was done.

It had caused only a single flash of pain for Lasidia, watching such a horrendous thing being done to another. And yet, this was for the safety of the entire galaxy, while her punishment had been for the 'safety' of her people alone. A truly selfish act on their part.

"Take the body down to the null chamber, and have the guards inform me when she wakes. The lekku are to be frozen in carbonite and brought back to me." As Kiarna moved to lift the body up into her arms, Lasidia placed a hand on her shoulder. "You could have let her kill me, rather than come to my rescue."

Kiarna's lips tightened briefly. The thought had occurred to her, but it was only momentary. "I still have much to learn from you. I would not have known how to subdue this creature if you were dead."

Lasidia managed to form the slightest of smiles at that. "You are a proud example of a Sith apprentice. I have every confidence that you will take your place as the new Sith Lord when the time has come." Her eyes moved to the Twi'lek at their feet, prompting a small scoff. "To think she actually believed that such an honour would be hers, even before I sent her on this mission."