Stranger than setting foot on a world that had occupied her nightmares for years was just how uncomfortably not alone she felt. It was by all rights a dead world, desolate, devoid of life. And yet the feeling of being in the presence of others was strong.

As soon as she set foot on the dry, dusty surface, she turned around and waved her hand at the ship. The passenger ramp retracted back up, leaving the Vastes secure for her eventual departure. It would be hard to miss an entire starship when everything else was rocks, rubble and dust.

The mask felt colder than usual on her face when she set out along what had once been a well worn path, leaving the cracked plateau behind. It had started pulsing with energy from the moment she arrived in orbit, and was still doing so.

The only other thing she had with her, aside from her clothes of course, was the lightsaber clipped to her belt. It felt heavier than usual, dragging the right side of the belt down from her waist towards her hip.

Azera Vass of Dakkan.

She stopped right in her tracks, a few hundred metres from the ship by then. The voice was very soft, and yet sounded as if it was straining the whisper out. On the brink of being breathless, and yet still forming words coherently.

Hail to the Red Empress. Hail to the Supreme Ruler.

Her left hand went for her lightsaber, the right curling around in preparation to launch a lightning strike.

"You mock me, Nihilus. You mock me out of fear, fear that I will destroy you."

Hail to the Red Empress, and her dearest wife, the Grey Following.

Beneath the mask, she drew a sharp breath. As soon as she did, the echoes of more metallic breathing began to echo through her ears. Lower in pitch, heavier. A man's breathing, or the sound of someone struggling to.

"The Grey Following? That is not a title for an individual."

Hail to the Empress, and her many wives.

Kiarna forced in a heavier breath and pressed on, pulling her hand away from the lightsaber.

Hail to the Devouring Empress. Hail to the end of existence.

After some time, she began to catch sight of the ruined city she had felt the strongest presence in. The place most likely to contain the spectre of Darth Nihilus, and with any luck, the turning of her fate from an end she wanted to avoid above all else.

Hail to the White Healer. Saviour of the Republic.

Kiarna stopped again. The whispering had not changed in tone or inflection. Was it really taunting her? Was there a different motive?

Hail to Grand Master Vass the Exalted. Uniter of the Force.

The metallic breathing persisted on.

"I'm getting tired of this. Empty titles of futures that do not exist are of no interest to me!"

Hail to the Red… Em… Divine… Husband… Destroyer… Emper... Valiant…

As soon as the whisper began to stutter, the breathing in her ears started crackling. A sharp pain surged through her head, forcing her to one knee, and then the other, clutching at the rim of her mask in a desperate attempt to draw on what power it had left to protect herself.

Hail to Az… Zim… Zari… Kar… Nurr… Iz… El…

"Stop! Stop!"

A chilling wind began to pick up. Unseen hands with no form began to grasp at her. So many voices, so many lost souls.

It all vanished abruptly, save for the breathing that merely retreated back to a softer level. Her lightsaber did not feel as heavy, nor did her mask feel so cold.

She lifted her head up, and after a moment's hesitation, took the hand offered to her. The dust in her coat and on her knees slid away with a single gesture from the Lady of Balance.

"Four hundred and seventy three thousand people died here. All were gathered for one singular purpose, collectively scrying the infinite paths of destiny, seeking the answers of what lay ahead." When Kiarna was on her feet properly, the Lady turned the hold on her hand, gripping it in assuring way, reminding her that she had a physical presence. "None could see the end approaching."

Kiarna had to swallow before she felt she could speak. Despite being fully contained by the mask, her throat had gone dry.

"Possible futures? Why? Why am I hearing all of them?"

The black marking on the Lady's face began to glow. "The Force has chosen you as the Sith'ari, just as I chose Tegama as the Jed'nasa. The galaxy revolves around you both. The power to shape destiny is shared between you. What you hear is the lingering echoes of your people, all seeking to unveil the future, only your presence has redirected their enduring efforts."

In a typical display of Sith arrogance, Kiarna took it as a mere confirmation of her status, not as a significant revelation. "They now look to my future?"

The black marking lost its glow as the grey marking lit up. "It is not bound to either of you, not specifically. You may succeed here, or you may die here, your actions will continue to have an effect on the galaxy regardless. There will inevitably be a new leader of the Sith, but when, where, who, and why are all indeterminate. You must find focus, block out the infinite potential so that you can concentrate on your task here."

Kiarna just kept her head forward, little coming to mind that she could possibly say in regards to that 'guidance'.

"What exactly am I supposed to focus on? There is almost literally nothing here."

The Lady smiled in her typical way, the glow moving to the white marking at last. "Your people, and the Jedi who died here. You will only benefit from learning of their last hours, and allowing them to rest. You may even learn a great deal more about yourself, as the Sith'ari, and as Azera Vass."

With a small nod, Kiarna moved to continue on her path, only to stop again and twist her head back. "This seems awfully convenient. A trip through past events right before I face the battle that will see me remembered for the ages?"

With a tilt of her head, the Lady widened her smile. "Sometimes, we all need a little poetic influence."

Kiarna might have just rolled her eyes if she had any, instead choosing to continue on her way without further pause. The breathing was still going without interruption, and now that she was moving away from the Lady's physical presence, the whispering was starting to return as well.

Hail to Chaser, Queen of Coruscant.

She drew a breath through the various filters of the mask, and began to settle her mind.

"Infinite potential, one reality. Focus."

The metallic breathing slowed as hers did, still keeping out of pace however.

"...and it has been months since we last heard from Revan."

By then she had reached the ruins of a small building. Where there had once been a courtyard, presumably lined with various plants, two ghostly figures were now gazing out over the floodplains beyond. A man of average height, older by the look of it, the other a shorter being that she soon guessed was Vandar, based on the sound of his voice.

"Strange it is to have not had word from him, but also not unexpected. He did warn us that communication silence was inevitable, perhaps we simply misunderstood how soon it would happen."

Dorak hummed in agreement, reaching up to grab his beard in thought.

"Nevertheless, he should not have gone alone. And that droid does not count as suitable backup. We may be stretched thin for numbers, but if the threat is truly as great as he maintained…"

"We cannot ask others to join a mission where death is certain, but victory is anything but. And, if others went, Bastila would try to follow as well."

That made Dorak hum in a more disapproving tone. "I thought we were done discussing her. She has made her choice-"

"As have we. That does not mean we must be closed-minded in regards to her welfare, and that of her child. She has worked hard to maintain a level head in spite of the incredible turmoil being seperated from Revan forever means. You may look at her disapprovingly, but I do not. After all she has done for the Order, I at least would see her cared for in return."

Vandar looked ready to continue on when both figures looked towards the crumbled building as a third voice began to speak.

"Masters, we've just received word that Master Atris' ship has suffered a complete breakdown! They believe it will take several hours to repair at least!"

"Unfortunate, we will have to proceed without her then."

"That we will."

"Your tone concerns me, Master Dorak. Do you have doubts about the Conclave?"

Dorak looked down to Vandar, gazing for a few moments before ultimately remaining silent on his concern. "No. Come, they will now be waiting on us to arrive."

While the two figures made their way into the ruined building, and promptly vanished, Kiarna checked over the last of her nails before replacing her glove. Somewhere in the middle of the recollection, she had lost interest enough to seek out idle activities to keep occupied with.

"Typical Jedi arrogance. See a problem, dismiss it as nothing, die because of it."

When certain it was over, she started up the path again. Despite the bleak nature of everything around her, it was feeling easier than ever to see a lighter side to her situation.

"You know, surely I can keep out the future whispers while still being on the move. I'm not going to be stopping to watch ghosts chat away while doing battle with endless hunger incarnate."

"You could just keep walking."

Kiarna whipped around to the left. Once again, the Lady of Balance was there, only her presence was a lot fainter.

"Why appear like this again? Or are you-"

"Conserving energy by not adding the physical form?" She glanced down as Kiarna brushed her hand through her chest, phasing through her matterless appearance. "Yes, thank you for so aptly demonstrating it. Anything else you'd like to try?"

Kiarna's hand went right to her hip. "I can't say I've learned a whole lot from watching two dead men talk about Bastila, and demonstrating how idiotic one of them chose to be when warned about a clearly suspect move."

The Lady tilted her head with a slight pout of thought. "I suppose you learned to take warnings more seriously?"

"I'm not interested in learning more if I have to stop every time. Give me another way to concentrate, preferably one that will actually work in the heat of battle, please. Oh, and a way to block out the breathing in my ears would be nice."

When she returned to the path yet again, she was accompanied by the Lady that time, who seemed to float over it rather than taking actual steps.

"I assumed the voices would dissipate when the battle arrived, fear of the one who destroyed them would certainly put any of these lingering souls at bay. But it is not just a way to defeat Darth Nihilus that you will learn from the past."

"Oh, I suppose I will learn to have sympathy for the many many victims of the Sith. You clearly forget who you are talking to."

"The soulmate of a woman whose family you murdered."

That made Kiarna pause again. Her left hand began to clench up. The urge to reach for her lightsaber and lash out was there, despite the futility of trying to strike down a being that was not there. Or more importantly, one that apparently wielded powers far beyond her comprehension. And with that, the reminder that even she was scared of Darth Nihilus.

In that time, the Lady moved forward again, slowly turning to look right into that mask, hoping to peer beneath. "You're still considering killing Maarani. After all you've seen, all I've told you."

"Laying with Zimorr may have been a mistake, but it at least felt real to me in the moment. I'm still far from convinced that a Twi'lek woman is where my interest lie." She took an embittered step forward, bringing the mask within a breath of the Lady's face. "If a life of misery is what I will live as the Red Empress, I might just be ready to accept that fate. I will not throw away the throne of the Empire for any one person. Not after all I have had to achieve, all I've had to sacrifice!"

"And what if you didn't have to choose one or the other?"

Kiarna swallowed, for once completely at a loss as to how to answer. She didn't like being in that kind of position at all.

"As you said. I'm responsible for rounding up her family for execution. I blinded her mother, I boasted that the moment I learned who she was. There are some wounds you just can't heal."

At that, the Lady smiled, her white marking glowing once again.

"You are the Healer, Azera, just as Kiarna is the Sith'ari. There is no wound in existence you can't heal, if you choose to."

Whether it was simply because she had been too preoccupied to notice, or the Lady's protection was slowly wearing off, Kiarna had to shake her head at the sound of the whispers surfacing yet again, prompting her forward.

"Fixing Jayden's broken ribcage is a far cry from earning the forgiveness of a surviving victim of actions I don't exactly feel remorseful about."

Trust me. Trust in the Force. Let go.

"It will be easier than you think." The Lady followed on a bit longer, then gestured to the ruined city they were starting to move through. "Here is where it will all happen. It is where it began. And more importantly, you will learn a great deal about the one who is to assist you in this battle."

The thought of others being present concerned Kiarna. There were only a few coming to mind that could possibly match her in strength, and none of them she particularly wanted around. "Fine. I'll play along. But don't act surprised if I am upset afterwards that there was in fact nothing of worth to be learned from this after all."

"And don't be surprised when it turns out I was being perfectly honest."

After taking one more deep breath, Kiarna pushed on with her ascent, this time alone. The crumbling buildings were beginning to loom around, deathly still, and yet still bearing the presence of their long gone occupants.

Enemy ships! Ten! Twenty!

She reached a plaza that looked out over a valley that gradually sprawled out into rolling hills, more buildings lining either side of the starting inlet on various levels. While most of the ruins she had passed by showed signs of decay from lack of management, the ones before her were far more scattered. Blasted apart by weapons fire from orbit.

Identification code registered on the lead ship! The Ravager!?

The metallic breathing slowed again, replaced by screams and explosions. The local Miraluka populace and the Jedi preparing for a ground invasion that would never come.

Visas! Get down!

She heard the echo of a very close explosion while walking past a dust-filled crater in the path, moving more slowly now as she ascended towards the upper levels of the city.

No landing craft! What are they waiting for?

A horrible chill went through her body as she reached the upper level. For a few seconds, the ruins were no longer in decay, but actively burning. Bodies littered the paths around her, and those that were still standing had turned their head upwards, Miraluka and Jedi alike.

The screams that followed were snuffed out abruptly, without warning. All around, people simply dropped dead, their bodies, and later their clothes quickly crumbling away into dust. The plant life suffered a similar fate, collapsing into nothingness without any sign of a cause. No great plume of energy encompassing the planet, no spiralling tendrils of black clouds. Just the cold feeling of the dark side unleashed.

When she turned her head back to the path, where there had once been smouldering rubble was Visas, crawling up a pile of rubble. In the distance, she heard a ship landing, but the pitch of the sound was drastically off. It wasn't until she moved closer, looked at the movement of Visas that she realized it was a lapse of several minutes at least. An agonizing crawl towards whatever safety she could find.

Kiarna had to take a step back when a dark figure rose up at the top of the rubble. Straight from her nightmares, both in the depths of her meditation and waking, the spectral figure of her protector and simultaneously worst enemy.

Darth Nihilus.

Please… help…

His hand shot out in a reflex motion, causing Visas to gasp out before falling unconscious. The hand twisted, lifting her up off the ground until she was now hovering parallel in front of him, well within reach of the other hand that he moved up to her face.

The sound that followed set off Kiarna's gag reflex, enough to stumble to one knee while she tried to swallow it back. By the time she had looked back up, two mounds of flesh were sitting on his hand.

To her mild relief, he merely clenched his hand around them, reducing both to dust as well. With both hands free, he turned Visas' motionless form until she was resting in his arms, at which point he turned around and continued back the way he had come, his soon-to-be apprentice completely helpless.

"Come to serve a new master, Sith?"

Kiarna whipped around, her hand once again lashing towards her lightsaber.

Halfway down the path she had just come was another Miraluka woman. Most of her attire looked Jedi from what she could make of it, but what made her blood boil was the Luka Sene visor and shoulder guard proudly on display.

"Sereti Pala. You have no business being here Jedi! I am here to destroy Darth Nihilus! I want nothing to do with his wretched power!"

"Tell me another lie." Sereti had drawn her own lightsaber by then, and was ready at a moment's notice to activate it in defense. "Sith always lie. Sith also always crave power, it is the nature of the dark side. You will try to take what you can before he is destroyed altogether. You have no other reason to be here, when you have no interest in avenging your own people!"

Kiarna raised her own lightsaber in an offensive posture, but also held off on activating it. "My own people? Your kind are the ones butchering them! Drilling into their skulls! Cutting away the parts that make them unique! You have no right to judge me!"

Sereti remained steadfast, though her teeth were beginning to grind. "I knew it! I knew from the moment Tegama told us you were Miraluka that you had to be one of the corrupted! And now, either you are so desperate for power you seek to draw on the greatest threat the galaxy has ever known! Or…" Her grip on the lightsaber twisted, starting to shift into an offensive posture of her own. "Where are the others? The ones you've kept hidden. The ones Darth Nihilus wants to consume once he's done with you!"

At that moment, in a very strange impulse, Kiarna lowered her lightsaber, and even returned it to her belt.

"You're pathetic. The Grand Master of the Jedi, reduced to accusing the Sith'ari of being deluded into a trap by a Sith ghost. I have mastered control over the corruption. You've lost yourself to the obsession over it. Go away, and let me do what I came to do."

She had barely turned around when she heard a lightsaber ignition. As expected, there was now a blue glow behind her, right in front of Sereti.

"You actually think you're the Sith'ari? You have the guts to claim that while also claiming you aren't deluded? This will always be the folly of the Sith! This is why we can never trust your kind!"

With patience running thin at last, Kiarna redrew her lightsaber and activating it, turning back around to prepare for the inevitable blows.

"I didn't claim that title, I was bestowed it by the Lady of Balance. And you. You and I are not enemies because I am Sith and you are Jedi." She took a threatening step forward, closing the gap between them to mere metres. "We are enemies because I have a tumour in my brain and you still owe allegiance to a group that wants to lobotomize me because of it!"

"Ladies, before we come to blows..."

Both Kiarna and Sereti redirected their attention to a rise above them, the last remains of a conservatory that had once extended out over the path a bit. Standing there was yet another woman, wearing a wrap-around dress tied at the waist, and a pair of black tinted goggles. Her hair was still a wild mess.

Sereti nearly dropped her lightsaber in shock, her hand beginning to shake quite a bit.

"Visas? How…"

Kiarna on the other hand remained quite calm. After what she had seen, and the Lady had mentioned, her assumption on who was to actually aid her was proven right at last. She deactivated her lightsaber as well, but kept it in hand that time.

In a graceful movement, Visas leapt from the rise to the top of the ridge where the rubble pile led towards, standing just to the left of where Kiarna had seen Darth Nihilus.

"It's good to see you again Sereti. I've come to see the end of my former master at long last." While she had a smile for Sereti, it faded quickly when she turned to Kiarna. "You are not meant to be here however. The vision was clear. A Miraluka of light, dark and grey each. Sereti Pala, Azera Vass, and myself. Where is she, Kiarna?"

Kiarna's grip on her lightsaber tightened. "Far from here. She-"

"Visas, answer me!" Sereti physically barged past Kiarna, clambering up the slope until she had reached the ridge and was able to confront Visas directly. "I saw the lightsaber strike you! I saw you go down in the confusion! How by the grace of the gods are you now standing here, alive and apparently well enough to fight the manifestation of endless hunger!?"

Visas' hand went to her forehead, rubbing over the lightsaber scar beneath her goggles while sighing with a hint of frustration.

"Sereti, I've had to do some unpleasant things since that day, I had to distance myself from the Jedi until this moment. And it really isn't the time to discuss such matters when-"

"Don't change the subject! Twenty four years! Twenty four years we've known each other! Do you know what I've been through in your absence? What I've had to do to keep the Jedi from falling apart!"

A weakness had begun to creep into Sereti's voice, something that Kiarna noted while she idly climbed up to the ridge as well amidst the dramatic outpouring.

"Sereti, we can-"

"I grieved for you! I grieved when no-one else was near! I had to convince everyone else you had simply decided to wander the galaxy in isolation, while I was convinced right down to my heart you were dead! And then you just show up and act as if six years of grieving is meaningless!"

Kiarna remained quiet as she turned her attention away from the pair to a spot further ahead on the plateau. Approaching at great speed was a dark figure, and as it came into view, she could make out the shape of a mask on its face. The time of battle had come at last.

"Visas. About Azera Vass…"

"I told you, I had to be completely removed from the Jedi to do a lot of the things I felt were necessary to prepare for Darth Nihilus' return. Do you know just how morally straining it is to prepare five individuals to become Force Wounds solely so they can actually fight that monstrosity?"

As Darth Nihilus drew closer, Kiarna felt her mask growing cold again, while the metallic breathing picked up once more. The absence of further past voices had gone unnoticed thanks to her argument with Sereti, but now it was confirmation of the Lady's assumptions.

"You could have consulted me! I would have taken any secret of yours to the grave, you know that! Any burden of yours is mine to bear as well, you shouldn't have left me out like that!"

Kiarna ignited her lightsaber at last, raising it once again against the approaching spectre.

"He's here. And for the record, Azera Vass made it to this fight after all."

The shock of that revelation to both Visas, and Sereti especially was cut short by the chilling wave that passed over all three. Now close enough to make out properly, the previously long dead Sith Lord had taken enough of a physical form to exist as a plain figure beneath the mask and ghostly robes. A long sword of raw dark energy manifested in his hand, the other remaining ready to strike.

The other two Miraluka drew their lightsabers at last, standing defensively beside Kiarna as she tried very hard to remain calm.

"So, Visas, since you've helped kill him once before, any suggestions?"

Nihilus raised his free hand towards the three at that moment.

Ru wred pikar'ik, shra'laa.

"And he could be talking about either one of us, seeing as I was supposed to be his new host and decided not to accept."

Visas nodded to Sereti, who began to very slowly circle around to the left. "Somehow I doubt he wants to damage the body he wants to inhabit. And as you said, I did fight him to the death once before."

Qorit! Plag derriph'i'ari wred vex'ik!

Nihilus changed position in an instant, his hand now stretched out directly towards Sereti. A searing orange beam of lightning leapt out, striking her directly in the chest. An otherworldly growl began to echo as he sapped the life from her screaming form, until she collapsed to the ground. Not dead, but close enough to be completely out of the fight until he was ready to finish her.

Quick to react, Visas saw it for the distraction it was, and leapt right for Nihilus instead.

Just as quickly, he changed back to his previous position, this time with the shadow blade ready to block her lightsaber blow.

"If you are indeed Azera, heal her! I need her more than I need you right now!"

As lightsaber began to clash against shadow blade in heavy strikes, Kiarna looked between the pair and Sereti, weighing up her options. If Visas truly was required in order to defeat Nihilus, then ultimately, she had to keep her on side.

"Damn you Jedi for this."

She dashed over to Sereti's side, resting a hand on the scorch mark on her chest. There was very little breathing from her, seemingly countered by the increasingly loud metallic breathing now actively ringing in her ears.

"I expect gratitude for this, Sereti. I restore your life, and you stop hunting me down."

Even with the healing energy flowing into her body, Sereti was too weak to even murmur an answer.

"I do wonder why he picked her."

Kiarna cursed under her breath when the Lady materialized again, standing beside her.

"Whatever do you mean now?"

"Visas. I wonder why he chose to spare her. She believes I saved her from the Devouring, but the power to do that is far beyond my capability even at this time. Darth Nihilus spared her, and I haven't a clue why."

After lifting her hand away briefly to check the physical wound, Kiarna placed it back down to continue. The worst of the damage had been curtailed at least.

"Quite frankly I don't care about his motivations, he's made them clear enough to me. How do I destroy him permanently?"

The Lady tilted her head as she watched the duel between dead master and former apprentice continue on, Visas pulling out all the stops to counter Nihilus' incredible agility as a semi-spectral being.

"Well, the actual act is simple enough. Getting there is a matter of breaking his will before he breaks yours. You'll have to act quickly though, Visas is about to make a fatal mistake that will see him grow in power beyond what you can handle."

Kiarna stood up on the spot almost immediately, leaving Sereti with enough healing energy to recover on her own. Her stance was entirely fixed on the Lady.

"You only tell me this now?"

"She was right in that you have to keep Sereti alive, I didn't want you stopping before it was time." The Lady gestured to the duel again, waiting for Kiarna to focus her attention there before continuing. "She is about to open herself up to him, and attempt to kill herself. As soon as that occurs, the others will sacrifice themselves as well, drawing Nihilus into what she believes will be a crippling Wound that will allow you and Sereti to destroy him. Nihilus will stop her before that, consume her fully, and come for you next. You need to stop her before that-"

Visas had deflected another crushing blow with precision, readying to attempt a strike at his form when a lightning blast struck her in the side, sending her tumbling across the plateau away from the duel. It didn't take long at all to trace the source back to Kiarna.

"What the hell are you doing!?"

Kiarna was already charging in to take her place in the duel, clashing her purple lightsaber against the shadow blade.

"Saving your life Jedi! The Lady told me about your plan, that it was going to fail catastrophically!"

"The Lady? Is she-"

In a moment of her own undoing, Kiarna directed her attention to where the Lady had been beside Sereti. Before she could regain focus, Nihilus had grabbed her by the wrist. The mask on her face grew ice cold, while every muscle in her body went numb.

Ja'vad.

Visas leapt over with an overbearing strike intended for Nihilus, looking dead on to hit her target until the lightsaber blade struck a protective field that had encompassed both him and Kiarna, now that they had become fully motionless. The print on her mask was glowing brighter than ever.

Under her breath she cursed at the disastrous turn of events. "Why didn't she take the mask off? How could she be so stupid?"

A few more flurried attacks proved just as ineffective, and even resisted a direct attack through the Force itself using her own technique of burrowing past virtually any fixed defense. There was no way to break Kiarna out of the hold now.

Thinking quickly, she turned her attention to Sereti again, who by then had regained enough strength to awkwardly lean up while clutching at the burn scar left on her chest.

"That was a cowardly move from him, but nevertheless I am sorry you went through that." She reached her hand out to grab Sereti's wrist, waiting until she looked ready to stand before hauling her up.

Sereti scratched at the scar a bit longer before finally deciding to leave it alone, instead taking the time to adjust her visor back into position. "That's unlike any near-death experience I've been through before."

"We should all be eternally grateful that none of the current Sith have mastered that technique. On that subject…" Visas motioned back to the other pair, still locked in that same position. "I don't have a clue how to break the shield. And I'm not about to rely on Kiarna to outlast Nihilus' attack, however strong her will is."

"I'll admit, she has more restraint than I'd give other Sith credit for. But even so, she's still-"

Right from the sky itself came a powerful beam blast that struck Nihilus' position dead on, lasting just a mere second before dissipating. Despite Visas and Sereti both having to dive to the ground for cover, Kiarna's shield had protected both within from the full brunt of the blast.

Once again, Visas was quickly back on her feet, this time tilting her head upwards towards where she guessed the beam had come from. "I don't recall the Republic fleet using beam weapons!"

Sereti got back up on her own that time, hissing slightly at herself. "That's not the Republic up there. It's the Kaylik's Virtue."

Visas turned her head back as she finally reached the realization Sereti was onto.

"You'd better get on the communicator then. And just to be clear, I don't want you telling the Luka Sene I am in fact alive. I wouldn't have had to fake my death if they had done things properly."


The command centre was dimly lit, just visible enough for anyone who actually perceived the world through the visible light spectrum to make out the shapes of people and objects, perhaps what they were wearing if their low light eyesight was good.

Lights were virtually irrelevant to Miraluka after all. Even the holograms they used were so finely tuned that they were virtually invisible to those not perceiving the energy projection through the Force. Optimized, streamlined, and most importantly infallible to them.

"Effect?"

The helmsman waved her hand over what otherwise appeared to be a black metal slate spread in front of her. Several attuned holograms were relaying information from the ship's scanners as well as the scryers in their observation chambers, both reaching the same conclusion.

"Negligible damage, if any. Scryers reporting an energy field not unlike that employed by the White Terror."

Aibrehl's hand went to his visor, the fingers curling back down until he was rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Damn her. If the rumours are true, and Kiarna is one of our people, she's only made things worse. This is one time we can't allow ourselves to feel remorseful for killing another Miraluka."

"Incoming transmission, from the surface."

That got Aibrehl's attention, his hand returning to the railing as he leaned forward a little. "Receive."

The hologram that appeared was rather more standard in appearance, still visibile to all on the bridge, but also to any non-Miraluka who might be accompanying them at a given moment.

"Whomever in the blazing hells of Bogan decided to fire on a target just metres from us-!" Sereti's moment of anger softened into contempt when she finally saw who it was in command. "Aibrehl, I thought you retired."

"And we were led to believe you had stepped down from leading the Jedi. If you couldn't handle leading them any further, why do you believe you can handle this threat?

Sereti remained tight lipped as she looked to one side, presumably to listen to the other with her. When she looked back to Aibrehl, that hardened look remained.

"The person I am with has a plan. They don't wish to be identified for some damn good reasons, all you need to know is that we need Kiarna alive to execute it. We can deal with her after Darth Nihilus is destroyed."

Aibrehl turned his head to the tactical officer for a more direct exchange of intent. He began charging the main laser array, maintaining the same target.

"At least your confidence has returned. And from the look of it, you've remembered where some of your loyalties belong.

"I've been with the Jedi far longer than I was with the Luka Sene, I'm done having this discussion. We will do our best to breach it from down here, just be sure that you are ready to stop firing if something changes."

"Quick to give orders. Perhaps I should have retired, you're clearly not done with leading just yet."

"This isn't the time Aibrehl. Just, please, for the sake of everything, go along with this."

After turning to his other officers for their own silent input, he gave a quiet sigh, gripping onto the railing further. "Fine. But confirm for me this. Is Kiarna one of our people?"

Sereti looked away again, this time for a much briefer time before looking back. "She's Azera Vass, Aibrehl. I think we know who massacred the Vass family now."

"The missing daughter."

"There are forces at work here beyond the Jedi and the Sith. And we need to tread very carefully about how we handle the Sith'ari, if she is in fact telling the truth."


The first thing Kiarna noticed when she regained consciousness was the heat.

It was not the heat of a dry inferno, of coursing rivers of lava or blistering desert sand. It was humid and clammy. And the putrid smell that permeated the filters of her mask reeked of death and decay.

When she was able to right herself, and orientate her vision of her surroundings, she could see why.

Countless bodies. Republic soldiers, Jedi, and Mandalorians.

You are a fool. The most complete kind. The one that thinks herself the height of power while wielding nothing at all.

She shuddered as the voice spoke. An old woman. Very hard to not guess at who it was intended to be.

"I'm not falling for it Nihilus! Darth Traya abandoned her ties to the Force, she is gone!"

A Mandalorian leapt out from a ridge above, ready to strike her down with a cleaving blow from his vibrostaff. On instinct, she drew her lightsaber and cut him in two, watching the halves fall either side of her. It felt so very real.

It was then that she turned her attention up the incline, through the bodies that littered the cliff-bound path she was on. Two men fighting it out at the top. Mandalore the Ultimate, and Revan the Jedi Knight.

You are not even a pathetic imitation. Strutting about in a mask crafted by your own hand, attempting to make a name for yourself that would see you remembered for all eternity. You have earned nothing.

"Watch me!"

With every step of Kiarna's charge up the hill, lightsaber trailing behind, another assailant leapt down at her. The hum of her blade, purple slashing through all manner of colours and uniforms. Practically bodies throwing themselves at her to slow her ascent.

The metallic breathing rasping away at her mind.

You are a disgrace to the Sith. You have been set on a path of ruin by Lasidia, one that you refuse to see, and it will be your rightful undoing. The only path away from ruin is surrender.

Just as Darth Traya materialized at the summit, just metres away from the duelling pair, Kiarna came swinging in. Her single purple lightsaber clashed against the three crossed in front of her.

"You are unworthy of the mantle of Empress. I would not even strike you down with the back of my hand for how little you mean."

"Coming from an old hag who talks too much!"

In a clean movement, Kiarna deactivated her lightsaber momentarily, letting the weight of her block carry it forward until she was able to reactivate it behind the triple blades, cutting the spectre of Traya through before she herself was hit by the bearing lightsabers.

Everything surrounding her changed at an instant. The battlefield, in all its stench of blood, mud and cinder was replaced by the cold sterility of an enclosed room instead, one filled with computer consoles and a vast tactical table.

One Sith stood against several Jedi, standing over the body of a Republic grand admiral.

It is in the nature of Sith to betray their brothers and sisters. It will be no different with you. You cannot control all the forces at your disposal, they will inevitably turn on you and lead to yet another dark age for the Empire.

Kiarna's head lowered a little. She didn't recognize the face of the Sith, or the voice that had spoken, but she now recalled enough to reach a conclusion.

"Drawing on Exar Kun now, Nihilus? What do you hope to accomplish?"

A child wields a power beyond her comprehension and is destroyed by it. It was true then, it is true to this day. The throne of the Empire is not meant for one who is handed it by her master. It is meant for that who seizes it in spite of everything opposing her.

"I knew I'd have to fight Rak'Sakar someday anyway! I am not being handed anything!"

While she didn't appreciate the irony, she charged towards Ulic Qel-Droma in union with the Jedi strike force.

The metallic breathing sighed heavily.

When they all reached Qel-Droma's position however, the recreation took a disastrous turn from history. The cornered Sith's body erupted in a plume of darkness that cast all but Kiarna to the far corners of the room, leaving her to brace behind her lightsaber as her sense of sight was overwhelmed.

Before she had even recovered, a hard swing of a double bladed lightsaber came crashing down on her own, forcing her down to a knee. To her further shock, her blocking left hand was beginning to tremble, showing signs of weakness.

Exar Kun's hardened face loomed above their crossed blades, full of malice towards her.

"I revived the Sith through the teachings of a Sith prodigy! Darth Lasidia draws from a drunken coward who beat his slaves to feel a semblance of superiority!"

"And I draw from the teachings of a woman who has greater vision for the Sith than her own gain of power!"

This time she used the applied force of her oppressor for her own benefit, bending herself back towards the floor while sweeping her other leg around, watching the blades move over until she had the opportunity to slide beneath and twist her lightsaber up through Kun's form.

Yet again her surroundings changed, this time taking her to a battlefield of a different type altogether. While she pulled herself off the ground, still riding the blood rush of anger, she perceived countless bodies littered in a large circle, while many more Sith that yet lived charged towards their central destination.

I was arrogant, foolish, just like you. I believed I could reform the Sith, that I was the Sith'ari. But I was wrong, and I and my husbands paid the ultimate price for it, just as you will.

She recognized nothing of the voice, or the event in question, even as she joined the charging forces towards that central location.

There, she found three individuals fighting for their lives in the middle of it. A human man, a Twi'lek man, and a Kaleesh woman. She soon deduced it was the woman that had been speaking.

We have met before, we will meet again. I judged you as unworthy of the title of Empress, not out of self-arrogance and disgust, but of experience. You do not have the stomach to murder all who would dare oppose you, when so many of them are your closest allies.

Kiarna watched as the human man cried out in agony, a lacerating whip ripping at his skin until he was crisscrossed in wounds. A different kind of whip was used on the Twi'lek, barbs lashing out and digging into his lekku, bringing him to his knees as he was soon dragged off into the crowd to be mutilated further.

Shocksticks brought the Kaleesh to her knees. The crowd parted around Kiarna, laying a path for her to approach the fallen Sith Lord.

The breathing rasped out a choking cough.

She found herself standing over the woman at last, lightsaber gripped in her hand, and yet not as firm as expected. When she looked down, she could see it shaking violently, almost too weak to hold it. Something was very wrong.

"You cannot stop what is coming for you. Don't fight back. Give in peacefully, surrender yourself and it will be better for all."

This time, Kiarna had no real verbal rebuttal. Everything she tried to lash out with faltered before she could speak. Her control of self slowly slipping away.

It was not her own impulse that saw her lightsaber raised above Darth Trutinavi, and brought slicing down directly through the middle of her body, cutting her cleanly in two. When she fell apart, it was with the wound of a vibroblade, and not a lightsaber.

She barely moved when her surroundings changed yet again. The smell of ash and fire rose as she came to see a devastated courtyard. There were now Jedi bodies, as well as others she didn't yet recognize. Once back on her feet, she found herself standing beside several Jedi Masters she did recognize from holo-images. Enough to once again gather where she had been taken to.

Even I, the purest form of dark power, could do nothing to save my people. Death is an inevitability, to challenge it is futile. To resist it with all your might is to waste energy for a meaningless effort.

They were all facing towards a temple entrance of sorts, where many Vahla bodies lay. To her immediate left was Jolee Bindo. Nomi Sunrider. Vrook Lamar and Vandar Tokare and stood to her right. From what she had been told of that day by her master, she had taken the position of Atris, the five leading Jedi ready to make the stand against the last of the Vahla menace.

It also meant she knew exactly what was about to follow.

Two great plumes of brilliant white fire erupted from the temple entrance, disintegrating the nearest Jedi in fiery agony.

From the temple itself stepped out a woman. Bathed in similar white flame that formed the shape of a dress, she stood proud and firm, her jet black eyes the only thing not the purest shade of white. The one hint that she was anything but a divine being of good.

To Kiarna's further confusion, she looked uncannily like Dana Lauran.

"Ash! You are all ash!"

It sounded like her as well.

The Lord of Hunger will see his will done, there is no escaping it. You have always been a tool for him to use one day, just as the Vahla were my tools of destruction. Tools must eventually serve their purpose to their ultimate end.

As another pair of fiery plumes fired in their direction, she found herself raising a Force block automatically along with the others. The scorching heat that still made it through was painful to her skin, as if threatening that the block could fail at any moment and see them all vaporized.

Just as she was told, the Jedi trap was sprung at that moment. Two more launching bolas at Vahl, all coated in nullifying resin that quickly bound her, forcing her out of Suroni's body. More Jedi leapt forward, hurling rings of resin at the great white spark as it withdrew into the open, gradually ensnaring and encircling it down to a trapped Ember within.

She couldn't stand it any longer.

With a fierce mustering up of her strength, she broke her trembling body out of the stance and lashed out, cutting Jolee down, then Nomi, Vrook and even Vandar.

"I will not submit! I will not give in to this!"

The scape of the Vahla temple shattered away as Vahl merged back with Suroni to rush over and strike her down with a fierce blow.

"You have no choice! You were made to serve! You cannot change fate!"

Kiarna wrested herself back up onto her knees, only for Vahl to grab her hand just as Nihilus had. This time, her other hand extended, forming a tight beam of black fire that looked ready to puncture through anything.

In that same moment, her form flickered away briefly. Standing in her place was Sereti, carrying a laser probe in hand instead.

Both were ready to drill into her brain and destroy the part of it she had always fought to protect.

"No! No! I will not-!"

The form continued to flicker between Vahl and Sereti, both the beam of fire and the laser probe moving closer and closer to her head.

The metallic breathing grew louder in her ears than ever.

"Submit! You are now the Devouring Empress!" The form flickered again, this time taking on the appearance of Nihilus, wielding a piece of bone between his fingertips. "Submit!"

She wailed in pain as she tore her hand free, only to strike back with the largest bolt of lightning she could possibly conjure.

It tore right through the spectre, leaving it to disintegrate while she watched the lightning arc out into the abyss surrounding her. A rumbling echo was left in its wake, until she heard nothing more of it.

"I… I will not…"

"You will. For you have none left to spare."

She inhaled. The breathing in her ears exhaled.

Behind her stood Traya, Nihilus and Sion, all glaring down at her.

Nwûl tash.

As Kiarna struggled to stand, Revan and Malak materialized at the sides, Bandon behind Nihilus and Traya.

Dzwol shâsotkun.

More Sith began to materialize. Exar Kun, Ulic Qel-Droma, and faces she soon didn't recognize.

Shâsotjontû châtsatul nu tyûk.

"I stand for purity in the night."

Yet more past Sith appeared, those already there starting to raise their right arm.

Tyûkjontû châtsatul nu midwan.

"Harmony with the void."

And more, and more, and more.

Midwanjontû châtsatul nu asha.

"Emotions are the core…" She gasped in pain as she fell back to the floor, clutching at her aching body.

Somewhere along the way, Freedon Nadd, Naga Sadow and Marka Ragnos all appeared in turn.

Ashajontû kotswinot itsu nuyak.

"Fear gives me… Anger gives me…"

Wonoksh Qyâsik nun.

Kiarna clutched at her ears as the breathing grew louder than ever. All of the Sith that had come before were pointing at her, glaring. So much dark power.

"I… I know my… agh!"

She collapsed to the ground altogether, writhing in pain as she was forced to watch a second group of Sith begin to materialize opposite the first.

Future Sith. All the Dark Lords, Darths and others that would follow after. Not from her line, not from the succession of Ludo Kressh, but that of Naga Sadow.

Humans, Bith, Zabrak, Twi'lek, Muun, Mon Calamari, Zeltrons, Ithorians, Mirialans, Purebloods, cyborgs. More, more and more races, some she didn't even know of.

So many faces, so many individuals. So much combined dark power, all focusing down on her.

"I know my place! I am the Sith'ari! I-"

You are the Red Empress, and the White Healer. Azera, listen…

By the time the surroundings changed yet again, Kiarna had lost all control over her body. She was now nothing more than observer, practically floating outside of it from her perspective through the Force, watching as the last scene set for her unfolded.

The metallic breathing had gone near silent by then, now audible from an actual source at last. She watched herself walk up to a great pair of doors that stood between her and the breathing, lightsaber in her right hand and active.

When the doors opened, she wanted to gasp, only to feel the agonizing sensation of being completely breathless.

It was a throne room that had been opened, dark, dim, and bleak. Three giant windows looked out over the pouring rain of what had once been a Sith capital, now nothing more than rubble and ruin.

The throne itself bore marks of battle, blaster shots and lightsaber strikes alike. It was the figure sitting on the throne that made her want to choke most.

Dressed in a red bodysuit, with a long red overcoat tied at the waist, and a matching vest beneath, was the Red Empress herself. The only difference between her and herself, aside from the colour, was the lack of her iconic mask. Instead, the head had been wrapped up entirely in white cloth.

A circular breathing mechanism implanted into the neck lit up as she inhaled.

The metallic breathing she had been hearing all along. The approaching echo of her supposed future.

When the Red Empress spoke, it was with a rasp that sounded like Azera's voice, only it clearly didn't need a filter to achieve it anymore.

"The failure of a Sith that is my daughter, come home at last. Is it to beg for forgiveness, or has she actually found a drop of courage to do what should have been done so long ago?"

There was no way for Kiarna to see who she had taken the place of, no way to determine who had supposedly fathered a daughter with her. No real answers to be gained.

"Why do you still mock me mother? I tried! I tried to live up to your expectations!"

The voice was completely unfamiliar to her. It still reeked of desperation, of anguish, and as so adequately put by her future self, of cowardice.

The Red Empress stood up from her throne at that, taking one trembling step forward after the other.

"That's right. You tried!"

She lashed out with a weak spray of lightning that still made her daughter wail while she fell to her knees.

"Trying is not enough! It is never enough! You do or you do not! You should have accepted you could never live up to my expectations and be done with it!"

Despite the frailty of her body, the Empress was still able to deliver a sickeningly harsh blow with the back of her hand to her daughter's cheek. It was an immediately uncomfortable reminder to Kiarna of how many times Lasidia had struck her in that same fashion.

"Whimpering on the floor, crying. Even a Jedi would put up more of a fight! I have killed so many! And what have you achieved? Nothing!" She reached to her belt and drew her lightsaber, still purple as always. "You didn't even have the guts to go and join them. Perhaps I could at least find respect for you then! I can respect a child who would rather defy their parents! But you've done nothing!"

The kick that followed struck right back to Kiarna herself in so many ways. It wasn't even malicious, designed to feed into her own need for pain in others. It was petty. How low could she have possibly fallen in that time?

"Get up! Stop crying and get up! Do one thing in your life and kill me! Kill the last Empress of the Sith! Die with something to your name! Do it!"

"Mother please!"

The Red Empress raised her lightsaber in preparation to maim her. "Don't plead girl! Just…"

After a few quiet seconds, the lightsaber dropped from her hand, deactivating before it hit the floor. Shortly after, she hit the floor too, gargling away one last time as a red stain began to appear on the cloth wrappings, spreading as the breathing unit gave out at last.

Kiarna watched her body scramble over to the now dead Empress, clutching at the frail hand, pleading for any sign of life when there was none.

"No worse fate than there can be for a Sith, than to die the most miserable of deaths, and be forgotten for it."

The last scene faded, allowing her control of her body at last. And yet, she couldn't bring herself to stand, feeling so completely drained in all ways. She could no longer fathom a reason to go on, the notion simply wasn't there. Her fate pointed towards an end she wanted no part of.

She didn't even move when one last figure appeared.

It had her form, only twisted into a far more grotesque appearance. Her once white clothes had stained shades of red and some other colours from blood. Her mask had been physically torn off across the jaw area, revealing broken and mangled teeth where the lips and other flesh had been gnashed away long ago.

The other fate she was about to be resigned to, the Devouring Empress.

"It does not have to be that way. You can still fulfil the role of the Sith'ari. We will wipe out the degenerates, wipe out the Jedi, and find a way to end the ceaseless hunger before we are destroyed by ourselves. We will either rule the galaxy unopposed, or die in the knowledge that we achieved what no other Sith possibly could."

Azera, there are always three paths…

Kiarna took a deep breath as the Lady's words echoed through to the depths of her mind, then slowly began to stand. She turned around in a few small steps, and finally began moving towards the Devouring Empress, reaching her hand out.

"You're right."

She took the mangled hand offered, what little there was of the shredded glove matting her own pristine one.

"I can't follow the path of the Red Empress."

As the Devouring Empress tilted her head, Kiarna made her move.

Her lightsaber found its mark, impaling the false version of her clean through. A withering cry came from the effective corpse as she twisted her arm, yanking her in closer.

"I know what the Lady wants me to do now! What you were afraid of!"

The lightsaber twisted, cutting further into the Devouring Empress, forcing her to change back into the form of Darth Nihilus.

"I will become the White Empress! I will change the Sith fundamentally, and lead them to a new way of being! I am the first of the Light Sith!"


A mere few minutes had passed in reality, by which point Sereti and Visas had taken up opposing sides on Kiarna's shield, both directing as much Force energy and a stream of debris at it with the intent of wearing it down through sheer attrition. They were both far enough away that there was minimal risk from the orbital laser barrage that once again struck dead on, also to little result.

"And what if this doesn't work?"

"We all die a horrible agonizing death, or else Kiarna dies and Nihilus waits until we're all gone before trying again!"

"Can't you come up with a long term contingency plan before then?"

"I am not asking yet more to become involved in the process of artificial Force wounds!"

"Then how else do you-"

Quite abruptly, both were thrown back by a sudden eruption of energy from the shield. Sereti barely managed to keep hold of her communicator in the tumble, scrambling to get it back on once she had gotten her bearings.

"Hold fire! Hold fire!"

She got back to her feet, ready to resume the attack on Darth Nihilus when she stopped completely, noticing Visas had done the same.

Azera was swinging wildly, her lightsaber cutting through his form at every swing as she practically growled in rage. Every unearthly cry that came from the blows grew more and more desperate, until she raised the lightsaber right above her head, and brought it cleaving right down the middle of his form.

The blow broke his mask in two, sending the pieces flying away until they withered into black mist.

Thunder from the distant storm above crackled out as the spectre of Darth Nihilus fell to its knees, now nothing more than a figure of shadow with a featureless face of pure black. Completely at Azera's mercy.

She took a long breath, lightsaber ready in hand, the other stretched out to enhance her dramatic pose.

"You've done it Azera. It was an answer you had to realize on your own in the end, the conclusion of one era, and the beginning of another."

Azera briefly put her attention on the Lady of Balance again. This time, there was no more danger from Nihilus.

"Full circle, ending the days of the Dark Jedi with a new line of Light Sith. This is why you told me I'm the Sith'ari, why you've been so insistent I listen to the Jedi."

The Lady shrugged with her familiar smile. "You've made one choice, many more will follow. There is one right before you, and it will set the standard for the White Empire. What kind of mercy will be given? What kind of people do you intend to lead?"

Azera exhaled. The lightsaber in her left hand, and nothing in her right. Nothing physical anyway.

The mercy of a quick death, or the mercy of a fulfilled life.

With one last look back at Sereti and Visas, who had both stopped nearby to watch in stunned silence, she lashed her hand out.

As her right made contact with the void face of Nihilus, she quivered throughout her whole body. There was one final memory trapped within the shell of a man, one she had just seen. The memory of a man rushing to the aid of Revan in his duel with Mandalore the Ultimate, slashing his way to the very end.

"Your suffering, your time as the Lord of Hunger is over. The Wound you bear, as the White Healer I close. Go in peace."

Beneath her fingertips, a faint glow began to spread across the blackened surface, the figure of a man in front of her slowly vanishing into ash with the deepest of sighs. The kind that came as a final breath of relief.

Azera deactivated her lightsaber, returned it to her belt, and slowly sank to her knees in turn. As the dark clouds above dissipated at last, Azera removed the mask from her face, and took her first breath of Katarr's unfiltered air.

She turned the mask around, facing the red print towards herself for a full minute, before turning it again and setting it back in place.

"You weren't exactly subtle with 'There's no wound in existence you can't heal, if you choose to' you know."

"There is something to be gained by figuring out things for yourself, but I wasn't going to be incredibly obtuse about the matter no."

Azera turned to face the Lady directly, by now having realized that both Sereti and Visas could see her as well now, and apparently had the decency to give them space. "What do I tell them? Freeing the man that became Nihilus isn't exactly enough evidence of a change of heart, and there's also all the things I've done in the past to answer for."

"There will come a time when you will prove to the Jedi that you have a new future in mind for the Sith, and there will also come a time when justice is sought, and you are redeemed of your actions. That is the way of things."

She nodded at that, what else could she say in response. "And, about Maarani. Is it just her appearance you've taken on, or do I get to 'enjoy' more aloof behaviour being around her more, once she stops trying to kill me?"

"We have a lot in common its true, hence the appearance, but she is very much her own person, with her own personality, and many many flaws, traits and strengths to discover. Bear with it, let her lead you to the Light of the Force, and you will lead her to find the Force within herself again. Then she can truly begin to help you begin building the foundation for the Light Sith, as the Jed'nasa."

"The Chosen One? So it's not just a coincidence then? The Sith'ari and the Jed'nasa just happening to be soulmates is a little far fetched even considering everything that's…" She let her own words trail off. "I didn't even have time to think about it like that until now. What does that say about you then?"

The Lady smiled a little wider. "Perhaps she wasn't the Chosen One before she was your soulmate. I do the choosing after all. And what can I say? I just so happen to like a little poetic perfection in these matters."

"Did it have to be a Twi'lek that swears her head off and clearly has more mental issues than I do?"

"She's stopped swearing if that helps any."

Azera sighed. Again, there seemed to be little more she could possibly say. "Anything else I should know then? I get the feeling those two are becoming impatient."

"I slowed our passage of time considerably a while ago, they will not notice much of a difference." At that point, the Lady's smile faded. She slowly reached out to Azera's arm, though did not make physical contact that time.

"A while ago, I warned Maarani that spending a night with a Twi'lek named Zariba would lead to many good people losing their lives. I'm afraid that future is still in effect, as I am still getting the feeling of imminent death. I don't know exactly who the good people are, or who will perpetuate their deaths so I cannot ask you to help avert it. Maarani may yet come to blame herself for their deaths however, you must keep her from lapsing into depression again."

"I think I've made it clear by now that I as someone who has perpetrated a great many deaths is not exactly the most sympathetic figure to be supportive of her."

"Try nevertheless. There is only so much I can do in this realm, saving you from Zimorr took a great deal of strength. I cannot fight a darkness that will be responsible for so much death, not enough to prevent it."

"A hint would be something at least, a vague impression."

The Lady tilted her head about in eventual agreement. "It will have something to do with the Jedi Temple. A heart of darkness that has already shown its hand lying dormant. When the gates of wisdom are cast open, the innocents will cry out, and be laid silent by fire."

If Azera could blink, she would have at that exact moment. "Taking the poetry a little seriously."

"This is the nature of impressions of the future. They are not as clear as visions, but both still need interpretation." Her grey marking began to glow. "Speaking of which, I suggest you help Maarani unlock her three visions when you get the chance. I cannot see them for myself, it is down to the both of you to interpret and make sense of what futures they might lead to."

"They're not fixed then? They can be changed or avoided, like the vision of the Red Empress I saw?"

"Nothing is certain until it has already passed, Azera. That is why I remain hopeful you can prevent the death that is soon to come. It may yet be enough for your atonement."

When the Lady finally faded away on that last note, Azera took a cleansing breath and approached the other two Miraluka at last.

As described, they didn't seem to be behaving as if a good few minutes of discussion had passed, so she acted accordingly.

"It's over. All the dark energy I poured into the mask is dead. Nihilus, whomever he used to be has moved on, and I am no longer the White Terror, or Kiarna."

Sereti folded her arms, ignoring the turn of Visas' head. "You're planning to run then?"

"I am still Sith, but I don't believe in owing allegiance to the dark side anymore, not solely. It's going to take a lot of effort, probably a lot of bloodshed to make the others understand and appreciate the change I've gone through, and hopefully to see them go through as well." She took a breath at that.

"The path of the Red Empress leads to a future I don't want. Nihilus also showed me that I would be a Sith'ari considered outcast by all other Sith, past and future. I'm convinced that means destroying the last of the old ways and rebuilding as a more peaceful Empire. With a Sith code built on freedom instead of power or terror, and stronger ties to the light. And I need Maarani to help me achieve that goal, which means undoing all the wrongs I've done with her, and eventually with the Republic and the Jedi."

Before Sereti could voice her obvious protest, Visas motioned for her to remain quiet as she spoke instead. "It all sounds noble, Azera Vass. But I and many others have tried walking the line between the light and the dark. It's difficult for individuals, near impossible for groups, and I can't imagine it's remotely feasible for Sith to constantly resist the temptation."

"The Lady of Balance believes it's possible, and that's enough for me right now. The fact is, even with relaxed rules, the Jedi are too restrictive on a great many things. And there are going to still be rules for a Light Sith order, but they'll be a lot more open. Dark Jedi exist, Light Sith should also be capable of existing. I will make it work someday."

Noting Sereti's continued distrust, she reached one hand up to the other arm across her chest, rubbing up and down in a slow motion to ease some of her own tension. "I can't work towards changing the Sith if I turn myself over to Republic justice. We all know exactly where that leads. I'm not asking for forgiveness, merely an opportunity to try and start making things better, for now and for future generations. If it so happens I need the help of the Jedi, and there is a price to pay after all, so be it. But I would much rather attempt this change before surrendering to execution, for all the empty good it would do."

After a long pause for thought, Sereti finally broke from her firm pose, taking a bit longer to speak. "You did save my life back there, I haven't forgotten that." With another turn to Visas, she finally sighed and relaxed her posture altogether. "Consider letting you go now being part way towards paying that debt. I can't guarantee your safety from other Jedi though, especially not those in Maarani's company."

"I saved Jayden's life back on Arkanis, it's down to Dana forgiving me for the neck shock." Azera made to leave, only to stop at last, half turning to ensure she was heard. "The Lady believes there is an imminent disaster coming, that it will occur at your Temple. She wasn't exactly specific, so you might want to prepare for a lot of potential events. Consider that my show of good faith as it were."

And with that, she was on her way back down towards the ruined city for the path that would lead her back to her ship at last.

Sereti watched her leave for a while before sighing again, not even needing to look at Visas to know what was about to be said. "You're leaving again."

Visas smiled in her own way. "Only for a little while this time. Those others were prepared to die on my behalf, I owe it to them to see that they can begin new lives without concern. I have to undo what I did before I can return to the Temple and feel clean about it."

"So long as I know you are in fact coming back, I can wait a little longer."

"Brianna never wanted to be Grand Master, and so long as the others welcome me back, I think she'll be happy to see someone else take over for her sooner rather than later."

"Perhaps." With that matter on her mind resolved, Sereti turned her attention back to the city again. "I'm still having trouble believing that's the same woman I argued with down on the ascending path. She's completely different."

Visas curled her lip in at that, the smile fading. "When your will is shattered, it is very easy to reshape into something new from a single prompt. It hurts me to say I saw a lot of my young self in her just now. I do hope that she has retained a grip on her direction in life as much as she led us to believe."

"If she hasn't, I think we're still a lot better off without the Lord of Hunger's continued existence, especially since it ended up sparing your sacrifice."

"Time will tell if that is indeed the case. In the meantime, could you be so kind as to ask Aibrehl not to interfere with either one of us departing?"

Sereti fumbled for her holocommunicator while Visas made her departure as well, waiting until she was out of earshot before activating it.

"We kept reading three life signs after the darkness vanished, but you didn't answer. What happened?"

"Uh, a lot of things." Under her breath, she cursed being left with arguably the worst job. "Listen, there's a lot to cover, and some favours to ask…"


When she noticed the Luka Sene ship on sensors, a moment of concern had taken hold as Azera considered her options. Firing on them, even in defence, would only ruin what little goodwill she had started to garner.

To her great relief, they made no attempt to intercept her, leaving the path out of orbit to free space wide open.

"May there never be a next time."

She flexed her fingers and began setting the ship's navigation computer on a tracking course. The signal from the Distant Star was faint, and some time away, but still actively transmitting.

"Maarani, if we're hearing each other again, and you're just choosing not to speak... I'm sorry for what I've done to you and the others. I'm coming to make things right. Take all the precautions you want, I'm willing to bear with it if you'll hear me out."

She froze in place when the sound of sarcastic clapping rang out from the top of the ascent stairs. Somehow, she had remained completely oblivious to Carudan's continued presence on the ship, and now he had chosen that moment to make his appearance.

"Well done. You fulfilled your end of the bargain, I've learned all I needed to know about Maarani, and you even went and destroyed the greatest threat to life the galaxy has ever seen. You should feel so very proud."

Azera remained in her seat facing away from him, very subtly starting to reach for her lightsaber. "Why did you decide to hide? Did you think having the Lady of Pain stripped from me would change how I felt about our agreement? You've made it clear you're so much more powerful from the start…"

Carudan tutted, wagging a finger on his cybernetic arm. "Tch, and here I was hoping you'd become more insightful. No, no, I now know what Maarani is, and who is pulling her strings. And you see, she really doesn't care for my kind. And now that she's apparently focused on you, I'm going to enjoy some sweet revenge while I can…"

He leapt across the room with great strength, slinging his cyber arm around her neck violently. Had her chair lacked a headrest, it was possible he could have broken her neck outright. The small support it offered in keeping her head from being yanked back was enough for her to react, grabbing her lightsaber and swinging it up past her face right through his shoulder, severing that arm completely.

While she choked for air and scrambled out of her now gouged seat, he had stumbled back, laughing at the gaping wound where his arm had been.

"Oh, bad mistake little Miraluka! I've waited a long time to feel like myself again!"

His face turned to pure grinning malice as his shoulder throbbed, and began to regrow the arm right before her. Instead of taking on the typical humanoid shape however, it had three clawed fingers, and was rather more muscular in build.

He leapt at her again, teeth bared fully. Her lightsaber caught him right across the lower jaw. That seemed to cause a great deal more pain, as he recoiled with an inhuman cry while clutching at his gaping maw.

Azera used that distraction to practically hurl herself down the stairs from the cockpit to the main deck of the ship, still choking for air and feeling a harsh pain in her ankle from the fall.

With Carudan starting to thunder down behind, she dragged herself hurriedly to the nearest airlock.

"Not so fast!"

She yelped when the three fingered hand grabbed her ankle, dragging her away from the airlock controls.

By then, his lower jaw had regrown, now lacking a chin, looking more reptilian on the surface, and bearing a much more threatening array of sharp teeth inside.

Right before being pulled up, she twisted around and lashed with her lightsaber again, this time gouging right through his left eye. It was enough to make him release her, at which point she scrambled for the airlocks again.

"Keep hurting me! I'll keep coming back stronger and stronger!"

With one last desperate action, she hauled herself up and fumbled with the controls. Carudan was swiftly approaching, his eye already starting to grow back.

Right before getting the door open, she gasped in horror as his eye actually started growing further out of his head on a short stalk, more scaled flesh filling in the gouge.

Before he could lunge again, the door flew open, sucking out all the air and occupants into open space.

For a few terrifying moments, she clung onto the very edge of the door, fearful that her hands would slip from her gloves and see her hurled out right after Carudan, who was already spiralling away into the deep void.

By the time the ship had signalled full decompression of the immediate room and the cockpit, she had begun pulling herself back inside, desperately holding onto what oxygen she had left in her body until the door swung shut behind her and allowed repressurization.

She lay there for several minutes, heaving air through her mask, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in her twisted ankle, until she finally began making the painful ascent back up to the cockpit.

There was quite a bit of blood splatter from Carudan's wounds now, as well as the gaping hole left in her chair by her lightsaber, the latter of which especially wasn't likely to be repaired anytime soon. And yet, she was hardly even fazed by the mess, despite being meticulous about keeping her ship clean not that long ago.

Once the ship was set on course, she fell back into the seat with a great sigh, letting the hum of the charging hyperdrive settle her for much needed rest.

"Can't feel the Force, eats humans and humanoids. Practically boasting about what he was, all that time." She turned her chair around, almost as if to look back at where Carudan probably was. "Burn in hell you Rakata freak."

When she spun back, she gripped onto either arm of the pilot's chair and sighed again, letting her body rest while the Vastes cruised on in hyperspace towards the Distant Star.