Chapter 64: Dimming the Stars (Part 1)

A/N: Last short arc before we scoot over to the end of Siri's parole. I think... 3 chapters total?

Some say that discretion is the better part of valor, and really, that ought to be a Sith motto. The fact that after Korriban, she had heard and felt nothing from Sidious in any way-shape-or form for almost a bloody year makes Siri uneasy. Really, her time in the Jedi Temple on parole has been... relatively unmolested. Sure Sidious wiped something out of her memory in retaliation for her revealing secret, and sure, he came after them on Korriban (her, he still craved her as his apprentice and the thought never failed to make her shiver), but honestly, Korriban had been a given. So many things had been set up near perfectly for Sidious that it would have been stupid for him not to try. He cut her off from the Veil of the Dark Side, but she's glad he did. Aside from that... nothing.

She was so used to his punishments for even the slightest failures that as the months pass, she grows more on edge.

She knows of course that he's working on the Separatists, it has his name written all over it, as does C'Baoth. The idiot former Jedi might as well have 'Property of Sidious' stamped on his forehead, him and Krell both. What she's not sure about on that front is all the Jedi that went with them during/after the Schism. After the Second Huk War closed in a bloodbath in the Separatist favor, there had been surprisingly little information on the holonet on any Separatist Former-Jedi that wasn't C'Baoth himself, and very rarely Krell. At most, she had seen some hooded figures with lightsaber's serving as guards for C'Baoth or the Separatist Council on the holonet. She is... skeptical on C'Baoth being able to fool so many for so long, which leaves her suspicious on what he would be doing with them.

Or rather, she has an idea, but while C'Baoth is strong, if he tried to forcibly torture and turn the Jedi who went with him dark, there is no way they wouldn't overwhelm him. So... she's a little confused. Perhaps lacking information she supposes.

Either way... she has way to much time on her hands nowadays to think.

After Korriban, the Council had given her once chance to spill the beans on Sith Sorcery. She had of course refused, as it wasn't something Sidious related so they had no grounds to demand it of her. This in turn got her favorite play time mostly scrapped. She was very rarely requested for sparring, and even her time messing with the Jedi Shadows in their training exercises seemed to lessen. Of course, that might as well have been because the shadows were out doing something elsewhere, they couldn't stay in the temple all the time after all if they wanted to earn their keep.

This coupled with Anakin being off on missions with his Master more often than not was driving her up a wall. Even Kenobi was out with Jinzler with increasing frequency.

"Raaaaaaaain, entertain me!" whines Siri, poking the holocron with the Force.

The gatekeeper poofs out of her holocron, says, "Kriff off, I'm sleeping," and then vanishes again.

Everybody was a downer lately.

She contemplates bailing on her parole for the umpteenth time, but scraps the idea yet again. She's well over halfway done with it, so she might as well finish it...

She pauses when she senses Supernova's presence closing in on the temple. Finally. "Thirty minutes from him to mission debrief then its time for a lunch walk if I do say so myself."

Her non-existent audience agrees.

When she opens the door, the Temple Guard turn. "Reason for leaving?

"Lunch," she grits out.

Because she still hasn't had her normal travel privileges unrevoked after Korriban. It grates. The Temple Guard practically frog march her to the dining hall, and remain standing against the nearest wall, watching her. Still, true to teenage hunger, Skywalker ends up there after reporting in with his Master, who walks in with him. The boy looks tense for some reason. Curiously, she notes that Jinn spots her first, then nudges Anakin to the line. She watches, irritated, when Jinn apparently decides they're going to eat in their apartment. Siri decides she's eaten enough, drops off her tray, and makes to leave with them...

Then Dooku is there. "Walk with me Tachi."

She eyes him, but relents, the Temple Guard falling in behind them. "That wasn't the least bit subtle."

Were they all so pissy that they were going to be keeping Supernova away from her too?

"I profess ignorance," he says with amusement, "But regardless, I have been meaning to do this for awhile now."

"Do what," she asks.

"Tell me, would you be interested in speaking with Vosa?"

Well now, consider her willingly distracted from Skywalker, this could be amusing. "Whatever for?"

"I've hit a... block," he admits, "In her willingness to even speak with me anymore. Mostly she merely glares at me through the doorway if she even deigns to show herself."

"Not willing to go inside?" she taunts.

"She is not you, and I am not Knight Kenobi," he chides, "I only ever attempted it once."

"What happened?

"She went for my throat, with her teeth."

Siri snickers. "Not surprising. No lost love there it seems."

There is an awkward pause and uncomfortable sensation from him in the Force, but he smothers it. "No. There is not."

She considers prodding at him, but lets it go. She's more interested in poking at the Sith Acolyte. At her previous so called 'stand in', It had been a long while since she had taken Vosa's hands and delivered her to the Jedi. She wonders how captivity has treated her. Speaking of which..., "So, how have you dealt with Force Suppression?"

"We renovated," said Dooku mildly, "And attached a new empty room that is completely isolated save for a very small air vent and locked door that we control when it opens. We allow her half an hour of meditation a day."

Siri nods. "Would have been nice to have for myself."

"If it had existed then, you would likely still be in the cell," said Dooku mildly.

Siri scoffed. "If you hadn't handed me the trial on a platter, Sidious would have had me, or I would have been forced to escape during the transit between trial and temple."

"So sure of yourself."

"Dooku," she said flatly, "Considering how easy it was last time, yes, I could have escaped at will once I was out of the cell and centered again. I stay here because I choose to do so."

"Because you are attached."

Siri rolls her eyes. "Hypocrite."

Dooku doesn't deem that worthy of anything more than a derisive sniff.

They enter the lower levels, and before long, Siri stands infront of a very uncomfortably familiar cell. She raps on the wall next to it. "Knock knock Little Acolyte, its time we had a chat."

Dooku maneuvers himself so he is out of sight, but stands ready and attentive. She wonders what he is getting out of this, he hadn't even asked her to speak about anything specific.

Vosa comes into view in a standardized orange prison garb that Siri thankfully never wore. "Lord Tyrosus."

Siri glances down and whistles. "Nice mech-hands," her eyes flickering back up, a mocking smile on her face.

Vosa glares at her, but reigns her anger in, surprisingly successful for being in Force Suppression, but she'd had longer to practice. Vosa stares at her with cold intensity. "...what is Dun Moch?"

Siri blinks, and has to take a moment to figure out why Vosa was asking. Siri does vaguely recall baiting the acolyte with it when they fought. She goes with a textbook definition as an answer." Dun Moch is the art of distracting your opponent in battle, though its useful in far more than just combat. Generally, you distract with taunts, jeers, and jests to expose and draw out their weakness. To make your target doubt themselves, their beliefs, their intentions. It's especially useful against Jedi, as concentration is necessary for Jedi to use certain abilities. Not to mention pressuring them into a mistake."

Vosa considers her for a long moment before scowling. "I see."

Siri watches with interest as the white haired woman sits down crossed legged. "...why did you turn on Sidious? How did you even work up the nerve to?"

'How could she even consider facing that power' is the unasked question.

"I was always going to turn on Sidious," admitted Siri, "I was never a docile apprentice, at least, not since the start when I needed to shake off the last trappings of being a Jedi. I always challenged him, even with his punishments. I was afraid of him to be sure, but I mastered my fear, my anger," relatively," That is what makes us different then so many feckless dark neophytes throughout the galaxy. We rule our emotions, not the other way around."

Siri considers Vosa before allowing her a courtesy. She sits down and mirrors her, legs crossed, watching her watch Siri through the force field door. "I was always going to turn on him, it was merely a matter of when and how. This... wasn't how I imagined it happening, but its what I chose because I do not wish to let him take what is important away from me."

"So you protect the Jedi?" said Vosa, sneering.

"I couldn't give a flying kriff what happens to most of the Jedi Order so long as Kenobi and Skywalker survive," said Siri flatly, "Maybe Kenobi's extended lineage and friends because they are important to him, but otherwise? I could merrily watch the Jedi Temple burn and not care."

Vosa frowned, considering. "You were angry I maimed Skywalker, you referred to him as 'mine' I believe."

"I did," agreed Siri, "I am very possessive and protective of those I view as belonging to me."

She gets an air of heavy disquiet from Dooku at that.

Vosa frowned, nibbling on her lip. "You are strange for a Sith. Everything I have heard about in here, or even before, does not quite line up with Sidious's description of his most 'insolent' apprentice."

Siri laughs. "He always called me that so fondly."

"He was right on your skills, of course," admits Vosa, "But not on much else."

"Sidious does not really see people as people, just as tools and things to use, especially woman and non-humans," agreed Siri, "How was his training, hmm? Plenty of lightning?"

Vosa's face sours. "Far to much of it."

"He teased you with a holocron yet?"

"No," gritted out Vosa.

"Tsk," lamented Siri, "I suppose we couldn't all have our own Zannah."

Vosa slow blinks. "Who is Zannah?"

Now it was Siri's turn to sour. "Did he teach you nothing of our lineage? Vosa, what exactly was your training like?"

Vosa's jaw clenches. "What do you think it was like? Did Dooku not tell you anything we talked about before I asked for you here?"

Siri blinks and very carefully does not look at Dooku. "Ah... clever Jedi. He never mentioned that you were asking for me, nor did he mention what you and he talked about."

"So he held on my request and just all the sudden put you here?"

"How long ago did you demand to see me?"

"After the first month of wishing to tear your throat out for taking my hands," snapped Vosa, "I decided it would be more useful to speak with you instead."

"Pragmatic," mused Siri, turning over the idea in her mind that Vosa had been wanting to speak to her for quite a long time now and she never heard anything about it, "Perhaps they were afraid of me being a bad influence."

Vosa scoffed. "I'm already fallen, I'm already a Sith Acolyte. To me, the only good Jedi is a dead one, especially my old master. So what are they expecting?"

"Especially viscous," mused Siri, "You really hate Dooku, why?"

Vosa bared her teeth in a snarl. "Not all of us are lucky enough to have the one fool we loved return it."

Siri was about to comment on Kenobi being far to platonic about it before it hit her what Vosa said. "Gross, he's old enough to be your grandfather."

"I didn't care at the time," snapped Vosa, "But rather than accept, or even just say no, he threw me away! Ended my apprenticeship! The temple was my home and they cast me off!"

"So bitter," mused Siri, a delighted smile on her face.

"You think its funny?" gritted out Vosa.

"Oh, Jedi missteps are always funny when they come back to bite them," mused Siri, "They handled an unusual and problematic padawan in a poor over-the-top way, and lost said padawan to the Dark Side. You'll find, Vosa, that this is a very common theme among the Jedi all throughout their history."

Vosa raised a single eyebrow. "I was lead to believe you chose the Dark Side at least somewhat willingly."

"Oh, I did," agreed Siri, "In order to attain the power to kill Sidious, but I wasn't talking about me. More recently, do you recall Xanatos?"

Vosa wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Absolute arrogant bastard that one."

"From everything I heard, I agree," said Siri, "But sending him on a mission against his own father was both a conflict of interest and cruel all the same. He wasn't tortured Dark like you were by the Bando Gora, but it wasn't a fair choice. Though I suppose it was still his choice either way."

She recalls Obi-Wan being a pest about that in one of their cell arguments years ago. Unfair choice, but still his choice. "Though speaking of the Gora, I'm rather curious, last I knew before you popped up as an Acolyte, you weren't quite... sane. How'd Sidious deal with that?"

Vosa freezes, loses all color in her already pale skin, and starts shaking. "I... I'm not talking about it."

Oh she wishes for a moment Vosa was out of that cell, her terror would be delicious. "Having someone root around in your head is never fun, is it?"

Vosa gets up and walks away deeper into her cell.

Siri huffs a laugh. "Bye Vosa, such a shame about you and Dooku. If you'd had brats they would have been disgustingly adorable, in a prissy bloodthirsty way."

Dooku makes a small noise of disgust. Vosa yells back, "Kriff off!"

"Well, if that's all, I'm off, I doubt we'll be speaking again," called in Siri.

She waits a few moments, and sure enough, Vosa crawls back, glowering at her. "I want to make you an offer."

"Do you?" mused Siri, "And what is it?"

"You could teach me," said Vosa hungrily, "And together, we could destroy Sidious."

Siri smiled thinly. "Ah. Let me guess, you might have said something like that to Dooku. He would have pushed off our meeting for it. But there is one thing both of you failed to consider Vosa, you maimed Anakin, and I am not the forgiving sort. You will never be my apprentice, I'd sooner kill you than take you on."

Vosa glared. "You maimed me back!"

"I did, and that hasn't made me close to satisfied," said Siri, smiling widely, "Sith don't just get even, Vosa, they go beyond revenge. So, you had best hope you stay inside this cell for the rest of your life, because all I need is an excuse, Vosa, and you will regret being born."

Siri rises and sweeps away, walking past Dooku who falls in behind her.

"Learn anything new?" she pokes.

"Perhaps," was all he said.

"On the offchance I said yes to her offer, what would have been the Jedi's response?" she posed.

"No," was the short answer.

She laughed. "Good, good. I do hope she enjoys that cell for the rest of her life, or until Sidious razes the temple and kills her."

She can feel him glaring at her, but doesn't comment back. He serves as an escort back to her room, but she pauses in the doorway, slowly looking off in the distance towards the Skywalker/Jinn apartment. She feels...

"What's up with Supernova?" she poses, "Haven't felt this bungle of emotions from him since he lost his arm to Vosa."

There is a wind of frustration, anger, and helplessness that the boy is trying, and failing to suppress.

"Its nothing to concern you," said Dooku coldly, "We have been far to liberal with your freedoms over your parole. In-case you haven't noticed, that ended when you slipped out to go to Korriban. Stay away from my Grandpadawan."

He turns and stalks off. She watches him go, lips pursed tightly, before she turns and walks into her apartment. She considers her apartment and herself for a moment before shaping an air of boredom around it and herself. Its not quite an invitation, the Jedi probably wouldn't react well to her trying to get Skywalker here intentionally, but it's served to drag him to her before when he's equally bored and looking for someone to pester or get his mind off things.

He doesn't come that day.

He doesn't come that week, before he ships out again.

But all the while, that mixture of emotions from him is still there, peaking at morning when he wakes up, but weaker during the day until it builds back up towards when he's going to sleep.

Curious...