A/N: Hi everyone! Here's the next boring filler chapter needed to move the story along. I personally don't like it very much, but it's something that needs to be done, unfortunately. It's paced in the same way the actual episodes from the series are, so just follow along with that if you want to know how many days and weeks there are between episodes and moments. It's still a boring filler, but an important boring filler. And it will help set up the next chapter, but that doesn't make it any less or more interesting. Either way, I hope you like it and see you next time. The next chapter has a bit more excitement, and I'm hoping that it will keep everyone interested.
Until next time, please read, review, and enjoy!
Galactic showdown! In a fierce battle for survival, the Republic and Separatist armies have clashed in the distant Sullust system. Count Dooku's most cunning assassin, Asajj Ventress, leads the vicious attack...
The wreckage of the battle was all around her as she searched for Ventress. Ever since the liberation of Zygerria a few weeks ago, the half-Nautolan had been biding her time, waiting for the next move on the board to happen. And it had just happened; Sidious had decided Ventress was becoming too powerful in the Dark Side and had ordered Dooku to eliminate her. Dooku had attempted to do just that, but the half-Nautolan could still sense her and knew she was still alive. After everything she had been through in her life, Ventress was just too stubborn to die.
Now all she had to do was find her.
Navigating the wreckage of the battle was difficult and made more challenging by the fact she wasn't the only one there. A scavenger crew was searching the field for anything salvageable, and she didn't want Ventress to be found by them first. Ventress, injured, which the half-Nautolan knew she was, was a dangerous opponent. Especially when she felt cornered. Finding her before anyone else did was crucial, but as she was following the junk ship, the half-Nautolan could see she was a few moments too late. One of the junk ship arms had just picked up the remains of Ventress' ship.
Knowing they wouldn't have done that if there wasn't something or someone inside, the half-Nautolan pushed the Ghost faster, hoping she would get there in time. But she was too late, and she could sense the moment Ventress killed everyone on board with the Force. Before she could leave, though, the half-Nautolan flashed her lights at the bridge and sent a coded static message to the ship. Ventress only extended the docking tube between the two ships and met her down in the cargo bay.
After arriving, the half-Nautolan looked her over carefully, taking in every inch of the other woman. Ventress had a deep wound to her side that she had pressed her hand against, and there was no denying she was in pain. But looking into her eyes, the half-Nautolan could see she was still determined and still fighting, and she nodded inwardly.
Ventress was still with her in this fight, and now their interests were actually aligned.
"What do you want me to do, now that Dooku has betrayed me?" the assassin asked, "Go back and try to convince him I'm worth something to him?" the half-Nautolan immediately shook her head, knowing that would only end with Ventress getting killed. Her days of being a spy for the half-Nautolan were done, and now it was time for her to help the half-Nautolan more than she had ever done in the past.
Ventress sighed when she saw, "I'm planning to go to Dathomir unless you have something else you want me to do? The Nightsisters will help me with my revenge, and I'm guessing unknowingly help you with whatever you have planned next?"
The half-Nautolan nodded, but her concern was still there as she stepped forward and gently removed Ventress' hand from the wound to get a better look. Seeing that it wasn't that serious, she left it alone; the Nightsisters would fix it up better and more quickly than she could right now. Ventress put her hand back once she was done looking at it, saying, "I'll get in touch with you about what's going on as soon as I'm certain. If you need me, come get me. Mother Talzin won't deny you; we both know that. You are too powerful for her."
The other woman only stared at her a few moments before slowly nodding, and a few minutes later, they parted ways, for now.
Ventress immediately set her course for Dathomir and disappeared. At the same time, the half-Nautolan stayed around what remained of the battle for a few moments longer. While Ventress may not entirely be aware of what she had planned, the half-Nautolan knew it would help her and set events in motion that would set the stage for one of the most intense battles in the war.
For now, though, the half-Nautolan would stay and search for other survivors, be they droid or clone. The droids were always valuable for intel about Separatist movements, which would be even more crucial now that Ventress was no longer her spy close to Dooku, and the clones were good soldiers. She would remove the inhibitor chips in their heads and let them decide what they wanted to do. Usually, that was staying with her and helping her in her mission.
The few that didn't want to stay and help, she let them decide where they went next and what they did and gave them the means to get there.
Nodding to herself, the half-Nautolan continued her scouting of the battlefield, looking for anything or anyone still alive in one of the most intense battles of the Clone Wars to date.
A bid for revenge! Betrayed and left for dead by Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress has begun a deadly game with her former Master, launching a secret assassination attempt against him with the help of her kin, the mysterious Nightsisters. Deceived into thinking the Jedi were behind the recent attack, Dooku has traveled across the galaxy to enlist the Nightsisters in his quest for vengeance...
After the failed attempt on Dooku's life, he had decided he needed a new assassin and apprentice to train and use. To that end, he had gone to the Nightsisters, who had agreed to supply him with such a killer. Ventress had been crucial in the games to decide who would take her place and, in the end, settled on a Nightbrother by the name of Savage Opress. Working their magics on the Nightbrother, the Nightsisters were able to turn him into a powerful warrior loyal only to Ventress in the end.
After he had been delivered to Dooku, Ventress disappeared into the forest of Dathomir for a few hours to settle herself and get ready for the next part of the plan. Even though she hadn't been ready to kill Dooku, and there was still more for her to learn about fighting a Sith, she could still get in touch with someone who had more than enough experience killing Sith. And so she had left and gone into the forest, and once far enough away from the Nightsisters, she had sent her mind out through the Force. She also sent her desire to get in touch with a friend, using what the half-Nautolan had taught her about communicating mind-to-mind.
They weren't technically Master and Apprentice, but there was still a bond there that was just as powerful, and Ventress knew the half-Nautolan would be able to sense her and open the connection to her. Most of the time, it was silent and dormant to keep people from sensing a connection between the two of them, but Ventress was hoping that since she was the one initiating contact, it would be accepted quickly. She was awarded a few moments later with throbbing, intense pain in her head and had to clench her teeth to not cry out from the pain, knowing it would pass soon enough. And sure enough, it did, as the half-Nautolan used her will on the Force to calm it.
Once the pain was gone, Ventress sent out her thoughts to the half-Nautolan. They weren't words, not exactly, more like feelings and sensory inputs like sight and sound and smell, but they still made sense to the half-Nautolan: Savage Opress has been delivered to Dooku. The next part of the plan is falling into place, and we will see him betray Dooku soon enough. I don't know why you have allowed him to be created; he is very powerful and will only leave destruction in his wake, but I trust you to make the right decision with him. Let me know if you need anything else.
There was no response from the half-Nautolan, and seconds later, the oppressive weight of her mind and presence left Ventress' mind and the area, leaving Ventress with no choice but to rejoin the clan and wait and see what the half-Nautolan had planned. She wasn't sure what this was all about, but she knew it wouldn't be over soon.
The half-Nautolan's plans were always long-reaching and took time to come to a head, and Ventress knew she was better off just waiting for the next set of instructions. Even if the Nightsisters had taken her back, her loyalty was more to the half-Nautolan and their friendship than anything else. Betraying the sisters would be difficult, but they hadn't been in her life long enough to count for much.
The half-Nautolan, on the other hand, had been there for more than half her life, longer than anyone else for that matter, and was always there when she needed her. That kind of loyalty couldn't be found or bought, and Ventress was grateful for it every day. It meant she always had an ally and a friend, and this ally and friend was one of her most powerful.
So much more than Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters, and would be there longer than them.
Ending her communication with Ventress, the half-Nautolan went back to her meditation, thinking over everything Ventress had just told her. Savage Opress was the most powerful warrior from the Nightbrothers; he would appeal not just to Dooku but also to one she had been searching for for many years. Long before the Clone Wars had even begun, if she was being honest with herself. Knowing what she knew about the Nightsisters, they would likely give him blastproof armor and mythical weapons, but they wouldn't be a problem for her when she finally crossed paths with him.
While the Nightsisters were powerful sorceresses, she was more powerful than them; she knew this. But it wouldn't change the fact that Opress would have to prove himself to Dooku, resulting in something catastrophic for the Jedi.
The only way for a potential apprentice to prove himself to his master was to prove he could kill, and a Jedi was a powerful opponent. Turning to the Force once more, she followed its pathways through the galaxy, following the chaos that was Savage Opress and finding him on the planet Devaron. She was powerless to do anything for the Jedi Master and his Padawan there and could only watch as they were brutally killed by Opress. Knowing that it would happen didn't make it any easier, and she knew there would be many more deaths before this part of the saga was finished. For now, all she could do was watch and wait for the right moment and continue to train and prepare for that moment.
To that end, she would see how things developed from a distance, not getting involved until she had to, waiting for the right moment to strike. While Dooku thought he was training a monster, the half-Nautolan knew that this monster would lead her to another that was even worse than Opress or Dooku could ever hope to be.
And would be a test of her strength and skill when she finally found him.
Mysterious deaths! Unknown to the Jedi, a new threat has been unleashed on the galaxy: Savage Opress, a pawn in the dangerous game between Count Dooku and his former assassin, Ventress. The victims of his brutal massacre on the planet of Devaron are being returned to the Jedi Temple for evaluation. It's up to the Jedi Council to find this mysterious killer, and eradicate him...
The deaths of Master Halsey and his Padawan Knox were a surprise to the Jedi. So Plo Koon, Saessee Tiin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Adi Gallia were waiting for Delta Squad to return from Devaron with the two dead Jedi. Adi had completely recovered from her ordeal on Zygerria and was back fighting in the war, although when she wasn't fighting or leading her ship, she was often in deep meditation, trying to figure out her connection to the half-Nautolan. So far, she hadn't had much luck, as the Force was elusive on the issue and wouldn't give her the answers she was seeking, but she kept trying.
She had no way of knowing that she was being purposefully blocked by the half-Nautolan from finding the answers she was looking for. Still, the half-Nautolan couldn't help but admire her determination. So much so she was just as determined to make sure the Tholothian Jedi didn't learn anything from the Force until she was ready, and that wouldn't be for quite a while. It was safer for everyone, including Adi, if she didn't know what the connection was or why it existed in the first place.
But for now, Adi was waiting for Delta Squad to land on the Jedi Temple's landing platform, the weather dark and rainy. Finally landing and leaving the ship, accompanied by two coffins, the leader of Delta Squad, Boss, said, "There were no survivors on Devaron. Everyone was killed, including Master Halsey and his Padawan."
"In the past," Adi said as she gently rested a hand on one of the coffins, "only Dooku's assassin was capable of such an effort, but she was presumed dead at the battle of Sullust."
"Not everything is what it seems," Master Plo said thoughtfully, "There may be a new threat. Someone or something has eluded us," Saessee Tiin nodded slowly as Master Plo continued, "Perhaps a newly appointed Sith Lord."
"This is not the work of a Sith Lord or a Jedi," Obi-Wan said as he stroked his beard in thought, "but a reckless, impulsive animal."
Nothing else could really be said after that, and the Jedi went inside with their dead to lay them to rest in the traditions of the Order. The next day, Obi-Wan was summoned to one of many rooms in the Temple surrounded by windows on all sides. When he got there, Masters Yoda and Windu were already waiting for him. Not sure what this was about, Obi-Wan nevertheless asked, "Master Yoda, you called for me?"
"Master Kenobi, show you something we must," Yoda said as he and Mace walked over, Mace saying then, "We have recovered surveillance footage of the massacre on Devaron," as the window shades were shut and a holorecording was presented to Obi-Wan, who couldn't believe his eyes for several seconds as he watched the recording.
"Darth Maul alive?" Obi-Wan said, almost unable to believe what he was seeing, "It can't be. I killed him myself," remembering all too well the fight that had started not just the entire destabilization of the galaxy but had also taken his Master's life.
"Correct you are, Obi-Wan," Yoda said, "A creature of the same species he is, from Dathomir."
"Dathomir?" Obi-Wan asked, "The planet of the witches? I was under the impression that Darth Maul's homeworld was Iridonia."
"Dathomir is the planet where Maul was raised," Mace said, "Iridonia is where the rest of the males of the species dwell."
"Travel to Dathomir, you must," Yoda said, "Find the source of this threat you will," Obi-Wan nodding before he left to find Anakin to begin the journey to Dathomir.
Having arrived on Dathomir and been given a less-than-friendly welcome from the Nightbrothers, Anakin and Obi-Wan had journeyed to the home of the Nightsisters, hoping for information that would be of use to find whoever or whatever had killed Master Halsey and Knox. Arriving at their village, the two Jedi were immediately on edge. Obi-Wan said softly, "We've got company," as he looked up at the twisted trees around them, barely seeing two figures above them duck away quickly.
Before Anakin could respond or do much else, they were suddenly surrounded by female warriors dressed in red and armed with vibroswords and energy bows. One of the sisters approached the Jedi and took their lightsabers, while another behind them only said, "Jedi, come with us," nudging them forward towards their village. The two Jedi complied, keeping their hands up so they weren't seen as a threat.
They finally arrived at the village a while later and were brought to a room with a long table and several chairs, Mother Talzin at the head. The two Jedi were quick to sit down, Mother Talzin saying by way of welcome, "Master Kenobi."
"Mother Talzin, thank you for your hospitality," Obi-Wan said as he eyed the armed women behind him. Mother Talzin only smiled slightly as she stood up, saying, "I believe you have a question for me."
"Yes, you're right," Obi-Wan said as Mother Talzin started walking around the table in front of them, "We've had reports of a Dathomiri male on the loose. He's already killed two Jedi. Perhaps you know who he is?"
"Master Jedi, we have no control over the males," Mother Talzin said, trying to stall and explain away the situation with Opress without actually revealing anything, "Our clan has been in exile for years."
"Don't play innocent with me, Mother," Obi-Wan said, not buying her and her clan's supposed innocence for a second, "Everyone in the galaxy knows females are dominant on this planet. I do not believe anything happens here without your clan knowing about it."
"To think that the Jedi collect their facts from mere rumors," Mother Talzin said as she walked behind the Jedi, knowingly striking a nerve with Anakin since he said almost angrily, "Rumors. You call two dead Jedi rumors?" unable to control his anger for a moment and getting to his feet, only being stopped by the Nightsisters behind him and Obi-Wan's arm across his chest.
"This thing, this animal, is extremely dangerous," Obi-Wan said to Mother Talzin, trying to get her to see reason as she sat down, "If you have any information about his whereabouts, you must tell us."
Instead of answering him directly, Mother Talzin turned to her crystal ball in front of her, calling on the Force to help her, "Savage!" she called out, "Savage Opress!" looking for that she had created and finally finding him.
"Mother?" Obi-Wan asked as her ball returned to its original color of red and orange and she relaxed. She only said, "He is on Toydaria," looking at the two Jedi.
Obi-Wan only said, "Thank you," before running from the room, Anakin close behind and leaving Mother Talzin alone for a few minutes. But she didn't stay alone for long and quickly went to find Ventress, telling her, "The time has come, sister. You must put your plot against Dooku into effect now."
"He isn't ready, Mother," Ventress said as they walked, "He needs more training."
"He has to be ready," Mother Talzin said as she turned to face Ventress, "Together, the two of you will be able to eliminate the Count. But you must act now. We cannot keep your new assassin a secret forever."
"I will have my revenge," Ventress said as she scowled and remembered what Dooku had done to her. Mother Talzin rested her hands on Ventress' shoulders for a few brief moments to say, "You will, sister. You will."
Ventress only shrugged her off and left quickly, knowing that things were starting to fall into place. Knowing time was of the essence, Ventress quickly sent a message to the half-Nautolan via her ship while she headed for Dooku's location, hoping Opress would be up to helping her eliminate Dooku. But arriving there and finally fighting Dooku, she realized something wasn't right, and that became even clearer when she felt a presence in the Force that was familiar to her and too powerful to fight against.
That presence was shielding itself from Dooku but hadn't bothered with her because it knew she wouldn't be able to do anything about it.
In the Force, the half-Nautolan was there watching and influencing this fight. And it wasn't in a way that would help Ventress win. After a few moments, Ventress' control over Opress was severed. He attacked both her and Dooku then, but before he could kill both of them, Dooku escaped through a hatch with Ventress right behind while the Jedi arrived and tried to fight Opress without any success.
Escaping in an escape pod after a failed fight with Dooku, Ventress immediately headed for the Nightsisters, but not before she got a coded message from the half-Nautolan telling her that there was a reason she had severed Ventress' control over Opress: she needed him for something, and he couldn't do anything if he was under the control of Ventress. Realizing she had been manipulated by the half-Nautolan actually caused Ventress some amusement, especially since she knew it wouldn't have happened without a very good reason. Whatever that was would have to wait since now the half-Nautolan wanted her back on Dathomir and out of sight for a little while. If she disappeared for a few months and the Jedi continued to think her dead, she would have greater freedom of movement. Understanding that logic Ventress headed for Dathomir, deciding she would learn what Mother Talzin wanted from her and then see if it was something she was willing to do.
Her loyalty to the Nightsisters was questionable; her loyalty to the half-Nautolan was unshakeable.
Whatever the half-Nautolan wanted came before Mother Talzin and the Nightsisters, and so it would be an interesting journey for her while she made sure Mother Talzin wouldn't sense any deception from her. Thankfully she had been well-trained in hiding what she was feeling, and it wasn't from Dooku or even the half-Nautolan.
It was from a Jedi of all people.
Arriving back on Dathomir before Ventress, Savage Opress was glad to see Mother Talzin, even though he had been wounded during the fight between himself, Ventress, Dooku, and the Jedi. Mother Talzin, knowing there was only one thing for him to do, was quick to greet him when he finally arrived, "You have come home to us."
Opress didn't answer right away, collapsing to the ground from exhaustion and his wounds as Mother Talzin walked over and knelt beside him, helping him sit up. When he did, it was clear what had happened to him, "I was betrayed by Ventress. The Jedi are after me. I'm not nearly strong enough to defeat them all."
"Calm yourself," Mother Talzin said as she helped him to his feet, "You will be."
"I – I don't understand. Who will teach me?" Opress asked, more determined than ever to kill anyone that got in his way, be it Sith, Jedi, or Ventress.
"You have a brother," Mother Talzin said as she used the Force to pull the crystal ball on the table closer to them. Hearing this, Opress was surprised, "A brother? But all of my kin were killed," as he limped over to get a closer look at this brother.
"Not all of them," Mother Talzin said as the crystal showed the image of his brother, which looked fragmented into pieces like shards of glass, "He lives in the Outer Rim, in exile. You will find him. He will teach you everything you need to learn to become even more powerful."
"My brother... How... how will I find him?" Opress asked as he turned to Mother Talzin, who said, "This talisman has been imbued with the power of our clan," holding out the object in question, "It will be your compass," putting it around his neck before resting a hand briefly on his cheek, "You have an important destiny to fulfill, Savage Opress….you and your brother," turning to the crystal ball again, "Go. You will know where to find him."
Opress only called his lightsaber back to him before turning to her once more and saying, "I will return, Mother."
Opress left after that, leaving Mother Talzin to return to her clan and prepare for Ventress' arrival, knowing it was coming as soon as she finished gathering her strength again and found another ship to get her back to Dathomir.
Watching all this through the Force, the half-Nautolan smiled inwardly. Savage Opress was being sent to find someone she had not been able to find for decades, and in time he would lead her right to him. But for now, she would wait for Ventress to come back to her before sending her out on another mission. While Ventress was a killer and a fallen Sith apprentice, she was much more than that to those that knew her well, and the half-Nautolan knew her very well.
In time she would come back to the half-Nautolan, and only then would she be sent on a mission that would truly determine her fate and if she was a follower of the Dark Side or not. Knowing her the way she did, the half-Nautolan knew the answer to that question, but she wanted Ventress to figure it out for herself as well.
Sinister forces on the move! Asajj Ventress has suffered a humiliating betrayal at the hands of her own assassin, Savage Opress. Having gone into hiding, she now has no choice but to seek sanctuary with the Nightsisters of Dathomir...
The aftermath of destruction was all around her as she surveyed what had happened to the sisters. Ventress had only been there a few short days, arriving a couple days after Opress had left, when Dooku launched a massive attack and wiped out the entire clan. This was his revenge for Ventress attempting to kill him, and she knew it. And while Mother Talzin had told her that her destiny was out in the galaxy and she had to seek it, she knew there was only one place she could go and make sense of all that had happened.
Her destiny had never involved the Nightsisters; they had just been one stop on a long journey she had been making her entire life. That journey had twisted and turned and gone back on itself so many times there was no point trying to remember where things had started going wrong for her, but she knew what it always circled back to whenever she sought revenge.
Revenge was never the answer, not for her, and she knew why it would never work out for her.
With these thoughts spinning around in her head, Ventress left Dathomir, heading for the rendezvous point where the half-Nautolan had said to meet her. It was on Tattoine, specifically Mos Eisley. Taking the junk ship she had stolen, Ventress was soon on the desert planet, regretting being there immediately. Desert planets never brought back good memories for her, and Tattoine especially was a planet she despised. And now she was here because the half-Nautolan was here, but she had no intention of staying longer than necessary.
With those thoughts in mind, Ventress got off her ship, heading for the center of town. Once arriving, she looked around to ensure she hadn't been followed or watched, then slipped through an open door that led down into the sewers beneath the city. From there, she followed her senses, knowing the Force was leading her right to the half-Nautolan. After many minutes of walking, she finally arrived at a sealed door with a code lock. Looking at it blankly for a few minutes, Ventress almost didn't remember the code, but old memories stirred in her mind, and she knew what it was right away. She had been here before, and she knew she would be safe as soon as she opened the door.
Looking behind her quickly, she checked to make sure there was still no one there and had followed her before quickly typing in the code. The door opened immediately, and she entered, the door shutting just as fast and locking behind her. The only way in or out was with specific codes, and those were known to only a few people in the entire galaxy. Following the semi-lit tunnel in front of her, Ventress walked for another five or so minutes before finally reaching a room right under the city center. Looking around revealed it seemed deserted, as it usually was.
This place was a safe house more than anything else and a great place to lay low if you were the kind of person who needed to be invisible not just to the authorities but also to the criminals. Knowing who used this place didn't make Ventress any less wary since she knew the people who used this place were incredibly dangerous. Her guard stayed up until movement caught her eye, and she walked over to where the half-Nautolan was busy at a computer. The room was circular and stocked with everything a person could need, including a refresher and essential medical equipment. Bunk beds lined one wall, and more were stacked along another wall. A small, fully stocked kitchen was set up in the back next to the refresher, and there was room to exercise and train. Scorch marks along the walls showed where someone hadn't hit the targets exactly, and Ventress smiled slightly.
This place always looked like it had been through a few wars, but somehow, it always felt like home. Maybe that was because it was used more often than people thought, and Ventress knew it wasn't just by the half-Nautolan in front of her.
Many of their mutual friends knew about this place and used it often. There was an unspoken schedule for keeping it stocked with everything it could possibly need. Ventress smiled inwardly at that; she doubted the Jedi Council would have approved of Kit Fisto knowing about this place, and especially wouldn't have approved of him using it. Still, she knew he had in the past and likely would in the future.
His family maintained the place so that friends and allies could use it when needed, after all.
Drawing her mind out of her thoughts and back to the present, Ventress turned to the half-Nautolan, who had been patiently waiting for her to come back to the present. Seeing that look on her face, Ventress sighed as she pulled up a nearby chair and sat heavily in it, "I know, I know, I'm late. I couldn't help it; Dooku massacred the Nightsisters, and I had to help defend them. I may not be one of them, not in any way that counts, you made sure of that, but I had to stay and help them as much as possible."
A hand on hers had her looking into the half-Nautolan's compassionate eyes. She understood what it meant for Ventress to try and defend her clan, even if there hadn't been any hope for them at all, but there was nothing for it now. Ventress now had no home and nowhere to go, and hopefully, she was ready for the next step. Ventress pulling her hands away caught the half-Nautolan's attention, and she looked at the former assassin, who said, "I'm ready for whatever training you have next. Just tell me what it is, and it will be done. I'm ready to become more than a Sith, and I want you to teach me how."
The half-Nautolan said nothing, only stared at Ventress for many long minutes, analyzing and thinking. Then, she reached out with the Force, gentle prods at Ventress' mind, and the former Sith apprentice let her in. The half-Nautolan explored her mind and her emotions, looking through everything that was made available to her, which was everything. Ventress wanted to prove her loyalty and decided there was only one way to do it. She let herself be bared for the galaxy to see, not holding anything back, and the half-Nautolan explored her mind as deep as she could.
After a few minutes of this, the half-Nautolan finally pulled away, content with what she had found. There had never been any doubt about Ventress or her loyalty to her, but she knew there were those in the galaxy that would want that confirmation from her. Now she had it, and there was nothing else to do but get Ventress ready for her next assignment. Her training wouldn't start right away; there was something else she needed to do first.
It was time for her to cast aside the Nightsister and become who she was meant to be. It was time to complete her training; after one more lesson the half-Nautolan couldn't teach her.
And she knew of just the girl to teach her.