A/N: Sorry guys, the text looked a lot better on MS Word, I can't seem to fix it once it's uploaded here...


"Disappointed statement: Well that was a waste of time Master. Are we sure he is a Jedi? He seems like a useless meatbag to me."

"Unfortunately HK, yes he is a Jedi. A broken one, but still one nonetheless. Even though he tries to forget his past… Some things just can't be erased." Xanthe says solemnly as they walk back to their ship. "Conclusion: So this meatbag is just like you Master. You are still Sith, even though you had avoided anything relating to it for quite a long time. Especially when Master Beniko is mentioned." Xanthe stopped in her tracks and gritted her teeth. "I told you never to say that name and no, I am not like him. I am not weak, nor am I broken. I had served my purpose and I did not see the need to be involved in Core World affairs. Unfortunately Snoke has forced my hand by meddling in affairs that he has no place in." She snaps out and resumes her walk to the ship. HK pauses, wisely staying silent, observing his Master before resuming his walk back to the ship.


"Master Skywalker, you heard what she said! There is a war coming and we need to be ready. We need people! We need you!" Rey shouted.

Luke looked away. "I told you Rey just like I told her, I can't be involved. Restoring the Jedi Order just caused more misery. I can't train you."

Rey just looked at Luke in disbelief. "I hate to actually agree with a Sith, but in this case I believe she was right. You should have just stayed on Tatooine." She said in a disappointed tone, getting up and briskly walking out of the cave, not noticing Luke looking sorrowfully at her retreating form.


As Xanthe was about to open the door to her ship, she hears steps. "Wait!" Rey yells out. HK immediately points his rifle at her "Warning: Halt meatbag!" Xanthe waves him off "Oh HK, please. You have been told she is not to be harmed and even if she was to try and attack, she is no match for me." HK lowers his rifle, "Admission: *sigh* I know Master. It was set to stun. Disappointment: These First Order meatbags were not enough of a challenge."

"I know HK. You will get your chance at a real fight. I promise you." Xanthe says with a slight grin. Rey finally catches up "We need to talk." Rey pants out. Xanthe looks at her curiously, "The history of Skywalker is something that is easily found, but I am afraid I can't help you with your family history."

"No, it's not that, it's what you said about the war that's coming." Rey then looks in realisation and narrows her eyes "Is that even real or is it a ploy to destroy Luke and the Resistance? After all you yourself said you are Sith and Sith are known to be manipulators. Wait a minute… Is Xanthe even your name?!" Rey demands.

Xanthe looks sadly at Rey, who just a few hours ago was laughing and being taught how to properly use a blaster and probably considered each other as friends, now almost ready to attack her. "Yes Rey. Despite what you may think, that is my name. I have no reason to change it. Very few people knew me with that name. Most knew me as Kallig, Imperius, Outlander, Commander and some even referred to me as Nox. Please" Xanthe gestured, "Take a seat. I guess we have a lot to talk about."

"I'd rather stand thank you." Rey bit out. "Xanthe sighed. 'Stubborn girl, but why should I be surprised?' Xanthe thought. "Very well. So now that my name is confirmed, what do you wish to know?"

"Is the war real? Is it true the Force needs to be balanced? Are you really Sith, and if so, how could you survive this long? Are there more Sith? Can you truly beat Snoke? Why do you really want Luke to train more Jedi? Why did you befriend me? Was it just to get to Luke Skywalker?!"

Xanthe's head shot up "NO!" She shouted. "How could you think that? Your friendship to me was- no, IS genuine. Friendships were never easy for me considering my life experiences. If I needed to get to Luke, I did not need to become your friend for that. You reminded me of myself long ago to be honest. I was once a slave as well." Xanthe took a breath to calm down. "You ask a lot of questions. The war? Of course it's real. The New Republic has been decimated. The First Order is trying to exterminate what is left of the Resistance. There are rumours that Snoke himself will be present with the Fleet in the Core Worlds very soon. Of course there is a war. But they have Snoke and Kylo Ren. Military might is one thing, but it is nothing compared to Force users. We don't have Jedi Master Skywalker at present.

The Resistance has no hope at this time of surviving, let alone winning any battles. If he won't come back, then at least train you to be the start of the new Jedi and the beacon of hope to the Resistance as he was to the Rebel Alliance."

Rey scoffed. "There seems to be no chance of that happening. He is adamant that he is not a Jedi and doesn't want to be involved, let alone train me. He still thinks the Jedi is what caused this mess."
"Ah, yes. All because of one failure, he becomes a hermit like Obi wan Kenobi. At least Kenobi had the sense of training a successor even if he felt unworthy to continue as a Jedi Knight. Let me tell you something Rey. My Master tried to kill me. Her Master tried to kill me. His apprentices tried to kill me. Even the bloody acolytes- fellow initiates in the Sith academy- tried to kill me. Even Force Ghosts tried to kill me. If I was anything like Skywalker, I should have gone into exile a long time ago when my Master want to kill me and take over my body!" Xanthe roars out.

She looks at Rey with hardened eyes and calmly continues. "Let me tell you something. The Republic was founded millenia ago. The Sith Empire came out of Korriban, or as you now know it as Morriband. They fought, and eventually the Empire was defeated.

A lot of infighting did not help things… The Sith were almost wiped out. Centuries later, the recovered Republic and Jedi Order fought again with a revived Sith Empire, which somewhat ended the same way, thanks to two Jedi. One, by the name of Revan, stopped the Sith conquest and then left to the unknown regions and the second, a broken Jedi named Meetra Surik that was forcibly exiled, destroyed what was left of a new Sith group- the Sith Triumvirate. And once again, the Republic and Jedi were restored. As far as you know, the Sith Empire is no more. The Sith are extinct, ending with the death of Darth Vader. The Republic was reinstated and is now under threat by the First Order. The Jedi are gone save one broken Jedi. Seems like the Force is trying to find a balance don't you think?"

"I… perhaps?"

"Of course the Sith are not completely gone. We have been in hiding… Not wanting to repeat the mistakes of the Empire I grew up in. As I said, the Force needs balance. I feel you could improve the Jedi with certain reviews to the Jedi code. The Jedi never learned to adapt… making the same mistake as the Sith, too arrogant and set in their ways, which in turn, paved the way for Sidious to crush them all in one single swoop. That is what I hoped to achieve and avoid with the Sith remnants I helped preserve.

To me, history is repeating itself. When the Republic and Jedi were all but extinct, a broken Jedi, who was exiled, was responsible for reviving the Jedi Order and preserving the Republic. She, like Skywalker, was reluctant to be involved again. She was betrayed by her own fellow Jedi and Masters and yet, she eventually retook her role as a Jedi and later died to save the Jedi and the Republic. If you wish to know more, you may come inside. It is nightfall and I'm hungry." Xanthe said standing up, dusting her robes and gesturing Rey inside her ship.

Xanthe starts walking to the door of her ship, but stops when she notices there's no sound behind her. She looks back to see Rey just standing there. Xanthe sighs and rolls her eyes. "Despite the stories you may have heard about the Sith, I am human and I do need to eat. Now, are you coming in or not? HK can escort you if you wish."

"Exclamation: What?! But Master-" The look that Xanthe shot back was enough to stop HK from continuing his protest. "Resignation: Very well Master. Follow me… Meatbag." HK says and walks inside. After a moment, whatever internal battle Rey had was resolved as she followed HK inside. Xanthe sadly watched Rey's form walking down the corridor sighing to herself before making her way inside also. As she was about to close the door to the ship, she sensed a presence… faint, but still a presence. 'It worked.' Xanthe thought to herself as she closed the door.

As Xanthe made her way through the ship, she was greeted with the sight of Rey tinkering with HK's casing. "What are you doing?" she asked curiously. "A minute ago you both wanted to kill each other? Now you're…. Besties?"

"Reluctant answer: I had a ...minor misalignment, which this meatba- I mean Rey noticed and offered to readjust. I assume it was from a lucky shot in the cave Master. Appraisement: Surprisingly, she is actually competent in engineering. Perhaps more so than Master Beni- I mean… the former Minister of Intelligence." HK turns around excitedly "May we keep her Master?"

Despite HK's slight slip up, Xanthe couldn't help but break a bemused smile at the change of tone. 'All because of one tune up' She thought to herself. Rey noticed the slight change in HK and Xanthe when he was in mid sentence of what she assumed was a name, but chose not to comment, although she mentally filed it away for future reference.

"Well when you've finished tinkering, help yourself to whatever is in the storage lots. There isn't much of a selection I admit. Mostly porg, fish and wild vegetation." Xanthe states, gesturing to the corner of the mess hall. She settles down and starts eating silently, waiting for the questions that Rey will inevitably ask. Eventually, she hears HK walk away and footsteps and clothes rusling across from her. She looks up and sees Rey looking back with a guarded look. She sighs. "I know that look. I've had it on my own face many times. If I wanted to harm or kill either of you, I would have done so. Or perhaps it's the rumour of the reputation of the 'Big Bad Sith' that has you all riled up, or it's simply that you feel betrayed by someone you trusted." Xanthe says as more of a statement rather than a question, looking back down resuming her meal.

"Whatever gave you that idea." Rey answered sarcastically. "I don't understand why you needed to hide all of this and lie to us. We wouldn't have told anyone- There isn't even anyone here!"

"Fear." Xanthe said simply, not bothering to look back up.

"What?" Rey asked confused. "Fear." Xanthe repeated.

"I don't understand. Fear of what?" Rey pressed. Xanthe looked back up with a barely noticeable smirk. "Fear of me." When she saw Rey about to protest, she elaborated, "Fear of me, or rather, the fear of what I represent. Fear of Sith, fear of the Dark Side. Although curiously enough, you don't seem to fear the Dark Side, just the individuals wielding it. Would you or Skywalker have been as accommodating or as open if I just came up to you and said, "Hey there! I'm a crash landed Sith Lord, member of the Dark Council of an Empire thought to be extinct, who's been alive for over a thousand years. Pleased to meet you!" Xanthe shouts out sarcastically, giving Rey a pointed look, who in return has a less than amused look on her face. Xanthe folds her arms, "Yes, I didn't think so." she concludes.

A beeping sound interrupted the two Force users, "What's that?" Rey asks. Xanthe doesn't reply, but goes straight to the cockpit, smiling faintly when she sees who is hailing her. She turns to see Rey at the entrance to the cockpit. "Well? Why are you standing there for? Sit down. The chair won't kill you." Xanthe pats the co-pilot's chair, gesturing Rey to take a seat.

"I have someone I'd like you to meet Rey, although I am certain you'll have even more questions for me after this holo call." Xanthe accepts the call, revealing a holographic image of- "Ah Lord Scourge, impatient are we? I find it hard to believe you would already be at Yavin 4?"

"No my Lord, I am currently en-route. I wanted to inform you that ships from the First Order are breaching Wild Space and also, intelligence has noticed fleet formations. It seems they are planning an actual fleet assault on the Core Worlds. Rumour has it that Snoke himself will be overseeing the invasion." Scourge states.
"So he has become overconfident after all…. Here I was thinking he might have had some wisdom after all this time. Most disappointing. Oh, meet Rey, a potential Jedi apprentice and hopefully the one responsible for reviving the Jedi Order."

"So you are the one Darth Imperius has been keeping an interest in… Pleasure to meet you young Jedi. I hope to meet face to face, although I take it by the look on your face that the feeling is not mutual." Scourge pauses, recognition showing in his eyes. "Your presence… Your… defiance… They remind me of a Jedi from long ago. Meetra... " He shook his head. "My Lord, if she is anything like the Exile, there may be no point in going after Snoke, she could probably finish him herself."

Xanthe laughs, giving Scourge an amused look. "If she had the training Surik had, or any proper Jedi training, then perhaps. At this point, she is less of a threat than a Padawan. Plus, I would love to have the satisfaction of seeing the look of pure shock and fear on Snoke's face when he sees a Dark Lord of the Sith in front of him. Speaking of which," Xanthe comments with a sigh "Any First Order ships that breach our space- eliminate. Leave no survivors or witnesses. Also, change of plans Lord Scourge- move ships to Korriban. We may need more ships in case the system is guarded by the First Order. We need to secure Korriban. It belongs to us, not Snoke. I will meet you there in a few days. Oh and Scourge?"

"Yes my Lord?"
"Has the hyperspace tracking been completed? We may need it very soon. The First Order may already have it."
"Do not fear my Lord. That is how we have been monitoring the First Order. I assure you, the technology works."

"Very good Scourge. Call more ships and secure Korriban. I will meet you there. May the Force serve you well." Scourge bows in response "It will be done. May the Force serve you well also my Lord." The transmission ends with the hologram of Scourge flickering out.

Xanthe leans back into the chair waiting for the inevitable reaction- "I resent that." Rey grumbles. She looks at Rey amusedly. "Well yes, I admit you are strong in the Force and strong willed, but your training is… almost non-existent. You're basically training yourself through guesswork and luck."

"Luck? I beat Kylo Ren on Starkiller base-"

"-And you got knocked out cold in the cave back there. Kylo Ren is but a child as far as training is concerned. He knows of the Force and he knows a few tricks, but his fighting form is very sloppy. He has power, but not properly trained. If he was, he would have killed you. You also have power, but unlike him, you are more disciplined. That is why you survived. That is why you beat him on Starkiller base, but not here. But enough of that. I invited you here as you had questions. Ask away." Xanthe stated casually.

"Who was he? I've never seen his species before?" Rey asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes, well, he is Lord Scourge, formerly known as the Emperor's Wrath and is a Sith Pureblood. A native of Korriban or Morriband- whatever name you are familiar with. They were thought to be extinct, but as I said, the Sith Empire has been in hiding for a long time. New worlds in the Unknown Regions and then later in Wild Space were settled, as it was clear that Korriban would be out of bounds for quite some time."

"What will you do when the First Order is defeated? What will happen to the Resistance and to the Jedi?" Rey asked.

"Nothing. As I told you before, my purpose in being involved is to make sure the Republic and Jedi survive and to be rebuilt. The Force needs balance. It can't do that with only one side in existence. Snoke has disrupted the balance by sabotaging Skywalker's attempt to create a Jedi Academy. My only goal now is to neutralise the First Order. Nothing more."

Rey seems to accept that answer and asks something she was curious about from what Xanthe said earlier, "What did you mean when you said "a thousand year old Sith Lord?" How old are you?"

Xanthe looks back with a bored expression "Exactly what I said. I'm over a thousand years old. How do you think the Sith Empire could survive? The Sith were thought to be extinct for nearly a millennium. I look good for my age don't I?" Xanthe asks with a grin. Rey shakes her head. "Impossible. The Force can't extend your life that long can it?"

"Well yes and no… As far as Force tricks go, you're more like transferring your essence from body to body through the Force- like my former Emperor- and as such, you're capable of living for quite a long time or devouring someone else's life force to sustain your own, but this is not my case. Mine was due to... Dabbling in things I wasn't ready for and frantically finding something to fix me. Which I found and later on, stumbled across technology that… Improved me. Side effect was I have a unusually long lifespan and I have no idea when I'll actually age properly. Scourge's lifespan is not natural either, but his longevity is due to Sith sorcery as a gift from our former Emperor, Vitiate. As a side effect, he is in constant pain and his emotions are somewhat impaired."

Rey nods. " I see. What happened to you? What things did you dabble in that caused all this?"

Xanthe shakes her head, "Another story for another time Rey. Maybe when all of this is sorted with Snoke, then I can tell you about my adventures in more detail- and no, don't bother asking HK, as he wasn't around when all this occurred." Seeing Rey's expression looking like a deer caught in headlights, she continued "I don't need to use the Force to know that's what you were thinking." Xanthe stated, seeing Rey's expression turn into a guilty one in being caught out. "Just so you know, I will be leaving in two days for Korriban. If you wish to come with me, you can. I personally recommend you stay with Skywalker and if he still refuses to teach you anything, then read the Jedi lore inside the Temple and teach yourself. He is the last link of the Jedi and if he and the lore are gone, then so is the Order."

"I want to stop Snoke. I don't think I can do that here." Rey admitted. "Will the Dark Side be enough to stop Snoke?"

Xanthe shook her head, knowing exactly what Rey was getting at. "Despite what you may have heard, the Light or the Dark Side alone is not enough to stop anyone. You. Need. Training." Xanthe tells her, pointing her finger and emphasizing each word. "Don't follow me thinking I will allow you the opportunity and teach you the skills to kill Snoke. You need to succeed the Jedi Order. If you don't care for the Jedi, then I will not stop you from coming with me, but do not follow me only because of Snoke. Understand?"

"Yes I understand." Rey replies. "I…don't like it, but I understand. I will go back and see if Master Skywalker has changed his mind. I don't want the Jedi Order to vanish. They're the only hope the galaxy has."

Xanthe nods, a faint smile on her face "Good. That's what I was hoping you would say. Take care of yourself Rey and I hope our paths cross again in the future." Rey looked at her alarmed. " You're not coming back? Even after Snoke?"

"I… might. It may be a while as I need to secure Korriban and see what Scourge has done with the Empire. I very much doubt you would still be here by that time. Oh- Here is my holocom frequency should you need it." Xanthe said as an afterthought, handing over the holocom datapad. "I… Thank you." Rey replied. "Good bye Xanthe… For now." Rey adds with a small smile. Xanthe smiles in turn, realising that Rey is slowly warming to her again. "Yes, for now. What was it the Jedi say? Oh yes. May the Force be with you." Rey nods in reply and walks out, heading back to her cabin.