Kyradia saw the planet of Kowak come into view; well this was bound to be interesting, she could only begin to imagine the reasons why Zash had broken into a botanical plant. She was up to something with the nightsisters but the planet selection didn't add up what the heck was there on Kowak except those weird monkey lizards certainly no magick.
Still there must be something on these planets that the nightsisters wanted, she never understood the culture even though she despised it the Wrath had never really explained her methods. She was feeling weirdly calm, Dzûsa's weird class had chilled her out somewhat, it was kinda odd, she was just glad no one had seen it. How long would it last though she already felt her brain freaking out a little in the back of her mind, it never ever stopped not since she could remember she doubted it ever would. It was difficult to explain her mind to be honest if she understood it she'd probably not have such a problem dealing with it.
Andronikos grumbled "is this that place where those weird monkey lizards are from" Kyradia chuckled Andronikos had always been uncomfortable around them
Ashara nodded "yeah Nik why do you not like them?" Andronikos didn't respond just looked away
Kyradia chuckled "he thinks they're creepy he's super scared of them" Ashara chuckled as Andronikos glowered at Kyradia
Ashara stifled her laughs "oh wow are you serious Andronikos" Kyradia gave a teasing smile Andronikos was all too familiar with at this point.
Andronikos sulked "I'm not scared of them they're just creepy have you heard their laughs why would anyone have them as a pet" Kyradia recalled the time she'd chased Andronikos around the ship in a monkey lizard mask last Harvest day, needless to say he was less than pleased with the costume
Kyradia smirked "He won't let me have one as a pet Ashara I can't see any reason why" Ashara chuckled clearly enjoying the quarrel
Ashara smiled "I can't see any reason why not maybe we'll find one while we're there" Andronikos narrowed his eyes as he landed the ship
He turned around "I swear you better not Ashara" Kyradia chuckled getting up and giving him a peck on the cheek
Kyradia smiled "you'll have to wait and see" she gestured for Ashara to follow as they headed to the landing ramp
Ashara turned to her as they exited the ship "so I assume we're not actually gonna do that?" Kyradia smirked and shook her head
She chuckled "oh no trust me he'd kill me if we did I just enjoy messing with him, he'll get me back soon enough" Ashara nodded with a smile as they began to walk towards the plant
Ashara responded "he seems to be starting to accept I'm back, I think me saving your life helped with that" Kyradia laughed yeah that would help
"Yeah he may have been harsh at first but Andy can't hold a grudge for too long" she laughed "otherwise he'd be furious at me for a million pranks" Ashara chuckled looking away for a second
Ashara's tone shifted "and what about you are you feeling better?" Kyradia didn't know if better was the word for it
Kyradia nodded "sorta I guess" she looked away "I dunno I feel calmer but it's kinda tough keeping it all at bay" Ashara nodded she looked a little dejected, Kyradia knew she wanted to know what was up but Kyradia couldn't explain it's just too much.
Ashara smiled "well I'm here regardless and I got us a lead that didn't damage your psyche so that's a win if you ask me" Kyradia guessed that was a plus but they would've gotten here sooner if she'd been involved
Kyradia folded her arms "what is this place anyway?" They were now at the front gates of a moderately sized compound that looked a little damaged, the break in was clear but Zash had never been subtle.
Ashara held her chin "it's some kind of botanical plant, they were testing the effects of certain plant pheromones and substances on the monkey lizards" Kyradia frowned she understood very little of that sentence
Kyradia sighed "uh Ashara can you dumb that down to someone who wasn't educated in the republic or empire" Ashara's eyes widened realising her confusion
Ashara nodded "they were testing the plant stuff against the animals to see if their behaviour changed" Kyradia nodded since when did plants affect animals, science was a mystery.
Kyradia stroked her chin "and what was the result?" she had a hunch but it wasn't confirmed yet
Ashara shrugged "dunno didn't read that much into it" Ashara knocked on the door then realised there was an intercom and shuffled over to it awkwardly "Hi this is Ashara Zavros I called earlier about helping with the break in" she seemed a little stunted talking to normal people Kyradia doubted she'd done a lot of it in a while.
A crackle came back "what's your clearance" oh great clearence everyones favourite bureaucratic bs.
Kyradia walked up to the comm "Commander Kyradia of the Alliance I'm pretty sure there is no higher clearance" hopefully she sounded agitated enough
There was a long pause before "oh yes of course come right in commander" Kyradia smiled gesturing for Ashara to follow, they made their way across the compound to the large glass building.
As they reached the door a Duros waiting for them, he stammered "y-you're the commad-" Kyradia didn't have time for this guy
Kyradia interrupted "-der of the alliance yes I know I'm amazing such a honour to meet me take me to you boss before I decide to use your head as a kickball" the duros' eyes widened as he quickly led them into the lab.
Kyradia had never been in a botanical lab and was surprised to see it looked just like a regular jungle, they must have tonnes of rare species in here, Ashara shuffled up to Kyradia and whispered "maybe don't threaten every person who's helping us" Kyraida scoffed she wasn't allowed to threaten people now
Kyradia folded her arms "but he's helping us out faster now" Ashara frowned at her "fine I'll use 'tact'" Ashara smiled and followed along behind her.
Soon the Duros led them into a more open lab room with no plants in it, there was a woman with red and black hair seemingly working at a desk, Kyradia frowned that wasn't very common. The Duros mumbled "here we are may I go now" Kyradia nodded barely registering the Duros as she focussed on the woman.
Ashara spoke up "I thought they were supposed to be testing on plants in here" Kyradia has to agree but had a feeling the answer would be Zash
A very familiar modulated echoed voice filled the chamber "that's exactly the reason you are here" she turned around "it was vandi…" she stopped in shock as her eyes met with Kyradia's, Kyradia smiled she knew she recognised that hair it was Darth Malora "c-commander it's such a surprise to see you here this seems a little above your pay grade" Kyradia smiled she wished she had that effect on everyone
Kyradia strode over "yes well I have a personal interest in your burglars" Malora nodded stroking her chin "I have been on their tail for a while now and I need to know what happened here, but first…" Kyradia pulled up a chair "I have to know how a dark council member ended up as a low level scientist on Kowak" Malora narrowed her eyes containing her anger as Kyradia taunted her
Ashara shuffled up "um did I miss something, you two know each other?" Kyradia turned to Ashara she guessed Ashara had always just missed their interactions
Malora spoke "we were apprentices at the same time and had helped each other out a few times, Darth Malora a 'pleasure' to meet you" Ashara was clearly a bit put off by Malora's looks the corruption had certainly done a number on her or maybe the science could be either
Kyradia smiled "Former Darth actually, we met last year on Ossus she was the new dark council member until Malgus kinda threw her off the landing platform" Kyradia could see an audible shudder from Malora clearly that was a sore point "so I see it didn't get better after that?" Malora gritted her teeth clearly furious with Kyradia
Kyradia wasn't scared she'd beat her in a second, Malora folded her arms "After your offer to join the alliance I decided taking some time to regain some of my lost potential was important, at heart I am a scientist so I began a new batch of experiments" Kyradia frowned she guessed that made sense but with alliance funding she could've done much more.
Ashara frowned "so you came to Kowak?" Malora nodded seeming to not see any problem with that
She had a rather weird smile "there is a plant here called springwort its bile has a remarkable effect on animals; turns them savage and carnivorous" Kyradia's eyes widened. That was not good if Zash had it regardless of the ways she used it but what if… Malora continued "I was thinking if manipulated the right way I could create a new type of foot soldier kind of like my Geonosians" Kyradia shook her head out of a daze she'd fallen into
She frowned "you mean the Geonosians that you lost control of and they attacked everyone?" Malora gritted her teeth clearly not a fan of Kyradia pointing out the problems in her ideas
Ashara gasped "she did what?!" Kyradia nodded looking between them
"Yeah I had to clear the mess up she still hasn't said thanks" Kyradia did want that thanks from her, she frowned realising they were very off track.
Malora let out a loud sigh "this wouldn't be like that believe me I've learned my lesson from using mutations they're unstable and can easily change this would be something I could turn on and off like a sort of berserker rage" Kyradia knew all too well what going into a rage felt like but she could see it's application definitely more so than the geonosian idea.
They needed to get back on track, the gloating time was over, they were here for leads on Zash "and I'm guessing the bile is what the burglars stole?" Malora nodded gesturing to a pile of blackened roots
She gripped the arm of her chair tightly as she spoke "not only that they turned the plant to that, it was as big as this room before hand" typical Zash if she has it no one else can "I tried to fight off the acolytes but I underestimated the blonde she was very powerful" Kyradia somehow wasn't surprised
Kyradia shook her head "well that'll be because that blonde was not just a young acolyte that was my old master Darth Zash" Malora frowned at that her face turning to a smile
She chuckled "very funny Nox but I'd prefer you be serious" Kyradia narrowed her eyes and quickly Malora's expression changed filling with dread "oh you're serious" Kyradia nodded
She explained "years ago she tried to steal my body but I trapped her in my Dashade, as soon as I could I then trapped her in a mind prison, it took her years but she got out and took a very powerful young acolyte with her taking her form, that's why she's such a threat" Malora nodded her expression becoming far more serious and maybe a little fearful
Ashara spoke up "you knew Zash too?" Malora held her chin shaking her head
She responded "not personally but I knew her through Kyradia and by reputation I knew her power" Ashara looked at Kyradia and frowned
She folded her arms "Since when were you and Malora friends?" Kyradia rolled her eyes Ashara had just met her and already questioning
Kyradia shook her head "I told you, we weren't friends we just had done a few favours for each other" Malora nodded clearly agreeing
Malora sighed "yes and after Zash became a darth you and her disappeared from Korriban, but if she's back why hasn't she revealed herself to the dark council?" Kyradia wasn't exactly sure beyond the fact that the current dark council was a bunch of melon headed idiots.
Kyradia shrugged "I assume it's because she wants to accumulate more power before revealing herself, the bile was a step towards that" Malora nodded she had become a lot less angry and more pensive since she brought up Zash
Malora frowned "Do you know how, is there some property I missed? And if so are you sure it was even her" Kyradia sighed someone was in heavy denial
Kyradia folded her arms "well honestly I don't know what she wants with it but I do know how to know it was her, was she with a Mirilian with white hair" Malora nodded reluctantly "and the giant dent in the floor and the dead plant suggests an immense amount of power she wields so those are clues too, not the first time you've been thrown off something by a powerful sith" she couldn't help herself
Malora scoffed "yes alright I was bested again you can stop gloating because I know where they're going" Kyraida's eyes went wide "but I have a condition on telling you" Kyradia's hand brushed over her saber "I want to come with you, this research is important to me and I'm not going to let someone as self serving as Zash take it from me" Kyradia's grip relaxed off her saber
She looked to Ashara "I don't see any reason why not, I mean I offered you a job before I think she has plenty of potential" Malora laughed at that dismissing the comment
She shook her head "let me be clear this is just about my research working with you is unfortunately a necessity" Kyradia didn't believe that but whatever
Ashara nodded "of course it is Malora, still welcome aboard but if you're going to join us there are a few rules" Kyradia nodded as Malora let out and echoed groaned
Kyradia cut in "no sitting on the ship, when using the force you cannot use lightning when I'm around, if you ever ask me about my tattoos 'meaning' I will gut you, no talking after 1pm, no forks and knives only spoons, when you... " Ashara was glaring at Kyradia
Ashara spoke up "those are all false… except maybe the tattoos one" Kyradia nodded "the actual rules are simple, no secrets unless they're traumatic, listen to me if you're stressed out or angry and uh try to act with a hint of morality" Malora nodded cocking her head at Kyradia
Malora smiled "has this one made you go soft Kyradia" Kyradia raised her eyebrow soft how dare she
She stood up "why don't you come over here and find out" Malora nodded seemingly satisfied with the threat "now where are they going?" Malora got out a datapad and started to find the planet
Malora explained "A desert planet called Savareen I managed to track the hyperlane they took due to… previous engagements I had it ready to track" Kyradia chuckled paranoid much "I don't know what they're doing there but we can catch up if we go now" Ashara nodded seemingly ready to go
Kyradia raised her eyebrow "alright Malora wanna go kick a sith's teeth in?" Malora smiled seemingly excited to get back to the action, she tossed her lab coat aside and followed after them...