Serpeness had spent months pouring over her scrolls, texts, and holocrons, or deep in meditation trying to focus the Dark Side, hone it to her desires. Despite her late master's initial insistence that learning the secrets of Plagueis would be possible, they had never done it within his lifetime. It was sadly one of the only things Sidious had never bothered to teach him, having never considered him a true apprentice, if he even knew. Likely when he killed his master he did not know as much as he thought he did, rendering the secret to creating and preserving life being lost forever, meaning that Aislinn had to be healed not resurrected. Unfortunately all her Dark Side knowledge came up equally blank in that regard as well. She couldn't give up now, not while Aislinn's health deteriorated more rapidly by the day. The flickering yellow candlelight reflecting her own yellow eyes, every darkened vein in her face and lekku only semi-hidden by the shadows. A knock at the door. She was not wearing her armor, opting instead for a loose, red and black robe, she could sense her husband. "Enter."

He opened the door and stepped inside, closing it behind him. He placed a hand on her shoulder, "She's getting worse."

Gràinne reached up and held his hand, choking back tears, "I know," was all she could say.

The news of Zygeria's recent genocide had rocked the galaxy to its core. An unknown force completely exterminated the Zygerian species in a few days and wiped out all life in the system with brutality not even the most sadistic warlords had ever employed. Not even the primordial Rakata had been so sadistic, at least their planetary massacres were over quickly. It was supposed by forensic researchers, now traumatized, that most of the corpses were impaled while still alive, still screaming, still thrashing. Coruscant's Jedi Order had publicly decried the attack and vowed to destroy whatever threat was capable of such violence. Representative Hera Syndulla of Ryloth had publicly expressed horror, yet in private thanked whatever gods were listening for the destruction of those tyrants and how her people would be safe from slave raids, at least by one faction of maniacs. The Jedi Order on Teth, however, remained silent.

"Anakin," Obi-Wan tried to reason with his old padawan, enlisting the help of his former student's wife, "I know why you hated the Zygerians, but this… this is an atrocity."

"We aren't getting involved. That's one of the reasons we broke away from Coruscant, we didn't want to fight the political battles anymore."

"Ani," Luminara begged, "this isn't a political battle, this is a moral one. Children were massacred. Children."

"Lumi," Anakin replied, nearly breaking down, "I just can't. Not after Palpatine. Not after that damned war. I can't."

"We aren't saying you need to go into battle and lead armies of clones again Anakin," Obi-Wan replied, trying to calm him, "Nor are we saying we should rejoin the Orthodox Order, Force knows none of us want that."

"But surely, we have to try and help to at least find out who or what is responsible," Luminara finished, gripping her husband's organic hand tightly.

Returning the squeeze, he raised Luminara's hand to his lips and kissed her fingers, acquiescing, "Alright. Assemble the Council and we'll determine what to do."

Ahsoka was sitting quietly in her seat, her fist balled and covering her lips as the Council deliberated a course of action. The Fistos recommended launching an independent mission to discover the culprits, while Obi-Wan offered a joint operation with the Coruscant Jedi, not a reunification by any stretch of the imagination. Shaak Ti and Anakin immediately shot him down. Plo Koon said nothing but stared at Ahsoka intently. Through their Force bond he projected, "You have something to say don't you."

"Yes, Master Plo."

"Say it for all of us to hear."

Nodding, she called out, "I think I have an idea of who is responsible," the room quieted down, "With the timing of the Onderon candidate's assassination and the Zygeria Massacre being so close together, this can't be a coincidence. I think… I think Gràinne's new Sith might be behind it."

"Why though?" Luminara questioned, "The Sith and the Zygerians were allies for millennia before the former was driven into the shadows."

"I don't know, Master. I don't know. But… I think our nightmare scenario is finally come to fruition."

Barriss held her wife closely. Riyo's last term in the Senate was well over a decade ago, and the pair lived relatively happily on Teth for most of the year, a vacation home on both of their respective homeworlds. Jinn was practicing against remotes again. He had been slowly improving since their last talk, and the Zygeria massacre had prompted hm to take his lightsaber and physical training far more seriously. She lightly kissed Riyo's head and stood, walking over towards Jinn and deactivating the remotes. "You're doing much better than before. I only wish it were under better circumstances."

Deactivating his saber, Jinn bowed, "Thank you Master, and the feeling is mutual."

Barriss paused for a moment, considering her words carefully, "What do you think would happen if you were to face a Sith?"

Jinn's eyes went wide, "L-like right now?!" He would be dead before he could blink.

Barriss nodded.

"I wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Well then let's put the remotes away for the time being. Sith won't fight with blasters, after all. Let's practice sparring," Barriss suggested, grabbing her lightsaber off her belt. She could have called Petro to come help teach Jinn some of his lightsaber techniques, his was a rather unique blend of Forms V and III, but he was off planet at the moment on a job, part of some trillionaire's security detail for an event. Igniting her blade, she saluted Jinn, who activated his and returned the salute. Taking the initiative, she swung at Jinn, who managed to parry her easily enough, but when he tried to return the slash me missed completely, with his master dancing around his blade and sliced at him. Jinn successfully dodged but knew that his Master was going extremely easy on him. He had seen holovids of her in combat, and how she was like a whirlwind in her soldier days. Here she was slow, methodical, almost toying with him, poking at his defenses to see what he needed to improve upon. Jinn saw an opportunity and kicked out his master's legs from underneath her, taking her by surprise, and brought his saber down towards her, which Barriss blocked effortlessly. Still, she smiled. He was learning to read his opponents. Had she purposefully left herself open? Yes, but he hardly had to know that.

Mina and Leia were having lunch at a small café in Inner Teth while the Council deliberated the Zygeria Genocide. Their lightsabers were clearly visible, but the staff and other patrons were quite used to the sight. The establishment had been frequented by the local Jedi for years, the small establishment had catered and even hosted a few Jedi weddings. The elderly couple who owned the establishment were the sweetest people imaginable as well, which doubtless attracted a lot of their Jedi clientele in the first place, and the food, although simplistic and quaint, was absolutely delicious.

"What do you think they'll do?" Leia questioned, taking a bit of the flatbread and dipping it into the bean paste.

"I don't know, I mean we wouldn't just sit back and do nothing, right?"

"You don't know my dad," Leia replied, looking around and whispering, "he absolutely hates Zygerians."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, Uncle Obi said it was about some childhood trauma."

"Has Anakin ever talked about his childhood?" Mina inquired.

"Only to say he won't talk about it."

"Well, I'm sure even if he doesn't want to get involved, he'll be outvoted. Mom's not a fan of Zygerians either but she wouldn't just sit back and watch genocides happen." Mina took a sip of her drink, "Let's talk about something else."

"Like?"

"Anything, literally anything would be better than this."

Slyly smirking, Leia asked, "Ok, are you and Jinn a thing?"

"Let's go back to the genocide."

Leia would have laughed if she wouldn't sound like a deranged lunatic with that kind of punchline. "I'm serious. Everybody's talking about it…"

"We're just friends," Mina clarified, quickly looking back down at her nerfchops and hoping Leia wouldn't detect the slightest hint of disappointment in her voice.

"With benefits?"

"LEIA!" Mina practically screamed, getting the attention of a few other patrons. Lowering her voice back down to a whisper, she added, "I am not sleeping with your brother!" She kind of wanted to if she was being honest with herself, but she was not going to say that aloud.

Leia rolled her eyes, "Sheesh, you're so defensive I'd almost think you were a Coruscant Jedi."

"Speaking of them!" Mina interrupted, hoping to change the topic, "I heard they were going officially political now."

"Good thing our parents got out while they could. I mean, can you imagine Dad being in the Senate? He'd probably kill somebody," Leia chuckled, "But you aren't getting out of this so easily. I want you to tell me, honestly, what is it with you and Jinn?"

"There's nothing going on between us!"

"I've seen the way you flirt with him."

"I flirt with everyone. Master Fisto, Master Plo, Petro, your dad, hell, even you sometimes."

"It's different."

"How?"

Leia shrugged, not really knowing how to describe it, "I don't know, it just, comes off differently, I guess. More… intense."

"Intense?"

"You're a lot more suggestive when you flirt with Jinn than you are with anybody like Dad."

"Well duh, doing that with my best friend's dad would be gross."

"You know what I mean."

Mina sighed, finally acquiescing slightly, "Fine… I have… toyed with the idea, of going out with Jinn. But we've never done anything and I mean, we've grown up together since I was born; he's practically my brother as much as he is yours. I mean, imagine how weird and gross it'd be if you made out with him!"

"Nope! Don't put that image in my head! No! Eww, eww, eww, eww, eww!" Leia protested, shaking her head so violently her hair buns almost became undone.

"Exactly!"

"But he's not your actual brother. Besides, you know he feels the same way about you."

"Does he?"

"Come on, you may take after Ahsoka in a lot of ways, but her social obliviousness is not one of them. You've seen how he looks at you."

"Hey ,my mom isn't socially oblivious," Mina protested half-heartedly, her smirk showing she knew she was wrong and just wanted to argue.

"Aunt Ahsoka's a complete ditz at Uncle Lux's parties."

"Well ok, but to be fair they don't give too much training on how to tell if somebody's into you on Coruscant if what Mom told me is true."

Leia chuckled, "Want me to help you make the first move?"

"I think I've got it," Mina countered, "But I'll keep that offer in mind. Thanks."

Grand Master Windu had given another press conference decrying the massacre at Zygeria and vowing to enact justice on the monsters responsible. Jedi resources were spread thin trying to hunt down the attackers, who had doubtless used this as a demonstration of their plans for the Republic entire. He had had his suspicions about the "Reformist Jedi" for over twenty years and while he definitely had not grown fond of them over the years, their obsession with attachment and emotions practically made them Sith in his eyes, he doubted they were capable of such large-scale operations, not yet at least. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Skywalker would at least want to do something of this scale. Have their intelligence reports been wrong? He would personally lead an expedition to wipe out those heretics on Teth, they had been allowed to exist for far too long and this was the final straw.

Heading into the Council Chambers, he saw a hologram of his old, no, former, friend Kit Fisto. "Mace," he nodded curtly.

"Kit," Windu returned in a grumble.

"I know where your mind is going. We can sense it even on the other side of the galaxy. We aren't responsible, but we are willing to extend a hand of peace, work together to find out who is behind this."

"We don't need or want your help," Mace spat venomously at Kit. This traitor, this apostate, this wannabe Sith Lord was asking him for friendship? That was never going to happen.

Kit looked down in disappointment, "I'm sorry old friend, then all I can ask is that you don't interfere with us working towards protecting the galaxy, same as you."

"If you do anything then we will consider it an obstruction of Jedi affairs."

"These aren't Jedi affairs anymore Mace. An entire civilization was wiped out in a day. This is for the benefit of the galaxy as a whole, not just our own egos! Why can't you see that!"

"The Jedi, the Jedi you left, serve the Republic. Galactic affairs are Jedi affairs."

"You won't stop us Mace. We will make sure we can defend those who can't defend themselves, and we will defend our families."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Are you threatening us Master Windu?"

"I have been threatening you for twenty years, old friend. Now, the time for threats is over. If your splinter cell makes moves to become active outside of the Teth system, we will hunt you down to the last. Just like every schismatic and Dark Sider before you." Windu closed the transmission after that. He knew Kit, and he knew Skywalker. They would make moves just to test him, and they would unleash hell upon themselves, just like the first Sith.

Serpeness had kept her daughter under constant watch, getting hourly reports on her status, and had even forced her back to Inverness to keep a closer eye on her personally. Now she meditated. She had to try and see what could be done to save her child. She had to find Palpatine and she had to force him to teach her the secrets of Plagueis. She closed her eyes and went into a trance. She hated meditation, she had once loved it, being able to focus on what had brought her joy and laughter: her husband, her daughter's first word (despite her own disappointment when it was "Dada"), her first steps, being permitted to take Poblithes as a full apprentice and being proclaimed a full Sith by her master, Poblithes being proclaimed Darth Iustitia. None of that mattered now, she had to focus on her suffering; her fear of losing her only child, her anger at herself for being powerless to stop it. She had to fine-tune her pain into something useful.

"Master," she called into the darkness, opening her eyes to see the red, ashen, ghostly visage of the late Emperor Dooku.

"Serpeness," he replied in kind, "Still searching for the secrets of Darth Plagueis, I see."

"I will search for the rest of my life if it means I can save my daughter."

Dooku's phantom smiled sadly, he remembered Aislinn, she was such a bright child, brought laughter and joy to everyone she met.

"Please, Master. You know what I need."

"You need help finding Sidious…" he remarked.

"You said yourself he knew the secret but refused to teach it to you, lest you overthrow him."

"If you are to combat Sidious, be cautious. You don't know the beginning of what he is capable of."

"Of course, Master. I just need help in finding him. My spies are turning up empty-handed,"

"If they return at all," Dooku interrupted.

"Yes, Master."

Dooku looked to the ground in thought. "Even as being one with the Dark Side, I cannot peer into the location of Sidious. His power is far too great… but there is another. He may yet hold the key."

"Who is this man?"

"Darth Hydria. Seek him out on Naboo. They shared a home planet and were both under the tutelage of Plagueis, what he does know I cannot see. What he may know, is everything you seek. Reach out into the Force, find him. When he outlives his usefulness, kill him and take his power as your own."

"Yes, my Master," Serpeness replied obediently, coming out of her trance. Standing, she put her armor back on and opened the door to her chambers. Paging an acolyte she ordered, "Prepare the Falcon, I need to make a trip to Naboo."