"I can't believe I'm doing this." Nathrrya muttered looking in the mirror of her quarters aboard the consular-class cruiser that had taken herself, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan to Naboo. The Sith had felt the reversion to real space so she knew they were close to their destination; that's why she was before the mirror making sure her Jedi robes sat correctly. They were functional but had to be one of the most unfashionable and unflattering items of clothing in the known galaxy.

Call it a vice but Nathrrya liked to look good when she was letting loose with her lightsabre. That's why she much preferred her far more revealing outfit. The Sith could still remember when she'd first bought it, it had cost an obscene amount of credits but the look on Malavai Quinn's face when she'd returned to her ship wearing it had been oh-so-worth the money. The man hadn't known how to react as he was by the book.

Nathrrya grinned remembering that even Lieutenant Pierce had done a double take when he'd seen her which had surprised her considering what Tara liked to wear; the brutish solider should have been used to revealing outfits. Nathrrya had first met Pierce on Taris, the Sith wrinkled her nose remembering that toxic pit of a world. Even now she couldn't understand why either side would expend the kind of resources and manpower they had, for control of that damned rock. Pierce was serving the very incompetent Moff Hurdenn and Nathrrya had spent most of her time correcting the Moff's blunders. Hurdenn was likely a very good administrator but he knew nothing about leading or commanding troops. So how the hell he'd been posted to Taris, a war zone, was beyond her. Pierce at least knew what he was doing even if he had gotten his entire black ops squad killed save for himself. Nathrrya had never shown it but that had really unnerved her. There hadn't been any remorse or pity in the man's eyes about the loss of his men. The Sith had made up her mind then and there, that she didn't want Pierce anywhere near her ship or crew. Unsurprisingly Quinn had been very pleased when they'd left Pierce on Taris.

As for Vette and Jaesa, the women had been mildly shocked but agreed that she looked good and that the outfit did reflect her personality.

Remembering Captain Malavai Quinn brought back some less pleasant memories. In her mind's eye, she could see the two of them going through the Imperial Transponder Station near Corellia. Something about the whole situation had seemed off to her but it was only when Quinn had sprung his trap that it had all made sense; Darth Baras had played them both. Being betrayed by Baras hadn't bothered Nathrrya in the slightest; she'd seen that coming almost as soon as she'd met him on Korriban. Being betrayed by her lover was something else entirely. She'd wanted to choke Quinn to death or run him through with her lightsabre but she had done neither. She loved him and she simply couldn't do it. It was the end of their relationship that was certain but for the sake of the crew they would never speak of what had happened. That night in the privacy of her quarters she had cried herself to sleep.

"After all this time, you still grieve for him, what might have been." A deep rich male voice said from behind her.

Nathrrya pinched the bridge of her nose. "Now is not the time Valkorian." She growled turning to face the spectre of the Eternal Emperor. How did the Jedi not detect you? Nathrrya wondered.

"Oh? Now seems like the perfect time. You still have many issues to deal with my former Wrath." Valkorian replied mildly.

"Do. Not. Call. Me. That." Nathrrya spat the Dark Side flaring around her, her eyes turning Sith yellow. In the back of her mind she knew the two Jedi would sense her use of the dark side. Oh well, it's not like I was planning on staying hidden forever.


In the cockpit of the cruiser, the captain and pilot were manoeuvring closer to one of the blockading Trade Federation battleships.

"Captain." Qui-Gon said as he felt the Dark Side flare, it made him frown under his hood.

The Captain turned to see one of the Jedi sitting behind her. "Yes, sir?"

"Tell them we wish to board at once." Jinn instructed as he stood before leaving the flight deck.

"Yes, sir." The captain replied before turning back to look at her view screen, where Nute Gunray, the Neimoidian trade viceroy, waited for a reply. "With all due respect for the Trade Federation, the Ambassadors for the Supreme Chancellor wish to board immediately."

"Yes, yes, of course...ahhh...as you know, our blockade is perfectly legal, and we'd be happy to receive the Ambassador...Happy to." The trade viceroy said hoping he didn't sound as nervous as he felt.

The screen went dark. Out the cockpit window, the battleship grew ever closer.


"Did you feel that Master?" Obi-Wan asked concerned as soon as the door to the flight deck slid shut.

Qui-Gon nodded. "Yes. It would seem that there is more to Nathrrya than she is telling us." he said looking thoughtful.

"You believe what we've felt came from her?" Obi-Wan said as the two Jedi walked along the corridor.

"It seems most likely. Perhaps there is something to your theory after all." His master responded.

That was a sobering thought for the young man. He'd been playing devil's advocate when he had suggested the idea that Nathrrya might be a Sith. Was he right and if he were what did it mean? "Should we go and check on her, Master?" For some reason, he could not explain, Obi-Wan felt concerned for the woman's wellbeing.

Qui-Gon shook his head. "No I do not believe that would be wise. Nathrrya will join us when she is ready."


"I see I got a reaction." Valkorian said, a smirk appearing on his bearded face. "That's a start."

The Sith glared at her former Emperor. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" she accused the spectre. Valkorion simply smiled. "Should've known." Nathrrya muttered darkly eyeing the spirit of the man that had been stuck in her head for the past three and half thousand years. That fact alone was incredibly annoying. "Fine then, yes I miss Quinn terribly and wish I could've repaired things between us but the galaxy was falling apart, no thanks to you and your Eternal Empire." She was starting to vent. "Your plan didn't work, either did it? You wanted me to get your throne back from your bratty little children, which was your own fault that they were so bratty. You had a family and you blew it so spectacularly it defies belief. My love life pales in comparison to that." Nathrrya was on a roll now. "Oh, and let's not forget we're three and half thousand years in the future, three and half thousand! I should be dead!" she screamed. As quickly as her rage had been ignited it was gone and Nathrrya slid to the floor exhausted. "I wish I were dead." She said softly.

"You shouldn't think like that." Valkorion said, genuine concern in his voice.

Nathrrya's blue eyes peered up at the spectre. "And why not? The galaxy I knew, everyone I ever cared about gone, nothing left but dust and echoes."

"How do you think I feel?" Valkorion asked.

The Sith snorted at that. "You're all but immortal this is probably nothing more than an inconvenience to you."

"That may have been true once. My power is what kept you alive for so long." Valkorian explained. "You were far more special than even I suspected. Somehow during the past three and half thousand years you've been drawing on my power to keep yourself alive, weakening me in the process. Just before you were awoken I became one with the force."

Nathrrya's head snapped up at that. "What!?" she exclaimed. "Wait... I see it now. So, you're not in my head anymore?"

Valkorian shook his head. "No, I'm not. Your thoughts are yours, once again."

"Well that's something of a relief." Nathrrya said as she stood up a smile on her face. "I wonder what Quinn or Vette would say if they saw me in these?" She wondered as she straightened her Jedi robes.

Valkorian chuckled. "I have to say you look the part. Just the thing for keeping a low profile."

The Sith grinned "That's the general idea." Something then occurred to her. "Am I immortal now?" she asked fearing the answer.

Valkorian shook his head. "No, but you will live for many years yet. Eight hundred to a thousand perhaps, provided you don't do anything rash like get yourself killed." He said with some amusement. Valkorion then took a step forwards. "Don't make the same mistakes I made."

"I don't intend to. I've seen the flaws in the Sith teachings." Nathrrya replied.

Valkorian smiled, seemingly satisfied. "Good then you truly are the future of the Sith Order, Nathrrya, more so than I ever suspected. May the Force serve you well." With that Valkorian, the Eternal Emperor faded from view.

Nathrrya just stood there contemplating what had happened and what it meant. She felt as if a great weight had been lifted from her. The Sith knew the path she was on was the right one. Her eyes flashing yellow for a moment; she would rebuild the Sith Order but this time it would not destroy its self with in-fighting. She smiled, her past was just that her past, she would miss people and places from it but she could at last accept that. Nathrrya palmed the door controls and exited her quarters to find the two Jedi.


Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were by the ship's main airlock waiting for Nathrrya to arrive, talking quietly to each other when they noticed her walking towards them. To the Jedi she seemed a little distracted.

"Nathrrya did you feel a flare in the Dark Side?" Qui-Gon asked concerned.

The Sith considered her response. She needed these two Jedi to trust her as all their lives may depend upon it. "Yes, I coursed it."

Both Jedi stared at her. "What?" they said in unison.

A faint smile appeared on Nathrrya's lips. "You'll work it out soon enough, you might even suspect already. I was never trained as a Jedi, I was trained as a Sith."

"You're a Sith?" Obi-Wan asked shocked and truly surprised by this. Thinking back to their first meeting and her flirtatious nature it didn't seem to make sense. Then again, the woman shouldn't even be alive.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Nathrrya was grinning now.

"It is." Qui-Gon admitted.

"I know you're fond of collecting strays, Master but I never imaged we'd collect a stray Sith." Obi-Wan said bemused trying to break the slight tension.

Nathrrya laughed at the padawan's observation for it was far closer to the truth than he realised. "Obi-Wan just remember I'm a very dangerous stray." She said a playful tone to her words, her eyes becoming yellow as she gave him a devastatingly seductive smirk and a wink to match.

Obi-Wan blushed red with embarrassment as it wasn't lost on him what the woman was doing or inferring. The Dark Side tickled at the edges of his Force senses in ways he hadn't even thought possible and the meaning was very, very clear. Was it him or were his leggings suddenly too tight?

Qui-Gon massaged his temples and let out a long suffering sigh. "Must you tease my padawan so, Nathrrya?" the look she gave him was answer enough. The Jedi Master sighed again, he was relieved to see her eyes were their normal pale blue. "But why would a Sith warn the Jedi about our possible destruction?" he asked trying to understand the woman's motivation.

"I might have strong opinions about some aspects of the Jedi Order but my cousin was a Jedi Knight. He followed the code, mostly. He was everything a Jedi should be." Nathrrya said. "So much time has passed the only thing I recognise is the Jedi Order, it's familiar in a strange way." She paused considering her next words. "I'm not the only Sith, there's another out there somewhere, calls himself Darth Sidious but I'll be damned if I'll sit by and let him do what he has planned, unchallenged."

"Is that what's this is about? You wish to challenge this other Sith?" Qui-Gon asked.

Nathrrya shrugged. "Partly as to stop him once and for all I'll have to face him eventually but first I have to find him. The Living Force might have given me hints as to what fate may befall the Jedi but it's up to me to figure out a way to stop it from ever coming to pass."

Obi-Wan couldn't quite believe his ears. "You're saying you want to stop Sidious from destroying the Jedi? Why?"

Nathrrya frowned at the padawan's question. "What the Living Force has shown me, glimpses of is a very dark future for the galaxy if Sidious gets his way. I might have been trained as a Sith but I'm also human and my blood ran cold at some of the things I saw."

"I understand Nathrrya." Qui-Gon said and to some degree he did. "It's just as well you're wearing Jedi robes as blending in will far easier than trying to explain to people what you really are. Sith, to most people are just stories in history texts and not very pleasant ones either." Qui-Gon said.

Nathrrya nodded "I agree but there will come a time that I may have to reveal what I am and what I can do." She looked the Jedi Master in the eyes "And I fear it may be sooner than we'd like."

"A possibility, one we will deal with when the time comes." Qui-Gon replied "Shall we go? The Viceroy is waiting for us." He said indicating that Nathrrya should go first.

"Ever the gentleman I see Master Qui-Gon." The Sith replied with a smile as she raised her hood. One Sith followed by two Jedi left their ship to confront the Viceroy of the Trade Federation, Nute Gunray.