The return trip to Coruscant aboard the chancellor's cruiser had been uneventful. The ship entered the system and was travelling at full sub-light speed so it would be several more hours before they landed on the city planet.
Nathrrya sat thinking about what would await herself and the four Jedi once they returned to the temple. From how Master Windu had described the tremor in the Force, when she'd killed Darth Maul, the entirety of the Jedi Order had felt her return. However, what really occupied her thoughts was what Master Yoda has said to her shortly after they'd left Naboo...
"Offer I have, Nathrrya."
Nathrrya raised her eyebrows. "I'm listening Master Yoda."
"Rank of Master, offer you, do I."
Nathrrya blinked, her mind had come to a halt at Yoda's words. She was certain her expression was like that of both Qui-Gon and Obi- Wan; one of incredulous shock and surprise. What the kriffing hell had just happened.
"With all due respect Master Yoda but have you taken leave of your senses?" the Sith asked at last.
Yoda chuckled but didn't seem fazed. "Old I may be; senile, I am not."
"I am Sith. There is no place for someone like me among the Jedi. If you think I'll become a Jedi, you'll be sadly disappointed." Nathrrya said. "I may respect the Jedi and what they stand for, however, my views and opinions of the order, as you might expect, differ strongly." She bit her bottom lip as she thought of what else she wanted to say. "I am content with my life, I know who I am, what I stand for and where I come from. Something my cousin always respected and understood."
Yoda nodded his understanding "Expect you to change I do not."
Everyone was silent as all eyes fell upon Nathrrya. Leaning back, she crossed her arms and said nothing, lost in her own thoughts. No one made a sound as they awaited her response. The quiet stretched on for what seemed like an eternity before the spell was broken.
"Interesting..." Nathrrya commented, looking directly at Yoda, "My vision makes a little more sense now."
"What kind of vision?" Master Windu asked.
"I saw myself wearing my formal Sith robes, black and grey with the seal of House Palatine," she explained "I was standing next to Master Yoda and next to me was Obi-Wan, but older and with a full beard. In front of him stood Anakin, but he was much older. I believe it was his Knighting ceremony."
Yoda smiled and nodded "Similar vision had I."
She had not accepted Yoda's offer, instead choosing to meditate upon it. She could see the benefit, if only as a cover story, but she realised she needed to be free of the shackles of the Jedi Council if she ever wanted to find Sidious and build enough of a power base to challenge him effectively. As tempting as the offer may have been she wouldn't accept. If Nathrrya were honest with herself, she'd be far happier starting her own order where she got to set the rules but that presented a totally different set of problems.
She looked up at the sound of footsteps to see Qui-Gon with two cups in hand, one of which he offered as he sat across from her. "Thought you'd like a cup of tea." He said by way of explanation.
"Thank you Qui-Gon." the Sith replied as she took the offered drink "I suspect there is more to this than simply being sociable."
The Jedi master smiled slightly at the woman's perceptiveness. "There is. I do not wish to sound presumptuous but just what are your intentions towards Obi-Wan?"
Nathrrya had her cup half way to her lips, pausing before she took a sip before placing the cup down in front of her. "I'm actually surprised it's taken you this long to ask me that question." She admitted. "If you're worried about me trying to turn him to the Dark Side then you needn't be. In the short time I've known him, it's clear to me Obi-Wan is devoted to the Jedi and has his sights set on passing his trials to become a full Jedi Knight. That's something I have no desire to interfere with." Nathrrya took another drink as she knew full well the Jedi Master's question had more than one meaning "Now if you're talking about being more than friends, all I'll say is thank the Force I'm not bound by some outdated, no attachment rule." She looked Qui-Gon in the eyes "And you Jedi aren't forced to be celibate, so if Obi-Wan ever offered to take me to bed, I wouldn't say no." She smiled seductively "In fact I'd take great pleasure in showing him just how passionate a Sith can be."
Qui-Gon's mouth fell open. He certainly hadn't expected her to say that. "Are you saying you'd seduce my padawan?"
Nathrrya nodded smirking. "It sounds that way, from a certain point of view. However, if I'm right about Obi-Wan, then he wouldn't just ask any woman to share his bed. When he does, it will be with someone he's truly in love with. That woman is going to be a very lucky lady."
The Jedi master frowned "And what makes you so certain?"
"My own experience." Nathrrya said "I was Obi-Wan's age once and would have made quite the catch too. However, all the suitors I had were single minded. They only wanted my family's influence, power and wealth. I was a means to an end, an afterthought.
I wanted nothing to do with any of them. I preferred to study starship engineering and later, concentrate on my Force training. It wasn't until I met the then Lieutenant Malavai Quinn on Balmorra that I thought I might have found someone for me."
"And had you?" Qui-Gon couldn't help but ask.
Nathrrya smiled softly her eyes shining "Yes. As it turned out I had. Quinn didn't care about my family's name or all the wealth and lands that would one day be mine. He loved me for me, with him I could be Nathrrya the woman not Nathrrya the Sith. I will never forget the first time we shared my bed. The expression on Quinn's face when he realised that I was a virgin and he'd get to claim my womanhood was priceless." Her smile faded "But that's all in the past now, nothing more than a fond memory. Will I be lucky enough to find someone like that a second time? I can't answer that Qui-Gon."
Almost as soon as Nathrrya and the four Jedi entered the temple she felt the change within the building. The tension and uncertainty was thick enough you could cut it with a lightsabre. But there was something else under the surface, something she hadn't felt until now. Something dark, familiar and welcoming.
The woman frowned. A source of Dark Side power within the Jedi Temple? It couldn't possibly be just a collection of Sith holocrons and artefacts, it was too strong and well entrenched for that. It felt as if it was part of the very fabric of the building. Nathrrya sighed. She could see a long session in mediation to solve this latest mystery.
She bid the four Jedi farewell and promised to meet with Master Yoda later. As she walked through the temple to her room, she noticed with amusement that most Jedi studiously ignored her, though a few were brave enough to make eye contact. To those individuals, she nodded a simple greeting.
It was not until she reached the hallway where her room was located that she had an unusual encounter. Standing at the intersection was a young Togruta girl, no more than four years of age and on the verge of panicking.
"You seem lost young one." Nathrrya said gently as not to spook the child.
Ahsoka Tano whirled round to face the voice, her head tails waving widely as she did so. The young girl's eyes went wide with recognition for here was the mysterious woman from her vision. Could it really be her? She wanted to reach out and touch her, just to be sure.
Both heard hurried footsteps from the opposite direction as another Jedi came into view. The look on the older Jedi's face was one of relief when he saw the girl. "Ahsoka, there you are! I thought I had lost you. Come along child."
Ahsoka smiled briefly at the red-haired woman before running off after her crèche master.
Nathrrya watched the girl disappear down the hallway; a puzzled expression on her face.
"Strange, she acted as if she recognised me..." the Sith shrugged as she turned down the hallway to her room.
Obi-Wan found himself walking through the Room of a Thousand Fountains, trying to clear his mind. He was failing. He massaged his temples feeling lightheaded. The padawan realised he was having a vision. He saw himself clearly, he was older for he had quite the impressive beard and no Padawan braid. What really surprised and shocked him was that Nathrrya was in his vision and she looked uncomfortable and very pregnant. The vision soon ended and the young Jedi didn't know what to make of it.
He stood there contemplating what he'd seen remembering that he'd been taught the future was always in motion. The obvious implication was that he was the unborn child's father and despite himself, Obi-Wan smiled, for he knew how much family meant to Nathrrya. It made him wonder about the nature of his relationship with the Sith woman. A sudden realisation dawned upon him; though he had quite clearly aged, Nathrrya seemingly, had not. How in the Force was that possible?
He was brought out of his musings when he heard his name being called. Turning he saw Siri and Bant hurrying towards him.
"Obi-Wan you're safe!" Siri cried before doing something very un-Jedi like.
She hugged him.
"Why wouldn't I be safe?" Obi-Wan asked clearly confused as he accepted the gesture. Seeing the concerned look in Bant's eyes he had a bad feeling about this.
"Because of her." Siri said looking around "Where is she anyway?"
Obi-Wan sighed, his bad feeling being well founded. "Siri are you... jealous of Nathrrya?" he asked concerned for the younger padawan.
The blonde never made eye contact but nodded "Maybe... a little. I don't know why I feel this way."
"I think we both know why." Obi-Wan replied gently. Siri clearly held strong feelings for him but what was it about Nathrrya that was making Siri act this way? He knew the answer as soon as he asked himself, Nathrrya was a very attractive woman. You would need to be blind, not into women or Master Yoda, not to notice.
The realisation that the twenty-three-year-old padawan was jealous of the forty-two-year-old master because of the way she looked? It was quite amusing. However, it did give Obi-Wan a very unorthodox idea on how to deal with Siri's jealousy. He would need to talk to Nathrrya about the truly outrageous plan he started forming.
"Last I saw, she was in the company of Masters Windu and Yoda. They were going to discuss Yoda's proposal I believe." Obi-Wan said.
Siri looked up confused "What proposal?"
"Master Yoda offered Nathrrya a place in the Order."
Bant and Siri looked wide eyed at Obi-Wan for both women were having trouble possessing the idea but for very different reasons.
"Has the little green troll lost his mind?" Siri asked at last. "A Sith in the Jedi Order?"
Obi-Wan chuckled. "That's what Nathrrya said. I do not believe that Master Yoda has lost his mind for he was deadly serious. Nathrrya has lost everything she knew, the people she loved and cared about. The Jedi Order is the only vaguely familiar thing left to her in this new galaxy she finds herself in." He looked intently into Siri's eyes "Besides would you rather that Nathrrya was out there doing her own thing or here where the Council can keep an eye on her?" Not that'd make much difference. The woman was too independent to be shackled by the Council; a little like his own master in that respect, only she was far more vocal about it.
Siri nodded "I see your point but Nathrrya is a Sith, she won't follow the code of the Jedi."
"You're right Siri but Nathrrya understands and respects the order. If she accepts Yoda's offer you'll have to get used to calling her Master Nathrrya." Obi-Wan said grinning, though he did not believe that Nathrrya would accept Yoda's offer.
"The Force must really hate me." Siri grumbled.
Nathrrya pinched the bridge of her nose and let out an annoyed sigh. "What part of no don't you understand?" she asked the two Jedi masters. The three of them were in Master Yoda's quarters.
"Accept, I had hoped," Yoda said as his ears drooped.
The woman smiled at the small green master's way of speaking "I said I'd think about it and I have. I feel it's not right." She grimaced. "Then there are some of the Jedi's practices that are frankly, out-dated."
"We understand Nathrrya." Mace stated calmly.
"I doubt that Master Windu." The Sith replied bluntly. "You effectively kidnap newborns and deny them contact with their families. When they're thirteen if a Master or Knight hasn't taken them as an apprentice they're shipped off to some planet in the back of beyond and forgotten about. Do you even realise how that makes the Jedi look?" Nathrrya snorted in disgust. "I've observed that the Jedi Order is shrinking in number. You have more Initiates than Masters and Knights."
"No different, the Sith were." Yoda replied thumping his gamma sick on the floor for emphasis.
"I beg to differ, I was there." Nathrrya growled. "Some were taken young that's true but the vast majority were much older." She leaned back in her seat. "I know who my parents were. They loved me and I them. The last time I saw them was a week before I got frozen in carbonite." Her voice was sad as were her eyes.
Nathrrya could still clearly recall what would be her final visit as Jaesa had wanted to see her own parents who were employed by Nathrrya's family. Baras would have been livid when he found out what had become of the Willsaam's. Alive and well and under the protection of House Palatine.
"Forbidden, attachments are." Yoda said.
Nathrrya buried her head in her hands and cursed colourfully in ancient high Sith before she took a breath, counted to ten, then glared at the small green Jedi master.
"And that Master Yoda is where the Jedi belief is flawed. Attachments, friendships, relationships, romantic or otherwise, these are what keep society together and functioning. What keeps the civilised galaxy spinning without imploding or falling into chaos." Nathrrya tried to explain. She smiled remembering something. "Revan and Bastila Shan, Satele Shan and Republic Corporal Jace Malcom. Four names and all have something in common. Both couples fell in love and had children and the most shocking thing of all... the Jedi Order is still here. There is nothing wrong with emotional attachments; quite the opposite in fact. They're perfectly normal and the sooner the Jedi Order realises this, the better off you'll all be."
"Grand Master Satele Shan never had any children." Mace said flatly.
Nathrrya grinned like a manka cat that had gotten the cream. "That's where you're wrong Master Windu. She did have a child, a son born long before she became Grand Master. The reason I know this with any certainty is that I met him, even worked with him for a time. His name was Theron Shan and he was a Republic SIS agent and a damned good one. He knew the names of both his parents, who they were and the legacy he had running in his veins."
"Love leads to the Dark Side." Yoda said ominously.
The Sith let out a snort. "Living Force give me strength. I'm not sure if you're not even listening to me or if you're being stubborn for the sake of it!" Nathrrya cried letting her frustration show. "I'm going to tell you what I told Qui-Gon. Love doesn't lead to the Dark Side. Passion can lead to rage and fear, and can be controlled... but passion is not the same thing as love. Controlling your passions while being in love... that's what you should be teaching. But love itself can and will save you... not condemn you."
Nathrrya took a breath. "Love once saved me, stopped me from making a terrible mistake. Love prevented me from killing the man who betrayed me. If I had, I'd have killed a part of myself as well. Do you now understand?"
Yoda nodded slowly "Understand I do. Follow the Living Force you do, not Unifying Force. Much like Qui-Gon you are."
Nathrrya blinked in surprise but then a look of understanding passed over her face and she started to chuckle. "That's why the Force feels so out of balance. Like you, I had thought it was Sidious's doing but he's just a symptom. The real problem is the Jedi Order. You've spent far too long focusing on the Unifying Force that all but some of you have forgotten the importance of the Living Force." She smiled for a moment. "The prophecy of the Chosen One... it was never about destroying the Sith but about bringing balance to the Force. Balance between the Living and Unifying Force and between the Light and Dark Side of the Force. Anakin is the physical manifestation of that."
Nathrrya was in her room and had made herself some caff when the com unit on the desk chimed to get her attention. She wasn't expecting any calls so she walked over and tapped the receive button, curious to see who it was.
"Captain Panaka? To what do I owe this pleasure?" Nathrrya asked surprised to hear from the man.
The captain smiled "You'll be pleased to hear that we've found what we believe to be the assassin's starship." His holo image was replaced by that of craft about twenty-six meters in length with a bulbous cockpit/engine section at its rear with extra cooling fins protruding from the sides. "From what we can tell it's a Star Courier originally built by Republic Sienar Systems but has been heavily modified. It's got some tech we've never seen on a ship that small before." Panaka's image reappeared "Her Highness wants you to have it."
Nathrrya blinked in surprise "Well I'll certainly not turn Her Highness down but I cannot see the Jedi allowing me to keep it."
The security captain grinned "Her Highness has already thought of a way around that. The ship's transponder codes were unsurprisingly faked and the details lead nowhere. About the only thing not faked was the ship's name, the Scimitar. However now it's registered to the Royal House of Naboo and assigned as the personal vessel of the Hero of Naboo."
"Hero of Naboo?" the Sith asked.
Panaka nodded "That would be you, Nathrrya. The story of your involvement with the invasion has become public knowledge, but your true origins are still only known to a select few. The people of Naboo owe you a great debt and her Highness hopes the gift of this ship will go some way to repaying that debt."
Nathrrya was stunned, she couldn't think of a thing to say but having Sidious' apprentices' ship for herself? That really appealed to her inner Sith. The man would be furious when he found out.
A playful smirk appeared on the woman's face "If she's truly going to be mine, Captain, then I've got to change the name."
Panaka smiled knowingly for he had suspected as much. "That's easily done, Nathrrya. What will the new name be?"
"The Indigo Rose."
Jedi Master Yan Dooku would be lying if he didn't feel... uncertain of what he was about to do. He had thought long and hard about approaching Nathrrya, the Jedi temple's resident Sith Lord. And that was a concept many in the order were still finding hard to come to terms with.
He now stood before the door to the room the woman had been assigned by the Council when she'd first appeared so suddenly weeks ago. Yan reached out and pressed the buzzer, there was no going back.
Nathrrya cursed when she heard the door chime. It's going to be one of those days, isn't it?
"Looks like we'll have to cut this short, Captain, there's someone at my door."
"Then I won't keep you Nathrrya. Ric Olie should be there within the next few days to drop off your new ship." Panaka replied before his holo image faded out.
The Sith walked over to answer the door and was mildly surprised to see a Jedi Master she didn't recognise. She had been half expecting it to be Yoda or Mace Windu. Instead he was an older human with a well-kept bread and wearing very finely tailored robes that looked expensive. A cut above what you'd usually expect a Jedi to wear, it gave the man a very refined, eccentric air. Nathrrya's interest in her unexpected guest had been piqued.
"I am Master Yan Dooku and I believe you are acquainted with my former padawan Qui-Gon Jinn." He introduced himself.
"Indeed I am." Nathrrya replied beckoning Dooku inside "However I suspect that is not the only reason for your visit Master Dooku."
He turned to face her. "You would correct, Nathrrya. As we are both Masters I think it more fitting we use our first names, so please call me Yan."
Nathrrya eyebrows rose in mild surprise but she had no issue with the request. "So why have you come to visit me Yan? Not many Jedi would willingly come anywhere near me. The rest of your order would rather pretend I don't exist, never mind the fact I've been under their collective noses for the past few weeks."
"Indeed, it is one of the reasons why I have started to lose faith in the Jedi Order and by extension the Republic." Dooku admitted as he sat down. "Yet your presence may force the Council to act and take the threat of the rising darkness seriously."
Nathrrya snorted as she sat opposite her guest "Yes, the Council may believe me about the threat Darth Sidious poses but they do not seem willing to actively look for him. Even after Yoda and Mace saw the body of Sidious' apprentice on Naboo." She shook her head "They seemed to be more intent on trying to shackle me and thwart my own efforts to find what rock Sidious is under."
"What do you mean by that?" Dooku asked concerned.
"Yoda had the crazy notion to offer me the rank of Master in the Jedi Order."
Yan Dooku blinked "He did what!?"
Nathrrya chuckled "Yes that was my reaction. I politely declined. Having to deal with Sith politics most of my life, I have no desire to inflict Jedi politics on myself. I fear many Jedi would find out what it's like to be force choked first hand. It's not a pleasant experience."
"Do you think Jinn and Kenobi could have defeated the Sith apprentice had you not been there?" Dooku asked suddenly.
Nathrrya frowned taking the time to consider the question. "I strongly suspect that at least one of them would not have survived the encounter." She said looking at the Jedi master.
Nathrrya stood suddenly and took several steps towards her guest studying him intently her eyes turning yellow for several seconds which to Yan Dooku felt like an eternity. At last the Sith retreated to her seat her eyes their normal colour.
"You've studied the Dark Side." Nathrrya stated, her tone neutral.
The surprised expression on Dooku's face was answer enough. "Yes, I admit that I am one of the few Jedi who have been brave enough to risk such an endeavour. I also believe the dark side can be used without corrupting oneself."
Nathrrya chuckled "More like bravely stupid." She gave the man an apprising look "Did it ever occur to you that the Sith artefacts you were studying were trapped?"
Yan nodded "Yes, I did discover a number and dealt with them." He said with confidence.
"But you never found them all. You still triggered quite a few. The Dark clings to you like the cloak your wear. You might believe you are still in the Light but all it will take is one final push and you will fall." Nathrrya's voice was ominous as she stared intently at Dooku.
Yan was quiet as he disgusted the knowledge. Was that why he had been feeling so disillusioned with the Jedi and Republic lately? "I see. How is it possible?"
"Sith traps can range from subtle to the downright nasty." Nathrrya said "The ones you failed to detect were of the subtle kind intended to lure curious Jedi to the Dark and in that they have been remarkably effective." She smiled "It's not all bad news; if you'd triggered one of the nastier traps I'm certain we wouldn't be having this conversation."
"What do you mean by that?" Yan asked curious and not a little worried.
"Some Sith liked to leave a trap that when triggered would make the one ensnared by it forget all about the world around them, to eat, drink and sleep. It's an extremely nasty way to go." Nathrrya explained "I encountered a group of five acolytes ensnared by such a trap when undertaking my final trials on Korriban. There was little I could do for them as they were too far gone, except grant them the mercy of a quick death."
Dooku was visibly disturbed by this. "And you believe that the Jedi might have Sith artefacts that have traps like the one you described?"
Nathrrya nodded "Yes it's quite possible, however, the only way I'll know for certain is to see the artefacts for myself. Unless you can get me access to your Holocron vault there isn't much chance of that."
Yan smiled "I think I can manage that." he said as he stood up "No doubt the chief librarian will complain but who knows what we may find."
Nathrrya smiled at that as she followed Dooku out of her room. Yes, who knows what I might find.
"Do you really expect to find anything here?" Dooku asked as he ushered her into the Holocron Vault within the Jedi Archives.
"I may find a Holocron made by my cousin or his wife Kira if I'm lucky." Nathrrya replied as she looked around the secure room.
Yan's mouth fell open. "Cousin? Wife?" he asked clearly confused.
The Sith grinned "Yes the Jedi at one time allowed marriage. It was once quite a common practice from what I understand but times change and it fell out of favour. However, there were rare occasions where marriage between Jedi was allowed, but not until after extensive scrutiny and not before approval was given by the Council." She snorted "Not like that stopped Casavir and Kira, they got married regardless. As to how I have a Jedi cousin, that will take some explaining, another time perhaps?"
"I see." Dooku said slowly "The Sith Holocrons and artefacts are stored here in the inner vault." He indicated another door. "Would you like to see them now?"
"Yes. I had an apprentice after all and while I never got around to making a Holocron I'm sure that Jaesa would have. Now the chances of her Holocron being in this vault are astronomically low but it can't hurt to look."
Yan nodded as he unlocked the inner vault and the two walked through the door. "What was your apprentice like?"
Nathrrya was silent for several moments as she looked around the room that held the Sith artefacts the Jedi had collected. Her suspicions had been confirmed, it was not this room she had felt earlier but something much older, deeper perhaps. "Jaesa was a quiet, softly spoken young woman and had a kind and gentle heart. Not what you'd expect from a Sith apprentice but then she had been a Jedi padawan before she joined me."
Yan blinked. Had he heard correctly? "A most unusual circumstance." he observed.
Nathrrya looked over the shelves that held many Holocrons and other Sith artefacts "You could say so... Wait a minute... most of these are fakes..." she turned to face the Jedi master. "Someone's been stealing them from here and I bet all my credits that it's Sidious or those that came before him." While difficult it would be far from impossible.
"That's most disturbing news." Dooku agreed.
Nathrrya nodded in agreement as she resumed her story. "My master Darth Baras had me chase Jaesa all over the known galaxy because she had a very unusual ability that let her see someone's true nature through the Force. She had almost unmasked one of his deep cover spies on Balmorra whom I had to kill."
"No doubt Baras wanted you to kill Jaesa." Yan said with a frown.
"Yes. I was to track Jaesa down and kill her." Nathrrya admitted, slyly pocketing a Holocron without him noticing. "However, I had no intention of harming her if I could help it." She replied. Finding one of Darth Marr's holocrons was unexpected but welcome. "Her ability sounded far too useful to waste by killing her." She smiled "After a long hunt, I confronted her Jedi Master, Nomen Karr. I've never seen someone fall to the Dark Side so far or so fast before. He was so determined to keep Jaesa away from Baras that he lost himself in the process. It did draw Jaesa out. In the end she joined me of her own free will and I decided to return Karr to the Jedi. I learned some months later that Karr never recovered and he died a broken man." The sadness in Nathrrya's voice was clear to the Jedi master.
"What became of Jaesa?" Yan asked curious.
"She became my first and so far, only apprentice. She was close to becoming a Jedi Knight by the time she joined me. All I did was teach her about the Dark Side and finish her training. She became a good friend and I miss her." Nathrrya said with fondness and a soft smile "I had no desire to break her, she was part Jedi, part Sith and that suited me."
"How did your cousin react to this?" The Jedi master asked while stroking his beard in thought.
"He wasn't that surprised to learn that it was me that had been chasing Jaesa across half the known galaxy. He and I had a habit of running into each other during our various missions. He was grateful that it was me after Jaesa and not another Sith." Nathrrya grinned. "Jaesa had quite the shock the first time we met up with my cousin after she'd joined me. Vette and Quinn knew what was happening but poor Jaesa didn't. She had an even bigger shock when she learned that the poster boy of the Jedi Order was fooling around with his former Padawan." The Sith chuckled at the memories.
Nathrrya looked up sharply and gasped in surprise as there on one of the higher selves was a Holocron that seemed to call to her. "Living force, I don't believe it." She said as she used the Force to bring the ancient Sith Holocron to her hands. "This... this is Jaesa's Holocron..." Nathrrya said, wonder clear in her voice.
Yan smiled seeing how much it meant to the woman, after all, it was a piece of her past. "Perhaps you were meant to find it."
"Perhaps." Nathrrya agreed a slight smile on her lips. She looked over the Sith Holocron one last time and pointed to a pair on a high shelf "Those two there have that nasty trap I was telling you about. Do not let anyone try and access them. I can dispel the wards but there is little danger unless someone tampers with them."
"I will inform the chief librarian and she will have them placed in even more secure storage." Yan assured her.
"Good. Let's see if I can find Casavir and Kira's Holocrons." The two force users left the inner vault and Yan locked the door.
"Nathrrya do you think that my... condition can be reversed?" Yan asked carefully as he watched the woman.
Nathrrya thought it over as she let her eyes and Force senses go over all the Jedi Holocrons. "In theory, it's possible as you haven't fallen, you're just tainted." she reached up and took a Holocron down smiling as she inspected it. She had found Kira's. Nathrrya looked over at Yan. "But that would mean being honest with the Jedi Council and their willingness to help."
"Thank you for your honesty." Yan said looking thoughtful. "However, I fear the Council is just as likely to dismiss me from the Order than help me."
Nathrrya turned sharply to face the troubled Jedi Master, a third Holocron in her hand, it was Casavir's. "There is another way, but it may not be what you want and has its own problems. I finish your training in the Dark Side, that way you will not fall."
Yan Dooku stared, shocked at what Nathrrya had just suggested. He had not expected such an offer. "I will need time to think on this."
Nathrrya sat cross legged on the floor of her rooms in the Jedi Temple. In front of her were three of the Holocrons she'd found, the fourth Darth Marr's, was safely out of sight. Before she had the chance to activate any of them, her door chimed.
The Sith let out an irritated sigh as she didn't really want visitors right now. "Come in."
The door slid open and in walked Anakin with his mother not far behind. "Why couldn't I go to Naboo with you and Qui-Gon?" the boy asked without preamble.
Nathrrya blinked in surprise. "It was a warzone Anakin, no place for an eight-year-old boy."
"But I could have helped!" the boy cried.
Nathrrya considered his words before she spoke. "Perhaps you could have but at what cost?"
"What do you mean Nathrrya?" Shmi asked.
"I don't need to tell either of you how... gifted Anakin is. If he had been on Naboo and say perhaps, blew up the droid control ship, he would have gained unwanted and unneeded attention from some very unsavoury people." Nathrrya explained.
Anakin's eyes went wide. "You mean the other Sith?"
"Yes. The longer the other Sith keeps his focus on me the safer you are." Nathrrya said "He might already know about you but as long as he doesn't know how import you could become, the safer it is for you. Eventually he'll know but by then, Force willing, I can confront him and deal with him."
"You mean kill him." Anakin said flatly
"Yes, I mean kill him. He's far too dangerous to keep alive." Nathrrya confirmed.
