Nathrrya looked out the viewport of the Indigo Rose at the soothing swirl of hyperspace but even that could not calm her. She was brooding she knew she was brooding but weren't Sith Lords supposed to brood? Nathrrya had been in a foul mood ever since they'd left Coruscant.
The Sith was regretting revealing her half-Jedi linage to the Jedi High Council. Half-Jedi even the term was misleading but it was the only thing she could think of to convey her thoughts and feelings on the matter. Truth be told she wasn't half anything after all being a Jedi or Sith was more a way of life, a certain mindset and religious beliefs. Nathrrya was Sith always had been and always would be.
That said Nathrrya was a Sith tempered by the knowledge of her father's Jedi linage something she'd always been proud of. She was equally proud of her mother's Sith linage. Nathrrya was a rather unique blend of her Sith training as well as her parents knowledge and beliefs that they had imparted to their only child. She had forged her own path within the Sith and Empire and had developed quite a loyal following as a result. However due to the seemingly never ending number of strange situations Nathrrya always found herself in she never realised just how large a following she had.
"They don't trust me." Nathrrya stated bitterly. "They don't kriffing trust me!"
"Who don't trust you dear?" Shmi asked concerned from where she sat on Nathrrya's left.
Artoo made a beeping sound that seemed to say 'Uh oh.' Even the astromech was worried. He was located between Shami and Nathrrya
Nathrrya smiled at the droid as she rubbed his dome affectionately "Thanks." She whispered.
"The Jedi Council." Obi-Wan said softly after a few moments from Nathrrya's right.
"Why don't they trust her?" the Tatooine native asked clearly confused.
The padawan considered his words before he spoke "I think it's less of a case of not trusting but more of a case of control." Both women wanted an explanation "Nathrrya has told them something that a faction of the council has misunderstood and thinks that they have authority over her when they clearly do not."
The Sith hissed in anger as she understood what the padawan was saying. "The kriffing bastards! I'll gut the lot of them for dishonouring my heritage in such a way!" her eyes were a bright vibrant yellow such was her anger "As the Heiress of the ancient and noble house Palatine I have right to call them out individually and kill them in an honour duel!" she growled.
Shmi Skywalker didn't mind admitting she was terrified as even she could see the dark side crackling around the Sith. It made her wonder what had roused the woman's anger to such an extent that it had become visible.
"That may not be possible." Obi-Wan said carefully "I do not know who was responsible and even if I did they would never admit to making such an error."
Nathrrya sighed heavily nodding her head slowly as she released her anger into the Force trying to calm herself. She turned to face Obi-Wan her blue eyes hard lacking the warmth they usually had. "I could eliminate the entire Council and my honour would be satisfied. I don't really want to do that as I'm starting to like some of them."
The message was clear never tickle a sleeping Krayt Dragon. Something the Council had just done. The dragon had woken up opened one eye glared at them then roared a warning before settling down and going back to sleep. Obi-Wan hoped the Council would be wise enough to heed the warning that he would pass along.
Jedi Master Mace Windu looked out the window of his apartment within the Jedi Temple with a scowl seemingly etched into his face. He had thought that the Council had finally accepted their Sith ally. How wrong he'd been. All because Nathrrya had chosen to reveal in greater detail her unique heritage. She had said it best herself she was half Jedi. That of course had been all the excuse for a faction of the Council who had clearly never fully trusted the Sith woman and all she stood for to act. They were labouring under misconception that because Nathrrya admitted to being half Jedi that the Council now could exercise some control over her.
Mace snorted at the thought as he even knew how futile that was. Nathrrya had once been a very high ranking Sith Lord and therefore was used to giving orders not taking them. Had the Council not being paying attention to what Nathrrya had been telling them? What Jinn and Kenobi had reported? Mace was beginning to think that was the case. The dark skinned master went over what he knew about the Sith woman.
Nathrrya has held the title of Empire's Wrath which seemed to have some importance and status even if Mace didn't know exactly what it entailed. She had commanded Imperial naval assets as and when required and as evidenced by her actions on Naboo was an experienced field commander as she helped plan and lead the assault on Theed Palace even taking on and eliminating a ravel Sith apprentice before returning to assist in the main assault. Leaning she had fought in a galactic war that had lasted at least six years you soon realised she was someone the Jedi did not want to provoke. Mace feared that's what the Jedi had done when they had ordered Kenobi to spy on Nathrrya's movements.
"Obi-Wan will not betray Nathrrya's trust so easily. You know this old friend."
Mace turned to face the other Jedi "I know but I cannot help but worry. I do not want him to turn and I fear this latest power play by certain members of the Council will only push him more toward her influence."
Dooku nodded "It may, but Obi-Wan will not turn for Nathrrya would not allow it. He's a warrior of the Light, she knows this. I won't lie to you Mace she has the power and ability to turn him if she wished but she knows his greatest desire is to be a Jedi Knight and she will do all she can to help achieve that." the breaded Jedi smiled "Nathrrya is unlike any other Sith."
Mace snorted at that, it was true. "She's started training you then?" he asked curious.
Dooku grinned "After a fashion. She's given me some advice on what to look up in the Archives and given me a list of the Sith artefacts and Holocrons the Order possesses that will be safe enough to use. It will give me something to do until she returns."
"She'll return?" the dark skinned Jedi asked as he sat down across from Dooku.
"Indeed. Nathrrya still has unfinished business with the Order. Not least because she'll want to re open the Sith Temple that lies beneath our own." Dooku replied.
Mace was deep in thought a slight frown on his face. "Do you have any insight as to why she has left or what she may be doing, old friend?"
Dooku looked thoughtful as he considered his response. Nathrrya had been very guarded in what her intentions were before she left but knowing the Sith woman as he did Dooku felt he could give Mace an educated guess as to what she might be doing.
"You have to see things from Nathrrya's perspective she is as far as she knows not only the last of the Sith Order but also the last of an entire civilisation." Dooku said "If I were her and had a ship I'd be intending to visit former imperial holdings to see what had become of the Sith Empire and to see if there were anything that remained."
Mace nodded as he had suspected something like this. "And if she finds anything?"
Dooku shrugged "That would depend on what Nathrrya finds, if anything. The galaxy is a big place, plenty of places to hide if you don't want to be found."
Mace frowned "Are you saying that there could be a remnant of the Sith Empire out there that we have no knowledge of?"
"There certainly could be." Dooku agreed "It's something to consider for if there is then Nathrrya stands a better chance than most in finding such a remnant."
As the older Jedi spoke Mace felt his vision shift and he found himself on the bridge of what was clearly an Imperial warship looking out the nearest window the Jedi master could see a sizable fleet surrounding the ship he was on. There had to be several hundred vessels if Mace had to guess.
Mace looked around the bridge and soon saw Nathrrya wearing black and grey Sith robes stood near an Imperial officer giving the man some orders but what surprised the Jedi master was the teenage Togruta padawan standing next to the Sith woman as if she were her master.
Mace blinked as his vision cleared.
"What happened old friend?" Dooku asked looking concerned. "Did you have a vision?"
Mace nodded slowly "I did. I saw Nathrrya on the bridge of the flagship of an Imperial fleet but she clearly had a Jedi padawan as an apprentice."
Dooku leaned back in surprise. "Interesting. If your vision comes to pass old friend it would seem that the Sith Empire may live again."
Both men looked towards the window that looked out over Coruscant and wondered what form a reborn Sith Empire would take. They knew without doubt that Nathrrya would be the one to lead the new Empire even if she never took the title of Sith Empress.
"Shmi, Shmi Skywalker, is that really you?" Asked a happy if somewhat bewildered Cliegg Lars. The moisture farmer had been distraught to discover that Shmi and her son Anakin had been lost in a bet to a pair of off-worlders by their owner Watto. Cliegg had been saving up to free both Skywalkers. To say the man was surprised to run into a happy and healthy Shmi Skywalker walking down what passed for Mos Espa's main street would be correct.
Shmi smiled at her friend "Hello Cliegg it's good to see you." She said giving the man a hug much to his surprise and happiness.
A chuckle sounded from the moisture farmers left drawing his attention to the people that were with her. "So he's the reason you wanted to come back Shmi? There's nothing to ashamed of you know." amusement clear in the red haired woman's voice the young man did his best to suppress a grin.
"Nathrrya!" Shmi cried embarrassed which just made both the Jedi and Sith laugh. "Cliegg I'd like to meet Nathrrya she is the woman who freed myself and Anakin, with her is Obi-Wan."
"Freed you?" Cliegg asked clearly confused "I thought you'd been won when Watto lost some bet." He said looking at Shmi.
Nathrrya's grin had a wicked quality to it "Watto did lose Shmi and Anakin to me in a bet but one of the conditions was that he was to free them both if I won. Shmi is now a freewomen of Tatooine."
Cliegg chuckled "That explains why Watto's been in such a sour mood. He wouldn't have liked that. I'm not sure what would've upset him more, losing a bet or having to free Anakin and Shmi." the moisture farmer studied Nathrrya for a few moments "Why would you make a bet to free Shmi and Anakin?"
Shmi took Cliegg's arm. "The answer to that question is best answered indoors."
Cliegg nodded understanding at what wasn't being said "In that case I was heading home soon so would the three of you like to return with me?"
The following morning saw Cliegg Lars trying to process what he'd been told last night by Shmi and the two Force users. That had been the first revelation the identity of his two off-world guests.
"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, padawan of the Jedi Order." The young man had introduced himself as he placed his lightsabre on the table.
"And I'm Nathrrya Palatine, Master of the Sith Order." The red haired woman said as she too placed her lightsabre on the table.
Cliegg shook himself from the memory.
"It's hard to believe that Nathrrya is all that remains of an Empire that the galaxy once feared." Shmi said softly from across the table.
Cliegg sorted at the understatement "She doesn't seem to be on a quest for galactic domination does she?"
"No she isn't." Obi-Wan agreed as he entered the kitchen looking rather dishevelled. It was clear he had no slept well the previous night "But she knows of someone who is and she aims to stop him or die trying."
Shmi gasped at that "Why?"
"Simple, she has nothing to live for." Obi-Wan said as he sat down.
"But I thought you and she..." Shmi trailed off uncertainly with a frown. Had she read things so badly?
The padawan smiled slightly and shrugged for he too was just as uncertain as to what it was that existed between himself and Nathrrya. One day he'd be able to figure it out hopefully before Nathrrya confronted Sidious. If Obi-Wan were honest with himself he'd like to give Nathrrya a reason to live past her final confrontation with Sidious.
"Perhaps saying that Nathrrya has nothing to live for is somewhat misleading." Obi-Wan said as he fixed himself a cup of tea. "She has plenty to live for as she has many things she'd like to accomplish however until her opponent is unmasked and destroyed she cannot do as she would like. In the back of her mind she knows that eventually she must face her opponent in a one on one duel and it will be a duel to the death even if that means they both end up dying."
Both Cliegg and Shmi blinked in shock "She would willingly sacrifice herself?"
"If need be. As a Sith Nathrrya has a totally different mindset to the Jedi." Obi-Wan replied "She has been trained how to fight from a young age. War and battle has been her way of life as long as she can remember. The person she must face will do all he can to destroy her so she will respond in kind even if that means she dies to defeat him."
"I hope that doesn't happen, Obi-Wan. Nathrrya deserves to be able to live her life and be happy." Shmi said softly.
"As do I Shmi as do I." The padawan agreed. In his dreams Obi-Wan had seem what could happen if Nathrrya failed. The future he'd seen was bleak indeed. The padawan vowed he'd do all he could to assure Nathrrya's success.
Mandalorian bounty hunter Kelborn Ordo was sat quietly indulging in one of his favoured pastimes, people watching. Whenever he had some free time one of the things he liked to do was find one of the open air cafes that dotted Mos Espa and simply watch the world go by for a few hours. It was suprings what you could learn by observing others. It was a skill that Kelborn had developed as it had proven invaluable more than once being able to predict what a target might do.
As the bounty hunter sat just watching the world go by Kelborn's mind turned to his charge the teenage Twi'lek girl Keelu Laharti. Kelborn had never thought he'd be responsible for another much less a teenage girl. But responsible he was and it was a duty he took seriously. The Mandalorain grinned remembering the times he'd had to ask some of the female members of his clan for advice. Needless to say he'd gotten some good natured ribbing about it but at the end of the day he was proud of Keelu and her accomplishments.
Movement caught the bounty hunters attention and as he looked to what had drawn his interest his eyes widened slightly. Watto's description didn't do the woman justice of that Kelborn was certain. To the Mandalorains eyes she was an apex predator on the prowl. As he stood to follow he noticed that both her blaster and lightsabre were visible. Most would think she was a Jedi but Kelborn Ordo knew better. The woman he now followed was far more dangerous than any Jedi. Kelborn smirked he didn't mind living dangerously.
Nathrrya sighed she'd left the Lars homestead early as she could get Mos Espa before it got too hot. Before she left she'd looked in on Obi-Wan and it was clear to her that the young man had had a troubled sleep. What plagued his dreams she did not know but hoped it was nothing too serious.
Nathrrya's mind wondered to a time when she was last on Tatooine and scowled even then the Hutts and the Exchange were a nuisance, a thorn in the side of both the Empire and the Republic. Now the Hutt Cartel controlled the Force forsaken dust ball but that would change if Nathrrya got her way. Just the thought of turning Jabba the Hutt's palace into nothing more than a smoking hole in the ground via orbital bombardment gave her a very pleasant warm feeling so much so that her eyes turned yellow and she let out a truly evil laugh.
No one was around to see or hear her for which Nathrrya was grateful. It wasn't often her darker nature took over but the thought of the criminal syndicate controlling the lives of the less fortunate on this bleak world made her want to unleash the beast as it were. The Sith would have to wait for she was not ready, did not have all her pieces in place but once she did she would return and then Jabba and his ilk would burn.
Nathrrya had her emotions under control by the time she entered Mos Espa. As she walked through the settlement she idly wondered what had happened to Mos Ila as that had been the main Imperial stronghold at the time. Had it been lost to the sands or was it still in use under another name? It wasn't important she'd find out eventually.
The Sith's mood darkened slightly remembering how she and her cousin had to clean up Czerka Corporation's mess. When they'd run into each other at one of the comm. relay towers they'd soon realised that they were after the same hidden Czerka base so had combined their efforts. At the end of the day the galaxy had been a bit safer and Nathrrya had too much fun snapping the necks of the three Czerka idiots that had tried to stop them. What really made her day had been hearing the Czerka ship in orbit that had tried to run only to fall to the guns of her personal dreadnaught. Being the Scion of an Ancient and Noble House had its perks.
Nathrrya slowed as the Force whispered to her. Carefully she looked behind her sure enough she spotted the Mandalorian bounty hunter following her at a discreet distance. The Force indicated that he was no threat but it would be worth her time to meet him. Resuming her normal walking pace Nathrrya thought how to accomplish such a meeting. An idea came to her so instead of going to Watto's has she had intended she turned and headed to where the Indigo Rose was docked the Mandalorian soon following. Nathrrya grinned.
A/N: Well not as long as some of my chapters but I wanted to get something out before Christmas so this seemed a good place to leave it. Real life has been... busy to say the least and I've had a lot on my mind. Hopefully I'll be able to spend a bit more time on TDS but make no promises.
