Six
The Citadel, Dromund Kaas
13 ATC
The Emperor's Wrath's apartment was located on a stretch of Citadel hallway that had, for whatever reason, a large gap between lights, leaving the door sitting in a pool of shadow. Even the bright red armor of the two Imperial Guards who stood on either side of it was reduced to a faded bloodstain in the dimness.
"What's she doing?" Zariel asked abruptly, speaking softly enough that only her counterpart standing less than a meter away could hear.
"It's not our business," Janeth answered automatically. After a moment, he added, "Although I think it's pretty obvious."
"It's not right," Zariel muttered. "She is the Emperor's Wrath. She shouldn't be wasting time carrying on like this."
"They could just be talking in there," Janeth said dubiously. "For half the night."
"It isn't right!" Zariel said, then froze at attention as her voice carried a bit farther than she had intended.
"Relax," Janeth told her. "No one's around. And like I said, it's not any of our business what the Wrath does. Or who." He chuckled at his own joke.
"You disgust me sometimes."
They had been having the entire conversation without looking at each other, maintaining their positions parallel to the wall on either side of the door. After Zariel's comment, however, Janeth turned to face her.
"What's really bothering you, Arden?" he asked. "This isn't just about the Wrath being a little frivolous with her time. I can tell."
Zariel continued staring stiffly out at the hallway in front of them. "Were you not listening when the Wrath encountered that man on Korriban?"
"No, I wasn't. Our assignment is to protect the Wrath, not spy on her."
"Your ability to be willingly oblivious never ceases to amaze me. The Wrath mentioned K'hera Dhakar."
"Should I know who that is?"
Zariel finally whirled around to face him, the eye slit of her helmet revealing just enough of a stormy blue glare. "I'm starting to think all the beatings you took in training ruined your memory."
Janeth shrugged languidly. "What can I say? I had authority issues."
"This is what happens when we take uneducated vagrants from Ziost and try to make them soldiers," Zariel hissed.
"I was a bloody good soldier. Still am," Janeth protested without any real heat in his voice. "Maybe you're just pent up. I can cover for you if you need to go find someone to beat into the ground. Or we could go together; I don't think the Wrath will need us for a while."
"We're on duty, Vorin," Zariel said, clearly scandalized. "And we need to talk about K'hera Dhakar."
"Right, you were going to tell me who that is. And why I should care."
"K'hera Dhakar was Darth Evendre's apprentice. You do remember Darth Evendre, I hope?"
"Small-time Darth; big-time traitor. A 'fallen' Jedi who turned out to be faking it." Janeth nodded slowly. "That was a fun assignment. I thought her apprentice died?"
"That was what we were told. That was what all the records show. But I'm starting to think that Dhakar is actually still alive, and is, well, the Wrath."
"That's crazy."
"Look at the images on record. They're practically identical."
"Let me get this straight," Janeth said slowly. "You're telling me that you think the Emperor's Wrath is the former apprentice of a Jedi spy. Which means—what, exactly? Don't tell me you think the Wrath could be a traitor."
"It's not outside the realm of possibility."
"Arden, listen to yourself. If the Wrath's loyalties were anything other than what they seem to be, she would have to be fooling us, the Emperor's Hand, and the Emperor himself. And that's just absurd."
"That's—that's not precisely what I meant," Zariel muttered, deflating slightly.
"So what did you mean? Hopefully something that won't get us executed for suspecting the Emperor's favorite Sith of treason."
"I just meant that we should watch her."
"We already do."
"You know what I mean."
"She was Baras' apprentice, too," Janeth pointed out. "And he was certainly a traitor to the Empire."
"Baras fooled no one," Zariel said disparagingly.
"The Dark Council—"
"Turned a blind eye because it suited them. The Emperor ought to purge the whole lot of them."
Janeth sighed heavily. "Arden, you can't say those things."
"I know you're thinking them, too."
"It doesn't matter what I think."
"You're right. It doesn't."
There was a long moment of silence.
Zariel looked at the door. "Do you think they're really—"
"Absolutely," Janeth murmured. "Aren't you glad this place is soundproofed?"
"Disgusting."
"To be fair to Ekari, the Wrath is very beautiful."
"Vorin," Zariel said dangerously.
"I can appreciate her aesthetically, can't I?"
"I don't trust you around Sith women. Not after what happened."
Janeth stood very still. "We agreed not to talk about that."
"This is why we shouldn't be allowed to have relationships."
"Yes, you're plenty evidence for that argument."
Zariel turned and put her back against the wall again. "I know."
"Wait a minute," Janeth said, still facing her. "That's what's really bothering you, isn't it? The Wrath is in there getting cozy with someone, and you're upset because you think she should be a celibate bride of the Emperor or some bullshit."
"I—well—I—" Zariel stuttered. "Well, yes."
"Don't be ridiculous," Janeth said scornfully. "She may be the Wrath, but she's still a Sith like any other. Passion is part of their bloody code!"
"If she were like any other Sith, the Emperor would not have chosen her."
"I think you're reading too much into this. The Emperor chose her, sure, but only to kill things for him and remind the Dark Council to be good little boys and girls. We are the true devoted ones."
"I suppose you could be right," Zariel said reluctantly. "It still bothers me."
"Oh, relax. It's just one night. Tomorrow we'll be following her around while she puts the fear of the Emperor into people, just like normal."
"None of this was what I was expecting when we were given this assignment," Zariel admitted.
"I try not to expect anything. It makes following orders easier. Besides, we had no way of knowing what it would be like. The old Wrath—"
"Shut up!" Zariel said sharply. "And to think, you tell me not to say things!"
"It just slipped out."
"Control yourself better, then."
"Not to worry. I can hold my tongue."
"Good. I don't want to have to cut it out."
Janeth turned away from Zariel and back towards the hallway. "What time is it?"
"Probably around 0400."
"How many nights do you think we've spent standing outside a door?"
"As many as we've needed to."
Janeth adjusted his helmet and stood slightly straighter. "Fair enough."
