The day Ahsoka submitted to the Dark Side, every Jedi remaining across the Galaxy felt the disturbance in the Force. The energy that surrounds and binds them has long been out of balance, but this new feeling was reminiscent of the darkness that had consumed the Galaxy in the wake of the Sith war. Ezra was not yet fully attuned to the Force so he only felt a tremor, but Kanan felt far more. He began having visions during his meditations. They were inexplicably violent. He felt as if something was keeping him locked in place as he watched his friends cut down in battle. He could only watch in helpless fear as blaster fire, or the flash of twin red lightsabers mercilessly destroyed everything in their path. The figure he observed holding those lightsabers was shrouded in darkness. There was a familiarity to the person, yet at the same time, unfamiliarity as well. Since he could find no peace in meditating, he went to the bridge, and sat down next to Hera.

"Any luck finding Ahsoka's tracking signal?"

"No, wherever she is, she doesn't want to be found. We shouldn't have let her leave; Kanan."

"We couldn't have stopped her. She was determined to protect us from the Sith. She's still a far greater Jedi than I will ever be."

"That's not true and you know it. You're the one training Ezra to be a Jedi. You believed in him when no else, not even me, would. And what did you say to me once, something Yoda told you? 'Greatness is measured not by one's actions, greatness from within it comes?'"

"Yeah, that is what Master Yoda said. Still; I think we should keep searching for her. She shouldn't have to face the Sith alone."

"I haven't stopped. We'll find her. The Rebellion needs her."

Hera could tell that Kanan was tense despite his affirmation that they wouldn't have been able to stop Ahsoka from leaving. She can see his tension in the way he balls his left fist up against his knee. She gently places her right hand over his left, trying to offer comfort and support. The gesture isn't lost on him, and he offers up a small smile in thanks. As the crew of the Ghost rendezvous' with the Rebel fleet, Jase and Andros are on a ship bound for Dantooine. Their reactions to the disturbance are not unlike Kanan's but have a greater clarity than his did.

"Surrender Jedi, there is no hope for the Rebellion. Your Temple was destroyed, and you are all that remains."

The voice that speaks to Jase sounds familiar, even though it is enhanced by the Dark Side. In his vision, he is undeterred from his mission. He stares defiantly back at the dark warrior standing before him.

"The oppressive darkness of the Sith will never extinguish the fire of the Jedi. The Temple may have been destroyed, but there are Jedi still willing to fight to protect the Galaxy from your evil."

"You cling to a foolish belief. The Sith already have control of the Galaxy. Death is all that remains for you."

Jase's vision continues as he ignites his blue lightsaber, likewise his mystery opponent ignites twin red lightsabers. They are standing face to face on a dark plain overlooking a lava flow. He can feel the intensity of the battle as if he was actually fighting it. The heat from the lava scorches everything around the two warriors. He fights without fear of dying, knowing he is the last line of defense against the dark storm raging. But he begins to fall back, his opponent is just as skilled as he is, but is moving faster than he can. The Sith is a flurry of motion, and as his vision ends with a lightsaber cutting a blood red path towards his neck, the hood of his adversary falls away, but the face is still shrouded in darkness, so he can't identify the person. Jase wakes from his meditation in a cold sweat. He's just calming his nerves when Andros rushes in, having felt his Master's distress.

"You felt it too, didn't you, Master?"

"A disturbance far greater than the one we last felt on Tatooine, yes. But this was not just a vision from meditation; this was a glimpse into the future."

"And that vision could have only come from a Sith. What did you see?"

"A warrior clad in robes that were as black as the night sky. Someone who was familiar to me, yet unfamiliar at the same time. I could not see the warrior's face, for all the darkness around us."

"I saw the same things. This warrior struck at me with twin red lightsabers, but I was able to deflect the onslaught. But I did not see what happened next as the vision ended and I woke in my quarters."

"We must be wary Andros. The Dark Side grows ever stronger. I could see my death in my vision."

"You said the warrior felt familiar to you, were you reminded of anyone specifically?"

"No, did you recognize your assailant?"

"I…,"

Before Andros can continue, Captain Antilles activates the ships' internal communications array. His interruption was both timely and a relief.

"Your Pardon Master Jedi, but we have just been granted permission to land on Dantooine. I am setting course for the Rebel base."

"Thank you Captain."

Jase had been tracking Ahsoka through the Force for many months. Her presence manifested itself on Dantooine, and he hoped that they would find her there. But when they delved further into their investigation, no one had seen a Togruta woman matching her appearance. After carefully calling on the Force again, it was revealed that her shuttle had only passed through this system, but then her Force signature became hazy, and harder to read. Jase pushed a little harder and thought he had found her when without warning the shadow of the Dark Side clouded his perceptions and the trail was destroyed. Now without direction, they had to remain on the planet until another ship was able to convey them towards their next destination, and Captain Antilles had been called back to Alderaan for an emergency.

"We will find her Master. We can feel her through the Force, so she has not passed into the Nether-realm. Ahsoka is still alive."

"I wish I could share your faith Andros, but every lead has grown cold. It is as if Ahsoka does not want to be found."

Later that night Andros found himself restless as he tried to sleep. After their initial meeting he had spent many years training with Ahsoka and found that he had enjoyed her company. He was also a Padawan when they met, and he and Ahsoka had formed a quick bond. When he was honest with himself, he had been developing some feelings for her. These were feelings he couldn't understand and that the Jedi order strictly forbade. As he tries to turn his thoughts back to finding her, she was still in the Deep Core and progressing quickly through her training.

"Do not hesitate; my young Apprentice. Your anger feeds your strength, it will make you unstoppable. I can feel your rage growing, you must use it. Only through the Power of the Dark Side will you be able to take the revenge you desire on those who held you back."

"Yes Master."

Palpatine continued to speak encouragingly as Vader watched her intently. Since embracing the ways of the Sith, Melinoe had truly immersed herself in the power of the Dark Side. She now understood the basic tenets of her new powers and why the Jedi fell. They refused to accept that anger and hate were powerful weapons. In a few short days she had mastered the Force choke and killed two Storm-troopers at once. Currently she was learning to create Force lightning, her first attempt had been explosive and nearly destroyed her quarters. But now with the guidance of her Masters, she had managed to manifest small sparks. This was just the first step, and soon she was letting her anger guide her into more advanced ways of manipulating the lightning. Her second try was successful as she created the lightning and used her power to shape it into a ball.

"Good, good. You are becoming far more powerful than I could have hoped for, Lady Melinoe. Your anger and your hate have given you mastery of your powers. You must now see how the Dark Side was always the true nature of the Force."

"I do see it; my Master."

"Excellent, your next lesson is at hand. Many Sith take years to progress as you have. But to truly become Sith, you must part with something before you can begin your next lesson. Give me your lightsabers."

Melinoe unclipped the hilts from her belt and strode forward towards Palpatine. When she reached the throne she held her hands out with her palms up, presenting her weapons. With the offer in play, he used the Force to take them from her, and activated the blades.

"Green is the color of the Jedi. It represents their narrow minded and dogmatic view of the Force. I despise it."

Suddenly the room grew dark as he called upon his power, and the only light was that of the twin green blades. Through his hands, a power intensified and crushed the hilts, the crystals and all the components that were used to construct the weapons. The blades slowly flickered and died as the energy from the Dark Side dissipated.

"Now young one, you will construct your new lightsabers. I know that they will be as powerful as you. I have placed all the components you will need to begin the construction in your quarters. All of them; save for these."

After crushing the hilts like paper, Palpatine reached into his robe and removed two small objects she could not see. Ever so slowly he opened his hand and the two red crystals floated towards her. Their color was as red as blood and Melinoe stood entranced at the beauty she saw in them. When they were floating directly above her hand, she reached out and took them from the air.

"You may begin your lesson. When you have finished, your weapons will be as beautiful and as dangerous as you are. With them, you will cut a path of fire across the Galaxy, and all will fear you."

With a wicked laugh, she turned and left the throne room. The construction of her previous lightsabers had taken her a month, only because she had submitted to the Jedi way, and made them weapons to defend peace. With this new power at her disposal, she knew she would finish this task in less time. When she was out of the room, Vader took this moment to question his Master.

"She has grown strong, Master. The Jedi that Ahsoka Tano was is gone. I can sense her need to test her new powers. When will I take her for her trials?"

"Patience, my friend. Lady Melinoe will soon be ready. I can sense that day is coming sooner than we had anticipated. Only through her trials will she truly wipe away any remnants of her life before. She has mastered the power of the Dark Side in her mind, but she must now master the manipulation of her powers over her own body."

For three days, Melinoe gave herself to the will of the Force. Even as she continued her work on her weapons, she could feel the seductiveness of her power. Even though constructing her lightsabers required focus, she found herself reaching out, and using the same seductive nature to capture the minds of the Storm-troopers. It wasn't difficult, they were weak minded and could not even muster any defense. For a few brief moments, she had them even contemplating turning their weapons against Palpatine and Vader. The thought made her feel even more powerful, and even though she knew that her Masters could sense what she had done, they made no attempts to stop her. When the fifth day of her lesson dawned, she had completed her new lightsabers. Both hilts were longer than tradition dictated and curved slightly to fit better in her hands. While she had studied the ancient Sith designs, she found them to be almost too flashy as well as archaic. In the end, hers could be classified as simplistic, but the simplicity hid a danger no Jedi would be expecting. With her new weapons clipped to her belt, she entered the throne room.

"Your lesson is complete then, Lady Melinoe?"

"It is Master. No Jedi will stand in battle with me for long when I ignite my lightsabers."

"Show them to us."

Without another word, she took her weapons in hand and activated the blades. The red was as dark as Palpatine had predicted, and he now insisted on a demonstration.

"Lord Vader, you will engage Lady Melinoe in battle."

"Yes Master."

The two of them circled each other, both weighing options and assessing the best offense and defense. Vader was immediately caught off guard as Melinoe moved forward faster than he could have expected. Like in the battle that precipitated her fall to the Dark Side, she set the pace. He could barely get his own lightsaber up to block as she continued to strike with an unbridled fury. For her, this was more than a test of her skill, she wanted to eliminate her opponent and take his place at Palpatine's side. She nearly came close to doing just that, until Vader drew upon the Force to stop her in her place. Even though she could not move, a twisted smirk formed on her lips as she taunted him.

"You are a coward; Lord Vader. You resort to the Force instead of continuing to engage me in combat. You are a pathetic fool; I should be standing at our Master's side instead of you."

Her words only served to anger him more. He had her subdued, but only through his actions could he remind her that he was her better, and the true Sith apprentice.

"You believe yourself better than me, Melinoe. But you have forgotten your place."

Vader didn't even need to move to begin Force choking her. He just kept his hands at his sides and reached out with his mind. She could feel the pressure blocking her airways and nearly passed out when Palpatine stopped the attack.

"Enough Lord Vader. She has learned her lesson. You will release her."

"As you wish, Master."

When the pressure holding her in place ceased, she fell to her knees. Even though she seemed weak at the moment, she still glared at Vader with hatred in her eyes. When she could stand, she did so, and was given her next lesson.

"You have learned to control the Force with your mind, and manipulate those around you with it as well. Now you must learn to use the Force to manipulate your physical appearance."

"This can be done, Master?"

"Only by one who has not suffered physically at the hands of the Jedi as Lord Vader and I have. Think inwardly, find a physical appearance that suits you and use the Force to make your appearance match that which you see."

The young Sith did as instructed and closed her eyes. Through the Force she manipulated her appearance in her mind. Her first adjustments were to her skin tone, as she had been born with an orange complexion, this was the easiest for her to manipulate. Palpatine and Vader watched in awe as her skin turned darker before their very eyes. When it seemed she was satisfied, and the color stabilized her skin had turned dark red. Next she focused on the white markings she was also born with. In her mind she manipulated those into turning black, and where the lines of them were smooth before, they now took on a serrated edge. She could see her appearance becoming more intimidating, and she was proud of what she had accomplished so far. Her final adjustment was to address her Lekku. These were blue and white since birth, and she changed the entirety of them to black, but she wasn't quite finished. Knowing what she wanted to do, she focused on the Sith legends she had been learning, and remembered tattoos she had seen on prior Sith Lords. Slowly tattoos started to form, and they were as blood red as the rest of her skin. When she was completely finished; she opened her eyes and could see everyone appraising her new appearance.

"Did it work, Master?"

"See for yourself, young one."

Palpatine activates a reflective holographic display for Melinoe to see her appearance. She smiles and notices that not only did she manipulate her outward appearance, her teeth had also become more defined, and her upper and lower canine teeth now carried a sharper point. With a laugh, one word escapes her lips as she finishes appraising herself.

"Beautiful."

When her laughter abates, Palpatine speaks again, and he has nothing but praise for what she has done.

"You have done well, Lady Melinoe. You are the first Sith to master the physical manipulation of the body with the Dark Side. Your training is nearly complete."

"What is next, Master?"

"Next we will return to Coruscant. The time has come to introduce the Galaxy to you. With Lord Vader, you will strike terror into the hearts of those who seek to Rebel against The Empire. Then you will journey to Mustafar, and we will set a trap for the Jedi."