Chapter 20 – Revelations [Final]
With her left hand, Louise rapped her knuckles upon the door to Lyira's apartment. Her other arm was splinted in a sling her droid had done for her. Even now, her teeth were gritted, trying to ignore the pain in her slightly deformed arm.
After she had dealt with both Skotia and his apprentices, Louise and Khem had snuck back to their apartment to recover. She had been in a foul mood the entire way back, though this was mainly attributed to her broken arm and new scar she found across her hip, though it was also because she was forced to leave Skotia's lightsaber behind. While glorifying, it would have been extremely incriminating had she been caught with the saber.
Nevertheless, she returned to her temporary home and changed from her Sith robes to her more casual clothing; a difficult feat considering her broken arm. Once that was done, she got her droid to tend to her arm and left to Lyira's apartment.
The door hissed open revealing a curious Vette who's eyes almost immediately locked onto her injured arm. "What did you do, Louise?" the Twi'lek asked with a sigh.
"You sound like I am always injured when I visit."
Vette only gave her a look.
Louise took a deep breath before saying the plausible excuse she had thought of on the way, "I arm wrestled Khem." Behind her, she could feel Khem smirk at the demeaning excuse.
Now Vette was not only staring but openly gawking, her eyes occasionally flicking to the smirking giant, "Why would you do that?"
"The Pink Sith was not in the right mindset." Khem supplied.
"Thank you Khem," Louise said, casting a sidelong glare at her companion before turning back to Vette with a huff, "I got bored. I would have won, but apparently, I need to replace my flimsy human bones with something stronger."
Vette looked at Louise with a queer expression, "This doesn't have anything to do with…"
"No, Vette," Louise replied coldly.
"Well, ah, come in. Lyira's not home right now. Baras is interrogating someone and wants Lyira's help." Vette answered, distaste lacing her voice.
"Oh," was all Louise said about that, knowing the woman's opinion on cruelty. What could she say? She had already tortured and horribly murdered someone horribly. They deserved it, in her humble opinion, but the more she thought about it the more she realised it was more for fun and stress relief rather than justice or revenge. She really had no idea what to think about that.
The two entered the apartment and Louise quickly took up two seats on the couch, wanting to rest her legs, "When do you think she'll be back?"
"Don't know, she left early this morning." Vette replied, "Want something to eat?"
"No thank you, I had something before."
Vette was about to say something, but the sound of a massive explosion and the faint vibrations through the apartment complex put the three on immediate edge, "What was that."
"I don't know," Louise replied, a sick feeling tingling through the Force.
They rushed to the window, hoping that they would see anything that would shed some light on the explosion, but they saw nothing other than panicked civilians and Imperial soldiers trying to calm people down. Finding nothing else, the left the window, confused and worried.
Louise wanted to ask Vette if she had any ideas, but the words could not form. Even Khem looked as concerned as he could. With no better idea, Louise sat on the couch, soon being joined by the Twi'lek who turned on the viewscreen, switching it to the News network.
What they found was not helping their peace of mind, "- indoors. I repeated, all Imperial citizens return to your homes and stay indoors. The Empire is doing much to learn more about this attack and your cooperation is needed to make this a streamlined affair." It was not the usual news anchor speaking, but a droid doing it instead. The droid continued to spout nonsense, not really explain what was truly going on.
Louise supposed it was because the Empire did not know either, other than something had exploded. It was not good news.
Immediately, her mind went to Lyira, worrying about the Pureblood's safety. She could tell that Vette had similar thoughts, but knew that they could not do anything at the moment. So, they waited and listened to the droid repeat itself, trying to bring the peace.
An hour later, her holocommunicator beeped. With hope that it was Lyira, Louise scrambled to answer the call, only to find that it was her master instead, "Louise, I hope you're doing well in the chaos. Darth Thanaton has just called me into his office, about a murder. Sit tight, I'll contact you when this is all done." And, before she could get a word in edge-wise, her master cut the call.
With nothing better to do, Louise put the holocom away, shrugging to the inquisitive Vette.
More painstaking time passed as Khem moved restlessly around the apartment and the other two worried about their red-skinned friend. Then, the door hissed open.
All three heads snapped to the interloper, and the second Louise saw red skin and green eyes, she flung herself headfirst from the couch she was seated on and crushed Lyira in a bone crushing hug. One that the Pureblood returned quite awkwardly, "Lou, please, you're bony. It hurts!"
Louise did not relinquish her hold, only loosening slightly, "We were worried about you, Lyira."
"Yeah, can't have my buddy get killed while I'm stuck here." Vette supplied.
"I was worried as well," the Pureblood replied as Louise relinquished her from the embrace, "It's not every day that a ship explodes over Kaas, especially during peacetime."
"A ship exploded?" Vette asked.
Lyira nodded, "A Harrower-Class, from what I could hear."
"What happened?"
"That's all I know," Lyira shrugged, "I could feel it even from Darth Baras' chambers."
"Well, you're safe here," Louise said.
"Uh, Louise," Lyira said, "I'm not going to be here for long. Darth Baras called me into… assist him in his endeavours, but with the recent chaos, he's given me a job to do. I… can't speak about it."
"So, you'll be leaving?" asked Louise.
"Yeah, I'm sorry." Lyira apologised again.
"It's okay. Be careful." With that, Louise reluctantly left Lyira and Vette, allowing them to get ready for whatever mission Baras had demanded. Her feet carried her down halls and up turbo-lifts eventually nearing her apartment.
Upon turning a corner to walk down the hall her apartment was located, Louise noticed something peculiar, that being the Sith Lord who had just stopped in front of her door. She recognised the man, of course, as he was her superior in the Sphere of Influence she belonged to.
Darth Thanaton.
He was a middle-aged man, around fifty years old, though he looked much older with his short grey hair and wrinkles. Around his left eye was a red tattoo of Sith design that stood out against his fair skin. An extravagant robe of red and purple was fitted around his lean form with pieces of armour on his arms, shoulders and neck.
Apprehension gripped Louise's heart, her mind instantly going to Skotia's assassination, but she knew she had to confront the Darth either way. To avoid him would be just as incriminating as straight out saying she committed the murder.
Slowly, she began walking towards the Sith Lord, her steps cautious. Khem, sensing her unease, copied her movements, his hand twitching to use his sword again no matter who he kills. Their footsteps alerted Thanaton to their arrival as he turned to face her, eyes widening only a second. Just at the edge of her hearing, she could hear the Darth mutter, "She really does have pink hair."
"Is there something I could help you with, my lord?" Louise said upon her approach.
His eyes flicked once again to her hair and he asked, "You are Apprentice Louse, are you not?"
"I am," she replied.
"Just in time." He said before introducing himself, "I am Darth Thanaton and I have a few questions concerning your master."
"About her supposedly killing someone?" Ventured Louise.
Though his expression did not change, she felt suspicion rise in the Darth, "Yes, though I would rather have this conversation privately."
"Of course, my lord." Louise replied, "We can talk in my apartment."
Thanaton nodded absently, turning back to the apartment door, "It's strange…"
"What is my lord?"
"This was my apartment when I was an apprentice all those years ago."
Louise, not knowing what else to say, hummed in acknowledgement. She opened the door, and, once Khem entered himself, gestured for Thanaton to enter as well.
The Dashade quickly excused himself to his room, leaving the Sith alone to do their business. Half concerned as to the interrogation she was expecting, and not knowing what to do next, Louise decided to act out being a host to her guest, "Would you like anything to eat or drink, my lord?"
"No thank you- actually, yes. You wouldn't happen to have tea, would you? I always liked the tea the apartments were supplied."
Supplied? She thought frowning. She did not know about any tea in her apartment. She knew the Empire and the galaxy at large had many different foods and drinks and that tea was one of those, but had not tried it as it was a drink on her homeworld much the same. Deciding to at least check to appease the Sith Lord, Louise quickly made her way to the kitchen.
Once inside, her personal droid booted up almost immediately, "Is there something you wish, master?"
"Do we have tea?" Louise asked.
"Yes master, we have a full stock."
Louise made a small 'oh' at the answer, "When did we get this?"
"We've always had tea, master." The droid replied, its tone somehow sounding like the droid was judging her.
"Why wasn't I told?"
"Master, I do apologise," the droid said, articulating its apology with a bow, "but I am sure I informed you within the week of your arrival."
Casting her mind back to her first week on the Imperial capital, Louise remembered how completely out of it she had been; her Sith alchemy studies had taken over her entire life changing her diet to cheap nutrient packets and water. As Lyira had said, it was not healthy, and she had lost weight from it. Luckily Lyira quickly put an end to that.
Shaking her head of those thoughts, Louise ordered her droid to make two cups of tea for both Thanaton and her; if she already owned some, she might as well taste it. The droid did not take much time at all, having all the ingredients ready for two cups – water heating was a wonderful thing – and soon she was holding two small cups of the hot liquid.
Returning to the Living room, she found Thanaton had already made himself at home, sitting himself down at the dining table. With careful grace, she managed to not spill a drop of the tea and delivered a cup to the Sith Lord before sitting herself down across from him.
After Thanaton took a sip of his tea, he began, "You knew your master had been accused of murder?"
Louise inwardly smiled, taking a sip from her own cup and finding the flavour pleasant, "Yes, she told me over a holocall. Though I'm not sure who she's supposedly killed as the last I heard from her she was going to a party."
"That is precisely what we are working on figuring out. She's been accused of killing Darth Skotia." Thanaton said, looking over Louise for any signs of a reaction.
Louise felt like shivering under his yellow eyes, but held her composure and presented a front of content indifference, "Skotia? He's dead?"
"Yes, murdered in his own chambers. You sound pleased by the news," noted the Darth.
With a sip of her drink, she replied, "He tried to kill me twice for simply being apprenticed to Lord Zash. Both failed miserably, but it did not leave me a great impression of the man."
"Either way, your master is our number one suspect." Thanaton said as he sipped his tea, "And we plan on figuring out how she managed such a bold move."
"I have no idea how I could help, my lord. My master keeps much hidden from me." Louise replied, hoping her honesty in the last part of her sentence eased the man's suspicion.
Thanaton nodded along, seemingly content with her answer, "What have you been up to since your graduation?"
"Not much, my lord." Louise replied, "Other than a few short missions, I've been training and studying alchemy. My master has mostly kept to herself, studying a few things I recovered during my time as an Acolyte."
"And what do these missions entail?"
"At the beginning of my apprenticeship, I was tasked by the Grand Moff to assist him with capturing a defecting Imperial General. Other than that, I've been used as her gopher, doing small things here and there."
Once again begrudgingly n content with her answers, Darth Thanaton asked, "Why is your arm broken?"
"I arm wrestled my Dashade servant," Louise replied, trying to sound bitter about the entirely fictional event. Louise could tell he was immensely curious about her little tale but refrained from further questioning on that subject.
Then, something odd happened. Just as Thanaton was about to ask another question, her viewscreen turned on by itself. Both the Sith's eyes flicked towards the screen where they saw a shadowy hooded figure staring back.
Then it spoke, "Citizens of the Empire, this is the Eagle." It- he said, his voice a deep distorted baritone, "I am here to tell you that our government is corrupt. When the Emperor signed his treaty with the Galactic Republic, we were promised a new epoch – Glory unrivalled since the first Sith dynasty. Instead, our Empire has suffered. Apathetic Moffs and wicked Lords of the Dark Council vie for power while our soldiers die over worthless planets in nameless systems."
She could feel the aura of anger that started to fill the air, she risked a look to Thanaton who was looking stone-faced at the screen, his eyes blazing. Turning back, she continued to listen as the man continued his speech.
"Anyone who speaks out in favour of reform is kidnapped and tortured by Imperial Intelligence. This must not continue.'
"A short while ago, a group of defiant revolutionaries destroyed an Imperial dreadnaught. Three thousand people were aboard… Including Darth Jadus, a Lord of the Dark Council. We chose to strike at Darth Jadus publicly so that every Imperial citizen would know the truth: The Dark Council is not invulnerable. We can effect change. We regret the sacrifice of so many civilians, but it was necessary. The Empire cannot cover up this momentous event. Imperial Intelligence cannot silence our call to arms.'
"This is only the first step towards a better future. We have agents throughout the Empire to strike again… and again. We will not relent until our government chooses strength over weakness; unity over discord. We will continue to show the anger of the people.'
"This is the Eagle. End Transmission."
By the end of the speech, Louise knew that her anger had also manifested around the room as both the Darth and Apprentice glared at the screen. Behind her, she could also feel Khem Val standing there, looking at the screen with the same intensity as the other Sith.
"I will need to return to the Citadel," Thanaton said suddenly, drawing the attention of both Louise and Khem, as he sculled the rest of his tea, "The investigation will be put on hold for now, but I have finished questioning you. Stay here until it is done."
With that, he quickly left the apartment, leaving Louise and Khem alone. Looking to the Dashade, she saw his anger and disgust at the message. She knew what his thoughts were, just as she knew her own.
Anger coursed through her at this unnamed being and everything he stood for. By his own admission he, and whatever organisation he stood for, were murders who killed innocence just to get their point across. Terrorists. It was not a word that her homeworld knew, but it was close enough to others. They were the Reconquista, the traitors and murderers who start civil wars and kill innocence in an attempt to change the government.
And she hated that. Reformists were not killed off, if they had been, people like Marr would not be on the Council. No, no matter what they stood for, they had attacked her home and threatened her and her friends. The worry she had for Lyira was still there, with all the waiting and waiting to see if her cherished friend still lived. Louise may have been a reformist as well, but she would not kill to press her point.
Not only that, but the disgust he had for the Treaty annoyed her. He wanted war, that much she could discern, but war was the last thing the Empire needed, despite how eager some were for it.
They had attacked the Empire, her new home, and they had said- no, promised that they would do it again, and again until they conformed to their ideals. It was not her Sphere, nor did she think her master would approve of her choice.
Louise left to her room to meditate and rest.
...
Around four hours after the Eagle's threat and Thanaton's abrupt departure, Louise was laying in her bed trying to relax. She had already sent a message to Lyira, Vette and Alif wishing them well and had received a reply from all of them, but she was still uneasy. Part of her was anxious that another ship would be destroyed, perhaps it would collapse on the Citadel, or perhaps a bomb might go off in the vicinity of her friends. Another part of her just wanted all this worrying to end as it was not doing wonders for her health.
She had also changed over her kolto bandages with assistance from her droid.
Khem had left over two hours ago, wanting to go out and hunt. She tried to dissuade him but found that the only way he would listen is if she ordered him to. Louise did not want to restrict his freedoms like that and reluctantly allowed the Shadow Killer to leave.
And so, when she received a message on her datapad, she was partly terrified of the contents and part elated that she had something other to do than dwell on her thoughts. She did not even want to look to the viewscreen for solace as she doubted they would be doing anything other than covering the attack. Thus she was relieved to find that it was her master that had sent the message.
It was a simple message, requesting her presence in Darth Skotia's former chambers. It was an odd request, sure, and filled Louise with a curious sort of unease, but nevertheless, it was a request from her master and therefore an order. It even had a little bit saying her temporary house arrest was lifted with Thanaton's blessing.
So, she quickly got dressed and left to Skotia's old chambers.
Upon arrival, Louise found her master sitting at the front desk, smiling as if her birthday had come early. Though something had changed about her, specifically her wardrobe. Gigantic red shoulder pads that were as long as she was wide. It was quite an odd sight, amusing as well, if Louise was to be honest, so much so, that she could not help but blurt, "You have shoulder pads."
"So you've noticed." Zash said with childlike glee, "I've been keeping them around just for this occasion. You would've been proud of me. I went in for a reprimand, but emerged a Darth! Would have happened sooner had the terrorist not interrupted." She grumbled.
Ignoring the mention of the Eagle, Louise said, "That's wonderful news, master."
"It is, it is. Now as a Darth we are free to act." Zash said, standing and moving from out behind her desk, "Remember the map you found on Korriban? Well, they lead to artefacts- stones of power created by Tulak Hord. The first piece, you won't believe, is right here on Dromund Kaas. It tells that the piece is in the deepest chamber of the Dark Temple. Skotia always hoarded the key, but now I have his title, his chamber, his research and his key. He always said I would enter the Dark Temple over his rusting corpse."
Louise smirked at the memory of Skotia saying that very thing when she first met the Cyborg.
"However," Zash continued, "I won't be going into the Dark Temple. You will."
Of course. Louise thought.
Darth Zash, as if reading her mind, continued, "There is reason, apprentice. In the days of oh-eight, a furious apparition was awakened in the Temple, implacable in its anger. It murdered all those who trespassed the innermost chamber. But I had a dream. A dream where an apprentice of low origin humbled him or herself before the apparition, pacifying it. This is why you and your fellow slaves were chosen."
Louise looked to her master inquisitively, "You had a vision?" she asked.
"I believe so. I cannot go for fear of dying, but you can. You must go into the Temple and face the apparition, and when you do, I think that your humility will be the key." Zash replied before hesitating, "Still, I want you to know, I am not certain you're the one from my dream. I fear that I may be sending you to your death."
Louise went to say something but hesitated. Zash had implicitly stated that she might die on a mission before. It was always 'If I didn't think you would survive I wouldn't do it,' or some variation of that.
But as Louise felt her hopes lessen at the knowledge, she felt something in the Force calling to her and filling her with an eerie calm. "While I don't like the idea of being sent to my death, I believe your dreams might be right." She said though resignation managed to taint the sentiment behind her words.
"Yes, you're right, apprentice. Tulak Hord's powerawait us both. We must not lose sight of this goal. Right now, you need to get that arm looked at. I'll see if I can get you a kolto to soak for a day or two. Then, off to the Temple."
Louise stood staring up at the massive dilapidated structure known simply as the Dark Temple. Built like a grand cathedral, it sat imposingly atop a sloped hill just a few kilometres from Kaas City. Massive cracks carved deep holes into the thick smooth stone walls of the building, though no windows could be seen, making it seem more like a tomb than anything.
A day and a half had passed since her meeting with Darth Zash, and she had indeed spent most of that time bathing in kolto, being fed through a tube. The moment her arm had healed right up, she had been removed and sent to work; given the key, a glyph, and her lightsaber and thrown to the temple with only a 'be careful' to comfort her.
Of course, Louise was not going in blind as she had heard of the Dark Temple before. How could she not? It was a legendary and sacred landmark of the Old Empire. Then, after recovering Dromund Kaas, the Emperor once retook the Temple, expanding it and using it to entomb his enemies, hide his artefacts and experiment with Dark Side rituals. The result creating a massive nexus of Dark Side energy. However, over a thousand years ago, the tomb was sealed under order from the Emperor.
Though that was only history. In recent memory, the tomb had become a struggle for the Empire. A group of foolish, yet ambitious Sith had broken into the Temple and disturbed the sleep of the dead; a Sith by the name of Kallig. None of the expedition team, made up of a hundred slaves, Imperials and Sith, returned.
Now the Empire was trying to get the entire mess under control, not that they were succeeding.
They sent teams of workers, Imperial's and Sith to try and quell the issue and figure out if the entire building would collapse after seismic activity shook the foundations. Of course, this ended terribly as more dead Sith awoke from their slumber and possessed many of the expedition teams. Others were just driven mad by the Dark Side. It was like Marka Ragnos' tomb, only worse.
Even from the Imperial Safe Zone set up at least half a kilometre away from the front door of the Temple, Louise could see the devastation that had been wrought from the actions of a few foolish Sith. It looked like the aftermath of a war zone with the bodies of dead Imperial's and Sith littering the stony path leading to the Temple's front door.
Louise sighed and rubbed her temples. She really did not want to be here. While she would have normally loved to have walked the Temple where the Emperor once walked, to soak in the Dark Side that had been left by the Immortal being, the idea of walking into a certifiable death trap was not high on her list of priorities. Then again, it would not have been the first time.
So, having already supplied the supervising officer with permit allowing her entry into the death zone, Louise and Khem began the walk down the path to the Temple. Her eyes darted around, looking for any dangers, her hand always on her lightsaber. But fortunately, she ran into no trouble at all.
And soon enough, they arrived at the entrance of the Dark Temple. Large stone double doors stood ajar, permitting entry, yet everything seemed far too welcoming. Passed the entry was a small room which lead to a large staircase leading upwards to the Temple proper.
As soon as she crossed the threshold, the atmosphere changed. It felt like a thousand eyes were gazing at her from just out of sight; curious little eyes that held her with the same inquisitiveness of a child plucking the wings off an insect to see what would happen. Louise did not like this, and voiced her concerns to her companion.
Khem looked around the entry way, his eyes seemingly piercing the darkness that clung to the Temple, "I do not feel it, Pink Sith" he replied, but the comment put him on edge regardless.
Louise was not pleased by the answer. Khem was older and more experienced in using the Force – though he was not blessed with Sith Sorcery as she seemed to be – and if he felt nothing, then it either meant she was rightly paranoid, or something worse.
Nevertheless, Louise continued, walking up the staircase until she arrived at a junction. Consulting the map she had been given, she found that any choice would suffice as it all lead to the main hall. Choosing left, she ascended another flight of stairs and arrived at the hall. And it was magnificent.
The ground was cobbled as time wore away at the former stone beauty, with moss growing between the cracks while pillars depicting monsters and battles held the ceiling up; stone sentinels guarded them. And up at the back, where an alter would have been, was a large pedestal presenting a statue of a male Sith Pureblood, seemingly screaming to the heavens. His eyes and mouth were alight with an eerie green glow as was his chest were seven strange orbs sat. It was easily the largest and most memorable of all the statues here.
Louise felt that she might turn into her master if she tried to describe the interior of the Temple, with all the words that went through her head as she looked around the room. Even with its dilapidated nature, light casting down from holes in the roof, chipped stone and… dead people, it looked simply stunning. Part of Louise wished she could come back and take pictures of the various pieces of beautiful Sith art.
But that would require a trip back here, something Louise really did not want to do. So, pulling her attention away from the architecture, Louise focused on her goal. Consulting the map, she knew her goal was up a stairwell hidden behind the main statue, the only issue was getting passed the beings that littered the hall.
Upon entry, she had sensed many Force Signatures scattered throughout the Temple, though the main hall was sparsely populated, only around twenty beings still alive. Luckily, these twenty gravitated into small groups, giving her a clear path to her goal.
With weary eyes, Louise and Khem began walking again, eyeing any group they neared with distrust.
They were around halfway there, when the sounds of muttering drew her attention as well as Khem's. Despite knowing that investigating was a horrible idea – something she remembered caused the deaths of many protagonists in horror vids – she pressed on regardless. What she found, was not some monstrosity or killer, but what looked like an Imperial officer curled up beside one of the statues, muttering insanity as he rocked slightly.
Louise raised a concerned eyebrow and tried reached out with her senses, pressing them against the mind of the Imperial. That was a mistake. The mental backlash from her untrained attempt at telepathy and the utter chaos that was the Imperia's scattered mind leading to a painful headache.
Grabbing her head, she bit back a trail of curses, nearly doubling over in pain. The Imperial was not dealing so good either, screaming in pain from her intrusion. It only took a second's consideration before Louise decided on what she was going to do.
Pulling her blaster from its holster, she levelled it at the Imperial and fired, ending the poor man's agony. Holstering the gun, she returned to nursing her head. It felt like someone had gotten a white-hot nail and hammered it into her head.
She turned to Khem who had watched the preceding events and told him, "Don't say a word."
"I was not going to," He replied.
Louise regarded Khem for a moment before sitting down on the dusty floor. She needed a minute to herself, and while she would much rather rest away from the Imperial she just mercy-killed, her headache would not allow it.
Luckily, most of the beings around the hall payed her no heed, to absorbed in their insanity or possession to do a thing. When she finally recovered, she renewed her walk, soon arriving at the staircase. However, just as she began to ascend the stairs, the sound of lightsabers igniting drew her attention.
Summoning her lightsaber, Louise span to face whoever it was; a Sith Pureblood and Zabrak, dressed in tattered Sith Robes. Louise did not recognise either of them, though considering that they had their lightsabers out, it meant they were either insane, possessed, or had issue with her existence. All realistic explanations in the Sith Empire.
The Pureblood, a short and stocky male with quite a few chin tentacles stepped forwards, his eyes glowing purple briefly, "And the prodigal daughter returns."
"Uh…" Louise said, genuinely confused by what the Sith was saying, "What are you talking about?"
"Do not act so coy with us, Teralyn," the Zebrak spat, "You may have dyed your hair, but your face has not. Time to die just like your father!" And, without any provocation aside from the insane ramblings spoken, the two rushed Khem and Louise, their crimson lightsabers raised high.
However, when their sabers clashed Louise's own and Khem's sword, she found that they were quite clumsy. Almost as if they were fighting themselves or dressed in incredibly tight clothing. Considering the tattered outfits, they wore, the latter was unlikely. Their deaths were quick and easy, with Khem bisecting on while Louise managed to disarm the other.
The next second, she impaled the red skinned man, watching him gasp in pain before his eyes flickered purple then back to normal. No longer was his expression pained nor filled with hate, but peaceful, and his Force presence no longer felt tainted, "Thank you."
Deactivating her lightsaber, she laid the man on the ground with an odd expression marring her face. He must have been possessed. Louise thought.
Her mind cast back to what the Sith had said before their fight, but only found herself more and more confused by what had been said. Deciding two heads were better than one, Louise turned to Khem, "What was that about?"
"I do not know, Pink Sith. But I feel as if we will be finding out soon enough," Replied Khem, seemingly unfazed by the event.
With a final look to the dead Sith, Louise continued her way, eventually scaling the flight of stairs which lead to a long twisting hall. She met little in the way of resistance, mostly dead slaves and Imperials, as she walked the hall, but eventually arrived at a dead-end.
The dead-end was in the form of a large stone wall decorated with eldritch designs of faces and tentacles. It was the door. Behind this was the ghost and whatever artefact Tulak Hord had crafted. Taking a deep breath to centre herself, Louise pulled the glyph from a pouch.
It was a small vaguely rectangular stone of unknown make with a carved symbol in the centre. The instructions were pretty clear, if simplistic: Simply press the glyph up against the door and it will open. And so she did and watched as it glowed with an eerie pale blue before the door rumbled, slid slowly open.
Stone grinding on stone was not a pleasant sound, but Louise tried her best to ignore it, only cringing a bit. Once the door had finished opening, she walked through. The room followed a similar theme the door held, with carvings of faces and tentacles withering across the walls and pillars of the chamber. It was disturbing imagery, but not sickening; it held its own charm.
In the centre of the room, Louise saw a sarcophagus that caused her pause. There was a dark presence there, one that felt similar to the Sith she had fought and the other possessed denizens of the Temple. But it felt… stronger and more powerful. Tendrils of Force energy seemed to writhe around the sarcophagus, like an octopus with thousands of tentacles.
Other than that, she saw nothing. No ghost, no possessed being. She was sure this was the room that she would meet the murderous ghost, though there was an archway at the end of the room leading into another hall that led to Force knows where. With trepidation in her steps, Louise walked to the sarcophagus.
A presence appeared at the edge of her senses behind her, not tainted like the others she felt. She spun around, eyes darting to where the presence was felt but saw nothing but Khem prowling around the room. She turned back to the coffin and renewed her steps, actively trying to calm her nerves.
Again, the presence appeared, this time to her left. She spun but saw nothing but the expancive artwork on the walls of the chamber. Turning back, Louise could barely react before she was flung up into the air then slammed into the ground winding her.
Her head snapped up, looking for her attacker, but before she could get a proper look at the being, she felt her windpipe close as she was hoisted by the neck into the air. Before her stood her goal, the ghost. Standing with its arm outstretched, the source of her suffocation, in a terrifying mask made in a mockery of a human skull and armoured robes of the ancient Sith.
Khem rushed over with his sword in hand and tried to cut down the apparition, but the blade only phased through the ghost. With an unimpressed stare, it threw Khem across the large chamber, knocking the behemoth unconscious with the Force. Then, it turned its head back to Louise.
It stared at her for a moment as she gasped for air. Then spoke.
"Yes, yes!" it muttered, its voice deep, excited and male. Suddenly, the presence around her neck vanished entirely, dropping her to the floor like a sack of potatoes, "I have been waiting for you, blood of my blood."
Louise took several deep breaths, rubbing her sore throat, then she cautiously pulled herself from the ground, backing away from the apparition. With no other plan in mind, considering Khem's failed attempt, Louise went to humble herself before the ghost. But then what had been said clicked in her oxygen deprived mind, "You were waiting for me?" she asked hesitantly, trying to seem the least bit humble.
"Ever since I heard your call, your plea across the universe, I have waited." The ghost said, "Since I pulled you here, did I wait in this tomb of a temple."
Blinking owlishly at the being before her, Louise could not help but blurt, "What… what are you talking about?"
"You still do not understand." he muttered, "You do not see! I heard your call long ago, calling for a 'divine, beautiful and powerful' protector; it woke me from my nightmares and strengthened me."
Louise's blood ran cold at the ghost's statement. Devine, beautiful and powerful… the words she had spoken so long ago cut through her like a vibroknife through flesh, "Who are you?"
"You do not know of me." it was less a question and more a bitter statement, "That our family has fallen so far, that you, the daughter of my daughters, does not know the name of Kallig – A name so revered in the annals of the Sith?"
Her breathing quickened as what had been said started to sink in, yet her mind rejected it, fought back. It could not be possible, it could not be true! "What is this nonsense!?"
"Yet still, you reject what I say. Listen to me, Louise!" It boomed, "I am Lord Aloysius Kallig and you are the flesh of my flesh. You hold my blood inside your veins. You are my descendant!"
Eyes wide, Louise stared up at the being. She wanted to deny the being, saying that it was impossible. She wanted to demand how the apparition knew about her, about those words, but her voice died in her throat.
Aloysius continued, "Long ago, our family was torn from greatness, crushed by the treachery of another: Tulak Hord. I was killed and so too was my family, all but one, my daughter Teralyn. Before my spirit fell into hibernation, I felt a powerful force rip my only family from the betrayer's clutches. I do not know where she was taken, but I do know she lives on through you."
Teralyn. The name rang in her ear. It was just what the possessed Sith had called her… the prodigal child. Suddenly, she found her voice, "How could I be your descendant? How could you even know?"
"Over a year ago, I felt the same presence that took my daughter, reach out again, looking to take something else. When its eyes fell upon me, I felt strengthened by it and investigated, probing it with the Force. That was when I realised what it was; a call. A plea for help and protection. I followed it back to its source and found you, a spitting image of my daughter in her youth, if not for the hair and eyes. It was then that I knew what I had to do."
Louise did not need him to finish his sentence. She knew what he meant. "You brought me here."
"Yes, I did."
Anger sparked in her, "Why!?" she thundered, bringing herself up to her full height and staring down the apparition in the black pits that where its eyes, "You ripped me from my home, my family!"
The ghost stared unaffected by her outburst, "Flesh of my flesh, did you not ask for this?"
"No! I-"
She was cut off by Aloysius, who's voice reverberated inside the chamber despite the calmness of his tone, "Did you not call for a 'divine, beautiful and powerful' familiar? A companion that would reflect the power you hungered for?" he asked, "My actions had your wellbeing as a priority. Pulled from a society that would never allow you to grow, that thought you worthless, nothing, a zero, and gifted power the likes your people could never conceive! And now here you are, with the Force at your beck and call, with allies- friends who care for you."
"I was enslaved because of you!" Louise screamed back, the urge to hurt, maim and kill fighting to be heard.
"Yes, I saw that. Lost and confused in a world you knew nothing about. This was not my intent. Instead, I wanted to bring you here, to this Temple so everything may be explained to you, so you could be trained to brave the galaxy at your desire. If you desired to join the Sith, then I would be there to train you in your birthright. But I was still much too weak."
Louise had no idea how to respond. In front of her was her supposed ancestor who had ripped her from her home and into this galaxy. Everything, from the summoning till now, had been his fault. Anger morphed to rage as she swelled up, wanting to strike out against these incorporeal beings, to get revenge, make it suffer… but she could not.
Lightning arched from her fingers, but she did not give in to the urge. She doubted that she could even harm it. Yet that did not mean she could not continue raging.
If he had not acted, not ripped her from her homeworld, she would be with her family. She would not have been enslaved nor tortured. She would not have killed; the slave boy's lifeless eyes flashed in her mind once again. Haunting her. So much pain and suffering all could have been avoided if he had stayed his hand and not ripped her from those she cared about.
"I sense much pain in you, blood of my blood, and I cannot help." Aloysius said, his voice laced with regret, "I know how you must feel; cheated from a life you could have had, and for that, I apologise. I can, however, give you some wisdom. To survive, to make the best out of your lot in life, you must not make the same mistakes as I. Heed these words: 'Beware your master, beware your apprentice. Never be taken by surprise,' Do those things, and you will be unstoppable.'
"But you have not come to see me; you have come for the artefact I managed to wrest from Tulak Hord before I died. Take the artefact, but be careful – it has influence over the dead like no artefact I have known before." He gestured to the sarcophagus behind him which opened as if by itself.
Louise glared at her supposed ancestor, the pain of the revelation still burned strong, "I appreciate the gesture, Lord Kallig. But it does not mean I have forgiven you."
"I hope, in time, I can change your mind. May the Force serve you well, Louise…" For a moment, he looked as if he were to say something, but chose not to. The next second, he vanished as if he had never been there in the first place.
...
Louise was in quite the hurry after her meeting with her supposed ancestor. After recovering the artefact, Darth Zash had contacted the Pinkette, questioning her about the artefact and informing her apprentice of a special surprise. Of course, a small part of her mind felt on edge about said surprise; the words of treachery that Kallig spoke had struck a nerve. Aside from that, she was quite eager to get the day over with, if only she could check up on her friends and meditate on Aloysius Kallig.
Khem Val had been told to go back to the apartment, of course, considering his injuries. She did not feel inclined to inform him of what happened with the ghost. Only telling him that she had appeased it and it had given her the artefact.
Soon enough, Louise arrived at her master's new office, the artefact in hand – or rather, belt pouch. Darth Zash was inside the office, seated at her new desk with a multitude of books and a few datapads surrounding her. Currently, she was looking at something on a datapad, a smile gracing her lips.
Without needing to announce herself, Zash turned to face Louise, sensing her through the Force, "So, you've returned! Fantastic, apprentice. Since having access to Skotia's office, I've been reading and reading and reading. It's just a treasure trove of research! Who would've thought the man had such a curious intellect?" Quietly, she mumbled, "Almost makes me regret having killed him. Almost." She turned to her apprentice, "Anyway, you said you were successful?"
Louise nodded affirmative. From her belt, she produced the artefact; a perfectly cut luminescent orange crystal shard, just a bit longer than her half a finger and as wide as two. Despite its small size, it extruded a powerful aura of Force energies, so tantalisingly so. With respectful grace, if somewhat reluctantly, she handed the stone to her master.
Darth Zash's smirk turned to a full-blown grin, "Marvellous. One step closer to our goal! But tell me, how did you go with the ghost?"
The Pinkette's face darkened for a moment, "I managed to placate the ghost."
"You don't sound pleased about that," Zash noted.
Louise hesitated. She was about to tell her master just what she had been told, but after a moment's consideration, she realised that her personal life should stay personal, "He said things," Louise explained, "things I do not wish to divulge as of yet."
"Well, I suppose I should add some good news to your day. I have been studying Tulak Hord's artefacts closely for some time and one glance at this confirms everything I've suspected. These stones will change everything, apprentice – you especially. I have foreseen it. This is one of five that Tulak Hord himself used to conquer the Dromund System. Until I have all, I cannot understand it's true nature, however."
Had she been ignorant of everyone else's thoughts, she would have thought nothing of what Zash had said. But as she was now? She felt unnerved by what her master had said, from the changes it would make to herself, to the blonde's supposed ignorance about the ritual – really, who was she kidding? She knew something but was keeping it hush-hush. Though, the Pinkette would keep up an air of obliviousness, at least for now.
Zash continued, "The artefacts are scattered across the galaxy; some hidden by Tulak Hord himself, and some wrenched from his hand by betrayers. So far, I have pinpointed Dxun and Nar Shaddaa as targets for this search. The other two I will have to look into."
"When do we get started?" asked Louise.
A sigh escaped her master's lips, "I do apologise, apprentice, but I will not be able to join you on this quest."
"Why not?"
"Darth Thanaton is still suspicious of Skotia's death. I'm afraid I am under house arrest." She explained, "I cannot leave Dromund Kaas. At least I will be able to continue my work, getting you more information on your journey. which leads to my surprise. If you're going to find these stones, you'll need a ship, and so I have ordered you one. All you need to do is pick it up." She pulled a small piece of paper from her desk, holding it out to Louise.
"My…own ship?" she asked, gaping like a fish as she took the note. It was a hangers designation, the one that would hold her ship.
"Yes, my apprentice. A thank you of sorts for all the trouble I've put you through. From the Black Talon to Skotia. Also, I took the liberty of moving your stuff from your apartment, though I would check in to make sure everything is gone. You can't trust droids with these things. Nor can you trust apprentices to have secret stashes hidden around the apartment. The Emperor knows I have." At this, Zash's datapad beeped.
Louise hesitated for a moment, waiting for her master to answer the notification, but when it was apparent she was not going to pick it up, she said, "I… Thank you, my master."
"You are most welcome, my apprentice." Zash said, "You'll find it at the spaceport. Then, the galaxy is yours to explore."
Excitement began to fill her veins as she thought of all the possibilities, "When would you like me to leave?"
"It is important we get this done as soon as possible," Zash answered, "we have no idea what might happen to the stones if we wait too long. So, it would be best if you left right away and head to Duxn first. Jedi have been digging around a newly uncovered Sith Temple and we wouldn't want them to get their hands on our prize."
"Oh, yes master." Said Louise dejectedly, her mind wandering to how her friends would feel about her abrupt departure.
"However," Zash continued, picking up her datapad and turning it on to read whatever it had said, "this brings me to my final point before you may leave. I requested Darth Paracelsus and Lord Krillis to come to say their goodbyes. It makes it much easier for you. Go out, say your goodbyes and get to your ship."
"Yes, master." With a bow, she left Darth Zash's new chambers, only to spot Paracelsus and Krillis conversing nearby. It was odd to see the Alchemist again, after the event, she had forgotten to – or rather, did not wish to – see the Darth ever since the event, yet now, when she thought she would hate the man… she found she felt saddened that she would leave.
Upon sensing her presence, the two turned to Louise who inclined her head to them, "My lords."
Krillis smiled, his cybernetics flashing, "So, you're off into the wider galaxy, apprentice."
"I am my Lord."
"I did say you would get the glories that you so deserved." He said, "Now an apprentice to a Darth with a spaceship to your name. You were a good student who persevered no matter how much we put you through. A true Sith."
"Thank you, Lord Krillis." Louise smiled, pride swelling up inside, though it was tempered by melancholy.
"Do you still wish to continue your Alchemy training?" Darth Paracelsus asked, giving her a critical look.
Louise did not have to think of her answer, "Of course, my Lord." I've come this far…was left unsaid.
Paracelsus smiled widely and from out his sleeve, he pulled a glowing red holocron, "Then I expect you to learn all you can."
Louise took the holocron respectfully, "Thank you, my lord. I hope I will do you justice."
"Think nothing of it, Louise. Goodbye, and may the Force serve you well." Paracelsus said, inclining his head.
"Thank you, both." Replied Louise with a smile and a bow. With that, Louise left the Citadel, taking a skycar off to her apartment.
When she entered her room, she found it did not look too different than how she remembered it, yet it felt more empty than anything. Khem Val was nowhere to be seen, though it was no matter, she would make sure to call him before she set off to the spaceport. She entered the kitchen to check up on E3 but found the droid shut down.
"E3?" she called, wondering if the droid is even active anymore, but the droid did nothing, not even twitch. Must have shut it off. Louise assumed.
Leaving the droid, she walked into Khem's room, finding it devoid of anything, just as Khem had always had it. The only real property he owned was his clothing, but his drawers were empty. Finally, she arrived at her own room and immediately found herself overcome with a touch of sadness. Her little creations she had made for Alchemy were gone, her draws were empty and even the lightsaber and credit collection was missing. Other than that, she had nothing else of note she owned.
Unlike her master, she really had nothing to hide from others. She left her room and with a final glance back at her apartment, she left to Lyira's apartment.
When she arrived inside, she saw Khem sitting down awkwardly as it appeared he was conversing with Lyira and Vette. Of course, Louise found this amusing as the giant was almost as quiet as a certain student at the Tristain Academy all those years ago. Almost. He, at least, could speak in complete sentences.
As the door hissed close behind her, all three occupants turned towards her. Khem, oddly enough, had a smirk on his lipless face; Vette looked neutral; and, worryingly enough, Lyira looked hurt.
"Lyira, are you okay?" Louise asked, crossing the distance between the two quickly.
The Pureblood frowned, "When were you planning on telling me."
"Telling you what?"
"That you're leaving." She clarified.
Louise blinked twice before asking, "How did you know?"
"Khem told me."
Louise turned to the smirking Dashade in question, "How do you know!?"
"Droids came into your apartment and packed all your stuff." Vette explained when none other did, "They told him that they were taking it to a ship under orders from Darth Zash."
"Lyira, I'm sorry, but I only found out today, after I got back from the Dark Temple," said Louise, "Why are you so upset?"
"You're just up and leaving. On a spaceship! You could be going anywhere! You could die and I wouldn't know until days or months later."
"Dxun and Nar Shaddaa," mumbled Louise.
"Dxun?" questioned Lyira, her eyes widening, "Onderon's moon? That's Republic territory!"
"I know, I know," Louise replied, "but I have no choice. Darth Zash thinks that an important artefact is there and that I need to get it."
Lyira considered her words for a moment, "When will you be leaving?"
"According to my master, as soon as possible."
"I'll miss you, Lou." Lyira moved in and embraced Louise, hugging the girl tightly. And for whatever reason Louise could only think that, if it had not been for her ancestor, she would have never known the Pureblood. Tears welled up in her eyes at the thought. As of now, she could not fathom her life without Lyira. The one who had cared for her and made her feel wanted… and loved.
Louise ended the hug, not averting her eyes from the Pureblood. "Lyira, I wanted to tell you something… privately." She said, turning to Vette and Khem.
They stared back at Louise, nodding in understanding. "Alright, I'll be in my room if you need me," Vette said, leaving the two to their business. Khem did not follow and instead left the apartment all together.
Only when the door clicked shut, did Louise turn back to Lyira who went from curious to worried, "Louise, are you alright?"
"I… um. I don't want to just say my goodbyes." Louise mumbled, once again averting her gaze.
"What do you mean?" inquired Lyira
"…could you come closer?"
The Pureblood complied, and was about to prompt the Pinkette, but was interrupted when Louise acted. Without a second thought, she latched onto Lyira's shoulders, pulling the girl ever closer before pressing their lips together. With her only experience in kissing being that day on Korriban and, embarrassingly enough, practice on her pillow in her youth, Louise assumed to was probably the worst kiss in the world, but pressed on regardless.
Louise heard Lyira squeak in surprise, freezing up before melting into the kiss. Roving hands made themselves know as they slipped down and hooked onto her waist, pulling her closer and closer until their warm bodies were pressed against each other. Louise moaned involuntarily which only seemed to tempt the Pureblood more. Some small part of her wanted to pull away in embarrassment, but it was viciously crushed as news enticing textures, scents and tastes fill her senses; the smoothness of Lyira's skin, the pleasant smell of the jungle that lingered, and the taste of her soft lips.
She soon found her own hands roving, one hand settling around the small of Lyira's back, while the other crawled up to entwine itself in black hair. In response, one of the hands around her waist slid lower and lower before grasping at its prize. Louise gasped, her body reacting in unfamiliar ways. She looked into Lyira's mischievous emerald eyes which said it all.
Louise returned the smile and attacked her lover's mouth ferociously as new-found passions burned, hungry for more.
...
When Vette was sent to her room for privacy's sake, she thought she would only need to wait for a minute, two minutes at the most. So, when it began encroaching on the fifth-minute mark, she began to get impatient, especially as her bladder decided that it was suddenly full.
Huffing in annoyance, Vette decided to interrupt their secret Sith-ly business.
The door slid open easily and Vette stepped out quickly, covering her ears as to not hear the important and secretive information, only to stop mid-step as she saw a sight she really did not need to see. Lyira bent over the dining table with Louise atop her, kissing furiously as hands grasped and kneaded. Thankfully, they were fully clothed, though it did not look like that was going to last. Vette, to say the least, was stunned. Yet it only lasted a second as she pushed away her second-hand embarrassment, as she thought. Yes! Rayne owes me fifty credits.
Deftly, the Twi'lek pulled her datapad from her belt and quickly snapped a picture, forever memorialising this moment for future blackmail and proof. Unfortunately, she could not make a quick exit as she had forgotten to set her datapad to silent, resulting in the iconic sound of a camera shutter to resound in the room.
Immediately, Louise and Lyira snapped up, looking to the source of the sound. A line of saliva connecting the two snapped, slapping to their respective chins. Vette did not know whether to curse or laugh, so instead, chose to take another picture, because the look on their faces was priceless.
I am in so screwed. She thought wistfully as laughter shook her body.
...
With a heavy heart and a beet red face, Louise left Lyira's apartment with Khem in tow. The Dashade, after hearing Vette's uproarious laughter, assumed that the secret business had been done with and re-joined the group just in time to see Pink scramble off Red. To say he was amused was an understatement.
They renewed their goodbyes, though the tone was quite different than before, and the Apprentice and Assassin left the apartment.
The drive to the spaceport was quiet and quick with Louise not really wanting to speak, lest the subject come up. Yet her mind treaded those waters with impunity. Thoughts on what could have been, what could have happened only furthered to redden the girl's face as she squirmed uncomfortably. Her father would surely have had a conniption had he seen the thoughts running through his daughter's mind. Though she would not need her parent as the look on Khem's face was more than enough to make up for both her parent's disappointment. He had already mentioned how her actions were not Sith-like.
Soon enough, though, they arrived at the spaceport. A distraction from her thoughts. After disembarking, they began to make their way inside, navigating the halls to find the hanger that housed Louise's new ship. They found it easily enough, with it being quite close to the entry of the large spaceport.
Entering through the door, Louise and Khem found themselves in the hanger operation room which contained a few large terminals situated on the underside of a massive window that showcased her starship in all its glory. The massive Fury-Class Interceptor. But before she could gush over the ship, an Imperial man dressed in a dirty grey uniform, "Hello, ma'am. I assume you are Darth Zash's apprentice?"
Tearing her eyes away from the sight, Louise looked to the Imperial, "I am."
"Excellent." He said, "We have your ship ready for launch, all you have to do is give it a designation and you can leave."
"A designation?"
"A name." he elaborated, "It makes it easier to catalogue than an endless list of serial numbers. Though, if you can't give a name, then you may give one at a later date."
Louise thought on the subject of a name for her new ship, a few names going through her mind, though most seemed unfitting for the Fury. She was about to give up and inform the Imperial that she would not be naming her ship as of yet, but paused as one entered her mind, "The Inquisitor of the Void…" she mumbled.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" the Imperial prompted.
"L'Inquisitor du Vide." Louise stated proudly.
The Imperial looked to Louise for a moment before saying, "Uh… could you spell that for me?"
Sighing, Louise agreed. The Imperial pulled a datapad out quickly opening a text application for the Sith Apprentice. Quickly, she spelt the ship's new name and handed it back.
"Thank you, ma'am. Here is the access code for the ship," he said, pulling a small datacard from his datapad and holding it out to Louise.
With a smile. Louise took the card and walked towards the door to the hanger. The door hissed opened for her and she headed through and down a ramp into the hanger proper.
Large. That was all Louise could think as she approached the Interceptor. Of course, she had seen larger ships, been on larger ships, but it paled in comparison to actually being so close to one. The U-shaped ship had all the markings of Imperial make, with the standard grey and darker grey colouring and the angler pragmatic designs.
Louise had, of course, read up on the ship, if only to learn more about the Imperial Navy which she would be expected to work besides. One-hundred meters long and eighty-eight meters wide, with military grade armour with weapons that rival larger ships. However, it was not just a beefed-up Interceptor fighter as its name would imply, but had the build of a Corvette or mobile base.
The interior of the ship was partially visible from the domelike window that connected to the bridge in the centre of the ship, allowing for an expansive view for the pilots and captain. Connected to the main body, were the massive forward swept wings which measured twice as long as the main body, with two powerful sublight engines.
Once Louise had finished gawking at the outside of the ship, Louise took Khem to the back of it where the entry ramp was down. Ascending it, they found herself blocked by a blast door with a control panel beside it. Investigating the panel, she found that it was where she would plug in the access code. Using the datachip she had been given by the Imperial, Louise inserted it into her own datapad and read the information given.
The access code was a complicated string of both letters and numbers that Louise had to double check as she typed it into the console. Once done, she hit the submit button, noting that she would have to change the codes to something more memorable.
The door opened and they entered the ship, finding a large expansive room greeting their arrival. In the centre of the room was a circular machine that she would bet on being a holoterminal, with a long table to the left of it and a curved couch-like chair she knew to be acceleration chairs with a built in Dejarik table.
There were a few doors around the room, three on the wall behind her – one either side of the entry door – and two in the corners of the wall in front of her. On either side of the main room, two corridors branched off like wings of a mansion, leading to more rooms.
The last thing she noticed, if only because it just walked into the room from one of the many doors, was a protocol droid, though it certainly looked more articulate, "Oh, ah! Greetings, I am 2V-R8, factotum droid for this vessel. You must be my new master. Gentle, kind new master."
Already, Louise found herself off put by the droid's timid tone as it spoke to her, "Okay… and what do you do?"
"I am programmed for a wide array of tasks, including but not limited to meal preparation, ship maintenance, janitorial duty and etiquette. Welcome aboard this Fury-class Imperial Interceptor, a versatile craft combining a starfighters manoeuvrability with armaments to rival larger military vessels. Would you like the tour?"
Louise blinked at the offer, "If I am going to be on this ship for any amount of time, I guess I should."
"Of course, master." And with that, the droid set off showing and describing in great detail the differing rooms that the ship had available. Louise assumed that the droid wished to please its new master, which was given some credence with its introduction. Who knew a droid could sound so timid?
The first room Toovee showed, was the bathroom. They were located passed the door starboard of the entry and housed two showers and two toilets. Louise smiled, now there would be no issue with waiting for someone to leave before she could use either utility. The door port side of the entry was a medical bay, similar in size to the bathroom with two hospital beds, a medical VI, and a kolto tank. Expensive. Louise thought appraisingly. Not many Fury-Class ships had kolto, only the higher tier ones. It seemed her master was right when she said it was an apology for all those missions she sent her on.
The next room the droid showed was the crew quarters; three single beds, a small table and a personal holoterminal hidden away for leisure use. While not as spacey, it was comfy. It was then Khem Val decided to speak up for the first time during the tour, "I am tired Pink Sith, I will rest here if needed."
Louise knew that his sudden tiredness was not the reason for his early turn in, but did not press the issue further, "Alright, Khem. Sleep well."
Khem grunted, walking into the room and claiming one of the beds.
The droid, unperturbed by the Dashade's interruption, continued on the tour, taking Louise down the port side corridor and showing her the port engine room which was sparse aside from the massive engine tucked in the side of the room and the corresponding terminal. On the opposite side of the engine room was the cargo hold, that looked quite empty aside from a smaller room branching off which was the kitchenette.
Louise was then taken to the other side of the ship to see the starboard engine room, which looked identical, if mirrored, to the port side engine room. Other than that, it was also less empty with a workstation and repair droid handy if she needed to take apart a blaster or lightsaber, or needed to fix up the ship. Inside the room opposite was not another cargo hold, but a secondary crew quarter, though this one was less for comfort and more for space economy with bunk beds instead of single beds.
Finally, Louise was taken down the door on the starboard bow which led to a curved corridor that branched off to the captain's quarters and the bridge. She found herself instantly curious about the captain's quarters, or rather, her quarters, but held herself. First, she wanted to get the ship in the air and off to Dxun.
So directing the droid away from the quarters and off to the bridge she listed as Toovee described the differing functions of the bridge; the differing terminals – the Holoterminal, Imperial databanks, Navcomputer, and so on – to the twin seats for the ships armaments. Eventually, he began to inform her of the cockpit, which included a pilot and co-pilot chairs at the front of the room with a captain's seat sitting in the middle. After informing her of all the features, the Droid informed her that she may take off at any time. It was then that the Pinkette realised that, no, she could not actually fly a ship, "Um, Toovee, I don't know how to fly."
"That is alright, master. I am programmed with the necessary knowledge to pilot this vessel anywhere you want." The droid explained.
Oh, thank the Force. Louise thought, "Could you please take us up to orbit?" she asked, taking a seat in the central chair.
"Yes, master," Toovee replied, taking a seat in the pilot's seat. After doing… something with the controls, the ship hummed as the engines activated. Suddenly, she felt as if she were on a turbo-lift as the ship rose off the ground before leaving the hanger carefully into the airspace of Dromund Kaas. Looking through the transparisteel window, she saw the surface of Kaas fly by as the ship picked up speed, soon disappearing as the horizon overtook her view as the ship angled upwards to the dark clouds above.
She felt much calmer about being aboard a ship than she remembered, though the thought quickly left her mind as the ship soon entered the cloud layer. Turbulence rocked the ship causing the Pinkette undue anxiety as all she could see was the dark cloud formations. With tight fists and shut eyes, she rode out the turbulence until the ship soon calmed. Yet Louise did not open her eyes until all the rocking stopped.
When it did, she opened her eyes and saw that the ship was floating in the void of space, sunlight beaming through the window. Elation filled her heart as she stared at the first bit of natural sunlight she had seen in months.
Unfortunately, she could not have this moment as Toovee interrupted her moment, "What would you like now, master?"
Louise shook her head, "Set a course for the Japrael System."
"One moment," the droid said, moving from the pilot's seat and moving to the noncomputer beside it. After a moment of fiddling, it responded, "It will take us approximately four days to arrive, master."
"Take us to hyperspace then."
"As you say, master!" Toovee returned to the pilot's seat and with a single pull of a lever, the ship jolted into hyperspace. Louise could only watch fixated as the many millions of stars elongated becoming a tunnel of streaks in a large blue corridor.
Smiling at the sight, Louise lifted herself from the chair and thanked Toovee for its help. With the ship safely in hyperspace and four days to spare, Louise left the bridge and arrived quickly to her quarters, not needing to even recall the tour she had been giving considering that it was just outside the cockpit.
Entering, she found herself in a wide bare room with only a double bed off to her right, a wardrobe to her left, a personal terminal off in front of her and a few boxes piled in the centre of the room. Louise could guess what was in the boxes, that being her personal property, and a quick check proved her right. But she did not bother taking anything out aside from her casual attire. She planned to put everything away later, right now she just wished to relax.
Once changed, she flopped down on her bed, relishing in the comfortable mattress. She closed her eyes, wriggling slightly and closed her eyes, letting the quiet hum of the ship allow her to settle down as she and cast her mind back to the day.
AN:
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life, freely."
Yay, we've finished the first Act! To TV Tropes to update the page!
Sorry, couldn't help but have a reference to the passage which in turn is a reference to Fallout 3. My fave of the Fallout games. So, yay, we've finished Act I, now the TV Tropes page needs to be updated *yay*. Anyway, I am planning on posting the next act as a new story. I'll post a teaser chapter on this one when I finish Act II Chapter I.
For now, just prepare for Star Wars: Legacies of Old.