Chapter 57: Manipulations
Obi-Wan leaned over the table where the infant lay, concentrating as he examined his dark skin, dark eyes, felt the child's latent Force sensitivity, as was expected, given the parents, and he took quick notes on his datapad. This was the first of many children that would be born to the Korun people that had been captured on Haruun Kal, and Obi-Wan had been very interested to see the results of this particular breeding experiment, this natural result brought about by Sith alchemical manipulation. With his careful study of the Sith holocrons, and with plenty of subjects in the form of first the Korun, and now the Twi'leks, Obi-Wan's talents in the study of Sith Alchemy had been progressing quickly. At first, it was a slow process, the change taking place over the course of a month, than a few weeks. Now, Kenobi was capable of creating these Sithspawn, as the holocron called them, in a matter of days.
More brutal, more cunning, and more intelligent than their original selves, the Dark Side saturated through these beings until they were corrupted, altered, the Force changing them down to their very foundations. They were a superior fighting force that lived in servitude to the Dark Side of the Force, a weapon that Kenobi was planning to unleash upon the battlefield the next chance he got. All that was left now was to see how deep these changes went, how throughly altered they had become, to see if Obi-Wan's manipulations had effected them so deeply that their very biology, their very nature was changed, and that could be seen in the results of the Sithspawn's savage coupling. Those results were just now beginning to come to light, and very, very soon, all the Korun females would have given birth to children spawned by Dark Side manipulation.
If the child was altered physically, Obi-Wan couldn't see it. It may have been that the child was simply too young to tell, or that these changes simply took generations to fully alter. It would have been terribly disheartening if Kenobi didn't sense that the child wasn't just Force sensitive, but the infant seemed to have a natural pulling toward the Dark Side. It was something, and it spoke to how deep the parents were indoctrinated to Sith control. Over time, a particularly rebellious species could be tamed and made to serve, and the change wouldn't just be in the effected, it would be in future generations as well. This wasn't just cultural indoctrination, it was genetic enslavement, turning submission to Sith will into a biological need like eating or drinking.
He had changed the method with the Twi'leks, partially out of curiosity, and partially because the clones had taken a liking to the females, as so many species did. The Twi'lek race was culturally subservient anyway, so Obi-Wan saw no trouble in allowing his clones to keep the unaltered females as pleasure slaves. The males, however, were quickly experimented upon, transformed by the Dark Side, and Kenobi quickly tasked them to breeding with their female counterparts. If the changes observed in the offspring of two Sithspawn could be seen in the product of only one effected parent, than it opened up a whole new world of possibilities on what could be done to a population of people were he to loose his creatures upon them. Children warped and twisted by the Dark Side, compelled to serve their Sith Overlords, could be forced upon those that rejected their rule, and such a thing only needed to happen once before the population understood what resistance meant.
Of course, most of his female Twi'leks were now thickening with child, and it occurred to them that instead of pure, Sith altered Twi'leks, the children they produced may be half breeds. It was...irritating, but he supposed it was a little thing to reward his clones for their faithful service.
Obi-Wan closed the datapad and turned from the child and the medical droids that attended it and left without looking back. There was so much research, so much study that needed to be done, and simply not enough time to do it, and the ongoing war only made it more difficult. He understood why Sidious had not ended the foolish conflict yet, but all the same, Kenobi was growing weary of it, longing for the day when he would rule the galaxy, or at least a part of it. He walked quickly through the palace, coming to the dungeons, where he kept his more...wilful guests. Saesee Tiin was locked up down there, untouched since his capture nearly a week ago. Obi-Wan hadn't decided what to do with him yet, but the man's bellowing and desperate slamming into the walls with his horned head in attempts to escape forced Kenobi to take action. He still hadn't touched the Jedi Master, but he did move the Iktotchi into a new cell with thicker walls and a companion in the form of the hopelessly broken Eeth Koth to serve as a reminder of what the Sith was capable of. It seemed to have the desired effect, for Saesee Tiin had been silent ever since.
Kenobi's destination, however, was not so deep in the dungeon as his unbroken Jedi Master. Pushing the control on the wall, a thick door opened, and a red force field flickered off as he entered Shaak Ti's cell, if it could be called that. It was spacious, well furnished, and considered a luxury next to the sparse, bare rooms the Jedi usually kept. If not for the manacles on her wrists and ankles, the slaving collar around her neck, or the fact that she could not leave the room, Shaak Ti looked like a free woman.
The Togruta immediately knelt when the Sith entered, eyes cast at the floor, and she didn't move from that position, even after the door had closed and Obi-Wan had settled into the large, comfortable armchair he had placed in the room for his use. It was only four days since she had first opened the holocrons to him, and while she did exhibit some resistance and defiance in the first few days, the thoughts that he had planted within her, quietly urged her to accept and make her own, had grown cancerous, saturated into her mind so completely that they overtook all her other beliefs and slowly warped them to fit with the pervasive voice in her mind. Obi-Wan was a Lord of the Sith, one with the will of the Force, her Master, and he needed help. As a Jedi, it was her duty to follow the dictates of the Force, and that meant obeying this Sith. The other day, the last of her defiance had died, replaced with profound subservience. And she had chosen it herself. It was perfection.
"Shall we begin?" Obi-Wan asked softly, and without moving from her place, Shaak Ti levitated the Jedi holocrons from a small table, the blue cubes glowing as they opened and came to float before the Sith. Extending a long finger, he gently touched one of them, and it began to slowly spin, and the other two closed, returning to their place on the table. Lightly, he brushed the Jedi's consciousness, and her black eyes met his as she looked up, rose, and came to kneel beside the chair Kenobi sat in. The Sith sunk down into the chair, his ankle crossing over his knee as he closed his eyes, his hand stroking the pointed montrals upon the Jedi's head, and she shivered, a soft, indistinguishable sound coming from her throat as she swiftly grasped her Master's leg, her long fingers running down the inside of his thigh, and Obi-Wan could feel her mental walls lowering in her submission.
Chuckling softly, Obi-Wan closed his eyes, continuing to stroke the sensory organ that was proving to be so distracting to the Togruta. "Be mindful of your defenses, Jedi," the Sith chided. "The Dark Side is strong here. We don't want it getting inside you." Shaak Ti softly gasped, and Kenobi felt her defenses reenforce, and with the Togruta protected, he turned his full attention to the holocron.
His senses were correct when he felt that the holocrons would be of use to him. They contained information on very old Jedi practices that were still in use today, and while the way they were taught did not apply to him, Obi-Wan trusted himself to be clever enough to translate the abilities into ones that could draw from the dark instead of the light. The holocrons contained information on manipulating nature, precognition, and most importantly, the ability to cloak oneself from sight, which he was now listening to. All three were invaluable, and both the holocron on precognition and Force cloaking delved a great deal into meditation and control, which was essential to successfully obtaining mastery of the skills. It was exactly what he needed, and though the abilities were still beyond his reach, the control techniques were not. In time, with the control he gained, he'd find a way to use these abilities, translate them into Dark Side fueled versions of the same thing. He had the knowledge. He just needed to develop the skill.
Obi-Wan never did anything in halves, and he threw himself into his studies, his quick mind easily achieving full understanding, his considerable Force talent allowing him to execute what he had learned, and in just a few days, he had felt much more centered. While the Dark Side still gripped him, still hissed and roared for control, Kenobi was slowly bringing it to heel, and the darkness was forced to reluctantly obey. There was still a long while to go, but he suddenly felt more like himself than he had in a long time. Slowly, he began to distinguish his will from the will of the Dark Side, as well as from the will of the much greater Force as a whole. It was empowering to find himself against such cosmic powers, to see that even he could cast a distinct shadow on the waters of the Force.
The hissing of the door opening and the cessation of the low hum of the force field brought Obi-Wan out of his focus, not moving, but yellow eyes looking sidelong at the door as Cody entered, saying nothing, but watching the Sith and the Jedi. Kenobi sighed. "What is it, Cody."
"I apologize for interrupting, sir," the clone said, and Kenobi frowned when he felt...what? Tension? Desire? A mix of both, perhaps, and the Sith chuckled deeply. He had felt similar from the commander on their way back from Kamino, and Obi-Wan realized that while his clone brothers were expelling their tension inside the Twi'leks, Cody was always working. He was a rare clone that, perhaps, had a slightly more exotic taste than his brothers. It was possible he desired the Force sensitive Togruta. The Sith had half a mind to give the faithful commander what he wanted. "The Mand'alor has arrived."
Obi-Wan grabbed the holocron out of the air as he stood, the device closing as he handed it back to Shaak Ti. "When did she arrive?"
"Her ship just entered the atmosphere. It will be docking shortly." Grinning, the Sith draped his arm over the clone's shoulders, leading him from the room, tapping the controls on the wall as they left, and the force field reactivated as the door hissed closed.
"You're a good man, Cody."
"I try to please, my Lord."
"You do." Kenobi silently gauged the clone, brushed at his mind to sense his feelings. "We have pleasure slaves, Cody," Kenobi said softly, and the clone's broad shoulders tensed.
"I'm aware, sir." He frowned. "Are you in my head again?"
"Me? Never." The Sith laughed easily. "You're just shockingly easy to read." Cody grunted his disapproval. "Do you desire the Jedi?"
Cody bit his lip. "I just find her...alluring. I rarely see her kind." He paused, his mind racing. "Is it different with a Jedi?"
"I don't know, I've never been with a Jedi."
Cody hissed through his teeth. "Some help you are..."
"I don't know if she's ever been with anyone, Cody, her Order stands against such things." He snickered when he felt the clone's desire increase. "If you wish it, my friend, I'll put the suggestion in her mind to make her receptive."
"I'd like to first try on my own. If you'll give her to me."
"She's yours. I've no use for the Jedi beyond my training. She'll do better servicing you than just waiting upon my whims." Cody said nothing, but Kenobi could feel his pleasure, his gratitude, and a renewed will to serve.
They reached the port just as the Coronet was lowering its ramp, and a retinue of guards emerged first, followed closely by Mandalore's Duchess, who smiled and pressed past her soldiers when she saw the Sith Lord. Kenobi quickened his step, leaving Cody behind as he met his lover, the two tightly embracing.
"I told you I would come to Mandalore, Satine. Mustafar is so far out of the way, and we'll be leaving soon for Coruscant."
"I happened to be in the area." She smiled slyly when Obi-Wan gave her a look of confusion. He had not heard about this. "I was on Eriadu to meet with the Tarkins."
Kenobi scoffed. "Eriadu is a staunch supporter of the Republic. If you are looking to expand your alliance, you are searching in the wrong place, my love."
Satine smiled, laid a hand on his bearded jaw. "It's not all about expansion, and it's not something I must work at. Systems come to me regardless of whether I try or not. This was about our trip to Coruscant."
"Are you worried?"
Satine gave him a dismissive glance. "Please, Obi, I am not you."
He laughed, though it was forced. "I am not worried."
"You are." Her hand drifted down to his neck and gently kneaded the tense, corded muscle. "I've been navigating politics all my life. I have nothing to be worried about. Regardless of what happens, I win." The Sith kissed the palm of her hand as he placed it in the bend of his elbow, and they slowly began making their way into the palace.
"What happened on Eriadu?" Kenobi asked softly.
"I met with Wilhuff Tarkin. We talked about my rule of the neutral systems, we talked about the war, and we talked about you."
"...me?!"
Satine shrugged. "He was sizing me up, as is expected, and he saw you on Kamino. Blowing up the main hangar, I believe is what he said."
Obi-Wan rolled his eyes. "And you met with a military man to discuss politics?"
"He was Governor of Eriadu before the war, and he's closely acquainted with Chancellor Palpatine." Kenobi's jaw clenched. "He knows the state of the Senate, and that's important for me to know before we arrive. The Republic is..." She thought for a moment a smile on her lips. "Concerned. It would seem that Mandalore has suddenly become very intimidating."
"Mm, I wonder how that happened."
"Captain Tarkin assures me, however, that Chancellor Palpatine is doing all in his power to ease their concerns and make them receptive to us." Her lips pressed into a thin line. "However, the Chancellor's assurance has done nothing to placate the Jedi."
"We knew the Jedi would be a problem, Satine..." Kenobi whispered, but the Duchess shook her head.
"Not if we manage this right." She gripped his arm with her other hand and pressed herself closer as they entered the massive living room, the wall of transparisteel letting in the glow of the lava rivers, massive Yoda warming himself beside it. "Senator Amidala and a Jedi contacted me earlier. They said they will no longer require your connection with the Force to be blocked." Kenobi held his breath. "They say its torture, and the Republic does not condone such barbaric practices."
"What are they planning..." Obi-Wan said to himself, absently leading the Duchess to a long, comfortable couch, and he didn't sit until Satine pulled him down with her. The rancor slowly crawled on its belly to rest beside his Master.
"What they are planning doesn't matter, Obi, because you are going to give them nothing to work with." She smiled softly, putting a hand on his chest. "This is my domain. Allow me to manage it."
He nodded. "As my lady commands."
"Which is why I need you to socialize."
Kenobi groaned loudly and ran a hand over his eyes. "Satine, I am garbage at social functions..."
"You are personable and charismatic, and you have a gift for talking, or you wouldn't be the Negotiator."
"That has nothing to do with-"
"It does." The Duchess took a deep breath. "I know you use the Force to get your way, but the Force isn't your only gift. You are going to come with me as my guest, and nothing more. No politics, no talk of possible peace negotiations, no talk of the war..." She kissed his neck, the Sith softly groaning under her. "There are already rumors about us in the Senate. They say you're a Sith..." Satine whispered, punctuating it with a languid kiss on his lips, and Kenobi seemed to purr in satisfaction. "That you're a war criminal..." Again, she kissed him. "That I am in league with the Separatists..." And again. "That ambition has made me a dangerous despot..." With a sly smile, she crawled into the Sith Lord's lap, his elegant hands stroking her hips. "They already say we are lovers."
"Who is they?"
"The Senate. Wilhuff alluded to it." She cupped his face, running her thumbs over his high cheekbones. "And before you think it was the Jedi that informed the Senate, they came to the conclusion on their own. Apparently, these rumors began when they found out that you and I will be housed in 500 Republica together."
"What shall we do about that?" Kenobi asked softly, his voice strained with tension, and the woman on his lap ran a soothing hand through his hair.
"About that particular rumor?" She shook her head. "Nothing. Those will exist anyway. But the others we turn around if you follow my direction and socialize." Kenobi's mouth turned up into a sneer. "I mean it, Obi."
"I can't see how it will help."
"It will help," she said slowly, "because they are interested and afraid of the Mandalorian alliance, and they will want to learn all they can about us. And you, my darling Lord of the Sith, are going to win them over with the power of your personality, just as I will do. We put them at ease, and not only will we get what we want, but the rumors about us will suddenly become favorable. He's not a Sith, he's a misunderstood former Jedi. He's not a war criminal, he just believes in peace, and has been vilified for it."
"The Jedi-"
"The Jedi know better, yes, but the Jedi are simple to discredit. You have done a fine job laying the groundwork for that. The Order has nearly broken itself on you." She kissed the tip of his nose. "But you must do as I say, and you cannot use the Force. The Jedi will be there, and they will never look away. Know that, and use it to your advantage."
Kenobi drew her hips closer to his and kissed her hard, only parting from her when he felt the Dark Side in all its passion stir awake. "Where did you learn to be so cunning?"
She shrugged. "Politics. All the good politicians are."
"You have no need for politics, Mand'alor Satine."
"I do so long as there is a war and opposing factions I must deal with." A slight smile passed over her lips. "But that won't be for much longer. I am in talks with several Confederate systems that wish to join my alliance, and watch how many Republic worlds will flock to me after our visit to Coruscant."
Obi-Wan chuckled. "If you keep expanding at this rate, you're going to need a standing military to defend your peace. I can't be everywhere at once." Satine's entire presence in the Force suddenly shifted, going from a comfortable, clever ease to suddenly and desperately wanting, and it happened so quickly that Obi-Wan was taken aback, gasping when she rested her hands on his sides and slowly began stroking, her eyelids lowered seductively.
"I wanted to talk to you about that..." she whispered, her soft voice lined with the promise of anything the Sith Lord could have wanted. "As it turns out, taking the violence out of the Mandalorian culture is...far more difficult that I had believed. My people yearn for peace, yes, but we are a people of strong tradition. I've managed to redirect our warriors to the defense of our empire, and many have joined with the Death Watch to do so. But it's not enough."
"That's why you have me, my Mand'alor..."
"And I love you for that, my Obi-Wan..." She pressed herself full against the Sith Lord, the man groaning as she nipped at his neck. "But we need warriors to enforce our peace. And your clones are Mandalorian."
"Satine, are you trying to manipulate me to get what you want? Because you don't have to do that, I'll just give it to you. "
"You will?"
"Not these clones, but I can get you others. I know how." Obi-Wan quickly kissed her cheek, the hands on her hips pushing her slightly away from him so the placement of her body was less compromising for his control. "I was unaware you needed an army."
"I was as well, and than I went to Raxus." She sighed heavily, laying her head on his shoulder, weariness overcoming her.
"You'll have your soldiers, Satine, but you need to outfit them. Having a stolen clone army running around on Mandalore won't do."
"I'll contact Bo-Katan about producing more weapons and armor. She will be pleased about that." With a heavy sigh, she nestled against him, closing her eyes and listening to the slow, strong beating of his heart. "How do you say I love you in Sith."
"Tunulis nu."
She slowly repeated it, deciding she liked the way it rolled off her tongue. Her progression in Sith had been much, much slower than Obi-Wan's prodigiously quick fluency in Mando'a, but he had often told her that there was a reason the Sith language had died that went beyond the extinction of the Lords of the Sith. "The Republic tried to delay our meeting." The Duchess felt the man shift under her.
"Are they nervous, or is this some underhanded political thing?"
"It's both."
"When do we leave?"
"Two days." Obi-Wan's chest quickly expanded with a tight, nervous breath, and Satine reached up to lay a comforting hand on his cheek. "You need to trust me. I wouldn't be going if I didn't know I would come out on top, and I wouldn't have brought you into the heart of enemy territory if I didn't think we could benefit from it."
"I know you're exceedingly clever, Satine, it isn't just that." She looked up at him with her inquisitive blue eyes, and he sighed, absently combing his fingers through her hair. "My Master will be watching."
"Is that good?"
"It could be." When he said nothing else, Satine hissed in irritation and hooked her arm around his neck and pulled, the Sith Lord jerked off-balance and she pushed him back, shifting around so she lay on top of him, thin arms folded over his chest, a small smile on her lips as she looked into his golden eyes.
"I know you can tell me nothing of your Master, Obi-Wan, but if you don't tell me how he will act when he's watching us, I can't help manipulate the situation in our favor."
"I don't know if you can beat him in this game, Satine."
"Perhaps. What does he think of me? Honestly."
He took a deep breath, searching her face and feeling warmth spread through his chest. Soon, this woman would be his Queen, and they would rule the galaxy together, and it all began here, in this small empire they had created. "He believes you to be my pawn. You are shaping up to be a fine tool of the Sith."
"Than he underestimates me. What is he looking for in this?"
"Well..." Obi-Wan looked away from her as he collected his thoughts. "What you have done, the empire you have created is something of a...test. A small scale representation of what's to come. What happens on Mandalore will serve as a guideline on how we run the Sith Empire, so he is invested in its success, especially when our alliance will be so easily absorbed into the Empire." His face darkened. "But this is also a threat, because he did nothing to make this happen. You and I amassed a huge amount of power in a very, very short time. Two months to purge the alliance of traitors and corruption and establish yourself as the sole ruler. Another month of perfect peace within your boarders, and you are sending a very strong message to the galaxy. Not only can Mandalore have peace in a time of war, but they are strong enough to protect it."
"So he believes he is becoming obsolete."
"No. He is the Lord of the Sith, in his estimation, there is nobody more important than him." Satine stifled a laugh, and Kenobi quickly kissed the smiling woman. "Careful, my love, this is serious," he gently chided, though he was smiling as well. "But he will see this for what it is. It's a promise of future greatness under the Sith, and it's a dangerous threat that this empire can exist without him."
Satine was silent for a moment, drawing circles on the soft silk of his robes with a long finger. "What do you want to do? Reassure him, or threaten him?"
"Satine, he will be both, he-"
She kissed him hard to silence him. "Reassurance, or threaten?"
"...reassure." Kenobi said after a short silence. "It's too early to declare myself as dangerous to him."
"Than trust me to leave him feeling reassured."
"...how?"
Satine threaded both hands into his hair, giggling softly as a look of irritation at his ruffled hair crossed his face. "I don't know yet. But I have two days to figure it out."
"I can always smooth things out afterwards with him." A pang of concern ran through him as he looked at her resting on his chest, and for a moment, he felt the Force pulling at him, warning him, though against what, he wasn't sure, and then there was a dull, empty ache in his chest, like he had suddenly lost something important. The Dark Side growled menacingly around him, and while it felt subdued, it also felt...dangerous. Far more dangerous, more powerful than he had ever felt it. Satine saw the sudden flash of emotion on his face and her hand quickly went to stroke his cheek.
"What's wrong?"
"...I-I don't know," he muttered quickly, shaking his head to banish the feeling. "Listen, this is dangerous, Satine. More than you know. If he's insulted, or threatened...I don't think he'd kill me, but I know he'd kill you."
The woman bit her lip, and in desperation, Obi-Wan reached out and grabbed for her thoughts, but didn't find her afraid or the least bit concerned. Her quick mind was running through possibilities, ways to avoid this, and there was a confident fierceness in her that distinguished her not just as brave, but as a true Mandalorian. She may not have had the Force, but Mand'alor Satine Kryze was Sith. "So..." she said, measuring her words. "We make me indispensable to him and his plans."
"Nobody is too important to save, my love."
"Than we make sure I am valuable enough to keep around." With a sly smile, she reached down between them and stroked the tight skin between his hips, and the Sith Lord hissed, his hands quickly shooting to grab her shoulders. "Your Sith Empire will be ruled by powerful Force sensitives trained by you and your Master, right?"
"That's the idea."
"We have seriously talked about having children before, but we have both been...busy. If you are truly this...center of power in the Force, and if the talent is passed down, than our child will be uniquely powerful."
Kenobi breathed a sigh of relief when the warning in the Force melted into warmth. "You want to use our child to shield you from him."
"Would it work? If we seriously began attempting-"
"This is the sort of Force manipulation that he and his Master used to engage in. If I talk to him, if we..." Kenobi bit the inside of his cheek. "I believe I can work this to our advantage."
The Duchess breathed a sigh of relief, and until she relaxed against him, Kenobi didn't realize how tense she was. They had two days to plan, two days to look at the board. All the pieces had already been moved into place, and now, it was their move.