The first sun beams shone finely above the still dawning red horizon of the sky-scraper-dominated skyline of Coruscant until they reached the windows of the highest floors of the pinnacled Kaldani-tower. Darth Plagueis has woken up. Almost disturbed he glanced around. His left arm was still slung around Shaak Ti and touched her right breast. Tenderly he withdrew it and sat up. He did not have slept since twenty standard years anymore. Twenty years, which he, since the terrible assault of the Maladian assassinators, spent with keeping himself awake during the nights by rituals of meditations and Sith techniques, lest no enemy will ever surprise him like this again, probably to take from him also his primary heart, the last one still remaining out of his initially three hearts since that assault.
Such a fall into sleep must not happen again! Thanks the force he had been awake before the Jedi master right next to him. Not that he really believed, that the good-willing and so fond of him Togruta would have had harmed him during his sleep! Nevertheless – this sleeping of his was against the rules, which he had set for himself! He hurried up, did his morning toilet, got dressed and ordered 11-4D to prepare an opulent breakfast for him and Shaak Ti. The dumplings he prepared but himself. This was his contribution to breakfast.
Shaak Ti was still sleeping, while the sun of Coruscant was high on the sky already. Slowly she awakened. She rubbed her eyes to open them slowly. She saw the Adegan galaxy-baldachin above her. Hesitating she sat up and glanced doubting around herself. Did she really spend a night not only in the bed but also with Hego Damask whom she was initially supposed to guard? She still felt his juices between her thighs. As she shoved away the green blanket, she saw next to some cum-spots a stain of blood. Yes, she had really done it! She rubbed her head. She did have a wild dream this night - much clearer than a dream. She was not sure about, if this was a vision of the future. But she would, she had to tell her generous host about it definitely, when the moment would be right.
She got up, to take a shower in the bath next door and to dress herself speedily. When she left the sleeping room, her host was awaiting her already at the door, to lead her into the dining-room to a richly set table.
"Good morning. Enjoy your meal, Master Jedi", he invited her to breakfast.
"Good morning", she answered tersely and ate her breakfast with delight, while 11-4D rolled next to the table, passing them by.
Shaak Ti was astounded, how easy such a breakfast after was. Hego Damask did not ask anything about the night spent together, nor did he make any allusions on it. Everything was exactly, how the Jedi-Master was wishing for - for just this once.
"That is delicious. What is it?," she asked, after she tasted one of those fine dumplings, which were draped in an argentum-colored bowl amidst the table.
"These are dumplings filled with Yagannath-fruits. Such my mother on Mygeeto used to bake for me for breakfast", he explained.
After they breakfasted for a while, Shaak Ti could not hold back any longer. There was one question left about that night, which kept her mind spinning around very much.
"There is one thing … As we had the orgasm", she began hesitantly and lowered her gaze.
"Yes", Hego Damask ushered her to go on.
"There was such a big darkness unfolding suddenly, which was absolutely constricting - only for a moment. Then it disappeared. What was it?", she asked and looked him straight into the green eyes.
"Oh …", he pretended to think about it. "It could be, that the light side of the force turns into dark power spontaneously, when instincts and desires are unleashed like this. That's why it disappeared afterwards, as how you described."
"So I have done that?" she asked dumbfounded.
"That's the only explanation coming to my mind right now", he replied.
Shaak Ti found, that this issue was done now and recurred back to something else.
"Did that Darth Plagueis, about whom you talked yesterday, found an apprentice later?"
"Well, in general it is more known about the Sith, who died a violent death than about those, who worked clandestinely and in the shadows, without leaving spectacular traces. But I strongly assume that he did found an apprentice", he replied and sucked in with his nose his bread-mush, which 11-4D had prepared for him.
"I had a strange dream this night. Not because of that night. I believe, it is about your security", Shaak Ti started her next issue.
"What did you dream about, Master Jedi?", he asked with vivid interest.
"I saw blue lightning. Like electricity. And I have heard an ugly laughter accompanying it. Everything was dark. That's all."
"Hmmm …" Darth Plagueis was really thinking now. It was known that some Jedi-Master and other force-sensitives could see the future for some moments. His own master Darth Tenebrous could do this too. So about what did Shaak Ti dream? About a technical defect, which was engineered on purpose? About the last victim of his force-lightning? Or that of his apprentice? There were other weapons, which generated lightning. Or there was natural lightning struck in. The gamut of possibilities was wide.
"How did you come to the conclusion, that this dream was about me?", he asked the Jedi.
"I don't know. I just felt something like this. There was no location to be recognized. It was just jet-dark. Actually more than jet-dark", Shaak Ti explained with a dooming voice. "It is likely that the enemy doesn't have to come in. Maybe he manipulated the electricity cables, so that with a wrong touch something bad will happen", she presumed.
"I will urge an inspection", he replied after wrinkling his forehead and pondering. "Perhaps there is a connection to the election of a new chancellor. Today is a day, which will alter all our fates. It is likely that there will be war. But at least you did fulfill your mission with bravery", he smilingly mused.
"An from now on the Sun Guard takes over again?", Shaak Ti asked, to distract from her diffuse concerns.
"Today I will mainly watch the election for the new chancellor and at the evening I and Senator Palpatine have an appointment at the Opera House. There is so much security, so I don't have any concern."
"You believe that Palpatine will win?", she asked.
"Let's say, I hope that. We need a strong chancellor for what is yet to come. Just someone like Palpatine."
"Yes, he did so much for the galaxy as senator of Naboo. Valorum is not controlling the situation at all. And then that corruption-scandal. Something has to happen", Shaak Ti replied.
"I hope too, that the senators will make the right decision. I don't have to bother about the senator of my world at least."
"How old are you, if I may ask?", Shaak Ti dared.
"If you want to know it exactly, so I'm ninety-one standard years old", Hego Damask explained with a sly smile.
Shaak Ti froze for a moment. She was just twenty-seven years old. And now it turned out, that she had slept with a man who was more than thrice as old as she was. For a moment she pondered about, how long he would be wearing this transpiratory mask, but decided that such a question, after she had asked about his age shortly before, was improper.
The two of them finished their breakfast, then the Dark Lord of the Sith brought the Jedi-Master to the door.
"I still have something for you", Hego Damask said with a secretive voice. Out of a pocket in his tunic, he pulled a comlink, like Shaak Ti has never seen before, and gave it to her.
"This special comlink is for you only. It has a tremendous reach. When you should be in great danger, so activate it and say: …" He lowered his head and whispered something into her hearing-organ, just as if somebody might hear them in the apartment. "Then the help you require will come. But keep in mind, Master Jedi: This is a onetime-comlink. To be used just once – and for you only, for nobody additionally."
Shaak Ti glanced astounded at Hego Damask. Such a gesture she had expected at least. She was the one to take care of his security!
"Will it become that bad?", she worried.
"We won't hope so", he replied with an indefinable smile.
"Then I wish you, that all your hopes for this election of the chancellor, for the sake of the galaxy and in general, shall be fulfilled", she said as a farewell.
"Thank you. May you always be well, wherever you might be", he replied.
After she turned away from him to head for the turbo lift, he closed the door from inside. He headed again for the big room, where he liked to be most. He took a big glass to fill it with heavy Sullustan wine. After some hesitation he put the bottle and the glass back to their places. No, he would enjoy the aftermath of his night with Shaak Ti this morning without some stimuli at all. There would be enough wine later – when his apprentice would be here again this evening.
It enchanted him in a strange way, that this night would be the first and the last for both of them. So he would be the first and the last man in Shaak Ti's life. Though being a virgin, this woman gave herself to him so naturally and sensually, that it was like, as if this night would be a goblet, presented by the force itself, containing all the initial happiness and all the glory of this galaxy ever. Shaak Ti had been the love in person. And she would be his forever, though of rather because there would be no more night of intimacies for her anymore. Darth Plagueis did not doubt that the young Togruta would stick to her attitudes and would abide by them.
Suddenly a memory flared up in him. A day thirty-four years ago: He just had killed his master Darth Tenebrous on the mining-planet Bal'demnic – a deed already enough to remember that day. After killing his master, Plagueis had to realize that during his killing, he had unfortunately damaged Tenebrous' ship too. The captain of the ship, which he did choose instead to return to Muunilinst, was a Togruta named Ellin Lah. In contradiction to the rest of her crew, this also very attractive Togruta harbored an indefinable grudge towards the freshly-minted head of the Sith. Plagueis skills in negotiating proved to be insufficient to break the restraint of Captain Ellin Lah. Finally she exposed her corner-teeth and drew the blaster at him; a sign, which her crew followed immediately. Plagueis found that a pity about her – a real pity.
But now Shaak Ti did made amendments for the mistake of her specimen of this long bygone time- even more than that. The Jedi-Master had made him happy. Plagueis felt, how the negative memory on the Togruta thirty-four years ago turned into a meaningless peculiarity. A circle seemed to have closed. And for this her merits he, Darth Plagueis, would give Shaak Ti at least one real chance, to keep her alive even beyond the foreseen limit, to save her from that death, which was destined for all Jedi at a time still to define. That he owed her. That was his deep wish!
When Shaak Ti was in the temple again, the building seemed somehow different to her. She felt as if she was dreaming. She knew, that this was just one night, but she was still with her thoughts with Hego Damask in the Kaldani-Tower. For the first time in her life she felt to be accepted with all her secret thoughts and wishes. She had felt – secure. That at first seemingly aloof and unattainable, later friendly and talkative Muun did abduct her at once into a realm, about which she always had known that it does exist, but for her.
There was still a song blaring into her ears from her early childhood – somewhere on Shili somebody let play a Holovid, when she had been three years old. Shortly before she has been brought to the Jedi-temple:
"Love gives without counting
every day she can choose
whomever her grace will touch
Whomever seduces whomever
But for me never will be
what others will have every day."
That time and many years later Shaak Ti thought, that it was this song, which would determine her private live. This song was a forecast, that she would become a Jedi, with all the graces and talents she had.
And now Hego Damask did away with this until now unalterable law for her. He was the love, who chose her! Would he abolish other laws later too? Or even make better ones? Would he later really take part in the creation of a new army for the whole republic? An army, who would fight on the side of the Jedi? Shaak Ti felt at once the power and the optimism inside, to take and to teach a new Padawan soon. From now on everything seemed possible to her.
She went into her chamber for meditation and to regain her inner core. The spiritual aloof core, to remind. Three hours later at noon she headed for the cantina of the temple.
Master Yoda was passing her by. He held a tablet in his green three-fingered hands, on which was a plate with undefinable food with a strange smell. His daily food, which was prepared especially for him. With a friendly gesture he urged Shaak Ti to follow him. She went after him until they reached a table, where already Master Even Piell, Master Yaddle, Kit Fisto and the Cerean Ki-Adi Mundi sat.
"Introduce to you – I may – the woman of the day – Master Shaak Ti! By her yesterday mission – a big donation of Damask Holdings on the bank-account of the Jedi-Temple – today has arrived. Finally the newest Sorosuub-luxury-shuttle – we can afford – for especially representable missions", Yoda exclaimed and everyone at the table clapped his or her hands.
"He – did pay for it?", Shaak Ti asked worried.
"Mmmm … usual that is … when rich people like him ask the Temple for special missions. This – you knew not?", Yoda asked back palpably amused.
"Special missions?", Shaak Ti asked dumbfounded.
"Master Jorus C'baoth – to Rodia I sent him – instead of you. Because Hego Damask – you he wanted", Yoda explained with a casualness, that shocked Shaak Ti.
She hid her shock behind a proud aloof expression, which she maintained during the whole meeting with her Jedi-colleagues in the cantina.
Was the moral in the Jedi-Temple already sunken like that? Did the Jedi need Hego Damask's credits that much? Or did Yoda not realize in all his aloofness and serenity of eight-hundred years, what she had done that night? Shaak Ti suddenly felt like being used by all sides. Especially by Hego Damask, who had pretended as if she was the one to seduce him. 'Is that really your wish?", she heard his muted, soft velvety voice asking her last night. No! It was his wish! Already from the start!
Yoda made a gesture like to pad her shoulders to honor her. He seemed to be joyful and friendly as ever. No, Master Yoda did not have a clue about, what happened yesterday in the apartment of Hego Damask. And the other Jedi around her either. And it shall remain like this, Shaak Ti swore to herself.
Stop! What was that? Did the brownish Master Yaddle twinkle Master Yoda in a conspiring way? She should later talk seriously with Master Dooku. He was it, who praised Hego Damask that euphorically – just like a pimp! But everything being said and done in his apartment felt so true and so honest - and so good. How could somebody probably provide credits for such ever?!
With an inner turmoil Shaak Ti went to the lightsaber-training-room, to duel herself with a simulated opponent – to prove and to hone her sword-abilities. Such she was alone but could still distract herself in a productive manner. After about ten minutes she made the virtual green Twi'lek unable to defend himself anymore. He surrendered. Uncalled a picture of Hego Damask glided before her inner eye. He didn't look that old like ninety-one standard years, like he had told her. But Hego Damasks palpable wisdom and his maturity were in an almost contradiction to his outer appearance. She recalled the legend of Darth Plagueis, about which the Muun has told her yesterday. Darth Plagueis could stop the process of aging via the manipulation of the midi-chlorians. Was that really a legend only? Or did this Sith pass his knowledge on? To other people than his apprentice? No! Hego Damask surely led a very healthy way of life, did much sports and had extraordinary good genes! She left the training room and returned to her chamber.
Back in her chamber, she made herself a Cassis-tea. While she poured in a cup of the red tea, she asked herself, how she and Hego Damask would have ever met if he would not have asked the Temple about such a special mission of hers … No! Nothing was wrong with this mission – with this night! Hego Damask did fulfill a wish of her heart. And – Credits or not – it has been a damn good night! This night was above all else! It was the will of the force, that she had met Hego Damask. Master Dooku had been right. She was chosen!