Like Herding Nexu
By Andrew J Talon
Mustafar
The planet was all dry heat, making the very air you breathed feel like it was roasting your insides. Maris Brood was thankful for the extensive cooling systems installed in the great castle. They made things far more bearable, despite the depressing views offered by the castle windows.
She had spent much of her life in a jungle, and to be on such a dead world... It was like being struck down blind.
Not that the scenery was the only reason to dread coming here... Especially empty handed.
Ervex Sheel, her "partner", stood stoically in his SCAR Armor as they rode the lift up to the main meeting room of the castle. His emotions were controlled, and very well hidden. His other biological reactions all told her the same thing: He was calm.
Despite them failing their mission.
The lift doors opened, and Maris reluctantly walked out after Ervex. She didn't want to appear cowardly, but... Their mistress wasn't going to be happy about this.
If she was any kind of Sith... She should be furious.
There she was, training against remotes with her incredible light whip. Cortosis links allowed the energy bands to be connected and flexible, as the cybernetic woman lashed out and sliced a droid in half. She quickly drew the whip in and it stiffened, allowing Lumiya to use it as a traditional lightsaber and deflect blaster bolts from the other droids. She threw out a hand and used the Force to smash one of the training droids, before she yanked the other one in close and swung her light whip.
Its bits and pieces unlocked, back into a whip, and she lashed the droid in half. The two pieces fell onto the hard, black metal floor, sputtering a few sparks. Maris eyed the destroyed droids dubiously.
Lumiya looked upon them, her face hidden behind her combat breather mask. It linked into horn-like projections from her helmet. Her face mask snapped open, revealing her mouth and pale skin. A scar was over her right eye, and on her left cheek-Burns and cuts. Her eyes burned yellow, as Ervex kneeled before her. Ervex looked at Maris through his helmet, but Maris stayed standing.
"My Lady," Ervex said, "I regret to inform you that we failed in our mission to capture Bariss Offee and her son. Another Jedi interfered."
"Oh?" Lumiya asked. Even without the mask, her expression was unreadable. Maris scowled up at her.
"Some Jedi who survived Order 66... She moved fast, struck with high speed movements in a single blow. Her lightsaber was thin, very thin."
"Droid recordings, please?" Lumiya asked. Maris' eyes narrowed, as Ervex pulled out a datapad and handed it to his mistress.
She'd only received her orders via holo... This was the guy's master? The new Dark Lady of the Sith? Ervex was barely Force Sensitive, and yet... This woman...?
"I see," Lumiya stated, eyes scanning them dispassionately, "that is a shame. They would have been useful. Still! It is good you returned unharmed, with most of our forces."
"Yes, My Lady," Ervex stated. Lumiya eyed Maris.
"And you have brought us a strong recruit," she said, looking Maris over, "very good. You are to be commended."
"Thank you, My Lady," Ervex said again. Lumiya studied Maris a bit more.
"Maris Brood, I believe?" She asked.
"That's me," Maris sneered, "you're the Dark Lady of the Sith, huh?"
Lumiya smiled softly. It almost looked comforting, save for the glint in the cyborg's eyes.
"I have declared myself such," Lumiya replied mildly, "you have doubts?"
"Hmph," Maris grunted, "all I see is some cyborg with a bit of Force abilities, and a neat weapon. Not enough to impress me."
"I see," Lumiya said, a smile now on her face, "Ervex? Kindly step away, please."
"Thank you, my Lady," Ervex murmured, moving smoothly but quickly away from the arena. Maris snorted, watching him go with contempt, before glaring back at Lumiya.
"Just because you've got my master on ice and promise to help her doesn't mean I have to follow you," Maris sneered, "and don't the Sith practice 'whoever's strongest rules'?"
"That is the Sith tradition, yes," Lumiya said, again calm. Maris growled, a feral grin on her face as she ignited her lightsabers.
"Well! Maybe I should see how strong you really are-!"
Lumiya moved, and Maris was immediately on the defensive, blocking blows from Lumiya's lightsaber! They were strong, and fast-She was backing up, parrying and deflecting almost frantically.
Maris leaped back, and Lumiya switched her saber to whip mode. She lashed out with a harsh strike, but Maris, thinking quickly, held out one of her shotos to capture the whip. She tugged back on it, trying to yank the weapon out of Lumiya's hand with a Makashi counter...!
The Sith Lady blurred, and snapped the whip back. Maris's shoto was yanked out of her hand, and in an instant, she was fending off Lumiya's light whip and her own shoto with just her remaining weapon!
She switched to Ataru, trying to strike aggressively. Lumiya caught her with the Force and slammed her up into the ceiling, before slamming her back down onto the floor. Maris, enraged, rolled up to her feet and charged Lumiya!
The cyborg lashed out with her whip, and Maris's entire body was shocked. She fell to her knees, dropping her remaining lightsaber with a scream. Lumiya cracked her whip again, and it was wrapped around her neck. Maris gagged, struggling with the whip with her fingers on the metal bands.
Lumiya calmly walked behind Maris, and put her foot on her back between her shoulder blades. She shoved her down, face first onto the floor.
Fear seemed to fill every vein in Maris's body, as she tried to get some air into her lungs. Panic took over, as though a monstrous predator was looming over her, gleeful over her struggles. It was dark, animalistic, and brutal. It had been there from the start, but lurking in the shadows until it came out...
The source of that presence sent another shock through her whip, as she looked down upon the gagging Maris.
"It seems," Lumiya said, sounding almost kind, "that you are not strong enough to truly challenge me yet."
Lumiya laughed softly, the cheerful sound in complete contrast to how she tightened her lightwhip. Maris' vision began to black out, as she struggled frantically.
"I can change that, but only if you're going to show me the proper respect," Lumiya cooed, "can you do that for me, Maris? Can you?"
Maris nodded frantically, as her lungs screamed for air. The whip loosened from her, and Maris was left gasping desperately for breath on the metal floor. Lumiya smiled, striding with her long legs past Maris before turning around.
"Oh wonderful! You see, I was going to help your master anyway," Lumiya said, "but having you help will make things go much more smoothly. Don't you agree, Maris?"
"Y-Yes... My Lady," Maris wheezed hoarsely. Lumiya hummed thoughtfully.
"Now where did I put that...? Oh! Of course!"
She waved her hand, and a cryo cylinder hovered over from the back of the room. It came to a stop in front of Maris. The Zabrak Fallen Jedi looked over into it, her breath slowing. She stared into the face of her master, Shaak Ti. She seemed so... At peace, even here.
"As promised, here is your master, safe and sound," Lumiya said, "it will take a great deal of work to revive her, but... It will be well worth it. You can accompany her to the medical bay, Maris! I'm sure she would like that."
"Y-yes, My Lady," Maris murmured, her head down. Lumiya smiled.
"Now Maris... Understand. You are alive because I find you useful. If I stop finding you useful, well..."
The cheerful smile became predatory, the yellow eyes burned in delight of her pain and promised more.
"I don't think I have to tell you what happens, but just to be clear? You will die. But not quickly," she stated, "that is where I differed from my master. He killed quickly. He just wanted to get on with things. Me? If you have truly failed me? Death... Will be your release. And you will be very, very grateful for it by the end. Clear?"
Maris trembled, and nodded quickly.
"Y-Yes... Yes, My Lady," she whispered.
Lumiya took hold of Maris's chin, and stroked her cheek, almost adoringly. It sent chills down Maris' spine.
"Now now... That fear is useful!" Lumiya cooed, "don't let it go to waste~! Oh! Oh, Vaneé! Vaneé~!"
A pale old human male in dark robes walked up, past the still silent and stoic Ervex.
"Yes, Lady Lumiya?" He asked in a soft, wavering tone.
"Do please convey Master Shaak-Ti and her apprentice, Maris Brood, to the medical bay! Now, enjoy this time with your master, Maris! Tomorrow your training begins!"
She grinned almost hungrily.
"I'm looking forward to it."
Maris managed a nod.
"Y-Yes, My Lady," she murmured, as she followed the hovering cryopod and Vaneé to the lift. She chanced a peek over her shoulder.
Lumiya was smiling happily at Ervex, as he went into more detail on his report.
"Oh, I'm sure we can find out who this Jedi is, Ervex! And I am sure we can kill her! Don't you worry!"
"The mistress likes you," Vaneé said quietly, as they walked into the lift. Maris stared at him.
"How... How do you-?"
"You are still alive," Vaneé said, giving her a grave expression, "for now."
Maris looked down at the peaceful face of her master. She grit her teeth.
"I suppose... That's good to know," she muttered, as the lift doors closed on them.