Cognus walked through the city of Oran Mas on Haruun Kal, her eyes scanning the busy streets for any sign of danger. The air was thick with the scent of spices and the sounds of merchants hawking their wares. Crowds of people bustled around her, haggling over prices and exchanging goods. In the distance, she could see the towering spires of the city's ancient temples, a testament to the rich cultural history of Haruun Kal.
She made her way deeper into the city, towards a less reputable part of town. This was where Set Harth had instructed her to meet one of his men. She was cautious, knowing that the Sith Lord was not to be trusted. Despite this, she had agreed to meet with him, intrigued by what he had to offer.
As she approached the designated location, she could feel her senses heightened, her hand hovering near the hilt of her lightsaber. The street was quiet, almost deserted, and she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She reached the door of the rundown building and pushed it open, stepping inside to find a figure waiting for her in the dimly lit room.
"Cognus," the figure said, his voice low and menacing. "Set Harth sends his greetings."
She stood her ground, her hand still resting near her lightsaber. "What does he want?" she asked, her voice cold and unyielding.
The figure smiled, revealing a set of razor-sharp teeth. "He wants to offer you a proposition," he said, his eyes glinting in the half-light. "One that you won't want to refuse".
She stepped into the dimly lit room, the musty scent of old wood and mold filling her nostrils. The devaronian motioned for her to take a seat on the old, torn couch to her left, and she did so, settling in for what was sure to be an interesting conversation.
The devaronian turned to face her, his yellow eyes studying her carefully. "Lady Cognus, I have word from my boss," he began. "Two Jedi have made their presence known in the city".
Cognus feigned surprise. "Jedi? Here on Haruun Kal?"
The devaronian nodded. "Yes, and my boss has reason to believe they may be a threat to our operations. Have you had any contact with them?"
Cognus leaned back on the couch, a smile creeping across her face. "I have indeed," she said finally. "I've already spoken to them".
The devaronian seemed taken aback by her answer. "You have? And what did you discuss?"
Cognus sat back on the couch, her eyes scanning the room as she spoke, "The two Jedi, they were investigating what appeared to be a rogue Jedi who had taken out some bounty hunters. Nothing too remarkable, but I had to make sure it wouldn't interfere with our operations. But I've taken care of it".
The devaronian's brow furrowed as he listened to her words, "Is that all, Lady?"
Cognus nodded, "Yes, that's all. I believe this matter has been resolved".
The devaronian leaned forward, his eyes locking onto hers, "Set Harth doesn't take kindly to loose ends, Lady. Are you sure there's nothing else you need to tell me?"
Cognus remained calm, her gaze steady, "I'm sure. There's no reason to worry. This matter is resolved and I see no reason to bring it to Set Harth's attention any further".
The man's arrogance was beginning to wear on her nerves, the more he talked, the more she felt she might strike him down with force lighting.
When he revealed that the rogue jedi was none other than Millennial, Cognus' blood boiled. She could feel the anger rising inside of her, but she did her best to keep it under control. The last thing she needed was for this man to see her as anything other than calm and collected.
"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice tight. "Eyewitnesses can be unreliable".
The man snorted. "These eyewitnesses are loyal to Set Harth. They wouldn't dare lie to him".
Cognus suppressed a growl. Millennial had been more reckless than she'd realised. If what this man said was true, it could be a major setback in their plans. But she couldn't let the man know that.
"Well, I'll have to have a talk with my son," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "But I have faith in his abilities. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for what happened".
The man gave her a sceptical look but said nothing more. Cognus was grateful for that. She didn't want to be here any longer than she had to. She stood up, ready to take her leave.
"I appreciate the information," she said, her tone indicating that she was done with this conversation. "But I must be going now. Thank you for your time".
The man nodded, watching her go with a bemused expression. Cognus was already planning her next move. She needed to find out exactly what Millennial had done and how she could contain the situation before it got any worse.
As Cognus left the building and made her way back through the city, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. She was cautious and vigilant, using the Force to keep track of the figure that seemed to be following her. With each step, the presence became stronger and more focused, until she was certain someone was indeed trailing her.
Reaching out with the Force, Cognus searched for the source of the presence and was relieved to find that it was a familiar one. It was the padawan she had invited into her manor not too long ago, Illyana.
Cognus sighed in relief, but didn't let down her guard entirely. She ducked into an alleyway, where she was confronted by Illyana. The young Jedi approached her, a look of concern etched on her face.
"Cognus," Illyana said, "I have been following you for some time. I had a feeling that something was not right and I wanted to make sure you were safe".
Cognus raised an eyebrow, surprised by Illyana's concern. "I appreciate your concern, but I am capable of taking care of myself," she said, her tone cold and distant.
Illyana looked at her, her gaze unwavering. "I know that you are a strong woman, Cognus," she said. "But even the strongest of us can use a little help sometimes".
Cognus looked at the young padawan, her eyes filling with what appeared on the outside to be a mixture of sadness and determination but was in reality, all an act. "You're right, Illyana," she said softly. "Even I could use a little help sometimes. You see, I made a mistake. I borrowed money from some unsavoury characters to start my lumbermill business. I promised to pay them back, but I had to put the business on hold for a while, due to personal reasons".
Illyana listened intently, her eyes showing concern for the woman in front of her.
"Now, they're pressuring me for the money I owe them," Cognus continued. "And I just don't have it right now. If I don't pay them soon, they're going to come after me and my family".
Illyana's eyes softened. "I'm so sorry, Cognus," she said. "What can I do to help?".
Cognus looked at her, a small smile playing on her lips, it was almost too easy to manipulate her. "Well, if I could have your word of protection against those crucks, I think that would be enough".
Illyana nodded, determination in her eyes. "Of course, I'll help in any way I can. I'll just have to report this back to my master, he will want to know this".
She smiled, reaching out to place a hand on the padawan's shoulder. "You have no idea how much this means to me," she said. "I won't forget your kindness".
Cognus watched as Illyana began to walk away, she had planned on making the padawan drop her guard around her and now was the time to act upon her deceit. As she started to turn the corner, Cognus made a split-second decision. She reached for her lightsaber, ready to strike the young padawan down. But then she paused, her hand hovering over the hilt.
Cognus closed her eyes, focusing her mind on Illyana's thoughts. She remembered her studies of Darth Phobos' holocron, and the power of mental manipulation that the dark lord had mastered. Cognus had always been sceptical of the technique, but she was willing to try anything to keep Illyana from reporting back to her master.
She took a deep breath, reaching out with her mind. At first, there was resistance. But as she pushed harder, she began to feel a weakness in Illyana's thoughts. Cognus seized the opportunity, slipping into the young padawan's mind like a knife.
"You will not report back to your master," she whispered, using the Force to plant the suggestion deep within Illyana's mind. "You will forget about your encounter with me and continue with your mission as if nothing happened".
Illyana's eyes glazed over, her mind completely open to Cognus' suggestion. The young padawan nodded, turning and walking away without a second thought. Cognus watched as she disappeared from view, her heart pounding in her chest.
She had never used mental manipulation on anyone before, and she was both exhilarated and frightened by the power she had just wielded. But she couldn't let that show. She took a deep breath, calm and collected, as she made her way back to the manor.
Cognus entered the grand foyer of her manor, her eyes scanning the room as she made her way to the central hub. She approached the protocol droid stationed there, its metal body gleaming in the light of the overhead chandelier.
"Inform Millennial that I wish to speak with him. Tell him I will be in my study," she said, her tone firm and commanding.
The droid nodded in response and disappeared down the hall, its robotic feet clicking against the marble floor as it made its way to the young Sith's quarters.
Cognus continued on to her study, her mind racing with thoughts. She needed to get to the bottom of what had happened during the supposed rouge jedi incident and the involvement of her own apprentice. The fact that he had acted so rashly, killing the bounty hunters, made her uneasy. He was supposed to be the future of the Sith, not a wild card.
She settled into her chair, leaning back and closing her eyes. It was time to find out exactly what had happened, and she had a feeling that Millennial would be the one to give her the answers she needed.
She heard the sound of footsteps approaching and opened her eyes, straightening in her seat as Millennial entered the room. He stood before her, his eyes dark and intense.
"You asked to see me, Master?" he asked, his tone respectful.
"Yes," Cognus said, her voice calm. "I need to speak with you about what has happened. I've heard rumours and I need to know the truth".
Millennial entered Cognus' study, the room filled with the smell of old books and the glow of dimly lit lamps. He could feel the tension in the air, and he knew that something was wrong. He approached his master cautiously, feeling the anger rolling off of her in waves.
"Rumours? I hope nothing is wrong?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
Cognus' eyes were cold and her expression was stern as she replied, "You know what's wrong, Millennial. The rumours that have reached my ears about the bounty hunters you struck down, that are largely attributed to a rouge jedi".
Millennial felt his heart sink. He had been afraid that this moment would come. He had known that it was only a matter of time before his actions caught up to him.
"Master, I can explain," he began, but Cognus cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"You do not need to explain, Millennial. I already know the truth," she said, her voice filled with anger. "You are the one who killed the bounty hunters. You went against the rules of the Sith, and you put us in danger".
Millennial felt the fear grip him, but he did his best to hide it. He knew that he couldn't let her see how afraid he was. He couldn't reveal to her that he had taken on Hanan as an apprentice, knowing full well that it would result in her extermination per the rules of the Sith.
"I'm sorry, Master," he said, his voice trembling slightly. "I acted in haste. I thought it was the only way to protect Hanan and by doing so keep Queen Adira indebted to us".
Cognus' eyes narrowed, and she raised her hand, summoning the power of the dark side. Millennial felt the force lightning hit him, searing through his body and causing him to fall to his knees, begging for mercy.
"Please, Master, I beg of you," he cried, his voice filled with pain. "I was only trying to protect us."
Cognus stood over him, her eyes blazing with anger as she replied, "You should have thought about that before you broke the rules, Millennial. The Sith do not tolerate foolishness, and your actions put us at risk. I will not allow it to happen again".
Cognus tightened the grip on her hand, causing Millennial to scream in pain. He was on his knees, his face contorted in agony as the force lightning coursed through his body. Cognus let up for a moment and Millennial gasped for breath.
"Now, my dear Millennial," Cognus said, her voice cold and menacing. "You will tell me what is truly on your mind about the Sith and the rule of two."
Millennial looked up at her, fear in his eyes. He had never felt so vulnerable, so exposed. He tried to hide his thoughts, to keep them locked away, but Cognus was too strong, too powerful. Her mental manipulation was relentless, and soon Millennial found himself spilling all of his innermost thoughts.
"I-I don't believe in the rule of two," he stammered. "It seems so limiting, so limiting to the power of the Sith. I believe that there can be more than two, that we can build an army, a powerful army, to conquer the galaxy".
Cognus listened, her eyes narrowing. Millennial was still holding back, resisting her invasion of his thoughts. She attempted to press the matter, but was met with resistance. She could still use him, use his knowledge, his skills that she had spent years passing down, it would be a waste to start over.
"And what about Hanan?" she asked, her voice a whisper. "What is your true relationship with her?"
Millennial swallowed, his eyes downcast. He couldn't bring himself to reveal that he had taken Hanan on as an apprentice, not yet. He knew the consequences of such a revelation, knew what it would mean for both of them.
"She is just a friend," he lied, looking up at Cognus, trying his best to act as though his resistance against Cognus was fading. "Just a friend who I have helped along the way. A means of getting closer to Adira, of keeping her on our side".
Cognus watched him for a moment, studying his face, searching for any sign of deceit. But she found none. Millennial was good at hiding his thoughts, at hiding his emotions.
"Millennial," she began, her voice cold and calculated. "I have taken you in as my apprentice and have trained you in the ways of the dark side. I have given you everything, and yet you still do not understand the importance of the rule of two. The balance of power is crucial to the success of the Sith, and it is not something that can be taken lightly".
She squared her shoulders, her tall figure towering over the young man. "If you cannot align yourself with the ideology of the Sith and the rule of two, you will become a danger to our prosperity. I will not hesitate to eliminate you".
Her words hung in the air like a cloud of poison, causing Millennial to tremble in fear. He knew all too well what happened to those who did not conform to Cognus' way of thinking. He had seen it with his own eyes, the bodies of those who dared to challenge her.
"I understand, Master," he whispered, bowing his head in submission. "I will do my best to align myself with the ideology of the Sith and the rule of two".
Cognus nodded, her eyes narrowing. "Good. I expect nothing less from my apprentice" she said, before turning her back on him and walking out of the room.
With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Millennial trembling on the floor. He let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of his master's words.
He had narrowly escaped death, but he knew that his life would never be the same again. He had to be more guarded around Cognus from now on. He knew he was walking a thin line, and he had to be careful not to let his true thoughts be known. Millennial let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of his master's words. He could not afford to let Hanan be discovered. He rose to his feet, steeling himself for the challenges that lay ahead.