A few days later…

Cognus paced back and forth in the shuttle, her frustration growing with each step. She had been stranded on Korriban for weeks now, waiting for Captain Kael to fully heal in the bacta tank. Even though she had the holocron of Darth Phobos in her possession and had dismissed the spirit controlling of the skeletal Sith acolytes, they still made occasional attacks on the shuttle. She couldn't help but feel that Phobos was trying to annoy her even in death.

"Why did we have to get stuck on this godforsaken planet?" Cognus muttered to herself. "And why is Kael taking so long to heal? He's not even fully trained in the force, what use is he to me? Surely flying a shuttle can't be that hard, right?"

She knew she needed to be patient, but the wait was becoming unbearable. She wanted to leave Korriban and put Phobos's knowledge to use, to continue her ascension in the Sith order. But she was stuck, waiting for Kael to recover.

Cognus let out a sigh, knowing that she needed to focus on the present and not let her frustrations consume her. She knew that the holocron held valuable knowledge that she could use to become even more powerful. She just needed to be patient and wait for the right moment to strike.

As she was trying to calm herself, she was approached by Zax who sat opposite of her, offering her a beverage from their dwindling supply. "Here, this might help take the edge off," he said, holding out a cup of water.

Cognus took the cup and sipped at it, feeling the cool liquid wash down her throat. "Thank you," she said, setting the cup down beside her. "I just can't believe we're stuck here waiting for Kael to heal. We should have returned to Haruun Kal by now, to Millennial. This is the longest he's been without me".

Zax nodded in agreement. "I understand your frustration, but Kael is our only pilot and we need him if we want to leave this planet. Plus, the bacta tank will heal him faster than any other method. We'd have been out of here sooner if those kriffing skeletons hadn't took their toll during the first attack. We just have to be patient".

Cognus sighed, knowing he was right. "I know, it's just hard to be patient when I feel like we're wasting time".

Zax put a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner. "We'll get you back to Haruun Kal, and your son? Assistant? Whatever he is. But for now, we have to play the waiting game".

Cognus nodded, taking another sip of her water. She knew that Zax was right and that they had to be patient. But it didn't make the waiting any easier.

"I am not a mother" she said breaking the moment of silence. "Millennial is important to me, is all. I don't wish to discuss the matter further".

"Hey you could have fooled me, I've seen all sorts of things in this galaxy" he replied, laughing slightly.

Cognus and Zax sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts. Cognus couldn't help but feel restless, trapped on Korriban and at the mercy of the skeletal Sith acolytes that still lurked in the shadows. As she sipped her beverage, she turned to Zax, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"What did you do to be exiled from your Mandalorian clan?" she asked, her voice low and measured.

Zax took a sip of his own drink before answering. "I refused to follow their traditional code of honour," he said. "I saw things differently, and they saw that as a threat".

Cognus raised an eyebrow. "What did you do?"

"I killed a fellow Mandalorian who had broken the code," Zax replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "He had killed innocent civilians and I saw it as my duty to bring him to justice. But my clan saw it as me breaking the code of brotherhood".

Cognus nodded, understanding the gravity of his decision. "And now you're here, working for a Sith lord". There was no use denying what she was, he had seen her lightsaber and was smart enough to work out that she wasn't some kind of dark jedi.

Zax gave a small shrug. "There's a bit more to it than that, but in short, yes. I do what I must to survive. And I find that the Sith have their own code of honour, one that I can respect".

Cognus nodded, "As do I, the rule of two is a strict but necessary code".

Zax nodded and the two of them sit in silence for a moment, both lost in their own thoughts, as they finish their drinks.

Cognus sat in silence as she considered her options. Zax's loyalty to her was clear, but that didn't mean she couldn't get rid of him when she no longer needed him. But as she looked at him, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was different from the others she had encountered. He had a strong sense of honour and a determination that she admired. Plus, she couldn't deny that he was useful to her. He had saved her life during their journey in the tomb and was now helping to keep Kael alive until they could leave Korriban. Perhaps it would be wise to keep him around a little longer. She made a mental note to keep an eye on him, but for now, she would let him live.

Cognus sat across from Zax, her thoughts racing as she tried to make sense of everything that had happened since she had stumbled upon Phobos's tomb. "So, how exactly did you come to be involved with Kael's group?" she asked, her voice steady and measured.

Zax took a sip from his beverage before replying. "Kael and I go way back, we've been through a lot together. I was exiled from my Mandalorian clan and he took me in, gave me a purpose."

Cognus nodded, listening intently. "And how did you two meet?"

"We met on a job, a bounty we were both trying to capture. We ended up working together and it just kind of clicked," Zax explained, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Cognus couldn't help but notice the way Zax's expression softened when he spoke of Kael. Was there something more between them? She couldn't be sure, but she decided to keep an open mind. After all, she had already seen the unexpected in the form of Zax's force sensitivity and she didn't want to make assumptions about him or his relationship with Kael. "I see," she said simply, not wanting to pry any further.

Cognus listened intently as Zax spoke of his past, nodding along as if she truly cared about his story. But in truth, she was only thinking about how she could use this information to her advantage. As he spoke of Nara, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of disgust at the thought of someone so weak being a part of their group. But she kept her thoughts to herself.

"I see," Cognus said, her tone calm and collected. "It's a shame what happened to Nara. But it's clear that you and Kael have a strong bond. That's important in this line of work".

Zax nodded, not picking up on the hint of insincerity in her words. "Yeah, we've been through a lot together. I trust him with my life".

Cognus smiled, thinking to herself that trust was a weakness. But for now, she would keep Zax close, as he may prove to be useful in the future.

As he continued talking, Cognus listened with feigned interest. She had never been one for sentimentality and found it hard to understand why Zax would become so attached to someone who lacked the strength needed to survive. Nevertheless, she listened as he spoke of how Nara had joined their group, an orphaned street urchin who had been taken in by Kael. Zax had taken her under his wing and had trained her in the ways of the Mandalorian warrior. He spoke of how she had grown and flourished under his guidance, becoming a skilled fighter and a valuable member of their group and how he had thought of her as the younger sister he had never had.

Cognus hesitated for a moment before responding to Zax's question. "I was born into a poor family on the outskirts of Coruscant. We struggled to survive, but I always had a connection to the force. I took work as an assassin for a number of years before I was discovered by a Sith Lord and taken in as an apprentice. I have been training and serving the Sith ever since". She said, her tone revealing nothing of the emotions that she must have felt.

He looked at her with a mix of curiosity and understanding. "That's a harsh life, but it seems like you've thrived under it" he said, his voice soft.

Cognus simply nodded, not wanting to reveal too much about her past to him. "I have learned to adapt and survive. It's what the Sith way is".

Zax nodded, understanding her words. "I can respect that. But you don't have to close yourself off from the world. You can still have connections and relationships" he said, his words seeming oh so enticing for a fleeting moment.

"I have Millennial. That is all I need" she said, her tone final.

He simply nodded, not wanting to push the matter further. "Of course, I understand. I just hope you don't regret the path you have chosen later in life" he said before standing up and leaving Cognus to her thoughts.

Cognus stared off into the distance, lost in thought as Zax's words played back in her mind. A life before the Sith, before her master found her and showed her the true power that lay within her. She could have been a farmer on a distant planet, or a trader, traveling the galaxy. But then, she felt the familiar pull of the dark side within her, a reminder of the power she held and the destiny that had been laid out before her.

Shaking her head, a small smile quickly fading from her face she reminded herself aloud rather than talking to Zax. "I cannot imagine living any other way. The Sith is my fate, and I will not let anyone or anything stand in the way of my destiny". She stood up, her expression becoming stern. "Connections and relationships are a weakness that I cannot afford in my quest for power".

Zax nodded, understanding the weight of her words. He knew that she was fully committed to the ways of the Sith, and that any chance of her turning away from it was slim to none. He respected her for it, even if he didn't fully agree with her methods.

Cognus returned to her spot and sat down again. "But for now, we wait. For Kael to heal. And when that time comes, we can finally get off this kriffing planet". She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, ready to meditate on the power of the dark side.