1 Week Later…
Cognus sat in her chambers, deep in thought. It had been a week since her return to Haruun Kal and she couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed in her apprentice. She closed her eyes, focusing on the force within her, and began to meditate.
As she delved deeper into her consciousness, a vision came to her. It was of herself, lying on the forest floor, her body cold and still. Blood pooled around her, staining the lush green leaves beneath her. A feeling of dread washed over her as she saw Millennial standing over her, his lightsaber in hand and a look of triumph on his face.
Cognus' eyes snapped open, her heart racing. She knew that she couldn't ignore this vision. The force had shown her something that was to come, and she must act upon it. Cognus rose from her seat and made her way to Millennial's chambers.
Inside, Millennial was deep in thought, his eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady. He was meditating just as she had been. Cognus approached him slowly, her hand instinctively reaching for her lightsaber. She knew that if her vision was to come true, then it would be here, in this moment, that it would begin.
"Millennial," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her apprentice's eyes opened, and for a moment, she saw the boy she had taken under her wing, the apprentice who had shown so much promise. But then, the darkness within him consumed him, and his eyes turned cold and calculating.
"Master?" he asked, his voice unable to hide his curiosity at her presence.
"We must talk," she said, her voice firm.
"About what?" Millennial asked, his tone betraying his true intentions.
"About your place in the Sith Order," Cognus began, "I believe it is time to prove your devotion to our cause. In doing so I must test if your training has seen you improve in the ways of the darkside or if you have remained stagnant. If you have, I have no further use for someone who cannot surpass me".
Millennial stood up, his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber. Cognus stood in the doorway of his room, blocking his exit, her eyes closed as she reached out through the force. Suddenly, her lightsaber shot into her hand. Without hesitation, she ignited the weapon and assumed a defensive stance.
Millennial, her apprentice, stood at the other end of the room with his own lightsaber in hand. A mixture of Juyo and Ataru styles of lightsaber combat flowed through his movements as he began to approach her.
Cognus could sense the shift in her apprentice, as if he were hiding something from her. Of course, that was not uncommon among Sith to hide their true potential, both Bane and Zannah had done so and even she was in the process of keeping the knowledge of Darth Phobos secret from her apprentice. But she pushed the thoughts aside, unsure if her vision of herself laying murdered on the forest floor was true or false.
"You're not strong enough to betray me, Millennial," she said, her voice steady as she engaged him in combat.
"I would never think about betraying you. For that is not the way of the Sith, only the strong may lead, those who hide in the shadows are not worthy of the title Sith" Millennial countered, which caused Cognus to second guess her vision further, as she could not sense any sense that he did not believe those words.
The two clashed blades, the sound of their lightsabers humming filling the room. Millennial's strikes were strong and precise, but Cognus was able to counter them with her Djem So style.
As their blades collided with one another, mere inches from each other's faces, Cognus couldn't help but wonder if her vision was true or if she was just being paranoid. But one thing was for sure, her apprentice was becoming a formidable opponent.
The battle continued for what felt like hours, neither one of them able to gain the upper hand. But eventually, Cognus called a halt to the sparring match.
"You're improving, Millennial," she said, deactivating her lightsaber. "But remember, the force is not just about strength and power. It's also about understanding and control"
Millennial nodded, deactivating his lightsaber and bowing respectfully to his master. But as she left the room, Cognus couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something from her. And she knew that she would have to be vigilant if she were to survive the coming days.
Cognus sat in her office, deep in thought about her apprentice's recent behaviour. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, that he was planning something. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the sound of her holocommunicator beeping. She picked it up and answered, finding Adira, the Queen of Haruun Kal, on the other end.
"Darth Cognus," Adira greeted her. "I have some news that you might find interesting. I just had two Jedi visit me, they're looking for a rogue Jedi on the planet. They seem to think that this person is responsible for the deaths of two bounty hunters".
Cognus's interest was piqued. "Really? And what did you tell them?"
"I told them that I haven't seen any rogue Jedi around here," Adira replied. "But I think they might come and visit you, they seemed to know that you were here. They might think you know something".
Cognus smiled to herself. This could be an opportunity for her to toy with the Jedi, to see just how much they know about her. "I see. Well, I'll be sure to play the part of a concerned business owner if they do come to visit me."
"Be careful, Cognus," Adira warned. "I don't know what these Jedi know, but I wouldn't put it past them to sense something off about you".
"I'll keep that in mind," Cognus replied, ending the call. She leaned back in her chair, a sly smile on her face. She couldn't wait to see what these Jedi were capable of, and she was more than ready to show them just how powerful a Sith Lord could be if it came down to that.
Cognus sat at her desk, her fingers steepled in front of her as she thought about the upcoming visit from the Jedi. She knew that she had to be careful, but the thought of toying with them was too tempting to resist. She pressed the button on her holocommunicator and called for the protocol droid.
"Yes, my lady?" the droid responded.
"I have some important information for my apprentice, Millennial," Cognus began. "Two Jedi may be visiting us in the near future. They have received an anonymous tip that there is a rogue Jedi on this planet. I want you to inform Millennial of this and remind him to conceal his connection to the darkside during our meeting. It would not be good for us if they were to suspect anything".
"Understood, my lady," the droid replied. "I will inform Millennial at once".
Cognus leaned back in her chair, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She couldn't wait to see how this would all play out. The Jedi had no idea what was in store for them.
It was around late evening when Cognus received word from the protocol droid that the Jedi had arrived. She calmly informed the droid that she and Millennial would be down shortly to meet with their guests. In the meantime, she instructed the droid to offer the Jedi some refreshments and treats to make them feel welcome.
Cognus couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement, knowing that she would soon have the opportunity to toy with the Jedi and conceal her true identity as a Sith Lord. She made her way to Millennial's chambers to inform him of their visitors and remind him to conceal his connection to the darkside during their meeting.
Cognus entered the parlour with Millennial by her side, both dressed in their finest business attire. As they entered the room, they were greeted by the sight of the Jedi, one master and one apprentice, both Mirialans. The older looking man appeared to be in his late thirties and had a wise and experienced look in his eyes. His young apprentice, a girl, appeared to be no more than fifteen. The girl had a serene look on her face, her long raven hair was tied back in a braid and she had a lightsaber noticeably hanging from her belt.
"Greetings," Cognus said as she approached the Jedi. "I am Cognus and this is my son, Millennial. Welcome to our home".
The Jedi master stepped forward and bowed. "Greetings, Cognus. I am Jedi Master Devron Dalledos and this is my Padawan, Illyana Yarrow," he said, gesturing to the girl.
Illyana stepped forward and bowed as well. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Cognus," she said with a smile.
"The pleasure is all mine," Cognus replied with a small smile of her own. "Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable. Our protocol droid has offered you refreshments, I hope you will indulge".
The Jedi sat down on the couch and Cognus and Millennial sat across from them. Cognus noticed that Millennial was keeping his expression neutral, but she could sense his unease.
"So, what brings you to Haruun Kal?" Cognus asked, trying to keep the conversation light.
"We received an anonymous tip that there may be a rouge Jedi on this planet," Devron said. "We are here to investigate and make sure that the Jedi Order is not associated with any crimes".
Cognus nodded. "I see. And how may we assist you in your investigation?"
Devron looked at Cognus and then at Millennial. "We were wondering if you have seen or heard anything suspicious. We understand that you are a business owner and have connections on this planet".
Cognus smiled. "We are happy to help in any way we can. However, I can assure you that we have not seen or heard anything suspicious".
As they sat, Cognus noticed the Padawan shifting in her seat and seemingly having a burning question she wished to ask. "Is there something on your mind, Padawan Yarrow?" Cognus asked, encouraging her to speak.
Illyana took a deep breath before asking, "Excuse me, Lady Congus, but how are you Millennial's mother? I couldn't help but notice that you are an Iktotchi and he appears to be a mutant human".
Cognus's expression didn't change as she heard the question, but inside, she was amused by the Padawan's curiosity. The Jedi Master, Devron, scolded Illyana for her question, but Cognus reassured him with a smile. "It's alright, Master Dalledos. I understand where the Padawan is coming from," she said.
"I am unable to have children of my own and during a trip to Coruscant, I found Millennial abandoned by the world and on death's door. I couldn't bear the thought of him dying alone, so I took him in and raised him as my own. I had hoped he would continue my business one day". Cognus lied smoothly, hiding the truth of how Millennial came to be her apprentice.
Cognus smiled warmly as she finished her story, sensing that Jedi Master Devron Dalledos had a growing admiration for her. "You have a kind heart, Cognus," he said, nodding in approval.
Cognus nodded modestly, glancing over at her apprentice, Millennial. He seemed to be getting somewhat embarrassed by the praise, but she couldn't tell if it was part of her act or if she was genuinely singing his praises.
"Millennial may not be much of a talker, but he has a great sense for business," Cognus continued, smiling at her apprentice. "I can always count on him to help me run the business".
Millennial shifted in his seat, looking down at his hands. He didn't say anything, but Cognus could sense that he was pleased.
The Jedi Padawan, Illyana Yarrow, looked at him with interest. "Really? That's impressive," she said, looking at him with newfound respect.
Devron nodded, his admiration for Cognus and her supposed adoption story growing. "Indeed, it's always good to have someone like that by your side".
Cognus smiled, knowing that she had successfully manipulated the Jedi's perception of her and Millennial. She was careful not to let her true feelings show on her face, knowing that a single slip could ruin everything.
But for now, she was content to let them believe her lies and continue to manipulate them to her advantage.
Devron apologized for the Padawan's question and Cognus assured him that it was no problem. But as she looked at Illyana, she couldn't help but wonder what the young Padawan would think if she knew the truth.
Devron nodded. "Thank you for your cooperation. We will continue our investigation and let you know if we find anything".
Cognus nodded and stood up. "Of course. If there is anything else we can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to ask".
The Jedi stood up as well and Cognus walked them to the door. As they left, Cognus couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. She knew that the Jedi were on to something and she couldn't help but wonder if her vision of her own death was somehow connected to their investigation, was it possible that Millennial could potential turn to the lightside of the force? Impossible. She quickly dismissed the notion without a second thought.
Cognus retired to her office once again, a sly grin on her face as she reflected on the meeting with the Jedi. She couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at how easily she had manipulated them. The fabricated story of adopting Millennial as a child had been the perfect distraction, and she could see the admiration in the Jedi Master's eyes as he looked at her.
"Ha!" she exclaimed, "The Jedi are so easily manipulated. They want to see the good in everyone, it makes them weak". She shook her head, still smiling.
She thought back to her apprentice, Millennial, and how he had been so embarrassed during the meeting. She knew he had been fooled by her act, but that was to be expected. He was still young and had much to learn about the ways of the Sith.
Cognus stood up from her desk, her mind already turning to her next plan. She had the Jedi wrapped around her finger and she intended to keep it that way. She would use them to further her own goals and ultimately bring about the downfall of the Jedi Order.
"Soon, the Sith will rise to power once again," she whispered to herself, a fierce determination in her eyes. "And I will plant the seeds of the Jedi Order's downfall".