Ursbrung returned to the cockpit. Devon stood at attention. Ursbrung gestured at Devon to sit down and then sat down himself, running his eyes over the instruments. No problems presented themselves, so Ursbrung said, "We will land at Taris soon. We have a task there, to hunt another broken Sith and bring him death or take him back to Korriban for justice." He turned to Devon and leaned in, "Our quarry is very dangerous, apprentice. My superior told me he slew a Darth before fleeing to Taris to escape justice. I will need you to be extremely cautious and alert. I want you to survive this, but I will not leave you on the ship like a child. Do you understand?"
Devon nodded, his face blank. As he did so, the ship fell out of hyperspace above Taris. The planet appeared green and lush from a distance, but Devon knew that Taris was a giant ruin. Once a planet-wide city like Coruscant, the Sith bombarded the entire planet in a fit of spite many years ago. Nature reclaimed the bones of the sprawling megalopolis.
"We will bring our prisoner with us for two reasons," Ursbrung said. "First, to give her a chance to redeem herself. Second, she feeds off of other Force users and is especially good at finding them. She will be our hound. Again, she is extremely dangerous. If she attempts to speak to you, assume she is trying to separate you from me so she can devour you. Understood?"
"Yes, master."
"Life is a test. I want you to succeed, but you must continuously prove to yourself and the Force that you deserve to live. I cannot and will not protect you from everything, though I will aid you if I can."
"Yes, master."
Ursbrung considered Devon for a moment as he punched in a few codes and set the ship to land at an Imperial lodgement on the surface. He said, "Come, let us collect our hound."
Ursbrung strode out of the cockpit as the ship descended through Taris's upper atmosphere with Devon close behind him. He opened the door to the cargo bay. Lilija sat cross-legged inside her energy prison. Several trays of food, untouched, sat on the floor inside her small prison, leaving little open floor space.
Walking up to the force field, Ursbrung waved his hand and the energy prison shuddered and faded away. Lilija did not move. Ursbrung bent down and grabbed two of the trays of food. He handed one to Devon.
"Come, apprentice, we should not waste food." Ursbrung began to eat off the tray with gusto as he considered Lilija. Devon, realizing how hungry he felt, began to eat as well, though more slowly.
"My first thought, Lord Cavum, was that you do not trust me and suspect poison in the food." Ursbrung knelt down to be at eye level with Lilija. "Perhaps that is not it." He ate another bite, chewing theatrically. "Perhaps you wish to die? You starve yourself to escape your suffering. You realize that you have failed, not just in your goal to destroy the Sith, but as a person." Ursbrung stared at Lilija, who did not look back up at him. Her hands and feet remained bound. "If you seek death, Cavum, I can grant it to you." He set the mostly empty tray of food on the floor and stood up, towering over Lilija. "But I can also grant you new life. Your life can mean something again. But you must abandon despair and believe." He spoke in a friendly way, but then his voice changed. "Stand. Now."
Lilija uncrossed her legs, her movements jerky and slow, and then stood. Devon thought she moved like a woman of ninety, despite the smooth skin on her face. Ursbrung picked up the third tray of food in his left hand and, as he did so, released the electro-cuffs on Lilija's feet and hands with his other hand. He handed her the tray of food and said, "Eat. Drink."
Lilija obeyed. Devon thought he saw her tremble slightly as she did so. She continued to gaze at the floor as she ate, but Devon began to feel that tugging and humming at the back of his mind again. The young man paused for a moment, deciding if he wanted to pay attention to it this time. He decided to ignore it, block it out. He felt quite sure that Lilija was trying to manipulate him and he felt no desire to play her games. Ursbrung continued speaking as she ate, "I would hear your thoughts, Lord Cavum. What would you have me do with you?"
Chewing the food mechanically, Lilija swallowed with a shudder and said in a hoarse whisper, "Kill me. I prefer death to slavery."
Ursbrung chuckled. "You misunderstand me, Cavum. You can be free again. I want you to be free. I want you to live fulky, but you need to earn my trust first. I have to know that you will no longer consume the life force of acolytes and apprentices." Ursbrung paused and leaned forward, his face just inches from Lilija's. "Yes, I know your atrocities on Korriban."
Devon's eyes grew large for a brief moment. Had this woman fed on children? He had just come from the Sith Academy on Korriban. Had she been stalking him and the other acolytes?
Lilija continued to eat, biting and chewing with no apparent enjoyment. She ignored Ursbrung.
Ursbrung leaned back. "I am not sure if you are worth my time. You may be too far gone. But I will give you one chance. We are hunting another Sith traitor here on Taris. You will help me track him down. Depending on what I see of you, I will then decide what to do with you. Tell me if you understand."
Lilija swallowed again, with difficulty. She croaked, "I understand."
Ursbrung's human eye suddenly glowed and he leaned forward again, "You may have lost your faith in the Empire, Lilija, but my belief in the Empire is stronger than ever. The trillions of people you were born to serve still need you. They are worse off without your contribution, Lilija. You know it."
Finishing the food on the platter, Lilija said nothing and kept her head down.
Standing in front of her, Ursbrung's presence seemed to overwhelm Lilija's. He was not just physically larger, but his presence and confidence seemed to make Lilija shrink by comparison.
"You will go before me, as I direct. Remember, as you show you are trustworthy, I will give you freedom." Ursbrung waved again and the cargo bay ramp descended. He pointed out of the cargo bay and Lilija shuffled off of the ship, Ursbrung and Devon following. As Ursbrung walked off the ship, he picked up a small, metal box and handed it to Devon to carry for him.
They walked off the ship into the Imperial encampment. Large guard droids marched about the camp, making buzzes and beeps. Dozens of officers and soldiers moved about on their duties through the tents and trees. The Imperials set up make-shift offices both in the ruins of crumbling buildings and in modular buildings that had been flown in. The air smelled wet and of rot. Some of the ruins about the camp reached up hundreds of feet, metal and duracrete cracked, bent, and laying at odd angles, hanging out into the air or in piles of rubble crawling with vines and trees.
Ursbrung pointed Lilija towards a building surrounded by defensive barricades. Soldiers and officers saluted as they walked by. Devon noticed two other Sith. One giving orders to some officers in a tent, the other lounging against a modular building and staring at them.
When they arrived at the building, Ursbrung said, "I will go in to gather intelligence on the last known location of our quarry. Lord Cavum, please stand here," he pointed to a spot several paces away from the entrance to the building, "apprentice, stand guard at the door." Ursbrung walked into the building.
Devon stood with his back to the doorframe and looked at Lilija. She stood, forlorn, hiding her face in her deep hood.
He looked about the camp, watching the soldiers and robots on their rounds, and considered the ruins. Billions dead. For what? Then his attention returned to Lilija, who had not seemed to move at all. He looked back into the building. He saw no sign of Ursbrung. Then he reached out with the Force. He could sense Ursbrung faintly. Not too close.
Devon then said in a low voice, "You are Lilija Kenna?"
The woman ignored him.
"Leannon Kenna's mother?"
She did not move, but Devon felt a tug at the back of his mind. This time he opened his thoughts to it. He heard a woman's voice again, but instead of inviting, it felt commanding. 'Silence, boy.'
She had not moved, but Devon now felt sure he was hearing Lilija's thoughts. A feeling of anger filled him. "Did you kill her, too? Along with all the others?" He tried to keep his voice low, but his voice hardened until he almost growled the words.
Lilija spoke aloud, her voice no longer smooth as it was in his mind, but harsh and cracked, "Silence." She looked up and Devon could see red eyes glowing in the shadows of her hood.
"Who is Leannon?" Ursbrung stood at the door of the building. Both Devon and Lilija started in surprise.
Ursbrung looked from his apprentice to his prisoner. A broad grin spread across his face, "Leannon Kenna? Interesting. There were no records of her in the Imperial files." He stepped towards Lilija, "But then, I'm sure you had something to do with that, hmm, Lord Cavum?"
Devon saw Lilija begin to shake, almost imperceptibly. She hid her eyes behind her hood again.
Ursbrung turned to Devon. "Tell me of her, Devon. Everything. From the beginning."
Devon frowned, but he complied. "I met her at the Academy. She was in my class. She…"
Lilija muttered, "Please, Lord Ursbrung. Not here. Not now."
"No," Ursbrung said with exaggerated cheer, "I'd say there is no time better than the present. Let us hear more, Devon."
Lilija took a small step towards Ursbrung, but it was not threatening. She moved with her shoulders hunched over, her back bent, she croaked, "Please, Lord, I will serve you faithfully. Please."
Ursbrung's face suddenly switched from good humor to tenderness. He knelt slightly and took Lilija by her hands, lifting her up. "You do have something to live for, I see that now. Someone," he paused, his eyes searching Lilija's face. "No. Not just one."
Lilija trembled and attempted to pull away from Ursbrung, but he held onto her hands.
Ursbrung whispered, "Two."
Golden cords erupted from Lilija's hands and face, streaming out and around Ursbrung. Ursbrung let go of Lilija and threw his arms up into the air, standing tall. Both Lililja and the golden threads flew away from him and Ursbrung reached out with one hand. As he did so, Lilija dropped her arms. Ursbrung lifted Lilija up into the air with the Force. The golden cords retreated back into Lilija's hood and robes.
Ursbrung commanded, "You will not attempt that again."
"Yes," Lilija muttered, hanging limply in mid-air.
Ursbrung stood still, his human eye alight. He squeezed with his hand.
"Yes, master," Lilija said, pain in her voice, her shoulders curling defensively up around her neck.
Ursbrung lowered his arm and Lilija crumpled into the dirt.
"Stand," Ursbrung said.
With great difficulty, Lilija pulled herself to her feet.
"We will return to the ship." He looked at Devon, the stern expression on the human half of his face matching the silvery metal of the robotic half, "And we will continue this discussion. Go now."
Lilija stumbled towards the ship. She fell to the ground after just two steps. Ursbrung stepped forward. Devon followed right behind.
Ursbrung leaned over and whispered to Lilija, "Do you swear, on Leannon's life, that you will never attack me again?"
"Yes, master," Lilija breathed. Her voice sounded as if it came from the grave.
Ursbrung picked up Lilija like she was a child and carried her towards the ship. Devon, still following, had a thoughtful look on his face. As they walked, he looked at the box in his hands, turning it over. He clicked it open and saw it was empty, except for a miniature listening device tucked into a corner. He looked up at Ursbrung, frowning. Ursbrung did not look back, so Devon closed the box and followed him back onto the ship.
Ursbrung shut the cargo ramp after they walked on board and lay Lilija down in the middle of the floor. He pulled back her hood. Her eyes were closed, she had fallen into unconsciousness. Golden threads ran across her forehead and along her cheeks and jaw. They continued on down her neck. Ursbrung pulled his gloves off and put two fingers to her neck.
He sighed and sat back. "She is near death, Devon." He waved at the golden threads that ran along her face. "This artifact she wears. It is eating her, as she devoured her victims."
Devon looked at her. She seemed to have shrunk yet again. He guessed that if they removed her voluminous robes, she would be as thin as a rod. A bitter feeling moved in him. "Isn't that what she deserves, master?"
"Hmm, yes, perhaps. Perhaps so." Ursbrung turned his eye on Devon, "But I feel her potential, apprentice, just as I feel yours. She could do so much good for the Empire, if only she chose to." He sighed. "I have a decision coming and it will be a hard one. Devon, perhaps you will see more clearly than I. When the time comes, you will help me judge."
With that, Ursbrung picked Lilija up and laid her down on the floor in her cell. He stepped back and turned the forefield on. He turned around to see Devon looking back at him.
"Her prison is for your protection, apprentice. As was the listening device you carry. I must leave. Protect yourself, this ship, and our guest. I will return as quickly as I can." Ursbrung opened the cargo bay's ramp, strode out of the ship, and closed it behind him.
Devon looked at the box in his hands. He walked over to where he'd seen Ursbrung pick it up and put it back in its place. He went over to Lilija's cage and watched her shallow breathing.
Then he whispered, "She's alive, isn't she. That's why you didn't want me to talk about her." Lilija remained still, laying on the durasteel floor, eyes closed. For a long while, Devon stood beside her prison and watched her, thinking.