Witches - Part 1

He entered the private rooms of the Council, still troubled by the carnage he'd witnessed in the bodies sent back to the Temple. What could have caused such savagery? The doors opened and he stepped in, feeling a heavy weight on his shoulders and a sense of darkness in the air.

A reckless impulsive animal.

What else could it be?

He witnessed the two Masters in the Council chamber, back to him and appearing to be looking out at the shining cityscape Coruscant had to offer. Though what Master Yoda could see at his height, the Jedi could not be sure.

"Master Yoda, you called for me?" he asked, and the two turned to him.

"Master Kenobi, show you something we must," the little Jedi Master insisted.

"We have uncovered surveillance footage from the massacre on Devaron," Master Windu explained. The room was already darkening as the holo projected out a horrific scene. A horned man, black tattoos and wielding a long blade.

A hot and cold wash ran through his body and he had to fight to keep the anger in him at bay. He watched the man strike down a Jedi and in his mind, Kenobi could only see his own Master, Qui-Gon.

"Darth Maul alive?" Obi-Wan gasped, "It can't be. I killed him myself."

"Correct you are, Obi-Wan," Yoda was quick to assure him, though it didn't dissuade that aching queasy feeling in his gut. "A creature from the same species he is, from Dathomir."

"Dathomir?" Obi-Wan questioned curiously, how did Master Yoda know this? "The planet of the Witches?" There was a tingling on the back of his neck. "I was under the impression Darth Maul's home world was Iridonia." He began, but a thought hit him and he looked up, sharply. "Isn't the Siren also from Dathomir…?" he asked. "Surely it can't be a coincidence."

"We aren't sure," Master Windu replied, "we have no evidence she is involved, but there is a large coincidence if it is not the case." He stood stoically and stared at the paused holo image with a grimness to him that was growing more frequent these days. Once Master Windu had been the absolute best of them all, the epitome of a Jedi in his kindness, his compassion and his skills. He still was of course, but the war was changing him, Obi-Wan had noticed. Force… it was changing them all.

"Travel to Dathomir, you must," Yoda said gravely. "Find the source of this threat, you will."

Obi-Wan nodded solemnly and turned to leave. He would collect Anakin on his way out of course; going to such a place that produced Witches and warriors alone was not a very viable plan. He would however stop off at the archives, he had to do a little research into the planet and its inhabitants before he left to ensure he was well equipped to handle whatever came their way.


Savage was tired, wounded and panting like a dying rancor as Dooku's attacks rained down on him. Again and again he was struck with lightning, rendering him immobile, flashes of memories flooding his brain and confusing him. The pain was unbearable and even his throat was raw from his screams.

Everyday he bore new bruises, burns and bloody wounds, everyday he fought until he dropped. In the night he dreamed of words spoken softly and others of his kind and of someone with white hair. He did not know what it was but the visions plagued him… if only he could be rid of them! Then he would not be so distracted!

He dare not tell his new Master, he didn't trust the old man in the slightest. In fact Savage hated him with every fibre of his being. He hated so deeply he was not sure if there was room for anything else.

"You have completed the first part of your training, my apprentice," Dooku told him after a particularly harrowing session. "Soon you will be ready for your first assignment."

Savage looked up from where he knelt. An assignment! Finally! Devaron was one thing, an easy task, not worthy of his skills! This task he hoped, would prove more of a challenge.

"I am ready Master." Savage rumbled - only to receive a bolt of lightning to the chest!

"You are ready when I say you are ready!" Dooku boomed, the brunt of the blast knocked the huge Zabrak to the floor.

"Yes, my Master…" Savage growled through gritted teeth. The lightning stopped but the pain took longer to fade. It felt like fire burned from beneath his skin and was trying to force its way out. He pushed himself up again slowly, everything hurt, he could barely move… but it seemed he would be granted no respite.

"You will lift the stones," Dooku commanded, waving a hand at the surroundings. Huge monoliths lifted in the air, creaking and crackling as they hovered… then dropped back down.

Savage attempted it of course… but such power! How was it possible for him to wield!? It was impossible for him to achieve this task so soon in his training! He had not learned enough!

The sentiment was of course punished and Savage roared in agony as the strength was sapped from him.

You're stronger than you think, whispered a voice. He heard it as though it was in his ear, yet there was no one there. He felt… something, a coolness at his back as though there were a hand there.

"...do not let yourself think of anything but your hatred!" Dooku was saying, but Savage barely heard him. He felt a surge of power at that whisper, and with a groan he forced himself up, reaching out into the Force in a way he somehow knew… but that Dooku had not taught him. The Force filled his senses, and the stones began to shift. He could hear the voices whisper to him, and for the first time since he had left Dathomir, he felt… lighter. He didn't know why, but it did ease some of the pain within.


Obi-Wan felt trepidation as they approached the red planet. He could feel the cold from in orbit, it was the Dark Side. This was the home of witches and horned warrior men. So much darkness, and dare he say… It felt evil.

"Isn't this where the Siren is from?" Anakin asked as they began their approach.

"Apparently so but even in the records, there was little on her history in the system that she didn't provide herself. There was something of her early work, apparently she was young then," Obi-Wan ran his hands over his beard.

"Do you think she smiles? Rex says she does but… I never saw it."

"She did seem to hold a rather dim view of Jedi… but that's really not our priority right now," Obi-Wan shook his head.

"Isn't it? It would be a mighty coincidence if this monster comes from the same planet as that traitor," Anakin retorted.

"Indeed…" Obi-Wan muttered. "I have a bad feeling about this."

It seemed the sentiment of hostility to the Jedi wasn't belonging to the Siren alone. The village of Zabraks were violent immediately, and it took Anakin threatening their leaders to make them stop.

At first they tried to deny the warriors existence, but once Obi-Wan insisted they knew he was from this village they suggested that a female had taken him as a mate.

"Was it the Siren?" Anakin asked loudly. There was a definitive hush that fell over the men and Obi-Wan felt the change in the air.

"She was here?"

"No!" cried one of the men, "we haven't seen her in months! She has nothing to do with this!" He was a slender fellow with orange skin and Obi-Wan could feel the distress in him.

"So you do know her." Obi-Wan confirmed. A few of the others hushed the first man and they backed away.

"We cannot help you further, you will have to speak with the Nightsisters," the leader of the village told them. Anakin released the man on Obi-Wan's order but the younger Jedi still had a great deal of suspicion.

At least they were able to tell the two Jedi the direction of this Nightsister village. Somewhere near a great mountain, apparently most of the planet was either swamp or rocky cliffs.

"Perhaps this is the chance to finally find the Siren and take her down," he muttered quietly to Obi-Wan as they departed, the Zabraks seemed to think better of attacking them. Which was good, Obi-Wan certainly did not want to hurt them. They -from what he could tell were innocent to the plights of the rest of the Galaxy.

Still, if they knew the Siren, or better yet, if Mother Talzin did, perhaps they could take two prizes at once. Siren was still wanted by the Republic, and her trail had gone cold very quickly after the battle, there was next to no trace of her.

The Home of the Witches was not as easily discovered, unlike the male village, this one was not on top of a mountain. It also appeared well guarded, Obi-Wan and Anakin were being watched from the moment they landed.

It didn't take long for the female warriors to descend upon them and demand their weapons. Anakin of course was reluctant, but Obi-Wan assured him that they would need to comply in order to gain access to the village itself, and speak with the mysterious Mother Talzin.

Despite what Obi-Wan suggested, he did not actually know all that much about the planet; there was so little in the archives. Even telling the Zabrak males that they knew the perpetrator was from their village was a bluff. They didn't rightly know how many villages there were, only that this one was the largest of the males from what scans could tell.

The directions the leader had given them were thankfully correct.

"We need to speak with your leader," Obi-Wan said, trying not to let his disdain show. The sooner he got off this planet the better. The Dark Side clouded his senses so much that he could feel nothing but the cold and dark. The Force was not aggressive here, but it did feel wrong.

"Where is Mother Talzin?" Anakin snapped, the young man losing patience too easily. Perhaps the Dark Side was affecting him too?

"We will take you to her," one of the Nightsisters hissed in a heavily accented voice. Odd, he hadn't heard the Siren speak in such a voice, though he supposed she could always have adopted the accent she had, perhaps she'd spent time on Coruscant.

The two Jedi were led along a dark path, among carvings and pillars made out of the mountain itself, and Obi-Wan felt the hair on his neck prickle and the sense of being watched only grew as they were led into the mountain, to find an underground village surrounded by… well he assumed it was water, though the telltale green glow made him feel as though the entire place was sick.

What he assumed was the temple or castle jutted out in the centre of the settlement, its roof reaching like a dying hand up into the blackness of the expansive cavern. For a moment he thought he saw a flash of green in the higher levels, but it was gone a second later, perhaps just another of the little floating green lights. There were a few around, perhaps Dathomir's version of fireflies… once more he was absolutely unnerved by the strangeness of the place.

Inside wasn't much better, it was the antithesis of the Jedi Temple, closed off, dimly lit, imposing and it felt as though there were something lurking around every corner. With the increased senses of being watched, Obi-Wan suspected they actually were.

They were led to a large room, a fire roaring at the far end that at least chased away some of the chill, but it did nothing to ease the sense of foreboding in the Jedi Master.

At the end of the long table sat a figure, swathed in the same red robes as the others, though with far more reach with the, were they pauldrons? She cut a very spiky silhouette… and as she stood, a tall one too. The woman had to be nearly seven feet tall, standing imposingly above even Anakin's impressive height.

"Master Kenobi, welcome to Dathomir," she purred, again with an accented voice, though when she spoke Obi-Wan thought that there was more than one voice coming from her. How was that possible? An illusion? She gestured to two seats to her right side. …how did she know his name? Perhaps the Siren had informed her?

"Thank you for taking the time to see us, Mother," Obi-Wan said, having learned that manners opened many doors for him, despite his true thoughts.

"What brings the Jedi to the home of the Nightsisters?" she asked, though Obi-Wan was certain that she already knew. He could not sense much from her, the Force felt wild here, and in a sense of chaos; far from the calm he knew. It left him feeling a little dizzy, but he had to keep his head. He dare not make an enemy out of these Nightsisters, not unless he had an army at his back. Even then… who knew? "I believe you have a question for me?" she asked, as she stood. The orange orb on the table glowed ominously.

"Yes, you're right," Obi-Wan replied. "We've had reports of a Dathomiri male on the loose. He's already killed two Jedi, perhaps you know who he is?" Though it wasn't really a question, and they both knew it.

Mother Talzin circled the table slowly, and when she spoke it was with a light tone as though they were discussing the weather.

"Master Jedi, we have no control over the males. Our clan has been in exile for years." It was a blatant lie, did she think they were that stupid? Or did she just want to test their knowledge?

"Don't play innocent with me, Mother…" Obi-Wan frowned. "Everyone in the galaxy knows that females are dominant on this planet." Everyone in the galaxy that knew about Dathomir, anyway. "Nothing would happen here that you wouldn't know about." Mother Talzin seemed dismissive.

"To think the Jedi collect their facts from mere rumours." She did not confirm or deny anything… Obi-Wan began to suspect that this was who the Siren had learned it from. She circled back towards her seat and Obi-Wan felt the flare in Anakin just before he spoke.

"Rumours? You call two dead Jedi rumours?!" he snapped, springing to his feet and putting the entire room of Nightsisters on edge. "Where is this monster?! Where is the Siren!?" he demanded. Again, the mention of the woman caused a significant shift in the Force. There was anger and worry all around them. Obi-Wan leapt up, a hand out to still his former Padawan's temper.

"This thing… this animal is extremely dangerous," Obi-Wan warned, leaning across the table toward the Matriarch as she took her seat again. Pointedly she looked away to another area of the room, avoiding his gaze. "If you have any information about his whereabouts you must tell us!" The threat of the Jedi investigation to see if in fact she was behind such an attack was implied- and he knew the Nightsisters would not be able to tolerate that. "Is the Siren behind this?"

"She is not," Mother Talzin said firmly, that same mysterious tone to her voice.

"Where is she?" Anakin growled and Mother Talzing shook her head.

"You cannot track both at once, which is the more pressing target to you?" she asked and the two Jedi looked at each other. That was a point, if they chose to track Siren, the other creature could have a chance to kill more… but if they chased the beast, she would likely not be able to be found, and if she learned the Jedi had come to Dathomir… well she was smart enough to not return… They had to choose.

"The male," Obi-Wan said after a moment, "he is the more likely to cause the most damage, and the Siren hasn't shown signs of retaliation."

"What-" Anakin began but Obi-Wan shook his head.

"We were sent to find him, and he is the most prevalent threat." The younger did not seem to agree but sighed and nodded, they turned back to the Mother.

After a moment, the woman made a show of waving her fingers over the glowing orb before her and closed her eyes. There were images in the orb but Obi-Wan could not make them out.

"Savage… Savage Opress…" she said as though the name came from the orb.

"Mother…?" Obi-Wan pressed.

"He is on Toydaria." Mother Talzin finally said, a calm even tone. Either she had nothing to do with this male, or she truly did not care about his survival.

"Thank you," Obi-Wan said, and with a look to Anakin, they retrieved their weapons and dashed back to the ship.

They had to stop him!


The room was silent for a few minutes after the Jedi left. As soon as their footsteps faded, that spot in the room Talzin had been looking to burst open, revealing a secret doorway. The furious, one-eyed Nightsister stormed forward.

"What have you done?!" she cried in rage.

"It seems the plot to destroy Dooku must be enacted now," Talzin replied contemplatively.

"What?! Why did you tell them where he is?! You could have lied! You could have told them you don't know! Why did you - if he is killed-!"

"He is a Nightbrother, Zaiya-"

"He is your son!" The powerful voice that made the ground tremble burst from her, and Mother Talzin's eyes widened.

"You dare to use that Speech on me?" she asked with a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Do you know what will come if she fails? Again?" Zaiya accused. "You could have said anything else!"

"Anything else would have brought the Jedi here, and found you-"

"Do not think for one second that I believe this was for me!"

"I am protecting you, girl!" Talzin insisted, waving an angry hand at her. "I have done everything for you!"

"You have done everything for power!" Zaiya roared. "Where was your protection when I was sent alone off Dathomir as a child? Where was your protection when I lost this-?" she gestured to her eye, "or this?!" She indicated her neck and the burn scars there.

"I taught you better than to be full of self-pity, Zaiya Valessa!" Talzin hissed and Zaiya looked Mother Talzin in the eye with all the contempt she could muster.

"You taught me to survive. And survive I have. But out there…" she pointed skyward. "Out there I learned far more about loyalty, honour and respect than I ever did in this crumbling temple!" Her chest was heaving and she could barely see for the pure rage blinding her.

"You will learn your place, Ale'sule." Talzin snarled. "When I return, you will submit to a Trial of obedience, and I will remind you of where you belong. You are a Nightsister." Talzin walked away and Zaiya realised the woman had such surety that Zaiya would remain. That she was under Talzin's control so much that Zaiya would not dare go… Zaiya had always come back when Talzin called. Always obeyed. Always been the good little protege.

"I am a Dawnsister," she whispered to herself.

A minute later she burst into her chambers where the other three had been looking through scrolls and keeping distant while the Jedi were present. She began gathering her things immediately.

"Sixy! I need you to put a tracker on Ventress' ship right now! Before she leaves!" Zaiya said urgently, "Then head to The Nameless and prep it, quickly!" She looked at the others as the droid took off at a run. "Grab everything."

"What is happening?" Feral asked in confusion.

"We are leaving?" Maul asked.

"We are leaving," Zaiya confirmed, rushing to put everything into a rucksack to carry it to the ship. "Immediately… and I don't know if we're coming back." Maul's eyes widened and he too began to collect his personal effects.

"What happened?" Feral asked, starting to follow suit.

"Talzin told Skywalker and Kenobi where Savage is…"

"Kenobi is here?!" Maul snared. Zaiya shook her head.

"Mother just let them go. She is likely telling Ventress now so we only have minutes, we have to get there and stop Dooku, Ventress and two Jedi from getting him killed!" She hauled the pack over her shoulder. "If we hurry we can get there at the same time as the Jedi. Let's go!" Maul was only a step behind.

"This is insane…!" Feral said, for what felt like the sixth time as they made their way to the ship, and hauling ass up the ramp. Zaiya almost flew through the corridor and slid effortlessly into the pilot's chair, while Sixy had begun to warm the engines.

[Ventress' ship has just departed…] Sixy informed them.

"Good," Zaiya replied, analysing the trajectory. "She'll be able to intercept the Jedi… they have too much of a headstart on us to follow them," she explained as she began the take off sequence. Feral began to strap into the seat behind her.

"Are you sure about not returning?" he asked cautiously.

"I will no longer be her lapdog," Zaiya replied.

"But what about the other Nightbrothers?" She gripped the controls tightly, her teeth grit.

"It is between them… and Savage," she admitted. "I've made my choice."

There was only silence as she lifted off from the surface of Dathomir. She had made her choice, but had she taken Feral's away…? She would have to live with that if he felt that way.


Notes:

Hello!

Welcome to another chapter! I hope you all enjoy! I also hope you have been having a good week. TBH I am going through a real rough patch and writing has been very slow. I hope that this will pass, though for the moment, I am finding it very difficult to just exist. I do however find your comments something of a balm so if you are able to, comments are greatly welcome!

I will keep on keeping on, and I hope you will too.

In the next chapter, Zaiya Feral and Maul race after Ventress and the Jedi in order to save Savage from them. Will they make it in time?