The assassin clung to Urtel Moren's neck. His heavy arms held her in place while he worked. At last, she shuddered and gasped into his ear. He held her until she recovered. She climbed off of him and went to the shower while he fell back on his bed. She emerged a short time later and began to dress.
"Is it me, or do all Twi'lek have impressive bodies?" he asked.
"Not just you," she told him. He chuckled. "Ryloth is seismically unstable with frequent small earthquakes. It's why we have these." She flicked her lekku. "They provide us with extra balance. And we developed a natural athleticism to help compensate. It's why we're in such high demand as dancers. And slaves."
"A structure that heavy for balance?"
She shrugged. "Originally, they held onto prey while we consumed them."
"I wonder why humans didn't get anything," he said.
"You did," she replied. "Humans are one of the most adaptable species in the galaxy. It's why you're found on so many different worlds. A planet like this, entering its winter cycle, is very uncomfortable for my kind, but humans just throw on another layer."
He stood and pulled on a robe. "Why were you holding back? Your body was there but not your mind."
She shrugged again. "I might need to kill you one day. I don't want emotions getting in the way."
"Expected of Zash's apprentice," he said. "Will I see you again before you go?"
"Possibly."
"I wonder what would happen if you did let go."
"I'd have to kill you if you found out," she said. He laughed, not caring if that was true, and gave her a quick kiss before she left.
She found Khem and Andronikos waiting near the speeders. "Captain," she said. "You look surprisingly rested."
"Kaliyo was helping that friend of hers," he said. "That girl in the Hunt."
"Mako," Kaliyo said as she and the agent arrived. "You'd like her."
"I've heard interesting things about her," the agent added.
Kaliyo said, "And I haven't even told you half my stories."
"Not from you," the agent said.
The assassin noted the atypical reference.
"Someone else is talking about Mako?" Kaliyo said. The agent shrugged. "Oh. Got it. Didn't hear anything."
The assassin said, "If the gossiping is over? Very good." She mounted her speeder and took off.
After parting ways with Cipher Nine and Kaliyo, they fought their way to an open courtyard. The assassin put up a hand blocking Andronikos.
"Wait here, Captain," she told him, but he continued to follow. She turned to him and said softly, "Captain, I sense at least six trained assassins hiding in this courtyard, any one of which could kill you before you knew it. Let the experts do their jobs." He sighed and nodded. Khem and the assassin made quick work of the Rist team, and they moved on to the main building.
"Congratulations, Sith," Rehanna Rist said when they found her. "You've broken into my home, butchered my assassins and forced your way into my personal chambers. Can I at least offer you a drink before you start making demands?"
"I don't drink on the job," the assassin said.
Rehanna shook her head. "People have so little time for hospitality these days."
The assassin said, "Tell me about Nomar Organa."
Rehanna winced as if struck. "Let's just say that his royal Jedi-ness Nomar Organa and I are ancient history, and leave that dead dog buried."
"Why have you never married?" the assassin asked.
Rehanna laughed. "You think I'm pining for Nomar Organa, is that it?"
"Everyone else does."
"Alderaan and its web of rumors," Rehanna said. "Do yourself a favor and don't get caught in it, Sith. You'll never get out. Anyway, what does it matter if I still love him? He certainly doesn't care one whit about me."
"Have you asked?" the assassin said.
"He made his position quite clear, I think," Rehanna said sharply. Her voice drifted off. "Why should I even torture myself with the thought?"
"Something good could happen," the assassin told her.
"If I don't, what will you do?"
The assassin smiled. "Convince you."
"What would I say?" Rehanna asked.
"Don't worry," the assassin said. "You'll know what to say."
Rehanna activated her holoemitter and entered Nomar's code like she used it every day.
"Rehanna?" Nomar said. "What- what a surprise."
"I know it must be," Rehanna said in a thick voice. "Nomar, there's something I need to talk to you about."
"Go ahead," he said. "Anything I can do. Anything at all."
"Not- not like this," she told him. "It's a favor I need, here on Alderaan. I was hoping we could meet."
Nomar nodded. "Of course. I can be there in a few hours. The old place?"
"It's full of Killiks, now," she said with a weak smile.
"I can get past them," he said.
"I'll be there," Rehanna said. "Thank you." She deactivated the emitter and fell into a chair. She sat, shuddering, and gasping for air. "Don't make him suffer."
"I'm not going to kill him," the assassin said.
"Of course not," Rehanna said. "You are the most gentle Sith Lord in all the galaxy."
The assassin said, "I don't need to alienate House Rist more than I already have."
Rehanna smiled. "I almost believe you."
When they were in sight of the cave, the assassin told Khem and Andronikos, "Wait here. I'll speak with him alone."
"I'm going with you," Andronikos said.
The assassin sighed. "I want to talk, not threaten."
"I'm going with you," Andronikos repeated.
The assassin glanced at Khem, and he nodded. She grabbed Revel's head before he could react. His eyes fluttered, and he collapsed into Khem's arms.
"Don't do anything to him," she said.
The Dashade shrugged. "Not worth the effort."
Influencing the Killiks required an odd technique. Try to influence one, and she ran into a wall. But, influence a group, and they followed willingly. She made her way to the back of the cave, and found Nomar Organa waiting. He saw her and drew his lightsaber.
"Clever trick, Sith," he said. "Getting Rehanna to call me down here like it was some sort of emergency. But frankly, I'm insulted. Where's Rehanna? You've gone to no effort to disguise your trap."
"Alive and well," she told him. "Now, you have something I need. I'm here for the key to Organa's vault."
His eyes narrowed, and he tightened his grip on his lightsaber. "I cannot permit that vile artifact to fall into Sith hands. Unlike you, I am a person of principle."
She gave him the hint of a smile. "With the sight it would give me, I could see a thousand years."
He paused. "Or one year, a thousand different ways."
"But sight like that would drive one to madness," she finished.
He sighed and deactivated his saber. "Rehanna?"
"Still in love with you," she told him.
"And I am still a Jedi. What do you need?"
"I told you," she said. "Your artifact. I am apprenticed to Darth Zash. She wants it, but I think the Force wants me to have it."
"How so?" he asked.
"I'm not sure," she told him. "Something to do with Revan, if that makes sense."
"It does, actually. According to family history, we were given the artifact by Meetra Surik. She told us to guard it until it was needed."
She nodded slowly. "I think it's needed." He gave her the key. "No one will believe you gave this freely." He agreed, and they ignited their lightsabers.
"The Killiks might remember," he said. They sparred for a bit. Nomar stepped back and said, "Have you trained with Master Agenord?"
"He's my cousin," she replied.
"Oh!" he said. "You're the scary one."
"Yes. I'm the scary one. Now then, we fought. I wounded you." She tapped his leg and he winced. "Too much?"
"Just right," he said. "I wounded you in return." He tapped her shoulder, and she winced.
"I threw you into a group of Killiks. Believable?"
"Very," he said. "I know how to confuse them."
"I'll need to destroy your speeder and your comm. Sorry about the walk."
"I'll manage," he said with a smile. "Tell me you'll be saving lives."
"I think so," she said. "I don't know. But these artifacts are important, more important than even Zash realizes."
"As evil as it is, Meetra Surik wanted us to guard it." He sat down. "I'll give you an hour. That should be enough time. And give Rehanna my best."
"That's the third time you've mentioned her."
"I am still a Jedi," he said.
She found his speeder on the way out and cut a hole in the engine. A long walk with the leg wound, but he was a Jedi. A strike to the arm would have been better, but less believable.
"Sith," Andronikos said in a sour voice. He saw the wound. "You needed help."
"On the contrary," she replied. "I left him injured but alive. But we don't have much time. We need to get that artifact before he can warn anyone."
Andronikos waited on the shuttle while Khem and the assassin snuck into the vault. Khem was not pleased. Jedi guarded the Elysium, Jedi to fight and consume, but they would have been overwhelmed.
Fifth and final artifact, she thought, taking it from its pedestal. Revan, Meetra Surik, Darth Nihilus. What did they have to do with this? The artifacts were older by thousands of years. The gold inset was neither Sith nor Jedi technology. Khem was right. Zash was a fool. The power of Tulak Hord in the hands of a child. And Khem was wrong. The artifacts predated Tulak Hord. And then there was Kallig. She'd braved a toxic pit, a cult, a crew driven mad, and now a vault guarded by Jedi. But the first artifact was tossed into a tomb like rubbish. She strapped the artifact to her belt, and they returned to the shuttle.
They waited while Andronikos finished unloading Elysium supplies. He exchanged some pleasantries with the Republic troops and took off.
"We've got a problem," he told them. "Elana Thul called. She's under attack."
The assassin activated the comm.
"Where were you?" Elana Thul demanded.
"Surrounded by Jedi and Republic forces," the assassin replied. "What happened?"
"Organa attacked," Elana said. "A reprisal for Nomar Organa."
"Reprisal? I left him alive."
"But injured," Elana said. "And you destroyed his speeder."
"I had to get to the vault before he warned anyone," the assassin said.
"He didn't get the chance," Elana said. "He met an Imperial patrol on the way back, led by a Sith Lord and his apprentice. I understand he fought well. He might have gotten away if it weren't for that injury."
"Well," the assassin said. "One less Jedi."
"Tell me," Elana said. "Are all Twi'lek psychotic? They fought their way in, looking for you. They didn't care about me, but the Twi'lek running the show questioned Urtel. They'd won. We'd surrendered. He answered her questions, whatever they were, then she killed him. I guess she didn't like the answers."
"We can be passionate, not psychotic," the assassin said.
Elana said, "If you run across her, please kill her."
"There are a lot of Twi'lek Jedi."
"Not with tits that big," Elana said.
"I will keep an eye open," the assassin replied and switched off. After a moment, she said, "Spaceport, Andronikos. Darth Zash will expect an update."
"You have the artifact," Zash said from the ship's holo. "And won an important victory. Pity about Urtel Moren, but you got Nomar Organa in exchange."
"I didn't get him," the assassin said.
"You were vital to taking that piece," Zash said. "That's what matters. Now that you've found the last of the artifacts, I want to see you on Dromund Kaas as soon as possible. We still have much work to do."
"Understood," the assassin replied, and Zash switched off.
"Dromund Kaas?" Andronikos asked.
"So it would seem," she said, and the comm beeped again. "Lady Rist?"
"Yes," Rehanna said. "I heard. All of it. You tried to leave him alive. A Sith Lord of your word. Thank you for trying, anyway."
"He asked about you. Three times."
Rehanna smiled. "I almost believe you. Well. I guess I am free of him now."
"I don't think we ever are," the assassin said. "Through passion, I gain strength."
"We definitely had that," Rehanna said. "I hope that thing was worth it." She disconnected.
So do I, the assassin thought.
She returned to her cabin. The nanites had completed the mask a few days earlier, but a component was missing, a control circuit. Because, obviously, it couldn't be that easy. She turned the artifact in her hand. You had better be worth it, she thought. She put it with the rest.
