Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, Marethyu, Beans, Mike God of Lore
The Celestial Inquisitor
Chapter 06: The Ship
100cp granted, 100cp total.
I've meditated on my choices, and there are multiple good options for me to go for. I considered aiming for the Alderaanian Princess or Queen of Naboo first, but this test will be more effective if I can target a Jedi and prove that my cloaking technique works.
Mon Mothma and Hera Syndulla are constantly on the move, which makes things more difficult. Both are said to have Jedi guarding them or working with them, but I'd rather hit a target who is confined to one planet.
Which leaves me with Master Shaaki Ti, Knight Aayla Secura and Padawan Jaesa Willsaam. Much like Mon Mothma, Jaesa seems to be constantly moving, and while her power would be the perfect test of my power, we don't even have a current location for her.
Shaak Ti is the biggest prize, but she's a Jedi Master and a member of the Council. Not only would her death cause a much bigger investigation, there's every chance that no amount of prep work would help me beat her as I am now. Pride says I should target her to make a name for myself, but cold logic says she's killed hundreds of Sith, many of which were Sith Lords themselves.
Shaak Ti would tear me apart without breaking a sweat, even with my new powers.
But Aayla is a hero of the Republic with a hundred battles under her belt. She's not as powerful as Shaak Ti, but she's renowned for her skills, and defeating her would prove my worth to the Dark Council.
But in truth, there's another reason why I want to go after Aayla. She's on Taris.
Now, I have two very split opinions on Taris itself. I hate waste, and that was once a flourishing planet that Darth Malak turned into a ruin. Taris used to be a rival for the likes of Coruscant, and even now, it's just a ruined shade of its former glory, and that waste fills me with anger. Had it been converted, it could have been a jewel of the Empire, but now it's just a worthless ruin.
On the other hand, it remains a devastating reminder of the power of the Sith Empire. It's a monument to the destruction we can inflict on our enemies. That's why there's currently a large program to rebuild Taris, but it is moving incredibly slowly thanks to the countless issues that remain.
Not least of which is the reason I am looking forward to going there myself. Rakghouls. Ever since I gained the memories of the Grey Seer, I've been fascinated with plagues and diseases, and the Rakghouls are the product of one of the most infamous plagues in galactic history.
With a single scratch or bite, you're doomed to transform into a Rakghoul. They've been confined to Taris, having spread far and wide across the planet in the aftermath of Malek's bombardment, but if I could get my hands on one to study…
My decision is made: Taris is our destination, and Aayla is my target. My first target, at least. I am curious about Jaesa's power, and the others could make good targets when I am more established, but for now I shall settle for the Jedi Knight.
Gently pushing Kory off me, I get out of bed with a small smile. She was eager to celebrate my ascension from Acolyte to Apprentice, or maybe she just wanted to show me how useful she could be.
"G-good morning, master," Vette says, peeking her head out of the doorway. Zash arranged for her bedroom to be connected to mine, and it has no door in the doorway, so she no doubt heard the celebrations last night. Her light blue cheeks are dashed with a colouring of dark blue.
"Good morning, Vette," I say, not bothering to cover myself as I stand before her utterly naked. Her eyes briefly move lower, but she snaps them back to meet my own gaze.
"What are we doing today? Do you plan to set off on this mission immediately?" Vette asks, her tone carrying something strange.
"Not yet. I know where we are going and who we are targeting, but this kind of thing requires more planning. The Dark Council gave me a way to contact Imperial Intelligence, and I intend to make the most of it," I explain. "Still, we'll be leaving sooner rather than later. I don't intend to keep them waiting or to dawdle for so long that my target slips away."
I can sense Vette's hesitation and indecision, the war waging in her thoughts.
"Speak your mind, Vette. Time is a luxury we do not have," I order, making her jolt at being called out.
– Vette –
She'd decided to wait and not tell Sarik about her gang, not wanting to give them away if they were still hiding on the planet, but if she was about to leave with Sarik… she could be gone for weeks.
If any of the crew had gotten caught, they might not last that long. What if she finally asked Sarik to look into them after getting back, only to find that her friends had been tortured to death? Sarik was far from perfect, but as far as Sith went, he was at least somewhat reasonable.
He had shocked her to discipline her for being too disrespectful or for when she'd hesitated to strip, but beyond that, he had kept to his word. He didn't cause pain for the sake of it. He didn't like wasting resources by killing for no reason. He'd even listened to her when she'd decided to end the life of the acolyte that he planned to leave to die slowly.
Sarik was not a good person, but no Sith was. He was just far better than any of the other Sith she'd seen so far. That said more about the other Sith than it did Sarik, but the idea of one of the team being captured here filled her with fear.
Even Kory was a sadist behind the sweet smile and submissive act. She revelled in Ffon's death and was turned on by Sarik dealing with their former Overseer. This was the worst place in the Empire to get caught, and her friends could be in a cell right now if they were lucky.
Sarik stared at her, his golden eyes piercing into her soul. She knew him well enough to see his growing impatience as she wasted his time. It wasn't helped by his utter nudity, not that he seemed to care to have his manhood swinging freely.
"I- when I got caught, I didn't come to Korriban alone," Vette explained, hoping she wasn't dooming her friends. "There were four of us, and I don't know what happened to the others when I was captured."
She'd been in her own cell for close to a week. If they had escaped, they'd be off-planet by now.
"And you want me to use my new position to try and find out what happened to the others?" Sarik asked rhetorically. She didn't respond, waiting as she saw him thinking it over.
She could try to negotiate for him to help her, but what could she offer that he didn't already own? She didn't like it, but she was a slave; everything she had belonged to him. What could she offer that he couldn't already take from her?
Her body? As he'd proven when she'd hesitated, he already owned that. If Sarik wanted her in his bed, all she could do was lie back, spread her legs and hope he finished quickly. She had her pride, but testing Sarik and finding herself punished would likely be far more painful and degrading than just giving him what he wanted.
"Explain why I should go out of my way to help a group of thieves," Sarik ordered, sitting on the edge of the bed. It wasn't a no; he was giving her a chance to prove herself and convince him.
"T-they could be useful to you. I only got captured because this job was a set-up, but we had dozens of successful jobs under our belts. You need deniable assets, people not linked to the Sith Empire, for your new assignment," Vette explained, her nerves obvious as Sarik listened to her. "We went all over the place, searching for treasures. Even if you don't want to use them directly, you could make them find treasures for you instead of them looking for stolen Twi'lek relics, and make them pay for their own freedom. Wealth is another form of power, right? Their skills will go to waste if they die here, used as target dummies."
She didn't try to convince him with any emotional arguments, knowing that he wouldn't care that she was scared for her friends. She'd seen other prisoners or slaves be taken to the academy only to come back broken.
Sarik listened to her attempts at convincing him, his face mostly blank, though she could tell he was considering her words.
"Perhaps," Sarik said, a shiver of fear stabbing into her heart. "But there's another issue. If I find that these friends of yours were also captured and bring them into my team, how long will it be until you all start scheming to escape once we are on a less dangerous planet?"
It was a genuine fear. She wouldn't lie and say she hadn't considered it, especially if they travelled to a planet where the Republic was in control. The collar around her neck could end her life at any moment, something she was well aware of, but if she got it off…
And yet, the brand on her back told her that escape would be far from easy. Maybe Sarik was honest in telling her that it would help protect her, but it was also to ensure that his property didn't get away from him.
"Because you've marked me, and I couldn't get away from you, could I?" Vette asked, making a decision as she pulled her top off slowly. Dropping it, she turned around and showed the mark on her back to Sarik, looking over her shoulder. "I'm not stupid, master. I know what a brand of ownership means. I think you can use this to find me no matter how far I run, and it goes deeper than just my skin, doesn't it?"
Sarik moved behind her, tracing the mark with a single finger as she stayed very still.
"I've been in your position, Vette. I know the longing for freedom and how desperation can make even the smartest person act like a fool," Sarik whispered, one hand snaking around her waist before it moved up to cup her breast. His thumb brushed against her nipple as she remained still and put up no argument or fight. "Do you think I can't sense your resentment every time I give you a command?"
"Of course I don't like being a slave. I won't pretend that I'm overjoyed to serve such a powerful and promising Sith," Vette admitted, her tone slightly mocking, which made his hand tighten around her tender breast. "But I don't want to die, and I definitely don't want to be tortured or end up with some other Sith. You're the best of a bad lot. If I hadn't been given to you, I'd be in a brothel on Dromuund Kaas, having my body sold to anyone who wanted a turn or in the hands of some other Sith who wouldn't have been nearly as patient. My friends could be out there in far worse positions than I've ended up in. I know I was lucky to be given to you."
Sarik hummed, his grip loosening as she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"If I have them brought onto my team, and they try to flee… I will break them," Sarik warned, her hopes and fears rising. "And you will be punished as a collaborator. Their obedience will be your responsibility. Are you sure you want that?"
"Yes," Vette replied, head held high as he finally moved back, and she turned to face him. "Please, master. If they were captured, take them for yourself."
"I shall look into them. Send their names to my datapad. If claiming them does not detract from our mission, I will do so," Sarik finally agreed, making her let out a sigh of relief. "But you owe me for this, Vette. Tonight, you will be sleeping in my bed."
Vette went still before she nodded with a half-bow.
"I- yes, master," Vette agreed. She knew it was coming and was lying to herself if she ever thought she could avoid this. Sarik wanted her, and he'd have her. Her eyes briefly flickered down to his manhood. At half-mast, he was still a rather impressive size, and she knew he'd likely be the biggest she'd ever had. She wasn't a virgin, but she knew from last night that Sarik liked to be rough with his girls. Not that Kory wasn't begging for more the entire time.
Speaking of Kory, the Sith slave sat up as Sarik headed into the bathroom, giving her a challenging look as the redhead stopped pretending to be asleep. Vette honestly didn't know what that look was meant to mean, but Kory moved on before she could say anything and headed into the bathroom after their master.
– Sarik – Later –
Arriving at my ship, I take a moment to admire the sleek design and once again confirm that Zash knows what she's doing.
The X-70B Phantom-class prototype. It was designed for high-ranking Imperial Intelligence agents. Apparently, she planned to get me a Fury-class Imperial interceptor, but the change in plans with my new orders means that I can't really fly around in a ship that's known for being a favourite of Sith Lords.
I don't know how she got access to a prototype from Imperial Intelligence so quickly, but I have to be grateful that she has such connections as I let myself in. It's designed to look like a luxury starship, elegant and almost decadent in its interior design.
"Sir, am I correct in assuming that you are Apprentice Sarik?" a voice asks, making me turn to where a blonde woman in an imperial uniform is patiently waiting for me.
"That's correct. And you are?" I ask, looking her over. Zash did mention that I wouldn't be travelling alone.
"Captain Juno Eclipse. I've been assigned to the Phantom as your personal pilot on orders of Darth Marr," Juno reports with a swift salute.
"What do you know of my mission?" I ask.
"Nothing, sir. My orders are clear. I am to keep your ship running and fly you wherever your missions require," Juno reports. "Your mission is classified, and I am neither to inquire further nor speak of anything I see or anywhere I take you."
Her tone is utterly professional, hands behind her back as she stands at attention.
"Why were you chosen to be my pilot?" I ask, making her pause.
"I cannot speak for Darth Marr's reasoning, but I am a decorated combat pilot who has served directly under him since I graduated from the Imperial Academy. I have over one hundred successful combat missions on record and was hand-picked by Darth Marr to lead his Black Five squadron before I was reassigned to you," Juno continues. "I can only assume that he believes my services are better utilised in transporting you."
I sense no deception from her. As far as I can tell, she's exactly what she claims to be. It makes sense; I vaguely know how to fly a ship, but this is a state-of-the-art prototype. I'm more likely to jump us into a star than get us to Taris safely.
"Understood. I look forward to working with you, Captain Eclipse," I finally say, seeing a slight hint of surprise on her face at the niceties. "But I'm afraid you'll have a co-pilot, as I already made plans to fill your spot."
"As you wish, sir," Juno agrees easily before she freezes as a floating purple ball of gas appears in the room with us. A long, snake-like blue face sneaks out from the floating ball and looks around as several blue tendrils wave around in curiosity. "I- sir?"
"This is… Floats Alone, a Huragok, sometimes referred to as an 'Engineer'. You are the captain of the Phantom, but his species excels at interacting with, maintaining and upgrading technology," I explain. I wasn't going to be able to keep him a secret, but I didn't want to bring him out on Korriban, where he'd be defenceless. Floats whistles, the melodic sound making Juno blink as her datapad vibrates. Pulling it out, an image of someone waving appears on the front of it as Floats interfaces with the tech around him. "Again, his presence is classified as his species are extremely rare for their unique technological powers."
"Understood, sir," Juno agrees with a salute. "I can work with… Floats."
Floats trills happily at that, wandering into her cockpit, and I give her a nod as she rushes after the strange alien currently molesting her controls.
His species all have names that are connected to floating, like Prone to Drift, Sometimes Sinks or Drifts Randomly. Getting him came with a lot of knowledge on his species, and despite the sudden summoning, I can tell he's thrilled to get to look at fancy new tech. He used to serve a group called the Covenant in another world, but now he serves me.
He's more important than he looks at first glance because of how the Huragok reproduce. With enough raw materials, a Huragok can create a replica of themselves. Normally, this would need two Huragoks, but Floats can do it alone; it just takes him longer. In addition, their knowledge is genetic, passing everything they know to the next generation.
He's biomechanical, a species created by a race of very advanced beings called 'Forerunners' and in his head are the designs of the Covenant. With enough time and resources, he could create thousands of himself, and they'd all have his knowledge and experience.
Imagine what the Empire could do with one of him on every Harrower? When the War begins, I want to make sure it's as one-sided as possible.
"Your powers are impressive."
The new voice is right behind me, having completely evaded my senses as I spin around, lightsaber flying into my hand and igniting. In my surprise, I swing without thinking and my red clashes with a purple blade as a new woman stands inches from me with a calm smile on her face.
"But your perception could use some work. A Jedi Shadow would have killed you by now," she says, her tone a mixture of amused and judgemental as I step back and disengage my lightsaber.
"And you are?" I ask, my tone harsher than I planned as the redhead smiles. Now that she's in front of me, I can sense her through the Force, and she feels strong, but until she revealed herself, I couldn't sense a thing. Is that Force Cloak?
"Mara Jade. I will be your contact with both Imperial Intelligence and the Dark Council going forward," Mara says simply, putting away her blade. I do catch that she has two lightsabers. She's forsaken a robe for a tight black tactical outfit.
"Will you be staying on the Phantom? Won't your presence taint the test?" I ask, making her smile, though it just screams danger.
"You managed to cloak your new pet, Kory, did you not? We wish to see if that technique can be replicated. Make no mistake, while I will be travelling with you for now, I am not here to help you. I don't need to know who you are targeting, nor will I be helping you on your assignment," Mara says bluntly, but I expected that.
"How about teaching me? Would that interfere with the test?" I ask, making her eyebrow raise. "I know a powerful Sith when I see one."
She smiles at that, but it's the kind of smile you give when you know something someone else doesn't. It was at the word Sith. She doesn't see herself as a Sith? She is strong in the Force, but I don't sense any of the usual darkness coming from her. I'm not stupid enough to ask if she's a Jedi, but I don't think she's a fallen Jedi, either.
"Perhaps. Impress me, or teach me something worth returning the favour, and I'll consider it," Mara finally says.
"Fair," I concede. "So, you're here to keep an eye on me, then?"
"Of course," Mara admits shamelessly. "Darth Marr told you that the Emperor's eyes were upon you, and he meant it. You have what so few people have managed to get: the Emperor's attention. I almost pity you. Still, you don't need to pout so much. It comes with the support of the Empire, and I have been instructed to make myself useful to you. I've sent the locations of your slave's former team to your personal computer."
I freeze at that, my mind racing. Vette asked me that less than an hour ago, in the privacy of my room. Did she listen in through some listening device… or was she in the room with me when Vette asked me?
Mara just smiles darkly.
"I can redo the technique I used on Kory, with your permission," I finally say, not acknowledging her comment, which only seems to amuse her. "But it only works if you're in somewhat close proximity to me, at least on the same planet. I'm cloaking Kory with my own powers."
"Do so," Mara agrees easily as I reach out to her mind. Extending my mind toward hers, I get to work as I form a bond between our minds before I freeze. I'm not the only person with a bond to Mara's mind. Someone ancient and powerful is watching through her eyes.
The Emperor's eyes are upon me.
As I cloak her through the Force, I deliberately try to pierce the defence and invite that presence in through the weakness. The presence doesn't react at first before it cautiously moves forward and re-establishes its bond with Mara through my shield.
Mara barely reacts, seemingly at ease as the two separate entities work on her mind. After the shield is in place, I feel the presence speak to Mara, though I can't hear what it is saying, and then pull back.
"I shall be in my quarters, but I look forward to seeing your progress, Sarik," Mara says, turning and walking away. I stare after her, but my eyes don't even glance down at her swaying hips as I force myself to calm down.
I don't know if I'm hoping that presence is who I think it is or whether I'd rather it be literally anyone else.
Moving to my room, I release my Rachni swarm to spread around the ship and get to work. They're as advanced as Floats, and they're essentially a swarm of tiny mechanics. It might take them a while to get used to this galaxy's tech, but they won't do anything until they know it won't break my ship.
Accessing my messages, I stroke my chin at the sight of the report from Mara. She sent this minutes after I agreed to help Vette, just to send the message that privacy isn't something I should expect anytime soon.
Taunt, Plasmajack, and Flash, a group of Twi'lek artefact hunters who steal their people's lost or stolen artefacts and send them back to the Twi'lek people. Fake names, obviously, but I have their real names and backgrounds as well. There's also a report on both Vette herself, and Kory.
Vette was right to be worried. Taunt, the leader of their little band of do-gooder thieves, was captured trying to smuggle herself off the planet. It seems Plasmajack and Flash got away, heading to Nar Shaddaa to avoid any Sith pursuers, but they split up to minimise the risks, and Taunt got caught four days after Vette herself was captured.
When she was identified, she was linked to a long list of robberies, many of which were committed against high-ranking imperials who had found themselves owning some Twi'lek relic. She's been enslaved for her crimes and sent to Sobrik on Balmorra, where a Moff that she robbed is stationed.
She's been assigned as 'relief' for the Imperial troops on orders of Darth Lachris, the Sith placed in charge of ending the Balmorran resistance. Darth Lachris was personally trained by Darth Marr, and she took over the Imperial forces on Balmorra by personally executing the former leadership for their failures.
Extracting Taunt from Balmorra isn't going to be easy, is it? We could make a detour to Sobrik, as there's no guarantee that Taunt will survive long enough for our business on Taris to complete. That said, spending some more time with her current owners would make being my slave seem all the more enticing. As Vette said, I'm the best of a bad lot.
Considering my options, I take the moment of peace to delve into the Celestial Holocron once more with the points I got this morning. I feel like I'm going to need all the help I can get.
[Sacred Gem] - 100cp, 0cp remaining.
A brilliant gemstone of perfect cut, laid into your body as if to become a natural part of you. While a gorgeous ornament by itself, it has significant powers of protection enchanted into it. When fighting against demons or humans, you'll find that their blows are dulled and left with only half their normal power. The presence of the gem in battle can even cause such opponents to become nervous, seeing your battle presence as much larger than it would normally be. Outside of battle, the power that circulates into your body from the stone prevents you from requiring food, drink or rest as normal men do. The gem provides for these needs, helping to craft your body into a perfect form that produces no waste and requires no sustenance.
I wince as the golden jewel appears, embedded into my chest, but after a moment, I relax despite the large gemstone currently in my flesh. I had hoped for something more subtle, but I can't deny that it is very useful.
Going over the files prepared by Mara, I get back to work. Darth Lachris could be a problem, or she could be a powerful ally if I play my cards right. Any apprentice of Darth Marr is worth being allies with.
— Quest Section — VOTING CONCLUDED
Should Sarik give Mara some Veritaserum to send to Imperial Intelligence?
Yes
No
Should Sarik confront Mara on the bond?
Yes
No
Should Sarik take a detour to Balmorra before going to Taris or wait until afterwards?
Yes, grab Taunt first.
No, wait.
Author's Note: Engineers are scary when you actually look into their lore.
I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow, and I don't believe I'll have time to get another chapter done before I set off, so this might be the last chapter for a week or so.
Written: 19/10/2024
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The Advance Chapters
Diamond: The Unbound Ch03, The Warlord Ch16, The High Roller Ch08, The Celestial Professor Ch05, The Celestial Escalation Ch03
Plat: The Sorcerer's Legacy Ch10, The Unbound Ch02, The Unbound Ch01, The Occult Ch09, The Blessed Ch08
Gold: The Warlord Ch15, The Celestial Escalation Ch02, The Tamer Ch15
Basic: The Celestial Escalation Ch01, The Vampire Ch12
Quest: The Celestial Inquisitor Ch07-11
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