Jedi Huntress: Veil of Darkness Chapter 38: Maku's Revenant Scars, a Star Wars + RWBY Crossover fanfic

Chapter 38

There was a skirmish in Mantle while most of the Jedi Masters, the Fourth Fleet, and the Mandalorians were away. Mace Windu and Ruby Rose were able to defeat a Sith who was once a candidate for Salem's inner council. Worrying reports have started popping up from the criminal underworld, and Ironwood has sent in a team to deal with it.

Rosa walked into the Casino like she owned the place, Arslan attached to her side. Just like she was taught to do. They both were dressed for a night on the town, and meant to bring attention away from the cards, to her. The Casino was one of the high-end ones called the Malachite Crown. It also was one of the first adopters of the card games from the galaxy at large. Sabacc and Pazaak the two biggest ones, but they had almost every game in here. Probably the reason for all the new clientele, the alien population of Atlas, enjoying this Casino. Rosa quickly spotted Neo who went on ahead. Neo should have already started planting the bugs and was moving on to looking out for other, lesser targets. Arslan was playing the role of the dotting lover. Rosa bought some chips, about seven hundred fifty Lien worth, before going over to her first Sabacc table.

Sabacc was her game of choice. She was good at it. Really good at it. Maku made her be good at it. He made her be good at almost every game known out there. She trusted her skills in every game. She knew she couldn't win too much in a row. That was how you got kicked out for card counting, or having the force. With the rise of the Jedi, she noticed that Casinos were starting to look out for those with force sensitivity. They got testers ready to do blood checks. She may not have gone to Casinos much now, but she had to keep a pulse on them.

She picked up her cards, and Arslan, playing her role perfectly, leaned on her shoulder. Rosa was glad she had Arslan here. Not only did she attract less attention than her teammates, she felt more comfortable basically going on a date with her than any of her teammates. Her only choice of teammate she could have gone with was Blake. But even then, Blake was still somewhat known. The Vytal festival was only a few months ago at this point, and Yang was still a rising star. The fact Yang helped save multiple cities after that only made her fame rise.

"Stay focused. I'm going to get us drinks." Arslan said. Put her hand on Arslan's arm as she stepped away. She looked at her opponents. Two women and four men. One of them was a lucky bastard and stayed in twice because of a lucky shift. But it made him arrogant. The dealer was a droid. It was one created here but based on the many different kinds of protocol droids. They were programmed to have every rule automatically followed and be impartial judges in any argument. They were programmed with the native languages used by every sentient alien species that could now be found on Remnant.

The new round started and Rosa got her cards. She was sitting at a positive twelve. She hit and got a new card. It was a nine. Positive twenty-one. Not great. She would wait for the first shift. She used the force to check on the others at the table. She sensed their emotions. She got the obvious from LB, but the woman across from her had a strong poker face. It helped since she felt she had a terrible hand. PF was her new designation. One of the more surprising things was that there were two aliens at the table. One was a Pantoran, while the other was a Mirialan. So Blue and Green. Both were men. Another woman was too laid back after another glass of whatever spirit she was drinking. Wasted was her new name. She looked over at the one who seemed to know the game. A surprise to see someone from here who was so good. Ace? Jack? One of the two.

Arslan came back. She had two glasses. Arslan retook her seat. Rosa took a sip and loved the taste of him. Rosa was worried for a second that there was alcohol in it, but she didn't taste any. Arslan leaned in again.

"Yang like's this one. Sunshine surprise or something." Arslan said. She was glad she did that. Everything would build up this character they were developing. They talked about things they would do for winning, losing, and for creating their characters. Rosa was the high-stakes gambler who won more often than not. It showed she had skill but didn't cheat. She was the kind of person the Casino wanted a few of. It would bring in more desperate people.

She had already doubled her initial buy-in. She was doing good. Arslan was watching around, and giving any information she thought was useful to Rosa. She gave a peck on her check every so often while doing it. They needed to keep up appearances.

LB hit the unlucky streak. Rosa wasn't complaining at all, and neither was anyone at the table taking his money. Blue even whispered some taunt under his breath.

"NO! You rigged this against me!" LB shouted at the droid dealer.

"Idiot." Arslan whispered. Rosa turned to her.

"Guars will come soon. LB is gone." Rosa said.

"LB?" Arslan asked.

"It's a good idea to name others." Rosa gave Arslan a quick peck on the cheek as well. Arslan quickly shot her eyes over at Rosa.

"We're being watched now because of LB. PF is getting uncomfortable but she's hiding it." Rosa said.

"PF? Do they all have names like that?" Arslan asked.

"No. Blue and Green should be obvious. So should wasted. Last one's Ace. He knows what he's doing." Rosa said.

"I see." Arslan said.

"You lost. Get the hell out of here so we can continue." Blue said.

"You goddamn alien freaks didn't…" LB said. One of the guards finally arrived.

"We're going to have to ask you to leave." He said. The guard had a Mandalorian tattoo on his face. It was a challenge as much as a warning.

"Fuck this." LB said. One of the Casino hosts came by the table to apologize to Blue and Green. The attitudes of the old money class had gone out of vogue recently. But that just meant they tried to hide it more. It was hard to fit in when so many non-humans had recently arrived. Especially when they brought with them advanced civilization that made Mantle better than Atlas was before they arrived. They brought with them new food, culture, language, art. There were tens of thousands, maybe even over one hundred thousand non-human non-Faunus on Remnant now. Not a lot, but enough that there could be large communities of the alien species across the world. And that scared some humans.

Blake understood.

They got back to their game.

Rosa had won the big pot. She left the table after that. She had made a healthy profit on her original investment. Arslan was next to her as they walked.

"I haven't seen Gold yet." Arslan said.

"We may have to come back a few more nights. Let's go to the restaurant. I'll pay." Rosa said.

"Can you use chips to pay?" Arslan asked.

"We could, but we also have the winnings card." Rosa said. Rosa spotted someone at the Pazaak table. She felt like she recognized him. She felt like she should. It wasn't until she looked around and saw Rouge that she realized that was Karel Allusis. He must have been undercover since he had a full beard and long hair. He was doing really well at the game. Where was Bora?

Neo found them in the restaurant. She slid next to them before the waiter got there.

"You played well." Neo signed. Rosa looked at Arslan.

"I'm still learning sign language." Rosa said. Neo gave her a look.

"Excuse me. How many languages do you speak?" Rosa said. Neo flipped Rosa off.

"Sorry, understand. Because I know about a lot of them. Do either of you know Sy Bisti? What about Huttese? Or Bothese? I can keep going." Rosa said.

"How many of those have you even heard here?" Arslan asked.

"None, but that's not the point. I know a ton of languages. So excuse me if I need some time to learn another one." Rosa said.

"Wait… if you know other languages, why don't you curse in them?" Arslan asked.

"Because when I say Fuck, I want people to understand." Rosa said.

Karel had yet to see Golden Saint Wolke and he was beginning to wonder if this night was a bust. Just like this hand he got.

"Looks like I won this round." His opponent said.

"We still got the final round. Those chips are as good as mine." Karel said. Bora sat next to him, doing her best to not look like a Mandalorian, but as just an ex-bodyguard type. It made people make assumptions about her and think she's dumb muscle who got herself a rich man on one of her missions. Bora played with the beard hair on his chin. It may have looked like a loving gesture, but Karel knew that Bora was telling him to get rid of it as soon as possible. The hard pulls proved that point. He let out a chuckle and leaned in for a kiss. She didn't fight it, but he knew she still wanted him to take it off.

"It's coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere." She told him when she kissed him the first time after growing the beard. He was glad he could grow hair quickly when needed. But he wanted to keep Bora happy.

Rouge was on the lookout and appeared to be a hired huntress to protect Karel. That allowed both of them to be near him. Karel won the pot after winning the final round, having to use all of his cards. He had twenty and he had nineteen. The man across from him let out a laugh.

"That was a magnificent move." He said.

"Thank you for saying so. It almost makes me feel bad about taking all your chips. Almost." Karel said.

"Just try to be a good sport later on when you hit your losing streak." He said. He got up. Just when he was about to give up and leave, he saw the target walk into the Casino. Wolke had four Mandalorian bodyguards with him, and a few other more hidden guards. They didn't have a lot to work with here. But if he could get even something so small as a handshake from him, he could get everything he needed. Karel Allusis had a powerful psychometry ability. Part of the reason he often was sent on these assignments. But getting to him would be the hard part. Karel felt Rosa and the others leave the restaurant. He wanted to tell them that their target was here, but he couldn't. He could only send them feelings.

Golden Saint Wolke liked some games more than others. Karel wondered if he had them rigged in his favor. From what he learned of Wolke, he seems the kind of man who would do something like that. But that would only happen if he owned the Casino.

He knew that Wolke had an ego. But he also had a gambler's spirit. He would recognize good players. He hated lucky players. He was just as sharp sober as drunk. It was part of his semblance to have his mind stay clear when he needed it.

That bit of information was hard to get. And that was little more than a speculation. Winter was good at getting intel, but she just didn't have the right people to get into the underworld. That was his job. He was the one who was in charge of getting the best information.

So he planned to work his magic. He hoped that Wolke would join him at one of the tables. He moved from Pazaak to Sabacc. Karel sat across from Rosa who had just got back. She noticed the target.

The pot was recently emptied so a new game started. Wolke couldn't help himself.

"Is this seat free?" Wolke asked. His voice was gentlemanly and filled with an almost aristocrat voice. Karel heard Winter use that voice, always mocking people.

"The seat is free. There is a slight buy-in now." The droid dealer said.

"That's alright with me." Wolke forked over the buy-in without a second though. All the buy-ins were added to the pot in the center to get things moving. Wolke had slick back brown hair, with some grey peppering in. He had a full beard trimmed well. He wore expensive clothing.

"You sure you can win?" Karel asked. Testing the water.

"I'm sure I can't lose. But perhaps I'll be proven wrong." Wolke said.

Rosa couldn't believe that Karel and her target were here with her. All she felt was stress. This wasn't how it should have been going. They should have danced around each other, getting interested in each other's winnings. Perhaps a bad game or two where they lost a lot, showing that she didn't have extra information, even though she did.

Where was the lusting after their money? Where was the eye fucking of their money that got the other interested? Where was the testing of each other before they finally decided to come face to face in a duel of the cards? How did they just skip all the foreplay?

What… Dammit why was she thinking in those terms? She remembered Maku saying that when she was a child. Did… did he really make sex jokes around her when she was eleven? He was so fucked up.

They had a few other players at the table. She ignored them. She had the target in front of her. He was a professional. He didn't ever look over at her to steal a glance… even though her dress did show off a little. It was by design. A simple way to distract. But he wasn't falling for it.

What chatter did happen wasn't important. Wolke introduced himself to those at the table. They introduced themselves. He talked a lot while playing.

He was distracting the others. No one told him to shut up. His four bodyguards were still nearby. Rosa turned to Arslan and whispered in her ear.

"We may be here a while. If you need a drink can you get me one?" Rosa asked. The guard didn't like that. Wolke put up his hand and turned to Rosa.

"Go on, I won't stop her from getting a drink." Wolke said. He shot Rosa a smirk and returned to her cards.

Shit.

He could read lips. Even when they were close like that. She had to do better. She was glad it was something so small. Arslan caught on as well. So did Karel. If they spoke, Wolke would know it. He was a more dangerous opponent than they thought he was. She didn't know yet if he was the kind of person who sold information to the Sith, but she was seeing why he would now.

"Your move." Wolke reminded Rosa. She went back to her cards.

He was good. He was very good. Rosa had lost three hands in a row. She wondered if he was cheating, but that was one of the worst things you can accuse someone of without evidence.

He gave her a knowing smile.

"You can't always be the winner." Wolfe said. Rosa took a sip of her drink. If this kept up, she'd have no choice but to leave for the night. Karel smirked at Wolfe.

"I hope you can take your own words to heart." Karel said. He got an idiot's array. Wolfe looked up and smirked.

"Good one." Wolfe said.

"We can leave before we lose everything." Arslan whispered.

"It might be best if you do." Wolfe said. "You've been struggling."

Was she just not enough for this? She had a limit. Karel won the big pot with that move. Rosa looked at Karel. He barely moved his head. But she caught onto the movement. He was saying it would be okay if they left right now. There was no way they were getting him tonight.

"Well… I guess I should quit while I still have winnings." Rosa said. Wolke smirked at her. She extended her hand.

"You're quite good at this." Rosa said. He shook her hand. The guards didn't move. That surprised her.

"You could use some more practice." Wolke said.

"Failure. Of course you failed."

That pissed her off. Neo was walking out of the Casino. They were going to have to come back.

Rosa got her winnings and left the casino. After they were some distance away, Rosa used the force to crush an innocent garbage can.

"I knew you'd learned nothing from me."

"The fucker." Rosa said. "I know how to play. I've been playing since I was ten. Who the fuck does he think he is?"

"Rosa, calm down." Arslan said. Rosa was trying to figure out how he could be cheating. She knew there had to be something. But it didn't explain how Karel beat him and got an idiot's array. She knew Sabacc like the back of her hand and she somehow lost.

Arslan closed her eyes and placed her hand on Rosa's face. Her hand was freezing cold.

"What the hell?" Rosa asked.

"You need to calm down. This anger isn't helping you." Arslan said.

"How did you do that?" Rosa asked.

"I just froze the air around my hand with the force." Arslan explained.

"You can do that?" Rosa asked.

"Yes." Arslan said. "I learned it after analyzing Yang's pyrokinesis."

"What?" Rosa asked.

"Yes, it's the same idea. My master did help me refine the ability so I didn't… flash freeze people." Arslan said. "Or myself."

"Sorry for freaking out like that." Rosa said. "I don't understand it. How did he beat me like that? He was playing with me."

"Do you think he cheated?" Arslan asked.

"Probably. But he immediately lost with Karel's idiot's array. If he cheated, it was only against me." Rosa said.

"Could it have been the seat you were in?" Arslan asked. Rosa turned around to Arslan.

"What do you mean?" Rosa asked.

"I mean, do you think the seat was rigged to be unlucky." Arslan said.

"That is an interesting idea… and it would help my ego." Rosa said.

"We're not trying to save your ego." Arslan said.

"I know." Rosa said.

"Are you feeling better now?" Arslan asked. Rosa let out a sigh.

"Yeah. Thanks." Rosa said.

"We'll have to wait to hear back from Karel. Do you think you can handle not crushing any more trash cans for that long?" Arslan asked. Rosa just nodded her head.

"Good." Arslan said.

They were walking to air taxi. Rosa saw Arslan walking ahead of her. She slowed down a bit.

"Did you feel that same unease when you killed me?"

Rosa ignored it. She's been ignoring it for long enough. There was no need to bring up old wounds.

"Rosa? Why'd you slow down?" Arslan asked. That snapped Rosa out of it.

"Sorry." Rosa said. "Just… thought I saw something interesting. It was just my mind playing a trick on me."

"Are you okay?" Arslan asked.

"I'm fine." Rosa said.

"Alright." Arslan said.

"Liar."

They flew back to Atlas. The taxi was driven by a droid, and a privacy wall came down. The pair of clothing that Arslan and Rosa handed over before the mission. They started changing in the taxi. There was something that could be pulled down for them, but Rosa didn't go for it.

"I hope Neo planted all the bugs." Rosa said.

"I think she did." Arslan said, almost elbowing Rosa in the face. "Sorry."

"You're fine." Rosa said. She was happy to be out of that dress. She but her clothes on quickly. They were back to normal by the time they got to Atlas.

Rosa and Arslan reported to Ironwood. It was almost time for him to retire for the night.

"I heard what happened. Neo's bugs are good. Karel is still there. But he's about to leave for the night. His earnings had started to vanish. Wolke is good. Unnaturally good. Could he be force sensitive?" Ironwood asked.

"Sir, we felt nothing." Rosa said.

"That means he's just more dangerous." Ironwood said.

"You can't handle this. You'll mess everything up."

"We'll just have to wait for Karel's report then." Arslan said. "He shook Rosa's hand when she left. The chances are high that he will do the same with Karel."

"We are hoping." Ironwood said.

Rosa stood up, and felt a headache coming on. She grabbed her head.

"Are you alright Rosa?" Ironwood asked.

"Yes. Just a headache. I should probably drink some more water." Rosa said.

"Yes. That would be a good idea." Ironwood said.

They left the room. Arslan turned to Rosa. Rosa had noticed her focus was starting to fade. She needed sleep.

"Rosa. Are you sure you're okay?" Arslan asked.

"I'm good. You don't need to worry." Rosa said.

"Alright… don't push yourself too hard." Arslan walked away.

"Can you not help yourself? Why do you lie so much? To everyone?"

Rosa went back to her dorm. She had to ignore the voice. She'd been ignoring it since it started. She was a strong woman. She could handle something like that.

"You aren't strong."

Rosa was trying to ignore it. She was trying.

"You are pathetic."

She was trying. She was trying to ignore his voice. He was dead.

She killed him.

He can't hurt her anymore.

"I created you. I know you. I know that you are faking this change of heart for your friends. When do you think they will realize you are a fraud?"

"Shut up." Rosa said.

"Finally acknowledging me."

"No." Rosa said. "I killed you."

Rosa was walking to her room. She had to get there before anyone could see her. She had to make it. She had to make it.

"They are all waiting for you to crack."

"Shut up… Maku." Rosa said.

She made it to her room. She thrust open the door and took a deep breath. Maku was dead. She killed him. There was no way she was hearing his voice now. She didn't hear voices. She didn't lose card games. She didn't lose her cool on a trash can.

"One failure after another."

Rosa put Maku's lightsaber on the bookcase in the room. She could feel the link with Maku fade as she did so. She wasn't hearing him. Maybe she just needed to take some time to herself away from that lightsaber.

She didn't dream. She woke up and saw Oscar sleeping. He must have come in later. She wanted to bake a cake. She wasn't going to do it in here and wake Oscar up. She got up and went to one of the lounge rooms that had a kitchen in it. She thought about the kind of cake she was wanting to bake.

She wanted chocolate as the base. She was in the mood for chocolate, which always made her feel better after a bad day. She checked the ingredients that the were provided for baking. The shelves were filled with ingredients.

She brought everything down and looked at what she had. She was going to make a frosting from scratch. She gathered all the appliances she would use and everything else she needed for the cake.

Rosa needed one thing to make her favorite cake. She wanted a chocolate Lum cake but there wasn't any Lum around. It was a very strong ale. She could use Ale or she could use other Liquors. But she didn't have any. She brought out her scroll and pulled up Neo's info. She texted Neo.

"I have a favor to ask. I need a strong Ale or refined Liquor. It's for a cake." Rosa sent.

"Understand. Be there soon." Neo sent back. And she was. In less than five minutes, with a strong ale. She opened the bottle and smelled it. She felt it burning her nostrils like Lum does.

"I really shouldn't be surprised you had this on standby." Rosa said. Neo watched as Rosa started mixing everything. She mixed the Ale into the cake batter to give it a richer taste. She was so excited to get a taste of the cake. She hadn't had any in years at this point and they always put her in a good mood.

She got everything in the over when Jaune found his way into the lounge. He heard the commotion of Rosa washing everything.

"Good morning." Jaune said. "Any reason you're here instead of getting breakfast?"

"I'm making cake." Rosa said.

"Oh." Jaune said. "Should we bring you breakfast so you can focus?"

"We?" Pyrrha's with you?" Rosa asked.

"She's at the cafeteria. We can bring you something. In exchange for some of the cake." Jaune said with a smirk.

"That's a tempting offer. But what if I don't want to share?" Rosa said.

"That's not you. We'll be back soon." Jaune said.

Neo looked at Rosa. She knew she and Jaune were good friends. She found out that Jaune was basically her first male friend. But she also knew they never saw each other as anything except friends. Rosa was happy to be doing this. Neo never could imagine herself baking.

"I learned this when I was doing undercover work with the gangsters, spice runners, and lowlifes of the galaxy. Maku made me learn, but I love this. I can make something wonderful from basically nothing. Things make sense." Rosa said. Neo was listening.

She had some idea of Rosa's run ins with the underworld in the galaxy at large, but she thought that was just regular Jedi shit. Going in and stopping multi million Lien trade deals, being exactly where they weren't wanted.

"Maku took me to the worst places the galaxy had to offer. Drug houses, strip clubs, brothels, you name it. I've seen some shit. But baking helps me. It helps me work through stuff like that. I know you didn't ask, but you were wondering." Rosa said.

Neo had to learn more about Rosa's history. She wanted to know if she swears so much because she was around those places.

Jaune and Pyrrha came back with a tray of food for both her and Neo.

"We didn't forget you." Jaune said. Neo was touched by that. Though she didn't want to show it. Only an idiot would show that.

Rosa chatted with Jaune and Pyrrha. Jaune was a translator for Neo as she started using sign language. Eventually, the cake was ready. It took a bit more time to cool the cake, but they had it in the end.

Rosa got herself the first slice. She was so excited to taste this piece of her childhood. She bit into it. She tasted the slight difference, but it was close enough. Memories flooded back into her mind of her eating this after bad days.

"This is my favorite cake ever. Whenever I had just a terrible day these would cheer me up." Rosa said. She bit into the cake, and memories flooded back in her mind. She almost melted. She smiled as she took the bite.

"Looks good." Jaune said. Rosa shook her head. She had just started cutting more slices when General Ironwood walked into the lounge. He looked at Rosa smiling, and those in the lounge getting ready to eat some cake.

"Are you eating cake?" Ironwood asked. Rosa and the others just noticed him.

"It's just the best cake in the galaxy." Rosa said. She handed Ironwood a slice. He smelled the Alcohol first.

"Why do I smell Ale?" Ironwood asked.

"That's a strong nose. This is the Remnant version of a Lum cake. We don't have Corellian Lum so I replaced it with Ale." Rosa said. Jaune and Pyrrha stopped before they took their first bite. Neo knew why they stopped but she didn't care. She ate her piece just fine.

"There's ale in here?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes. I just said that. But since alcohol bakes out…" Rosa started.

"Not all of it." Ironwood interrupted. Rosa stopped.

"What?" Rosa asked.

"Especially depending on when you put it in." Jaune said.

"I put it in with the batter." Rosa said.

"I've been eating this stuff since I was a kid. There can't be any alcohol in it. Maku said there wasn't." Rosa said. But then… Maku had lied about everything.

"Rosa… This has alcohol in it." Pyrrha said.

Rosa looked at the cake. She had loved this cake for years. She had this cake to comfort her. She had eaten this cake so many times. Maku had let her have this kind of cake so many times. She cherished those memories. They were the few she had where it didn't feel like he was trying to hurt Rosa... but he was. Even just a little.

"Take the rest, General Ironwood." Rosa said. She left the lounge. She couldn't be near that. Not another thing that Maku had ruined for her. Not something she loved. She couldn't be reminded how Maku kept ruining her life.

"Rosa, what's wrong?" Jaune got up.

"It's okay that you had a slice." Pyrrha said. They started after her. Ironwood looked at the cake and saw Rosa's demeanor change after she learned the truth. He looked at Neo. She hadn't thought that would be her reaction.

"Why'd she do that?" She signed.

"I don't know." Ironwood grabbed the cake and decided to take a visit to the Jedi Masters. Something was odd about how she left the room. He picked up on Maku telling her to eat the cake. This had to do with Maku somehow.

"Rosa. What's wrong?" Jaune asked. Rosa didn't stop. She couldn't lose another thing to him. She had already lost too much to Maku.

"Rosa, please." Pyrrha said. Rosa stopped. She heard her heart pounding heavy against her chest.

"You keep pushing them away. They're going to get tired of chasing you." Maku said.

"Sorry guys." Rosa said. She didn't even realize that she activated her semblance. She put on an angry mask of her face. "I spent so long on that cake just to learn that at the end. It pissed me off."

Pyrrha took a breath.

"Rosa, you shouldn't run off like that." Pyrrha said. Jaune just looked at her. He was examining her closely.

"Are you sure that's all?" Jaune asked.

"Yes, I'm sure." Rosa said.

"Lying right to their faces." Maku said.

Jaune looked at Rosa again. He started to bring his hand up, but stopped.

"Okay." Jaune said.

Rosa noticed. She realized she had activated her semblance. When Jaune and Pyrrha turned around, she took off the mask. She was starting to breathe heavily. She used it on them. She doesn't do that to her friends!

"What a friend you are." Maku said.

Ironwood stood before the masters. He placed the cake down in front of them. They looked confused. Kit was first to grab a piece.

"Ale?" Kit asked. He took a bite, and it tasted like a Lum cake. "Did Rosa make this?"

"She did. She didn't know that the alcohol didn't leave the cake. She said Maku had been giving her these cakes since she was little." Ironwood said.

That caught the masters attention.

"She had been with Maku in the underworld during most of her time as a padawan. Why was a Jedi Master taking a young girl into places like that, let alone letting her consume food and drink with alcohol?" Ironwood said.

"Maku often operated in dangerous regions. He specialized in infiltrating criminal networks to dismantle them from within." Plo Koon explained. Ironwood didn't like that answer.

"But letting a Padawan, no, a child, regularly eat something with alcohol in it? That's child endangerment and abuse here in Atlas. Did any of you know he was doing that?" Ironwood asked.

"We knew he was training Rosa in harsh conditions, but I don't think any of us suspected this. We have a level of expectation with Jedi masters." Kit said. "Maku had failed everyone. Especially her." Kit said. Kit Fisto's usual easygoing nature faded into something more serious.

"Maku seems to have whitewashed most of Rosa's training. We had learned most of what happened to her only recently. From her recovering memories." Shaak Ti said.

"Maku's methods were extreme. He raised Rosa in a way that pushed her dangerously close to the dark side." Mace said. "But I don't believe he had her drinking outright. More likely, he either didn't realize how much alcohol remained in her food or didn't think it was worth warning her about."

"That's still child endangerment." Ironwood said.

"This only further proves how unorthodox and reckless his training was. Rosa is strong because of what she endured, but she should never have had to endure it in the first place." Shaak Ti said.

"Well, now she knows. And she didn't take it well." Ironwood said.

"She wouldn't. It's another piece of her past revealing itself in a way she wasn't prepared for. And considering how much she's already had to unravel about Maku's lies…" Mace said.

Rosa needed to talk to someone. She couldn't go to her friends. She already has worried them more than enough.

"That's right, run from your friends." Maku said.

So she needed to go to someone she trusted. There were two Jedi Masters she trusted with her thoughts. Shaak Ti and Quinlan Vos. But she couldn't go to Vos right now. He was working. She decided to wait for him. She decided to do some training. Maku's lightsaber was hitting against the side of her leg, reminding her that it was there.

"Pathetic."

Shaak Ti was in her room looking at all the records Maku had sent in. When she said he whitewashed them, he made them so clean it was hard to figure out where to even start. Rosa wouldn't be entirely helpful either since she still had many of her memories lost. There was nothing on what Rosa had to suffer through. The only times anything like that was mentioned was when it got out. The near molestation and kidnapping of Rosa at the start of the war was one of the few things Maku was able to report, but that wasn't clear. This time because of Rosa.

Shaak Ti had gone through everything and tried to figure out what he had hidden. Maku had hidden his sins well. Every official document was pristine, every mission report clinical and devoid of the suffering Rosa had endured. The man had been methodical in his deceptions.

Shaak Ti wished she knew more because the gaps in their knowledge were massive. It should have caused a number of red flags but with the war, the Jedi had gotten too lax on this.

And then there was the cake. A seemingly innocent thing, yet a painful reminder of how insidiously Maku had shaped Rosa's life. Even the smallest details, what she ate, where she went, what she believed to be normal, had been touched by his influence. She wondered how they could have been so blind.

Shaak Ti sighed, pushing the datapad away. She had failed Rosa before, and it gnawed at her still. She could have done better. She wondered sometimes why she was sent to Kamino when there were Jedi better suited for the job. Luminara would have been amazing. But because she was sent to Kamino, she was away from Rosa for long stretches of time. She had been there for her after... that event on her first mission in the Clone Wars, offering comfort in a way no one else could. And yet, she had not seen Maku for what he truly was.

Shaak Ti decided it was time to go talk to Rosa. She had to see if there was anything she could do to help her.

Rosa was in one of the private training rooms, practicing with her lightsabers when Shaak Ti arrived. She was precise, fluid –her red and green blades moving in perfect harmony. But there was a tension in her movements, a flicker of frustration beneath the surface. She was trying to force something out of her mind.

"You're pushing yourself hard." Shaak Ti said. She saw sweat flick off Rosa's face.

"Yeah, well. Keeps me from thinking too much." Rosa said. She really didn't want to talk to Shaak Ti. She understood why but she also knew that pushing back like this wasn't healthy either.

"Are you here to give me a damn lecture?" Rosa asked.

"No. I just wanted to check in on you." Shaak Ti said.

"Fucking first time for everything." Rosa mumbled. That hurt. Shaak Ti didn't know where this anger was coming from. Was it Maku's blade that she was using? Shaak Ti took a step forward and folded her arms. She could feel regret from Rosa… and something else. It was like she heard something, but it was just a whisper.

"You've been through a lot, Rosa. And today was a harsh reminder that Maku's influence still lingers in ways we didn't even realize." Shaak Ti said. Rosa gripped her lightsabers harder. Shaak Ti could hear her breathing change. There was anger in that breathing.

"I wanted to apologize." Shaak Ti said. Rosa stopped. She turned off her lightsabers and turned around.

"For what?" Rosa asked.

"For not stopping it, for not seeing what Maku was doing to you. For not being there when I should have been." Shaak Ti said. Rosa looked at her and turned away. Shaak Ti could feel the frustration coming off Rosa.

"You were there. You were the only other Master on the council who gave a shit about me. That mission, you were the one who helped me through it. If it wasn't for you…" Rosa let out a sigh. "Look, you don't need to apologize. Maku fooled everyone. Even me. Even himself, probably. It wasn't right for me to take any anger out on you."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I wish I could have done more." Shaak Ti said. Rosa ran her hand through her sweat-covered hair.

"Yeah. Well. Me too." Rosa said. Shaak Ti could hear the bitterness in her voice. She understood.

"Are there still gaps in your memory?" Shaak Ti asked.

"A hell of a lot of them. I got a lot back, but some things just... aren't there. Maybe they never will be." Rosa said. "I wonder if Maku's special ability allowed him to lock my memories further down than even he knew. It's been forever since I last got a new memory, but it was terrible. Horrible shit."

"If you ever want to talk about any of it, I'm here." Shaak Ti said. She could see Rosa bite back a remark. She's still hurt. Shaak Ti would be able to take any amount of hurt Rosa could give, but she just didn't give. Shaak Ti put her hand on Rosa's shoulder.

"You are not alone in this, Rosa. You never were." Shaak Ti said. She felt Rosa try to relax at her touch.

Shaak Ti started to leave when she heard Rosa sigh.

"Wait… can… can I talk to you later today? Like after I get cleaned up?" Rosa asked.

"Yes. You know where my room is?" Shaak Ti asked.

"Yes." Rosa said.

It was an hour and a half later when Rosa knocked on Shaak Ti's door. She stepped in and felt this feeling of calm wash over her. Shaak Ti's room just gave off that aura. It felt at peace. It felt calm. It felt the opposite of what Maku felt like.

"Welcome Rosa. Would you like tea?" Shaak Ti asked.

"Actually, yes." Rosa said. She wasn't the biggest Tea fan in the galaxy, but she needed something to drink. Shaak Ti poured her a glass. Rosa sat across from her, not even knowing where to start.

"You can't even solve a single issue by yourself." Maku said.

No, she knew exactly where to start.

"I started thinking about all the things I do... and how many of them are because of him." Rosa said.

"Everything you do is because of me." Maku said.

"You know I love baking, right? Maku made me learn. Said that in the criminal underworld, women weren't taken seriously unless they could 'fit in'… so he had me baking with the wives and girlfriends of syndicate leaders while he did business. I don't even know if he believed that or if he was just playing into their sexism to make me more valuable as an asset." Rosa said.

"And do you enjoy it? Despite the circumstances?" Shaak Ti asked.

"Yeah. I love it. It makes me have to slow down and relax. It makes me measure things out to the right amount so I focus on that. And I love the smells that come from the oven. And the feeling of making something good… I adore that." Rosa said. "But... would I have even started if not for him?"

"You might have…" Shaak Ti started.

"But probably not. And what about gambling? I love that. The risk and reward are amazing. I use it to connect with the others. But I only got that way because Maku had me playing sabacc with smugglers when I was nine. Had to be good, or I was going to lose everything." Rosa said.

"He conditioned you to survive in his world." Shaak Ti said.

"There's more. You know I don't like dancing… that's because of the dances I learned. They were… degrading. He made me do that too. Said that I needed to know how to 'play a role' if I was ever undercover. I used to think it was just another skill, but now? Now I can't tell if that was just another way to make me controllable." Rosa said.

"Rosa…" Shaak Ti was about to reach out to her. She could see that Rosa wasn't really talking to her. Not right now. She was just saying everything that came to her mind.

"And the swearing? That's all him. He surrounded me with criminals. You talk like they do, or they don't take you seriously. It became a habit… one I never broke." Rosa let out a humorless smile and had a look in her eyes. "Hell, even my fighting style is because of him. He trained me before I ever set eyes on the Sith, and you know what I learned later? He deliberately trained me wrong so he could kill me."

Shaak Ti had heard that from the others. But hearing it from Rosa directly, hearing the emotion behind it, stopped Shaak Ti in her tracks.

"After I fell… I took his lightsaber and bled it red. He trained me, shaped me, and I was too blind to see it. He turned me into something he could control, and even now… even now… there are parts of me that only exist because of him. I don't even know who the fuck I am supposed to be. Who am I? Who am I supposed to be Shaak Ti? Tell me! Because of that bastard I have no idea. How do I separate what's me from what was him?" Rosa asked. She was struggling to keep calm. The hurt came pouring out of her words. She had lost everything that was important to her because of him. Maku was a cruel, cruel man.

"We are all shaped by our pasts, Rosa. But we are not defined by them. You love baking, even if that love started under his orders. You enjoy gambling, not because he made you, but because you found joy in it with your friends. You fight as you do not because he trained you that way, but because you chose to adapt, to grow, to become stronger than what he left you as. He was a cruel man. But you have grown far passed where he left you." Shaak Ti said.

Rosa started to breath heavily. She was holding back from letting everything out.

"You are whoever you choose to be from here on out. You are NOT defined by your past. You are NOT his creation. You are you, Rosa. You have proven the strength of your character. You are one of very few who have looked the darkness in the face, who had once embraced it, and willingly left. The girl Maku made could never have made that decision. The girl Maku made never would have made so many wonderful friends." Shaak Ti said. Rosa wasn't able to hold it back anymore. Shaak Ti watched tears start to fall.

"You are Rosa Reidan. And you get to decide what that means." Shaak Ti said. Rosa wiped away the tears and stood up.

"Thank you for listening." Rosa said.

"I will always be here to listen." Shaak Ti said.

Rosa left Shaak Ti's room.

"Crying?" Maku's voice rang out.

Rosa started her way back to her room.

"How pathetic can you be? You are crying over what? Stop embarrassing yourself. You can't handle some words. I knew you were pathetic but this is a new low."

Rosa had to ignore it. She wasn't his anymore.

"Yes you are."

She wasn't defined by what he did to her. She had the chance to become what she really wanted to be. She didn't have to be haunted by Maku.

"You are crazy. Everyone here just puts up with you. When will you see that?" Maku said.

Quinlan Vos found Rosa in one of the training rooms. He could tell there was something going on with her. Almost like a dark cloud that has surrounded her. She wasn't even practicing.

She was just pacing back and forth. She was at war with herself. Anyone could see that. He had a good idea what it was about.

"Rosa." Quinlan Vos said. Rosa turned around to see him. He stood there just looking at her.

"Master Vos." Rosa said. She was trying to be polite. But he knew that it wasn't going to work like this. She was off-balance and struggling to keep herself together.

"Do you need someone to listen to you?" Quinlan asked. Rosa just looked at him. She tried to hide her emotions, but she just shook her head. Quinlan sat down cross-legged and listened to Rosa. She just started ranting about Maku. Quinlan was right that this was once again because of him.

"All this time I thought I knew how bad it was. I thought I had finally put the pieces together, that I understood what he did to me. But every time I think I have a handle on it, every time I think I've finally fucking worked through it, I find another piece of his corruption stuck in me like a damn thorn." Rosa said.

Rosa started pacing back and forth. Quinlan said nothing. Her breathing changed. She grabbed at her head and ran her hands through her hair. She was still frustrated. Still angry. She saw something on the ground. She didn't care what it was. She whirled around and grabbed a training remote. She felt anger fill her and she threw it. It slammed against a wall. Quinlan said nothing.

"That fucking cake. I've been eating it for years, thinking it was just a treat, something I liked. And the whole time? It was just another thing he let happen, another way he controlled me. He took me into the underworld when I was what, eight? Let me drink, let me gamble, let me become exactly what he wanted. And for what?" Rosa's voice was getting hoarse. She just wanted to scream.

Quinlan said nothing.

She grabbed another training remote and threw it. It slammed against the wall and broke. She wasn't done. She threw more. One cracked against the floor, another hit the wall, a third bounced off a crate and skittered to a stop near Quinlan's feet.

Quinlan said nothing.

"He did it for revenge. Did you know? Did any of you know that?" Rosa asked.

"Know what?" Quinlan asked.

"That he blamed me. That I was just a scapegoat for him." Rosa said. She ran a hand through her hair, gripping the strands tightly.

Quinlan said nothing. She started pacing again, her steps uneven.

"There was another Jedi. A woman from Naboo. My home. Her name was Yani, and she died saving me. And that's why he took me in. Because he needed someone to hate for her death." Rosa said. Her face changed. "And he made me forget her." Rosa's voice broke on the last word.

Quinlan knew something about a Jedi from Naboo dying. He was a recent Jedi master and Aayla had been a recent knight when that event happened.

"He stole her from me. He stole my memories, my childhood, my life… and I let him. I let him because I didn't know any better. I let him because I thought he was my Master, and I…" She turned away, her shoulders shaking. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, nails digging into her palms. She choked on her words, her throat burning. She squeezed her eyes shut as the tears came, hot and furious. Tears of anger. Of regret. Of frustration and pain so deep it felt like it would never leave her bones. She forced herself to breathe through it, but the emotions wouldn't stop. They clawed at her, refusing to be ignored.

Quinlan said nothing. Rosa had a desperate look in her eye. She looked at him, hoping he had an answer for her.

Finally, Rosa had to ask the question. The voice she heard was raw and desperate.

"Why?"

Quinlan said nothing.

"Why was he so evil? Why did he do all this to me? And why am I so broken that I can't even think about him without feeling like I'm lost all over again?" Rosa asked. She just stared at Quinlan. She needed an answer. She needed something.

Quinlan said nothing. He just sat there, meeting her gaze with an understanding so deep it almost hurt. He had seen this before. He had lived this before. But he still waited. For her to be ready.

Quinlan Vos watched Rosa unravel before him, his expression unreadable but his presence unwavering. He had seen Jedi break before… seen them snap under the weight of grief, betrayal, and the horrors of the past. But Rosa… she wasn't broken. No, she was still fighting, still burning with a fire that refused to be snuffed out.

But that fire was eating her alive.

As she stood there, shoulders shaking, her breath ragged with anger and grief, Quinlan felt the echoes of his own past in her. He had known loss. He had known betrayal. He had known what it was to have everything you believed in twisted into something unrecognizable. And he knew, better than most, that no words could make it go away.

"Say something DAMMIT!" Rosa shouted.

Quinlan said nothing.

He let her rage, let her throw things, let her feel.

Rosa's eyes were full of tears. Quinlan saw her mouth quiver. He watched as she tried to fight this. Tried to hold herself together even though she was not together. He watched as that anger in her vanished. He heard her voice trying to stop from letting out a cry. She tried to stop herself from releasing everything.

But the dam broke with a single tear.

Rosa's knees gave out. The storm inside her reached its breaking point, when she collapsed to the floor, tears streaming down her face, then he moved.

Silently, he shifted forward, settling beside her, his presence steady and warm. He didn't touch her, he knew better than to do that without permission, but he made sure she knew he was there.

For a long moment, there was nothing but the sound of Rosa's shaky breaths and the occasional hitch of a sob she tried to swallow down. She looked so small like this, curled into herself, drowning in the weight of everything Maku had done to her. Quinlan once more wished Maku was found out. He once more wished that Maku never existed.

Finally, with a firm but gentle voice, Quinlan said something.

"You're not broken."

Rosa's voice hitched. She felt broken.

"Then why does it feel like I am?" Rosa asked.

He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, gazing ahead at nothing in particular.

"Because that's what people like Maku do to you. They make you think that you're just the pieces they left behind. That you're too shattered to put yourself back together. But you're still here, aren't you?" Quinlan said.

Rosa curled her hands into fists.

"You're fighting. Even now, after everything he did, after everything he tried to take from you, you're still you. He didn't break you, Rosa. He just tried to convince you that you were already broken." Quinlan said. He wondered how Maku could do something so horrible to Rosa. How could he even look himself in the face?

"…I don't know how to stop feeling like this." Rosa said. Her voice was barely a whisper. She was feeling everything tonight. Quinlan wished he was her master. He could have done it. Aayla had become a Jedi knight just before and he had the chance to take on another apprentice. But he didn't.

"You don't. Not all at once. Healing isn't something you can fight your way through like a battle. It's messy. It's slow. And some days, it's gonna feel like you're right back where you started." Quinlan said.

Rosa let out a shaky exhale.

"But you're not where you started. Because now, you know. You know what he did to you. You know how he tried to shape you into something that wasn't you. And knowing that…" Quinlan looked directly into Rosa's eyes. She met his eyes. His face was serious… but kind.

"That's how you take it back." Quinlan said. He looked into the red-rimmed eyes. She had been trying so hard to deal with this. This doubt, this fear that she was exactly what Maku feared she was.

"And if you ever feel like throwing things again, I can think of a few training dummies that deserve it more than the remotes." Quinlan said. That got the smallest chuckle from Rosa.

The weight of everything started to fall upon her. The freedom in letting go of the pain Maku had caused her, has been causing her, letting go of some of that guilt. He could feel the weight of the battle she had been facing alone. She had been ignoring the pain that Maku caused. She had been trying to be around her friends to make her forget the pain. But it was there. He understood that. It was so much easier to not face the pain, or so it seemed.

Rosa felt more tears coming down her face.

Rosa felt the weight of Quinlan's words settle into her, grounding her in a way she hadn't expected. The tension that had held her upright, the anger and pain that had kept her moving, all of it seemed to unravel at once. And before she even realized what she was doing, she collapsed forward, pressing herself into Quinlan's chest like a child seeking comfort from their father. It surprised her, and Quinlan.

Her fingers clutched weakly at his tunic, as if she needed something, anything, to hold onto. The tears didn't stop. They just kept falling, soaking into the fabric of his robes, slipping down to his chest, his legs. She couldn't stop them. She didn't want to stop them.

Quinlan stiffened for only half a second, more out of surprise than anything else, before his arm came up, wrapping around her back. He held her, firm and steady, but not too tight. Not restraining. Just there.

The moments stretched, the silence between them filled only with the sound of Rosa's broken breaths. He felt the weight of her, how utterly exhausted she was, how much she had been carrying alone? She had people, he knew, her team, her friends, but this was something deeper. Something that had festered for too long, something she had locked away and tried to ignore until it bled into every part of her life. A wound that had reopened and she never changed the bandages on.

"You don't have to carry it alone, kid. You don't have to bottle this up. You have really good friends who would do anything for you." Quinlan said.

Eventually, her sobs quieted. Her breaths evened out, though the occasional shudder still ran through her. Then, finally, Rosa pulled back just enough to look at him, her face still tear-streaked, eyes red-rimmed. She looked exhausted. But something about her posture, her presence, felt a little… lighter.

"You good?" Quinlan asked.

"…Not yet. But… I think I will be." Rosa said. She got up and looked at the room. She had made a mess. She started cleaning it without another word.

"You don't have to do that. We can get a cleaning droid." Quinlan said. Rosa stopped.

Ironwood was eating another piece of the cake. It was amazing. He just wished that it hadn't been the cause of Rosa's emotions. He got a message from Karel.

"I have a massive favor to ask, but I need you to check the catalogs of the Grimm. I need you to find one that's small, almost leech-like. I found our target trying to plant this Grimm on me after I beat him. This Grimm tried to bite into my skin." Karel sent.

Ironwood was interested in that part about the target trying to plant a Grimm on someone. Ironwood sent the request to the AI. He got a few back. He sent Karel the logs for each of the Grimm that could fit that description. It wasn't too many, but it was more than one.

Ironwood wondered if the target trying to plant that Grimm was strong enough evidence to convict. He looked at one of them in particular. There was a type of Grimm called the Revenant. It was different from the other Grimm. Unlike the others, this one didn't attack the aura, or body, but it attacked the mind. It dug into the skin of the victim and increased every negative emotion one hundred fold. In some cases if it was in the victim long enough, it would lead to the victim having suicidal thoughts.

He looked at how to get rid of the Grimm. He didn't know why this Grimm in particular caught his interest. But now he couldn't stop reading.

Rosa sat in her bed, staring blankly at the wall. It had been a long, exhausting day, emotionally and mentally, but the silence was only a temporary respite from the storm in her mind. She had just begun to settle into the rhythm of her breathing when suddenly, out of nowhere, the air shifted.

"Crying. Having him hold you. Pathetic."

But she wondered if she was hearing things right, or if she was just imagining a second voice. Vanus.

"You stupid Bitch. You ruined everything. And for what? To be around people who only stay to make sure you stay good?" Vanus said. Rosa didn't want to hear her voice either.

"I killed you both." Rosa said.

"You do have a habit of ruining everything you touch." Vanus said.

"You can't help but betray everyone you ever know, can you?" Cya voice came to her now.

"Do you even think about how you murdered me?" Mercury's voice appeared to her now.

"You don't even remember how many people you've killed do you?" Darth Magis's voice came to her now.

"You're a murderer." Maku said.

"SHUT UP!" Rosa shouted as she shot out of bed, covered in a cold sweat. She was breathing hard. Oscar was next to her.

"Rosa, are you okay?" Oscar asked. She had woken him up. She was taking a few deep breaths.

"…Um" Rosa said. "Yeah."

"No you're not. What happened?" Oscar asked.

"Nothing. Just a dream." Rosa said.

"Lying to him now? I thought you followed me because you were lied to." Cya said.

"Rosa, you can tell me." Oscar said. He was out of bed now. Rosa couldn't face him.

"I've…" Rosa started. Could she really tell him? Could she tell him that all of a sudden she's been hearing the voices of people she had killed? What would he think? Would she think she was crazy? She was crazy to think like this.

"I've been hearing voices." Rosa admitted. She trusted Oscar.

"What do you mean?" Oscar asked.

"I mean… the people I've killed." Rosa said.

"I see." Oscar said. Rosa looked at his face and worried that she had said too much.

"I knew it was a bad idea." Rosa muttered.

"Rosa, no it wasn't. You can't ignore something like this." Oscar said. Rosa didn't want to say anything.

"Have you been ignoring this for a while?" Oscar asked.

"No… the voices are a recent thing." Rosa said.

"I don't understand. Why are you hearing them now?" Oscar asked.

"I don't know." Rosa said.

"They aren't here, Rosa." Oscar said.

Rosa knew that. Oscar didn't know how to help Rosa. She had no idea how to help herself. She must have been going crazy. This wasn't what happened with normal people. Oscar talked with her a bit before she said she was going to try to sleep again. It helped her. Oscar had left the room for a bit. He said he was going to grab some tea for her from Ren. As soon as he left the room, Rosa tried to get some rest.

It was worse this time. Kaiser and Valum were there now as well.

"You're nothing but a shadow of what you used to be. You destroyed everything. You hurt everyone who ever cared about you, and for what? To play at being a hero?" Kaiser said.

"I should have known that you were untrustworthy. I tried to stop you, but you refused every time to listen to me. But I have the last laugh. I have power. You are nothing." Valum said.

"You've hurt everyone. You betrayed your friends, your team... You'll always be a failure, Rosa." Maku said.

"Just like I told you, you will always be alone, Rosa. You think you can come back from the darkness? You're a monster. You always were." Vanus said in a cruel tone.

The voices became louder, intertwining, all of them accusing her, berating her. The words were too much to ignore, too much to silence. Her hands trembled as she clutched at her head, trying to block them out. The self-doubt and guilt they pushed into her felt suffocating, like a vice tightening around her chest.

Rosa's eyes were wet with tears before she realized it, her throat tight.

"Why do I keep hurting everyone I care about?" she whispered aloud, her voice cracking with the weight of it all. Rosa's hands shook, and she turned her face away, feeling a surge of frustration and guilt rise within her.

"I hurt them... all of them. Blake, Weiss, Ruby, Jaune... I hurt them in ways they'll never forget. I blamed them for everything I did, but it was all me. I couldn't control it." Rosa said.

There was no one there in the room. She heard the voices starting to whisper back into her mind.

"You don't deserve to be here." Maku said.

"You don't deserve to be free after you've murdered." Cya said.

"You don't deserve the power you stole." Vanus said.

"You don't deserve the friends with you." Kaiser said.

Rosa tried to make it stop. She tried to get the voices to stop by they wouldn't. They just kept accusing her.

She looked up and saw Maku standing in the room. The red eye looked down at her. He had a sneer on his face. Vanus was there. Behind her looked like the wings that Rosa makes when she uses the maiden power, except it was made out of Vanus's blood. She saw Cya, with a burn mark in his chest. She saw Kaiser glaring down at her with the look of hatred and his mask gone. The scar gave her an accusing look. She noticed it didn't say SDC anymore. It had her name. Vanus was standing over her too, her skin pale white like Salem.

"My Umbra…"

Rosa's blood froze. Her breath caught in her throat. She was afraid to turn around. She knew Salem was there.

"Would it be better if you just disappeared? If you stopped existing... maybe they wouldn't be hurt anymore." Salem said.

"…Stop existing?" Rosa asked Salem.

"Yes, poor, poor child. Everything will be made better if you just…" Salem grabbed her by both shoulders and moved in close to her ear. "Kill Yourself."

"You can never fix it. Not completely. You'll always be a shadow of what you used to be. You've hurt everyone you've ever loved. You don't even know who you are anymore." Salem said. Rosa didn't want to say anything. She just wanted to stop listening.

"Don't say that, Rosa. Please. You're not a monster. You've made mistakes, but that doesn't mean you should give up. You've changed. You're trying to make things right." Oscar said. Rosa looked over at him. She didn't say it. Salem did.

"Oscar…" Rosa said.

"Rosa... You are not your past. You're still you. And we're all here for you. You don't have to carry this burden alone." Oscar said.

He placed down the tea, taking his eyes off Rosa for a second. When he looked back up, he saw her surrounded by figures of her past. He saw Salem holding onto Rosa. Salem turned and smiled at Oscar.

"She's mine once more." Salem said.

"Like hell she is." Oscar said. He took out his lightsaber. He could feel the others going on high alert as they heard the snap-hiss of a lightsaber.

Rosa let out a long, shaky breath, still trying to process everything. She didn't know how to escape the darkness that clung to her, the weight of the guilt she carried.

"I... I don't know if I can forgive myself." Rosa said. Oscar could see the physical change in her face. It looked like all the light was draining from her body.

"I just wanted to be better, I didn't want to hurt anyone anymore." Rosa said.

"You aren't hurting us Rosa." Oscar said. Ruby entered the room. She stopped when she saw the figures floating above Rosa. She sat on her bed, knees pulled to her chest as she tried to block out the endless noise. She had heard it all before, but it never got any easier. You're a monster. You'll always be a monster. You can't fix this. You've hurt everyone you love. The words echoed louder.

"I deserve to suffer. I hurt so many people when I joined the Sith. I hurt everyone I care about. The voices... they're just telling me what I already know. That I'm a failure." Rosa said.

"Rosa, listen to us…" Ruby started.

"She can't hear you now." Vanus said. "Your attempts to reach her are in vain."

"You were always a stain on the Jedi. No one ever wanted you. No one ever needed you. Go ahead and disappear." Maku said. "You should have known better, Rosa. You were always weak."

"You will never escape what you've done. You don't deserve to live." Vanus said.

But now… She was hearing, and seeing her friends surround her.

"You led us all into danger. You didn't care. You're nothing but a liar and a coward." Blake said.

"I trusted you, Rosa." Ruby said. Her voice was filled with sorrow and anger.

"You destroyed everything." Yang said with frustration.

"I gave you everything, and this is what you did with it?" Weiss said, her voice cold and cutting.

"You're a monster. Kill yourself." Jaune said. It was low, filled with judgement.

"Rosa stop listening to them!" Ruby shouted.

Rosa could feel her breath quicken, her heart racing in panic as the voices grew louder and louder, their words melding into a chaotic, haunting crescendo. The illusions grew lifelike, each figure a perfect replica of the person it represented, their faces etched with pain and anger, reflecting all of Rosa's deepest regrets. She wanted to scream, to shut them out, but the voices were too loud, too overwhelming. They were everywhere… surrounding her, suffocating her.

You don't deserve to live. The voices spoke as one, their collective condemnation reverberating in the room.

The others had heard and were outside the door. They felt the darkness surrounding Rosa like a hurricane, with her at the center. Jaune saw himself in the room. Arslan and Neo were standing outside the room. Ruby and Oscar were getting pushed back. Jaune turned to Arslan and Neo.

"Go get someone. I don't care who. We need help with this. Find Ironwood if you have to." Jaune said.

Arslan and Neo were running. Everyone could hear the shouts from the voices. They were getting darker and darker with each passing second.

Tears welled up in Rosa's eyes as she covered her ears, trying to block out the sound, but it didn't work. They wouldn't stop.

"Rosa, we're trying to help!" Oscar shouted. "Let us help you!"

Rosa didn't answer. She couldn't. She didn't even know where to begin. The voices were drowning her out, everything they said only feeding her guilt and self-loathing. She curled into herself, trembling, as the illusions of her friends swirled around her, floating just out of reach.

The floating images were clear, every one of them as real as the people who had once been her team, her family. They're not real, he thought, but it was hard to tell that to Rosa when they were so vivid, so cruel.

He tried to reach out but he felt a physical barrier between him and Rosa. He couldn't get to her. He was thrown back once again.

"Rosa! Please, they're not real!" Oscar shouted.

"She can't hear you Ozma." Salem said. He opened his eyes wide. Was this the real Salem? An aspect of her? How was she here?

But Rosa's gaze was distant, unfocused, her hands pressed over her ears, trying to block out everything. The illusions remained, and the accusations kept coming.

"Penny, We need you. Get everyone. Look for whatever could be causing this." Oscar said.

"I understand." Penny's AI said.

Ironwood had just finished reading the reports on the Revenant Grimm. It was enough to bring Wolke in. That was a terrifying Grimm. Penny's AI popped up and started playing a video. His eyes widened as he watched what was happening with Rosa.

"What's going on?" Ironwood asked.

"We were wondering if you had any idea. Please hurry. The voices are telling her to self-harm. Her vital readings are showing that she's not in the right mindset right now and may be considering it." Penny said.

"No." Ironwood got up. He told Penny to send them everything about the Revenant Grimm. He was going to check this out himself. He hoped it wasn't the Revenant Grimm…but he also hoped it was. If this wasn't the Revenant Grimm, then she broke. Completely.

But he had no idea about being able to see those figures.

"Penny, what is Rosa's semblance?" Ironwood asked.

"She calls it Masking, Sir." Penny said.

"Explain it. And is it evolved yet?" Ironwood asked.

"No sir, it is not evolved…" Ironwood listened to Penny tell him Rosa's semblance. Could her semblance have chosen a worse time to evolve?

It was clear that Rosa's mental state was slipping, and neither of them knew how to stop it. They had all seen Rosa struggle before, but this... this was different. The illusions, the voices, they were a manifestation of everything Rosa had locked away for so long, and they were tearing her apart.

The illusions, once just haunting visions of the people she had wronged, now began to take on a more sinister form. The figures seemed to pulse with an unnatural energy, flickering and shifting as if they weren't just illusions, but something far darker… something far more dangerous. They had become almost evil.

Rosa couldn't feel anything anymore.

Quinlan Vos was already on his way. He worried it was a Sith before Penny had told him what was going on. He was still horribly confused, but he had to act. Now.

This darkness wasn't there when Rosa talked with him only a few hours ago. It had grown since she let everything out. Something had to be wrong. Then Penny sent out the message about the Grimm. To everyone. She explained what it was. He was sprinting after she told him how far it pushed the host.

Karel had taken Golden Saint Wolke prisoner. It was a difficult thing and involved a few more Jedi than he would have liked to need, but he got the man.

"Have you Jedi figured it out yet?" Wolke asked.

"Shut up." Karel said.

"I wonder how Lady Umbra is liking her Revenant Grimm right about now. Do you think she's still alive? With the darkness already in her, she should be about the suicide stage right now." Wolke said.

"What are you talking about?" Karel asked.

"You remember yesterday when I beat Rosa? Do you think I really only have one Revenant?" Wolke said with a smile. "Lady Salem sends her regards."

The air grew oppressive, heavy with the weight of her isolation. She could hear the whispers now, louder than ever, pounding against her skull.

You're worthless, Rosa. You don't deserve to live.

The Jedi don't care about you. You're a failure to them.

You've already broken everything you touch. What difference does it make?

They kept saying those things. But somewhere in the storm of voices, Maku's cut through like a sharp knife.

"You're just like me. You'll never escape the darkness, Rosa. You'll never be good enough." Maku said.

Rosa couldn't fight back against that. She couldn't fight back against anything she was hearing.

"No... this isn't her. This isn't real.." Ruby said. She was trying to hold onto something so she wouldn't be thrown out of the room.

"This isn't just her mind breaking… This is Salem... she's trapping Rosa in this. She's manipulating her, pushing her to the edge... trying to make her give in." Pyrrha said. There was another pulse of the dark energy and Pyrrha was thrown back, along with Weiss and Blake.

Oscar's eyes flickered toward Rosa's waist. His heart sank as he realized what had been there all along, the lightsabers. Rosa's Jedi and Sith weapons, the symbols of her identity, now lay at her side. And yet, they weren't just symbols of strength and discipline anymore. They were dangerous.

Ruby turned to Oscar and felt his fear. She looked down and saw the lightsabers as well.

"Oh no." Ruby said.

Salem is using something, maybe even the force to manipulate her, Oscar realized with growing horror. She's forcing Rosa to feel this. To see this. To break her down to the point where she'll do something irreversible. She wrapped her arms around Rosa and didn't let go. She had been whispering things into her ear. Oscar hadn't been able to hear what, but he could feel the despair starting to overcome Rosa.

"Rosa, please. You're not alone. You don't have to fight this alone. Don't let her do this to you." Ruby said.

But Rosa didn't hear him. She couldn't hear anyone anymore. Her gaze remained locked on the illusions, her mind so lost in the fog of self-loathing and the overwhelming darkness that she couldn't see past it. The lightsabers at her side gleamed faintly, as if the darkness itself had clung to them, waiting for Rosa to make a choice.

"She's... she's not herself. The darkness... it's taken hold of her, but it's not her doing. It's Salem. Salem's using her guilt, her pain, everything. She's trying to drive her to the point where Rosa chooses this." Weiss said. She saw Rosa notice her lightsabers. Her heart sank.

"Rosa!" Weiss created glyphs and sped into the room. She twisted before the next pulse hit. She was still in the room but thrown against a wall. Oscar took a deep breath. He had an idea, but he needed to focus.

Rosa was very close to the edge. The lightsabers at her side, the weapons she had used to defend her friends, to fight for them, now were a deadly threat, as she was teetering on the precipice, ready to succumb to the pull of the darkness.

Salem was bringing her closer to the edge. Valum's Illusion was standing over Rosa. Was Salem trying to steal the maiden power back by having Rosa kill herself? There was another pulse of the dark side. Rosa picked up her Sith lightsaber. Maku's lightsaber.

"Yes. Use my weapon to end yourself. It is a fitting end." Maku said.

"You will never escape, Rosa. You will never be good enough for them. You can end it all... end their pain... end your pain." Salem said.

The illusions still surrounded Rosa, but now the very air seemed to hum with a malicious energy, coiling around her like a snake preparing to strike. Rosa sat motionless, her grip tightening on the lightsaber as the voices continued their relentless assault, echoing in her mind, pushing her toward the unthinkable.

"Maybe I can stop hurting everyone… maybe it would be better if I just stopped existing." Rosa said.

The words fell from her lips like a confession… raw, painful, and filled with the weight of everything she had done, everything she had become. She held her lightsaber as if it were the only thing anchoring her to reality, though it felt like it was the very thing that could tear her apart.

"Do it. Stop making everyone suffer." Salem said. Rosa started to turn the lightsaber toward herself.

"ROSA! STOP!" Weiss screamed. Rosa placed the lightsaber in front of her heart. All she would have to do now was press the activation button twice. Rosa's hands trembled. Tears were rolling down her face.

"DO IT!" Salem shouted.

"I won't let you!" Oscar shouted. He had a ball of light in his hand. Weiss created glyphs below his feet and sent Oscar flying. He brought the ball of light into the invisible barrier.

"My turn!" Ruby said. She rushed in, and activated her silver eyes. The bright light caused many of the illusions to fade. All of them except for Maku.

"You won't get rid of me that easily." Maku said.

Ruby grabbed Rosa. For the first time since this all started she was able to touch Rosa.

Something was off. There was a strange bump on her neck.

"I should just stop existing." Rosa said. The words were enough to snap Ruby into action. Her silver eyes burned brighter as she focused on Rosa, trying to connect with her, to break through the despair, to find the girl she knew was still in there, buried beneath the darkness.

Quinlan Vos and Ironwood got to the room at around the same time.

"It's a Revenant Grimm." Ironwood said.

"Get it out of her." Quinlan Vos said. Rosa looked at the bump again and saw a shatterpoint there. Ruby used the force to force the Grimm out of Rosa. It started to make a crying wail the second it made contact with the air.

The second that the Grimm out of Rosa's neck, Maku vanished. She felt the darkness that had been so oppressive leave her system.

"We're all here. We're all here for you. You don't have to fight this alone." Ruby said.

"Kill it." Ironwood said. Weiss rushed forward and jabbed her lightsaber at the tiny Grimm. It was dead.

Rosa blinked rapidly, her gaze flicking around as if trying to make sense of the sudden shift in the atmosphere. She was no longer surrounded by the illusions or drowning in the crushing weight of her own thoughts. The darkness had lifted, and the warmth of the Force was returning. But as her eyes landed on her own hands, still gripping her lightsaber, she froze.

Rosa felt sick to her stomach. She saw where she was holding the lightsaber. She knew what she was about to do. She threw her lightsaber across the room and backed up as far as possible.

She couldn't look at it. Not after everything. Not after how close she had come to doing something irreversible. She had almost ended it… ended herself, because of the voices, the pressure, the overwhelming despair. She had been consumed by it all, and she had almost lost everything.

Ruby stood there, her expression one of quiet relief but also deep sadness. She could still feel Rosa's presence… fragile, but alive. She had saved her friend, but at what cost? She heard Rosa start to cry.

Rosa couldn't look up at anyone. She couldn't face them… not yet, not after what she had almost done. But she felt the warmth of their concern, felt their support quietly pressing in around her. It was like a blanket she wasn't sure she deserved, but it was there, holding her up.

She pulled her knees to her chest and buried her face in her arms, her breath ragged, as tears began to fall. It wasn't just from the relief. It was the weight of everything… the guilt, the shame, the fear. She had been lost in herself, and the nightmare had been real.

Ruby wrapped Rosa in a hug. All anyone could hear were Rosa's tears.

Rosa was brought to the medical wing. They needed to check to see if there were any other side effects of the Revenant Grimm. Ironwood gathered the Jedi.

"I learned yesterday that Rosa was infected with a parasite leech Grimm by the criminal Golden Saint Wolke, who Karel Allusis brought in last night. We discovered the Grimm and its effect on the user. This Grimm, the Revenant Grimm is a terrifying and powerful Grimm. It doesn't attack directly like most Grimm. They find hosts that have trauma, or brushes with the dark side. It burrows its was into the skin, leaving a small bump. It finds all the dark emotions and amplifies them. That is why Rosa was affected so much in such a short time." Ironwood explained.

"Did we get all of it?" Ruby asked.

"We haven't found anything. But she's going to need to be in here. It wasn't much, but the Grimm did… probably eat some of her tissue cells." Ironwood asked. Ruby realized that was what the bacta was for.

"How is she… mentally?" Jaune asked.

"Probably not good. Some of you should talk to her." Ironwood said. Ironwood turned to the Jedi there. He needed to go see Wolke, but he wanted them to know what Rosa needed.

Before Ironwood left the room he turned around to them.

"Her Semblance evolved tonight. That is why you all saw those illusions. It was a cruel twist of fate. Her Masking now allows her to create illusions of people. Please, watch over her."

Rosa sat on the edge of her bed, her hands still trembling, though the overwhelming weight of the night. She heard the sound of the bacta moving in her neck. The tiny device was making noise. She heard the noise of all the machines checking that she wasn't dead.

She almost did it. She almost made the worst mistake of her life. She was just… she couldn't…

Rosa tried not to think too much about what she almost did. How she almost ruined everything. How she almost handed the maiden power right back to the Sith. The voices weren't there, but the memories were.

She knew where those voices came from. She knew that the voices were always there inside of her, buried deep. She recognized those voices and the words they spoke. She had said them about herself before. Her breath hitched. She had almost hurt her friends again.

Why was she like this?

Why did she always hurt everyone around her?

Why was she so broken? She tried. She tried so hard to make everything better. She tried so hard not to hurt everyone around her. She tried so hard to be a good person. But she kept failing. She brought her head down to her knees.

She sat there in the solitude, her head in her hands, replaying everything that had happened in those moments of darkness. How close she had come to ending it all. How the weight of everything, the voices, the guilt, the unbearable pressure, had made the idea of ending it seem like a release, an escape from the suffocating emotions. It was the only thing that felt like it would bring peace.

Why had suicide felt like the right option?

Why had she gone that far, and what did that say about her? Was she a danger to everyone she cared about? The thought haunted her. The moment she had gripped her lightsaber… her body had been moving on its own, but part of her had also been thinking it, wishing it, even as she couldn't understand why.

Why was she like this? Was she a ticking time bomb? A fragile mess that could ruin the lives of everyone who came too close?

Weiss was standing next to her. Rosa didn't even feel her come in. She couldn't stop the words or the hot tears falling down her face.

"I just... wanted it all to stop. To stop the voices, the pain... Everything felt so... so heavy. Like nothing mattered anymore. I thought…" Rosa struggled to take in a breath. "I thought it would be easier... to just let go."

Weiss held her close. Rosa didn't want to hurt her friends anymore. She didn't want them to worry about her. She didn't want to see them crying over her. And that made it so much harder for her. Weiss held her close. Rosa wanted to stop hurting everyone she cared about.

It was as though Weiss instinctively knew that Rosa wasn't ready to talk, not yet. Rosa looked at her, feeling a sharp pang in her chest, a mix of guilt and fear.

"I almost…" Rosa still struggled to breath. She could sense the others nearby, probably watching. "I almost did it, Weiss... Do you think I'm a danger to everyone around me? I've hurt everyone I've cared about. And... maybe it would be better if I just…"

Rosa couldn't finish. Weiss just kept holding her.

"I don't know why. The idea of it... of ending it all... it didn't seem like something awful. It just felt... like it would make it stop. All of it. It felt like peace. Like freedom from the pain. But now I... I can't believe I was even thinking that way."

Weiss didn't know what else to do. All she could do was hold Rosa and listen. But was that enough?

"But you know what the worst part is? The worst part is, I didn't even want to talk about it. I just wanted the silence. I didn't want to bother anyone, didn't want to drag anyone else into this darkness. I didn't even know how to ask for help." Rosa's voice was weak but full of emotion. "And... I thought... maybe I could just do it myself, get rid of the weight, and everyone else would be better off without me. I wouldn't be a burden anymore."

Weiss couldn't stand this anymore. She needed to say something.

"You're not a burden, Rosa. You've never been a burden. You're hurting, yes, but that doesn't mean you're a danger. You don't have to carry this by yourself." Weiss said. She looked at the others. They agreed that one person at a time. But she wondered if anyone else was better suited for this right now. But… maybe she was the best. Her or Jaune.

"I don't know how to make this go away. I thought I had it under control, but... I lost it. I almost lost everything." Rosa said.

"You are still here. With us. We'll help you. No matter what." Weiss said.

The others came in to see her and help her. She didn't stay in there long. She was physically fine. Jaune had talked about their days back at Beacon when he went to the therapy class and got professional help. He still was on his antidepressants. He always made sure those were up to date no matter where he went.

He told Rosa that he would help her with anything, she just needed to ask.

But what would she even take for something like this?

She was in her dorm. She looked at her weapons. Her lightsabers and the daggers. The belt where she kept her dust. All she saw was the lightsaber against her chest. She remembered the darkness that surrounded her. The darkness that told her to do it. She had never felt this way before, so uncertain of herself, so unsure of the person she had become.

Her mind raced with thoughts of what could happen, of how close she had come to losing herself in the darkness. She couldn't risk it again. She couldn't risk hurting anyone. Not again. She wanted to get her weapons away, not matter what. They were too dangerous for her to hold. They were too dangerous for them to be near her. She started panicking just being near them and thinking about what she almost did.

She was afraid of them. Afraid of what she would do with them. Afraid that one day the voices would come back, and she wouldn't be able to fight. Afraid that one day, she would find herself harming herself with her daggers. That she would put her lightsaber against her head. She was scared.

She turned her head and saw Ruby standing in her doorway.

"Rosa." Ruby said. "Are you okay?"

Rosa swallowed hard, her throat tight. She wanted to say yes. She wanted to tell Ruby that everything was fine, that she had everything under control, but the words didn't come. The silence between them grew heavy, and Rosa knew she couldn't keep pretending anymore. She knew this would hurt to do. To admit that she was so fragile and weak that she couldn't trust herself around her own weapons.

"Ruby…" Rosa gulped before getting up. She grabbed her weapons. Ruby looked at her, expecting to put the belt on and be ready for the day. Perhaps she was just telling herself that. Rosa grabbed them, and turned to Ruby. She walked over to her and handed Ruby the weapons. Ruby looked up at her with a shocked look.

"I need you to hold onto these. I can't keep these with me. Not right now." Rosa said.

"What? Rosa, what do you mean?" Ruby asked.

"I'm scared, Ruby. I... I don't trust myself. Not with them. I can't trust myself with them. Not right now." Rosa said. Her voice cracked. Ruby looked at her. She saw the hurt in Rosa's eyes. She saw that she didn't trust herself at all.

The room fell silent again, the tension thick as Ruby absorbed the gravity of the moment.

"I'm sorry." Rosa was trying to hold back the pain again. "I never wanted to be like this. I never wanted to hurt anyone. But I can't control it. I can't control me."

"Rosa, you're not a danger. Not to anyone. You just need help. And we'll be here to help you through it." Ruby finally spoke, her voice soft but firm, her eyes never leaving Rosa.

"I don't know if I can be fixed, Ruby. I don't know if I can ever be trusted again." Rosa said.

"You don't have to be fixed, Rosa. You just need time. You'll get through this. We all will… together." Ruby said.

Rosa had to believe that Ruby was right. She had to have hope in something now. She had to trust them. Because she couldn't trust herself.

She still had so many scars she just never addressed. She still had all the scars from Maku. She still suffered because of Maku. She was still influenced by Maku. Those thoughts almost drove her to make a mistake she could never come back from. She almost broke everything.

Those thoughts are why she couldn't trust herself. Those thoughts are why she didn't feel safe around her weapons. Those thoughts are what drove her to giving Ruby her weapons. She just had to hope that she wasn't as broken as she thought.

Author's Notes: This chapter goes over Suicide. But this is not me saying this is what I think drives people to suicide. I don't say that this is normal. With suicide there are things that we still don't do right.

This was an outside force that was telling Rosa to do it. It was using things that Rosa didn't address, like most of what she experienced with Maku and Vanus. Most people who complete suicide are those who have severe mental illnesses. It's not like 13 reasons why where a character completes suicide to get back at people. The highest groups that complete suicide in America at least are older men people, and white and native American men. There are issues that we have a really hard time talking about as a society.

Here are a few resources about suicide and suicide prevention./ , . /health/topics/suicide-prevention, /.

The Revenant Grimm is a tiny Grimm that is like a leech. The idea came to me a while ago, but I brought it back here. I played with the leech affecting Rosa worse after going to a Casino with Arslan (like the mission at the start of the chapter.) I went and got a few scenes created but the original idea came after Rosa and Arslan had to kiss, a lot, had to fight Kaiser (Who originally planted the Grimm) and Arslan had a very realistic dream of her and Rosa being together. But it was a dream and Rosa rejected Arslan, hurting her bad. Then the Grimm would start really attacking. But that was changed. I wanted this to really focus on Rosa and her unaddressed trauma from her life.

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-DragonZlayerx12