Khem and I didn't rest long. We knew we had several hours walk to reach the small military research outpost that was our destination, and neither of us wanted to stick around and see what other forces might arrive in response to our destruction of the communications station. We headed through the darkness; I didn't know how well Khem could see, but by the ease with which he navigated the forest, I assumed his night vision was at least as good as mine was. Only minutes into our journey, I felt the first raindrop strike my fur. And then another, and then another, and then the skies opened up and a deluge began, quickly soaking me and Khem to the skin. The Dashade didn't seem to mind, but I was beyond unhappy. I had a waterproof poncho in my pack, which was also waterproof, but by the time I remembered it, I was already completely sodden, so I just left it be and trudged miserably on behind Khem.
Once we were several miles away from the scene of our crime, I briefly suggested to Khem that we stop and camp for the night, but he scolded me for my weakness, adjuring me that we were almost halfway to our destination and required only a few hours further. He reminded me, shouting to be heard over the thunder and pounding rain and howling winds, that because of the terrible weather, we were not encountering any dangers of the forests, since all the beasts had long since retreated to their nice, cozy, dry dens to wait out the storm. I knew that he was right, so I bit back my complaints and ignored the water dripping off my chin and nose and slogged on.
Commander Rilen was asleep when we arrived at the research outpost, but he was roused immediately while the officer on duty sent for towels and blankets and offered Khem and I a space to change or sleep and fresh cups of caf. Khem simply toweled off and was fine, but I took advantage of the opportunity to get some of the moisture out of my fur and changed into a dry tunic and robes. I was still damp and shaking from the cold so badly that it was difficult to fasten my clothes; I had to draw on the dark side to lend me some control of my hands.
"My lady!" Said Commander Rilen, taking stock of my appearance. "I shall have the camp's medic brought here at once!"
"I'm fine," I said dismissively. I clutched the warm drink tighter and took another long sip. "I've had worse, and I wanted to be out of this hideous swamp as soon as possible. I must return to my master urgently."
"We observed the emitters deactivate," remarked the commander. "What of the beasts?"
"Do you doubt my abilities, Captain?" I asked icily. It would've been more intimidating if my teeth hadn't chattered in the middle of it.
"Oh no, my lady, not at all!" He replied. "Merely wondering if you faced much opposition?"
"The towers were simple to destroy. The beasts proved more of a challenge, but it was nothing I couldn't handle." Khem grunted his assent, more than a little mockery in his tone, but I ignored him.
"We are very grateful for your help, my lady," said the Commander. "It has been an honor to observe your work."
"It was a very successful mission," I said. "But now I must return to Kaas City."
"We can summon a speeder for you immediately," offered the commander, "unless you'd rather rest until morning."
"I have no desire to delay," I said.
"At once, my lady." The commander made no signal, but one of his aides immediately hurried out to place the transport request. "May we provide you a meal while you wait?"
"Yes, that would be lovely," I agreed, finishing my drink. "And more caf."
We were dropped off at Lady Zash's home about an hour after sunrise.
"Apprentice!" She actually met us at the door. "I got your message! Come in, come in!" The sith ushered us into the front parlor.
"My lady," I said, bowing my head. Khem pulled off his pack and I carefully presented the stone slab to my master. She laid it on the table, turning the lights up as bright as they would go, and she stared at it hungrily. I didn't see what was so special about it. It was a slab of pale grey stone slightly longer than my forearm, deeply etched with crude drawings that I supposed could be Trandoshans if the workman was following a blind man's description of the species. Still, it had clearly been brightly painted at one point. Some areas still sported metallic enamel that glinted in the light. There was text in some ancient language engraved in it.
"This is marvelous," she said. "Better than I'd hoped! Well done apprentice. This will indeed be valuable in our final confrontation with Skotia."
"Thank you, Lady Zash," I said.
"Tell me everything," she ordered, settling back in a large armchair and gesturing to a low, backless chaise. My master listened intently to the details but did not interrupt until I finished my recitation.
"Marvelous," she said again. "Quite remarkable. You've surpassed my expectations on every turn, and I find myself quite delighted by you."
"I really am the best," I said, risking a bit of humor. She laughed brightly.
"Yes, you are, my magnificent apprentice," she said. "Are you hungry? Tired? We must make sure to take care of you."
"I can manage, Lady Zash," I said.
"Just one more piece remains before we can confront Skotia," she said. "I shall try to find a reasonable excuse for you to go and check on the scientist who's been working on it for me. Until then, Apprentice, you are dismissed."
"Thank you, my lady," I said, withdrawing from the parlor with a bow. Khem skulked behind me, and after ordering food from the droids, we retired to our rooms. Khem went immediately to clean and care for his weapon and its scabbard, and I went into the refresher to get myself finally clean. It took a long time and lots of soap to scrub the clumps of mud out of my fur. Then I spent even longer standing under the warm jets of air, allowing all of the loose hairs to be blown away and grooming out any snarls until I was free of any trace of the jungle.
Finally warm and dry, I grabbed my food, climbed onto my bed, and closed the hangings around it to keep out any bugs that managed to find their way past the insect repelling fields. Delicately, I pulled out the chest of figurines that I'd stolen from Skotia's vault. I examined them one by one, tracing the intricate carvings with my fingertips and holding them up so the lights glinted off the jeweled eyes. It filled me with satisfaction, not quite pride, not quite happiness, to look at them. The artist had been very detailed in their fangs and claws; I carefully tucked them away in my lockbox, along with my other precious things-a ring from an acolyte on Korriban, a metal armband from one of the apprentices Skotia had sent to kill me, and a rank insignia from one of the republic soldiers on the Brentaal Star. Warm, full, and clean, I nestled into my blankets and slept, a smile on my face.
Two days later, Lady Zash ordered me and Khem to meet her at the front of the house before lunch. We reported as instructed, and she looked us over with a critical eye. "We will be meeting with Lady Shalath, an acquaintance of mine. One of her apprentices was supposed to be completing a ritual in the jungles, but he's gone missing. I think this might be the opportunity we're looking for." The speeder arrived to convey us to our destination, and the pilot very professionally didn't react when the massive Dashade squeezed into the back and laid his broadsword across his lap.
"We're having lunch together in a private room at one of my favorite places in Kaas City," continued Lady Zash, not sparing him a glance. "This is your first opportunity to meet one of my associates, and I hope you will make a good impression. You see, the relationship you and I have is more..." She searched for the right word "...encouraging than that of your average master and apprentice. She adheres to a more traditional understanding of race and hierarchy, and for today, I expect you to show her and myself the utmost deference during our meeting with her, no matter how insulted you might be. Is that clear?"
"Yes, Lady Zash," I said, bowing my head. As much as it grated, as much as it reminded me of my days as a slave, deference was something I could do.
"Zash!" exclaimed the tall human Sith Lord as we entered the upstairs chamber. Her almond eyes and cheeks were elaborately made up with shimmery cosmetics, but I was pretty sure that the yellowish cast to her skin was genetic, not a sign of illness or corruption. She embraced my master and they kissed the air beside each other's cheeks.
"My dear Chiara," sighed Zash, looking fondly at her and taking the lady's hands of her own. "How well you look! The city agrees with you! Last I saw you, you were just on a quick visit, heading back out to some archaeological dig on...where was it, Dromund Kalakar?"
"Fels, Zash, Dromund Fels," corrected Chiara Shalath. Zash smiled indulgently, and I felt suddenly sure that she'd known that information.
"Ah, yes, of course," said Zash. "This must be the longest you've stayed in the city in years!"
"The secrets of the ancient Sith are there, just waiting for me!" said Chiara passionately.
"So you've said," laughed Zash. "I myself envy your ability to give yourself so passionately to your work." The ladies seated themselves on small, comfortable benches, a small trapezoidal table between them so that while they were across from each other, technically, they were also almost side by side and could survey the room together. A small, sleek steward droid waited quietly nearby to accept their order. Khem and I stood by the wall, just inside the room by the door.
"Now tell me," said Zash once they'd been served their meals. I waited silently, fuming inside at the casual disregard that ignored my existence and left me hungrily watching them eat. "I heard that you've been having some problems with one of your projects while we've been restricted to Kaas City?"
"Oh, it's the worst!" complained the lady, absently waving a bit of shellfish around on her fork as she gestured expressively. I saw a drop of sauce splatter on Lady Zash's robe, and my master casually shifted farther away. Lady Shalath had somehow managed to avoid getting her own clothes soiled entirely, and I was pretty sure that the action had been deliberate. I wondered just how many games these Sith were actually playing, and I paid closer attention to anything that they might do to put the other off balance.
"I'm not sure why they would ship the Darths off and force the rest of us to stay in Kaas City, but I for one am tired of it," Lady Shalath said. "I've been sending my apprentice out to complete various rituals to procure the ingredients I will need for my next alchemical experiments, so that whenever they lift this ridiculous lockdown, I'll be able to return to work immediately. But I've lost contact with my apprentice!
"The man has done this before, so I'm not sure why this time is marred by such bad luck, but regardless," she continued, "regardless, I am not about to delay my research any longer. I've already petitioned Darth Marr for permission to be excused from this lockdown, and although I was denied, I shall continue to petition until this pointless insanity is over."
"Well, Chiara, that's precisely why I invited you to meet with me," said Zash. "You see, I've been searching for opportunities to test my apprentice. She's quite a remarkable creature, but she's going to need quite the stack of successes under her belt if she's going to amount to anything on Dromund Kaas." I held my blank expression, but the fur on my neck wanted to rise. I took a silent, deep breath and held it tightly.
"Well, I knew you had to have found something special because, really, Zash, weren't there any better candidates? Have the Overseers completely lost their touch?" scoffed Shalath. My master frowned delicately, fingering one of the jeweled rings she wore on her left hand.
"I know she's not what you might expect, but I think she will surprise you if you give her a chance," said Zash. "After all, she pacified the Dashade, didn't she?"
"It's not bound to you, Zash?"
"Oh, no!" laughed my master. "No, the beast is sworn to my apprentice." She sipped her drink with a smile. "If my little Cathar manages to prove herself worthy to me, I intend to declare her my official apprentice...and my heir and successor."
"Zash!" Lady Shalath gaped at her, and I got the sense that her surprise was genuine. "A slave is one thing, but an alien? Have you lost your mind?"
"I'm pursuing something, Chiara, that will make my previous discoveries look like dross in comparison," she said gleefully. "And I think that this slave, this Cathar, is precisely the person who will help me achieve it."
"What an extraordinary thing to say!" said Lady Shalath, visibly uncomfortable.
"She's extremely powerful and most enterprising. If you give her the chance, she will find your missing apprentice."
"Perhaps, Zash," said the Sith. "You, apprentice!" She snapped her fingers at me. Mindful of my master's previous instructions, I obeyed the ignominious summons.
"Yes, Lady Shalath?" I said, bowing my head. I tried my best to keep my voice level and my speech clear and unaccented. The humiliation burned in my heart.
"My apprentice, Maraad, is no longer answering my calls," she said abruptly. "His holo reports his location to be deep within the forests of Dromund Kaas. I want you to fetch me the artefacts he had on his person."
"Yes, my lady," I murmured.
"I assume he's dead," she said. "But, if, by some miracle, he hasn't quite reached that point, I want you to help that failure along."
"As you wish, my lady," I said, feeling a little sick at the vicious glee she showed as she ordered me to murder her apprentice. She held out her datapad, and I almost fumbled in my haste to draw my own from its pouch and press it against hers, allowing files to transfer instantly.
"That's everything you'll need," she said. "Maps, location data, description of the runes you're looking for-everything I was going to use myself, if Darth Marr hadn't interfered."
"Yes, Lady Shalath." I waited silently for further instructions.
"Well, don't just stand there, go and get my apprentice!" I looked at Lady Zash for permission, and she nodded, gesturing with her still-full glass of alcohol. In spite of all the drinking she'd done, I didn't think she'd actually consumed a drop.
"Good Luck, apprentice."