Sianid Ascendant: Chapter 5

"My Lord Darth Rictus, my name is Lord Zarvell, and I come to you with a most urgent matter. I have knowledge of a plot by another member of the Dark Council to challenge the authority of the Council and, perhaps, the Emperor. This plot involves the use of Sith mysticism not seen since the time of Tulak Hord, and I believe you will agree that it can be traced directly back to a security leak in the Sphere of Mysteries.

"I am including in this message some of the evidence that I have in my possession, in order that I might demonstrate both the veracity of my claims and the seriousness of the situation.

"For reasons which will become clear when you review the data, I am uniquely 'qualified' to intercede on your behalf to put an end to this threat. However, to do so, I must humbly ask for access to certain holocrons and other items that are in your care.

"I trust that you will see the wisdom in granting my request, and take the opportunity to find and eliminate your security breach.

"Your faithful servant, Lord Zarvell. Signing off."

Talos Drellik paused a moment to be sure that Zarvell was finished before speaking up. "A security breach, Sir? Are you certain?"

Zarvell gave Talos a sly grin. "As a matter of fact, I am certain that there is NOT a security breach. But given the nature of what our Darth Nox is doing, Darth Rictus will certainly believe the suggestion to be true. And . . . if he is convinced that he cannot trust those within his own organization, he will be much more amenable to taking in a new outsider . . . one who has recently demonstrated loyalty.

"Speaking of which..." he continued, "have you assembled the research from our allies along with your own? We'll need to decide what we can include with the communique."

"Yes, My Lord. Although, I must add, many of the Starlight Sith were quite clear that they did not approve of this course of action, particularly in the wake of the incident with the Willsaam girl. Some even seemed quite suspicious of your motives."

Zarvell let out a sigh that sounded almost melancholy. "Of course they are suspicious. For a thousand years the order has held together because of healthy suspicion . . . and a mild dose of fear that a renewed war with the Republic could escalate into a second Great Hyperspace War with the Jedi.

"But this is no longer just about Sianid. We must draw out and defeat her new master before it is too late. This is precisely the sort of thing that the Starlight Sith should be doing, in addition to simple mutual protection."

"Well, Sir, I do understand the namesake symbolism of being 'points of light holding back the darkness', and you know that I support you 100%. But I also understand the concern over willingly getting so close to the Dark Council." Talos put his hand on Zarvell's shoulder. "And . . . Zarvell . . . for it to be you of all people, with your ties to 'Gideon'?"  It was rare that Talos would call his superior officer by his first name, signaling that this was really a personal matter between them as friends.

Zarvell found the look of genuine concern on Talos' face touching. "Well, Talos," he responded in kind using his friend's first name, "... like it or not, we are already close to the Dark Council thanks to 'Darth Nox'. And if we expect to put a stop to all of this, we are going to need to understand the Death Strike, Blood Possession, and LifeForce Walking every bit as well as Tulak Hord himself did."

"And so we are in need of Darth Rictus' assistance." Talos begrudgingly admitted.

"And so we are. But do not worry. I won't let Rictus or Sianid have Dianiss,..." Zarvell's expression went from comforting to deadly serious. "...and I DEFINITELY will not let HIM have her, either."

--

Khem Val burst into Sianid's room nearly knocking Ashara over. "Welcome back, Apprentice!"

It was always strange to hear Darth Zash's voice emanating from Khem's mouth, but to hear it NOW was unexpected . . . and unwelcome.

"I've so enjoyed this 'alone' time without having to fight with the Dashade for control. So do tell me, how DID you finally get rid of him for me? And what's all this about your daughter? You're using Ancient Blood Possession, aren't you? Oh, there's simply SO much catching up to do now that you're back."

If she hadn't been so drained from the possession ritual, Sianid would have been angry. But instead, as weak as she was, all she could do was sigh.

It was clear enough what had happened. With Khem's essence having been transferred to Qyzen, his body, like hers, was an empty vessel--except that HIS body was NOT so empty after all and evidently still contained enough of a spark of Darth Zash that was able to rise up and take over, unopposed.

Sianid felt a tinge of anger at herself for not thinking of this possibility before.

But at least it meant that a new consideration occurred to her. "Ashara, did any of the 'guests' in my head make an appearance while I was . . . away?", she asked, ignoring Zash altogether.

"No, Master. You were unconscious the entire time. In fact, your vital signs were a bit worrisome, but stable. And in the Force, you were . . . just a faint echo."

"Good. Now leave me--both of you. Tell Andronikos to set course for Ilum. We will collect our prize there. But for now, I must rest."

When the door was closed, she went to the communication console, and began composing a message. Ilum wasn't entirely safe territory for Sith or Jedi, so calling in some backup seemed prudent--especially with Zash suddenly in the picture.

While she didn't really have any other Sith to call upon whom she trusted, she did have the next best thing....

--

The Scoundrel's Vacation had left Tython hours ago, along with Dianiss' remaining companions (except Nadia, whom the Jedi had instructed to stay behind with them). Kariharra had spent much of that time alone in her quarters, going back-and-forth between trying to figure out how to get Dianiss back, and just crying.

Understanding this "Force" stuff was beyond her, even though she did know far more about it than most non-Jedi . . . but it was like being a person who's read books about a place and seen pictures of it, but never been there in person.

The only first-hand experience Kari had with the Force was a sort of connection with Dianiss that had developed over the years. Dianiss had called it a "Force Bond" and believed it was a result of all the years they'd spent together since childhood. All Kari knew for sure was that she could sense when Dianiss was close, and she could feel hints of Dianiss' emotional state if it was strong enough (which annoyingly meant that it would include the finale to a moment of 'intimacy') even from far away. Kari usually didn't pay much attention to it, but now she was more aware of it from its absence.

That left her with a burning need to DO SOMETHING, and little-by-little a plan was forming--or at least she was giving thought to who would be the best people to help who'd be willing to help. She had already left behind the Jedi Masters whom she thought would help her. Now she didn't expect that they could be counted on . . . at least, not yet. She needed to give them time--they'd come around eventually. The Jedi may not be known for acting QUICKLY, but they are known for doing the right thing when they do act.

The next best thing she could do was track down Dianiss' father, and she had no idea how to do that, or even if he was still alive. Sith tend to have short lifespans, after all.

Failing that, Dianiss' brother Zedemm was her best shot. Even when they were young girls on Tython he had always looked out for them, but in recent years he'd not been training the Jedi Padawans as much and become a bit of a recluse. Besides, he was always a saber man, and never much for the mystical stuff.

There was his protege, Galadina. She was another Knight who was more about the combat than the Force, though she seemed to have her moments. What Kari really needed, though, was another Consular--one that wasn't entirely under the direction of the Jedi Council.

There was only one she knew of, and--fortunately for her--he'd be easy to track down. Kari had a few good contacts in the Republic Military, and Major Kendsel used to be a Shadow before he left the Jedi Order. Back in his Padawan days, he was famously good at the mystical stuff.

Who knows? Maybe Kari could--via Kendsel, to Galadina, to Zedemm--track down Dianiss' father after all.

She'd have to contact him soon, but first there was other work to be done. She pressed the intercom button. "This is the Captain. All hands meet me at the holoterminal."

--

At the holoterminal, the crew had all assembled at Kari's command. "Okay, everyone, we're going to need to assemble some allies. We'd better figure out WHERE to assemble them. Dr. Cedrax...?"

Tharan worked some controls on the console, and soon the image of Holiday appeared, though a bit fuzzy and out-of-focus compared to how she normally looked. She was still on Dianiss' ship, and actually using the communications system rather than her usual high-resolution emitter.

"Hello Tharan!" she said with a smile and her usual squeaky-happy voice.

"Holiday, are you okay?" Tharan asked. He was clearly happy to see her.

"OF COURSE, I'm okay, Silly." she replied with a giggle, then mockingly lowered her head and looked to each side as if checking to see if the coast was clear. "They don't even know that I'm here."

Kari spoke up. "Holiday, is she okay?"

"She's asleep right now, and Qyzen is watching her. But he's not acting himself, either. When she was awake she was calling him 'Kemm'."

"What about the ship? Is it secure?"

"Oh YES, I have full control of the ship. The droid is obeying her since he doesn't see her as an intruder, but he can't do anything that I don't allow." The pride in Holiday's voice was obvious. "Right now, she's trying to go to Ilum. Where should I really take her?"

"We don't want to tip her off just yet." Kari thought a moment. "Go ahead and take the ship to Ilum . . . but slowly. We need time to get help and get there first."

"Roger, Captain." Holiday brought her right hand up in a playful salute, clearly enjoying her little spy mission. "I can create 'malfunctions' much faster than the droid can repair them.  That'll drag out the trip to at least an extra 24 hours!"

"Sounds great. Contact us if anything changes."

"I will. Bye, Tharan." She blew him a kiss and faded out.

After a brief pause, Kari said "Okay, team. Bust out your cold-weather gear, we're headed for Ilum. We get one shot at this, and if we blow it we'll be in for a fight like you've never seen before. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some calls to make."

--

Sianid awoke, still a bit groggy but otherwise refreshed, to see Ashara once again sitting at the computer terminal watching over her. "Ashara, ..." she asked, "... how long have I been . . . ?"

Ashara looked over at the console to check the time. "About 15 hours, Master. I was starting to worry."

"Well, I am feeling quite a bit better, actually. The rest was evidently just what I needed."

"You are looking well, Master. Your body temperature is back to normal now. You were running quite a fever when you were . . . away. It broke after you were asleep for a few hours, but when you still didn't wake up-"

"Has Khem had any of these symptoms?" Sianid asked, interrupting.

"No, Master. Although, it is difficult to know with certainty how such things would affect him. Physically, I mean.

"Also, Master, Darth Zash has been researching the techniques and rituals you've been using. I must say, I don't approve. If you have plans to do to your daughter what Zash tried to do to you, I won't be helping you."

Sianid's facial expression became deadly serious. "Ashara. In fact, I am not planning to do what Zash did. So you can stop worrying . . . about THAT. How . . . ever. We will return to this topic of conversation, another time. I promise you, you will not enjoy it.

"But first, assemble the crew in the conference room. My legend is about to be forged, and that is--for the moment--more pressing than punishing your insolence."

--

Kari pressed the button to answer the incoming holocall. "Cap'n Kari here."

"Captain Kariharra, this is Master Annanya.  I speak for the Jedi High Council."

The Jedi had come around, as Kari knew they would. After all, Kari had a secret of her own now, and the Jedi would want to know it--not that she meant to use it as a bargaining chip, but if there was any hope for success, this HAD to be a joint operation.

"Master Annanya, what can I do for you?"

"Before you . . . departed, . . . you said something about being able to track Dianiss' ship?"

"Ilum. We have about 24 hours until she arrives. That should be enough time to assemble a team and come up with a plan."

"I see. Thank you. For everything, I mean." She paused. "What you did was very . . . brave."

Kari could feel herself getting emotional again and fought it back by focusing on the task at hand.  "Alright, listen. I've transported my share of Sith prisoners for the Order, so I know what happens next. Here's the deal: I deliver her to you. She'll be unconscious, and she'll be close to death. I need you guys to do YOUR part. That means you save her life, you keep her alive, but you keep her under. And I know it'll take more than just drugs."

Kari started to tear up a bit, knowing the gravity of what she was about to suggest for the closest friend she'd ever known: "I know you're going to have to do that 'Force Severance' thing, too."

Annanya nodded in understanding. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. Besides, with HER, it . . . it's complicated."

"Complicated?"

"Complicated."  Annanya nodded and maintained an I-don't-want-to-talk-about-it expression.

"So complicated it would take *25* hours to explain?"

Annanya paused, clearly choosing her next words carefully.

"If she's possessed by a Sith, it's uncertain what exactly would be suppressed if we try to cut her off from the Force. It might even have the opposite effect from what we are trying for."

"You can't beat her, you know. 'Darth Nox' has no qualms at all about tapping into that . . . whatever-it-is. I just hope Annie's still in there, somewhere."

"I know. So do I."

--

"My Lord. It's a Code Angel message."

Zarvell came immediately to the bridge and unlocked the message with his handprint and passphrase. This time, the message had originated from "Angel of Death".

AA,
S brings A to Magenta for pickup.
Gideon & allies assemble to retake A.
Expect FA to be present.
Instructions?
-AD

Zarvell let out a sigh of frustration. "Fools. The Jedi fight a battle they cannot win as if they have never crossed paths with the Sith before."

Zarvell began typing up his reply.

AD,
Protect the family.
Maintain secrecy.
Assist Gideon.
When possible, supernova.
-AA

He then encrypted the message and encoded it for posting in one of the many "dead drop" locations he maintained for important messages that had to be received quickly.

"Drellik? We're heading for Ilum. Contact Denevee. We'll meet up with her on Korriban so that we can get the things we need there. We're going to need her assistance once we get to Ilum. Besides, it's about time she and I visited the cavern."

"Ilum, Sir? 'The cavern'?"

"Yes, Drellik. My great-grandfather once discovered a cavern there which contains unusual specimens of natural light-red and magenta kyber crystals. He immediately lay claim to it, and today--at least within the Empire's jurisdiction--I am the owner of the property where the cavern is found. Since then, that colour has been a sort of family tradition. Thus, 'Magenta' is the code name for Ilum."

"I see, Sir." He paused, uncertain. "I don't suppose I could impose upon-"

"Of course you can come." Zarvell interrupted, smiling. "If you hadn't asked, I'd have killed you on the spot and gone in search of the REAL Drellik."

Talos blushed, then laughed, realizing that Zarvell had been teasing him and that he completely fell for it. "Thank you, My Lord. I'll rest easier now, knowing that I'm irreplaceable."

--

Galadina's holo-communicator made the familiar chirp that indicates an incoming call. She pressed the button to answer it, and smiled when she realized it was a dear friend.

"General Galadina, you will NOT believe what just happened to me!"

"Major Kendsel!", she said, still smiling. "It's always great to hear from you!" Then she added, "Ah, but I'm not a General."

"I know that. But it's protocol. And if I start calling you 'Master', you know it'll just leave you battling the temptation to give me orders. I'm doing you a favor, really."

"But that won't happen when you call me 'General'? Is that what you're expecting me to go with here . . . Major?"

"Well you're NOT a General. And the reason I know this is that a Jedi Master that I know told me this personally--very recently, in fact."

And there it was: the giggle that she could no longer suppress. She loved how he could always make her laugh. "Okay, so tell me what happened already." She smiled and added "That's a order."

"Sir, Yes Sir!" He gave her a smart, though obviously joking salute before continuing. "So I get a call from an old friend of ours from Tython. You remember Kari? That Twi'lek who was always hanging around when we were Padawans? It seems that she needs some help from a Jedi, and so she did the only logical, sensible thing and called . . . ME. Because, y'know, being from Tython and all, she apparently never met any other Jedi in her whole life . . . plus she must have seen all those statues of me at the old Temple on Coruscant."

"They're very impressive, even if they don't capture the REAL you."

"OOOOH, thanks for that." He made a dramatic gesture of 'pulling a knife from his chest' before continuing. "So she wants me to come to Ilum to help with some problem with . . . wait for it . . ."

"Nooooooooo!" Dina said jokingly in mock pain.

"Oh so you heard this story already. Good, then you also already know that she wants YOU to come, too."

"NOOOOOOOOO!" she said again, shaking her head in disbelief.

"But that's not even the best part!" he said, excitement building in his voice. "While I'm on the call--DURING that call--my C.O. breaks in with new orders. Can you guess where? Go on. You can do it."

"Wait, what?"

"Nope, sorry, I believe the 'Waitwhat' system is deep in Hutt territory. The correct answer is 'Ilum'. I really thought you'd get that one."

"Why is Havoc involved in this?"

"Well, aside from the fact that my former Master has more than a little bit of pull with my current Commanding Officer, . . ."

"Master Annanya? And Colonel Corv-"

". . . there's also the fact that the Jedi are taking this seriously enough that even YOU are going to be getting a summons . . . in . . . just . . . about . . . ."

Dina's holo-communicator beeped the klaxon-like sound that indicates an emergency transmission. Her connection with Kendsel was frozen in place and then replaced by the image of Master Satele Shan.

"Master Galadina, we are tracking an emerging threat to the Republic and to the Jedi in particular. We need you travel immediately to Ilum where you will join a rescue team to recover one of our own. We will provide a full tactical briefing on your arrival."

"Yes, Master Shan. I'll go at once."

"Thank you. Shan out."

When Shan's image faded away, Kendsel's image and audio switched back in. "So . . . I'll see you on Ilum then. Besides, I haven't seen Master Zedemm in a LONG time. That'll be nice. Kendsel out."

For a moment she just sat stunned in front of the now-inactive holo-communicator. "How does he DO that?" she said out loud.

--

In her room, alone, Sianid closed her eyes and concentrated. In the Force, she could still sense the existence of the connection to Dianiss, unbroken. She reached out along that connection, following it to its destination.

She opened her eyes to find herself lying on the bed of Dianiss' ship, still partially undressed as she had been before, but with Dianiss' cat on the bed curled up next to her, also sleeping. She immediately shooed him away.

"Khem! Where are you?" she called out, then heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching from the lower deck.

"I am here, Little Sith."

"Droid! What is our current position?"

"Good morning, Master! I trust you are feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after your extended rest period."

"OUR. CURRENT. POSITION."

"We are on route to the planet Ilum, as you have instructed."

"WE'RE NOT THERE YET?!?" Sianid gave the droid a mild shock to remind it that she did not tolerate failure. "And DON'T YOU DARE tell me it's because you were busy applying a fresh coat of paint to my quarters...."

"I- I- I- I'm- I'm sorry master, but there have been some difficulties with the hyperdrive that I have been unable to fully repair." The effects of the shock had been initially disruptive but faded away quickly enough.

"What sort of 'difficulties'?"

"Master, I have been unable to determine the cause of the malfunctions. I beg your forgiveness. We seem to be only capable of short bursts at this time, and only with a sufficient cooldown period after each one."

"Don't these Jedi ships have proper astromech droids assigned to them?"

"Oh yes, Master. All Jedi Knights travel with astromechanical repair droids. But, as you are aware, this vessel's primary mission is medical and diplomatic support, not combat. Repairs and maintenance are usually performed at orbital stations and spaceports."

"So what IS our E.T.A.?"

"We should arrive in approximately 10 hours, Master."

--

On the Republic orbital station above Ilum, the members of the Jedi task force to recover Dianiss had assembled. Masters Annanya and Casei had already arrived along with Major Kendsel and Master Galadina. Zedemm was on his way, but had not arrived yet. His image appeared on the holo-terminal next to Master Shan's image. Kari entered with Dianiss' crew right behind her. Kari's arrival seemed to signal that it was time to begin the briefing.

Master Shan began. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming. Ordinarily, all I would have to say is that this is a Type-6 extraction and recovery mission, but our target is anything but ordinary. As most of you know, Master Dianiss is being controlled by a powerful Sith as a means of capturing her and extraditing her to the Empire. We cannot allow this--not just because she is one of our own, but because losing her represents a and significant threat to Republic security. Each of you have been asked here to participate in this operation because of your respective talents and abilities. I sincerely hope that combat is not necessary, but we must be prepared all the same." She motioned towards Kari'arra. "Captain...."

Kari took her prompt to continue the briefing. "Like the lady says, Type-6 E&R. In about 8 hours, the Pure Light is going to CRASH on the surface of Ilum. We will have some control over how and where it happens, and we're trying for is that the crash will incapacitate her long enough for us to get to her. From there we put her under, extract her, and get her to the holding capsule aboard Scoundrel's Vacation. Once she's been secured, it's up to you Jedi to figure out how to break the control and get her back."

Master Annanya spoke up. "The complication here is that we will not be the only ones trying to recover her, so there may be resistance. We will have to work fast to avoid this turning into a battle. Also, if Dianiss is not incapacitated, we may have to fight with HER, so be prepared."

Kari continued. "We have approximately 8 hours before she arrives. Do whatever you need to do to prepare."

--

On Korriban, Zarvell was returning from the temple to the shuttle landing pad. He was pleased to see that his apprentice had arrived. "Denevee! Over here!"

Officially, Denevee was still Zarvell's apprentice--although it had been some time now since he had acted as her teacher. Even among the Sith, Miralukas, Mirialans, and Twi'lek were not treated by the Empire the way Sith Purebloods or even Humans were--due to their "position" as hereditary slaves. On the other hand, among the Starlight Sith, Miralukas were highly prized for their ability to perceive the Force flowing through other beings. As such, they were aggressively recruited so that they could help determine truthfully whether a Sith is a servant of the Dark Side or the Light Side. This was the Starlight Sith's first line of defense against infiltration and betrayal. In rare cases a Force-sensitive from another race develops this ability as well (like Denevee, a Mirialan), and this was--originally--how she came to be chosen as his apprentice many years ago.

"Lord Zarvell! Talos tells me that you've been granted access to the Sphere of Mysteries? How in the name of Naga Sadow did you make THAT happen?"

"The usual way. The truth, wrapped in lies, wrapped in truth."

"And Rictus is actually going to promote you to Darth?"

"It seems that protocol demands it."

"I . . . wow. That's just . . . I don't know what to say."

"Well then, perhaps the less said of it, the better. Meanwhile, we have an appointment on Ilum."

"Ilum? Who's the new recruit?"

"Oh no, nothing so simple as that. We need to catch up with a Jedi, and I'll be needing your assistance to confirm one of my suspicions."

"Which is?"

"Who she REALLY is...."

--

Aboard her docked ship, Kari was consulting with Dr. Cedrax and Holiday.

"So Holiday, do you understand what we need here? The ship needs to go down, and fast. While it's going down, you need to depressurize enough that they go unconscious from lack of oxygen. We don't want to suffocate them, but we want to knock them out."

"I understand." Holiday answered.

"Dr. Cedrax, you've been her other doctor for a while now, so it's up to us to help Holiday get this right. She's a Jedi, so she's not going to go down easily. Frankly, neither is Qyzen. If there's anything you can vent into the ship's air that will help knock them out, go for it."

"Yes, Captain." Tharan replied. "I think I know just the thing."

"Captain?" Holiday interrupted.

"What is it?"

"What about Rava?" Holiday asked, referring to Dianiss' cat. "Just because Dianiss and Qyzen can survive this, it doesn't mean he can."

"You'll have to separate him from the others somehow. Honestly, he'll probably hide in his box and then you can seal it off from the depressurization and the gas. Otherwise, . . . this is gonna be dangerous no matter how careful we are."

"Okay. I'll try."

--

Back in her quarters, alone again, Kari was again going back-and-forth between hoping that this plan was going to work and crying. Best to get it out of her system now.

"Oh Annie, please please forgive me."