Nar Shaddaa

Sylvain injured and heavily charred body plopped down on his bed as soon as he returned to his apartment. He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. It was obvious to any bystander that he was still in shock by the events that had just transpired. His mind worked at each moment, replayed each second and saw the same grizzly images over and over.

He saw Layne's last look as he had convinced her to join the fight... felt the responsibility of making that call over and over again as he saw Baras' blade pierce her lifeless body in his mind's eye.

His eyelids lay open, rarely blinking... body not moving for what must have been at least an hour. The darker voices in his head began to tell him that this had been a victory for him in some ways... that he could turn this to his own advantage now with Layne dead. The lighter voices tried to make him feel guilty for what he had done, for putting others in danger but sparing himself in the end. The endless torrent and battle in his mind caused him to close his eyes tightly trying to silence the voices in his mind.

After another several minutes he was able to silence all the voices. He was left staring at the ceiling again, counting the holes in the roofing... mind empty... or dead more accurately. He had failed the Empire, failed his mother, failed his master, failed his comrades, failed his father's memory. Any mental activity other than mindless counting would lead him down a line of thought he didn't care to follow.

Having not found Sylvain at the wreckage, Shaisha headed to the Imperial compound, and moved through its halls until she ended up at the door to his private quarters.

She knocked on the door, without saying anything.

Hearing a faint knock Sylvain stirred slightly and rolled over to check the monitor next to his bed. Pressing a button on his holopad the door opened and he stood up and walked out of his room into the living room to greet Shaisha as she walked in. There were blaster shot wounds that appeared to be unattended to in his shoulder and ribcage. His robes were terribly burned and his face was spattered with black splotches and bruises.

Smiling faintly as he saw her walk in he took a seat on the couch, "Evening Shai."

"You look like a mess, Syl," she said after a few moments of looking him over, and she reached into her belt. She was wearing her armor underneath the loose black robes. "Need a doctor, or just a few stims?"

He held up his hand, "Neither... the pain helps..."

Shaisha's ridged eyebrow rised slowly, carefully considering his words.

"... Tell me what happened," she said softly as she sat down next to him on the couch.

"Baras and Magpie had their duel... Baras won... but I led a squad thinking he could be beaten in his weakened state." He shook his head showing that wasn't the case.

"Layne's dead. Zeno... somehow lived through that carnage... And I failed... failed so miserably its laughable."

Well, she wouldn't shed any tears over Layne, though she had to give the woman some respect if she had tried to strike down her jerk-master.

"But Baras spared you," her tone was somewhere between a statement and a question.

He nodded, "I asked him to spare the others, was willing to give my life... but Rumun Gol sabotaged the Barge that was headed for the Republic compound... I worked with Baras to bring down the craft before it would ruin the peace talks. He is currently 'considering' my service for him going forward."

"Hmm..." That Rumun had the gall to go up against Baras gave her some more respect for the Duros. Seems like I've underestimated him.

"Well, whatever happens, you should fix yourself up," she put a hand on his shoulder. "I don't think Baras is going to outright kill you, but he will probably punish you severely... losing two apprentices is a big blow to his powerbase."

He chuckled, "The pain keeps my mind focused. My head moves to wildly and becomes disfunctional after something like this... I need to process what to do and my own mind gets in the way."

She sighed and pulled him a bit closer.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there. Even when I had promised you..."

"I was called by the Force... those who were there were meant to be there I suppose..." He replied.

"I cannot imagine a more routing failure... And yet... I linger... in my own weakness and foolishness..." He shakes his head.

"I have learned I am far less crucial to this Empire than I could ever have imagined... Watcher-5 was right to try to have me killed."

"Bantha dung. You're more important than you know," she said firmly.

"Just because we fail doesn't mean we lose our importance."

He shook his head, "It's reality... I can do nothing."

"Syl, stop it..." she turned his face to look at her, her eyes meeting his.

"You're important to me. And to Kris. And there's a lot you can do... however, we're all still new at this. We haven't even been Sith for a year. We can't expect to change the galaxy that soon."

He nodded, "You all seem to be on a right path... but each step I take on mine takes me to places very different than I want to be."

"Perhaps Baras was not the right path for you, though it will be difficult to leave it now, unless he decides to cast you out."

Shaisha shook her head. "Probably unlikely. He let you live, I suspect he's just going to strengthen his hold on you..."

He nodded as if she had got what he was getting at.

"I asked you before to run and save your life..." she pressed her lips together as she sighed. "Has your answer changed?"

"I'm here aren't I?" He replied.

"Should have known you'd keep on being stubborn," she smiled wryly.

"But you know I'm going to ask you still to be careful and do what you must to save your life."

He shook his head, "If I hadn't 'run' and been a coward I wouldn't be here..."

"Live to fight another day," she repeated with a nod. Heroicly dying in combat for no reason other than principles and ideals wasn't something she was likely to do herself.

"You'll have time to think of where to go from here."

He nodded, "I hope so... he still needs to die."