Nar Shaddaa

Lord Ralnorrei was lying down on the bed wearing little to nothing. She was keeping herself entertained by watching an episode of Vera Hawke. When it was over, she turned it off, and murmured to herself, "Seriously? How could she still be busy? I didn't think 'post-victory sex' was something anyone would wait on."

She got herself dressed and headed over to the complex. "I don't even know why this matters so much to me. Ego? Yeah, probably that," she grumbled.

At the entrance of Lord Haydriss' was temporarily heightened security. "If you seriously can't kriffing recognize me by now then get your eyes checked out. Move." The guards complied and stepped out of the way, allowing the Zabrak to reach the inner laboratory.



"Ralnorrei. A pleasure for you to join me."

"Clearly not, if you're going to keep me waiting. Come on, are you going to stay up all night?"

A pause, the anger ruminating about the room. "You are not allowed to doubt me too."

"Excuse me? You know I'm on your side so you could do me a damn favor and not talk to me that way."

Another pause. The masked one paced about the room, her stance returning to one more like her ordinarily regal self. "Darth Malgus was only partially correct. While I may possess debts to pay, I have acquired so much more than the defeat of Lord Nemerosch." She began to laugh, amplified by her mask and reverberating through the walls. "They imagine me to be without resources but that is now even farther from the truth."

"Great," Ralnorrei said with her arms crossed, "So why don't you tell me what you're thinking instead of playing, 'Ominous Sith Lord?'"

Lord Haydriss laughed once more, though this one was more of joy than villainy. "This will only benefit you, my love. It will benefit us." She took her paramour by the hand and went to her display:

There they were, all placated by drugs and bindings in organized rows and columns on the wall. Each of them a Sith captured in the earlier battle.

"I found it," Haydriss continued, "My solution."

There was the sound of raised voices outside, which lasted a few moments and was followed by a loud knock on the door.

"I wonder who that could be," the Zabrak mused.

"Did you arrange for someone to distract me from my work?" Haydriss shook her head and laughed. "The intrusion is of no great concern." She closed the shutters, concealing the captured Sith, and walked alongside Ralnorrei to the entrance.

"Seems like destiny favored you with this battle."

"Indeed it has."

The two stood side by side and opened the door.

A large true Sith in light armour and a fancy cloak stood outside. The guards were glowering but didn't fancy their chances. He offered a slight bow as they opened the door.

"Apologies for the late hour but you asked to see me Lord Haydriss? I'm Jo'ren Rath."

"You defeated Lord Nemerosch in personal combat." Lord Haydriss waved off the guards and beckoned him to follow her to her meditation chambers rather than the laboratory. In the meantime, Ralnorrei followed along as a part of curiosity. "I had thought you would come tomorrow," Haydriss continued, though she did not seem bothered by it.

"I defeated a shitload of his people. Seemed the thing to do." He shrugged when she mentioned him visiting tomorrow. "You asked, I figured sooner was better than later."

He didn't recognise the Zabrak but offered a polite nod as they walked through the building.

"A torrent of death and destruction is what I have been told." She gestured for her guest to stand in the center of the candlelit chamber. "How closely attuned to the Dark Side are you?" she asked casually.

Jo'ren smiled. "I like that description." He moved to stand where she had indicated.

"I don't have anything to compare to my Lord. Not as closely as some. I've been searching for paths to increase my power with the force, but my Shii-Cho training focuses more on Lightsaber skills."

"Your training in Shii-Cho. I was informed that you were unable to land a blow on Lord Nemerosch. Is that true?"

His face drew into a scowl. "Annoyingly​ true. He somehow managed to dodge my strikes so I took his weapon instead. He tried to strike me back but it was a love tap."

"How does that sway your emotions? I sense that you are angry but are you truly?"

"It was infuriating. The worst part was being denied the chance to end him myself. By a grenade of all things."

Inside he was seething. Shaisha's plot had been extremely clever, but it gave him no satisfaction. He was left with a longing to kill something that the slaughter of Nemerosch's people could not quench.

"Sit. Seethe. Relive that moment. Dwell in it. And then inform me what you would do differently."

He gave her a curious look but did as instructed. It was meditation, of a dark sort. Jo'ren focused in on his anger, his disappointment, his rage. It was deep in his gut and he let it spread through his body, fists and teeth clenching.

"I would have focused everything on overwhelming his defenses and finishing him immediately. I was too concerned with tactics." His eyes blazed as he looked at Haydriss. "The fight was won, but it did not satisfy me."

"How would you overwhelm him? You were not able to strike him when he did not have his lightsaber." A pause. "Did you have to rely on Shaisha Vreysk? Should I be teaching her instead?"

That caused him to bristle. "I was foolish and did not attack with my full strength. I held back to allow time to take his weapon, that was my mistake. Had I focused everything on the assault I would have broken through."

He punched one first into an open hand. "Instead I watched another take his life. It sickens me. It is a lesson I begrudgingly begin to understand."

"She slew him because she was able to circumvent his defenses and tactics. Would you have been capable of doing the same?" A pause. "Did you need Shaisha Vreysk? Did you need Colonel Moraal?"

He looked at her with anger glimmering in his eyes. "Did you need our aid Lord Haydriss? At the time it seems I did need them, much though it gauls me to say it. Even a Sith needs allies no?" He practically spat the words out. "I killed 19 of his men, turning the tide of the battle, and did not finish him myself much to my own irritation. But who knows how it would have ended if things had been different? What ifs' are pointless."

"Shaisha slew him because I took his weapon and he fled, giving her an opening." He folded his arms across his chest because what he really wanted to do was take out his saber. "Still, clearly I have much to improve. Do you have anything to offer me in return for winning your battles for you?"

Lord Haydriss tilted her head. "You are angry enough to dare insult me. Good." She held out her hand and grasped an imaginary concept. "Seize your anger. Add fuel to the flames. Allow it to add to your power."

He snarled as he reached out and imagined gripping Haydriss' heart in one powerful hand, squeezing her life blood, wringing it from her body. His own perceived failures only added strength to his rage.

He could feel it then. A wave of dark energy rushing forth to embrace his spirit, all consuming, all powerful. He would tear them all down. It would be glorious. "Yes!"

The Sith Lord stepped a bit backwards from the surge of Dark Side energy and looked to Ralnorrei. "Looks like you're a good teacher," the Zabrak mused.

"Perhaps. But he has not mastered it," Haydriss noted. She took a breath and examined the male pureblood. "To lose yourself in your emotions is a pathway to victory. It is useful only as long as you can afford to destroy all in your path."

Still high on darkside energy it took him a few moments to respond. Slowly he dialed it back until his breathing was normal again.

"I see it. Right now, this is power in exchange for control. I must practice. Learn to wield it most effectively."

He nodded, looking back at her. The fire in his eyes began to be tempered with understanding.

Lord Haydriss nodded. "It is a rage unfettered. A storm as you were on the battlefield. It will twist the Force around you to the Dark Side." She gestured to the air around them. "You will change the very air itself. Those who upset you will know your displeasure." A pause and then a small laugh. "They may not have time to learn from their mistake."

Jo'ren smiled grimly as he finally lowered his hand. "I will see that they do not." He nodded to her. "This has been instructive my Lord. I appreciate the knowledge you have shared with me."

"You will need to practice this technique constantly. Dwell on your failures and all else which displeases you. Aim to have the air around you chill. Only then will you know you have succeeded."