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SWTOR: Sith Science
Chapter: Six
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- - -

Malora begins the testing of the awakened Empress. She knows already what the results will be, but the tests still need to be run. She is, after all, a scientist, if a mad one.
Meanwhile, others are noticing and reacting to these events, and Darth Nox must make sure her plans are not upended.

“So, you wish to test me?” Vaylin was saying.
“Hmm?” Malora had allowed herself to be distracted making adjustments, checking vital signs. She’d always been better with her experiments than with people. “Oh, yes, it’s important that we see what power you have left, your physical health and stamina, that kind of thing.”
Vaylin smirked. “You believe I am less powerful than I was?”
“After our disagreement? No, I think you are probably as powerful as ever. Possibly more so, or at least you’ve learned some new tricks. But it won’t hurt me to test you. I don’t trust you can maintain it as well as you once did. Especially under stress.”
“And how do you plan to test this?” A moment later she also asked, “Wait, what do you mean won’t hurt you?”
Now it was Malora’s turn to smile. “The simplest way possible.” She pressed a button, releasing the ravenous creatures from their captivity. “And I made sure I didn’t smell like food to them, but you do.”
——————-
Losrss'Tremma had finished her mission, with less than the usual blood shed, and was getting ready to head back to Odessen when she received the report from her people. Senya had slipped away. She was sure that Arcann wouldn’t be far behind.
She leaned back in the pilot’s chair, considering how many of her spies she should make an example of. It was tradition, after all, but she eventually decided that, considering Senya’s abilities, they were not to blame for this particular failure. She also couldn’t afford to waste resources, unlike when she’d served in the Dark Council.
She had left them waiting long enough to make them afraid. That would do for now.
“Yes, carry on. I will see to this personally.”
She cut transmission and changed course. She couldn’t be sure where Senya would go first. It depended on how much she knew and how much she only suspected. Her ultimate goal, however, would be to reach her daughter. What she would do at that point was a matter of guesswork.
Nox didn’t really care for guesswork.
She set course for Asylum.
—————————-
Malora surveyed the smoke-filled battlefield. There were rents in the metal floor, leading to long falls to the lower levels. Her surviving hybrids floated around Vaylin, whimpering, and now she walked to the first one, looked it in the eyes, and said, “No.” She lifted her hand, twisted, and released another broken corpse to fall to the ground.
“Vaylin!”
Vaylin turned her head to look at Malora, but still strolled casually to a second of her creatures. “Yes?”
“I think you’ve proved your point, there is no need to kill any more.”
She scowled at Malora. “You’re the one that left them starving. How long, Sith? A week? A month?”
“Long enough. But they’ll recover if you let them.”
She looked at the creature in front of her, examined it as she had the previous one. “Yes, until you decide to do something like this again. They’d be better off dead.”
Malora took note of this. It was interesting that Vaylin had that opinion. “They are what I made them to be, Empress. Useful tools. But if it will make you feel better, I will make sure they are treated well, at least until we need them.”
“Did you really expect any of them to live?”
“I expected to call them off before you killed too many. Or to teach you to heal yourself. I didn’t expect how quick and vicious you’d be, or this.”
Vaylin grinned at her. “And I was holding back.” Then, she shrugged, turned away, and let this one drop, relatively unharmed. It whined and fled back to the cages. She went to each of them in turn, repeated, “No”, and released it to flee.
Finally, on the seventh of Malora’s remaining creations, it did not whimper. Instead, it growled and snapped at Vaylin’s face, spittle landing on her new clothes. Vaylin smiled triumphantly and set it on the floor, placed her hand on its head, and turned to face Malora. “Fine. Feed them, do what you want, I don’t care. But in payment for your little test, this one is now mine.”
Was the creature… purring? Had she designed that into them? “Well, since you did pass this test, I suppose a reward is in order, yes.”
———————————
Senya had known the Commander had her under observation, but it was a simple matter to slip away. She had hidden in plain sight for years, outpaced the Empress Vaylin for months more. Perhaps Nox had thought the non-Force sensitives would be harder for her to spot, but she had other skills to draw upon.
But now, Senya reached out, trying to sense what she had felt so strongly just days before. They had tried to hide it from her, and had nearly succeeded. If it had been anyone else, they would have, but her connection was simply much too strong. Stronger even than her connection with the twins.
Really, they were too much alike for her not to know. Rebellious, passionate, ruthless, though Senya tried to restrain that last impulse to only when it was needed. She did not know what to feel about how much they had in common.
Vaylin was alive. Somehow, somewhere, she was alive. And Senya did not know if that brought her joy or terror.
She also did not know if she could bring herself to kill her daughter again.
She had considered contacting Arcann, but she could not do it. She was sure it would hurt him far too much. She was also sure it was what Nox would be expecting.
Was the Sith even her enemy? That, she wasn’t sure of. The Commander had spared her son, protected her when she was helpless. Had tried not to kill her daughter until there was no choice. But, why? She’d seen her record, read the reports from both the Sith Empire and the Republic. She was every bit as terrible as Senya’s children had been, perhaps worse. Why take pity on Senya or her children at all?
Until she knew her daughter would not become a threat to the galaxy again or a weapon wielded by Darth Nox, she would have to be careful. And she would have to act alone.

- - -

Part 5: Previous Chapter
Part 7:

Description

SWTOR: Sith Science
Chapter: Six
swtorramblings.tumblr.com/

- - -

Malora begins the testing of the awakened Empress. She knows already what the results will be, but the tests still need to be run. She is, after all, a scientist, if a mad one.
Meanwhile, others are noticing and reacting to these events, and Darth Nox must make sure her plans are not upended.

“So, you wish to test me?” Vaylin was saying.
“Hmm?” Malora had allowed herself to be distracted making adjustments, checking vital signs. She’d always been better with her experiments than with people. “Oh, yes, it’s important that we see what power you have left, your physical health and stamina, that kind of thing.”
Vaylin smirked. “You believe I am less powerful than I was?”
“After our disagreement? No, I think you are probably as powerful as ever. Possibly more so, or at least you’ve learned some new tricks. But it won’t hurt me to test you. I don’t trust you can maintain it as well as you once did. Especially under stress.”
“And how do you plan to test this?” A moment later she also asked, “Wait, what do you mean won’t hurt you?”
Now it was Malora’s turn to smile. “The simplest way possible.” She pressed a button, releasing the ravenous creatures from their captivity. “And I made sure I didn’t smell like food to them, but you do.”
——————-
Losrss'Tremma had finished her mission, with less than the usual blood shed, and was getting ready to head back to Odessen when she received the report from her people. Senya had slipped away. She was sure that Arcann wouldn’t be far behind.
She leaned back in the pilot’s chair, considering how many of her spies she should make an example of. It was tradition, after all, but she eventually decided that, considering Senya’s abilities, they were not to blame for this particular failure. She also couldn’t afford to waste resources, unlike when she’d served in the Dark Council.
She had left them waiting long enough to make them afraid. That would do for now.
“Yes, carry on. I will see to this personally.”
She cut transmission and changed course. She couldn’t be sure where Senya would go first. It depended on how much she knew and how much she only suspected. Her ultimate goal, however, would be to reach her daughter. What she would do at that point was a matter of guesswork.
Nox didn’t really care for guesswork.
She set course for Asylum.
—————————-
Malora surveyed the smoke-filled battlefield. There were rents in the metal floor, leading to long falls to the lower levels. Her surviving hybrids floated around Vaylin, whimpering, and now she walked to the first one, looked it in the eyes, and said, “No.” She lifted her hand, twisted, and released another broken corpse to fall to the ground.
“Vaylin!”
Vaylin turned her head to look at Malora, but still strolled casually to a second of her creatures. “Yes?”
“I think you’ve proved your point, there is no need to kill any more.”
She scowled at Malora. “You’re the one that left them starving. How long, Sith? A week? A month?”
“Long enough. But they’ll recover if you let them.”
She looked at the creature in front of her, examined it as she had the previous one. “Yes, until you decide to do something like this again. They’d be better off dead.”
Malora took note of this. It was interesting that Vaylin had that opinion. “They are what I made them to be, Empress. Useful tools. But if it will make you feel better, I will make sure they are treated well, at least until we need them.”
“Did you really expect any of them to live?”
“I expected to call them off before you killed too many. Or to teach you to heal yourself. I didn’t expect how quick and vicious you’d be, or this.”
Vaylin grinned at her. “And I was holding back.” Then, she shrugged, turned away, and let this one drop, relatively unharmed. It whined and fled back to the cages. She went to each of them in turn, repeated, “No”, and released it to flee.
Finally, on the seventh of Malora’s remaining creations, it did not whimper. Instead, it growled and snapped at Vaylin’s face, spittle landing on her new clothes. Vaylin smiled triumphantly and set it on the floor, placed her hand on its head, and turned to face Malora. “Fine. Feed them, do what you want, I don’t care. But in payment for your little test, this one is now mine.”
Was the creature… purring? Had she designed that into them? “Well, since you did pass this test, I suppose a reward is in order, yes.”
———————————
Senya had known the Commander had her under observation, but it was a simple matter to slip away. She had hidden in plain sight for years, outpaced the Empress Vaylin for months more. Perhaps Nox had thought the non-Force sensitives would be harder for her to spot, but she had other skills to draw upon.
But now, Senya reached out, trying to sense what she had felt so strongly just days before. They had tried to hide it from her, and had nearly succeeded. If it had been anyone else, they would have, but her connection was simply much too strong. Stronger even than her connection with the twins.
Really, they were too much alike for her not to know. Rebellious, passionate, ruthless, though Senya tried to restrain that last impulse to only when it was needed. She did not know what to feel about how much they had in common.
Vaylin was alive. Somehow, somewhere, she was alive. And Senya did not know if that brought her joy or terror.
She also did not know if she could bring herself to kill her daughter again.
She had considered contacting Arcann, but she could not do it. She was sure it would hurt him far too much. She was also sure it was what Nox would be expecting.
Was the Sith even her enemy? That, she wasn’t sure of. The Commander had spared her son, protected her when she was helpless. Had tried not to kill her daughter until there was no choice. But, why? She’d seen her record, read the reports from both the Sith Empire and the Republic. She was every bit as terrible as Senya’s children had been, perhaps worse. Why take pity on Senya or her children at all?
Until she knew her daughter would not become a threat to the galaxy again or a weapon wielded by Darth Nox, she would have to be careful. And she would have to act alone.

- - -

Part 5: Previous Chapter
Part 7: