Hoth: Blood and Ice

Once again, Luth found herself on her master's ship, riding out over the icy wastes. The snow fields seemed endless outside, but there was still more to do today to wrap up yesterday. One more thing. She awaited her master's convenience, as always. After all, he might have something he wished to say first. It wouldn't be the first time, if that were the case.

Baras sighed and said, "Go ahead, Apprentice."

She took a deep breath. "Went to the cave with Tethys, Galen, Senya, and Aphr, as you know. Ritual was successful, we went into her memories to find out what the deal was with Vaylin. Found out the Emperor was using drugs and stuff to mess with her head. Emperor showed up, possessed me, which you undoubtedly felt in some way because of stuff, I kept him off me long enough to manifest this holocron he was scared of, and Vaylin and Tethys used whatever it could do to kill him. For good, this time. Go team. I got better. Vaylin's conditioning is broken." It was all one breath. She too exhausted physically and emotionally to put much tone into it.

"Draahg's been trying to turn me against you by trying to convince me you're about to turn against me. I'm curious if he's been saying stuff like that to you. Also, whenever I heard that voice I think I told you about, which indeed turned out to be the Emperor, he just happened to be hanging around. Including at the cave. Funny, that."

"Oh, and we found Sylvain. He had visions that suggested we need to work with the Republic completely to be able to defeat what remains of the Emperor's legacies. Not, like, quid pro quo kind of stuff. Probably weighted to certain possibilities because it's a Dark Side vergence." She sounded a little like she wanted to fall over.

"Every Sith must position themselves for advancement," he responded about Draahg. "What are your thoughts on Shyyyo's theory or is he just Sylvain now?"

"He is quite terrible at secret identities."

"Naturally," she replied with a sigh. "Yeah. Super bad. He's too out of it for me to tell what he wants to be called right now, or maybe it doesn't matter to him anymore. I think he experienced a lot of time in that vision. After having seen into his head and Senya's memories, though, I also don't think he's wrong. Those twins are the only problem left, but they're going to be a problem, because unlike him and Vaylin, I get the impression Zakuul has a lot of resources at hand. Future generations might be able to do something, but giving them a chance to dig in seems less than ideal."

Baras replied, "Well it seems our problems have decided to hit all at once."

"So it seems. Are there more I should know about, aside from that and..." She paused as she decided the best phrasing. "... earlier?"

Baras chuckled darkly, "I am sure that was enjoyable to see, nothing like family to complicate matters of state."

"It was something, certainly," she commented. "Probably too few degrees of separation involved to call it enjoyable."

He's basically an in-law, after all.

"He is an outlier, at best," he agreed. "But he is family, as much as that matters to any true Sith."

"Hmm... fair, I suppose. Every family has its unusual members."

“You seem to be angling for something or wish to make an observation, speak your mind, Apprentice,” he responded.

"I do have something on my mind. The interesting thing about the whole situation yesterday is that I was able to accomplish what I had meant to do in that vergence in the first place as I mentioned before. Knowing the darkness," she said thoughtfully. "When one stares into the abyss, the abyss stares back with one's own face."

"Oh, and what insights have you gleaned from seeing you own face," he mused with interest.

"Then we shall discuss Lord Draahg."

"Self-preservation is a narcissistic bedfellow. My whole life has been endless efforts toward self-preservation, gathering power for that, and to preserve the few people I'm still attached to... A population that gets thinner by nature. The gathering of power breaks some chains and reinforces others. The equilibrium is slowly tipping no matter what, and just self-preservation won't be enough. Change is constant, and trying to sit still in that will be death for me and others. I suppose I can thank Draahg for artfully illustrating that. My mental image of the available options is a little broader than it was before, and my own strengths and weaknesses. Things I wouldn't have thought of as possibilities."

She thought for a moment, then added, "I'm ready to engage with the force as more than a tool, finally."

"Quite an epiphany," he responded. "What are your remaining attachments?"

"An eye-opening experience, though I can't say I'd recommend it to anyone," she agreed. "As to that... You know most of them. That's how I ended up working for you in the first place. I suppose you and my children have been added to the roster."

She looked up at the ceiling of the vessel. "Though it's not like there's such a thing as a bit player."

“Jedi often view their masters as mentors and guides, and young Sith make that mistake many a time, but the relationship is hardly one of fostering the future and more a battle of dispensing knowledge that will strengthen your apprentice but not weaken yourself. I have seen many of these young Sith try and break this truth but they are outliers and the power of the Dark Side rarely abides competition.”

He chuckled and said, “And yet we must seek apprentices to prove and show our power, to extend our reach and to preserve our legacy. The greatest Sith Lord is nothing if they have nothing to pass on that knowledge to and none of us can live forever as we have so fervently demonstrated.”

“Yet the number one reason for death for any Master, is their apprentice. It is the final lesson, until that lesson is taught, they will always live in the shadow of their Master. Never forget that I am your final obstacle, just as Sylvain will be the final obstacle for his children and so on so forth… and in time our children will seek one of us out to cut their place into the world. Do not roll over for them, give them just service and make them earn every inch.”

"Oh, I'm aware." She laughed softly. "And if I start looking too dangerous, then I'm the obstacle that needs to be removed. The equilibrium of two forces pulling at each other only lasts until something shifts. It's a temporary state of affairs in the end. The risks of one of our continued existences will eventually come to outweigh the benefits. Or the benefits of the removal outweigh the risk it would be to do it."

"But there's some time, still, I think. You wanted to say something about Draahg?"

"I just did," he mused.

She smiled at that. "Ah. I think I understand, then."

"I suppose that's it for now, then?"