[IC] You never see it coming[Freedomliveson/The Elvenqueen]

[freedomliveson]

He hadn't noticed that the third attacker had crept behind him until he heard a lightsaber come to life, the Knight turning to find the body of the would-be murderer sprawled on the ground, a confident Aria over the body. She did make a good point; with the chaos they had been involved in, they were sure to be found out.
"Right. Come on, gimpy. We'll get you patched up on the flight."

The ship had thankfully been untouched, the duo boarding without having to face any other resistance. His vessel, a small and speedy shuttle he had obtained from a Republic base(the commander owed him one), launched into Korriban's turbulent atmosphere just as the stars above began to be visible. After a few minutes of jostling and verbal cursing from Yerbol, who manned the controls in the most frantic manner possible, they reached space and soon after that hyperspace, prompting his large frame to plop into the captain's chair. He breathed out a heavy sigh of relief, rubbing his face with his hands as he looked back at Aria.
"I heard something clang against the wall in there...that wasn't you, was it?" He snorted a laugh as he rose from his chair, ducking a few inches to not hit his head on the entranceway to what he called the "seating area", which had two rows of seats, one against each wall. It was about eight feet wide, which allowed some movement, but the hatch at the rear was located about ten feet from the cockpit, so it wasn't cozy.

Yerbol sat down across from Aria in a simple white t-shirt, his robes and overclothes discarded on the co-pilots chair, allowing for his expansive musculature to be shown off in the soft yellow light that emanated from above them. Silence weighed in the air, a chasm between the two before Yerbol told her:
"My name is Yerbol...if that hasn't been communicated yet or you didn't find out through Lysa's communication to me." He cleared his throat, shifting in his seat.
"Lysa was...well, she had disappeared a couple of years ago without a trace. Has she been here the whole time? Trying to become a Sith? Is that how you knew her?"

[The Elvenqueen]

Aria huffed out a breath as she sat up when the shuttle finally stopped rocking from side to side and levelled out. "Who taught you to fly, a bloody drunk?!" the way she clasped one palm against her forehead would prompt the conclusion that the clanging sound had indeed been her head connecting with the wall as they had exited the planet's atmosphere, even if she didn't confirm it directly.

Shifting to a more comfortable sitting position, she met his gaze but remained silent until he spoke first, apparently having been exhausted of any other verbal jabs for the present moment.
"Aria." she muttered, dropping her hand back down to her side and smirking wryly. "In case you missed it." her brow furrowed as she tried to recall when it was that Lysa had first appeared on Korriban.
"Yes, I would say so." the acolyte answered slowly, counting off a few dates or months (she never vocalized exactly what it was she was counting) on her fingers, she nodded again when she was sure that the timeline worked out correctly. "Probably about a year or so ago, yeah."

"I thought she was just another wannabe. Y'know, a Jedi washout that didn't get the glory she was hoping for out of the Order." another smirk played across Aria's features as she leaned back against the seat, trying to relax as best as she could being stuck in a shuttle with someone who was supposed to be her enemy. "We get a lot of those showing up, 'specially recently; most of 'em don't last a month. Turns out she was much better than that."

She couldn't say for sure whether Lysa had had a genuine interest in joining the Empire's regime or whether she had indeed been a Jedi spy as the rumors seemed to indicate. Aria had never made much of an effort to talk to Lysa beyond the taunts the pair had exchanged in the duelling rings once or twice.
"If she was faking it the whole time, then she was pretty good with mind tricks and concealments, to hide her intentions from the Dark Council like that." it was the closest thing to a compliment directed at Yerbol's sister that would likely ever leave Aria's mouth. "If they had suspected even for a moment that she was intending to feed intel back to your Order they would have killed her long before they let her contact you...or maybe they were screwing with her the whole time, testing her to see what she would choose when you turned up." Aria shrugged in conclusion. "You probably don't want to even consider that your sister would stab you in the back like that, so hey if it makes you feel better to think she was still on your side, don't let me stop you."

[freedomliveson]

"No. No, I'm not delusional. Lysa, although the older sister, was much more rash and impulsive than I was. Well, maybe rash isn't the right word, just...passionate. She allowed her emotions to control her way too often, but that also allowed her to get familiar with the concept of emotion and how to manipulate others to her cause." He chuckled slightly.
"She did that to me too many times to count. We'd be arguing about who knows what and then within a few moments I found myself convicted of her rightness. She used to say that it was her 'big sister' privileges to know how to control me." Shaking his head, he leaned back against the hard metallic seat.
"It got worse when we were made Knights. She argued with the Council, her Masters and anyone else who tried to tell her what to do. She was a loose cannon in the field and got a couple of Republic troopers killed because she was too busy trying to kill a sniper who had nicked her leg while she wasn't looking. So, I guess it wasn't a surprise that she went over to the Sith. Their principles fell more in line with what she believed in." His eyes met hers.
"The shock of seeing her dead probably made me feel nostalgic and...well, you killed her, so I assumed that it was because she was in the middle of some noble purpose." He swallowed.
"It's hard to think that she would fall that far, but, in a way, I suppose it would be better for her to die attempting to pursue her own destiny than be told by the Masters that she HAD to believe in a certain code." What he had just said would have earned him several fierce glares from the Masters that he regularly interacted with along with a scolding that "all must follow the path of the Light". He wouldn't discuss his somewhat radical views with Aria at the moment, however. She was his prisoner, although from the recent attack, she might have come a bit more willingly than before.

Speaking of attacks...

"Who were those people that ambushed you? Were they after the same thing you were? I think the Zabrak mentioned something about a Lord Bracknell, a name that's come up a lot in the field."

[The Elvenqueen]

"A gigantic pain in my ass, that's what they were." Aria groaned, leaning her head back to look up towards the ceiling. "You really don't have a clue how this whole thing works, do you? Bracknell is one of the Masters on the Dark Council. Everyone who's anyone on Korriban wants to impress them, if you can you'll get a formal apprenticeship with one of them, have a chance at making something out of yourself. Everyone who can't make the cut dies, no-one leaves that academy alive unless they earned it." she was careful not to give away too much information that could be used against the Council or the Empire but it was amusing to have the chance to explain something so basic to him and make him feel a bit of a fool for not knowing.

"Every acolyte that comes into the academy has to make an impression to have a chance of being considered, each Master only takes one apprentice. If you train hard enough, you might get lucky and get noticed. But we're all competing at the same time, for the same thing. Everyone wants the prestige, wants to be better than the other acolytes. Sometimes fights break out, it's pretty common for students to try and kill each other, get rid of the competition and all that." Aria shrugged nonchalently as if it weren't that ghastly of a concept to comprehend. "They've been trying to get the jump on me for six months, started out with just the Zabrak but when she couldn't beat me on her own she got together a little posse to help her. I've been going easy on them, I let her go with a broken shoulder last time. Guess she decided she wasn't ready to call it quits and admit she wasn't good enough to pass the initiation test."

[freedomliveson]

"Sounds like an awful system. Devouring each other for the sake of power? For attention from people?" He shook his head.
"You know I've tried to understand your ways. I really have. I've studied the code of the Sith, I've talked to former Sith that turned to the Jedi path, even had somewhat civil discussions with Sith prisoners and yet I just don't understand the need for power. What is it that drives someone to achieve ultimate power at the expense of others?" He averted her gaze for a moment as the nav computer in the cockpit chirped twice, indicating that there was an incoming message. The Knight rose, going to the computer and activating the comm unit. What greeted him was a miniature hologram of Master Syo Bakarn, his brow furrowed, eyes narrowed.

Well, they found out.

"Just what did you think you were going to get out of this, Yerbol?"
"Master, I-"
"We're in the middle of galactic war, just now turning the tide...and you decide to throw your life away? Cause a potential incident that could have increased Sith morale or worse yet, convert another to their cause?" The words were coated in an indignant venom that was burning Yerbol to the core, yet the Knight felt in his heat he had been right to come here...for many reasons. A quick look back at his captive assured him that she wasn't trying to assassinate him from behind, his eyes turning to Master Bakarn.
"Master, my sincerest apologies for not communicating my mission to you, but I felt it was necessary."
"Necessary?" If words could kill, Yerbol would have been sliced in half.
"I found a few things on the planet that could help us...well, a thing and a person."
"Who did you bring?"
"Well, it would be difficult to explain at the moment..."
"Oh you will do plenty of explaining. Thankfully I and Master Shan were on Taris to inspect some of the work being completed. Meet us at the Republic outpost closest to the docking bay."
"Of course."

Yerbol returned to his seat.
"Well, if you hadn't guessed from that conversation, I wasn't sent by the Council. This was a rather personal mission for me." He leaned his elbows on his knees.
"Headed to Taris, where you'll more than likely be quizzed by the Masters, who will decide what to do with you next. You'll find that they're much more hospitable than the Sith." A pause.
"Hey, so...were you born into the Sith order? Or were you...a convert? I guess?"

[The Elvenqueen]

"Yes, I DO have functioning ears thank you, I heard everything." Aria rolled her eyes, cracking her knuckles as she looked him over with a hint of curiosity in her features as he returned from the exchange with the Jedi Master. "Taris. Haven't been there in years." she mused, her head angling slightly to one side. "Though I did get so wasted at one point that I don't really remember most of it,"

The acolyte shrugged, crossing her hands behind her head and reclining back in the seat. She smirked wryly, eyebrows disappearing into her hairline.
"I'm surprised you remembered there was a difference. Most Jedi assume we're all 'converts' as you call it." she was quiet for a few seconds, clearly lost in old memories before she shook her head abruptly as if to dismiss the thoughts remembering that he was waiting for an answer.

"My father's one of the Council too, he pulled me onto Korriban when I was four after he realised I was Force sensitive too. Trained there ever since." a shudder passed through her despite her best attempts to conceal it. She had been nothing but an innocent child once, too, if the Jedi had gotten to her first she may have been an entirely different person to the one that sat opposite Yerbol now.

[freedomliveson]

"So you never had a choice? Ever?" He laughed.
"Well, I suppose choice doesn't really enter into the equation when dealing with a group of people that pride themselves on domineering those that they can." The statement came out a bit harsher than he had wanted it to, so he added:
"Sorry. Hard to quash passionate feelings about an entity that one has been at war with for essentially their entire lives." Which made this interaction between the two so intriguing to the young Knight. Yes, she was his captive and absolutely there would be no chance of him letting his guard down so she could stab him in the back, but here were two enemy combatants having a civil conversation. Almost all interactions between Jedi and Sith usually devolved into petty name-calling or defamation of the order they served, but these two...they were talking. Like two normal human beings. Maybe...just maybe there was hope. With the current array of Masters, however, Yerbol doubted that there would be any kind of peaceful discussion. Like Master Bakarn had said, they were at war.

But did they HAVE to be?

The nav computer chirped, alerting Yerbol that they two hours away from Taris.
"I'll leave you be. We'll be at Taris soon." He rose, walking to the doorway between cockpit and seating area when he paused, lingering.
"It probably doesn't mean very much to you, but Lysa was a good person. I'm sorry you saw her at her worst." His lips parted, words wanting to tumble out, but he closed them. Another time.

_________________

As they walked off the ship, a part of him wished he had some sort of restraining device to place on Aria. She was honoring their agreement for the moment, but that didn't mean that she wouldn't look for an opportunity to be rid of him at a moment's notice. Of course, maybe it would be the best for the both of them to separate. Then again, it wouldn't be his decision, as evidenced by Master Bakarn and Master Shan waiting for them at the entrance into the outpost. Yerbol bowed slightly at the waist, the gesture not returned.
"Masters, I return with a prisoner. Aria, a Sith who was responsible for the death of Lysa."
"You found her?"
"Yes. According to Aria, Lysa had joined the ranks of the Academy and was seeking apprenticeship." Shan's eyes narrowed, looking the young Sith over with a suspicious gaze.
"Let us not talk out in the open. Come." Bakarn and Shan led the duo up a flight of stairs just to the right of the entrance, the second floor landing revealing a narrow hallway with several metallic doors marked with the Republic logo. They proceeded into the first door on their right, a few overstuffed chairs and bookshelves dotting the room, a desk tucked up against the northern wall. The Masters took their seats and motioned for the duo to sit.
"Yerbol, explain your actions." That he did, beginning with the message from Lysa to the discovery of the star map in the tomb. Upon finishing his story, he handed Master Shan the spherical object he had secured on Korriban. She held it up, scrutinizing it.
"And you're sure this was a map?"
"There were coordinates to planets that I don't think are charted...except for one that was on the left edge of the map. It looked strangely familiar." Bakarn grimaced before looking to Aria.
"And what have you to say about this map, Aria? Any information that you truthfully provide could assist in a more lenient sentencing for you."

[The Elvenqueen]

The Sith acolyte pondered over Yerbol's words as she followed him down the exit ramp towards the two stern-faced Jedi Masters that waited to meet them in the docking area of Taris. On first appearances alone she had to admit she was no more keen on them than any of the Sith Masters she had made acquaintance with but perhaps it was the way they were glowering disapprovingly at the odd pair that gave her that impression. Aria tried to shake it off and out of habit did her best to keep her awkward limp to herself, having been trained to do so and to not outwardly ask for help unless it was offered first.

She seemed all too glad to sit down when invited to do so as they reached the private room. Aria kept her gaze fixed on the star map rather than focusing on holding either Master's gaze, it made her uncomfortable to look them in the eye and she had to admit it was hard not to look at it when she could almost feel the dark energy rippling off the sphere...
"I can assure you it's a map, yes." the acolyte confirmed. "But I doubt it would open for you, at least not like that." she tried to maintain the same arrogant and indifferent persona she had used with Yerbol but it was clear that she was intimidated by the two stronger Jedi. "When we..." she swallowed uneasily, clearing her throat before continuing. "...we found it, it was on a pedestal. It opened after we got closer to the pedestal, when Yerbol took it off, it closed it."

Aria had to wonder whether it would open for a Jedi at all, after all, it was a Sith made artefact. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had to be a Sith to get anything to happen with it at all, to be perfectly honest...Ma'am." there was a pause as if she were considering whether it was appropriate to address Master Shan in such a manner before she attempted a polite bow of her head, crossing her injured ankle over the opposite knee. "We were fighting before we stumbled onto it, it's highly possible that it's activated by reading the counts in a person's blood or some other such alchemy, which I haven't the knowledge of or the liberty to speak of."
She was vaguely aware of the dangers of giving away such information to their enemy, but Aria had heard stories of Jedi interrogation techniques and she knew it was highly possible they could pull the information from her head just as easily some of the members of the Dark Council often did when they wanted to know something. The last thing she wanted was a Jedi crawling around through her memories and helping themselves to anything and everything they pleased. Therefore, telling them what they needed to know even if it was in the most basic form possible, seemed the better option. It may get them to trust her more, too...

[freedomliveson]

"That would confirm our suspicions." Bakarn looked over at Shan, who nodded at her peer.
"Indeed." She curtly responded, giving the object to Syo as she addressed the duo:
"Our being on Taris was no accident,then. The Force must have guided us here." She leaned forward, one elbow on her knee, the dim lighting in the room casting a dark glow over her aqua colored irises.
"This object is the last piece in a puzzle we've been trying to decipher ever since the Revanites were disbanded. In their encampment was a map all too similar to that of the one that led to the Star Forge."
"Master, the Star Forge? Wasn't that just a legend?" She shook her head at Yerbol's question.
"The Star Forge was a real power that fed on the Dark Side of the force. Revan destroyed it when he walked the path of the Light, but after his fall and recent death, we were worried that he would attempt to reactivate it. The good news was that Revan seemed to want to avoid the Forge, but instead something greater..." Bakarn took over:
"The True Sith. Those who are actually Sith by race...they and Revan had struck an agreement. They would provide the resources he needed to destroy both Republic and Empire and in turn he would turn control over to them upon the completion of his mission. With his failure, the Sith have receded back into Wild Space, which is where Revan had appeared from."
"We sent scouts into the very edge of Wild Space hoping to get some kind of indication where the Sith were hiding...yet we never heard back from them. They employed the astrogation charts we found among the ruins of the Revanites, but there were two pieces missing. We discovered from a local Republic scouting party that there was an object that matched the description of the charts, so we came to investigate. With this final piece, we can actually send others into Wild Space to try and root out the location of the True Sith...and this is where you two come into play." Master Shan cast her gaze at Yerbol.
"You've proven yourself time and time again to us, even in your short appointment. Although you were rash in your decision to go to Korriban, we feel like we can trust you to follow these coordinates into this uncharted territory. We would assign another Jedi to go with you, but our numbers are so spread out that we can't afford to take anybody away from the frontlines." Her eyes then went to Aria.
"You have a working knowledge of the Sith and can prove to be a valuable asset. If you agree to work with Yerbol, we will allow you to walk away unscathed on a shuttle to a destination of your choice. If you refuse, we will give Yerbol another Jedi companion and have you locked away in the depths of the Jedi Temple where our best...information extractors will enjoy discussing a number of different topics regarding your Order with you."

[The Elvenqueen]

"I always thought the true Sith were just a myth." Aria had heard plenty of tales of both them and the Star Forge, which unlike this supposed Sith race she had no doubt had existed at one point or the other. She wasn't sure of the coordinates exactly because she had never studied the maps herself in great detail but there were only two possibilities for this planet that the Jedi supposedly recognised. Malachor....or the home planet of that Rakatan race that had built the Forge so many years ago.

The acolyte eyed Master Shan warily as she suggested the possibility of continuing to work with Yerbol. Him, she was certain she could deal with, but what exactly was out there that these Jedi were so afraid of that they didn't want to risk their own necks to investigate and would it be a quicker way to go than whatever the Dark Council would have in store for her on her return if she failed or gave away too much?

"So instead of sending the ones with experience you give the job to a half trained Jedi and a Sith prisoner because it doesn't matter if we die out there?" Aria scoffed, "Real smooth, people actually still fall for your 'protectors of the galaxy' crap?" typical Jedi. Really all they did was hide behind delusions of grandeur when they were just as prepared as any Sith to use other people as meat shields...it was almost funny.

Aria considered saying no and taking her chances with whatever 'information extractor' they were referring to, no doubt they were far less pleasant than these two had been so far. But now that she was here she wasn't so sure she could stop herself from giving them the information they wanted, especially if they began to make any kind of notable effort to force it out of her with their interrogation techniques. Maybe she could try to play to their nobility complex a little.
"Well, that depends on what information you want out of me, doesn’t it?" Aria leaned forward in her seat, one eyebrow raised as she met the Jedi Master's gaze for a fraction of a second before she found she had to look away unable to hold it, "There's nothing you can do to me that wouldn't be ten times worse if my Masters found out that I was helping you." she wasn't entirely confident of the truth of that statement having never been privy to the more unpleasant side of the Jedi's techniques but from the training she had received in order to resist such attempts the acolyte could make a fair inferrance.

[freedomliveson]

Syo's shoulders rolled back, his lips parting in what was sure to be a vehement defamation of Aria's defiant nature. Not a moment too soon, Satele glanced at her compatriot, raising her brow. Their gazes met, a few beats of silence passing before Syo shook his head, sinking back into the chair, allowing Satele to speak:
"True enough. We are aware that the Sith have radical approaches to interrogation, but what you are not familiar with are some of the more...invasive procedures we resort to in difficult cases such as yourself. Of course, why discuss torture when I'm giving you a chance to escape the entire system that would squash you under it's heel given the chance. Just think about what would happen if we allowed you to return to Korriban. You would be a disgrace to whatever Master you're serving now. Captured by a Jedi and then released? How worthless do you think your Master will see you as? You couldn't even be useful to the 'weak' Jedi Order, implicating you as a frail vessel, one who could never survive at the Academy. You would be cannon fodder for your rivals, who would have ascended past you in the social order while you were in captivity and would leave you in the dust. Fate would more than likely have you executed or exiled, if your Master was feeling a bit of mercy that day. If not, you could be sent on a suicidal task of redemption which would end in an excruciating death at the hands of some vicious creature awaiting you in one of the tombs. So our methods may not intimidate you, but I would hope our offer of escape would prove enticing." Yerbol suppressed the urge to smile, knowing full well that Master Shan was usually never this subversive unless she absolutely had to be. It was refreshing to see the Masters use the fears of their enemies against them rather than assail them with endless proverbs from the Jedi writings.

Although it was satisfying to hear Master Shan's tactful response, something nagged at him, something that Aria had said. Yerbol had been on several high priority missions involving discretion and secrecy, but this...this seemed to be out of his league. There were other Jedi more capable than he that were more qualified. He wanted to voice his objection, but dared not at this juncture. Once the air had been cleared, he would approach Master Shan and inquire privately as to why he was chosen. But for now...

"Master Shan speaks the truth." Syo smirked as he continued:
"Being captured by the Jedi makes you look like a poor excuse of a Sith."

[The Elvenqueen]

Aria's weight shifted under the scrutinising gaze of both Jedi masters. In the back of her mind she considered the chance she would have of disappearing altogether. There were places in the galaxy that one could go where even the most adept Force sensitives would not be able to track through the noise of the other lifeforms. Aria had been tempted to try it, to go to such a world and seek out a way of removing her connection to the Force entirely to make sure there was no way she could have been followed, but she had been too young and lacked many of the basic piloting skills to pull off such a feat and it was soon abandoned altogether. And now was in so deep, was there really any escape? She wracked her brains, trying to think quickly of some kind of excuse that they would find believable without blowing her cover prematurely. The rest of the Sith might not know the truth, and thus would not ask too many questions if she were to disappear from the acolytes' ranks, but her father did and he would be watching for her return; at least for a while.
"Perhaps. But as far as they would know on my return I would have escaped my imprisonment on my own. Why give you the credit for it when it puts my neck on the line? You might think it perhaps but I'm not stupid. I've learned how to manipulate my words to my own gains. He might be stronger than me but that doesn't mean I can't give him the slip if I wanted to."

The acolyte knitted her fingers together and rested her chin on her entwined hands as she pondered the possibilities. Agree to help them, for now, or push them until they did use the techniques that they threatened to be capable of? Aria's throat quivered as she swallowed nervously. Being nearly eaten alive was a fate she had come almost close to once before and she had no wish to risk it again. She didn't want to drag this conversation out for fear of seeming too suspicious and the Jedi woman was right. There'd be no-one to save her skin from the starving Force sensitive tomb beasts if it came to that.
"The truth rarely serves me well, I find." she smirked, but nodded abruptly. "So that's it, you would just let me go if we survived?" it seemed too simple, there had to be another catch...surely?

[freedomliveson]

"The Jedi keep their word, Aria. No harm will befall you after completing this operation for us and we will ensure that your travel arrangements are discrete." The Masters rose after Shan's attempt at comforting the acolyte, Syo telling the duo:
"We expect to hear a decision from you tomorrow. At the moment, it is almost nightfall. There are quarters just down the hall for the both of you. We will meet you in Hangar 52 tomorrow morning so you can inform us on your course of action." His gaze locked with Aria's.
"And if you decide to make an escape attempt, understand that the entire Republic base knows that you're on site. Either face the entire force of the Republic here on Taris or attempt to survive in the Rakghoul infested ruins of the planet. Your call." As they departed, Master Shan projected her voice into Yerbol's mind, telling him:
"Meet me in an hour in the Ambassador's quarters. We will discuss more in private." Yerbol sat back, head tilted upward. He would have a chance to express his concerns to her, thankfully. Speaking of concerns...
"You know, you could easily escape if you wanted to. I'm sure of it. I think you're going to stick around because you want the kind of power this operation could give you." He looked over at her, his eyes searching hers.
"And that's what terrifies me. To be corrupted by beings made up of pure darkness...I don't know if I even want to go through with this." A smirk came across his face.
"But that's what I do. Face dangerous opponents for the good of the galaxy and whatnot. You should try it sometime. Rather thrilling." With that, he left the room, eager to meet with Master Shan.

______________________

"And you had known? This whole time?"
"Of course. I wasn't at liberty to tell you because your sister had been hunting for the True Sith for quite some time. I wanted to see she could succeed in her mission or turn back. I thought..." Master Shan looked away from the Knight opposite her, eyes cast down.
"I thought she would turn back to us after pursuing this. Lysa was a good woman, a fine Jedi in her own right, but needed to see the galaxy for herself. I believed it would be best for her to leave us, but to think she went to Korriban, to fall that far..."
"Master, no one could control Lysa. You know that. But to not her brother, who could've helped?"
"You're helping now. You weren't needed then."
"Needed? Master, that was my sister!"
"The Force guides events very differently from what we perceive as 'correct' or 'logical'. Yes, it would have been correct for you to try and help her, but how much help would you have actually given her? Through Lysa's discovery, we have the ability now to find a race of beings that could spell the end of the Sith forever. Without Lysa, we couldn't have done this. You have the chance to redeem your sister's memory by pursuing this in the right frame of mind." Yerbol grit his teeth, wanting to lash out verbally at the pragmatism Master Shan was exhibiting, but there was a part of him that knew she was right. Lysa had gone about this the wrong way, but Yerbol could do his sister proud.
"I just...I just need time to process this."
"Of course. We'll see you in the morning."

____________________

Yerbol clambered up the stairs to the hallway where he and the Masters convened with Aria. He took a step forward, then heard a grating noise from the end of the hallway, a squeak following, then silence. Odd...

[The Elvenqueen]

Now that she was left alone while Yerbol disappeared off somewhere into the complex, Aria found that sleep elluded her. After tossing and turning for a while, she finally gave up and resorted to trying to sort through her racing thoughts. In such a short space of time, she'd been offered the escape she had wanted since she had killed her mother, and by the people she had been taught to despise all her life no less...Her throat tightened with panic that she had to fight down by reminding herself of the code she'd been taught by her mentor. Peace is a lie, there is only passion; through passion I gain strength... she would agree to help the Jedi, if only to get what she needed out of the deal. If she could see this through then she could give them both the slip, make for Nar Shaddaa or somewhere similar, and drop out of existence forever. As far as the Dark Council would know she would have died on the mission given to her by her father and the Jedi...well, they'd never go after her again would they?

She hadn't been expecting the window to swing outwards on the rusty latch as she braced her weight against it and the acolyte barely caught herself in time to avoid tumbling out of it and onto the debris-strewn ground outside. She clamped her hand over her mouth to stifle the surprised squeal, looking up as she heard footsteps in the hallway. Peering around the door confirmed that they belonged to a puzzled Yerbol.
"I couldn't sleep." she mumbled awkwardly, clearing her throat and shuffling her feet, "I'm uh...not used to having windows that open. Sorry if I...I woke you." Aria apologised quickly, not sure whether he was just coming back from wherever he had been or she had in fact disturbed his rest.

[freedomliveson]

"Why do I have lingering doubts in my mind as to your distaste in the openness of windows?" Yerbol chuckled as he folded his arms across his expansive chest, looking from the potential window of opportunity to Aria, who seemed to be almost nervous at his presence. If she was trying to escape, she was doing a poor job of it. While Master Shan had warned her not to try and leave, Aria more than likely had power that could enable her to quickly flee the planet and rejoin her Sith brethren. Was she that intimidated by what the Masters had said or was she terrified of what lay in store for her on her return to Korriban? Surely her own Masters could see through her lies if she chose to go that route. The avenue of self preservation was clearly paved by the Jedi Masters, yet was she doubting herself? Maybe trying to run away and hide. Such behavior from someone who had earlier in the day tried to eviscerate him was odd, yet refreshing. This one moment had made Aria a bit more human in his eyes. He smiled.
"I wasn't asleep. Master Shan and I had been discussing some details about Lysa. It was nice to know that she had believed in my sister, even to the end of her life." His eyes averted Aria's for a brief second, not wanting to shake salt over the already open wound. He shifted his weight in the frame, standing straight up.
"I ah...well, I guess I want to get this out of the way now." He stepped forward a couple of inches.
"You've got every reason to try and escape. Honestly, if I really wanted to give into the burning anger that threatens to encompass me every time I think of Lysa's cold body in that tomb, I would want to end your life in this room. So we both don't want to do this, to be..." He swallowed hard, forcing out the words:
"Partners in this endeavor, but it looks like we're going to have to put aside whatever differences we may have with each other's orders or our own personal lives for the good of the galaxy." He blew out a sigh.
"If we can get through this, figure out whatever threat is being posed to the galaxy this time around and come back alive, then I feel that Lysa's death wouldn't have been in vain." He extended his hand, a flash of a smile coming across his face before it disappeared.
"So we're agreed, then? Partners till we figure this out?"

[The Elvenqueen]

"No no, I meant that...oh never mind!" Aria started to protest but then gave up shortly after, rolling her eyes. As Yerbol stepped forward, she inched backwards a few steps, head tilted to one side as she studied him with careful curiosity. So why don't you? she didn't dare ask the question out loud, knowing he would most likely just spout some nonsense about that Jedi Code of theirs telling him not to.

Aria smiled back thinly and took Yerbol's offered hand.
"Well, I've got everything to lose if I don't say 'yes', don't I?" she smirked wryly. "Besides, if I run now I'd only have two sets of people coming after me trying to kill me, I'd rather get this over with and make it just the one; so I guess I'll see you in the morning, then." clearing her throat, Aria stepped back again.

[freedomliveson]

The gesture that Yerbol had thought would feel much more satisfying was...well, not very satisfying.
"Right then. See you in the morning. Master Shan mentioned meeting in the same room as we did earlier." He walked across the hall to find a modestly furnished quarters, snorting a chuckle. It was rather spartan, it was to be expected at a Republic base. Had to make sure the troops were "used to the rigors of war" even when they weren't fighting. Sounded like an excuse for the Republic to not spend money on good beds.

With the door closed, he undressed, leaving himself with nothing but a pair of black shorts before laying on the almost too short cot. There was a nagging feeling of doubt about the operation, even in the Masters. Of course, what else did he expect? He was working with his sister's murderer, a known Sith who would have left him in the tomb on Korriban to achieve fame and prestige. That's what his sister was going to be, wasn't it? Another trophy. Yet, what he had said about her death not being in vain was correct. If they were able to carry on with Lysa's research and actually find something worthwhile, then Yerbol would be at peace. He wouldn't forget that Lysa put herself in that situation, that she chose the way of the Sith, but he still would miss her, still would try to think only of the good times they shared. His eyes closed. A smile formed on his lips.

__________________________

Eight o clock found Yerbol and the Masters situated in the same room as last night, their eyes cast upward at the map of stars projected onto the ceiling by not only the relic Yerbol and Aria uncovered on Korriban, but three others that the Masters had with them in case of discovering an item on Taris. The map was connected, fleshed out with coordinates and notes that seemed hastily added. The coordinates themselves were for two known planets: Dantooine and Korriban. The others were located in what would be considered "Wild Space", an uncharted portion of the galaxy that few have dared to enter and those who enter tend to never return.
"It is interesting that the map marks the past location of the Jedi Temple...maybe these True Sith were planning some kind of attack?"
"Likely, but why Korriban? Wouldn't that be where they would want to set up their 'restored Order'?" Master Syo's question was followed by a door sliding open behind him...

[The Elvenqueen]

Aria shuffled awkwardly through the door, clearing her throat and mumbling an apology as she slid into a seat beside Yerbol. She knitted her hands together and let them rest on her knees as she leaned forward to scrutinize the new co-ordinates presented by the combined Star Maps. She arrived just in time to hear the shared speculation of an impending attack.
"Why would they need to attack Korriban?" she agreed with Syo's point of view, "The Sith already own it. Most people avoid it like the Iridian plague." she chewed her lip thoughtfully, resting her chin on her knuckles as she looked from one point to the next.

"But you could still be right about the attack theory; Korriban could be an outpost." the acolyte ventured bravely. Stretching forward, Aria pointed towards the points situated in the unchartered Wild Space regions, then traced a sweeping path along the rest of the map until it came to rest hovering above Dantooine. "Dantooine's awfully far away from the two marked points, trying to attack from there would be well...bloody stupid." Aria snorted in amusement, moving to point out the distance between the first unknown point and Korriban, shorter in comparison to the vast expanse separating Dantooine from Wild Space. "Korriban's closer to Dantooine, if they were serious about nuking your temple into space dust they would convene there first. Makes co-ordinating the attack easier, especially between multiple strike teams."

[freedomliveson]

"True enough." Master Shan's crystal blue irises found the closest planet marked with coordinates. If one were to overlay a map of the currently known galaxy, that planet would exist in the northern regions of Wild Space. She grimaced, sitting back in her chair.
"Which could mean that the closest planet to Korriban would be a good place to start. If they were attempting to launch a strike and get resources on Korriban, it would make sense for one of their major bases of operation to be on this unknown planet here." She pointed at the planet for emphasis.
"It's settled then. Yerbol, you and Aria will take one of the ships housed on base to make your way to those coordinates. We don't know what the communication situation will be like, but if you can, ensure that you stay in contact as much as possible. We're not comfortable sending you into the uncharted wilderness without having some kind of way to know how you're doing, but sometimes high risk is accompanied by high reward." Yerbol's brow rose for a moment, surprised at how non-chalant Master Syo seemed about their impending mission. He knew that Master Syo was concerned, but normally he was conservative, choosing to move on something only after all factors are involved. To know that he was willing to risk lives for this operation so willingly was both a testament to how earnestly the Jedi Masters wanted these True Sith dealt with and concerning. Were the Masters going to be consumed in hunting the Sith instead of helping others? Was this war exacting a massive cost on the Masters sense of right and wrong? Yerbol shook himself mentally. Not the time for philosophical tangents.

"Take as much as you need in terms of supplies. We will try to send help if we haven't received word in one week. We're hoping that'll give you both enough time to at least find a few things we can use." Yerbol nodded, rising to his feet.
"May the Force be with you both."

They would need it.

_________________________

After circumventing the nav computer's insistence on the coordinates being in "Wild Space", a "dangerous location forbidden for travel by the Republic, code E-292", Yerbol was able to get the auto-pilot and hyperspace inputs added. Of course, with no proven data on this unknown planet, there was a unknown travel duration. Korriban to Taris was about twelve hours and judging from the Star Maps they had examined, it didn't look as if the planet was too far from Korriban. So maybe two days? Three at the most? He informed Aria of their potential travel time as they departed the Republic docking bay, hitting hyperspace about twenty minutes later. Yerbol was currently sitting in a room just off the cockpit with a small rectangular table and a few chairs tucked up against it. His eyes were cast downward at a small holo projector, the circular object projecting vids that he had managed to film during some of Lysa's explorations on Tython. They were teenagers then, Yerbol's voice squeakier than the deeper tenor-like voice he had now. In the current vid, Lysa was scouring over some rocks, attempting to climb up to the top of the hill in order to find "a lost relict from Jedi past!". He leaned forward, elbows on the table, a small smile creeping onto his face.
"So blasted curious all the time." He mumbled to himself.

[The Elvenqueen]

Aria remains largely quiet for the rest of the duration of the exchange, her gaze flickering carefully from Satele, to Syo, and then back to Yerbol as she tried to judge their thoughts on the whole matter. This whole thing made her skin crawl. Something was very very not right, and she didn't like it. But she'd agreed to this, so she had to see it through. Nodding her head, she rose as Master Shan dismissed them to the hangar and trailed after Yerbol like a lost kath hound pup, her fingers twitching towards where she would have kept her saber out of reflex each time they passed a Jedi in the halls on the way down. She resorted to clenching them into tight fists and keeping them rigidly at her sides until they entered the ship that they had been assigned by the Masters.

The constant chirruping from the navcomputer was almost enough to drive her mad. Grumbling something under her breath, Aria leaned her head down into her hands, pressing the heels of her palms to her eyes while Yerbol frantically punches in the same co-ordinates over and over again. Eventually they register, the navcomputer stops screaming and the ship makes the jump, Yerbol retreating back into the room to the side of the cockpit. Aria leans back in the co-pilot's seat and lets out a relieved breath.

She remains where she is for a while, convinced that he would rather be alone than put up with her company any longer than necessary. But eventually she comes to the conclusion that they will have to talk and find some amicable terms by which they could get along (as Yerbol himself had pointed out the night before), or this mission would be over even quicker than it had started. Sighing again, Aria rises to her feet and troops through the doorway to join him, leaning on the doorframe as she watches the flickering blue projection of Lysa scrambling over towers of rock and shouting excitedly back towards her brother.
"You know....if we hadn't been trying to out-do each other at everything, I might've liked your sister." she admitted, smiling thinly as she sat down opposite him. The words probably brought him little comfort, and they wouldn't even begin to be enough of an apology for killing Lysa, but she felt the need to say it nonetheless.

The acolyte slouches in her seat, reaching down to undo the buckles on her boots before she pauses and her odd-coloured eyes flick up to narrow warningly at Yerbol.
"One snarky comment about my feet and I will end you." she promises with every ounce of seriousness, before pulling her feet free. She rolls each ankle carefully, wincing for a brief second as the one he had twisted in the tomb cracked loudly. "Well, I didn't mean to be so abrupt last night, I was just...on edge, I guess." she shrugs a little. "When you've been taught to hate something all your life it's kind of hard to try and act civil around them...but I guess I do owe you an apology." an uncomfortable grimace betrayed the effort it took for the words to come out without slipping into her usual sarcastic drawl reserved for every adversary she faced, "And a thanks for not dismembering me as soon as you had the chance. I'dve done it."

That wasn't so hard, maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. "So uh...I promise I'll do whatever I can to help you find whatever it is your Masters are looking for out there, I can co-operate when I want to." Aria smirks and glances away from Yerbol towards the window as the ship drops out of hyperspace and a planet looms into view. Molten magma bubbles out of cracks at various points in its surface, emitting an eerie red glow that offset the thick green foliage that obscured the rest of it as they broke the atmosphere. Aria stands again and wanders closer to the windowpane, whistling loudly as she takes in the strange mix of terrain.
"Jeez....this is some freaky kind of get up, isn't it? Lava and trees in the same place, weird." if she had felt uncomfortable about going into Wild Space before, the feeling hadn't abated now that they had arrived on the planet.
She rocks back onto her heels and whistles again, hands resting on her hips. "Dunno if I like this..."