#davri sohms

[ohlawsons]

having some faction swap au thinky thoughts

rei and cori have existed for a while (since the DvL event ages ago) but i miss doing the class stories so there’s. more now.

lys (originally sw) will be... interesting. i’m not sure if she’ll end up light side or not, just bc i don’t see her putting up with the jedi’s bullshit for long. we’ll see! one thing is for sure: she absolutely will not romance doc lmao. possibly koth later on?

rei (originally inquisitor) is definitely not avoiding the fractured alliances story arc atm, so she’s relatively caught up as far as story content goes. light side, still a nerd and a menace on the council -- just a different council this time -- and still with theron.

zaara (originally agent) is who i’m working on atm. tentatively lightside?

cori (originally jk) is somewhere in kotet, abandoned once i realized her lana romance had bugged out :( she’s the second of three coris that have failed to properly romance the sith wife and i’m over it!! she’s smooching jaesa though bc i think we can do that now? anyway lord coryn “bad with feelings” ven is more cool calm and collected than her jedi self but also more inclined towards murder

t’sereen (originally jc) is fun bc even in her canon, she studied at korriban before being captured by the jedi and eventually joining them. considering she’s dark side even as a jedi she’s gonna be a mess as a sith. absolutely romancing andronikos

davri (originally trooper) is uh. well... she’s... look i have no clue how the fuck it’s gonna go, given that she’s as subtle as a brick. it’ll be fun, it’ll be messy, i’m excited to just let it happen and figure it out as i go

[ohlawsons]

major colonel davri sohms || republic military || alliance assault specialist

» the armor she wore when she first joined havoc. beat up, worn, but it got the job done and that was the important part.  » post-storyline/makeb armor, when havoc (and davri in particular) is more in the public eye and not spending as much time in the field.    » post-timeskip armor. since davri’s the only one without force ghosts bouncing around in her head, the carbonite sickness takes a pretty big toll on her physically -- hence the overall lighter armor and the cybernetic/prosthetic leg.  » davri loves her assault cannons. this one’s new; she tore apart and modified a zakuulan model while the rest of the crew worked on getting the gravestone space-worthy again, since davri wasn’t in any physical condition to do heavy labor. she lovingly refers to it as “the doctor’s orders”

[ohlawsons]

THE ALLIANCE the karris legacy canon worldstate/characters

note: “current” is between kotfe and kotet. 

or: brooke has too many ocs and is trying to get back into writing things so here’s the incredibly shortened version of my notes

[ ALLIANCE PERSONNEL ]

Commander Reiyaxa Kahzri: Former Sith Lord Darth Nox, frozen in carbonite in 16ATC. Currently acting as the leader of the Alliance. Assault Specialist Davri Sohms: Former CO of Havoc Squad, frozen in carbonite in 16ATC. Currently acting as an assault specialist tasked with bringing down the star fortresses. Cera, Chief of Security: Former bounty hunter, recruited by Lana Beniko at the Alliance’s inception. Handles internal security and threats where blasters and brawns are more efficient than covert measures. One half of the team formed by herself and her wife Mako. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Yvara Nadal: One of the Alliance’s many doctors, and the primary medical specialist. Recruited by Lana Beniko in 18ATC due to a dossier left behind by Zaara Ven, citing the doctor’s unknowing assistance to Imperial Intelligence nearly ten years before. Agent Zaara Ven: Former Cipher Nine, frozen in carbonite in 16ATC. Currently assists Theron Shan in managing the Alliance’s intel, though much of her focus remains on meditation and other mental techniques meant to lessen the effects of having Vitiate locked within her mind. Master Cori Ven: Jedi master recruited in 19ATC by Lana Beniko after a failed attempt to keep the Jedi from falling apart after the disappearance of Satele Shan. Officially, she acts as a liaison between the Alliance and the Order, though most of her time is spent training her adopted daughter Karina or seeking out the remaining Jedi.

[ IMPERIAL ALLIES ]

Darth Occlus: Lord Vrynn Malius, former apprentice of Darth Nox. Took advantage of her master’s tenuous alliance with Darth Acina following the Zakuulan invasions, and quickly rose among the ranks of the Sith, being titled as a Darth upon Acina’s rise to Empress. She has had few dealings with the Alliance, but is more than happy to help out Nox. Darth Evris: Lord Lys Sala, the Empire’s Wrath. Has lived a relatively quiet life in Kaas City with her husband Malavai and daughter Adalynn after receiving a near-fatal wound in 17ATC. Was convinced to return to her duties after re-establishing contact with her lifelong friend Zaara Ven, and now acts as a liaison between the Empire and the Alliance. Zhaire Maisar: Apprentice to Darth Evris. 

[ REPUBLIC ALLIES]

T’sereen Neiri: Former Barsen’thor and advisor to Chancellor Saresh; estranged from the Jedi Order and heavily involved in Republic politics. She lives a relatively quiet life on Coruscant with her husband Felix and daughter Suraa, and it’s only a heartfelt plea from her old friend Tai Corden that begins to change her mind on the Alliance. Agent Talavi Nadal: SIS agent, brother of Yvara Nadal, and longtime friend/coworker/it’s complicated of Theron Shan. Provided assistance while the Alliance was in its early stages, but has resumed working solely for the Republic since 21ATC. Captain Rhys Sohms: Republic military, serving on Corellia, and brother of Davri Sohms. Eager to assist the Alliance in any way possible, but as of yet, unwilling to leave the Republic. “Captain” Margaret Sala: Smuggler and estranged sister of the Wrath. The one time the Alliance attempted to contact her, she ignored the call and continued to focus on three things: retirement, fruity drinks with umbrellas in them, and Corso.

[ohlawsons]

so apparently today I’m procrastinating on procrastinating which i guess means taking davri through ziost finally

[ohlawsons]

ostensibly | ch. 29/30

SUMMARY. Monumentally terrible ideas are what Darth Nox does best – and going to Rishi is her worst one yet. Between the Revanites, Theron Shan, and trying to navigate increasingly complicated Sith politics, Nox finds she may have gotten more than she’d bargained for. Will follow Shadow of Revan through Ziost. NOTES. in which zaara has thinky thoughts, davri bonds with theron over being walking disasters, and cori manages to still deny she's head over heels for lana also me, screaming: i’m almost done we’re almost done there’s just one chapter left ahhHHH LINKS. [ AO3 ] [ FFN ] [ other chapters ]

“You okay?”

Cori had the sense that the question was in reference to Vitiate and to Ziost, but that wasn’t where her mind was at the moment. She nodded, enough to assuage Kira’s concern, then breathed deeply and concentrated on the ebb and pulse of the Force on Tython.

But, as had been the case in the weeks since her return, Cori was unable to focus entirely on Tython; there was a presence, like a beacon, shining at the edge of her awareness. She shied from it, not wanting to acknowledge it. Not yet.

“You sure?”

“Kira, I—” Cori stopped, sensing a shift in the presence. It blinked, like a spark of inspiration or a sudden revelation. Letting her hands rest still in her lap, Cori opened her eyes and turned to Kira for the first time since she’d arrived. “I’m fine. I’ve been thinking about Ilum.”

Kira’s brow furrowed and Cori could sense the dull spark of doubt that ran through her. She sat, cross-legged, on one of the stone benches, a knowing edge to her voice as she spoke. “About Ilum, or about after?”

“After. But it’s different this time, I think.” She wasn’t alone, for one. And they would — mostly — be working with the Empire, instead of against them. But the biggest difference, this time, was that the crippling sense of being chosen, of being the only one capable of striking down Vitiate, had lessened if not vanished. “I’ve still got you,” Cori pointed out affectionately, “but there’s plenty of other Jedi this time, too. And Zaara and Lys and… lots of capable allies.”

She didn’t say the name at the tip of her tongue, the name that filled her mind and her chest and the presence that was just outside of her reach. She didn’t say Lana, didn’t trust herself to confide in Kira and spill every secret, every conclusion she’d come to while meditating.

“Capable allies,” Kira repeated thoughtfully, her voice remaining level but a teasing smirk beginning to tug at the edge of her lips. “Is that what they call it these days?”

[ Read the rest ]

[ohlawsons]

ostensibly | ch. 25/30

SUMMARY. Monumentally terrible ideas are what Darth Nox does best – and going to Rishi is her worst one yet. Between the Revanites, Theron Shan, and trying to navigate increasingly complicated Sith politics, Nox finds she may have gotten more than she’d bargained for. Will follow Shadow of Revan through Ziost. NOTES. in which theron works for the dark council, davri works for the dark council, and kovach doesn't work for the dark council i actually really like this chapter. so. that's nice. also, i've officially started work on part three, which will cover the beginning of kotfe + the timeskip. it's... well. we're going full on fix-it fic for part three. that said, i WILL get the rest of this fic out before kotet launches. i will. i promise. LINKS. [ AO3 ] [ FFN ] [ other chapters ]

Zaara sighed and closed her eyes, pinching at the bridge of her nose as she felt the beginnings of a stress-induced headache. “Ziost already is the short end of the deal, Captain. But if there’s a chance it’ll get the Republic out of Imperial space, I’ll give it a shot.”

“Good.” Davri placed a holocomm on the table, keying in a frequency and standing beside Zaara so they were the only ones in view. They waited, and as it connected Davri cleared her throat. “Supreme Chancellor. I’m sure you’ll recognize Agent—”

“Assisting Imperial evacuations?” Saresh snapped, effectively cutting off Davri’s introductions. “Firing on Republic troops? Handing over confidential information to the Empire’s top agent? I expected better from you, Major Sohms.”

Davri’s expression only hardened. “All due respect, Chancellor, I was acting in the interest of the Republic. I cannot, in good conscience, continue the attack on Ziost. We’ve lost too much, and we’re losing even more. I should’ve backed out the first time I contacted you about the evacuations.”

Saresh crossed her arms, unflinching as she met Davri’s unwavering gaze. “Explain to me how that has anything to do with reports that you are actively fighting against Republic forces.”

“They’re not fighting for the Republic anymore. They’re possessed — they’re Vitiate’s pawns,” Davri insisted, voice low. “That’s what we’ve been trying to tell you since we got here.”

“All you’ve been telling me is that Havoc Squad is incapable of following orders.”

Zaara chose that moment to step in, clearing her throat and addressing Saresh with what she hoped was something close to respect. “Supreme Chancellor, for what it’s worth, I’m willing to send over preliminary reports on the possessions on behalf of Sith Intelligence. We have a better chance of getting out of here alive if we’re at least not working against each other.” She ran through a list of any other relatively harmless information she could offer up; they clearly had a leak, either within Intelligence or within the Sith, and that devalued her offer considerably.

But Saresh simply frowned, unimpressed, and turned back to Davri. “I’m sure Garza will be pleased to hear you’re continuing the tradition started by Major Tavus.”

[ Read the rest ] 

[ohlawsons]

ostensibly | ch. 21 & 22

SUMMARY. Monumentally terrible ideas are what Darth Nox does best – and going to Rishi is her worst one yet. Between the Revanites, Theron Shan, and trying to navigate increasingly complicated Sith politics, Nox finds she may have gotten more than she’d bargained for. Will follow Shadow of Revan through Ziost. NOTES. in which i take liberties with new adasta, lys takes liberties with the dark side, and davri takes liberties with basically everything. also ft. davri's mom bc she is actually The Best also -- everyone else finally makes it to ziost  and vitiate does the equivalent of ~I'm not touching you~ with their minds  LINKS. [ AO3 ] [ FFN ] [ other chapters ]

Kira fidgeted, glancing away before finally confiding in Cori. “They think it’s time for me to take a padawan.”

“Congratulations,” Cori beamed. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re more than ready. You’ll do great.”

“Thanks. And yeah, I think I’m ready, too.” The statement wasn’t meant to brag or boast, but seemed to be Kira’s way of trying to convince herself. “It’s just… You know Master Neiri?”

“The Barsen’thor. What about her?”

“She left the Order.”

Cori’s surprise at the news overshadowed her confusion at how Master Neiri was connected to Kira training a padawan. “Left?”

“Yeah. Just… walked right out.” Kira shrugged. “Problem is, she still wants her padawan to be trained as a Jedi, and the council doesn’t think that’s possible unless she’s being trained by a Jedi.” She trailed off, staring down at the floor for a moment before turning back to Cori. “They think we’d be a good fit. We’re both spirited, according to Master Satele. And you’ll be here to oversee everything, you know, keep the spirit levels down.”

Taking a few seconds to temper her pride, Cori gave Kira a warm smile. “Keep you from having too much fun, you mean. But yes, I’ll be there every step of the way, I promise.”

[ohlawsons]

personal matters

SUMMARY. After the mess that is the mission on Tatooine, Davri tries making friends. Jorgan refuses to cooperate. NOTES. no i’m not still laughing about backstreet bith (that’s a lie yes i am) LINKS. [ AO3 ] [ FFN ] 

“You know, Sergeant,” she began, using that tone she only used when she had a point to make, the one that so often found a way to get under Jorgan’s skin, “we’ve been working together for almost seven months, and I don’t think we’ve ever once had a real conversation.”

They’d had plenty of conversations over seven months, and Jorgan wasn’t sure he wanted to know what Sohms considered a real conversation. “I’m fairly certain this counts as one.”

“Maybe. But do you ever think about how much we talk about work? The military? Tavus?” Sohms shrugged, glancing up at Jorgan with a single eyebrow raised. “I don’t know one damn thing about your personal life. And I’ll bet you don’t know anything about mine.”

Not entirely true. Sohms was too… animated to keep much of her personal life under wraps. Jorgan knew she had a brother. Knew the names of at least a half dozen people she’d either slept with or had relationships with. Knew she drank her caf with just a bit of milk because that’s how her mother always made it. Knew she only finished her training as a field medic because she thought it would impress her superiors. Knew she started and ended every workout with push-ups because of something to do with a girl she’d wanted to impress as a teenager.

“Every single sock you own looks exactly the same,” Jorgan pointed out, as proof in some unspoken challenge, “because you think it makes it harder to tell when you’ve lost one doing laundry.” He mentally prepared himself for her inevitable rant — but where do they go? why is it only socks that go missing? — that came whenever anyone brought up the subject or she was forced into laundry duty.

But she simply nodded. “Okay, yeah, I’ll give you that. It’s not really a secret though, is it?”

“You listen to Backstreet Bith when you think no one can hear.”

[ read the rest ]

[ohlawsons]

so lately since the new semester has started, The AnxietyTM is in full swing which means less sleep and more sims than I really need

which means modern au thoughts and let me tell you zaara as a reporter and rei as a medical examiner are things I need

t’sereen is a rising political figure who’s had accusations thrown at her about her sketchy past but nothing’s ever been proven. she’s been in a long term relationship with felix, the head of her personal security detail

it’s an election year and her rivals slowly began withdrawing, then disappearing, then one turns up dead

naturally t’sereen is investigated, by none other than the... enthusiastic detective sohms

I keep changing my mind about jorgan’s role

they’re assisted by the unnervingly cheery medical examiner reiyaxa kahzri

honestly what else would rei do in a modern au

meantime t’sereen’s being extensively investigated by the reporter zaara ven, who works with the Imperial Post and has done both incredibly devastating exposes and elaborate cover ups

bonus: lana is the campaign advisor for the dead rival and theron is a reporter at one of the other major newspapers

this also made me realize that somehow I think doc and rei would make frighteningly good friends

[ohlawsons]

ostensibly | ch. 17/30

SUMMARY. Monumentally terrible ideas are what Darth Nox does best – and going to Rishi is her worst one yet. Between the Revanites, Theron Shan, and trying to navigate increasingly complicated Sith politics, Nox finds she may have gotten more than she’d bargained for. Will follow Shadow of Revan through Ziost. NOTES. in which cori is a Bad Jedi, davri vows revenge, and nox does not bind revan's ghost I posted this chapter a few days ago but never put it on tumblr so *throws confetti* LINKS. [ AO3 ] [ FFN ] [ other chapters ]

Lana moved so she was sitting closer to Cori. “Is there anything I can do to help? Do you want to talk about it?”

“No.” The nightmares had begun after her initial encounter with the emperor, and had worsened again after arriving on Yavin. She wasn’t going to tell Lana about the months she’d spent under the influence of the emperor; she hadn’t told anyone, not even her sister, and the only ones she felt comfortable discussing it with were Kira and Satele.

Besides, it wasn’t as if there was much to actually talk about, anyway. As with most of the nightmares, this one had been less an actual dream and more a feeling, a lingering dread and terror that would shock her awake and leave her restless for the remainder of the night.

As Cori sat hunched over, rubbing tiredly at her eyes and still trying to slow her erratic breathing, Lana pressed a light kiss to her bare shoulder. “I understand.”

For a moment, Cori debated telling her everything; as much as she still didn’t entirely trust Lana, couldn’t trust her after Rishi, she desperately wanted to. There were dozens of different warnings going off in her mind — she was Sith, she was a betrayer, she was drawing Cori away from the Jedi code, she was everything the Jedi warned against — but Cori ignored them all. Had been ignoring them, since Rishi.

It felt too right, being there with her.

“Lana, I—” Cori paused, fumbling over her words and not certain how to express exactly what she felt. She glanced down at their intertwined fingers, watched Lana’s thumb glide thoughtlessly across the back of her own hand.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” she assured her.

��Thank you.”

[ohlawsons]

ostensibly | ch. 14/30

SUMMARY. Monumentally terrible ideas are what Darth Nox does best – and going to Rishi is her worst one yet. Between the Revanites, Theron Shan, and trying to navigate increasingly complicated Sith politics, Nox finds she may have gotten more than she’d bargained for. Will follow Shadow of Revan through Ziost. NOTES. n which rei is a smartass, cori isn't as sneaky as she thinks, and zaara is sad about her friends LINKS. [ AO3 ] [ FF.net ] [ other chapters ]

“It’s unlikely we’ll find anything useful as far as hard data goes,” Zaara spoke up, placing a hand on her hip. “It’ll be more reliable to bring someone back for questioning. Alive, please, Nox,” she added, turning to Rei, “and without any lost limbs this time.”

“Thanks for clarifying.” She rolled her eyes; that particular incident had happened nearly a year before and really wasn’t worth holding a grudge over anymore. “If that’s everything, I should get going. We’ll send anything relevant to Zaara and find someone to question.”

“Absolutely not,” Satele argued coldly. “If there is any questioning to be done, it will not be at Imperial hands.”

Marr didn’t seem fazed. “We can discuss specifics when Nox returns.”

“No, she’s right,” Rei mused, fighting to hold back a grin, “since the Jedi are so well known for their incredibly successful interrogations, and Sith are notorious for failing to adequately reprimand members of their own order. Or — wait, I may have gotten that backwards.”

Zaara rolled her eyes. “Just — leave before I adequately reprimand you.”

[ohlawsons]

recompense | pt. 5/5

DENOUEMENT summary.  zaara has done her honest best to stay off of powerful sith lords’ radars, and somehow continues to draw their attention. as if getting caught up in arkous’ campaign to take tython isn’t enough, zaara finds herself at the mercy of yet another dark council member when she leads a chaotic rescue mission to liberate both korriban and darth nox. notes. features zaara ven, alyssa sala, cori ven, and davri sohms, with mentions of reiyaxa. takes place during forged alliances, towards the end of manaan. also, sorry for the awkward section breaks. also! the real actual rei/theron shadow of revan fic will be up soon! links. [ AO3 ] [ FF.net ] [ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ] [ Part 3 ] [ Part 4 ]

"Give me one good reason why I should take any of you at your word.”

Alyssa turned to Davri, who had just climbed out of the half-submerged shuttle. “Do you really think you could stand against a Sith lord?”

The mirialan shrugged. “I’ve got a Jedi, so I’ll take my chances.”

“We’re not fighting anyone,” Cori interrupted.

“She’s right.” Zaara turned back to the group, amused at how easily the Republic team had gotten under Alyssa’s skin and made her pride flare. “This mission only succeeds if everyone plays nice. We’re obviously capable of cooperating, so why don’t we?”

“I”m not suggesting we mindlessly attack each other,” Alyssa defended herself, taking a step towards Zaara and lowering her voice, “but I don’t think it’s the best idea to willingly work with them, either.” She followed Zaara as they began to walk back towards where Lana would be waiting. “For now, of course, but once we’re off this planet? There’s no sense in it.”

Zaara would’ve laughed if the situation weren’t honestly beginning to worry her; between Alyssa’s stubborn loyalty and the Republic soldier’s brutish idealism, it was a miracle they’d even made it as far as they had without coming to blows. “You don’t always get to pick your allies, Alyssa. If the Republic is our only way to track down Arkous and Darok, then we work with the Republic.”

Behind her, Zaara could easily overhear Cori trying to convince the soldier -- Davri -- to give them a chance. She suspected that if any other Imperial forces had been down in that lab, Cori wouldn’t be quite so open to the idea; still, if being a Jedi’s sister would save the galaxy, Zaara wasn’t going to argue with the logic.

“Davri,” she mused aloud, pivoting on the ball of her foot and taking a few steps backwards. “Major Davri Sohms. Havoc Squad? You’ve been promoted since the last time you came to my attention.” It had been years ago already; it was while Zaara had been undercover, gathering information at a small Republic outpost on Quesh. That hadn’t been the first she’d ever heard of the highly-decorated squad and it’s controversial captain, but it had been the first time she’d taken note.

It seemed she did have some small amount of luck, after all.

“If I were you, I’d be grateful that I currently respect Master Cori more than I’m fed up with you.”

“Zaara, please.” Cori's voice was quiet, but still firm.

Zaara found herself frowning. Not because of what Cori said -- she was well aware she wouldn’t make things any better by flaunting her knowledge, despite how satisfying it was to see the soldier so unnerved.

No, it was Cori that was bothering her.

For years, Zaara’s only memory of her sister was of a tired, hungry child on the streets of Nar Shaddaa, of round cheeks smudged with grime. Even in the two years since she’d re-established contact with Cori, Zaara hadn’t ever seen her in battle.

And the quiet, hopeful child she remembered didn’t at all line up with the rigid determination and heavy armor the Jedi now carried. She was, in the most important ways, still Cori, but there was a hardness to her that Zaara hadn’t been there to protect her from.

The agent’s dour thoughts fizzled away as they re-entered the facility. “Lana,” she greeted the Sith with a nod, before turning to the man beside her, who she could only assume had been the one she’d heard over the comm. “Mr. Republic Friend of Lana.”

“Theron Shan,” he corrected lightly. “Republic SIS, and your new ally.” Glancing across both the Imperial and Republic team, he added, “And judging from the fact that you’re all still in one piece, this little alliance is going to work?”

SIS is good. SIS is predictable. It wasn’t just having another agent -- albeit an enemy agent -- around that gave Zaara a bit more hope in the team’s chances, but the fact that she was, somewhat, familiar with SIS training and requirements. Far from being an unpredictable Jedi or a hot-headed soldier, Zaara was fairly certain she could count on Theron being reliable and qualified.

Of course, she’d have to start being doubly vigilant about her personal security measures, but it would -- hopefully -- be worth it. Besides, she’d already done her fair share of outsmarting Republic agents; it was practically second nature at that point.

“For the time being,” Zaara answered quickly, hoping to stifle any arguments. Cori was likely to at least give token resistance, Davri would certainly argue, and while Alyssa (probably) wouldn’t actually stand against a truce, she wouldn’t give in without a few words of caution. “I assume you and Lana have already begun exchanging information?”

Lana nodded, but her confirmation was cut off by Davri.

“I signed up to kick the Empire where it hurts, not work with them.” To her credit, she didn’t reach for a weapon, but her eyes were cold and challenging as she glared at Lana. “You think this is the only way to take care of Darok and Arkous? Fine. You let me know when you’ve found them, and I’ll take them out. But I’m not wasting energy playing nice with Imps.”

Theron sighed, but didn’t argue. “Yeah. We’ll fill you in when we’ve got a plan.” As Davri marched out of the facility, he sighed again and shook his head. “Honestly, it’s probably best if she isn’t around.”

“She’ll come around,” Cori promised. “Davri’s wary, as we all are.”

Zaara glanced back at Alyssa; the Sith had her arms crossed, offering no more than a tight-lipped frown. “Well. I’m sure we have a lot of data from the labs to rifle through,” she pointed out lightly. “Why don’t we get started?”

“This is an awfully grim party.”

Despite her cheerful tone, Zaara was full of nervous pre-mission energy, both the typical adrenaline she’d long since gotten used to and a lingering sense of dread at the mission at hand. As nice as Rakata Prime was so far, Zaara was beginning to get the feeling things were going to get really bad really quick. As she made her way towards Lana, Ensign Temple trailing close behind, she added, “Empty, too. Where’s the Republic team?”

“They’re on their way,” Lana assured her, glancing back to where Theron, Jakarro, and Alyssa were deep in conversation. “Major Sohms evidently had... additional concerns about this mission, so she’s a bit delayed.”

Zaara crossed her arms, biting back a comment. Between some of the many long nights decrypting transmissions with Theron and SCORPIO, she’d done some investigating into Davri. It wasn’t difficult, as she discovered; the Major was a bit of an icon. “Apparently she’s well on her way to an early retirement,” she revealed. “And not of her own volition.”

Lana nodded. “Theron mentioned something of the sort. The raid on Korriban was supposed to alleviate some of the stress between her and her superiors.”

Before Zaara could say anything further, her holocom beeped. To her disappointment -- but not surprise -- it was Rei. “Council business, Nox?” she greeted the Sith cheerily.

“Why is it,” she demanded, ignoring any attempts at civility, “that despite spending the last several weeks in Kaas City, the Wrath has -- quite suddenly -- disappeared? Again?”

“You want to know if we’ve made any progress,” Zaara guessed, glancing up at Lana. They’d both agreed it would be best to leave Rei out of any further missions; up until the Republic involvement, she would've been a welcome asset. But asking her to join forces with the same strike team that had torn through the Sith Academy -- with Rei still inside -- wouldn’t have ended well.

Rei simply crossed her arms, waiting. Even over the holo, the cold expectation was clear on her face.

“We found a lead,” Zaara admitted. “We’re following it up. I can fill you in when we’re done but, Rei, this really isn’t the time.”

“What sort of lead?” Her eyes narrowed. “I expect to be there when you find them. I am going to kill both Arkous and Darok.”

Zaara had to stop herself from rolling her eyes; Rei had a terrible tendency to be overdramatic. “Like I said, I’ll fill you in later.”

After Rei ended the call with a vague threat, Zaara turned to Lana with a long sigh, raising an eyebrow at how amused she looked.

“I would’ve assumed lies and such bold words would’ve been a death sentence,” she admitted, not quite smiling.

“Any other Councilor, any other person.” Zaara waved away her concern; after the mess that had been the Oricon mission, she and Rei had a certain understanding. “Let’s just say I’ve earned the right to push Nox around.”

“You need to calm down, Sith. Look, I’m gonna go grab some cards -- better yet, I’ll have Ashara bring some. She’s gotten good enough that she could probably beat you, with as jumpy as you are right now.”

Andronikos’ suggestion had come nearly an hour before; Rei was still pacing along the walkway, while he and Ashara were deep in another game of sabaac. He had a point, though -- Rei was on edge. She didn’t make a habit of standing up for people, but her last council meeting had shaken her enough to take action.

“Through victory, my chains are broken,” she muttered under her breath, trying to steady herself. “My chains are broken.” The phrase the traitor, Lana Beniko ran through her mind over and over, a much unappreciated reminder of her reasons for being on Manaan.

It no longer bothered her that Zaara hadn’t trusted her enough to reveal her and Lana’s plans on Manaan -- and later on Rakata Prime -- until after they’d returned. If Rei had known, she would’ve demanded to come along; she still wanted justice for the humiliation that was the attack on Korriban. Of course, then she too would’ve been implicated in the death of Darth Arkous, and would be branded a traitor as Lana had been.

In the years since her first encounter with Thanaton, Rei hadn’t ever come so close to losing everything she’d worked for. It had left her -- as Andronikos put it -- jumpy. Coming to warn Lana of the Council’s decision was mostly an excuse to get off of Korriban for a bit, but Rei figured it couldn’t hurt her relationship with Zaara, either.

Where is Zaara?

It was another half hour of pacing before Rei finally caught sight of the togruta. She wasn’t alone, however; a Jedi walked beside her, and the pair was closely followed by a heavily armored soldier.

Cori and Davri, she assumed, glad Zaara had gotten her up to speed when she’d returned from Rakata Prime, and equally glad that she’d actually paid attention.

“Darth Nox.” Zaara’s voice was wary. “I didn’t expect you here.”

“I don’t know how well you keep up with Council business,” Rei shrugged, crossing her arms in an attempt at nonchalance, “but there have been some... developments that you and Lana should be aware of. Wrath, too.”

Concern flitted across Zaara’s expression. “Can it wait? I’m sure you’re aware of Master Cori and Major Sohms, and, if I’m correct, we’re about to have even more Republic company.”

“Then they should all hear this. I’m sure the Republic feels similarly about treason.”

Davri took a step forward, hands planted on her hips. “There’s no treason. The Republic doesn’t even have all the details on this mission, and they definitely aren’t aware of the Imperial intervention.”

“It’s not--” Zaara trailed off mid-sentence, groaning. “Let’s just see what Lana has to say, then we can worry about clean up. We knew going in that this op would get... difficult.”

Rei fell in step beside Zaara, motioning for Andronikos and Ashara to wait for her. She made a point of throwing an unimpressed glance at both Cori and Davri; while she had no doubts that they were both capable warriors, she wasn’t about to admit that. Not even if they’d be working together.

It was only a short walk to the facility, where a small group awaited them already. Rei recognized Lana immediately, and she was the first to greet them.

“Dark Lord.”

Rei waved her hand dismissively. “Lana Beniko. The council is aware of your involvement in the death of Darth Arkous.”

“Yes, my lord.” Lana squared her shoulders, eyes never leaving Rei. “They’ve declared me a traitor. I was alerted to the news this morning.”

Theron -- Rei recognized him only from Zaara’s reports -- scoffed. “Guess that answers the question of whether or not they know where we are.”

“I’m not here on the Council’s behalf,” Rei shot back, rolling her eyes. She was fully aware of the charged anticipation within the room, of hands creeping towards weapons. “Believe it or not, I’m here to warn you.”

“You didn’t need to come all the way to Manaan for that, Nox.” Zaara crossed her arms, relinquishing her grip on the blaster concealed beneath her jacket. “And throwing yourself behind us means working with the team that cornered you in the Academy.”

She sighed. “Don’t remind me. But, yes, I am aware of that.” Hands clasped behind her back, Rei began to pace across the room. Zaara and Lana seemed to have relaxed, but their Republic allies remained focused on the Sith. “I... tried to stand up for you, against the council. My involvement in the Korriban attack was immediately brought into question, so naturally, I stopped. I couldn’t sway them, but I can warn you.”

“Good. As long as they don’t suspect anything, it could be helpful to have a direct link to the Dark Council,” Theron reasoned. Glancing over at Zaara, he added, “Assuming it’s a trustworthy link, of course.”

But Davri shook her head. “This is ridiculous. I’ll take the Intelligence agent, I’ll take the Sith lord -- lords -- but a member of the Dark Council?” She pinched the bridge of her nose, grimacing. “Tell me you’re not serious.”

Before Rei could argue, Lana offered a more diplomatic rebuttal. “We don’t have much choice. Theron, Jakarro, and Deefour have been similarly targeted by these Revanites -- we’re going into hiding. We won’t even be in contact with Nox, but she and Zaara may be able to buy us some time initially.”

“We won’t be in contact with anyone,” Theron corrected. “Not until we’ve got enough information to do something about the Revanites. Which, considering we’ve just lost most of our resources, could be a while.”

“Right,” Davri deadpanned. “I’ll keep my eye out for any crazed Sith cults.”

“At the very least, I could alert the Jedi Council to the threat,” Cori spoke up. “They may not act, but they’d have warning.”

“It’s too risky,” Zaara protested. “Nox has the right idea -- don’t tie yourself to this. If the Revanites are going to try to expose us as traitors, we don’t want to make their job easier. I can probably get away with looking into the Revanites a bit more, but not the rest of you.” Her lips pursed, and Rei could practically see the wheels spinning in her head as she thought. “Assuming I don’t get targeted, I can keep the four of us -- plus the Wrath -- in touch. I trust you’ll be able to find a way to contact me?” she asked, turning to Theron.

“I’m sure I can figure something out.”

“Good. Then, if that’s everything, we’d best be going,” Lana interjected. “I’m not sure how much longer Jakarro will wait on us.”

Watching as Lana and Theron left, Rei leaned against the table at the center of the room, fingers toying idly at the hilt of her lightsaber. “Not impressed?” Zaara teased, a grin tugging at her lips. “If you’re really in with us on this, you won’t be disappointed. Grudges aside,” she shrugged, glancing up at Davri, “we make a good team.”

Rei frowned; she wasn’t impressed. A zealously committed Jedi and predictably rash soldier -- they seemed fit to storm the Academy. But Theron was almost too unassuming; for the sake of her pride, she had hoped that someone more... intimidating and worthy of her notice had been responsible. “He led the attack on Korriban? Theron?”

“Coordinated,” Davri corrected, arms crossed. “Havoc Squad led the attack, Cori helped, and Theron coordinated.”

Her frown deepened. “He’s not what I expected,” she admitted. “You are. And the Jedi.” Zaara raised a curious eyebrow -- which Rei promptly ignored. It was ultimately a pointless remark, she reasoned, considering that Zaara rarely seemed to be agent material outside of missions, either. “If that’s all, I’d better get back to Korriban. Wouldn’t want the council asking any more questions.”

“I’m headed to Kaas City to fill Alyssa in, then I’ll call to check in on you,” Zaara decided, nodding slowly. “After that, I’ll be going back to keeping a low profile. Feel free to leave as well, Major, but I’d like to speak with you for a bit, Cori.”

With a few sparse, insincere farewells, the group dispersed. Rei marched back towards her ship, mind full of questions.

“We’re leaving,” she announced as she approached Andronikos and Ashara, still engrossed in their card game.

“That went better than you expected?” Andronikos guessed, falling into step behind Rei.

She considered the question. “Yes and no. Working with the Republic will be even worse than I originally thought, but at least we’ll have no shortage of excitement.”

[ohlawsons]

recompense | pt. 4/5

ABERRATION summary.  zaara has done her honest best to stay off of powerful sith lords’ radars, and somehow continues to draw their attention. as if getting caught up in arkous’ campaign to take tython isn’t enough, zaara finds herself at the mercy of yet another dark council member when she leads a chaotic rescue mission to liberate both korriban and darth nox. notes. features zaara ven, alyssa sala, cori ven, and davri sohms, with mentions of reiyaxa. takes place during forged alliances, at the beginning of manaan. links. [ AO3 ] [ FF.net ] [ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ] [ Part 3 ]

Zaara felt as if she’d only just slid into bed when her holocom began to beep; it had been several hours, but it was still too early in the morning for her to concern herself with work. After a few moments, Vector stirred beside her.

“Zaara?”

“Leave it,” she mumbled, curling up closer to him. “It’s only important if it’s Lana, and she’ll come yell at me if she needs me. I’ve been up for two days straight, and I just want to sleep.” By then, the beeping had ceased, and Zaara drifted back asleep.

Cori frowned as her call went unanswered for a second time. She’d never had trouble getting a hold of her sister before, and now, when she needed her, Zaara wasn’t picking up.

“I’m sorry,” she sighed, giving her most apologetic look to Davri and Theron. “I’ve never had an issue before. I really thought she’d be able to help.”

“It’s fine.” Theron shook his head, sighing and turning back to the screen with the facility’s layout. “I’ve got one last contact I can meet with, if your... friend doesn’t come through.”

Cori nodded. She trusted Theron and Davri, but hadn’t yet wanted to tell them about Zaara; still, if she’d been telling the truth the last time Cori had spoken to her a few weeks ago, then the Empire was just as desperate to catch Arkous and Darok as the Republic was. Surely, if they pooled their resources and information, they’d be successful.

“Contact or no contact,” Davri pointed out, “we’re here and Darok is here. We need to get a plan together and strike before he can leave. Let’s take care of what we came here for.”

“Right.” Theron motioned to the layout of the facility. “Not a lot of information on this place. It’s purpose isn’t documented, but I’d be willing to bet it’s used for research. Which, makes sense, considering.” He pointed to one of the entrances. “I’ve arranged transportation to drop you about here. There’s some pretty heavy security further in the lab, and I’m guessing they won’t just let you walk through.”

“I’ll alert my squad, and we’ll head out whenever you’re ready, Jedi.”

The third time Zaara’s holocom beeped, she finally gave in and crawled out of bed. She didn’t make it to the holocom in time, but got dressed anyway and made her way down to Lana’s makeshift office, where she found both Alyssa and Lana waiting.

“Commander,” she greeted her warmly, a smile playing at her lips. “You could’ve just answered your holocom, but I suppose it’s good you’re here.”

Zaara shrugged. “I figured after three tries, it was worth coming down in person.”

“I only called once,” Lana clarified, “to let you know the Wrath has arrived, and we’re ready to strike as soon as you are.”

“Right. Okay.” Her curiosity was piqued, but Zaara had far more important things to worry over than who’d woken her up with an early call. Refocusing on the task at hand, she did a quick mental run-through of all the information she’d helped gather over the past week. “You’re all caught up?” she asked, turning to Alyssa.

The Sith nodded. “Lana filled me in as soon as I arrived. The entrance we’ll be using, the information you have on the lab itself, everything you’ve got on Darok and Arkous -- I should know everything you do.”

“Good thing I came prepared. If the shuttle’s ready, let’s go.”

The ride over and the first several minutes within the lab were quiet and uneventful. When Zaara and Alyssa finally did encounter resistance, they made quick work of the security and continued on deeper into the lab. They were halfway down the next hallway when Lana’s voice came on over the comm.

“Commander, I... have company. I’ll elaborate further later, but--” The line went silent for several moments. “We have some interesting new information.”

“Lana,” Zaara whispered harshly, “you’ll elaborate now. What company? What new information?”

“A Republic team has also entered the labs, with the same intentions as ours. While they’re looking into securing a possible ally, we have a change of plans -- I need you two to investigate some strange energy readings. There should be a console on the lower levels you can connect to.”

“Energy readings?” Alyssa questioned. “What importance do they hold?”

“They may be Rakata. If you can establish a connection with a console,” Lana explained, “we can confirm if they are or not.”

“Who’s we?” Zaara prodded. “I’m more concerned with your company than energy readings.”

“As I said, I’ll elaborate further later. Those energy readings are your priority now.”

Zaara gritted her teeth. Deviations from the mission plan were, quite possibly, her least favorite thing. “Let’s go,” she decided with a sigh. “Most of my crew is still asleep, but I can send someone down there if she doesn’t explain.”

Alyssa was silent for a moment. “You have no idea who it might be?”

Shaking her head, she sighed again. Either Lana was very good at hiding her concern, or her mysterious company truly wasn’t a problem; regardless of which it was, Zaara and Alyssa had other concerns for the moment. “Doesn’t matter. We’ve got a job to do.” Leading the way back through the hallway in the direction that they’d come, Zaara muttered, “Thought there was an elevator-- there.”

Once on the lower level, they easily located the consoles Lana had mentioned. She gave a brief confirmation that they’d established a connection, then fell silent again, ignoring Zaara’s demands for an explanation. “It’s not important right now, and this isn’t the time or place,” she insisted.

Alyssa and Zaara continued further into the labs, with Zaara attempting to lead them closer to the central labs based on layouts of the facility that she’d memorized over the past week. She occasionally tossed empty threats over the comm, still doing her best to get Lana to elaborate.

Eventually, one of her threats was responded to, but it wasn’t Lana who spoke. “So, anyway...” the voice drawled in response to Zaara insisting she’d reorganize Lana’s filing system. “I’m assuming I’m the one you want Lana to tell you about. We’re working together, for the moment.”

Zaara said nothing, simply listening, trying to place the accent, the voice -- anything to give her a clue about who Lana was with.

“How close are you to the central lab? There’s a scientist named Gorima there, and I’m getting some pretty heavy Rakata energy readings coming from the lab. My team’s already headed there, but if that’s where Arkous and Darok are, they’ll need the backup.”

Alyssa looked to Zaara for an answer; she frowned, but decided to cooperate until they knew more. “We’re close. I’m... familiar with the facility. As long as we don’t find too much resistance, we’ll be there in a minute or two.”

“Good.” He paused. “You’ll make it there before my team, actually.”

Already heading towards the main lab, Zaara debated for a moment before asking, “So does your little Republic team know not to open fire when they see us? Or are you just going to tell us not to shoot?”

“You’re as bad as Davri. Don’t worry -- they know to expect you. Why don’t we try to make it out of here without anyone shooting each other?”

“Sounds good. We’re at the lab.” There didn’t seem to be any more security so deep within the facility, but Zaara readied her rifle just in case. “Gorima.”

The scientist barely glanced up, continuing to poke and prod at another Selkath on a stretcher before him. “You aren’t with Arkous,” he pointed out. “You’re trouble.”

“We don’t have to be,” Alyssa reasoned. “We need information on Arkous and Darok. Where are they? What interest do they have in this facility?”

“Cyborgs,” Zaara guessed, grimacing as she glanced around at the lab’s contents. “What is it they want? For you to engineer an entire army?”

Gorima nodded. “Eventually. These are just the first recruits.”

“So, Mr. Republic Friend of Lana’s,” Zaara spoke into her comm, “you mentioned Rakata tech readings?”

“That’s right. Should I assume you’ve come to the same conclusion I have?”

“Self-repairing cyborgs.”

Alyssa’s eyes widened. Turning to Gorima, she demanded, “Is this true?” When he nodded, she shook her head. “This can’t be allowed to continue.”

“Not for Arkous and Darok, it can’t.” Zaara pointed her rifle square at Gorima. “You’ll be coming with us. I’m sure there’s some doctors in the Empire that would be very interested in this research.”

“Zaara!”

Before she could react to Alyssa’s protest, the sound of loud, deliberate clapping echoed through the lab. Arkous stood at the far side of the room, beside Darok. “Well done, Agent.”

Cori coughed and sputtered as she pulled herself up out of the water; it was only about knee deep, but her robes were completely soaked through. She found Davri similarly shaken but alright.

“What the hell was that, Theron?” the Major demanded, practically shouting into her comm over the rushing water and blaring alarms. “We were hit with some sort of explosion. Fell through the floor.” Davri paused, but no answer came. “Theron.”

“I apologize, Major Sohms. Theron is... occupied. Dealing with my team, actually. He was speaking with them when the explosions began. I’m afraid you’ll simply have to trust me, and I’ll help guide you to an escape shuttle.”

“I’m sorry,” Cori breathed, still shaken but not too out of it to try and keep Davri from overreacting, “but who is this?”

“Master Cori, I presume? My name is Lana Beniko. There will be time for proper introductions later.” There was a pause. “I’ve sent coordinates to a nearby docking hatch. My team will meet you there.”

Davri planted her hands on her hips, shaking her head. “Great. First the floor collapses out from under us, then we have to work with the Imps. It’s up to you, Jedi. I’d almost rather take my chances with the rest of the facility,” she admitted.

Cori took a deep breath, motioning for Davri to follow as she led the way down through the waterlogged hallway, towards the docking hatch Lana was leading them to. “We have to trust her. It’s our best chance to get out of here alive.”

“Right. Not sure I agree, but I’m following you.”

They had nearly made it without incident when Lana came back on the comm. “I’m getting strange readings from up ahead of you. Theron believes it may be one of the cyborgs being created at this facility. It’s... I can sense its power from here. Be careful.”

Davri groaned. “No offense, but this is why I typically avoid taking assignments with Jedi.”

“What do you mean, wait?“ Zaara snapped. “Arkous and Darok got away, Gorima got away, the facility is coming down around us, and you want us to wait?”

“It’s not like you’ll have much of a choice.There’s one last door between you and the docking hatch, and it’s locked. I can’t override it from here, and my team is... busy.”

“Is there a way around?” Alyssa reasoned. “Some way we could both help your team and make it out before everything collapses?”

“No. It would take too long to go around, and I don’t even know which hallways are still standing.”

As they rounded a corner, the locked door in question came into view. “Found that door.”

“Good. My team ran into one of Gorima’s cyborgs. A finished one. I’ve got them overrid--” The facility shook violently, and the comms fizzled out for a moment. “--or. You should be able to head straight through to the shuttle.”

As the door hissed open, Zaara and Alyssa barreled through, both coming to a complete stop as they came face to face with Cori.

[ohlawsons]

recompense | pt. 3/5

COINCIDENTALLY summary.  zaara has done her honest best to stay off of powerful sith lords’ radars, and somehow continues to draw their attention. as if getting caught up in arkous’ campaign to take tython isn’t enough, zaara finds herself at the mercy of yet another dark council member when she leads a chaotic rescue mission to liberate both korriban and darth nox. notes. features zaara ven, alyssa sala, and cori ven, plus my brand new still-somewhere-in-chapter-one-but-apparently-plays-a-major-role-in-my-canon trooper, davri sohms. takes place during forged alliances, between korriban/tython and manaan. links. [ AO3 ] [ FF.net ] [ Part 1 ] [ Part 2 ]

“All due respect, sir, I don’t think this is something to sweep under the rug.”

Keeping her own doubts to herself, Cori watched curiously as Colonel Darok offered Davri a tight-lipped smile. “Of course not,” he assured her. “We’ll look into this, Major Sohms. Both the odd timing, and how the Empire was able to pull off such an attack on Tython.”

“Are you?” Davri pressed. “Or are you just going to accept this as a victory and be done with it?”

“We’ll look into it,” he repeated. “For now, you and your squad have more than earned a few days’ leave. You too, Master Jedi.”

Cori nodded. “Thank you, Colonel.” She threw a pleading look at Davri, silently begging the woman to stop pushing. Seeing Tython in such a state of ruin had left her more exhausted than she’d expected, and the last thing Cori wanted was to drag on a confrontation because Davri couldn’t let a hunch go.

“We’re fine, and we don’t need a few days,” Davri insisted. “You really want to get to the bottom of this? Send me.”

“You know what?” Theron interjected. “You make a good point. Why don’t we discuss this over drinks, and let the Colonel get back to helping organize the cleanup efforts?”

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Darok agreed.

Cori began to protest -- unlike Davri, she did want some rest -- but was quickly shot down by both Theron and Davri, and soon found herself walking with them towards a nearby cantina. “I have... stuff. To attend to,” she offered weakly as she settled into a seat across from Davri.

“Good thing this won’t take long, then.” Theron leaned back in his seat, frowning in thought for a moment. “Something about this all doesn’t add up.”

Davri shifted in her seat, letting her forearms rest on the table. “You don’t trust Darok, either.”

“No. And I think you’re right -- someone needs to look into the timing of the attacks. It’s not a coincidence.”

She shrugged. “I suppose you can guess I’m more than willing to volunteer to be someone, and I’ve got the crew to back me up.”

Theron gave his head a slow shake. “No, I think we need to be a bit more... subtle, for now. But if there was a connection between Darok and, say, that Sith you spoke to, there would be a need for Havoc Squad.”

Davri frowned. “So you’re asking me to do the same thing as Darok -- sit on my hands and wait.”

“Unlike Darok, I’ll actually be looking into this. But, yes.”

At that point, Cori was only half-listening to the conversation anymore. She yawned, mumbling out an apology as she stood. “Agent Shan, Major Sohms, it’s been a pleasure, but... It’s more important that I help with Tython. This--” she gave a vague wave of her hand, “doesn’t need me like the Jedi do now. If you find something worth investigating, I'm more than willing to help. But for now, I need to get back to the Jedi.”

“Of course. We’ll be in touch.”

“Honestly? I’m not sure whether I want her to have the answers or not.” Zaara frowned, glaring at the mirror as she fixed her jacket for the third time in the last few minutes. “It would help,” she sighed, biting at her lip. “But I don’t like the idea of hearing my sister admit she led an attack on the Sith Academy.”

“We can accompany you, if you’d like.”

Zaara glanced over the shoulder of her reflection to where Vector was sitting on the bed. “No. I appreciate it, but...” She shrugged. “Cori gets nervous around Alyssa, and we all grew up together. I think it’s best I do this alone.” Taking a steadying breath, Zaara turned and leaned down to steal a quick kiss before straightening and smoothing her jacket -- again -- and heading over to the ship’s holoterminal. 

When Cori’s form finally flickered into view, Zaara cleared her throat. “Master Jedi.”

Cori buried her face in her hands, groaning. “Don’t call me that. It’s... weird. It’s already weird enough I have to have everyone else calling me that.”

“Being a Jedi master isn’t everything you’d dreamed?”

“No, it’s...” Cori sighed, shoulders drooping. “I thought you said this was important. You didn’t go through all this trouble just to tease me.”

“No.” Zaara clasped her hands behind her back, where Cori couldn’t see her wring them nervously. Regardless of what information she could gather from the call, she wasn’t going to walk away happy. “I need to know what roll you played in an attack on the Sith Academy on Korriban.”

Cori’s eyes widened. “Why?”

So she was there. “Because something about the attack doesn’t make sense, and I’m making it my business to figure out why.” Zaara pursed her lips, watching as Cori struggled to come up with an answer. “You were there,” she finally continued, “and I think you have your own questions about our attack on Tython.”

At that, Cori froze. “That was you?” She blinked, slowly tearing her eyes away from her sister. “I don’t... That was you.”

Unfazed, Zaara nodded. “I led a team to attack Tython, and you led a team to attack Korriban,” she guessed. “I have reason to believe we were both deceived, and it’s now in our mutual interests to figure out why.”

“I didn’t lead the team,” Cori admitted. “But I was there, yes. And... yes. We thought something was off about the attacks. I can’t promise to give you much, but what do you need to know?”

“I need to know about the attack. Who ordered it, what the mission parameters were, everyone who was involved. Any information you can give me will help.”

She shook her head. “I don’t think I can give you that sort of information. I’m sorry, Zaara.”

“I’m not here on behalf of the Empire,” Zaara explained slowly, keeping her voice low and reassuring. “I’m here because I’m worried we’ve both been taken advantage of. Something bigger than the Empire or the Republic.”

Cori fidgeted. “Darok,” she finally sighed. “Colonel Darok was in charge of the operation. And... part of the team I worked with is already investigating the attacks.” She shook her head, crossing her arms. “Zaara...”

“It’s not like I can bring the Republic to it’s knees with a name,” she teased. “You have nothing to worry about; I promise I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t incredibly important.”

“I know. I should... I should go, now. Stay safe, Zaara.”

“You too, Cori.” Burying her face in her hands, Zaara let out a long breath. Colonel Darok. A name was something, at least. She could work with a name.

“I’ve followed up on your lead, and I have... news.”

“Not even a hello?” Zaara followed Lana into her ship, watching as she inspected it. “It’s secure,” she assured her, leaning against the doorway. “I’ll admit to a certain level of paranoia when it comes to security measures.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it, I suppose.” Lana turned to face Zaara, grimacing. “We’ve now confirmed that both Darok and Arkous were after the same Rakata artifacts. As far as we’re aware, they were both successful.”

“And?”

Annoyance flashed across Lana’s face; not at Zaara, she suspected, but at whatever she’d discovered. “Arkous has arranged for transportation to a facility on Manaan. I believe Darok is also heading there, though I can’t be certain just yet.”

Zaara considered the information for several moments before speaking. “Just to consider the possibilities -- there’s no chance one could be following the other?”

“Even if it were so, it’s up to the Empire to deal with Arkous.”

She nodded. “You want to follow them to Manaan.”

“I do.” Lana hesitated a moment. “I’d like you to come with me, as well. If we can confirm both Darok and Arkous have ties to the same facility, we can alert the Wrath and Darth Nox for assistance.”

“Best to leave Nox out of this,” Zaara suggested, fingers tapping against her arm as plans began forming in her mind. Rei had a tendency to be... unpredictable. Alyssa, at least, only deviated from plans after a painful amount of forethought. “I can have my crew ready to leave first thing tomorrow morning. Get me whatever you already have on that facility, and I’ll start digging up everything else I can. With luck, we’ll have all the information we need before we even make it to Manaan.”

Lana gave a breathy laugh. “With luck.”