Perhaps Another Day. But not Today.

[Meira]

The power! Control the breath, channel the Force. The hunger! His eyes, deep brown. The soil that grounded her. The need... Breathe. He will keep you safe... the strength... He will not let you fall... the POWER!... NO!

Renata's eyes flashed open at the sound of the indicator. It beeped in quick tones. She was breathing heavily. Thin lines of sweat traced the sharp features of her face. Her lips were dry, her eyes dialated. It took a few moments for the sound of the tone to register in her conscious mind. With a deep breath, Renata stood and made her way to the cockpit.

The ship she had... commisioned for this trip was larger than the one she previously used. The tremor she felt warrented the change. With extra supplies at hand, Renata brought the ship into its landing sequence, cutting through the atmosphere of Korriban.

During the trip, Renata had been meditating on the Force to guide her. Control had been her mantra. He had been her anchor. But the farther away she got, the weaker her control... the stronger the fire. And now, as the ship touched down on the desolate planet of her Sith forefathers, the fire threatened to consume her every being. Her eyes were again void of their ice blue, replaced by the molten yellow of her lust for power. And Korriban promised so much, it made her breathing ragged.

Control. Use it, master it! Or it will surely master you. She said these words to herself over and over again in her mind, determined not to become a slave. Her rage had freed her, but it would consume her if she allowed it. Renata would never allow it.

Now on the planer, her senses were doubled by the flow of the Force. What had happened here? A struggle, so recent she could smell the sweat and blood as she lowered the ramp. The wind wipped her cloak as she pulled it around herself moving away from the ship to explore the area outside the ruins by which she landed. She walked and moved along where she could sense the others had been. Her feet fell on footprints long since erased by the wind. The thrill that must have been here! The rage, the fear, even the blind devotion of the Jedi, she felt it all.

And then her movements brought her close to a cliff's edge where it all suddenly stopped. What had happened? Who had fallen? Her eyes closed as she reached out with her senses. Nothing. Up, right, left... Down! Yes. Down there, somewhere in the depths of the gorge. Somewhere down there, a heart still beat, however faintly.

Quickly, Renata made her way back to the ship, all of her will resisting to pull of the tombs. You have nothing for me. She thought to herself. The tombs had been stripped of all their significance long ago. No, these empty tombs would hold nothing to help her. Her power lied in her alliegance to her master... for now.

Back at the ship, she quickly gathered medical supplies and refitted her two recon droids with supports that would carry the gurney. Then, like the wind that chased around her, she led the way, searching for a way down to the level of the one who had fallen. The sun was setting, she had to move quickly.

Finally, she reached the bottom, and through the growing darkness, she could just make out the form on the ground up ahead. The droids activated their lights, allowing her to see once again as she reached the body. He was keeping himself alive, in spite of the many injuries, but just barely. A last ditch effort, hopeless. And yet. Here she was, against all odds. The Force was mysterious indeed.

Mechanically, she reddied the gurney on the ground and then, using the Force to bulster her strength, rolled the man onto it. The droids then took either end, lifting him up from the ground and Renata led the slow retreat back to the ship.

Once back on board, and for fear that her control would falter, Renata launched from the planet, moving away from its temptation. Another day, perhaps. But not today. Today she would keep this man alive, if only to hear the stories he could tell. Today she would collect once again, bringing another to count among the followers of her master. Today would be a victory over her rage, her fire. She would prove her control again and allow herself to believe that she had the strength to be something more. She would prove this to herself. She would show him that she was strong enough. With his dark brown eyes as her anchor, she could do anything.

Once in space and with the auto pilot again engaged, Renata set about in the work of bringing this man back from the limbo of near death. She knew that place and its darkness. Her circumstances had been different, yes, but she knew that place. Her resources were limited to simply healing for now. The broken bones were set, wounds were closed. Her knowledge of Force healing was limited, but it was enough to enhance the medical supplies and tools that she had. The man would live, but he would have to wait for a new arm.

After a few days of travel in space, Renata believed that he might be strong enough to wake. Bringing him out from under the influence of the drugs that had kept him asleep, she stood over him, vigilant for any sign of waking.

[Grawn]

"Your a disappointment! A failure! I should've killed you when i had the chance!", roared Ibapo as he held Grawn by the neck. The 12 year old, his eyes filled with fear tried futiley to get away from his enraged uncle. His fingers threatened to tear out his throat and the young boy knew he would if he wanted to. "Your just like your father. Weak. Unfit to wield the power of the Force.", he growled then threw Grawn across the room, causing him to slam into the hard stone wall. The boy fell to the floor, gasping for breath and his sweat drenched hair shrouded his eyes as he swallowed air. Grawn remembered that day well, his actual self standing upstraight, arms crossed as he let the events unfold before him. It was nothing but a memory, he could do nothing to change the past, only learn from it.

As the memory began to fade, Grawn stood among darkness. He had no idea how long he had been in his forced stasis, he had watched for what seemed days of memories of old. The brutal beatings he watched himself recieve as a child meant little to him, for he knew the outcome of it all.

He then felt something change, on the outside, not in his mind. His body was being moved and the sound of mechanical joints, was a faint noise to him. Grawn closed his eyes, joining with himself once more.

His eyes slowly opened to the view of a room, the ceiling was metallic in look. Where the hell was he? Attempting to move he found that he no longer felt the pain of broken bones, only broken pride. Slightly hesitant to look at his greatest injury, he looked at his right side. All that was left of the arm was the shoulder, that damn Jedi's lightsaber had taken the rest.

Sighing, he looked up and was almost startled by the visage of a woman. She was striking to say the least, her hair was a fiery red and she oozed with power. Blinking once, he sat up and looked at her again. "I assume you are the reason i still breathe?", he asked calmly as he tried to figure what he was dealing with. He could feel drugs working within his system, he had a hard time focusing but that was the least of his problems.

He needed to find out who she was and if she was a threat.

[Meira]

Ah, movement. The man stirred, came to, and even sat up. Renata watched, her features unreadable and set into an impassive face. When he spoke, only the minute twitch of a raised eyebrow indicated that his voice had registered in her mind. She was studying him. He had obvious strenght, to have survived as he did. But did his strength extend beyond that? It was possible, even likely. More importantly, however, was if this man who now sat before her, was careless.

She could sense the dark side inside of him. While this was good in the sense of her mission, it might not turn out to be so good for her specifically. They were in a confined space on the ship. They were still within sub-light travel from Korriban, but isolated none the less. What was she to do with this man that she had so hastily saved? If he turned out to be more trouble than he was worth, she might regret bringing him aboard the ship. There was nothing left but to wait and see. The drugs in his system would slow him for the short term. Hopefully, there would be no unnecessary bickering.

I am. She responded simply to his question. After a pause, she chose to continue with her own question. Tell me, what happened on Korriban.

[Grawn]

Korriban. His beginning and what he had to be his end, if it wasnt for this woman before him it might've been. Grawn glanced at his right arm stump, recalling well that fight. His rage began to boil as he recalled how he had been so easily overcome, even though it had seemed victory was in his grasp. He eyed around the room, seeing a few of his personal effects. Torn cloak, surprisingly enough damaged mask and what was left of his clothing. All of the items were stained with his blood, embarrasingly enough.

Looking back to the fiery haired woman, while he didnt want to tell her of his...indignified defeat. It was the least he could do for her salvaging him. "Jedi", he growled. Not at her but in spite of Ryn's face appearing in his mind. "I had gone to Korriban to clear a part of my past. I encountered Jedi with 4 other Dark Jedi. While the others had gotten involved with a fight i had a personal score to deal with one of the bastards.", he stopped here and his rage boiled but he quickly shimmered it, "The end result of that fight is what you see before you now. Cast down and made to look like some untrained padawan."

The defeat would always burn in him but he was still alive. He would have to do something about the arm though, Jar-Kai couldnt be performed with one hand. His living that ordeal meant something, he was still around to see that reform of the galaxy might take place. Grawn looked to the fiery woman whom listened to his tale. What a pathetic whelp he must appear but he would live with that indiginity.

"Im rather curious of why you saved me from the brink. While im most grateful for it, i can only wonder what would drive you to do so.", he asked suddenly. This woman was powerful, he highly doubted she would require the help of someone such as him. He craved power on her level but to attain such a level has eluded him thus far. Grawn continued to look at her as he awaited a reply, if she'd give that much.

[Meira]

Renata's features remained unreadable as she listened to the man's short explanation. There was little he told that she hadn't already gleened from her short time on the planet. But as he finished, she nodded thoughtfully. She could sense his anger, and his shame as he spoke. Interesting. He hated his defeat almost as much as he seemed to hate the Jedi who had given it to him. Perhaps more, perhaps less. Rage was a difficult emotion to gage. It flared to great intensities, but could be eased just as quickly.

The process of questions and answers continued as the man posed another question for her. This one concerned her motives for saving his life. For an instant, the fire inside of her, fueld by her pride almost erupted out of her mouth. Fool. Is it not enough for you to know that I have saved your life? That you now owe your every breath to my grace!? The words would go unspoken, and the only indication that they might have been was a twitch of her lip and a flash in her eyes.

My motives are not my own. She said cooly. I am a collector. It is to my master that you should be grateful. Were it not for the task that he assigned me. I can assure you that you would still be at the bottom of that cliff, struggling for every last breath. She would use his pride to keep him in check. His lack of strength, and her health would play to her advantage should the man turn violent, but keeping his pride under her thumb would be an added bonus.

She paused for a moment before continuing. I am Renata, Dark lady of the Sith. My master is Darth Iniquitous, the Dark Overlord. He seeks to bring the galaxy under the rule of the Sith. I have been sent to collect followers to his cause.

She moved forward, her hand reaching out to his right shoulder, fingers lightly touching the bandages that covered his wound. I can assure you that, if you join us, you will have your revenge against the Jedi who did this. Her eyes connected with his. They flashed with a dangerous combination of power and instability.

[Grawn]

Grawn saw the flash of anger in her eyes, he had seen in many times in his own uncles. Questioning the motives of someone usually did such things, espically those whom had just saved your hide, but it was a risk he had to take. He listend to her, at first confused as what she meant by a collector.

Her statement afterwards made his blood freeze, not in fear but of excitement. The Sith had returned, and this one was a Dark Lady, to have such a title meant alot of things. When she mentioned the galaxy under the rule of the Sith, inside of him his heart swelled. Finally! The Sith of old didnt deal with the scum of the galaxy as passively as the arrogant Jedi. He highly doubted that the new Sith Order would be any less aggressive. His hopes of a reform of the galaxy was on the horizon.

As she mentioned his revenge, lightly touching his bandaged right arm stump, it bolstered what he had lost. If he were to follow the Sith, he would learn power. Power enough to vanquish the Jedi. As he imagined the idea of strangling Ryn and mangling his corpse, he grinned wickedly. Looking up to Renata, he slid off the medical slab and dropped to a knee. He saw the power in those eyes and whole heartedly wanted them himself. "It would be an honor to serve the Sith, milady.", he replied darkly looking down on the metallic floor.

[Meira]

It was something she secretly loved. Something that made the fire inside of her warmer. It sent shivers along her spine. To see others kneel before her had made her task of collecting followers a near pleasurable experience. Their devotion was to her master, of course, and she was sure that they knew this. But in the moment when they lowered themselves, when they humbled themselves, they did so in her presence. A faint twitch at the edges of her thin lips was the only sign of her enjoyment, and it was gone before this new follower rose from his position.

Very well. She said, her eyes cold as ice. We're going to Dantooine. You're going to need a new arm and a new lightsaber. Rest now. And with that, Renata turned and made her way back to the cockpit. She didn't like having to take care of this man, but it was her duty to collect all those that would serve Iniquitous. He would surely know if she had not helped him.

Once alone in the cockpit, Renata's mind was far away as her body did the work of setting the coordinates for their journey. If one could see her eyes, they would detect the disappearance of the yellow, and the return of the ice blue color of the irises. What they would not see, however, was the cause of this change. In her mind, Renata was remembering every detail of the only one she would truly call a friend. Veratos, her savior, her anchor. His presence brought her peace when she feared losing control to the promise of power. But she could not feel that presence now. Every moment spent away from him was a struggle for control, and Renata feared her strength would one day give out.

In an instant, Renata was out of her reverie. Her eyes, which had misted with the threat of tears, returned to their yellow glow, any sign of moisture evaporating instantly. Her strength might give away... Perhaps another day. But not today. Engaging the hyperdrive, the ship disappeared into space.