[center][b]Korriban,
Homecoming[/b][/center]

There was a small gathering of disciples and troops standing by, presenting themselves for inspection as the ship bearing Andrea landed and lowered its ramp. Rhak-skuri was leading the procession and bowed as they saw Andrea leave the ship, she opened her mouth to welcome her but Andrea cut her off before she could utter a single word. "Yes, yes, glad to be back and be honoured, enough with the formalities. There is a lot to do in little time." She all but growled. "Someone get Talon to the medical wing and see about attaching her hand back or grow her a clone limb, with me." She just started walking off the honour guard not moving but Rhak-skuri and the others quickly stepping in her wake. "I want all armed forced stand ready for anything and the squadrons prepped for launch, if there is a invasion coming I want it repelled without any effort or before any of those bastards can make planet fall. And instead of preparing as I ordered you organize honour guards, bah. At least Reneva is doing something useful, ever since I informed her of a potential invasion of Korriban she has the Dark Rebirth and its crew running combat scenarios around the clock.

In fact when we left she was starting a new series of drills seeing how fast the pilots and hangar crew could respond to fuel and arm the craft and launch them to repel possibly threats. What do I see when I go here... not troops patrolling or marching with vehicles moving about... but a honour guard that is not required at this time. So tell me Rhak-skuri... tell me why I see such incompetence?" Andrea finally finished her little tirade and had stopped, turning around to glare at the Togruta.

Rhak-skuri was furious and would like nothing more than to blast her insufferable master off her feet, she suppressed it as best she could and just narrowed her eyes and spoke through gritted teeth. "My... apologies, mistress. But you only saw that landing pad, everywhere else in and around the academy patrols are taking place and drills are being carried out. Weapon systems are tested and the planetary ion cannon is showing optimal readings. We are hard at work, I was going to give you a report on what we already did when you started your little tirade... mistress."

Andrea kept glaring for a moment and with a huff turned around and continued walking. "Very well, there's still some competence present then." She grudgingly admitted, her mind was constant in motion since that call with Azazel... part of her was filled with such hatred. Hatred at Azazel for betraying her like this, revealing the location to Korriban to some sith cult which led to some sith lord wanting to take Korriban, her world! But the hatred also faded to be replaced with relief and even some genuine warmth when she considered that this crisis... at least made talking between her and Azazel possible again.

She brushed it aside to let her anger resurface however, "Azazel is coming to Korriban too, so while indeed commendable I don't want them to shoot allies. Even if they betrayed this location which is the reason for this invasion." That last sentence she muttered before shaking her head and resumed. "But yes if everyone is doing as I instructed, then all of you go back to your duties. I am... going to be occupied for the foreseeable time and are not to be disturbed... by anything or anyone. This includes the invasion, if I am still occupied if that event happens I will still not be disturbed, because I will kill anyone who does. Trizz and Darth Reave, you two will remain with me." With a gesture she dismissed them all but the two Zabrak females, who glanced at each other before following after her.

Rhak-skuri watched the three of them leave, frowning, what was Andrea up to...

_________________
[b]Surface of Korriban,
Outside the tomb of Drachass Nuur....[/b]
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The one sith on Korriban not summoned to meet the return of their mistress was actually carrying out her orders when Andrea had contacted the academy. When Andrea had been informed that Khanna had a ability that somehow made the Tuk'ata like her almost as much as they did Andrea, she seemed very pleased and immediately contacted her to give her a assignment. Head to the tomb Andrea and Azazel had visited and head inside to find the Tuk'ata alpha, the Matriarch they had found there and see if she could convince or tame the sith hound where they had failed when they were there.

Khanna had arrived outside the tomb with ease, if she had been informed of the Tuk'ata that had been outside the tomb, then there was no sign of them anymore, not even a trace of any of the bodies both sith had slain, it was likely that some of the other native predators of Korriban had carried them off.

She had no real interest in bodies, she was here to see if the dominant matriarch was still present and if so to tame her for Andrea. Recalling her mistress's words that it was rather dark in this tomb she had brought a flashlight and turned it on as she entered, looking for the signs on the walls her mistress and Azazel had left behind. As well as keeping herself alert for any sign of the Tuk'ata or other predators that were in the tomb or had moved in since the forcefield had been deactivated.

Khanna traveled along the marked path for a while, following the markers that were left behind, her flashlight flickered and went out suddenly, distracting her as she tried to turn it back on, when she did she suddenly saw a large lizard materialize out of thin air right in front of her, just as it lunged at the intruding sith. The Dathomir sith however managed to evade the lunge.

With a curse she activated her lightsaber pike and lunged at the beast, it was not a Tuk'ata for sure and she was not in the mood to become some reptile's lunch.

Khanna manages to skewer and impale the Hssiss without any apparent effort and seemed free to resume her way.

She smirked and deactivated her lightsaber pike, bending down to gain genetic material of this beast, Andrea was always looking for genetic material of predators, this beast had some kind of cloaking ability, perhaps through the force so she was certain her mistress would be intrigued. Once done she went on her way, trying to reach this fake tomb where apparently the matriarch had been found before.

She reached an intersection when she saw glowing red eyes in the darkness up ahead, moving towards her, reaching the edge of her light source she could see the faint outline of a Tuk'ata, it seemed she had been going in the right direction. The sith hound was snarling silently, showing it's teeth to her.

She moved slowly, trying to show no aggression as she spoke in sith to it, using her newfound powers to control and influence beasts as well. <"Ssh... be calm. I Khanna, sith. Seeking matriarch Tuk'ata. You, let me pass?">

The Tuk'ata shook it's head confused for a moment and took a few steps back, hunching down and growling. [i]<"Go back.">[/i] It hissed.

She growled in return and again used the force while speaking to it. <"Let me pass!"> These hounds were meant to serve and obey the sith and she was here to make sure that happened.

The Tuk'ata kept growling and then blinked, letting out a whine and stood upright, bowing. [i]<"May pass.">[/i] It said, obeying Khanna now.

Smiling she clapped her hands. "Good." She said to herself and stepped forwards, snapping her fingers at the Sith hound. <"Follow.">

The sith hound obeyed it's new master and followed Khanna, guiding her to the Tuk'ata den in the fake tomb. There were a few other Tuk'ata present who watched them but did not stop them, clearly seeing one of their own pack leading this stranger in their midst was something they've seen before as they reached the tomb proper a large shadow moved from the wall and a enormous Tuk'ata came into view, growling and speaking sith. [i]<"Intruder....">[/i] It sniffed the air. [i]<"Hurr, you have the faint smell of one of the others who came before. Why have you come here, this tomb is empty, they killed the one who commanded us to protect it.">[/i]

Khanna smiled, glancing at the other Tuk'ata before looking solely at the matriarch. <"Aware of that. Came here to convince you to join her. To join."> She stepped forwards and reached out with her hand, motioning for the Tuk'ata to approach her and accept her control.

The matriarch looked at the hand and then growled, walking boldly forwards, snapping her jaws shut before she spoke again. [i]<"You should leave... Or I and my pack will devour you.">[/i]

Her smile faltered and she did looked worried for a moment before she took a deep breath and remembered who she was and why she was here, again she tapped into the force and let out a growl of her own. <"You. Will. Obey."> She hissed.

The matriarch was about to pounce but then whined when she felt the control on her mind but was unable to shrug it off. She approached Khanna and nuzzles against the hand, without biting it off, the matriarch was hers now.

She cooed and petted over the flank of the matriarch. <"Good. Good. Andrea pleased to have you."> She said, looking over the massive sith hound with a smile. Yes her mistress would be very pleased with this.

As Khanna left the pack, or at least what was left of it, followed too, six of them.

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[b]Korriban Academy,
Just outside Andrea's quarters....[/b]
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Khanna had walked through the outer perimeter with ease, her face was known to the sentries, even with the increased security and she made straight for Andrea's quarters, she had been informed that Andrea had indeed returned but that she didn't wanted to be disturbed. That might be so but she disregarded those words, she had direct orders from Andrea to return and present herself to her and she was not going to disobey that.

She frowned as she got closer to Andrea's quarters. Darth Reave and that Zabrak mercenary, Trizz, were standing outside as if on guard and on her approach, along with the giant Tuk'ata they quickly seemed to get to attention, making Khanna frown even more when she saw Trizz go for her blaster and Reave seemed to hold her sith saber a bit too tight and combat ready. She stopped in front of them and raised her brows, gesturing at them. "So... is this how you greet a fellow disciple and confidant of Andrea? With signs of hostility?" She looked at them both and then at the door leading to Andrea's quarters. "Let me pass, I am following Andrea's orders."

Both of the Zabrak females looked at each other and then stepped in front of the doors, turning to Darth Khanna, Reave spoke up softly. "I am afraid we are following Andrea's orders as well, orders that countermand any prior ones." She ignites her sith saber. "She is not to be disturbed-"

Suddenly the intercom besides the door crackled to life, "Let Khanna in, Trizz, you come in too, show Khanna where to go." Andrea's voice seemed strained, tired. Again both Zabrak looked at each other but it seemed Reave was satisfied and she turned her saber off and stepped to the side. Khanna was looking disturbed now but she had heard Andrea's voice and as Trizz gestured her to follow she did, looking suspiciously around.

She frowned as they went inside that she saw no sign of Andre anywhere, before she could ask where their mistress was she blinked in surprise as Trizz walked to Andrea private terminal and put in some kind of code and a section of the wall moved out of the way, revealing a hidden elevator. "What is the meaning of this?" She asked warily now, why had Andrea given orders to keep people out, not to mention having a secret elevator in her chambers and why was she shown this?

Trizz stepped on the elevator and looked at Khanna, gesturing beside her. "Get yourself and... that over-sized sith hound on the elevator and it will be made clear to you." When Khanna did not she snorted and crossed her arms. "Do you want to keep Andrea waiting?" Khanna hesitated for a moment longer and then with a sigh stepped on the elevator along with the Tuk'ata matriarch. Trizz just smirked, "See now that wasn't so hard, was it? Right, next floor, Andrea's sex dungeon." Khanna sharply turned her head and looked questioningly at Trizz. Who just smirked and shrugged as she pressed the button combination that would take them down. "Joking, just the regular dungeon with the weird laboratory attached..."

Moments later the elevator arrived at the secret level of the academy and the both of them along with the Tuk'ata stepped off, Khanna widening her eyes as she took note of the cages with sentient beings and strange looking chemical apparatuses and benches scattered around. "What is this place..." She muttered.

"Currently, it is my future." Came the tired voice from nearby and as they turned they saw Andrea, hooked up to several devices, her body appeared weak, her face looked old and tired as she shuddered. "Correction... it is determining my future... Trizz." She gestured at the devices and the Zabrak female quickly scurried forwards and went to check the readings, cursing.

"You went too fast! Didn't you!?" She sighed and muttered in her native tongue. "Hell even after you explained, I do not know still what half of these machines do, not to mention what your precious force is factoring in the working of them." She snorts and went to check Andrea's vitals.

While she looked weak there was fire in Andrea's eyes as she stared at Khanna. "Come closer."

Khanna was stunned but those words snapped her out of it as she walked towards her teacher, her mistress. "Who did this... tell me who and I will-" She silenced herself when Andrea gestured her to do so.

Andrea took a shuddering breath and smirked before she grimaced in pain. "Nobody... did this to me, but myself. I am changing Khanna... you are, just fortunate to be one of my witnesses." She groaned and shuddered and Khanna saw a sudden red tint spread from Andrea's skin and she groaned. "By the sith, this fucking hurts.... should have known that after seeing what it did to the test subjects..." She mutters and grimaces again.

Khanna looked even more mystified. "What is going on..."

Andrea groaned and rolled her eyes. "She hears but does not listen, typical. I am changing Khanna... and this change, weakens me right now and you... you are one of the few currently here who I trust completely. Karis is overseeing my troops, Reneva is commanding my ship, Hannah is out on assignment and Talon is in the medical bay. That left me with yourself, Trizz and Reave. Trizz will remain here to monitor my body so I don't end up killing myself. Reave stands guard in front of my door with orders to kill. That leaves you... I need you to keep a eye on Rhak-skuri. I suspect Jade and Nyriss can also be trusted but not to this level."

She frowns, "Watch Rhak-skuri? Why she is loyal-"

"If you finish that sentence you are more blind than I thought. Rhak-skuri has her uses but she cannot be trusted, least of all my health. If I am weak she would be the first shark in the water to sniff out my blood to devour me. Especially as I am right now with what I am about to do." She suddenly screamed out in pain and both Khanna and Trizz looked on with wide eyes as they saw movement under Andrea's skin... almost as if her bones, organs and more were rearranging themselves. Andrea was breathing deeply and cursed again, "And I thought wrestling a Hutt for that one wrestling episode of Hutt in Love was painful." She stared into Khanna's eyes. "Can I trust you on this?"

She opened and closed her mouth for a moment before she just seemed lost in thought and then nodded. "You taught me much, granted Rhak-skuri brought me towards you but you unlocked my potential. So if you command me to watch Rhak-skuri while you are... changing, I will do so."

Her eyes glowed golden and Andrea smiled. "Good.... Good..." She groaned and shuddered as her eyes returned to normal for a moment and she shuddered in her chair. "Now... go..."

Khanna stepped back and turned to order the Tuk'ata matriarch to follow but as she did so the beast was already moving, towards Andrea.

The hound came close to Andrea who watched it as she sniffed her, shook her head and sniffed her again, looking up at the weak looking sith lord. <"You smell of old.">

Andrea chuckled before groaning and shuddering against the restraints of her chair, her face changing, transforming as bones moved underneath her skin. When the seizure was over she resumed chuckling. <"That means... it is working... You stay here... and make sure... that I do keep smelling, as you said, of old...">

The last thing Khanna heard as she stepped on the elevator was her mistress laughing.