[b][centre]Darth Narthais[/centre][/b] ---------- [b][centre]Denon[/centre][/b] The dark form of the Abandoned Shadow lifted off a small run down and unimportant landing pad as its red sensor array pulsed back and forth. After a few moments of sedate flight its main engines kicked in and it started the climb thought the atmosphere and back to space at a rapid pace. As the vessel cleared the last atmosphere layer Annika Sevage, better known as Darth Amourus began the calculations for a hyperspace jump back to the Vivacious Strength. [b]"Report Ash,"]/b] She said simply to the otherwise empty cockpit. A small strip of red light at the top centre of the primary control console began to pulse from side to side as another voice filled the cockpit. [b]"My sensors detect no vessels following us and no active scans are being made of us that I can detect."[/b] The voice said sounding very much like a calm and softly spoken human male. [b]"Good,"[/b] Annika replied. [b]"Take us into hyperspace as soon as the calculations are finished."[/b] [b]"As you command Mistress"[/b] The voice said in the same calm tone as Annika left the cockpit to find her apprentice. The Nautolan Darth found her apprentice in the main hold, hunched over a workbence with her sabre in pieces. Tayma appeared in pain, likely owing to the wound on her shoulder where she had been struck by a blaster bolt while the pair of them were on Denon. Annika Watched silently as Tayma ggritted her teeth and bore through the pain as she replaced the diatium power cell of the her sabre, realigned the crystals and refocused the emitter matrix with the focusing lens. the hilt casing still showed carbon scoring where it too had taken a blaster bolt, the reason for Tayma's present repairs. Her apprentice had gotten sloppy during their work on Denon. The Task had been a simple one, Eliminate a small time businessman who had recently caused issues with one of Narthais' many far reaching plans. The issues had been relatively minor and easily corrected but having interfered once, Narthais wanted to make sure it did not happen again. For a small time businessman however he had been quite paranoid and had a large amount of security, including beasts with whip-like tails that could seemingly sense the force. Annika had surmised that the man was more than he had appeared, possibly connected with the galaxies underbelly and his businessman persona was just a front. That had not however changed the mission, only how its was executed. After the pair were discovered by the whip-tailed beasts their stealth infiltration turned into an all out assault. The ensuing battle saw Tayma get careless and her sabre took a chance hit which caused on one the two blades to short and deactivate, which in turn allowed a bolt to slip past her guard and strike her shoulder. Annika smiled as she recalled how Tayma had pressed on with only one blade, her skill with a single blade was lacking but what she lacked in skill she more than made up for in single minded determination and ruthlessness. Using the pain of the shoulder wound to fuel her strength with the force she had lashed out at all that stood in their way. The methods were crude to be sure but the result was none-the-less effective. Between the two of them the targets security were quickly decimated and the target himself shot by a group of his own men after some persuasion from Annika, reinforced by the force of course. Their task complete the two returned the the Abandoned Shadow where Annika had forbidden Tayma from treating her wound until her sabre was once again fully functional. As Tayma put the final component back in place she held the reassembled hilt before her horizontally with the force and activated first the blade that had not shorted on Denon, the blade formed cleanly and without instabilities indicating she had at least put all of that sides pieces back together properly. Next she activated the second blade which while it did activate the blade itself was thicker than it should have been, less refined. Glaring at the blade Tayma reached out with the force and adjusted the focusing lens with the blade still active until the second blade was once again uniform with its twin. The Deck plating shuddered for a moment as the familiar sensation of entering hyperspace translated through the hull of the Abandoned Shadow. Her Sabre stable Tayma moved to the centre of the hold and ran through a quick practice routine while Annika watched. the blades gyroscopic properties remained the same after the repair and Tayma finished the routine without hesitation or pause. Her test of the repairs complete Tayma approached and knelled before Annika. [b]"Master, I have completed my repiars, the blade functions as it did before the damage."[/b] She said simply, though the barely restrained pain from the blaster wound was evident in her tone. [b]"So you have,"[/b] Annika replied warmly. [b]"The jedi, before the sith brought their order down had a common saying that they would teach all their students."[/b] She said in a more lecturing tone as she pulled the sabrestaff hilt from Tayma's hands with the force. [b]"Your weapon is your life."[/b] she said in the same tone as she activated one of the blades and swung it at Tayma's head in one smooth motion stopping only a few millimeters from striking her apprentice. To her credit Tayma did not flinch at the action. She remained still, eyes downcast in respect even as the sound of the blade beside her head filled her hearing. Annika laughed, the sound soft and lilting as she deactivated the blade. [b]"Stand Tayma."[/b] She said as she returned the sabre to her apprentice. [b]"You show a refreshing lack of fear and, when necessary, restraint in one so young."[/b] [b]"I heed your teachings Master."[/b] Tayma replied as she took her sabre and returned it to her hip. [b]"Of course,"[/b] Annika replied with another laugh. [b]"Find yourself a bacta patch for that wound and reflect on my words. The Jedi's saying has a ring of truth; While the force gives us power beyond mere technological weapons your sabre is a highly versatile tool they you would do best not to lose."[/b] [b]"Yes Master"[/b] Tayma replied with a bow of her head before exiting the hold and heading for the small medical unit in the passenger bunks section of the small vessel while Annika made a mental note to start training Tayma in the use of a single blade. -------- [centre][b]The Vivacious Strength[/b][/centre] Narthais stood still at the centre of his mighty vessels command deck. The Vivacious Strength had been the first vessel constructed at The Cradle and it had cost a not inconsiderable fortune to build. That said it had served well in the years since its construction as a mobile base of operations for the Sith Lords dealings in the galaxy. The large monitors set up around the outer walls of the command deck showed scenes of space around the vessel, much in the same manner as a more traditional Bridge with view ports directly out into space would have. But Narthais had buried his command deck in the belly of his vessel so as to better protect it, the monitors allowed for a more than adequate replacement for static view ports since they could be changed to different scenes, magnified or overlaid with tactical data when required. Presently the screens showed the defult setting of space as viewed from the hull in a relative position to their location along the command decks walls. All except one. That one screen was displaying a short list of financial details. Contracts to be precise, offers to make use of The Cradle's services. Narthais absently glanced over the list, most were from the republic or the CIS, one a collection of pirates... [b]"Further details, item 3."[/b] Narthais announced as one caught his eye. A crewman in the pits around the command deck heard and complied with the order immediately and the monitor changed. An agent of the Banking Clan had approached Narthais's brokers and requested a new star cruiser for their taxation and reclamation services. The vessel they requested had extensive cargo holds, strong defensive systems and a top of the line hyperdrive. Weaponry was limited for a vessel of the size they wanted, but would be more than enough to deal with most pirate forces that may try to sack the vessel and plunder its cargo during its duties. What had caught Narthais's eye however was the name attached to the contract. The Muun who had ordered the vessel was the same that had originally tendered the Sith lords accounts with the Banking Clan, including the loan that had originally paid for The Cradles construction. The offer was not the highest paying contract on the list, it did however have the least complications attached to it and it showed respect for a possible ally in the Banking Clan which might bare fruit and possibly be exploited in the future. [b]"Send word to The Cradle; Begin construction of the Banking Clan starcruiser immediately, and make sure the work is first rate, we do not want our buyer thinking we are trying to cheat them."[/b] Narthais commanded. [b]"Communication sent my Lord."[/b] Chimed in the officer in charge of the communication banks. [b]"Very well. Continuing monitoring local communications, I want to be informed immediately should any hint of our quarry show up."[/b] Narthais replied as he turned and left the command deck. The quarry Narthais referred to was a smuggler who was rumoured to know the location of a certain auction that Narthais was looking to obtain an invitation to. The auction was for a very private collection that was to include a holocron from the age before Exar Kuns rise to power. As always Narthais made it his business to try and obtain such items of the past, they regularly held secrets long forgotten. So far Narthais had had no success finding the location the auction was to be held, only rumours of the list of items being sold. This smuggler he was hunting however was supposed to know more. the smuggler was known to frequent the world that Narthais now found himself in orbit above however and so it seemed like the best place to locate the smuggler and question him. By force if necessary. --- [Hider=Summary] Annika and Tayma finish and assignment and Tayma learns a valuable lesson. Narhtais accepts a contract to build a starcruiser for the Banking Clan and his flagship lays in wait for a smuggler with information the Sith Lord requires.[/hider]