[center][b]In the life of two Sith & Their Minions[/b][/center]

She moved without hindrance or hesitation as she went through the motions, her silver blade flashing and twirling in her hand like a whirlwind, normal speed at first and then she subtly started to tap into her reserves of the force, letting it flow through her body, her muscles, speeding herself up till she became just a blink in the eye of a mundane person who would watch her, moving faster than any ordinary human or some alien species. Shots were fired and she moved quickly to intercept and block them with her blade, letting her blade flash all around her to deflect the incoming blasts, letting them sail harmlessly away from her.

"Enough."

Was all she said and the guards stopped, returning the safeties on their blasters and holstering them. She slowed down, finishing the routine she had been instructed in as a little girl and with a deep breath jumped, landing on one foot, balanced and frozen. Exhaling she closed her eyes and slowly brought her other leg and foot down, standing upright, taking another deep breath and opened her eyes at the same time as she deactivated the silver blade, reaching out to let the longer cane part fly into her hand so she could screw the saber hilt back to it's hiding spot.

"You have improved." She startled reached for her saber hilt again, her fingers brushing over the hilt before she withdraw her hand and chuckled. The voice had come fro mright over her shoulder and Lena calmly turned around to look at Ko'Chul with a raised eyebrow. The female Noghri showed her sharp teeth in a wide grin before handing her Sith lady a datapad. "New. Reports. As you requested."

She took the datapad and nodded. "Thank you." Gesturing to follow she started to walk to a nearby desk on which a plate of food was already waiting for her, sitting down she gestured to a empty seat but as always Ko'Chul preferred to stand, half in the shadows, ready to vanish when required. Smiling to herself at after that little bit of tradition she took a sip from a glass of water and then went to enjoy her meal, letting the datapad wait. News and reports could wait, her stomach could not. Only when her plate was finished she reached for the datapad once more and began to read it's contents after confirming Ko'Chul had not moved from her spot.

"Another brawl between the Morgukai and Bodhicai I see, I guess they have too thick heads to let my orders sink in that easily." She shook her head, dissapointed in her troops. "Nothing to do about that for now, time will tell if they will accept her or she will die at their hands." She scrolled down, ignoring most of the reports of her facilities, she slowed down as she reached the news and updates from her contacts, frowning. "Irys reports my.... 'sensitive' information stores and databanks have been breached and leaked somewhere and that several people have already stopped giving me their updates as I requested. I see... well that will be her priority to find out were the leak originated from and who is responsible, as well as restore it to it's former operational status." Her frown got deeper as she reached the second bit of bad news, "And my contact in Chancellor Bonteri's office is recovering in a bacta tank after a attempt on her life. Unfortunate."

"Read further please." Came the voice of her Noghri confidant.

She frowned at her for a moment but then continued reading, seeing why, Irys had marked two interesting tidbits of information, which she also noticed that Ko'Chul had already informed Irys that she was interested in either task outlined. "I see... so notorious Cad Bane is putting a crew together to hunt down a potential powerful force user on Ord Mantell." She read the second piece from some of her Kubaz informants. "And the Republic is going to attempt a daring raid on Thyferra to sabotage a shipment of Bacta meant for the CIS leadership..." She tapped her finger on the datapad and then looked to Ko'Chul. "You are interested in undertaking either task?" The Noghri nodded. "Any preference?" She got a shrug in response. "I see... why I would love to test you against both a powerful force user and Cad Bane... but I think the wisest course of action is to intercept the Republic strike team headed to Thyferra and stop them. I would not wish my contact in Bonteri's office to die because of a lack of Bacta."

Ko'Chul bowed, "I will prepare my team." She said with a smile and made to leave but at a gesture from Lena she paused, "Yes?"

Scratching her cheek Lena stood up and walked towards Ko'Chul, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Leave some of them alive... I think it would be most interesting to have a number of surviving republic members of a strike team conducting a rather illegal operation on a neutral world to sabotage medical supplies, don't you agree?" She was answered with a nod and another grin with her teeth showing. Lena let go and blinked, once she opened her eyes the Noghri was done. "Glad she is on my side." She said with a chuckle and then returned to her desk, there had been one more item on the datapad she needed to read.

It was two reports molded into one it seemed, the first from one of the 'loremasters' in her employ, a number of historians, collectors of various 'arts' and other such individuals. One had send word to her that he had found information of some kind of ancient former Mandalorian base or outpost, now in ruins on the world of Teth in the Baxel Sector. Once recovering that information he had learned of rumours that the Mandalorians used this ancient base as a storehouse of an ancient and powerful secret, guarded by what he referred to as 'ageless terrors' that stood guard over it. Naturally there was no specific information what these terrors were, which was just typical.

What was not typical was reading the attached section from a information broker who had provided some curious intel, the loremaster had asked this information broker to learn more about the Mandalorian ruins and the rumours attached to it and had found out that the CIS has also developed a interest, believing this ancient 'storehouse' was the location of some kind of Mandalorian superweapon and are preparing a expedition to Teth to claim it. "Well now, I suppose if the CIS are showing interest they think the rumours have some ring of truth to them. Best to make sure they don't get it then." She said to herself and ponders. "Mandalorian ruins... I guess I need a Mandalorian to help me..."

She tapped a console on her desk and watched it activate, nothing happened at first and then a small hologram appeared of the bothan slicer Irys. [i]"Lena."[/i] She said and nodded, [i]"I take it you've read the report?"[/i]

"I have and even made a decision, You, along with Bodhicai and a number of my disciples will accompany me on the Regret, we are going on a excursion." She replied already going over her own items she was going to bring.

[i]"I thought so, I will inform Verat to plot a course to Teth."[/i]

Lena chuckled, "Thank you but delay that, inform him to plot a course for the Mandalore system first, I think I want to partner up for this excursion." She smiled, "And I know just the person to ask."

------

[b]Mandalorian Space,
Kandosii Naast II, orbit over Concordia.[/b]

"Do it again." Goran Silas said in his best drill-instructor voice. Rolling his eyes behind his mask Gra'tua aimed and waited, firing again in rapid succession as the target orbs appeared on the holographic practice range. Once done he looked up, five out of twelve orbs had been hit, it did not take long to hear Goran once again, "Abysmal, try again, how can you even expect to hit a gundark with shooting like that."

Gra'tua chuckled, "I am not training with a blaster to shoot Gundarks my friend, I am hoping to learn enough to be somewhat capable on the field of better and to do honour to my clan and name as a warrior of the Mando'ade."

Goran did not look impressed with those words. "Even so, try again and do better this time, or we move on to dueling and I will not have a training blaster with a lower setting."

"Would you kill me for the sake of teaching me a lesson Goran?" Gra'tua asked, half in jest and half serious, chuckling as he finished saying that, that chuckling stopped when Goran answered him.

"Yes. If you are not worthy of the lessons then I would do that certainly. Now enough talking and try again."

----
[b]Kandosii Naast II command bridge[/b]
----

"Well this is indeed a surprise." Gra'tua said with humour as he leaned back in his command throne, Kashiir standing beside the throne. Gra'tua stood up and opened his arms in welcome to the guest who just entered his bridge. "Darth Lena, what brings you to my corner in space?"

She looked around, typical of Gra'tua to invite her to a place where his status as some kind of a Mandalorian warlord was evident to all, she smiled however and bowed, acknowledging him as the master of his domain. "A request to join me in a venture I wish to embark on Gra'tua. Something that might even interest you actually."

He frowned behind his mask, Lena asking for aid? She was the most enigmatic of the sith alliance and by far the most secretive. Granted she had sough a alliance with him before but that did not mean he trusted her, he did never say that of course. "Something that might interest me? Do tell."

She approached and crossed her arms together, making eye contact with that ridiculous mask he insists on wearing each time. "I have obtained some information, about a possible ancient Mandalorian base on the world of Teth, not only that but that it was in its time a storehouse where some kind of ancient secret is stored, guarded by what my informant tells me is a 'ageless terror'. It might be nothing but tales turned into myths but at the same time, the CIS have also heard of these ruins and believe it is the resting place of some kind of superweapon of the ancient Mandalorians. Wanting to claim it for themselves no doubt."

Upon hearing this Gra'tua chuckled, "A superweapon? If the Mando'ade had those then why would they have lost the Crusades of old?" He frowns and ponders in silence for a moment. "However, in the event that something might indeed be stored there... which you suspect there might be, you do not wish to see it in the hands of the CIS?"

"Indeed, perhaps it would be better if one of us were to claim the contents of the ruins then these CIS, don't you agree? Lord Gra'tua?" She answered with a smile, so far so good in trying to get him to come along with her.

He returned to his throne and sat down. "Kashiir, send word to the fleet, they will be in the command of Aeshi and Gilad, we are going to Teth, along with Darth Lena here."

"As you command my lord." The Chiss replied and walked to the walkway running across the bridge and started shouting out orders.

Smirking behind his mask he regarded Lena. "Let us travel to Teth and see if we can't stop some CIS upstarts from meddling with my people's history and legacy."

Lena bowed. "May fortune and the force smile upon us, I will return to my ship and inform my ships captain to follow you closely." With that she left, both of them preparations to make before leaving for Teth together on their respective ships.