(3rd Person)
(Phantom)
Mace watched the rest of the crew leave downhearted and shook his head. Even he was still trying to deal with the news. Telling them was a necessity, but also a risk. He couldn't be sure how they would all react.
After Vette had led them into the room, she herself had gone back to the cockpit to await the transmission from Ayillh. She wanted to be alone and he knew it. Rubbing his temples in annoyance he channeled the anger that sprang up under the surface, he would unleash it soon.
Taking in all their reactions Mace could tell who was most affected. Blizz, Nadia and Xalek were the ones that took it the hardest. Nadia's eyes had widened in shock at the news and she stormed out of the room before everyone else.
The rage that was radiating out of her had to be vented immediately. He could feel her just on the other side of the wall. She had moved towards the back of the ship and was standing in front of the training dummy. Mace was sure she was practicing her fighting techniques.
Xalek had been like Blizz, they had both turned quiet. Even though Xalek was acting the same, Mace could feel that something was off about the Kaleesh. 'He had wanted to return home.' Mace quietly thought to himself as his thoughts drifted to Blizz.
Blizz going quiet was the same as a Hutt giving money away, it just wasn't natural and to be honest disturbing. The Jawa had lowered his head leaving his face out of sight and quietly left the room.
The rest of the crew hadn't taken it too bad from Mace's observation, Jaesa's life was dedicated to him, and he knew that. She didn't care where she was as long as he was around. She had gone into a dark place when he had been put on ice for 5 years.
Once he had returned she usually accompanied him on all his missions. Something he was happy to oblige, she was his first apprentice and they were very close. Mace actually found the thought of her being left behind almost funny.
If she had been left in the past there was no telling how much chaos and destruction she might have caused to the galaxy at large. There weren't many that could compare to her prowess; she had come a long way.
Ashara was almost the same as Jaesa. She had joined up with him a long time ago; he had taken over her training when he had to. She didn't have family anymore, if anything, Jaesa, Vette and him where the closest family she had.
Finally there was Vaylin, it was clear that she didn't care about her family. Not anymore anyways. Arcann, Senya and even her father all betray her one way or another. And no matter what they did they couldn't gain her trust again.
And Mace thought. 'They would never have a chance now.' She may have had an attachment to her empire, but she had left that behind when she had submitted to him. To her the only thing that changed was the amount of people she hated. Maybe she would be bitter that she couldn't kill some of those people herself, but that was it.
She had been the last to leave the room and spoke to him just before she left. She wanted to mediate quietly in her room. 'The changes in the force where something she wanted to look into'. Mace respected her decision and would leave her alone for now.
Those 3 had been the calmest at the news, though they also needed time to process what was happening, just like Vette. Giving one last sigh Mace got to his feet and made for the door, it was time to be a leader and lay their fears to rest.
A fractured crew wasn't acceptable.
****************
Walking out the door and taking a hard right he walked past the landing ramp and stepped into the corridor. The small sound of a practice blade smashing into a dummy sounded out as he watched the white haired woman nimbly move around and attack a motionless figure.
Nadia was using a Bo staff to practice her moves as she imbued her body with the force. It was an unconscious effort that imbued her body with the force, something that Mace drilled into her after taking her as an apprentice.
The drainage of force would push her mental abilities to the limit. The continuous use would tell her the limits of her endurance under such a state, as well as make it a natural response in all situations. As Nadia naturally used a double bladed lightsaber, combining her prowess with form 6, or Niman which was most suited to her was a no brainer.
She already had some of the basics down when she had become his apprentice, but she mainly focused on the force and her control of it. Something that Mace attributed to being under the tutelage of the Late Barsen'thor.
Some would say that training without the force was better, and sometimes it was when training the other forms. But for normal training it was better for her to enhance her body and get used to the strain.
Giving her a passing glance as she shouted out her frustration, Mace maneuvered around her and walked into the engine room. Walking past an enraged Nadia, Mace made his way towards Blizz, out of everyone he had been the most affected in his opinion.
Walking into the engine room, Mace stayed at the door for a second ignoring the sound behind him. Mace stayed at the door as he looked at the Jawa hunching over a new piece of equipment. The usual noise that was made when Blizz was working was notably subdued, as only the small sound of sparks came from the technology he was using.
Usually when he was working it wouldn't be unusual for an explosion to go off. Though Blizz knew how to make sure none of what he experimented on damaged the engine.
Blizz was the one with the most to lose by what happened. The shock of losing his crew must have been crushing for the Jawa. Watching his quiet figure as he hunched over his work, Mace didn't interrupt, he could feel the emotions radiating outwards. He needed to be left alone.
****************
Leaving the room behind Mace moved to the Armory and walked in on Xalek. He would talk to Nadia last. Mace was slightly surprised that Xalek was so affected by the news, but supposed, that he had been planning on going back to his home when the mission was over.
Now that so much time had passed, it was possible that his planet, his people weren't the same. Though Mace would like to believe differently, the Sith had been almost completely wiped out, this showed how much could change over time.
Walking into the room, it was dark, the lights had been dimmed. Starring at the center of the room, Xalek was kneeling on a piece of cloth with small candles set up around him. The solemn atmosphere in the room, gave Mace pause.
He had seen Xalek prepare rituals before, some for hunts, some for family, some for power. But he had never seen the ritual that was taking place right now. As he was standing at the cusp of the door Xalek spoke up.
"Please come in my Lord." Walking in slowly Mace moved past the kneeling Kaleesh and also sat down, facing the warrior before him, they both said nothing as Xalek continued to proceed with the ritual.
Mace said nothing as everything went on, Xalek wanted him to be here for the ritual, and he had time. It was another 20 minutes before the ritual was finished; reaching down to blow out the candles Xalek looked to be at Peace as he opened his closed eyes.
Mace had no clue what the Ritual had pertained to, but he knew that it had helped the warrior come to terms with the situation they were in, but underneath those calm eyes that he looked at, there was a storm ready to rage at any given moment. Looking into his cold eyes for a few seconds, mace finally got to his feet and left the room. On the way out he grabbed a practice blade.
Nothing was said between the two, but Mace could feel Xalek's eyes as they tunneled into his leaving figure.
*************
*Hiss* the door closed behind Mace as he starred at the woman still attacking the dummy before her, it had already been an hour. The other doors to the room had been closed, and he knew that Xalek and Blizz wouldn't be leaving for a long time. Enough time to do this.
*Tap* *Tap* Shaking the blade twice, the dull sound of the hull rang out, somehow catching the attention of the enraged woman. Mace could feel the anger that was still gushing forth from her. Her planet had been in a state of rebuilding when she had left, that had been just a few hours ago, but also it had been millennia.
Nadia may have lost her family already but she had also left a lot of friends behind. Turning to look at him, Nadia's eyes were a blood red, a huge contrast to her pale white skin and grey hair. Starring at the blade in his hand she turned to face him.
A solemn look appeared in Mace's eyes as he looked at her form. Even though she was enraged she had entered an almost perfect stance for Niman. Slipping into Form 3 himself, or Soresu, he was ready for an attack.
He didn't have to wait long as the force gathered around Nadia and she sprinted forwards. Mace's eyes sharpened as he readied his blade and reflected the first slash she sent. Unperturbed by the block she rebounded and came back with another upwards slash.
Mace shook his head as he watch the predictable attack, in her anger she had grown sloppy. Repelling that slash, she turned around trying to raise her leg for a kick, which was nimbly dodged. Just as her back was to him, Mace's hand came out and slammed into her.
The force of the blow sent her to the ground as she rolled to get back to her feet. Mace didn't move forwards and only put one foot forwards, waiting for another attack.
Nadia shook her head as she got back to her feet, she wanted to reach for her back to feel where she had been hit, but stopped herself, she couldn't show weakness in front of 'him'. Nadia's hair was long, resting just below her shoulders, as she didn't have it up in a ponytail, which she usually did when fighting, it cascaded in front of her face, shrouding her eyes.
"How pathetic." The smooth whispered out making Nadia's body freeze. She hated being weak, she hated not being able to do anything for her people when they needed her most. She had trained hard, turned to the dark side, increased her power manifold since the days she had been a young impressionable diplomat, but she was still being called weak!
The thought sent a new invigorated wave of anger through her as she thought of all that she left behind. Her planet was left behind, Her Friends left behind, Her everything gone! She couldn't control herself anymore.
"Ragh!"Eyes turned a deeper red she sprang forwards completely forgetting her lightsaber form, all her emotions running amuck. All Nadia wanted to do at that moment was to kill Mace. Deflecting every blow that was sent forwards, Mace was starting to get annoyed.
He had trained her better than that, she was supposed to tame her anger, unleash it like a beast, let it tear apart those she wanted, but now it was controlling her. She was even trying to kill him, he didn't mind that fact, it was just another part of being a sith.
But he couldn't let this continue. Blocking one final blow Mace swapped forms, going from Form 3 to Form 7, or Juyo. One of the most aggressive styles of combat it was especially useful for those of the dark side.
Slash, Parry, cut. The blade flashed out faster and faster as he started to imbue the force into his body. He became faster and quicker as Nadia grit her teeth in surprise and anger. She shouldn't have been surprised that he was overwhelming her, but she was too far gone.
*Crack* *Crack* *Crack* The practice blades clashed over and over as Nadia was pushed back again and again. When she couldn't block a move it landed squarely on her body. Because the blades weren't sharp they let out dull thwacks as they impacted.
Nadia grit her teeth in pain as she tried to fight back but it was no use. It was 35 minutes later when the spar finally finished. *Haa* *Haa* Nadia gulped in air as she lay motionless on the floor. All over her body the beginning of bruises were starting to appear.
Mace looked down on her barely breaking a sweat. She looked up into his disappointed eyes and felt a deep well of shame spring up. Her eyes closed as she couldn't move her body as she thought back on the fight.
Assessing al the mistakes, the lapses in judgment, the poor performance, she knew that she had truly failed her master. Finally opening her eyes to look at him, a small amount of communication was done. Mace could tell she knew she had failed him and he would have to punish her for that, more training, disciplinary action, something would have to be done.
Nadia saw the look in his eyes and accepted whatever was to come, she would learn from this and become better, stronger, and faster. She would improve herself.
The small sparring session that occurred had taken her mind off the events and news she received. Her emotions had been vented and all she wanted to do was rest. She would look into what happened to her planet later.
Mace bent down as he picked her body up. Grabbing her he moved through the ship and placed her in the med bay, she would take a while to recover. Jaesa didn't say anything as they entered, but the look in her eyes when she looked at the bruises said everything.
She would interrogate Nadia later. Mace and Jaesa talked for a while before he left and moved towards his own quarters, he needed some of his own time to think about things.
*********************
*Hiss* The door to the room opened and Mace stopped for a second as he noticed the Togruta on the bed. With her armour laying off to the side and the sheets underneath her body Mace raised an eye brow for a second, before a calming smile came to his lips.
Moving over to stand in front of the bed he sat down next to Ashara. Her eyes looked at him as he moved closer taking off his own clothes. Once they were all off she wrapped her hands around his body. "The force works in mysterious ways." Her subdued voice spoke out as he reached up to grab her hand, turning towards her.
Not saying a word he leaned down and kissed her. He could feel the emotions that were raging through her heart, uncertainty and anger. With his touch they died down. He whispered to her gently "I am here with you. You don't have to worry."Hearing those words Ashara's racing heart beat calmed down and a dazzling smile coming to her lips.
Just as she was raising her body going in for another kiss. *Beep* *Hiss* The door chimed and opened. *Cough* Taking a peek over his shoulder Mace made out the figure of Vette standing in the door way. She had a teasing smirk on her face as she looked at the two people on the bed.
Giving a small wave to Ashara, who could just see her, she gave her message. "The tracker just started transmitting. They're already in hyper space. They don't look like they're going to Coruscant though, they've veered off in a different direction. Something might be wrong."
'She seems to be better.' Mace thought that as he sat back up and mulled over the information, it didn't change their plan, the force wanted them to follow, so for now they would follow. Turning his full body to Vette he spoke. "Follow the tracker to wherever it goes. Inform us when they reach their destination. Make sure the cloak is working when you leave the atmosphere, I don't want the trade federation seeing us when we depart."
Vette gave a nod, still with a smirk on her face. "Ok then." Just as she was about to leave Ashara's voice spoke out. "If you want, get someone else to watch the signal, you can always join us~" Vette gave a full blow laugh as she exited the room.*Hiss*
Ashara and Vette had been getting closer over the years, their personalities meshing in more ways than one, making them the best of friends. Mace gave a small shake of the head as he turned back to Ashara. It wouldn't have been the first time that Vette had joined them, but for now he would focus just on her.