Chapter 50: Chapter 50

A Young Girl’s War Between the Stars

Alaris Prime, 39 BBY/961 GSC.

The Dagger slid through atmosphere like her namesake, coming in hard and fast as I followed my sense of the Force straight to Obi and Master Qui-Gon. Once I got low enough, I circled overhead, surveying the area and spotting both the Wookiee camps and, in the distance, the droid factory. Finding a place to land not too far from the camp and out from under the cover of the trees, I landed and powered down. Google seaʀᴄh novel·fire.net

“Arthree, I need you to stay here and keep an eye out overhead for me, please. Contact me if you see anything.”

The droid beeped an affirmative and I nodded, opening the cockpit and climbing out, before closing it back up again. With that, I made my way into the forest, following my senses towards the other two Jedi on planet, not bothering to conceal my presence since I didn’t want to surprise a bunch of jumpy colonists under constant assault by enemy forces.

That turned out to be a bit of a mistake, as I soon found myself surrounded by a patrol hiding in the forest. Sighing, I came to a stop on the trail. “I’m here to see Master Qui-Gon,” I called into the forest. There was dead silence and I shook my head. “I know you’re there. There are five of you.”

A big, fur covered creature stepped out from the underbrush in front of me. At eight feet tall, wearing armor, and carrying a crossbow shaped blaster, I imagined it would probably be quite intimidating for most people.

The Wookiee rumbled out something in its tongue, sounding more like an animal call than any real language. I had no idea what it said, but the emotions behind it gave it context, given that they felt remarkably simple. Not simple as in stupid, but simple as in blunt—no hidden intentions, no deception. It was wary, a bit curious, and issuing a challenge.

“I have no idea what you just said. I don’t speak whatever that is. Let’s keep this simple. Do you understand Galactic Basic Standard? A simple nod will suffice.”

And if he can’t, he won’t know what I said anyway, I mused, watching at the Wookiee nodded.

“Now we’re getting somewhere.” Reaching down to my side, he lifted his blaster up a bit. I held up my free hand in the universal ‘hold on’ gesture and slowly pulled my lightsaber, before flicking it on. I let it run for a moment before shutting it off and clipping it back to my belt. “I am a Jedi. Please take me to Master Qui-Gon, thank you.”

The Wookiee made another of those calls and I felt the others in the forest relax, before they stepped out as well. Nodding in the direction of the camp, the leader turned and motioned for me to follow.

The encampment he led me to wasn’t in a clearing. The underbrush had been cleared out and structures had been built around and in the trees, with only a few trees taken down here and there either to make room or as building materials. Cooking fires filled the area with the scent of wood smoke and sent trails of it into the air, which I had seen from above. Wookiees went about their business, mostly ignoring us as we came into camp.

Looking around, I spotted Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan sparring in an area off to the side. Nodding to my escort, I made my way over, pulling my helmet off and sticking it to the mag-plate on my hip as I went.

The pair continued their spar as I leaned against the nearby tree, watching. Obi spared me a glance and a smile, before Master Qui-Gon punished her for the distraction with a swipe that nearly caught her ribs and forced her off balance. The Jedi Master chuckled, nodding my direction. “You’re welcome to join us, Tanya.”

“It has been a while since I’ve had a good spar that wasn’t Master Dooku,” I murmured. Pushing off the tree, I set my helmet on the ground so it wouldn’t get in the way and pulled my lightsaber, setting it to training mode.

Watching the two of them, I waited for a good moment, then slid in, parrying a blow from Master Qui-Gon and kicking Obi aside. The taller girl let out an annoyed huff and came at me as I maneuvered to put the Master between the two of us. As we traded blows, Master Qui-Gon hummed, nodding. “Form II suits you well.”

The Master jumped, flipping out of the way as Obi came in to slash at his back, his saber flashing out and forcing me to duck, then roll out as Obi recovered from her miss and shifted the attack onto me. I strafed right, putting Obi between myself and Master Qui-Gon, then pressing hard as I forced her back towards her Master.

Things fell into a back and forth rhythm from there as we exchanged blows and maneuvered around each other. It was one of the best workouts I’d had in recent memory, and I had worked up a nice sweat by the time we called an end to it.

We shut off our lightsabers and Master Qui-Gon led us to the large tent he and Obi shared. I sighed in relief as soon as we stepped inside, finding the interior was air conditioned. Dropping onto one of the cushions on the floor near the center of the room, I watched as Master Qui-Gon made a pot of tea and Obi changed out of the robes that had stuck to her body and into a fresh set.

After a few minutes, Obi and Master Qui-Gon sat as well, the Master passing out cups of tea. I took a sip and hummed at the taste—not nearly as pleasant as what I had on the ship, but it was serviceable. Obi studied me from the side in silence, clearly wanting to talk, but waiting for her Master to open the conversation.

Finally, Master Qui-Gon spoke up. “We appreciate the help, Tanya. Without those ships in orbit, we should be able to speed things along here on the ground.”

“I’ve got a team of Mando marines coming down shortly,” I added, and he smiled. “They’ll stay here and work with you, while I head back up.”

Obi frowned. “You’re not staying?”

I shook my head. “No. They’re going to send ships to investigate when they stop hearing back from the blockade fleet. I want to be ready to deal with them before they send reinforcements down. That, and I can’t really stay. We’ll play cat and mouse with the enemy forces for a while, then I need to leave. Master Dooku is expecting me, and I would like to get my people some more training before then. Really, I only came here to deliver a message.”

“Yes, Obi-Wan mentioned that,” Master Qui-Gon nodded, radiating curiosity. “I must admit, I am intrigued at the idea of what you felt you needed to say that couldn’t be discussed over a comm link.”

Glancing at Obi, I briefly considered whether or not I should include her. On the one hand, Obi was young and potentially a liability if she allowed something to slip. On the other, it would be useful for her to know if something were to happen to Master Qui-Gon.

“What?” Obi asked, curious.

Shaking my head, I turned back to Master Qui-Gon. “Master Dooku and I have discovered a Sith.”

The older Jedi stilled at that, a brief thrill of fear and anxiety rolling off of him, before he mastered himself. Obi, on the other hand, was confused and doubtful. She made to say something, but Master Qui-Gon spoke up first. “You’re certain?”

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow, while Master Qui-Gon frowned. The younger of the two asked, “How do you know?”

I sent her a rueful look. “It was fairly obvious, when he showed me his collection of Sith and dark side artifacts, and attempted to use the prospect of artifacts and power of my own as a lure.”

“But, but he’s a senator—”

Master Qui-Gon nodded at Obi. “Yes. And that leaves him perfectly placed to influence the senate, republic policy, finance. I wouldn’t be terribly surprised if he has the ears of several Jedi as well.”

“Most likely,” I agreed.

Humming, Master Qui-Gon reached up and stroked his beard. “And what is my old Master planning? I take it we’re not going after him now, if we’re having clandestine meetings discussing his identity, instead of doing this in a full High Council meeting.”

I shook my head and Obi sent me an incredulous look. “Why not?! If he’s a Sith, he can’t be allowed to remain as a senator—”

“We suspect there is a second Sith, but we’re not sure whether Palpatine is the Master or the Apprentice. And until we confirm the identity of the second, moving against him openly will surely cause them to go to ground, assuming they don’t find a way to turn their resources against us.”

“But if he stays in office, think of the damage he can do!”

“Yes, he could do great harm,” Master Qui-Gon agreed. “However, a senator would be a dangerous enemy, especially on our word alone. The Jedi have lost much in the way of clout. We have effectively been reduced to an honorary role—allowed to remain in our position for the symbolism of having the Jedi on the side of the Republic. I don’t believe we could just storm the senate chambers and arrest him without a mountain of incontrovertible evidence in our favor, and even then politicians trade favors like currency and most of the senate are beyond corrupt. Rotten to the core, really. He could be caught out red handed with a Sith lightsaber in the process of murdering someone and half the senate may side with him against us. Whatever we do, it must be done with the full backing of the law.”

“Or clandestinely, in such a way that no one suspects the truth,” I murmured, and the Master nodded.

“Assassination?” Obi asked, and I nodded.

“There is not always a good way to deal with well-connected enemies, especially if we want to avoid the fallout for intervening,” Master Qui-Gon sighed. “Who else knows?”

“Master Dooku intends to inform Masters Yoda and Windu.”

“That’s it?” Master Qui-Gon asked, raising an eyebrow. I hesitated, and he caught on immediately. “I see.”

“Master Sifo-Dyas’s death may have been somewhat exaggerated.”

Obi stared. “‘Somewhat exaggerated?’ You mean he, he faked his death? Why?!”

“I can’t say. I shouldn’t have told you he’s still alive.”

The girl glared at me, but Master Qui-Gon reached out and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Some things must be kept secret. Do not take it as a sign that your friend doesn’t trust you.”

Letting out an annoyed sigh, Obi nodded. “Fine. Doesn’t mean I like it.”

“No one does,” I shrugged. Downing the last of my tea, I stood. “Well, as much as I would love to stay and help, I need to rejoin my crew and prepare for reinforcements to arrive.”

“Thank you for the warning, Tanya. Good hunting,” Master Qui-Gon nodded.

Obi stood, joining me as I left the tent. “I wish you could stay longer.”

“Duty calls,” I chuckled.

As we walked towards the trail leading out of the camp, Obi said, “We found some old ruins I’ve been wanting to explore. I think they’re the site of some Force using group.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Did you sense anything?”

“I sensed some danger in the Force, but nothing extreme. It also felt somewhat dark. I went to Master Qui-Gon with my suspicions, but he said to leave them alone for the time being. We don’t have the time to safely explore, with everything going on.”

This does fall under my purview as a Shadow. I’m sure Taria would appreciate a report from an initial investigation and assessment of the site at the very least.

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“Hm?” Obi asked, sending me a curious look. “I thought you needed to get back.”

“I do. But as part of being assigned to assess Tython for habitability, I was also to investigate anything I found in the way of ruins, relics, and such and report back. I still have those contacts and I’m sure they would like at least a preliminary survey. I have the experience necessary and it shouldn’t take long to go have a look and at least determine whether we should even be anywhere near it.”

Obi grinned. “So, we’re going to go explore?”

Nodding, I pulled out my holocom and contacted the ship, audio only. A moment later, I got an answer. “Captain?”

Obi raised an eyebrow at that, radiating curiosity, but I ignored her for now. “Lieutenant. Anything to report?”

“No, ma’am. We’re nearly finished getting the prize ships ready to launch. When can we expect you to rejoin us?”

“I’m going to be a bit later than expected. There’s something on planet I need to check out. I may be out of contact for a while. If you detect anything and need to move, I have Arthree listening.”

There was a brief pause, then, “Yes ma’am. Understood.”

“Thank you, Lt. Taris.”

Disconnecting the call, I pocketed the holocom and looked to Obi. “Which way?”

She turned and led me into the jungle. “It’s on a nearby mountain.”

Obi took off at a jog and I matched her pace, following along. As we went, I asked, “Is this all you’ve been doing, since you and Master Qui-Gon left the temple?”

The girl chuckled. “Ehh… pretty much, yeah! Going from one planet to the next, helping out where we can. It’s been fun. What about you?”

I blew out an annoyed breath. “I got caught up in politics.”

“Hoh~?” She sent me a grin. “Tell big sister what’s got you so upset.”

Rolling my eyes, I answered. “It’s not necessarily the politics I dislike. It’s the social events that come with them. Having to dress up and pretend to enjoy speaking with vapid idiots, when I would rather be doing anything else. All because of the Trade Federation trying to cut us off and Serenno needs allies.”

“The Trade Federation?” Obi asked, sending me a curious look. “Why would they be trying to cut off Serenno?”

“We believe they’re working with the Sith. Part of their plan for the coming war is to isolate planets and force them to join their alliance, so they can collect those planets’ resources. After the incident there with Master Dooku’s family, we discovered a new metal, more durable and lighter than durasteel. The Trade Federation want it for themselves, likely to enhance their droid army. We aren’t willing to enable our enemies to create weapons to one day turn against us. So they’ve blockaded Serenno in all but name and blackballed us from trading anywhere they have control.”

Obi hummed, considering for a moment before asking, “What about the Republic? Have you tried taking it before the senate?”

I snorted quietly, shaking my head. “The Republic is allowing it, because the Trade Federation controls the purse strings and most of the senate have been bought off. As long as they get their taxes, they don’t care what happens to their constituents. This is an issue that has been ongoing for centuries, but I believe is going to come to a head soon. Because in response to the Trade Federation’s economic aggression and the Republic’s unwillingness to actually do anything to remedy the problem, we’re allying with other planets and looking to cut the Trade Federation and Republic out entirely.”

The girl beside me nearly stumbled at that, before turning a concerned look on me. “You’re… you’re talking about secession. Treason.”

“Secession, yes. Absolutely. Treason? No. In order for it to be treason, they would have to be a legitimate government, providing all of the services and benefits and adhering to all of the duties a properly functioning government would, including protecting those under their governance. They do not. They are rotting from the inside. That is why we will peacefully separate from the Republic and form our own confederation of aligned planets from those in the Mid- and Outer-Rim who are tired of paying taxes and receiving no benefit for it.”

“‘Peaceful?’” Obi echoed incredulously. “Tanya, they’re going to declare war! The Republic can’t allow itself to be split up into a bunch of different factions!”

I nodded. “And if they declare war, then they will be in the wrong, not us. Besides which, with the Trade Federation building up a droid army, I should think they would have more pressing concerns to deal with than a few planets outside their reach breaking off and declaring independence.”

The girl shook her head. “No, they’re not in the wrong, you are for breaking away and instigating a war! And for what? Money?!”

Sighing, I took a moment to think up how I wanted to word what I wanted to say. The jungle flew by us in the meantime as we moved, the scenery mostly blurring by as I thought. Finally, I had what I felt would be a compelling argument.

“Imagine you are a count on a planet in the middle of nowhere. No space travel. No electronics. Your people use horses and oxen for labor. It takes days, weeks, or even months for news to travel anywhere. You manage a county in a territory owned by a corrupt, greedy king. You manage your territory to the best of your ability, doing what you can to improve the lives of your people.

“Every year that king demands thirty percent of everything your county could produce or the theoretical value of what they have sold, regardless of how well they did. Some of your people are going hungry because of these taxes. And what does the king do with them? He spends them on parties, projects in the capital, on himself.”

“We don’t live in a kingdom—” Obi began, but I kept going.

“It wouldn’t be quite so bad if the king actually invested that money back into the counties he’s ultimately responsible for, but he does not. Banditry is on the rise, but the king does nothing. The king has knights, an army, a navy and so on in his forces and yet he doesn’t use them to secure his borders or police the interior. Instead, he keeps them in the capital, protecting him. Worse yet, he doesn’t trust you with your own knights and army, because you might turn them against him, so you can’t legally fight off the bandits. And when the bandits have come and gone, he still demands his tribute. So tell me, if the king is failing to uphold his duty, would it then be wrong to take matters into your own hands, build up an army, kill the bandits, ally with other neighboring counties suffering under the same king, and declare independence? Especially when, as soon as you actually start doing the job, you prove you’re better at it than he ever was simply because you’re actually doing it and he wasn’t? If protecting yourself and your people and refusing to pay for services you aren’t receiving is treasonous, then so be it.”

The girl sighed. “Tanya, there are legal processes to go through to address those issues.”

“And you think that in the thousand years since the Ruusan Reformation that no one has tried? I have a list sitting on my ship of every case ever brought before the senate regarding the Mid- and Outer-Rim and matters of taxation, piracy, and just not getting what they’re paying for. Do you want to know what happened in every single one of those cases?” I asked, sending her a grin.

Obi looked annoyed. “I’m not going to like the answer, am I?”

“Probably not,” I shook my head.

“Fine. What happened?” she asked, sounding defeated.

“Ultimately? Nothing.”

Feeling both curious and a bit wary, she asked, “What do you mean?”

“In every single instance, one of a very short list of events took place.” I began ticking off points on my fingers. “The Republic determined that they acted in the right. The Republic determined that those taxes were fair, or actually needed to be adjusted upwards. The Republic determined that there was nothing they could do because the damage was already done. Or the Republic investigated itself, found no wrongdoing, and declared itself innocent on all counts. All of which ultimately ended in nothing happening to address the grievances put forth.”

“That, that can’t be—”

I shook my head. “It did. The proof is all there in black and white—years upon years of cases where worlds not in the Core tried the legal route and were either stymied at every turn, or when they finally reached the finish line, they were denied. It’s all a matter of public record. You just have to know where to look.” Ducking under a bunch of vines draping across the path, I asked, “So then, with all legal recourse proven to be an intentional waste of time, what do you do? Do you just roll over and continue taking it? Or do you stand up and do something about it yourself?”

Groaning quietly, Obi said, “Okay, maybe you’re right! The Republic is neglecting its duties! That doesn’t mean you can just split off and make your own faction. It’ll cause a war! And what about all the people in the Core who depend on basic necessities coming from the Rim?”

“If it’s to be war, it won’t be us who fires the first shot,” I denied. “As for goods, I assume you mean from the agri-worlds. They can trade for that like everyone else instead of taking it as part of their taxes.”

“Then the price goes up and they can’t afford it—”

“Because the government is no longer giving it to them for free and they have to get it from the Trade Federation, who are increasing their prices as an act of economic warfare against the Republic. Or they can dedicate the land needed and grow their own.”

“Coruscant can’t grow their own crops! They’ll starve!”

“That is not our fault, or our problem. If you require the labor of others to produce your food, you should pay them a fair wage and fair compensation for their goods and services, instead of threatening them at gunpoint to feed you. And if, after holding them at gunpoint so long, you get lazy and put the gun down, don’t be surprised when they pick it up and tell you they’re walking away and you can plow your own fields. You cannot tell me that throwing off your oppressor is unjust.”

“No, it’s not, but… but this is the Republic we’re talking about! Not some Hutt slaver!”

I sent her an amused look. “It’s the same. As a Jedi, you should be willing to stand against what is effectively mass slavery, even if it is the Republic doing it.”

Obi made a frustrated sound. “The Jedi are sworn to uphold the Republic and its values!”

“No,” I denied. “That happened after the Ruusan Reformation, when the Jedi Order gave up their armor, their ships, and took the Republic on as their master—and at the same time, fractured into several different sects. Before that, Jedi were sworn to uphold good. Now, you’ve conflated ‘good’ with ‘the Republic,’ such that when the Republic is obviously doing evil, you still want to call it good. I refuse to blindly follow a blatantly corrupt, incompetent, and wasteful government just because the group I am a part of does.”

“Don’t you see that you would become the enemy if that happened?!” the girl shouted, face turning red as she panted softly, the Force roiling around her as her emotions boiled over.

Gently, carefully, I projected calm at her. I stayed silent as we left the jungle and began to climb the mountain, following a trail that had been worn into its side with time and the passing of many, many feet. We slowed to a walk and I waited as Obi slowly got herself back under control.

“I am not your enemy,” I eventually said, drawing her eyes to me from where she’d been glaring at the trail. “The people who tell you that anyone who disagrees with them, anyone who dares to stand against them, those who think wrong are your enemy… Those people are your enemy. I know who my enemies are.” I met her eyes, “And I know who my friends are. Hopefully, it won’t come to a war. But if it does, I hope you’ll remember that.”

Sighing, I looked away and spun up a detection formula as my sense of the Force registered something nearby, pinging the area. Sensing a series of ruins up ahead, I turned my focus to the task at hand.

Beside me, Obi pouted, radiating sadness, frustration, and a bit of anger. “This is so stupid.”

“Welcome to politics,” I sent her a wry smile.

That earned a small, hesitant smile and a single chuckle from the girl, before she sighed. “You’re impossible, you know. You’re trying to convince me that betraying the Republic is a good thing and I, I’m an idiot because I actually kind of agree.”

“It’s not betrayal if they’ve betrayed you first,” I countered as we rounded a corner in the trail and the ruins became visible as we crested the top of the mountain. They weren’t huge or ostentatious—no, if anything, it seemed like they had been trying to hide what they were doing here.

My active scan found the entrance, collapsed and buried by debris. Not terribly far from the entrance was a cairn with a very old lightsaber resting on top, and under it a pile of bones. They were human or very near-human and, judging by the physiognomy, male. The skull and neck had been detached, the bone on the remains of the neck looked like it had been cauterized, implying the cause of death was beheading by lightsaber.

As for the lightsaber, I found myself momentarily distracted and curious. It had a cross guard and openings in the hilt that were clearly meant to channel plasma into a lightsaber guard. I made a mental note to run a few scans when we were done. I didn’t want to remove and disassemble it as that would be disrespectful, but I didn’t see the harm in doing some deep scans and learning from the design.

“I asked Master Qui-Gon. He said he wasn’t aware of any Jedi coming to Alaris Prime two hundred years ago,” Obi spoke up as I approached the cairn, finding a stone on the top, a groove cut in it to hold the lightsaber. The stone was meticulously carved with a name and set of dates, along with a short epitaph.

I’m sorry, my friend.

Reaching out with the Force, I frowned at what I felt now that I was close enough. The bones were steeped in the light side of the Force, but the dark side clung to them like they’d been dipped in oil. It wasn’t a deep stain, leading me to believe that if he had turned to the dark side, it hadn’t been very long before his death. The site beyond the cave in was tainted in the dark side much more deeply, and moving over to the entrance, I saw that several of the stones had lightsaber damage. It looked as though someone had taken out the supports with a lightsaber, then collapsed the entrance with the Force.

“I don’t like it,” I murmured, considering our options.

“Leave it and come back?” Obi asked, and I shook my head.

“No. I don’t want to leave an unknown threat up here.” Taking out my holocom, I called up the ship again. The lieutenant answered a moment later and I got right to it. “Lt. Taris, could you ask Cid if his little toy could hit a ground target from orbit?”

“One moment, ma’am,” the lieutenant answered. I waited patiently as I examined the exterior. After a minute or two, the lieutenant was back. “Yes, captain. He says it should do fine.”

“Excellent. Lock onto my signal and mark the structure nearby. Don’t do anything yet, but if I need you to, I want to have the option ready.”

“Thank you. Mereel out,” I disconnected again before looking to Obi. “Help me clear the rubble?”

The older girl sent me a skeptical look, but nodded. “I reserve the right to say ‘I told you so’ if some rancor or something comes after us.”

“There are no rancors or other living beings larger than a cave bat inside,” I chuckled as we began carefully lifting the debris and moving it off to the side. “But if something happens, then yes. You can say ‘I told you so.’”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

We quickly had the entryway cleared out and stacks of stones piled up to reinforce the entrance so that it wouldn’t collapse on us when we went in. Once I was relatively sure we weren’t going to be buried alive in a cave in, I flicked on my lightsaber. Obi stepped in behind me, the white-silver and blue glow of our lightsabers cutting through the gloom.

Ruined, rotted wood from what had once been furniture filled the room. There were signs a fight on the walls and floor—deep gouges from lightsabers.

On the ground amongst the debris were numerous artifacts and treasures. Gold, jewels, mundane credits. Materials that were all imbued with the dark side of the Force. But most importantly, here and there in the debris were a group of holocrons—each large polyhedrons roughly half the size of a soccer ball, all bare gray-blue metal.

The Force shifted uneasily around us in ways I didn’t like, dark and foreboding. I felt as though I was being watched, despite not sensing anyone nearby aside from Obi. My danger sense was a constant, low hum that spiked as I looked at the holocrons.

“We should go,” Obi murmured, radiating unease. “Seal it back up and warn people to stay away.”

“I agree,” I nodded, cautiously picking up one of the holocrons in the Force and drawing it over. “But first, I need to know what they were doing here. It was quite obviously dark, and not in the misunderstood way—actively malevolent. But it would help if those who come after us to secure the site know what they’re getting into.”

Obi stared as I caught the holocron. “Fine. Just… be careful.”

After my experience with Revan’s holocron, I had seen the potential danger and had been sharpening my mental skills, reinforcing my mental shields to prevent intrusion. I wasn’t going to fall for the same trick twice.

Putting up my mental shields, I cautiously pushed a trickle of Force into the holocron, planning to boot it up and take a quick perusal—

My body locked up and something slammed into my mental shield with the force of a blaster bolt. I groaned, dropping my lightsaber as I tried to let go, only to find I couldn’t. My knees gave out and I dropped to the ground.

I tried to tell Obi to run, but my mouth wouldn’t work. Instead, I weakly pushed her away with the Force, towards the entrance. Then, I had to stop that too and muster my defenses as another attack hammered into my mind.

Fuuuck! I’m going to nuke this site from orbit—!

The world around me went black and silent as sight and hearing failed. I could still see however.

The room around me had changed from a dilapidated ruin to a chamber lit by candles. Censers hung from the ceiling, filling the room with incense smoke. People moved around the room like shadows, save for one—a woman wearing robes and a smirk standing in front of me.

“I had hoped for a pretty new thing as my new vessel, but this…” She looked me up and down and the smirk grew. “Lovely~. Now, do be a dear and stop fighting so I can hollow you out and wear you like a suit.”

Holding her gaze, I felt my form flicker between Tanya Mereel and Tanya von Degurechaff. She blinked, confused, and I grinned. Something in my perfectly ordinary and cute smile must have disturbed her as she lurched backwards.

“I met God and told him to go piss up a rope,” my grin grew wider as I stalked around the table, the woman matching me step for step as fear rolled off of her. “You think I’m going to just roll over for some jumped up witch who stuck her soul in a holocron?”

The woman stopped retreating, holding her hands out in front of herself as blue lightning danced between them. “Lucky me. I could use some exercise after that nap.”

A mage blade sprang to life around my hand and I leapt forward.