All that has faded me within

Chapter 2.

Now

Even Dark Jedi needed to spend time on meditation. It was good for the mind and soul. It was also very refreshing and opened the mind to all sorts of possibilities that one may not have considered before. Answers were found to questions that seemed to be unfathomable at first glance. But most of all it gave you better focus and that was exactly what Asajj Ventress had needed.

The ARC trooper had yielded little information save for that he was permitted to reveal. That being nothing more than a name and rank. He had resisted her vigorous interrogation and torture at every turn and Ventress had then sworn that she would kill him before the day was out. A cruel smile played across her lips when she thought of her other captive. Obi wan Kenobi, as far as his order were concerned, he was dead. If Ventress got her way, he would be.
Dooku was holding out on completing her training with the thought in mind that he would be able to turn Kenobi.
“Fool, did he learn nothing at the battle of Geonosis? I shall break Kenobi, he shall fall and then we shall see who is best.” Her hate tinged thoughts filled her mind.

Asajj’s previous attempts to kill Kenobi as Dooku wished, had failed. Even using the sith torture mask on the Jedi master had hindered his will little. His time had run out, as had the clones’. For now though, that pleasurable task would have to wait. Ventress had other matters to attend to. Not to mention a spot of training, she did not wish to disappoint the Count after all. Rising from her cross legged position on a small cushioned dais, she moved across the room like liquid shadow. Her ashen features accentuated by the pitch black tattoo’s that adorned her skull. She had not always owned such markings, they had been a decision she had taken they day Dooku had arrived on Rattatak, they symbolized her final task before she had left this rock to begin her time with the Count as commander of the CIS droid army. One dark line for every one war lord she had slaughtered in vengeance. She had showed them the same mercy that they had showed her parents, her old master. She showed them none. There was no other path in Ventress’ mind other than that which was dark. Not anymore.

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Then.

Ky Narec sat upon the balcony of the fortress he had come to know as his home. The battle had not gone as well as he had expected. They had pushed back enemy lines yes. Kept casualties to a minimum. It was considered to be a small victory on the newly united side of Rattatak. However, it was not the actual result that bothered him. Ahead of him, resting hunched on the balcony wall, sat his Padawan.
At 20 years of age, she would soon be ready for the trials every Padawan had to face at some point in time. But something had caused Ky Narec to doubt his student, and for that he felt uneasy.

During the battle, he has sensed her call upon her fears, her rage to drive her onwards. The loss, the pain of losing her parents, she had channelled all that energy into her attacks on the enemy. It had nearly cost her her life. So clouded had she been by rage, that she had failed to open her senses to all else happening on the battle field. Ky dreaded to think what could have become of her had he not been there. If ever there was a bad place for distraction, during battle was it.

She sensed his feelings almost straight away.

“I failed you today master…and for that I am sorry.” She pause, her voice had begun to crack. It was several moments before she found the words to speak. “ …What I cannot regret is the desire to avenge my family’s death.”

It was as Narec had feared. After all his training, all the lessons she had learned, this one would always be a problem. This were the reason force sensitive children were given to the Jedi so young, they had little time to bond with those who they were related to.

“You must let go Asajj, forgiveness is the key to your unhappiness. Anger will not bring them back, nor revenge.”

He sensed the sudden swell of emotions within her. She was afraid and yet too afraid to mention it, even to herself.

He placed a calming hand on her shoulder, all the while he let soothing emotions flow through the force bond they had come to share over the years. Such attachments to ones Padawan were not uncommon, but not advised. Attachment could lead to jealousy as Master Yoda had once told him. Soon enough he felt the fiery anger within her ebb away to nothing. She placed a hand over his in silent acknowledgement that she would try her best in the future. She was thankful for his understanding.

To her surprise, she sensed a certain amount of awkwardness on his part. One that he took great care to conceal from her. Confused she looked round at him to search his distant eyes. He shifted awkwardly beneath her gaze. For a moment then, Asajj felt a small flicker of power. ‘She’ had caused his reaction, she had him cornered, speechless. It was when she realized why she felt what she had, did she contemplate it more. It was as though a voice in the force urged her to do what she should not, what she had wanted for so long but was forbidden to express it. Was that her thought? Or had it been placed there? Several times over the past few years she had looked upon her master with different eyes. He was her world, her everything and day by day she had felt her feelings towards him change from adoration to lust. Ventress had denied it of course, tried to ignore it…but it never failed to surprise her, even now. Especially now.

“He’s yours to take.” The voice inside her whispered, tempting her, taking advantage of her curiosity.

She turned to face him now. He in turn took a step back, eyes not meeting her gaze in fear of what he might find. Asajj advanced, placing her feet on the floor and closing the gap between them. Her movements reminding Narec of a Vornskyr stalking it’s prey.
Reaching out to him, she closed her hand around his arm feeling a faint feeble attempt to pull out of her grasp. Still he refused to look her in the eye and she was becoming increasingly impatient.

“ Ky,”

The sudden sound of his name caused him to look up. She had never referred to him as anything but master when in his presence, not before this day. She had said it, no, purred it. The very sound was dripping with seduction and he felt almost powerless to resist it. A triumphant smile on her face told him he was so close to losing this battle of wills that had hit them both like a bolt out of the blue.

“ Yes?” He had tried desperately to keep his voice even and his thoughts shielded, but it was no use. He sounded weak to his own ears, let alone hers.
And there it was, he could feel the flicker of tension and power in the force. He could not look her in the eye, even now. The tension was mounting with every passing second and Asajj seemed determined to string this out. When finally she did speak, Ky Narec had thought the answer would never come.

“ You seem nervous” She observed aloud.

Still temptation assaulted her senses, but she would not give in. She could not tell him what really plagued her thoughts, what was threatening to take over her. It was with much effort she shoved the thoughts and their voice to the back of her mind.

“ Perhaps you could show me form 1 again? I have yet to perfect that technique.” A rather random question, this was reiterated in the way that her master looked at her.

Blinking several times, Ky responded smoothing down the crinkles in his robes with the palms of his hands.

“ Y..yes of course…let’s go inside.”