Ascension: Part Two

[Darth Ferus]

Fortuna remained silent as she listened to [member="Knight Mullarus"] spoke. A call? She assumed it would be about what he saw in the cave, what ever it was. She hadn't seen, or been paying much attention given the state of her arms at the time. Silent as she was though, she offered a nod to the man when he addressed the healing. It could go back to hurting, so she should keep on her toes. Understood. [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] would be followed as he asked, Fortuna stepping behind him with both eyes forward. It was a matter of respect now. As her fellow acolyte and technically senior, she would listen to what he said. Come the day where she could actually beat him though, that was subject to change.

Once she was pointed to her room she went right for it with a small bow of her head. She wasn't needed any longer, and she'd rather not hang around the beast. Quickly she scurried to her room. A room. Hers. She couldn't remember the last time she had one, though she couldn't remember much to begin with. A wave of her hand activated the mechanisms needed for the door to open, and hurriedly the woman stepped in. A deep sigh escaped her lips as the door shut behind her. It was a simple room, something she had hoped for given the circumstances. The last thing she wanted was an over the top or poor quality place to rest her head. Average would be good. She plopped down on the edge of the bed, and just remained there. Until she was needed again, she wouldn't do much else.

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Meanwhile, Mullarus would retreat to his own quarters a short trek from those of his apprentices. With Private Ategann still tailing him, he punched in the code to unlock his door. "Wait out here, private." he said, heading inside. Like his students, his quarters aboard Paladin were nothing too special. The main difference was Mullarus' quarters came equipped with a larger desk for more heavy tech work and a big holodesk near the center of the room for important communications. He knelt over and activated it, clearing his throat before calling out. "Send a message to [member="Darth Azurea"]."

Begin recording

"Hello again, Darth Azurea. Or, should I say Lady Azurea? Congratulations on the recent promotion to Sith Lord. It is well deserved. As for me, i'm doing well. I now have two apprentices and my own battlegroup and flagship. Life is going well...for the most part.

"Unfortunately, i'm not sending this message just to get back in touch. I have a favor to ask. I appreciate being invited along for your operation on Toola to find your sister. I do hope you found her, in the end. Today...I seem to have my own family trouble. I have a personal reason to slay the grandfather who introduced me to the Sith." Though his hands were held behind his back, his fists clenched with anger. His own two students might have been able to feel the tremor in the Force from where they were in their own rooms. With the unique bond shared between the two apprentices of Darth Pyrrhus, perhaps even Azurea could feel how much this meant to Mullarus. "I won't let the scum get away with it. So here I am, asking if you would like to come along with my two apprentices and I to bring justice to the doorstep of Lord Jekyll. He resides in a small, ancient Sith temple on Rakata Prime all alone. Alone and elderly, yes, but his strength comes from his powerful bond with the Dark Side of the Force. He is a master of deception and illusion, which is why i'm requesting aid from one of the Empire's finest Sith Ladies. He will have tricks up his sleeve, and I would need the eyes of another Lord to witness a Sith Knight betraying a Sith Lord. I would call upon Darth Ferus, but...the man seemed to lsoe his mind on Dagobah, where I discovered my second apprentice, nearly killing her. It resulted in me being forced to strike the Sith Assassin down in her defense."

He took a deep breath, hoping his old friend wouldn't hold it against him that he was responsible for the slaying of the Shadow of the Dark Lord. "If there is a consequence to slaying one of the Dark Lord's servants, I will accept it. I only ask that you assist my apprentices and I in toppling the deceptive Sith Lord from his throne of stone. I'll be sending you the coordinates to my flagship in a moment, if you wish to meet us here. Mullarus out."

Transmission ended. Send holomessage?

"Yes." Once the message was sent, Mullarus sat down on the end of his bed and exhaled. Suddenly, he felt nervous. It was as if Lord Jekyll's ancient claws were carving at the back of his mind. It wasn't a direct confrontation that bothered him, it was what the Lord would do to his mind if he tried. This was why Mullarus needed a Sith Lord along, really, not to observe his feats. Azurea might know a thing or two about resisting Dark Side illusions. If Mullarus could get the old man into a lightsaber duel, he would have the upper hand. The Lord may even have gotten his hands on some other way of holding off more than one opponent. He nodded, making a mental note to include these details in his debriefing for Abelain, Fortuna, and Azurea.

Now that he thought of it, he did have an entire battlegroup at his command. He could very well bombard the Temple from the sky. But what if Jekyll had some kind of army for himself? How would he do that? Did Rakata Prime have any form of natives that he could influence with the Force?

'Relax, Mullarus. We have the power. Not him. He's an enemy of the Empire now.'

Until he would recieve word from his lovely brunette friend via the holo again, he would fall backward onto the bed and close his eyes, trying to relax before it felt as if all of his training within the One Sith would lead up to this pivotal, inevitable confrontation.

[member="Tormax Ategann"] / [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] / [member="Illaudata Renovare"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

When Darth Azurea got the holocall, she happened to be meditating. Sitting quietly with her thoughts wasn't something she ever really did before. Most of the time, her head swirled with frantic visions, regrets, and thwarted plans, causing her great anger and anxiety, which she obviously had learned to live with. But after she trained Mullarus on Glee Anselm, she noticed just how focused the young man was. So she tried meditating and took to it like a Nautolan to water. Often she would meditate, like most Sith would, on agony and even grief. But after her long sessions meditating in a cross-legged position, she would rise, her body stiff and protesting with aches and pains; but her mind normally felt renewed.

Moving to her desk in the underwater home she shared with Darth Pyrrhus, she turned on the holounit. The pair owned the modest dome-shaped home for a few months now. Occasionally talks arose to sell it and build something more palace-like for the two powerful Sith Lords, but their work for the One Sith kept them apart, to the dismay of Azurea. She may have been a full-blooded darksider now, but she still had very human desires, physical and emotional. She tried not to let this bother her, but she did grow lonely occasionally.

Azurea activated the holounit and leaned against the desk just watching the small blue form of Knight Mullarus explaining what he wanted help with. Very interesting developments, thought Azurea, the most surprising being that Darth Ferus, the leader of the Sith Assassins was dead. Dead by Mullarus's hand? She replayed the holomessage again just to make sure she heard that correctly. Templing her hands in front of her lips for a moment, she just stood there, thinking.

She recorded her own holomessage and sent it back. When Knight Mullarus would replay it, he would see the form of Darth Azurea, clad in Sith robes, her arms crossed, hands clutching her arms almost as if she were cold. She spoke: "I am grateful for the help you provided on Toola. I will repay you by accompanying you on your mission. I will be leaving shortly and will arrive in three hours."

With that, she went to pack a light bag and ready the Pirate's Foe for the journey.

[member="Knight Mullarus"] [member="Tormax Ategann"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Illaudata Renovare"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

To Mullarus' surprise, her reply reached his holo swiftly. She must not have been busy, which was surprising. He would have thought a Sith Lord would be busy with conquering worlds and/or Jedi. Whatever her business, he quickly sat back up and called out to the holo in the middle of the room, "Play the message."

Short and to the point, Mullarus nodded, feeling a sense of relief. It would be nice to have some reliable backup. Not that he didn't trust his apprentices, they both showed extensive amounts of promise, they simply lacked experience. For all Mullarus knew, his grandfather of deception would likely try and Mind Trick them into turning against him.

Great, now he wanted to leave them behind. On one hand, he wanted them along to watch and observe experienced sith in battle against one another. Who knew the amount of questions that would bring to the student's minds which Mullarus would then lecture them on and raise their eagerness to learn more. On the other hand, the bastard could woo them to his support. Was that wrong to think so? Did he not trust his own apprentices? To be fair, he did just meet one today, and he would never underestimate Jekyll's illusions and mind tricks. Mullarus would not want to face one of them in battle. Perhaps Darth Azurea would know best. The thought that she would be here soon was comforting.

Mullarus activated his comlink and contacted his apprentices, "Our guest will be arriving in about three hours, apprentices. Get some rest until then, you've worked hard today, and it will likely only get harder."

[member="Darth Azurea"] / [member="Tormax Ategann"] / [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] / [member="Illaudata Renovare"]

 

[Tormax Ategann]

It seemed to Tormax that all he would do that day was stand around. He did that in the training room and was doing that outside Commander Mullarus' room. He waited a few minutes, hearing scraps of what seemed like a message. He didn't hear enough to piece together an idea of who the message was for, or why the commander was sending it. After waiting for a few more minutes, he turned toward the door. Silence. It had been quiet for around five minutes. ... He said wait here. For how long?

Tormax decided to figure that out. He wasn't as afraid to knock on the door as he would have been the day previous, simply because he had seen the man. He was powerful, but he didn't seem cruel. Knock Knock. "Commander? I have a question."

He waited a few seconds, and after the door opened and the commander responded, Tormax continued on. "Sir, do you plan on having me do anything whilst I am accompanying you? Please do not think I want to not accompany you, it's merely that I do not think you need a Private First Class guarding your room. I am happy to serve."

While the Stormtrooper hoped he had not seemed disrespectful, or had overstepped his boundaries, he did say exactly what was on his mind. He stood diligent as the commander responded.

[member="Knight Mullarus"] - [member="Darth Azurea"] - [member="Illaudata Renovare"] - [member="Abelain Narv'uk"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Darth Azurea anchored the Pirate's Foe to Knight Mullarus's flagship and debarked, making her way onto his vessel. She wore elegant, black robes, the underside of the fabric a crimson red, her lightsaber hooked to a thick utility belt around her waist. Since Darth Azurea departed Glee Anselm at night, moving directly from her underwater home to her freighter, and then to Mullarus's, she hadn't seen daylight for over seventy-two hours. The low-light condition of the ship soothed her eyes. Once they reached Rakata Prime, her eyes would need to adjust to the blinding sun again.

She was instructed by the crew that the Sith Knight was in his quarters. Once she reached his door, it hissed open. He was inside along with a stormtrooper.

Darth Azurea's pleasant moments were few and far between, but she felt geniune warmth, and almost excitement, at seeing Knight Mullarus again. While she hid her happy expression beneath the folds of her hood, if he looked hard enough, he would get a glimpse her ruby red lips curved up in an unusual smile and not her normal tense frown. There were not too many individuals that Azurea considered her friend, but Mullarus was one of them.

"I apologize. I didn't mean to interrupt," she said. "Shall I wait on the bridge of the ship?"

[member="Knight Mullarus"] [member="Tormax Ategann"] [member="Abelain Narv'uk"] [member="Illaudata Renovare"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

An hour of meditating, an hour of watching a really poorly-made Naboo movie on the holo, amd another checking the diagnostics of The Paladin because Mullarus was a worrywart when it came to his big, expensive toys. Darth Azurea would be showing up soon, so he kept his comlink close by expecting her to let him know when she would be arriving.

This was when the quiet, muffled voice of a stormtrooper made itself known outside. Mullarus cocked a brow, figuring it must have been important for the PvtFC who had kept his mouth shut tight ever since he first met him when returning from his mission to Dagobah. Unlike the trooper's superiors, Mullarud didn't mind if the trooper had a bit of a personality. "Yes, Private...?"

He watched the young soldier closely, not particularly surprised at his apparent boredom. Mullarus chuckled, "Well, from what I can tell, Private Ategann, you're not protecting me. I don't need protection. The point of an entourage is to expose you and Private Konner to what I do in my daily life, and maybe some of my military leadership will rub off on you. At least, I think so. It really wasn't my decision, it was your sergeant's." The dark-haired sith checked the time on his datapad, "As a matter of fact, I may send you and Konner to escort our guest to me when she arri-"

That was when the door opened behind Tormax. Mullarus instantly recognized the elegant red and black robes with the silky brunette hair falling out from under the hood. Darth Azurea's lips were even curled into a smile as she apologized for the intereuption. Mullarus smiled in return, "Darth Azurea. You must have been on Vanguards before. No no, you're not interrupting. Mullarus tried to think of something for the bored private to do in the meantime. "Ah...Private Ategann, you mind fetching us some drink? What would you like, Azurea?" he asked, standing next to the desk and turning his attention to Tormax.

[member="Darth Azurea"] / [member="Tormax Ategann"]

 

[Tormax Ategann]

Tormax was greatly relieved to see his commander chuckle. He nodded whenever [member="Knight Mullarus"] said it was the sergeant's idea, and turned to face the woman now entering the chamber. Lots of new faces today. "Darth Azurea. You must have been..." Darth? This is probably who Commander Mullarus was sending that message to. "...Private Ategann, you mind fetching us some drink? What would you like, Azurea?" Once the lady made her choice, Tormax said "Of course sir." He then added "Lady," as he bowed to [member="Darth Azurea"] and made his way out the door. Tormax was actually quite content to be sent away, because it gave him something to do, and he doubted that Commander Mullarus and Darth Azurea would want a lowly stormtrooper about for... whatever it is they were doing... What is she doing here, I wonder?

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Darth Azurea pulled her hood down, allowing her face to be seen. Were it not for her yellow, kohl-rimmed eyes, she would still have a school girl aura about her. In fact, her cheeks were rosier and a little plumper than they were the last time he'd seen her on Glee Anselm. Her form was still trim and muscular from combat training.

"I've never been onboard before," said Darth Azurea. "I asked of your whereabouts. Of course, I can feel you through the Force. You are a familiar presence to me."

The Sith Lord glanced around his quarters. She'd never inhabited such an intimate space of Knight Mullarus. It appeared he had been watching a holomovie and doing other routine ship checks. The sense of mundane normalcy filled her with a strange relief.

"Water is fine, Private," said Azurea. "And thank you." The brunette human was abnormally soft-spoken and polite for a Sith. With a black gloved hand she motioned to a leather chair in the corner. "May I sit?"

[member="Knight Mullarus"] [member="Tormax Ategann"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus nodded, "Of course." She was a bit different. Good different. Her voice sounded softer, which had sounded more like a diehard Sith with a lust for the pain that fed her power. Not that that was a bad thing.

"Thanks again for coming. I appreciate it. Not that my apprentices are incompetant, I am just happy to have someone experienced coming along." Mullarus sat down at the chair by the desk, a few feet from the seat Azurea would sit in. "How have you been, Azurea?" He would call her by her real name if he knew it. He remembered giving her his on Toola, which probably was a bad idea considering the circumstances of that day. "I did hear of your promotion to Sith Lord. Congratulations." he said with a polite smile.

[member="Darth Azurea"] / [member="Tormax Ategann"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

"Thank you," she said. "Once I assassinated the President of Susefvi, the Sith had no choice but to promote me. However, I truly believe If I had not made such a high profile Alliance kill, I'd still be a Knight." With a peculiar, sad smile, Azurea shrugged at this admission. "I've never been a good Sith, you know."

She perceived there were whispers about her temperament - a former Jedi with a soft spot for animals and slaves. Even though she had killed both at one time. She never really was able to shake off her lightsider past. Did Mullarus feel the same way? He was loyal to the Sith cause, extremely so, but there had always been something about him that was different. Darth Azurea had felt a kinship with Krux over the time she had known him. She wasn't sure if this was because they shared the same unforgiving Master, or if they truly had more in common than most of the Sith she came across.

"What have you been up to? Besides plotting your own father's death?" Azurea asked. It may have sounded cavalier to talk about it so freely, but she assumed this had been something he'd wanted to do for a long time, and that he'd reached a state of pragmatism about it.

[member="Knight Mullarus"] [member="Tormax Ategann"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus tilted his head slightly, his long, black hair falling over his shoulder, "Never been a good Sith? Azurea, on the contrary, i've looked up to you since the day we met on Lorrd. Hell, sometimes I feel like i've learned more from you than I did from Pyrrhus." Such whispers had never reached the Sith Knight's ears. To be honest, Mullarus hadn't heard much at all about the ex-jedi since his promotion and their last training session together on Glee Anselm.

If there was a small shimmering ray of Light within Azurea after all this time, Mullarus had missed it. She continued to inspire and motivate him to further attune himself to the Dark Side each time he thought of her. The fact that she wasn't a Sith like his true master, and more pragmatic like himself, helped him see her this way. Mullarus was grateful for the time his togruta master took to teach him and finding him to be worthy, but he always felt more connected to his fellow student of the Lord of Glee Anselm.

"Grandfather...and believe me, I take no pleasure in doing so." he corrected, his voice suddenly getting lower and softer as if anxiety had suddenly overcome him.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

A blush crept up Darth Azurea's cheeks at the compliment. "That means alot to me, Krux," she said. "But I've had my struggles. I'm glad they aren't so visible to the rest of the Sith." She leaned forward in the chair, placing her elbows on her knees. "I'll let you in on a secret," she whispered conspiratorially. "Darth Pyrrhus is not a teacher. He's a tormentor." She leaned back and crossed her legs. "But you know that as well as I do. And that's the only way we will learn, through our own pain and torment."

Darth Azurea had another secret, but that one would come less easily to her lips. Because the secret and decisions resulting from it reminded her of just how inhuman she'd become.

"Your Grandfather, I'm sorry, my mind is foggy. It's these... pills I'm taking," Azurea said, her dark brows furrowing. She noticed how Mullarus's lean legs shifted nervously at the mention of the paternal figure. And there was trepidation in his normally confident baritone. "Something troubles you. What is it?" She had her suspicions, but Azurea wasn't one to presume. As before when he trained with her, she was patient. She would listen as long as he needed to talk.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

She always did have eyes like a hawk. This became known to Mullarus during their past adventure on Ragoon VI, while Mullarus was plotting out where his future manor would be built, when Azurea required assistance in the forest and seemed to spot their hunter very quickly in the trees. This ability of hers returned, though it didn't take a fool to notice how twitchy Mullarus was this evening. He sighed, drawing a lock of hair out of his face that had fallen astray, "I've never faced a Sith Lord in battle before. Well...not one like my grandfather. Darth Ferus wasn't himself down on Dagobah. He was...clumsy. It was like he was an acolyte again who couldn't control his rage. He was...feral. Jekyll has more experience than all of us Sith on this ship combined. The only real advantage I have is numbers and youth, and i've a feeling-" Mullarus stopped himself, shaking his head once more as if he'd said too much. He looked down at his boots, now wondering why he was still wearing them this late. "Forgive me. Seems I still ramble like a lost little apprentice."

Quickly, Mullarus tried to change the subject. "While I agree with you in the statement that Pyrrhus is...not the most merciful and watchful Sith in the Empire, he still put aside a lot of time to train me. I can't fault him for that. He...does seem to have a fancy for genocide, though. Much like his master, from what I hear." Vornskr, one of the many faces of the One Sith according to society outside of the Empire, was apparently a very harsh and cruel figure as well. He trained the togruta that himself and Azurea had learned from. Now that Mullarus thought about it, it was a strange coincidence how both Azurea and himself learned from such a cruel master, and yet, because of their pasts prior to directly joining the Sith Empire, the teachings of their master rubbed off on them in a completely different way. Sure, from what Mullarus had seen of the beautiful brunette, she still had her tendencies to show the cruelty and evil that is expected out of a Sith, there was a lot in her that was like him. Benevolent.

Especially today, for some reason. Her aura was a lighter shade. When Mullarus blinked, he could briefly gaze into her aura with Force Sight. She had changed. She even was speaking more negatively of their master, of whom Mullarus still had never heard she and the togruta had - or still were - romantically involved. Now here she sat across from him in his personal quarters talking negatively about him? What could have happened, he wondered?

"Your aura feels different. You're less...dark than I remember. I could ask you the same, Azurea. Is everything alright in your life?" Azurea. That wasn't a real name. A Sith name. The thought of hearing her real name suddenly burned the back of his mind, but was this really an appropriate time to ask?

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Knight Mullarus was afraid, but this did not make him a target for her pity or derision. This fear - normal in most sentient beings across the galaxy - was what made both of them human. And that's exactly what she felt was slipping away from her. Darth Azurea had become enough of a monster, a bloodless killer, attracted to pain and self-harm, that she knew fear too. The Sith Lord feared herself most of all.

"It's understandable. But you will triumph. You are much stronger now," she said firmly. He was not at ease with his anxiety either for he changed the subject quickly - to Darth Pyrrhus. She knew how difficult their Master could be. That Mullarus praised the Togruta so after being driven to near insanity during training...

"You are loyal," Azurea continued. "And Darth Pyrrhus is an imperious, mighty Sith. We are both lucky to have learned under his command." Her words were said without malice and with apparent fondness for her Master. She was surprised that Mullarus had noticed anything was different. "I suppose there are certain things that just can't be hidden. Especially with you," Azurea said, and she leaned over and reached for Mullarus's hand, much like when she had taken it and sliced it with a dagger that time in the Academy. But there would be no sudden wound or pain. She held onto it like a life raft, needing to anchor herself to another's touch or else she felt she may drift away. "Everything is fine in my life," she continued with a deep sigh. "But my aura is lighter because there is a life inside of me. A child from a union between myself and Darth Pyrrhus. You can't see it yet, it's early on." Darth Azurea felt that surely she was the rambling apprentice now!

"But maybe once we are done with your Grandfather, there is something you can help me with as well concerning this child." She put the other hand to her lips and nervously looked around the quarters. "Are your comm systems off in this room? There's no open line, or camera, or recording device?"

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

A life inside...A union with...

'By the Force, she's been-'

Mullarus sat up at her hinting statements, a bit surprised. Maybe he was misinterpreting, or maybe his mind was just in the gutter. Was this what it sounded like? A faint red glow appeared on Mullarus' face, feeling somewhat embarassed that he never once knew what had brewed between Darth Azurea and Pyrrhus. From the way she spoke of him, why would she ever want to-

He blinked, deciding not to think more on it. "Uh...N-no, there are not." Anxiety was gone, now Mullarus felt a bit out of place all of a sudden. Was he about to hear something he didn't want to? Did he want to hear? Did it really matter? Regardless, he listened, locking his eyes onto her, ready to hear what she has to say.

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

Darth Azurea suddenly rose up from the chair and said, "Good." She let go of Mullarus's hand though a part of her did not want to. He was not the only one with confused feelings. The Sith Lord was extremely fond of him, more than she could admit or that he may even know. She noticed his discomfort, but there was nothing to be done about that. The situation certainly wasn't ideal for Azurea, not while she was among the ranks of the Sith. But she met his gaze, unflinching.

"No one can know what I'm going to tell you. Especially Darth Pyrrhus. And that's why I asked about the ship's communications. This information could be used against either of us, but especially me."

Azurea paced now, nervously wringing her hands. "We decided that neither of us were fit to be parents, so the baby will be left on Shili with a Togruta couple to raise as it's own. We worked everything out - Pyrrhus and I - on a recent visit to his home planet." She stopped and leaned against the desk in his quarters. "But I changed my mind. And I haven't told Darth Pyrrhus. He doesn't want to keep it. But I do." Technically, that was not the entire truth. When she spoke to her Togruta Master, she did feel like Darth Pyrrhus would go along with anything she wanted, including raising the child together. But Azurea was worried about Pyrrhus's capability of being a loving father. Just as she fretted about her own mothering skills.

"Will you help me?" she asked. Darth Azurea wasn't sure exactly how the help would manifest itself, but by the time he gave his answer, she hoped a plan would come to her. Although she felt incredibly guilty burdening Knight Mullarus with this unexpected news, she was relieved she told him. She couldn't do this alone as it would mean going behind her Master's back and potentially against his very wishes.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

It was as Mullarus suspected only moments ago. Not once would he ever have expected such intimacy between the beautiful brunette and the cruel alien that trained the both of them. It wasn't as much a 'bad guy doesn't deserve good girl' scenario to the young Knight as much as a 'Why?'"

He refrained from asking. That much wasn't his business, and he didn't want to make the situation any more uncomfortable for her. He could see it in her eyes how much it hurt to ask so much from him, and yet, Mullarus felt nothing in him that wanted to say no. Maybe it was Azurea he just couldn't say no to. He stood up and met her gaze, mouth slightly open with surprise. "You...you think I could? I'm still young and brash...to help raise a child, I..." He felt like he wasn't ready, but the look in her eyes prevented him from refusing. That, and Mullarus couldn't imagine the child growing up under the dark wings of Pyrrhus. Was there any kindness in him to be looked upon as a father? Was there any in Mullarus? Probably a bit more than the togruta, he felt.

He felt himself nodding, "Yes...Yes, i'll help you. I'll help your child. But...Azurea, if you're...carrying such a burden, why are you here to risk your life for me? If i'd have known, I wouldn't have asked you to come. Your life was worth a lot to me before, now it's twice as much." It still felt wrong to call her by her Sith name when, clearly, the two had developed some deep, personal relationship for one another. This was serious, what she asked of him.

"Just...what do you want me to do?"

[member="Darth Azurea"]

 

[Setzi Lunelle]

What was left of Darth Azurea's cold heart leapt with something resembling joy. He wanted to help her. Knight Mullarus was stunned, confused and understandably so - almost the same way Darth Pyrrhus was when she made the admission on Shili. "You don't have to help me raise it," she said, suppressing a chuckle, although her reassuring smile told him that she wasn't laughing at him. But the situation was awkward to say the least, probably much like the scenes in the badly-acted Naboo holomovie he'd watched earlier. Still, the temperament she had witnessed from her friend... well, he probably would make a better father than Pyrrhus at the end of the day.

"I just need your help in bringing the child back from Shili after he or she is born. I will be honest," she continued. "I don't know how I'm going to keep a child, or if I'm even a fit mother myself. But I've sat with this information for awhile, and I always come to the same conclusion... I can't give this baby up."

She took a deep breath. It felt as though she had been talking for hours. But she had one more thing to say: "And you can call me Setzi."
The Sith Lord had not heard that name since Contruum, when she fought Jedi Master, Taeli Raaf. The Silver Jedi knew her sister Chastity, and by association, the older Lunelle sister. They loved to call her by her real name as though the utterance of it alone would turn her to the lightside. All of them fools, she thought.

Still, she ignored Mullarus's concern about her well being. Darth Azurea had a bounty on her after assassinating the President of Susefvi. She would always be a target, no matter what state her body was in. "I'm sorry, I came here to help you. We should focus on that." She nodded as though to say, that's the end of the conversation. All she had needed was a yes from him. Once that had been obtained, she wanted to concentrate on his mission and mentally prepare herself, not just for facing this intimidating-sounding elder Sith Lord, but dealing with any emotional fallout if Knight Mullarus were to become gravely injured himself. Passionate emotions were to be used as a tool in battle, but the kind that Azurea was feeling right now were dangerous in more ways than one.

[member="Knight Mullarus"]

 

[Krux Mullarus]

Mullarus blinked, "...Oh" He chuckled softly at himself. Oh, how embarassing. If the young Knight's face hadn't flushed bright red before, it certainly had now. "Uh...yes. Anything." He appeared tame as she explained what she really did want from him, to which his gaze turned to a more concerned one again.

"Wha-? Oh, Azurea, trust me. I've met a lot of Sith in my ascension. You're unlike most, if not all of them. You're kind. You'll be a great mother. Just..." He couldn't let it go there. He probably wouldn't admit it to her, but he was concerned about the child having no father figure in its life. Who knew, maybe she'd find one, but there was something about single mothers that Mullarus wanted to fix. To him, a child with no father was only half of what they could be. He slowly reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to look reassuring. He was honest. He did want to help. "...If you ever think you do need help with...anything: Protecting it, teaching...let me know." His indigo eyes seemed to lighten up as he said so.

Then, once more, something else to make his cheeks flush. Setzi. His face felt as if it burst into flames as his hand fell from his shoulder and he had to pace away for a few seconds and turn his back to her to hide his childish blushing. It reminded of a time not-quite-so long ago when he could have sworn he felt an intense set of romantic feelings for the brunette. Of course, that was even before he obtained the rank of Sith Knight, so the feeling had been buried beneath responsibility and newfound power.

What of it now? Well, Mullarus wasn't really sure anymore. He was mature about it for the most part. What happened happened.

"Yes...Jekyll. Rakata Prime." Once his face felt extinguished, he turned back around and nodded. "Thanks again for coming to help...Setzi." Now it felt more comfortable. "He has to die. There is no denying that. I don't want to, but I refuse to let his crimes against...me...go without justice. You see, he is responsible for my parents' untimely deaths a decade ago. He fed me lies about it being the militaristic arm of the he Galactic Republic to inspire me to support the Empire and feed my training in the Sith Order..." He paced again, starting to stare down at his boots as he spoke.

[member="Darth Azurea"]