The Nightingale Returns

[Korinna Zambrano]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiKoFxTUNJs​

Library of Vain Hollow Citadel, Panatha​

He didn't even bother to change the access codes to the Citadel, the ones she was assigned on the first day she had arrived from the Core. The card would grant her access to almost every room in the edefice that was home to heirs of Zambranos; from the assembly halls and atheneum, to her own private quarters where she could continue her studies of the Dark Side in peace. Korinna felt safe among her own kin, as both an army and her uncle's might stood between her and the world, but a stirring within One Sith and subsequent events would have every allegiance questioned. Unlike most Zambranos, who were either barking mad or consumed in blood-lust, the Nightingale was a sly little fox.

Afraid of retaliation from One Sith following sacking of Black Pyramid and subsequent demise of Black-Iron Tyrant and Prime Designate, Korrina went into hiding. She carefully hid every trail of her existence, often using public transportation to move from one planet to the next. Her mother's maiden name obscured any Zambrano or even Panathan heritage; among the general populace, she was nothing but a tall, pretty girl clad in a velvet black cape. Yet, the credits ran out soon enough and the dark-haired beau was forced to return to the Pacanth Reach in search of artifacts to sell.

The library of Vain Hollow was a repository for many rare items, which had considerable value in the black market. Prazutis would have no use of them dead, the Nightingale reasoned, as she snuck through the corridors like an apparition, being mindful not to attract attention of the guards. An antique pendulum clock sounded midnight when massive wooden doors were pushed apart, leading way to a library carved in wroshyr-wood. Peculiarly enough, the fireplace was glowing in red hues and the scent of incense filled the air, yet there was nobody around. Korinna closed the door behind her and curiously inspected her surroundings. Still no-one in sight.

She made her way towards the wooden rack that contained many rare tomes, all dressed in weathered black leather, some inscribed with ominous, archaic symbols. Korinna slid the hood off her head, something she hadn't done in months. A cascade of raven-black locks rolled down her back, sending a jasmin scented whiff in all directions. Her fingers trailed against the rack, tips touching every tome. Her gaze sank to the floor as her heart filled with sorrow. The Zambranos were mostly monsters, but they were kin; the thought of Prazutis perishing while she was hiding gnawed at her very soul more than she was willing to admit.

[member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Vain Hollow, Panatha

While the news by this point had begun to reach most of their homeworld that the God-King and Crown Prince had not in fact perished, there were those of the royal family who were away and unreachable at the time. The Black Pyramid of Coruscant did indeed go up in a fiery blaze, supposedly killing everyone inside. The citadel was in fact emptied of all of the rare items, and all of what they held dear, until all that was left was prisoners before the explosives were detonated. Everything in fact had already been imported into the vast royal quarters of the Zambrano family in Vain Hollow by the time Korinna arrived at the library.

The Nightingale's arrival was immediately made known to the Dark Lord the moment she entered their airspace. While there were many bastard children, siblings, cousins of many in the family there was a rare few who were actually given prestige and privilege befitting their name, and Korinna was one of them. She was an beautiful, highly intelligent, successful, cunning, manipulative Machiavellian who's cold, emotionless demeanor earned her the nickname of 'Ice Queen' and the like by many she met. Korinna certainly wasn't a fool and she certainly wasn't considered a monster like that of [member="Darth Carnifex"] and Braxus.

Out of the various fools that often accompanied every family, Kori managed to achieve great heights of success and her powerful force sensitivity showed plenty of potential. But for all those qualities she was completely the fool in this situation, actually believing that if the God-King and Crown Prince died this is what she would be welcome to coming home to Panatha. So Braxus was content with watching her from the darkness of the library as she naively made her way through the books until he finally decided to instill some terror into the foolish Nightingale. Braxus crept up behind the woman and at the same time he grabbed her shoulders and said "Welcome home Korinna. What are you doing in here?"

[member="Korinna Zambrano"]

 

[Korinna Zambrano]

As Prazutis' deep voice echoed against the stone walls of the library, her lungs were left airless. Once his hands were placed on her shoulders, a potent sensation overwhelmed her being; his presence in the Force was captivating, like a dark well that sucked in souls of mortals, grinding them into oblivion. A shiver travelled down her spine, one that he could feel should he pay attention to such subtle body language. Her reaction was instinctive; a feat rarely seen in this kind of Zambrano.

"You're alive." she voiced in a hopeful, almost relieved tone, before turning to face him. All of a sudden, she felt as her life regained purpose, her destiny once again carved out of stardom and importance. The truth was - Korinna was not emotionless like she led everyone to believe; her emotions ran deep, perhaps even deeper than most Sith, but she was prudent enough to keep them at bay. The Panathan noble had witnessed many being torn apart due to lack of control of one's passions; it was a lesson she learned without hands-on experience. Reason, not sentiment, was her weapon of choice.

Nonetheless, every barrier was broken upon witnessing her designated Master safe and sound. She thus leaned forward, closing short distance between them and lay her head against his chest in what resembled a beginning of a hearty hug. The gesture was a tad childish, but amicable. A fraction of a second later, the reins of Kori's heart were under tight control of her impeccable mind. The dark-haired woman leaned back, reestating the proper emotional and physical distance inbetween them.

"I thought you were dead." Kori stated bluntly, her gaze diverted to the floor - "But I refused to believe it."
Perhaps not best to mention of intentions of looting Vain Hollow and selling the family heirloom, she thought to herself. Prazutis would certainly not be too fond of such practicality.
"So I came back to see it for myself." she added, finally raising her mocha-coloured irises to meet his - "How did you escape? I saw the footage... in the news."
Korinna had so many questions, but in the end, only one lingered.

"Why?"

[member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Darth Prazutis]

As Kori's surprise turned into a gesture Braxus did not foresee, anger exploded. They were certainly not this close, and she was far below his station. Kori was his newest chosen apprentice and he made it clear to her that he was her master, if she could not pass through his training she would die and he would find another being with potential to pass down his legacy. Braxus shoved her off of him and promptly backhanded her "Learn you're place, apprentice. You do not stand by my side, you are not my equal. You are beneath me." He told her as he sent his overconfident apprentice reeling from his strike.

Braxus turned and motioned for her to follow a few steps behind him of course she was after all beneath him. He walked through the halls with his hands behind his back and began speaking once more "You are more of a fool than I thought if you actually believed we would allow ourselves to be blown up it was a charade."

[member="Korinna Zambrano"]

 

[Korinna Zambrano]

A single droplet of blood formed in the corner of her mouth, her lip cut from the sheer force exerted by the back of Prazutis' hand. Korinna licked it, the metallic taste of sanguine fluid brushing against her palate. Her lips were then pressed together momentarily, to stop further bleeding. Without a single word uttered, she followed her Master suit as they traversed the halls of Vain Hollow, their way lit by flickering lights of torches.

What really hurt was not the might of Prazutis' strike, but the way he misinterpreted her care for overconfidence. Zambranos nurtured sense of unity within family only if it served a purpose, like a pack of wolves that cooperates to hunt down game. As soon as the goal was achieved, they would be at each others throats again, clawing for power. All Sith lived with this constant fear of being backstabbed, betrayed, overpowered. Perhaps Braxus too thought his niece would murder him in his sleep, given the chance. However, the Nightingale would prosper only if Prazutis was alive and well to teach her; she had no use of his corpse, like the rest of the galaxy.

"I did come back." she voiced coldly, in her own defense - "Not because I was nostalgic, but skeptical."
Last of emotion was extinguished from the interior of her being. Her facial expression turned into a stoic, symmetric projection of picture-perfect Epicanthix features.

"Still, I fail to see the point of staging such an elaborate charade. For whom? And why?" she inquired, before raising her gaze from the floor - "Hiding is unbefitting for a Zambrano; it is usually the others that hide from us."

[member="Darth Prazutis"]

 

[Darth Prazutis]

Braxus walked tall and proud through the halls of Vain Hollow with a demeanor that said he owned every bit of ground they walked on. The dark side rolled off of him like an endless fog emanating from his very blood. As Korinna explained her reasons for coming home to Vain Hollow, backpedaling after she noticed now the foolishness in her own words Braxus remained silent. For all the intelligence the famed Ice Queen of the Zambrano family possessed, she was still so naive, there was a lot she did not yet know. To a degree he could understand it after all she didn't yet play the game on the scope that [member="Darth Carnifex"] and he did, she didn't experience working in the viper pits and staying on top of all the other liars.

"Still, I fail to see the point of staging such an elaborate charade. For whom? And why? Hiding is unbefitting for a Zambrano; it is usually the others that hide from us." As she said that the Dark Lord stopped and spun around on his heels so he was facing his niece, who continued to display that she had so much to learn about how things worked. "It is that kind of high strung attitude that will get you killed. There is a difference between being prideful and foolish. The explosion was but a charade to throw the dogs of the failing One Sith off our trail, while we and our supporters quietly retreated to forge something greater." Prazutis said spinning around once more and continuing to walk through the elegant royal sector that served as the home of the Zambrano family.

Unlike the rest of the citadel the royal sector was a castle in and of itself, built into, on top of, and around the peak of the mountain that Vain Hollow was based in. Inside possessed some of the most expensive, and ornate art, sculptures, furniture, the most expensive interior items that one could ever buy from wroshyr wood chairs and desks to priceless sculptures of ancient Sith Lords long deceased. There was incredibly expensive pieces mixed with elegant, priceless pieces of history both Zambrano and Sith history.

"You still have a lot to learn."

[member="Korinna Zambrano"]