A return of sorts (Complete)

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe stepped off of the ship onto the platform on Coruscant. The night loomed over her with thousands of hover cars flying above her head in lines. She looked about the sky. No stars could be seen in the sky but a thousand lights still glowed above her like stars. She turned, grabbed her bag and headed for the hover car that was waiting to take her down to the street level.

Once the car landed, she stepped out and swung her pack over her shoulder. She started the long walk back towards her old apartment. The city looked the same as it did months ago when she left. Same busy streets, same corrupt ally ways and same starless sky. She sighed and the familiarity of it all as she continued walking.

The renegade jedi never did find her place in the universe, even traveling to distant planets. She finaly figured out that the best place for her was the one place she actualy knew. It might not be the best place in the world and it might not be the most mystical place for a jedi, but it was familer. She pulled a strand of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her multipierced ear. Only one thing had changed in this world. And that was her.

[Ambrose Braeden]

The lifeless corpse slumped to the ground with a sickeing thud. Ambrose could feel a ripple in the force, something he had never felt before. Walking out of the alleyway that he had resided in so many times before, he saw her. A beautiful woman walking down the street, bag in hand. Ambrose started to walk in her direction, but kept a safe distance away as to not make it obvious.

Ambrose could feel the sense of good, purity but it wasnt normal. It wasnt the feeling he had gotten every time he was around a regular jedi. This on was different somehow, more reckless it seemed.

The Vampire clung to the shadows as he followed the young woman to her destination. Maybe he would get some information from this person.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe blinked. Her mind twisted behind her to form a vision in her head of someone following her. There was no face to the form, only a dark aura making its way through the croud after her. Her foot falls did not even skip a beat. She was sure to make it seem like she had not noticed the person, but the force gave it away like one of the flashing lights above her.

She took a slow, concentrated breath to keep her heart from skipping and driving adrenaline through her. This was hardly a time to panic and she was not going to alow herself to. She knew, with sith, that panicing was only going to drive them on to their goal. So she just kept walking, not speeding up or slowing down.

She paused momentarily infront of an ally way and looked down it, as if she was looking for something. She turned down the ally way, not alowing the man to catch up at all. Once she was out of sight, she quickened her pace and hid herself within the shadows of the ally. She used the force to open a door in the wall on the other side of ally and waited for someone to come around the corner before alowing it to close, making it seem like she had dodged into the building.

[Ambrose Braeden]

Ambrose did not quicken his pace when the woman turned down into the alley way. The Vampire concentrated onto the force, letting the darkside flow through his body. He could feel her presance close to him. Ambrose walked past the supposed alley, but found no entrance whatsoever. Without missing a beat he kept walking forward, not stopping in pace.

Ambrose looked around and found a little pub that seemed to be in good order. The Rusty Inn was not that full this night. Ambrose took a seat in a shadowy place next to the door, waiting for the presence of the jedi to once again move.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe waited several moments for anyone to talk through the ally way, but no one did. She she finaly let the door swing closed and left her hiding position. She could still sense this person but as for where he was, she was unsure.

"Maybe you're just imagining things, Ashe. You have been away from here for a long time, corruption is everywhere. It was probobly a false alarm."

She slips out of the ally wya and back onto the crouded, street, using the overpopulation as her cover from people. She was still being cautious incase someone actualy was following her. Just a few more blocks until she reached her old apartment and there, she was safe. But out in this open, anything could happen and she could do nothing about it without giving away what she was.

[Ambrose Braeden]

Ambrose pivoted his head towards the door. He could feel her presence moving again. Knowing that she now was being very cautios of her surroundings, the Sith waited a few moments before emerging once more into the night life of Courscant. Ambrose looked up into the sky, to the cars flying in lines above him. Nothing had changed, the city kept on with the hustle and bustle of every day life. Ambrsoe lowerd his head towards a small, yet nice apartment complex.

Walking over to the building, the Vampire looked around to see if anyone noticed him. No one seemed to care about what he did, as long as it was not bothering thier lives. That is how people lived their lives, as long as no one interupted them, they were fine.

Once he was a certain distance away, the transparasteel doors that led into the building slid open with a quiet woosh. Stepping into the building he looked over at the bellman that resided behind the counter. Reading a magazine, he did not notice the newcomer. Ambrose walked over to the pudgey man, grabbing the magazine he threw it to the floor. With fierce eyes of hate, Ambrose stared at he very soul of the lonely man. He knew that the Vampire meant buisness.

"A woman who lives here just walked in. Which room is she in?"

With a quick motion, the man pointed towards the elevator on the left.

"5th floor. Room G5."

Ambrose walked away from the man and enterd the small elevator. After a few moments of traveling in a vertical motion, the elevator stopped. The doors slid open revealing the dark warrior, he looked down the hallway that the young woman resided in.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe closed her door and sighed. It felt good to be back after her extended leave and she was a bit suprised at this. She locked her door then walked into her bed room, tossing her bag on her bed. Nothing had changed about her small appartment except that it was now a bit dusty. She didnt really care.

Turning on the lights, Ashe walks over to her bed and sits down. She begins unpacking her bag, removing several items and placing them apon her bedside table. Among these items were four crystals, two blue, a red and a clear one. To the average person, they just looked like rather pretty rocks but to the trained eye, they were much more. These crystals were the starting grounds for a lightsaber.

The last item she unpacked was a foot long, metalic cylindrical item, or, a lightsaber. This was hers that she aquired many years ago. She smiled at it and tucked it under her pillow.

Suddenly, her eyes darted towards the door. Someone was coming. She quickly hid the crystals and pushed the bag under her bed. Her lightsaber, she grabbed and attached to her belt, pulling her long trench coat around her to block the view of the saber from prying eyes. She walked into the living room of her apartment and waited...

[Ambrose Braeden]

Coming to stand in front of a particular door, Ambrose looked at the only thing that adorned the outside of the large transparasteel that separated the hallway and the inside of the room. G5 hung in the middle of the door.

This was the place he wanted to be, the place where she was. Ambrose could feel her presence inside of the room. The Sith senced a hint of caution. Immediately he was ready for anything. The only things that Ambrose wore were his tunics, his belt wich held the clip that the lightsaber hung from, and his nightblack cloak.

Ambrose raised his right hand to a tiny pad on the side of the door. A little green button was on the switch. Pressing the button made a buzzing sound inside of the room, alerting anyone inside that someone was at the door. Pressing it gently, Ambrose put his hands down at his side once again.

[Zereth Lancer]

"What are you doing?" A cool voice asked from the shadows and Zereth Lancer stepped out of the shadows, "I was not aware that you knew this young woman, a small world isn't it, Ambrose Braeden," The sith lord chuckled a bit as he leaned against the wall. He had bet Ashe a very long time ago, back when he had been an emotionally destroyed individual seeking company other then the sith. Zereth had run into Ashe and they had talked and discussed a few things. He learned that she was a jedi, or rather was a jedi. He had left and she had disappeared from Coruscant shortly after.

He had been on Coruscant because he was out recruiting more to the sith cause, something that he did quite often. It was a long and tiring process, but in the end many were brought down to the darkside and shipped out to Korriban for their training. He had been plodding along down a street when he sensed that familiar presence. It was only a quick walk to Ashe's apartment, but when he got there he found quite the sinister figure ringing the doorbell.

"So what are you doing here?" Zereth repeated his question and waited for the answer.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe blinked a few times at the ringing door bell. She slowly rose to her feet and her hand slipped into her coat towards her lightsaber. She heard the door bell ring again and then heard voices out side her door. They were muffled and she couldn't quite make out the words but one of the voices sounded familier.

"Zereth?"

She quickly sensed around outside her door and found his presence there. It was him. But... something was off. She disreguarded it to being the other person at her door. The dark presence was defanetly still there. She made her way to her door, pulling her hand away from her saber and letting her coat close around it. She placed her hand on the door panel and the door slid open, revieling Zereth and another, pale man, standing at her door.

[Ambrose Braeden]

"So what are you doing here?"

Ambrose pivoted his head so that he was facing his fellow comrad. He had never met this person before, but knew who he was, from pictures and stories. Now that Ambrose has finally seen him, He now knew that all of the legends were true.

"Lord Zereth...I was not expecting company this night...I am here on buisness nothing more."

After he finished his words, the durasteel door slid open with a quiet woosh, revealing the woman that he had been folowing for some time now. Ambrose faced the young woman, his fierce eyes piercing into her very soul. She was a jedi no doubt, but she was different. Like she knew the powers and the principles, but did not follow by the rules. He was going to find out why he had felt such a strong presence when he was around her.

[Zereth Lancer]

"Likewise," Zereth replied to Ambrose before the door slid open, "It is nice to see that you remember me," Zereth said with a weak smile. He knew she was a jedi and he could only imagine that Ambrose knew as well, either that or he just wanted a woman for the night. Ashe also knew that Zereth was a darksider, although Zereth had used the term Dark Jedi at the time, "This is my brother; Ambrose Braeden," He said as he waved a hand in the direction of the other darksider, "Seems we all just bumped into each other."

A message shot across from Zereth's mind to Ambrose's 'What exactly did you have planned?' The voice, unmistakably Zereth's, asked in a solemn voice,

"How have you been?" Zereth asked Ashe.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe blinked once at the news of his brother. He had never mentioned a brother before. And the fact that his brother had such a dark aura about him set her on edge what if Zereth was...

"You... have a brother. But he is a... darksider..."

Ashe looked at Zereth closely. She aloud her vision to slip into the force and then she saw it. Zereth's dark aura. Her vision snapped back like a slap to the face. Her eyes grew wide and she took a step away from the door.

"Zereth, You're one of them...?"

Panic hit her for the first time in a long time. She backed away and quickly used the force to hit the lock on the door. The door slid closed and locked with a click. She dodged into her bedroom and grabbed her things. She pulled her lightsaber off of her belt and ignighted it. They could hear the hum of the gold bladed saber from outside the door.

[Ambrose Braeden]

The voice of Zereth Lancer was clear as day in his mind. 'What exactly did you have planned?' Ambrose could see that Ashe was puting two and two together and figured out that the person she trusted was a being of the darkside. Ambrose was about to respond to the sith lord that resided adjacent to him when the door slamed shut. A slight humming sound coul be heard from inside of the room. Ambrose knew that this would not be as easy as he thought.

"I am looking to find information. The jedi are in hidding and have not shown thier face in a long time. Why this jedi, why now...Where are they hiding. I am going to find out."

Ambrose removed the nightblack cloak that adorned him and dropped it gently on the ground. His armor that he always wore was now visible to the outside world. Removing his double bladed lightsaber from the clip on his belt he motioned to Zereth.

"Well, do you wanna talk to her or should I?"

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth let out a loud sigh. It hurt to have the door slamming in his face like that, emotionally that is. He raised a fist and punched into the closest wall, the impact causing the plaster to split and fall away, "Perhaps brother was the wrong term..." He said to himself before pulling his fist out of the wall and looking back at Ambrose, "I don't think she knows anything, but you are in the right to attempt to question her. I fear there is no other move to make then to go in and see if she feels like talking," He said before walking over to the door, "But remember, no violence unless it's needed. we are to question, not kill," And with that said he removed his own black cloak to reveal his black tunic and the three lightsabres that hung from his belt, each one different then the other. He tossed his cloak away and extened one of his hands towards the door. He held it there for a moment and then pulled it into the fist. The door shook for a moment and then was savaged compacted inwardly, started at the edges and moving towards the center. The door crumbled and fell through into the room.

Zereth stepped through the doorway and over the remains of the door. Ashe stood along the back wall with a golden lightsabre burning in her hand, "Put that away," Zereth said in a calm voice, "We're not here to fight. We're only here to ask you a few questions, if you are willing to listen."

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe's eyes grew wide and her right eye twitched slightly as she saw her door compacted. When she saw that it was Zereth that had done it, she knew she was in trouble. He was alot stronger than she had estimated him to be. There would be no way she could fight off him, let alone both of them. Her eyes changed to a look of determination. The will to live was strong in her. She switched her lightsaber to her other hand and looked at the palm of her right where a symbol was burned into it. She then looked back up at them.

"Sith do not talk. They kill. I have seen what your kind do. It was people like you that killed my master. I do not wish to hear your lies. So you better talk quick before I kill you."

Her right hand slipped down and her palm was now resting on the shadowed wall behind her. The lights in the room went out, spilling darkness throughout the room. The only light came from her lightsaber which lit up her face with a golden glow and a few city lights that spilled in through her window. But beings her window faced and ally way, that did not give off much light. She could see them clearly even through the darkness of the room.

[Ambrose Braeden]

"Sith do not talk. They kill. I have seen what your kind do. It was people like you that killed my master. I do not wish to hear your lies. So you better talk quick before I kill you."

Ambrose's thumb slid over the activator switch on his lightsaber. Although Ashe did not know it, Ambrose prefered the darkness. It is where he lived due to his race. He could see her perfectly in the dark, knew that she meant buisness. Ambrose stepped through the threashhold that led into the room where Lord Zareth and Ashe resided. Standing at the west side of the room, forming a triangle between the three, the Sith stood in a defensive stance, waiting for her to make a move if she would.

"I have no idea what your talking about, all I want is information about the jedi, everything you know."

Ambrose stretched out through the force, touching the young girls mind. Without saying a word, Ashe could hear the Vampire's voice as clear as day.

'We mean you no harm. Please return your saber, we want as little violence as possible.'

[Zereth Lancer]

Darkness flooded the room as the lights were extinguished. Lightsabres were drawn, blades activated, and the low hum of such weaponry filled the air. Zereth's eyes glowed a faint red in the darkness, and grew in intensity as his eyes adjusted to the darkness at a speed most alarming.

On instinct his own hand dropped down to the sabre on his belt. The ruby red beam came to life and filled the air around Zereth with it's glow, "Just do as he says, Ashe, we don't want to spill any blood today, least of all yours. We only want information, as we said. You will not be harmed. Please put your weapon away before you make the mistake of trying to fight us. We will defend ourselves, but we won't be the ones to throw the first blow. Please, just tell us what you know about any jedi."

[Ashe Sieris]

"I don't know anything. For all I know, You guys killed them all." she lashed out at them with her words. In truth, she had no idea what happened to the jedi. The only jedi she knew she had not had contact with in a long time. Kale gave up his ways as a jedi and disappeared. Lorca she had no clue what happened to and Draken, she had lost contact with when she left Coruscant.

"And even if I did know, what makes you think I would tell you? Just because... because I trusted you once? Because I let you know what I really was? Do you honestly think I still trust you at this point?"

She felt a coldness grip her right arm. Her eyes quickly drift down to her arm and she sees a darkness covering it. The shadows had left her control and had started to make their way up her arm from the symbol. She quickly pulled her hand away from the wall and a dim light came back to the room, slowly growing from the shadows slowly returning to their origonal position.

Both of the sith could see the strange shadows that had englufed her arm slip back off and into the shadows, leaving her skin normal. But it did reveal the sith rune branded into her hand. She glared up at them and switched her lightsaber to her right hand agian.

[Ambrose Braeden]

"And even if I did know, what makes you think I would tell you? Just because... because I trusted you once? Because I let you know what I really was? Do you honestly think I still trust you at this point?"

Ambrose could feel the force flow throughout the room. The Darkside was flowing through his veins, manipulating his muscles, feeding off of his anger. But there was an equal force that entered the room, Ambrose thought it was the jedi using her powers, but for what reason. In a flash the lights returned. The Sith's pupils quickly changed to match the surroundings. As Ashe switched her lightsaber from one hand to another, the Vampire caught a glimps of something that looked familiar, like something out of an ancient sith book. He was only able to see the symbol for a second before it was blocked from his vision once again.

"Ashe, you are not that stupid. Just give us the information we require and we will leave. Besides, you have no ties to the jedi from what it seems. They have abandoned you, why should you protect that."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth was blinded for the moment as the light came on. He missed the symbol and the darkness all together, but while his eyes saw nothing his mind was open and alert. He could feel the darkness slowly growing inside of Ashe. She was trying to fight it but it was controlling her, in a sense. He had no idea who he was really up againt, the jedi or the dark being that was slowly taking over her mind, "Yes, the jedi have forsaken you, so why do you continue to follow their teachings and defend them. Surely you must know of a jedi or two. All we need is names and the last time and place you saw them. That is all. The sooner you tell us the sooner we will leave," Zereth echoed Ambrose's words, but then added some of his own; "No, I cannot expect or ask you to trust me again, but I must ask when have I betrayed you? I did not send the sith hounds down to bite at your ankles. This interrogation was Ambrose's idea, not my own..." He shot a look sideways at Ambrose, "... So he will conducting the interrogation from this point on, I will only be watching, observing," He said and deactivated his sabre, returning it to his belt and stepping back a few steps.

[Ashe Sieris]

"The jedi are the only thing I have left to believe in. I was raised a Jedi and even if I am the last one in the universe fighting against people like you, I will continue to do so."

These words spilled out of her mouth like a recording. It was something she had said to herself many times before. She had to fight for what her master believed in or else what was her purpose...

But in the back of her mind, she knew she was fighting a loosing battle. There were far too jedi in the world for her to continue on, trying to find them. If there were any left. Her green eyes grew cold as she turned to look at Ambrose.

"You might as well just kill me. I have no information for you. It has been months sense I came across a jedi. By now, they are long gone or dead."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"You might as well just kill me. I have no information for you. It has been months sense I came across a jedi. By now, they are long gone or dead."

Ambrose did not know the history behind this interesting woman. Why she was trying to protect the jedi was oblivious to the darksider. But there was something strange about this woman, something dark and mysterious.

"You are fighting a loosing battle Ashe. The Jedi are all but extinct. The few that are still alive have abandoned thier so called order. Are these the beliefs you wish to follow. The Sith have not abandoned thier beliefs. We have not retreated, sunk down so far as to go into hidding. You may think that Sith only think inwards and about themselves, but let me ask you this one question. Havent the Jedi done the same thing??

Ambrose raised his eyebrows at the young womn, waiting for a reply.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe could feel tears welling up in her eyes as he spoke. She didn't want to believe him, but in the back of her mind, something was telling her it was true. She clenched her eyes shut a moment then opened them again when he had finished talking. He had been saying the jedi were selfish. She might not be the most selfless person in the world, but she knew that the other jedi must be better. She had always thought that way. It was the way that Master Niala had been.

"No.. The jedi are not selfish. They are knights of justice and peace. I might not be a great jedi, but I will not let you get to those that are."

She switched hands again and held up her right hand. The Sith Rune of Shadow was visible to both of them now. She gathered the shadows in her hand then sent them out at him backed by a rather strong Force Push, sending him flying into the wall. She held her right arm close to her afterwards then ran at him and slashed down at him with her gold lightsaber.

[Ambrose Braeden]

"No.. The jedi are not selfish. They are knights of justice and peace. I might not be a great jedi, but I will not let you get to those that are."

Ambrose listened to the young girl, knowing the conflict within her. She held up her hand, revealing the ancient sith rune that Ambrose had seen so many times before. Without warning, Ashe used her inate power agains the Sith that resided within the room. The Vampire was flung towards the wall behind him. The wall cracked from the impact, a few pieces of the wall slowly fell to the floor, making a slight sound. Ambrose's sences were immediatly on guard. As Ashe started for him, her saber drawn, slashing towards him, th Vampire used the abilities that were granted to him when he was born to darkness. With lightning fast speed, Ambrsoe pressed a button on his lightsaber and a green blade extened outward from the hilt. The smell of burnt ozone filled the air around the two force users.

Ambrose brought his blade up to parry the blow that was coming for him. The two blades connected, a loud hiss sound was heard throughout the hallway. Ambrose stood to his feet and stared into the girls eyes.

"I can feel the conflict within you Ashe. You say the Jedi are not selfish, then why did they retreat and not care if you are alive or dead. Have they contacted you, tried to find out what happened to everyone?"

[Ashe Sieris]

She pushes her blade up against him but she is using her off hand so it is harder for her. She glares into his eyes as he speaks. She holds her right arm as if it is weakened or injured. In a way, it is. But she continues to fight him. She pulls away as he begins talking again and growls bringing her saber in for another attack across the stomach in a horizontal slash.

"I was not around during the temple. I came after the exile of jedi. No one knew about me."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"I was not around during the temple. I came after the exile of jedi. No one knew about me."

Ambrose pivoted his blade into a verticle position, the two sabers clashed once more. The light was almost blinding as the two sabers intertwined with one another. Ambrose grew and angered face towards the young woman.

"If you wish to fight me, You will find out why the Jedi fear us so much."

With that, Ambrose shoved her blade outward. With here arm outstretched, Ambrose pointed to a small metal object that lay upon the coffe table. Ambrose used one of his many Sith abilities, and the metal object leaped from its place on the table, heading straight for the Jedi.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe quickly turned around and slashed the metal object in two with her saber. The two peices fell harmlessly to the ground. She could feel her mark burning on her hand, yet the rest of her arm felt cold as Hoth. But she fought through it. She extends out her right arm and spins around, dragging the shadows with her, trying to get them to wrap around Ambrose. But something doesn't go right.

The tendrel of shadow that she had pulled from the wall, instead of going toward Ambrose and wraping around him, had looped itself around her arm and pulled her against the wall, trapping her right arm to the wall.

"What? Whats going on?"

She struggles to free herself from the shadow bond that had her. She even tried to cut it with her saber but, as if to protect itself, the shadows formed another tendral that wrapped around her other arm, pulling it against the wall and forcing her to drop her saber which, apon impact with the ground, deactivated.

"No... What are you doing! Stop this!"

[Ambrose Braeden]

A slight grin etched its way upon the Vampire's vissage. He could see her plan backfire before his eyes. The power she did not know how to control had finally proven itself more than she can handle. Ambrose extended a hand, and with a little concentration, the lightsaber that lay on the ground flung up into the air, coming to rest in the Sith's free hand. Ambrose walked toward the woman, pressing a button upon the arcane lightsaber and the green blade vanished. Ambrose stood a few feet away from the woman watching with interest. Ambrose began to spoke, knowing the impact his words would have on the helpless woman.

"You must give into the shadows, Focus on the Shadow's, master them. Focus..."

[Ashe Sieris]

"No! You're doing this..."

She struggles with the shadows again, asking them, pleading with them to let her go. But shadows do not respond to begging and pleading. Instead, they just hold her tighter. They will only respond to dominance at this point, taking pleasure out of her pleading.

"No... stop them... Why wont they listen to me?"

[Ambrose Braeden]

"No... stop them... Why wont they listen to me?"

"You need to control them. Comand the shadows to your will."

Ambrose watched as the shadow's held her tight, not letting go. Holding her arms, like a trapt slave. The Vampire's eye's widened as he watched the display of struggleing from the young woman. He knew that she had to give into the Darkside, let it consume her like it had done him so many years ago.

"Command them Ashe."

[Ashe Sieris]

"No. A jedi does not command the force... we work with it."

She stopped struggling with the shadows. She relised that she was only wasteing her energy. The shadows did not like this. They tightened around her wrists, forceing a quick groan out of her. She closes her eyes. Her hand burned with the need to control these rebelous shadows. She hears the voice in her head, the same voice she heard when she was younger.

'Control them. Push back. They are yours, you are not theirs. Push, Ashe!'

She looked up at Zereth, a desperate look in her eyes. Was this guy she once trusted and connected with really just going to let this happen to her? She slowly reached out with the force and tried to touch his mind.

'Please, Zereth. Help me. I can not do this.'

(OOC: Wait for Zereth at this point.)

[Ambrose Braeden]

Ambrose could read the woman's thoughts as if it were an open book. The words she thought were as clear as day. 'Control them. Push back. They are yours, you are not theirs. Push, Ashe!' Ambrose wanted to fuel the fire, wanted her to master the shadows, it would finally separate all ties she had with the Jedi religion.

"Yes Ashe, Control the shadows. Do not ask for help, you must do this on your own."

Ambrose stepped back a few paces towards the opposite wall.

"Use your anger and aggression Ashe, control the shadows, bend them to your will."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth watched on as the interrogation continued. Many times he found himself closing his eyes and blocking the sound, it was just too painful for him to watch and listen as Ashe went through such torment. But what could he do about it? He was a sith and it was his duty to either destroy the jedi or turn them to the darkside. But he cared for Ashe and valued her as a friend. How could he just stand there and let her fall to the darkside under the tormentation of Ambrose.

Please, Zereth. Help me. I can not do this.'

He voice peirced his mind like a knife through paper. Her bitter cry shook his body and rattled his senses. By all counts she should not have been able to get inside his head like that, but evidentally some sort of bond had been constructed between them during their brief time together. If such a link had existed then both sides must have remained locked, until now. Emotional termoil had ripped those locks off and thrown the doors open.

Her torment became his, her pain filtered over to him, he could feel all her emotions. Rage built up inside him until he could take it no more. He stepped forward and came alongside Ambrose. His arm stretched out and settled across the Sith's chest, preventing him from moving forward, "That is enough Ambrose," He said sternly, "We cannot torment and torture her into turning. It may be the way that the sith have operated for the last million years, but I see things on a different scale. There is no honor in this. Honor may mean little or nothing to you, but it is the world to me."

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe looks at Zereth, a bit suprised that she actualy got through to him. It was not something she expected to happen on the first try. It brought a glimmer of hope to her. That small glimmer was enough for the shadows. They slithered back within the wall, freeing her hands and, ultimately, freeing her. The voice in the back of her mind had stopped and her hand no longer hurt. But her heart was still heavy. She now knew what Zereth actualy was.

She takes a few steps forward. Her saber was in Ambrose's hand so she was still defensless. Her eyes remained on Zereth. She was not sure if she could trust him or not. Her mind told her not to, that it was only going to be a trap and that he was going to betray her again. But something else told her to trust him. She desided to ignore the louder voice.

Ashe took three quick steps forward and hugged Zereth around the waist...

"Thank you..."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"We cannot torment and torture her into turning. It may be the way that the sith have operated for the last million years, but I see things on a different scale. There is no honor in this. Honor may mean little or nothing to you, but it is the world to me."

Ambrose looked down at the hand that lay across his chest. The Sith was motionless for a minute or two as he thought about what Zareth had just said to him. Ambrose returned his gaze to once more look at the Sith that was conforting the jedi, like as if they were family. Ambrose got an agrivated look upon his vissage.

"What do you mean honor means nothing to me. I live my life with honor. For this girl, she does not know the true meaning of life, I am showing her that the life she has led has been empty until now. Only with us can we make her life worth living. Otherwise she is an enemy."

[Zereth Lancer]

It was quite a shock to find Ashe's arms wrapped around his waist. It was something that had never happened in Zereth's life for the last fifty or so years. At first he his arms flew up as if he was trying to get as much of him as he could away from her. But slowly his arms back bacak down and his body relaxed. He rested his hands on her shoulders, pulling his hand away from Ambrose's chest in the process.

He turned from Ashe and looked at Ambrose, red eyes flashing, "You cannot force someone to take the path you want, you can show them it and suggest it to them. If we force someone to join the darkside then they will be a darksider, but in return they will end up hating you, me, and all other sith for turning them. Don't you see, the Sith need unity, not numbers, to exist. That is our falling point from the beginning. Sith battling other sith just gets us killed. The Jedi continue on in greater numbers because they work together. I have spent every waking moment of my life as a Sith trying to create unity between us, and what you are doing here today destroys what I hope to create. The Sith should be honorable and just as he deal out punishment upon others. Yes we are wicked and evil creatures, but that is only a point of view. It is conduct that seperates the peasant from the warrior," He said, a bit angrily, before gathering Ashe up in his arms and half carried, half dragged ,her towards the bed in the corner of the apartment room, "This will not continue. She possess no information for us, so there is no need to break her. She is not even a true jedi anymore. She holds on to the belief because she has nothing more to believe in," He laid Ashe out on the bed, the poor girl was exausted from the mental abuse, "What can be accomplished by breaking her and turning her to the darkside? She already has one foot over the fence, so there is no point in pushing her."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"What can be accomplished by breaking her and turning her to the darkside? She already has one foot over the fence, so there is no point in pushing her."

Ambrose knew all too well that what Zareth was saying was absolutely right. Ambrose had seen the same thing done time and time again to others. The only reason that the Vampire had performed this act was that he was so caught up in the intent on finding information about the missing Jedi, but now it seems that the girl was telling the truth. Ambrose looked back up at Zareth. Ambrose brought both hands up to waist level and started to speak when his hand moved over a certain, hidden component upon the Jedi's Lightsaber. A small click was heard followed by another. Ambrose looked down to find a small data chip lying at his feet. Ambrose looked at the saber to inspect it. A small piece of metal was flung open like a door, allowing the user to place something inside, something of value maybe. Ambrose cliped his lightsaber back on his belt and retreived the small data chip that lay on the floor. Ambrose turned the object over and over, trying to figure out what it was.

Walking over to the nightstand that resided next to the bed, the Vampire picked up a small data pad that lay on the ornate mohogony wood. Ambrose opened a tiny flap and inserted the chip into the slot that lay within. Within moments the sceen on the object that he held in his hands flickered to life. On the screen read 'Reading Card'. After a few seconds a list of people and their last known whearabouts were written on the screen. Above each name was something that caught the Sith's eye. The word was Jedi.

Ambrose studied the data pad for a minute, noticing that there were five names in total, all were preluded with the Jedi title above each name. Ambrose looked at Zareth for a moment in satisfaction, knowing that he was right about the girl he befriended. Ambrose held the small object out in front of him waiting for his comrad in arms to retrieve the itme.

"Well, I guess she knows more than she leads on..."

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe clenches her eyes shut when she relises what he found. Ashe had gone searching for all of the Jedi on that list and had not run across any of them. She weakly looks up at Ambrose. She holds her hand out towards him and uses the force to try to yank the Data Pad out of his hands. She manages to get it away from him but it skitters across the floor and under her bed.

"They are not there... I have checked every lead that that gives out.... no jedi are there."

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth turned his head to watch Ambrose pick the small datachip off the floor, and Zereth stomach burned as if filled with bile. He wtched silently as the chip was placed into a datapad and loaded on to the screen, the illumination from the screen casting shadows along Ambrose's face. Zereth swore under his breath in a language unknown to both Ashe and Ambrose as he got to his feet and looked over Ambrose's shoulder at the information displayed on the screen, "The little bit..." He mumbled, cut off as the datapad flew out of Ambrose's loose hands and hit the floor, sliding under the bed and disapearing into the darkness.

Zereth flicked his hand out and the datapad slid back out and jumped up into his hand. He turned it around and looked at the glowing screen, "The locations may be wrong, but here is also listed names, physical descriptions," He said before looking up in the top right corner of the page for the date on which the information was last editted, it was more then a year old, "Location does not matter at this point. The Jedi don't have the habit of sticking around in any one place for very long, but with these physical descriptions we can run their description through the imperial database, if we can hack into it, and locate these jedi if they are registered in imperial space, or we can simply use their names for the same task; although they probobly use aliases now," He looked up and over the top of the datapad at Ashe, and the pain in his stomach increased ten fold. She had used him and lied to him, and he had fallen prey to her scheme. It sickened him to think he had almost turned on his fellow sith over a petty human, and an ex-jedi at that.

"I do believe this if the information you came for Ambrose, now I think we should depart and begin searching for these jedi as soon as possible."

[Ambrose Braeden]

"I do believe this if the information you came for Ambrose, now I think we should depart and begin searching for these jedi as soon as possible."

Ambrose kept eye contact with Zareth as he spoke. Knowing that the time to strike was almost at hand. It would not be hard in hireing a known smuggler or a slicer to get them the information that they required. Ambrose looked back at Ashe with a slight evil grin etched upon his face.

"The time for the Jedi is over. There will be peace in the galaxy once more when we are rid of these scum that are spread out in our universe."

With that Ambrose walked out of the room into the hallway. Coming to stand in front of the elevator shaft, the Vampire pressed a small green button. The Sith stood, waiting for the Elevator to reach its destination.

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe watched the vampyre walk out of her door and she slowly stood to her feet infront of Zereth. They had the information that they wanted. She still felt betrayed. But she did not want to look weak infront of him now. She used one of the bed posts to help her stand as she looked at him with determined eyes. But he could still see the weakness within her. The darkside still was present.

"You have what you want.... go..."

Her voice trembled as she spoke to him. She took a deep breath to calm herself.

[Zereth Lancer]

Zereth looked back over at Ashe and pained though he was he managed to give her a reasuring smile before turning away and heading out the doorway, leaing the former jedi to sleep off her exaustion. He walked out and instead of going for the elevator he walked over to a window that had been left open and climbed out. He moved up onto the rooftop and proceded to leave via that path.

'I shall see you later,' His voiced echoed in Ambrose's mind, 'Let us meet up on Korriban to plan our next move against the jedi, that is if you are in need of assistance in this task...'

[Ashe Sieris]

Ashe closed her eyes and bit her lip when she saw Zereth's smile. When she opened her eyes again, he was gone. With that, she falls back onto her bed, tears coming quickly to her eyes. She curls up into a ball, facing the wall. The shadows in the room flicker and twist, reacting to her emotions...

[Ambrose Braeden]

'I shall see you later,' His voiced echoed in Ambrose's mind, 'Let us meet up on Korriban to plan our next move against the jedi, that is if you are in need of assistance in this task...'

Ambrose could hear Zareth's voice as clear as day, although he was nowhere to be seen. Ambrose stretched out with force and concentrated on Zareth.

'Yes Zereth. I will meet you on Korriban.'

The elevator door slid open with a woosh. Ambrose stepped in, pressed a button and the door slid closed, cutting off sight of the hallway. Reaching the bottom the Sith walked outside into the night air. He turned to his left and once again was just another face in the crowd.

[Ashe Sieris]

(FINISHED!)