#sith inquisitor

Scythia held back. She made alliances. She watched. The three most dangerous acolytes at the Academy were Vemrin, an arrogant Human turd and blade savant; Proteulse, a Sith Pureblood who actually studied the artifacts he dug up before delivering them; and Ruth Niral, a Human princess of some sort whose prowess with the blade seemed to grow as fast as rumors could spread. The first two were prickly and possibly not seduceable. The last was definitely not a target for seduction, but she did have one useful quality: she was friendly and happy to cooperate. Turning her into a servant…well, it was too dangerous, she was far too strong to be allowed to see Scythia’s back, but Scythia figured she could use the Human once.

Scythia hoarded power and influence, sparing lives only when the mercy was thin enough to use as a noose. Her affection for Andronikos Revel was a weakness she didn’t like very much, but it took her a long, long time to shake free.

They burst free into a huge empty cylinder lined with…oh, here were the conduits. And vertical streaks of light, nothing close to natural. And at the bottom… A smaller cylinder set into the floor, still several speeders’ lengths wide, glowing in fluorescent white. It went down. On, and on, and on. Andronikos had brought the Dropped Pie up to the edge of the lower cylinder. There he stopped, and looked, not at the chasm of white, but at her face. “What is this?” she said, struggling to discern some kind of reference in the depths. “Not really sure,” said Andronikos, “I had to get a few Evocii very drunk to even find it.” He leaned back, grinning. “I just like the look of it.” “How deep does it go?” “Don’t know. Should we throw someone in?” “I didn’t bring anybody else,” Scythia sighed. “And I want you up here with me.” “Want to drive in? See what it does with gravity?” Scythia snorted, knowing perfectly well that she wasn’t in a ghost-induced reckless mood. “I haven’t eaten a ghost that big lately.”

Scythia’s reputation as an information broker made her famous even beyond Imperial space. She didn’t like to show off her Force power, preferring to leave it unknown outside emergencies. That worked.

And, in time, someone came to her looking for a powerful Force user: the Jedi Master named Tebbith was searching for a Knight named Larr Gith. Scythia had no particular stake in the matter, but she accepted the mission for a chance to corrupt a dangerously connected Jedi.

It worked beyond her wildest dreams.

“Can you imagine... if the Emperor killed her?” “He hasn't! I would feel her!” “And what if he... changed her?” “He can't! He can't. She's stronger than that.” “Alone? Without you? You fell behind. You weren't there to help her. Are you sure she's that strong?” “Yes!” Was it anything he hadn’t asked himself? “Yes. Yes.” “Are you afraid you've lost her?” “I... am not afraid. The Force is with me.” “Then where is your innocent friend?” Scythia sipped her drink and smiled. “You must use your strength to save her, Tebbith. I’m not in this to save her life, and if you resent that, I have no comfort for you. But I will give you information as quickly as I get it. I am not cruel, Jedi. I need you to face yourself. I need me to track my rivals. I need and I need…but I think you need more.” Her smile widened. “Between us, that is no cause for shame.”

Alas, the event Tebbith most wanted occurred, and Larr Gith returned to the land of the living. He almost instantly became useless to her while he groveled to return to the Jedi.

But he would remember Scythia. And he would remember killing for her. And maybe, someday, that link would come in handy.

Scythia chased the consequences of her actions across Belsavis and Voss, destroying every tool she found on her way once she was done using it. Corellia was, for her, a crowning glory.

Power attracted trouble, and Scythia didn’t care for raw power. Her total mastery of it was beside the point; people would see her handling this and think they could prove something by besting her. Scythia rolled another blast under Thanaton’s increasingly desperate current. He really was insisting on drawing her out. Not on her own terms, but on a schoolyard taunt. The other, terrible consideration came. What if I reach my limit and everyone sees— Silence. She roasted him. He was coming off worse, in front of everyone.  Perhaps this demonstration would save her a lot of smaller ones.

On the Dark Council, Scythia has her crew monitor ancient secrets, and she thirsts for the Sphere of Imperial Intelligence. The Emperor’s Wrath has come out firmly against this as a matter of concentration of capability. But the Wrath is only a woman with lightsabers. Scythia will get around her, sooner or later.

The hangar was empty; they met no resistance. Scythia left Xalek to direct the new Kaleesh recruits onto this, Malgus's flagship. She herself forged ahead to the long arterial passage that would take her to the single most interesting political proposal she had ever heard. A figure joined the artery twenty yards ahead. Black-clad, smooth, thin enough to vanish if turned sideways, with a lightsaber on each flat-planed hip. "Wrath," Scythia bellowed. "Would you GET a fucking HOBBY."

From here, Scythia listens. She gathers power. The gangster’s moll is long dead, and she can just show off her breasts in the Dark Council instead. Today she is more important than she was yesterday, and tomorrow she will be more important than that. And that's worth a little killing.

(Far, far in the future: She will keep her promises, and the galaxy will bleed.)

*

Chapter 4. Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor (Ruth and Scythia handle Korriban; Proteulse is a jerk)

Chapter 6. Sith Inquisitor (Scythia and Act 1; Andronikos)

Bonus, Life Day drabbles (SI Scythia)

Chapter 14. Sith Inquisitor (Scythia builds her empire and also has feelings about Andronikos)

Bonus chapter 14.1. Andronikos' Song

OC Profile, Scythia

Valentine's Day series (Andronikos x Scythia)

Chapter 22. Sith Inquisitor (Act 2; Andronikos)

Chapter 31. Jedi Consular, Sith Inquisitor, and Others (Jedi Knight End of Act 2)

Bonus chapter. Sith Inquisitor (Scythia brags about Tebbith to Andronikos)

Chapter 37.1. All classes (the war)

Chapter 37.3. Sith Inquisitor (Andronikos and the pit)

Chapter 38.7. Sith Inquisitor (goodbye crew member)

Chapter 39. Sith Inquisitor and Bounty Hunter (Calline&Scythia Voss)

Chapter 44. All classes (end Voss)

Chapter 47. Sith Warrior and Sith Inquisitor (Scythia ascends to the Dark Council)

Chapter 56. Smuggler, Consular, Trooper, Inquisitor (part 1/2) (approach to Ilum)

Chapter 57. Smuggler, Consular, Trooper, Inquisitor, Warrior, Bounty Hunter (part 2/2) (the False Emperor)