The chiming of the ship's navicomputer brought Tori, Nikos, and Malavai out of their light dozing with a start.

"Korriban," Nikos mumbled, his voice even rougher than usual, before hauling himself out of his chair and, with a grimace, shuffling to the bridge.

Tori nodded, stretched, and pulled herself to her feet; Quinn mirrored her actions next to her before reaching out to touch her arm.

"I'll be in the medbay," he murmured. "I need to assess Jaesa and prepare for our venture to the surface. Please come in and allow me to check your leg before we depart." His words were businesslike as usual, but tension was plainly visible in his face.

Tori, still not ready to speak, simply nodded once more. They shared a quick, tight smile, then he quietly left the room. She remained where she was for a while, studying her sleeping friends, then crept to the galley to start caff before her father could beat her to it. Once that was going, she went in search of Andronikos, finding him pacing slowly around the lounge.

"We're docked," he informed her flatly in a whisper. She knew he had always hated Korriban, and even more so since her mother had died. A wave of mixed emotion flared in her chest.

"I can't thank you enough for all you've done," she murmured. "I know you had sworn off Sith business forever, and here I am dragging you right back into it." She looked up at him just in time to see the flash of pain in his eyes, but instead of shutting down the conversation by walking away as she anticipated, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.

"You are my business, and you are Sith," he growled. "I know I've said some bitter, hateful, and downright stupid shit over the years since we lost your mother, and I've said far more of it in front of you than I should have, especially when you were younger." He seemed to struggle to find words; a long pause passed between them. "But I hope you know that even though I haven't always been the best father to you, I am proud as hell of you and will do anything in my power to see you get where you want to be, even if that meant parking permanently in this hellhole."

The sob that had started to rise in Tori's throat turned abruptly to strangled laughter at that, and the choking sound that resulted as she pulled back to swat her father on the arm woke Vette.

"We there?" she called sleepily to them without opening her eyes.

"Yeup," Nikos said, fully releasing Tori and making his way to the caff machine. "Up and at 'em, Pip."

"'Pip'?" Tori repeated, suppressing a smile as Vette flung a rude gesture in Nikos's direction, eyes still screwed shut.

"Short for 'pipsqueak,' since I told him I didn't like that," Vette mumbled.

"Ah, quit your bitchin'," Nikos cut in, coming back over to hand Vette a cup of caff and affectionately tweak her lekku. Vette snorted in indignation, but sipped at her caff without further complaint.

Tori's expression turned almost wistful as she watched the byplay between her father and Vette, whom she'd come to regard almost as a younger sister. Similar light-hearted moments between Tori and her father made up the bulk of her fond memories of growing up, but they became few and far between once Tori began to train as Sith, and all but disappeared once her mother was gone. With a shake of her head, Tori forced her mind back to the present.

"I'll be contacting Vowrawn shortly for instructions," she told Vette quietly. "It shouldn't be long before I leave for the surface." She paused to perch on the arm of Vette's chair, taking the Twi'lek's chin in her hand and tilting her face up to look at her. Vette's eyes widened a bit, and she quickly set her caff down.

"Vette, I want you to promise me something. I fully intend to smash Baras like the slug that he is, but if something should go wrong on the surface today, I want you to stay with my father, at least for a while. He clearly has a fatherly sort of affection for you, and I think you'd do each other good - if you both can manage to stay out of trouble." Tori cracked a grin.

Vette's chin trembled and her eyes shone, but she held it together. "You got it. I'll keep an eye on the old man."

Tori nodded once, firmly, bringing her hand to Vette's and squeezing. "And let him do the same for you. That's all I ask." Their eyes held for another moment, then Tori stood once she heard stirring from the other side of the room.

"What's happening?" Pierce rasped, sitting up and rubbing the back of his neck with a wince.

"We've arrived at Korriban," Tori told him. "I'll be checking in with Vowrawn soon and probably leaving for the surface essentially immediately thereafter."

The fog cleared from Pierce's expression instantly. "Right. What do you need me to do?" He nudged Melia awake as he stood.

"Be ready to get everyone aboard to safety if something should go wrong. Dad will need someone to manage the ship and the people aboard it while he concentrates on flying. I need you to stay sharp."

Melia spoke up quietly. "I'll handle the medbay. I'm not as good as my brother, but with the droid's help, I can at least triage and give any casualties a chance at making it to a proper med facility."

"Jaesa will be your primary concern," Tori told her. "It's imperative that she not exacerbate lingering injuries or effects of our encounter with Draagh on Corellia."

Melia ducked her chin in understanding. "I'll just grab some caff and freshen up a bit, then," she said, and turned to leave the room. Tori caught her by an elbow and spun her around.

"Thank you," she said, squeezing Melia's arm for emphasis. "You really were only meant to come aboard for your protection, and you've done more to protect and aid me and my crew than I can say. I cannot begin to repay your kindness."

Melia gave Tori a rueful smile. "Just get yourself and my brother back to this ship in one piece once this is all said and done and we'll call it even."

Tori laughed and pulled her in for a spontaneous, quick hug. "I intend to do nothing less," she said, releasing a surprised Melia and stepping out of her way. Once she heard Melia and Vette chatting over their caff, she stepped closer to Pierce and dropped her voice.

"I need you to watch out for her in particular. If this goes badly she won't take it well, and we owe it to her to do what we can to get her back to some semblance of a normal life if she so chooses. But more than protection, she's going to need someone in her corner. And even assuming all goes to plan, she'll need support while we're on the surface." She looked at Pierce evenly. "I trust you to take care of her."

Pierce straightened to his full height and returned her stare. "I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask."

Just then, Tori's comm beeped in her pocket and the room fell utterly silent. She pulled it out and accepted the call. As she expected, Vowrawn's image popped into view.

"Ah, you're here!" the Darth cheered, all but bouncing with excitement. "Most excellent! I cannot wait to see Baras's face when I present you to the Council in just a short while."

"Yes, have your holocamera ready to preserve the moment for posterity," Tori drawled, her exasperation tempered by the smile she couldn't completely hide.

Vowrawn threw his head back and cackled. "If only we could sell tickets!" he chortled, then sobered. "Now, the Council will be convening in just one hour's time. Prepare yourself, and then meet me in the Council's antechamber. I'll see to it that no one dare obstruct you on your way there. Then, we shall make our entrance. I'll see you shortly, my dear." With a bow, he ended the call before Tori could respond.

Tori calmly pocketed her comm. "I suppose I should get dressed," she said lightly, and turned and left the room without another word.

She began to head for her quarters, but within a few paces of the door, altered course and instead went to the medbay, Quinn was bent over Jaesa, completing a series of scans, but straightened as soon as he heard Tori's footsteps.

"It's time," she told him without preamble. "Vowrawn just called. The Council is convening within the hour."

Without responding, Quinn stepped over to her and began to scan her leg. Tori swatted his hands away impatiently.

"You know that's pointless," she grumbled.

He shrugged and dropped the scanner into the medpack on his belt. He had already pulled on the leathers he typically wore in the field, and Tori knew that he had no fewer than three knives on his person in addition to the blaster at his hip. She was surprised to see, however, that he wore a set that gave no indication that he was Imperial military.

"No uniform today?"

"I am not acting as an Imperial officer today," he responded, looking her in the eye. "My loyalty is singular, and it is to something far more worthy than the Empire."

She held his gaze for a moment, then stepped around him to Jaesa's bedside, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. "How is she?"

"Stable. The sedation is not heavy, but should be enough to keep her resting comfortably."

Tori huffed out a breath. "I hate leaving her like this. I hate that I haven't been able to give her the kind of attention and guidance she needs. I've not been a very good master. It isn't fair to her. All that potential, more or less wasted thus far."

Malavai knew she didn't want words of comfort, so he offered none. "I'll be at the airlock when you're ready," he said, and his words had the desired effect of refocusing Tori's attention. She stepped back and turned to him once more.

"I'll gear up and be with you shortly."

"I am ready, my lord."

Tori made her way to the airlock a short while later, dressed in her close-fitting black armor with a long, hooded cloak over it. Unsurprisingly, the entire crew with the exception of Jaesa had gathered there, waiting for her.

"Had to give you a proper send-off!" Vette's voice cracked a little, and Tori smiled at her. Vette blinked furiously then launched herself at Tori. Tori murmured something in her ear, eliciting a nod and a strangled sob from Vette, then pulled back to drop a sisterly kiss on her smooth forehead.

"Sith clan will be victorious," Broonmark growled, and Tori turned to him.

"Thank you, Broonmark. I leave this ship's security to your care. Pierce is your commanding officer in my absence."

Broonmark chuffed in acknowledgment, then slunk away as she turned to Pierce.

"You have your orders, Lieutenant," Tori said with a wink and a slight tilt of the head toward where Melia was clinging to Malavai, who was whispering softly to her. Pierce attempted his trademark smirk in response, but it didn't quite materialize, and she reached out to grasp his hand briefly.

"Go get 'em," he said as he returned the gesture, his voice strained.

Finally, Tori turned to her father, who was doing his best to look impassive. "I'm leaving you in charge of this lot," she said, her bravado faltering slightly. He took her face in his hands, smoothing his thumb across the tattoo over her eye that was similar to the one over his own.

"You do what you need to do, and then you get back here. Do I make myself clear?" Andronikos barely spoke above a whisper.

"Yes, sir," she replied, drawing herself up as if standing at attention, then quickly stepped back and looked away.

"Ready, Quinn?" she spoke sharply, suddenly all business.

"Lead the way."

She made her way to his side, then after a moment of silence, turned to face the group in the airlock one last time.

"We'll be right back," she said, and together she and Malavai stepped through the door and out of sight.

It was still early enough on the surface of Korriban that they encountered few people as they made their way to the Sith Academy and up to the antechamber. As promised, Vowrawn was already there, awaiting their arrival.

"At last, Wrath!" he greeted them, giving Quinn a quick once-over but not offering commentary on his presence. "The time is upon us. Baras is in there now attempting to make his claim as the Emperor's Voice official. I'm afraid I am, ah, fashionably late," he finished with a sly smile. "The Council awaits, my dear."

"Very good. Follow me, then. I want my face to be the first thing Baras sees," Tori hissed, her eyes already beginning to flash.

With a sweeping gesture, Vowrawn stepped aside, and they walked to the door. Tori stopped and turned to Malavai.

"You are to leave any and all combat to me. Beyond that, do what you will. If at my side is where you truly intend to be, then this is as much your moment as it is my own. Do not waste it."

Without waiting for a response, she threw open the door and strode in. Under any other circumstances, the sight that met her would have struck her as comical: Baras paced the floor, his belly undulating each time he threw his arms about in impassioned gestures while he droned on to the Council, half of whom looked bored to tears. Upon hearing the door, he stopped mid-sentence, and while she couldn't see his face, Tori felt a rush of anticipation when he spoke, his annoyance plain.

"That had better be Darth Vowrawn coming through those doors," Baras sneered without bothering to turn around.

Tori smiled, realizing he was so swept up in his own performance that he did not sense her, and without reservation or hesitation, opened up her own senses, eagerly anticipating Baras's reaction to her arrival.

"He's with me," she quipped smugly, sliding into a relaxed stance, arms crossed over her chest. She heard Vowrawn softly chuckle behind her as he slipped away to his seat. Quinn, she realized, had come up to stand at her side, just at her elbow, his composure unwavering. Her smile widened when Baras's spine stiffened in shock and recognition, his fury arcing through the Force to feed the fireball smoldering within her.

"Interesting," she heard one of the Council members mutter, just as another sighed loudly.

"This isn't the time for one of your games, Vowrawn," the Darth scolded.

"For the Voice of the Emperor, you're uncharacteristically silent," Tori mocked Baras, stepping up to stand just behind his shoulder. "Did the Emperor not warn you about this?"

"I'm merely amused, young one," Baras attempted to regain his swagger, walking away from Tori to move closer to the Darths circling the perimeter of the room. Tori felt a wave of amusement and realized it came from Malavai.

"He knows he's cornered,"Quinn breathed into her ear. "Watch your step. I'm with you, my lord." She nodded almost imperceptibly, then inhaled sharply in shock as she felt his fingertips brush against hers briefly. With that slightest touch, a thunderclap of unchecked emotion that she registered as his came flooding to her, in a way that she hadn't felt in months, since some of their earliest encounters. Her body was humming now, the Force buzzing through her so strongly that it was all she could do to remain still as Baras addressed the Council.

"My fellows," he simpered, "this is my former apprentice - and, as it appears, her spineless lapdog -" he added for Quinn's benefit. "No doubt you are acquainted with her defiance. She was unworthy of me, so I excised her, and now she has been caught up in some laughable delusion, fueled by Vowrawn, that she is the Emperor's Wrath. The Imperial is of no consequence; a former associate of mine - a charity case, if you will - who has clearly outlived his limited usefulness. And as for Vowrawn, the Emperor will inform me what is to be done with him." Baras's tirade was briefly interrupted by a loud snort from where Vowrawn sat, which Baras blithely ignored. "But for now, assist me in destroying this rabble." Baras swept an arm behind him to indicate Tori and Malavai.

The humming sensation in Tori's body had grown to a full-blown symphony as Baras ranted; the air around her had almost begun to crackle with the intensity.

"Do not hide behind the Council, you coward," she taunted.

"Fine," the Darth who had earlier chided Vowrawn sighed. "Let us swat these gnats so we can move on."

"No," another spoke, rising from his seat, and Tori recognized him as Darth Marr. "Baras claims to be the Voice; this lord claims to be the Wrath. I will not provoke the Emperor. The one who survives speaks truth."

"Protect Vowrawn," Tori hissed to Malavai instinctively with a fleeting glance as she shed the robe she wore over her armor. His eyes darkened as he moved to comply without hesitation, boldly approaching Vowrawn's seat and taking a defensive stance in front of it.

"Ho-ho!" Baras blustered. "Isn't that adorable. The lapdog wants to play guarddog."

Rage roiled within Malavai, but he did not flinch.

"Channel it, my boy," he heard Vowrawn murmur. "Let her feel it. Don't hold back."

"Very well, the master will grant the slave this last request." Baras turned to face Tori, who already had drawn her saber and sank into a crouch. Her eyes blazed as she threw back her hood, and Quinn suppressed a gasp upon realizing that remaining amber had gone and their brilliant green shone with an intensity he had never seen. The chamber had fallen totally silent, save for the quiet hum of Tori's saber, and though her next words were spoken in a deadly whisper, they were heard by every ear in the room:

"I was never, nor shall I ever be, your slave."

She leapt, and Malavai's heart leapt with her.

She was a blur of perfectly honed movement, her strikes and parries coming so fast and hard that they were nearly indistinguishable from one another. At first, Baras seemed equal to her assault, his own saber flashing and spinning blindingly, but never quite fast enough to make solid contact: Tori rolled, flipped, and dodged effortlessly with astounding speed, even as Baras seemed to stand nearly motionless, his saber and the lightning flying from his fingertips seeming to dance around him on their own accord.

Malavai's chest swelled with fear, pride, bloodlust, and love all at once as he watched his lord fight the battle of her life, and he became vaguely aware that his hands were shaking in response to his fight to maintain control enough to protect Vowrawn should the need arise.

"Don't fight it!" Vowrawn's cry was nearly lost in the cacophony of the battle taking place before them. Malavai leaned to one side and gripped the arm of Vowrawn's seat, his knees suddenly weakening as he let the last scraps of his composure fade and all the pent-up emotion of the last months overtake him. He cried out her name, once, just as Tori landed a massive blow to Baras's chest that sent him staggering backwards and clutching his knees to catch his breath.

Tori's attention snapped to Quinn. She held his stare, her own chest heaving with exertion, as Baras straightened and began to laugh mockingly, reaching up to pull off his mask and fling it aside. Believing Tori was distracted, he let fly an intense volley of lightning. Several Darths inched forward in their seats, assuming they were about to see the killing blow, but were brought up short when, without taking her eyes from Malavai, Tori raised her saber and absorbed the strike.

"Had enough, child?" Baras began to taunt, leaning forward as he continued to channel lightning into Tori's blade. "Can you feel your grip on life slipping? Why persist in this futile gesture of vengeance? Let go and embrace your destiny."

Tori's eyes blazed afresh at Baras's words and, still not dropping her gaze from Malavai's, inhaled deeply, just once.

"It seems you did have one final lesson to teach me, Master," she finally said, her tone dripping with condescension. "I believe I shall." A chill ran down Malavai's spine at her words, and the energy between them became nearly palpable, even causing a few eyebrows to raise among the Council.

Baras turned to Vowrawn. "Your champion is failing," he crowed, "and you'll be next!"

Vowrawn's eyes lit up as he watched the silent exchange taking place between Tori and Quinn. "Is that coming from you or from the Emperor, Baras?" he drawled. "It is so difficult to tell the difference."

Baras's lip curled in a sneer, and the lightning flowing from him brightened, arcing toward Tori's blade. Just as it made contact, Tori wrenched her gaze from Malavai and, with a great leap, pushed against the current to charge Baras head-on. The ground crackled where they landed, and once more it seemed they became a knot of whirling sabers and lightning.

Now every member of the Council leaned forward, quickly realizing that Baras was losing ground. The floor of the chamber cracked and scorched where they danced; finally, a great roar ripped from Tori's chest and they looked on in astonishment as Baras flew across the room to land solidly against a pillar with a loud crack. With another cry, Tori leapt to hold her saber to his throat.

"Are you ready to confess that you are not the Voice?"

Baras snarled, and raised his hands as if to channel another torrent of lightning, but only managed a small crackle at his fingertips.

"No!" he cried hoarsely. "I call upon the Dark Council to kill this fool! Now!" Tori let out a harsh laugh as Baras looked at his fellows, panic clearly rising on his face. "The Emperor commands it!" Baras's voice was shrill now, almost pleading.

Silence fell, allowing Baras's desperate wheezes to echo in the chamber. Elation coursed through Malavai, though he could no longer distinguish whether it was his own or Tori's. It did not matter.

"Darth Marr!" Baras gasped. "Strike on the Emperor's behalf, or suffer his disfavor!"

"I believe I'll take my chances," Marr replied, his disdain clear.

"You think you've won; you think you can silence the Emperor's true Voice?" Baras was quickly beginning to remind Tori of a sandbar beetle that had been flipped on its back, waving its legs ever more furiously in an attempt to right itself, but only succeeding in becoming further enraged and looking more absurd. "Deliver the death blow, then! Even from beyond darkness I shall strike at you! Someday vengeance will be mine!"

Heads were beginning to shake around the chamber, bolstering Tori even more as she stared down the pathetic man before her. She sheathed her saber, tucking it into her belt, drawing a ripple of disbelieving murmurs. Still pinning Baras against the wall with an elbow to his gut, she slowly drew off one of her gloves, not allowing him to escape her gaze even for a second. She smiled sardonically as she slowly wrapped the fingers of her ungloved hand tightly around his throat, increasing the pressure there little by little, one fingertip at a time.

"I am going to enjoy feeling the life drain from your veins beneath my fingers," she hissed, using her free hand to extract Baras's own saber from his belt. "Take one last look around, Baras. Look at their faces. See the disgust, the pity. Now they see you without your mask. Now they see what I have seen all along."

Increasing the pressure on the outside of his neck, she forced his gaze back to her face. Without another word, she ignited his blade and slowly, deliberately, drove it through him to the hilt. She lingered there, feeling his pulse weaken and stop, watching the life drain from his eyes, feeling his presence in the Force fade to nothing as the Council and Malavai looked on in complete silence. Once she was satisfied, she withdrew and sheathed his blade, hung his saber on her belt, and sent his corpse flying to land in the center of the chamber floor with a resounding thud.

No one spoke as Tori wiped her hands down the sides of her armor as if trying to wipe away something filthy. She lifted her chin, making eye contact with every Darth in the room as she calmly walked over to stand next to the lump that was Baras.

Vowrawn broke the silence, pride brimming in his voice. "You have proven that you are truly worthy of the Emperor's favor. The Dark Council knows that the Emperor's Wrath has free reign." His last words were meant as a warning to the Council, Tori realized, and she shot Vowrawn a surreptitious wink.

It was not lost on Darth Marr, either. "You are acknowledged, Wrath," he said to Tori. "Your actions will not be challenged as long as they do not contradict our own."

Tori dipped forward in a small bow, but remained silent.

Vowrawn rose from his seat. "Let the enemies of the Empire tremble! The Emperor's Wrath shall consume them all!"

One by one, the rest of the Council stood, most of them catching Tori's eye and returning her bow of respect. She stood before them, but felt no need to speak. Instead, she turned to Malavai. She tilted her head subtly, and he immediately left Vowrawn's side, coming over to stand before her and beginning to tilt into a bow himself.

"No," she commanded, and he straightened to meet her gaze. "At my side."

Vowrawn smiled in satisfaction as the two of them turned and, shoulder to shoulder, swept out of the Council chambers.

A/N: Status of Aftermath and Ascension (11/11/15): I know, I know. No, I haven't abandoned the story. Chapter 28 still slowly in the works. RL continues to be a pain. I will update as soon as I have something worth reading, I promise.