Corev strode up the steps to the JedI temple, his footsteps echoing through the front courtyard. He approached the front doors and pushed them open to reveal the main room of the Jedi Temple. He liked it here it seemed peaceful. It had been awhile since the last time he had been here but he wasn't there to stare at the scenery.

He approached the main counter where a young Jedi stood.

"Hello Master Jedi, I'm here to see the Master Nahila."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No but tell her Corev Saal is here to see her."

"I will but without an appointment you aren't likely to get in to see her, she has been busy lately."

"I will wait over here while you tell her, Master Jedi." He walked away leaving the young Jedi dumbfounded. He leaned against a counter nearby as he waited for the Jedi at the counter to call Nahila. He hoped the boy wouldn't wait too long.

Corev looked over towards the entrance of the temple to see a women walking up the steps. Normally he wouldn't have paid much attention to some woman coming to visit the temple, even if she was Force Sensitive. It was a Jedi temple and he was sure a lot of women came to visit them. At first he had assumed her to be a Jedi herself but something about the way she looked and carried herself showed that she wasn't. As she approached the counter and walked past him he also noticed something else different about her. She felt different, he couldn't explain it but even though she was weak in the Force there was something special about her, he just couldn't place what.

He watched as she talked to the young Jedi at the counter. Watched as he gazed at her with admiration, even adoration. It was as if she was a young lady flirting with him and he was acting like a young boy tripping over himself to please her. There was something very odd about her.

She said something about showing credentials and pulled something out. He stared dumbfounded at the mask and saber in her hand. She was a Sith and she had just brought herself into a Jedi temple. What her purpose was he did not know but his business with Nahila had just become more urgent.

Cain rested his palm over the hilt of his lightsaber, concealed under his robe, but still able to feel the contours, scratches and bumps through the cloth. He was told that this habit was held by many that did so when they felt nervous or insecure, but Cain was just restless. He already felt as if he had done a hard days work and he'd only been working for an hour, but that was okay. In fact, it was relief. Every ache, every bead of sweat was a reminder that he had a purpose. Sure, that purpose was not as...glamorous as being a 'hero' in the Mandalorian Wars, nor was it as rewarding as his life as a Jedi in this very same Temple. However, no matter how insignificant his work may be now, it was still a goal, a meaning to hold on to when all other meanings had vanished.

Zez-Kai Ell had been a hypocrite, shying away from a war his own teachings demanded be fought, and Revan had been a coward, wasting the lives of his followers so he himself could reap the rewards. As far as Cain was concerned, labour in the Temple where he grew up was a small purpose, but it was not a false purpose.

His hand left the hilt as his reflection ceased - thinking about the past was only causing him nothing but hurt and regret. He was having enough troubles dealing with the daily fatigue and stress that came with this job, and to add on unnecessary emotional pain was always enough to send him spiralling into a pit of melodramatic despair, which it did as Cain sent files, documents and meaningless scraps of paper to the floor in a momentary lapse of control. He did this daily, at different times, but always at least once, and this was understandable. He was a joke within the Temple. He should have been offered aid and tranquillity, but instead he was cast aside, left to rot working a desk in the lobby. A Jedi only in title, Cain was left at that desk as a warning, a reminder of what happened to those who let themselves be 'corrupted', which was ludicrous. Cain had lived, truly lived for the first time in his life in those wars, and instead of being crowned a hero he was abandoned by his 'Master', Revan, and rejected by the Jedi. The Council still maintained the outright lie that no Jedi had paid for their crimes from the wars - a lie that, to them, may as well be fact. A fallen Jedi is no Jedi at all in their eyes, and a fallen Jedi can never truly pay for his 'crimes', so, as another bead of sweat fell from his frustrated brow, Fallen Jedi Cain immaturely knocked papers and files off his desk with a gesture of his hand.

His concealed rage would have continued to vent in the form of paper-abuse for a while, as his fatigue and suppressed emotional pain built up in turn, had she not walked into the lobby. She had asked for a Jedi, and had most likely missed the sarcastic tone of the little bastard who'd told her Cain was a 'Jedi.' When he looked up from the mess he was making of his desk, she stood before him, so self-contained in her beauty. The force did not flow strongly through this woman, but what did flow through came out...changed.

Afterwards, he swept through the Temple, telling everyone he met of this woman, this Sith, who had simply walked in and handed him her lightsaber and mask, confident that she would be accepted where Cain himself had not.

Nahila enters through the bronze doors into the room where Corev Saal stands admiring a picture of some past Jedi.

"Ah Corev, I am so happy to see you, especially today. As you can imagine, things have been a bit...hectic." She takes her seat behind the desk.

He looks at his old friend for a minute before responding, "The Sith seem stronger than anything we could have imagined, so I could see why you would be a little busy."

Nahila rests her elbows on her desk and looks at him, "We've lost so many of our own to them, so many who left to join the Sith, and then finally the reverse happens, one Sith abandons their own to join us and I find no comfort in it at all."

He remembers the strange woman he saw when he had first entered the temple. One of the weirdest moments in his long life. "Ah, yes the Sith I saw in the lobby. There is something odd about that one."

"Oh indeed there is. What she did is proof enough of that."

"She isn't very strong in the Force. How did she survive among the Sith?"

"That's one of the reasons I kept you waiting so long--I've been finding out as much about her as I possibly can since she arrived. The more I know about her, the stranger she becomes. She has never, so far as I know, fought a single battle against anyone, Sith or Jedi, and yet her following is very large, a whole planetary base and a small star fleet."

He is shocked and his face clearly shows it as he moves closer to the desk. "How? The Sith function on battle, they fight for everything. How would she have risen so high without having to fight to get there? That isn't very Sith-like."

She sits forward more in her chair and looks at him, "It goes beyond that even. The Sith are very competitive, we know that, every Sith tries to kill the one above them but her forces are loyal to her."

"Loyal is not a word I word use to describe any Sith. That is odd indeed. Do you have any idea how she inspires such loyalty in her followers?" His curiosity is spiked, this could be some sort of technique taught to her.

"Her base stands ready, but no one has stepped forward to claim it. When another Sith Lord tried to take control of it, they defended it in her name! They are waiting for her to return! I have never heard of such a thing!"

He shakes his head, "Nor have I."

"Battle Meditiation could create such an effect, but not at such a distance, and not for such a long time, nor does she show any signs of having such power."

He thinks for a moment about the possibility. "I have seen Battle Meditation work on people. It inspires people to keep fighting, gives them confidence. It also causes your enemies to lose hope. I have never seen it cause anyone's followers to admire them so much..."

She shakes her head and leans back in her chair, "I have no explanation for it. Old friend, I have a favor to ask."

He raises his eyebrows, "A favor?"

"If I keep her locked up in solitary confinement with a neural restriction collar on her, I will never find out what she is up to. Eventually, we will need to let her act. She says that she has come to be redeemed, to return to the Light, and perhaps that is true but I have my doubts, as you might well expect."

He shakes his head, "I have not heard of a Sith of her standing ever returning to the Light."

She sighs, "And yet these days we accept that even the greatest Jedi fall to the dark. Has this war made such pessimists of us, I wonder? As you said though, she is like no other Sith--perhaps she is telling the truth. I am both more hopeful and more suspicious of her than I have ever been of any potential convert."

He thinks on it a moment, thinking back on what he had seen of this Darth Erzebet. "I suppose it is possible that she means what she says, but it is also possible this is some sort of trick."

"Exactly. I will assign one of the Jedi Masters to her, to try to determine why she is here, and to guide her back to the Light if such a thing is possible."

"And what is my part in this?"

"She will not know that you were ever a Jedi. Even I, who was a padawan with you, cannot feel the Force moving in you, though I know that it does, strongly. I want you to be her guard. She will think you have no strength in the Force, so she will either make you her target or she will ignore you. If she is trying some sort of trick, that is. If she is sincere, given her position within the Sith, they will certainly try to kill her. If they do, she will need a bodyguard and again, the Sith will ignore you or strike you first. Either way, the surprise should work to our advantage. Will you do this for me, old friend?"

He smiles, "Your plan makes sense. I will do it but not just because of the sense your plan makes, I am also curious to find out how she does what she does. Finding out how she inspires loyalty could be very beneficial."

"Yes, I agree. But do not be too curious. I do not want you to find out first-hand how it is she draws others too her. I know that others have called you disloyal but I know better, I know that--"

"My leaving the Jedi Order was not disloyal it was my choice." He frowns, looking at her intently. That has always been a sore spot with him.

"--you have always been a person who thinks for himself," she continued, giving him a reassuring smile, "and I need that in you most of all. Keep your guard up, and keep your distance."

"I understand that caution is needed around her, she is Sith after all. I will be careful."

She smiles with relief on her face. "Good. The Republic has of course been all over me with questions about her, about what she is doing here. Since you have been an officer with their forces, I will tell them that I have assigned you to her as their liaison."

"Yes, that also eliminates suspicion of why I would be assigned as her guard and not another Jedi."

"Oh, there will be a Jedi assigned to her as well. He will be both her guard and her teacher, if she is honest in her desire for redemption." She pauses for a moment before continuing, "She does not seem very strong in the Force nor do I feel the Dark Side working strongly within her. The strength of passion I usually find in the Sith is lacking in her. She is serene as any Jedi Master."

"My own ability shows that you should not place all your trust in what you sense."

"That may be the truest thing I have heard said today."

He frowns again, "We can only hope that she is telling the truth and this does not cost the Jedi more then they can spare."

Nahila frowns too, "You are too right--the Jedi cannot spare anything at all. This war has almost destroyed us, and though Revan has gone, still every day costs us more."

He looks out the window, his frown becomes more worried. "I fear this war will cost the Jedi dearly, but if we play our cards right we may just make it out of this."

A smile returns to her face as his comment brings back memories, "I was always terrible at Pazaak, but as I recall, you were an excellent player, so I will leave this particular card in your hands then." She gets up out of her chair. "I'm afraid I must go. There is a Senator waiting to talk to me, or lecture me--you know how they are."

"Indeed I do." He raises one eyebrow in both irritation and amusement.

"He will want to know what I am doing about this. I am glad to be able to tell him that I have assigned both a powerful Jedi and a decorated Republic soldier to the case. He need not know they are one and the same person."

He laughs looking at her, "I am glad I could talk to you again Nahila. It has been a pleasure."

She returns with a laugh of her own though her laugh is just a little sad. "The pleasure has been all mine, Corev, and someday perhaps we can visit for no other reason than the enjoyment of one another's company. But this day is not that day, so I must go."

"You are right, I will leave you now." He stands to leave, but reluctant to go. It has been such a long time since he has seen her.

"The young man at the desk will show you to her. He's taken quite an interest in her. Only natural under the circumstances, since he was the very first to meet her, but make sure his interest does not...increase, will you?"

"I will watch him as well as the others who are in contact with her."

"Thank you. Good-bye, my friend, I am sure I will speak with you later.

"Good-bye I hope we can talk more at a later date." He turns around and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Ythros had heard a Sith had surrendered herself in the temple.

Technically, he shouldn't have, when the masters received the woman they had asked the service personnel to request Ythros' presence for a discussion over the repeated state of his bedding.

Ythros, after a lengthy explanation of why he felt the need to leave bloodstains on his mattresses was making his way back when he almost ran into an excited youth who had witnessed the Sith in transit. After a brief conversation with the somewhat careless Jedi, Ythros made his way to the detention cells.

The Jedi on watch at the detention block saw him coming, and sent a comms for one of the senior Jedi. The 'Scarecrow' had a temper at the best of times, and after an argument over laundry and hearing of a Sith within throttling distance he had an even more impressive scowl than usual.

Not that you would notice, the scars made any expression on that face into a macabre grin or twisted frown... depending on the angle you were looking from.

"Ythros, I see you heard about the prisoner" He began, but was cut off with a look before Ythros spoke.

"Enough Jollen, move aside now" He said slowly.

"I can't Ythros, we don't murder prisoners."

Ythros tilted his head "Murder? I would never kill a prisoner Sith, Jollen, not while i have something as harmless as a knife-point"

The look from the would-be-jailor indicated this was not a suitable response.

"Jollen, I wouldn't kill a prisoner, but i might just knock you out to see her" He said with an amiability at odds with the words spoken.

"Ythros, dont, it's no-"

"Bugger, hand slipped," Ythros said, releasing his neck where he had grabbed his own nerve cluster, he was immune to the pain, Jollen was not, and he passed out.

Ythros stumbled inside, even such a minor effort exerted his ability, and he gathered himself before walking to the cell that contained the odd woman, a paradox in Ythros' mind, both a Sith and a willing prisoner. To Ythros the idea was like keeping a python as a scarf.

"So, You're what's causing such a fuss hereabouts," he said, scanning over the creature.

She stopped combing you her long, black hair with her fingers and regarded him with perfect calm.

"I do wonder why you're here, in my experience Sith don't often wander into temples, but then again in my experience Sith were never very intelligent"

Her smile was gracious, her voice coolly amused. "That has been my experience as well. It's one of the reasons I left."

"I also wonder if you realise that yo-" He began again, but was cut off.

"Pardon me, but where did you get that one?" The Sith asked and pointed to his face.

Ythros stood still "Which what?"

"That scar, on your jawline, it's too deep for anything I know, but also too delicate," she inquired intently.

Ythros felt the wound. "Laser edged scalpel, I got into a fight with a surgeon who wanted to stick a transmitter into my heart, where I couldn't pull it out like the last one. In my pelvic cavity." He said with almost a hint of pride.

"And the surgeon?" she continued.

"He stabbed me in the arm, and then bled to death of the wound," Ythros replied, frustrated at losing control of the exchange.

For once the woman seemed interested, her eyes opening just a fraction wider and she leaned just a millimeter forward. She hid it well, and Ythros missed it completely, but there was something almost like wonder in her voice when she replied;

"How extraordinary you are."