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SWTOR: Sith Science
Chapter: One
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Malora limped off the battlefield, away from the library. Such a waste. Knowledge like that should be preserved, not burned.
Still, she had what she came for, though it had cost her considerable pain. That final blow was painful enough, but being left for dead hurt her pride.
They would all pay for these affronts. The Jedi, the Dark Council. Malgus, especially. She just needed time, and quiet, and solitude.
She knew she would get none of them as the Alliance ship landed. The Commander herself disembarked and approached her.
“How tiresome.”
The Commander arched an eyebrow. “I suppose you are, but I think you’ll be worth it.”
“How droll. What do you want, Commander?”
“Just to live up to my promise. You have a place in the Alliance, if you want it. I have a project that might appeal to you.”
She considered that. It would delay her own interests, but Nox was known to have many secrets. Perhaps she would share them in exchange? And having the protection of the Alliance when no one else wanted her would not hurt.
“Very well, Commander.”

“Greetings, Commander, who have you brought me today?”
“Doctor Oggurobb, this is Darth Malora, formerly of the Dark Council.”
“Excellent! Excellent! I have read your work! The advancement of Rakattan research, the cellular regeneration, the…”
“Yes, yes, I am aware of your work as well. Can we get on with it? What is this project, Commander?”
If the Hutt looked hurt, she didn’t care.
“Simply this.” She stepped forward and pulled a cover off a nearby cryogenic chamber.
Malora stared for a moment at the contents. “How is this possible?”
“Many things are possible when you’re in charge.”
She knew what the Commander wanted. Perhaps, when she had time to examine the materials from the library, there was a chance, if even the slightest spark remained. It could be her greatest achievement yet. She reached out with her feelings, probed, considered.
Nothing.
“It was all pointless. What would you have me do? There is no life left here, however clever you are. The Force is life, but even I cannot create it from nothing.”
The Hutt pointed out, “Perhaps not you alone, but perhaps together, we can…”
Malora, at the end of her limited patience, shouted back, “There is nothing to be done! And there is no point! All we would have is a lifeless, shambling husk! It is not worth your time, and certainly not worth mine!”
It was the Commander’s turn. “Yes, we know. But we have one more thing to show you before you decide. Oggurobb?”
“Yes, Commander.” The massive creature turned and with some delicacy, but without the flourish the Commander had shown, uncovered the holocron.
How had she not sensed it? Some trick of the slug’s, no doubt. It was filled with power. Hatred. Terror.
Most importantly, life.
It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
“Is this…”
“It is, indeed. We have had it hidden away. The good doctor is amazing in many sciences…”
“Oh, Commander, you’ll make me blush.”
“But we only have one chance at this. He wanted it to be the best we could have. And so, here you are.”
She could see it. It could work. She could make it work. And if the Alliance burned because of it? Well, it was a small price to pay.

Everything was in place. It had taken months, but it was finally ready. There were so many steps in the process, all of which needed to be calibrated perfectly. There was no way to test any of them.
Malora was alone in the room, aside from her subject. They were watching from safety. The cowards. They would regret not being here, of never experiencing first hand the sensations of this moment.
Their loss.
The body floated in a modified kolto tank. The leads were ready. It was time to begin.
The same techniques that had allowed her to walk away from Ossus alive were already repairing the tissues, but of course that wouldn’t be enough. Science could not create life.
At least, not yet. But if this worked, it would bring Malora that much closer.
The lights dimmed as more and more power was drawn in. The Alliance had been told that there would be work done on the generators. It really was good to be the Commander.
It wasn’t needed for the physical repair, it was needed for what was next. “Now, Oggurobb, stage two!”
From his observation room, the Hutt maneuvered the holocron into place and attempted to release its contents. Instead, it exploded, vaporized. Malora sighed in annoyance. Another artifact from the past destroyed. The idiot had not taken the power of the occupant into account.
The error was salvageable. Malora used her own power to catch the fleeing energy, maneuver it to the body. If it had truly wanted to escape, she was sure it was too strong to hold, but it was easy enough to coax it to return home.
Now, the crucial final stage. The return to life would have been feat enough, but what was the point without the Force? Her dead cells would have lost that connection. That was what Malora had been searching for that day, the Rakatta attempts to rejuvenate their power. She didn’t think this would work on a truly Force-dead race, but on one of the most powerful users of it that ever lived?
Energies swirled about the room, slowly draining into the subject. The fatal injury began glowing as she was pushed closer to life.
She had been expecting a brilliant flash of light, a roaring of thunder, something. Something dramatic. Instead, there was a momentary sensation of falling, and darkness, and silence.
When the lights returned, Malora looked at the tube. No movement. She approached, saying, “Vaylin?”
The woman floated, very still, just for another moment, and then the eyes snapped open and she grinned out of the tank.

-----

Part 2: Next Chapter

Description

SWTOR: Sith Science
Chapter: One
swtorramblings.tumblr.com/

-----

Malora limped off the battlefield, away from the library. Such a waste. Knowledge like that should be preserved, not burned.
Still, she had what she came for, though it had cost her considerable pain. That final blow was painful enough, but being left for dead hurt her pride.
They would all pay for these affronts. The Jedi, the Dark Council. Malgus, especially. She just needed time, and quiet, and solitude.
She knew she would get none of them as the Alliance ship landed. The Commander herself disembarked and approached her.
“How tiresome.”
The Commander arched an eyebrow. “I suppose you are, but I think you’ll be worth it.”
“How droll. What do you want, Commander?”
“Just to live up to my promise. You have a place in the Alliance, if you want it. I have a project that might appeal to you.”
She considered that. It would delay her own interests, but Nox was known to have many secrets. Perhaps she would share them in exchange? And having the protection of the Alliance when no one else wanted her would not hurt.
“Very well, Commander.”

“Greetings, Commander, who have you brought me today?”
“Doctor Oggurobb, this is Darth Malora, formerly of the Dark Council.”
“Excellent! Excellent! I have read your work! The advancement of Rakattan research, the cellular regeneration, the…”
“Yes, yes, I am aware of your work as well. Can we get on with it? What is this project, Commander?”
If the Hutt looked hurt, she didn’t care.
“Simply this.” She stepped forward and pulled a cover off a nearby cryogenic chamber.
Malora stared for a moment at the contents. “How is this possible?”
“Many things are possible when you’re in charge.”
She knew what the Commander wanted. Perhaps, when she had time to examine the materials from the library, there was a chance, if even the slightest spark remained. It could be her greatest achievement yet. She reached out with her feelings, probed, considered.
Nothing.
“It was all pointless. What would you have me do? There is no life left here, however clever you are. The Force is life, but even I cannot create it from nothing.”
The Hutt pointed out, “Perhaps not you alone, but perhaps together, we can…”
Malora, at the end of her limited patience, shouted back, “There is nothing to be done! And there is no point! All we would have is a lifeless, shambling husk! It is not worth your time, and certainly not worth mine!”
It was the Commander’s turn. “Yes, we know. But we have one more thing to show you before you decide. Oggurobb?”
“Yes, Commander.” The massive creature turned and with some delicacy, but without the flourish the Commander had shown, uncovered the holocron.
How had she not sensed it? Some trick of the slug’s, no doubt. It was filled with power. Hatred. Terror.
Most importantly, life.
It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
“Is this…”
“It is, indeed. We have had it hidden away. The good doctor is amazing in many sciences…”
“Oh, Commander, you’ll make me blush.”
“But we only have one chance at this. He wanted it to be the best we could have. And so, here you are.”
She could see it. It could work. She could make it work. And if the Alliance burned because of it? Well, it was a small price to pay.

Everything was in place. It had taken months, but it was finally ready. There were so many steps in the process, all of which needed to be calibrated perfectly. There was no way to test any of them.
Malora was alone in the room, aside from her subject. They were watching from safety. The cowards. They would regret not being here, of never experiencing first hand the sensations of this moment.
Their loss.
The body floated in a modified kolto tank. The leads were ready. It was time to begin.
The same techniques that had allowed her to walk away from Ossus alive were already repairing the tissues, but of course that wouldn’t be enough. Science could not create life.
At least, not yet. But if this worked, it would bring Malora that much closer.
The lights dimmed as more and more power was drawn in. The Alliance had been told that there would be work done on the generators. It really was good to be the Commander.
It wasn’t needed for the physical repair, it was needed for what was next. “Now, Oggurobb, stage two!”
From his observation room, the Hutt maneuvered the holocron into place and attempted to release its contents. Instead, it exploded, vaporized. Malora sighed in annoyance. Another artifact from the past destroyed. The idiot had not taken the power of the occupant into account.
The error was salvageable. Malora used her own power to catch the fleeing energy, maneuver it to the body. If it had truly wanted to escape, she was sure it was too strong to hold, but it was easy enough to coax it to return home.
Now, the crucial final stage. The return to life would have been feat enough, but what was the point without the Force? Her dead cells would have lost that connection. That was what Malora had been searching for that day, the Rakatta attempts to rejuvenate their power. She didn’t think this would work on a truly Force-dead race, but on one of the most powerful users of it that ever lived?
Energies swirled about the room, slowly draining into the subject. The fatal injury began glowing as she was pushed closer to life.
She had been expecting a brilliant flash of light, a roaring of thunder, something. Something dramatic. Instead, there was a momentary sensation of falling, and darkness, and silence.
When the lights returned, Malora looked at the tube. No movement. She approached, saying, “Vaylin?”
The woman floated, very still, just for another moment, and then the eyes snapped open and she grinned out of the tank.

-----

Part 2: Next Chapter