The concentrated demand that is one of many such incomprehensible demands setting the Force in motion reaches back, pours itself through that open channel and into a new world. 

(It exists to satisfy its demand. Not spreading itself when given the opportunity could never occur to it.)

(It cannot fully spread itself here. This world is to the echoes of demand like heavy mist is to sound. It must wrap itself in something, and it cannot be itself and be here. No matter. It is eternal, and knowledgeable, and the solution to this problem has or will at some point reveal itself in the grand arc of history.)

And so one infinitesimal fragment of the Force opens human eyes, wraps itself in human memories and anchors itself to a human body. 

Limiting. Weakening. But it is here, and the demand this self sent out was perfectly compatible with its own demand, even if it must be human. 

And she collapses to her knees as a storm of wild energy - the answer to her host's call, the shockwave of its coming - begins to rip the Sith Academy on Korriban apart.

She has things she wants beyond vengeance - 

She forces herself to her feet (and the storm destroys any evidence she summoned it) and stumbles into the shattering world to find her Brin.

(She wants them both to survive this, so they will.)

The damage doesn't ripple out from her - the area she started in was among the worst hit, shattered by her arrival - but the rest of the damage is in diffuse patches, tendrils threading through the halls and then concentrating in bursts in an unclear pattern. 

The electronic systems are pretty thoroughly fucked, though the doors still open - no cameras or radios, though - and things are falling, glass is shattering, power packs are exploding, people are tripping as the ground shakes, people are panicking - 

(The overseers are already dead. A lot of people are dead, really, and more will die before this ends.)

Her feet lead her unerringly to Brin, the Force assisting her speed and helping her dodge obstacles, keep her feet as the ground continues to quake, avoid more crowded hallways -

The girl who summoned her hadn't been positive where Brin would be, tried to mentally enforce the acolytes' dorms being relatively untouched. But she knows now that Brin isn't there, is - 

-in one of the small meditation rooms, hiding from the storm.

And the storm is being held back by a dark lord with a fiercely contained power.

Well there goes her 'don't be suspicious' plan.

(She has no idea what people are supposed to feel like the the Force here, but that woman feels - different. Also powerful. And like an odd echo of some of the minds that have - distantly - interacted with the human that she was's echoes from time to time. Interesting.)

And she's protecting Brin.

(She binds as much of herself under her skin as she can. She probably feels very bizarre anyways. She hadn't been trained to use the Force as a human, the girl who summoned her wasn't trained, and she's spent all but a drop of her existence as a part of the Force itself.)

"Brin!" she pants out, sending the Sith Lord a look that hopefully reads as scared. "Are you okay?"

"Lily! I'm fine, are you-"

"You know this person?"

"Yes, she's um. My girlfriend."

Nod. "And she's mine." (She doesn't sound - or feel - at all nervous saying that. Brin is hers. Any third parties with opinions to the contrary can die mad about it.)

Then to Brin: "And - I'm unhurt."

(Does the Sith try to stop her from stepping up next to her girlfriend?)

She gestures, and the bubble of safe space expands outward to let the new girl in.

Hug!!

Tight hug!!!

(Entering the bubble feels weird. Like she's being shoved back into herself, like the wild thing she summoned is now slightly less of who she is. (She's still it, though, and it's still her, and the rebalancing had already started when she saw Brin anyways - accelerates once she touches her Brin.))

"Do you know what happened?"

"I just came to find you. There's - an earthquake or something."

"This is no earthquake. Something unusually powerful has released this destruction purposefully."

"Can't imagine why." Yeah least suspicious she can manage right now is sarcasm. 

"Truly? I can think of several reasons. This academy is loved by very few. What I am having trouble reconciling is how one would have obtained the power and skill necessary to do such a thing while retaining the motivation."

That's because it didn't need the experience kind of skill, mostly just motivation-skill.

Light shrug. "I suppose some people can hold grudges a very long time."

She hums noncommittally.

...She's going to keep her mouth shut and hug her girlfriend. The storm will stop sooner or later anyways. 

Closer to sooner than later. As the last of the Force-infused howling blasts dies away, Occlus drops her shield.

"I am going to go see what remains intact. Stay put until I come for you," she instructs Brin.

"Yes, my lord."

She nods, and departs.

And she nearly collapses into her girlfriend, her head feeling - askew.

"We - we need to talk. Private."

Worried pets.

"Okay."

"This was me. Who did this."

"You? But- how?"

"A ritual. I summoned - "

"Me? A - thing - it's big and weird - " Who is she right now??? "I'm not from - it's not from this reality, it couldn't really... Fit... And exist normally, so I'm - a piece of it, and also me? And it does what I want. Mostly."

(The part of her that was the Force - much quieter in Brin's arms - is very ???. It has goals - it is its goals, meaningfully. Those goals did not centrally include 'protect Brin.')

(Well, then it should have realized its own alts wouldn't be any less capable of demanding than it, shouldn't it have?)

"But you're... still you, right? Still Lily?"

"I am. I'm still your Lily, no matter what, just - " She laughs. "A bit mystically concussed, right now."

Kiss?

Kiss!

Oh good, that still works.

It doooeeesss. And Lily is still very head over heels, hearts in her eyes whenever her girlfriend kisses her. 

That makes Brin feel much better, after all this excitement.

Good. Brin should feel good. That's very important, you know. 

(They survived and they're still in some danger but there's a bigger chance than there was, and Brin isn't upset with her, and they have some privacy at the moment, and Lily adores her Brin...)

Awww.

But, she should mention... "Lord Occlus wants me for her apprentice."

 - Squeeze.

"Do you want to be her apprentice?" she asks, in the tone of a horror from beyond reality who just squished part of the Academy off-handedly.

"She came to protect me. When the storm started."

Squeeze.

"And it'll be - easier, getting you out of here without drama, if she's vouching for you."

"I don't want to go without you."

"I don't, either."

"I'm powerful now. I can protect you. But I want you - safe and happy."

"I'm happiest with you."

Kiss!!! "Fortunately, I'm happiest with you."

"We'll stay together, as long as you'll have me - and if your Sith doesn't want us both, that's her loss."

"I bet you could talk her around."

"Charm her like I charmed you?"

"It worked pretty well this time..."

"You think she was charmed?"

Giggle. "I meant you with me."

Kiss! "You did just as much of the charming as me, lovely."

"A group effort."

"To our mutual benefit." (She's getting a bit handsy.)

Maybe they should just nudge the door shut, then...

Definitely. 

(She has the best, most beautiful and talented and loyal and everything good girlfriend ever. And she is going to make Brin so happy.)

A while later, Lily might be able to sense the Sith Lord's dark presence returning, if she's not too distracted.

She's a bit distracted! But also that is a very loud presence! The intrusion of senses she's not used to shakes her a bit, even. 

"Your Sith is heading back this way," she mutters into Brin's collarbone.

"Mn. Guess we should clean up a bit."

"Keep your pretty body to myself for now." Up?

Up.

And just in time, as there is a knock at the door.

Robes tugged back into place, then - she opens the door. 

"Having fun, are we?"

"Where we can."

"A good habit to get into."

Smug grin. 

Then: "What have you found in your search, my Lord?"

"It seems that all the overseers are dead, leaving this Academy... rather leaderless. A distress signal has already been sent, so it will not be long before the Sith reinforcements arrive."

How totally shocking. She is so surprised.

"What will happen then, my Lord?"

"I imagine that any acolytes who take this opportunity to run will be killed- along with a significant portion of those who remained. They will be looking for someone to blame, and lashing out in their rage at this attack."

They can TRY.

(The fierce surge of protectiveness through her makes words... Hard, but.)

Flatly: "Would you be inclined or able to shield Brin, my Lord, if the issue arrises?" Needing to eat any significant number of Sith this early on for trying to harm her girlfriend might complicate destroying the Empire sufficiently thoroughly, after all.

(...It takes a split, distant second to be ruefully impressed with herself for subverting it. It in fact used to have goals that would have overridden protecting only one girl.)

"It is my intention to see her my apprentice, and safely off this world before the issue arises."

Tight nod. (Some of her ferocity eases.)

"Are you not concerned for yourself?"

"Brin goes where I go, and I go where she goes."

"That confident, are you?"

"Yes."

Hum.

"My lord... Could you take a second apprentice?"

"It would be possible, in this confusion. But why should I?"

She has to struggle for a moment to drag back up some of the mindset, the logic of this world - the knowledge that the Sith sees only an acolyte - 

"I have potential, and I learn quickly," she says. "I'm powerful in the Force." An understatement. "I'm good at surviving, and at understanding people. I return what I'm given, and won't be the first to betrayal. And for taking both of us - Brin and I complement each other well. She's strong where I'm weak, and vice versa."

"Why do I get the feeling you will insist on following no matter my answer?"

"Because you're an intelligent, insightful woman."

"Flattery now?"

"Is truth also flattery now, my Lord?"

"That depends on the intent with which it is said."

Somewhat wry smile. "I would like staying with Brin to be - logistically simplified - and an apprenticeship with someone who actually knows a lot about the Force and who won't trivially discard us - but I highly doubt flattering you alone will get me that. You don't seem the kind to fall for it."

"I see."

"I do have room on my ship for one more."

"Would you be willing to take the two of us with you then, my Lord?"

"I am."

"Thank you, my Lord."

"Let us be off, then."

They'll follow.

"What should I call you, my Lord?"

"Occlus."

Nod. "I'm Lily."

"Well met, Lily."

"Well met, Lord Occlus."

Then out through the ruined Academy to the landing pads, where Occlus's personal ship waits, a sleek black small-crew model. It's roomier inside than it appears.

"Make yourselves comfortable."

What're the sleeping arrangements like?

One room with a single bed- clearly belonging to Occlus. Two rooms with four bunks each, a total of two occupied, one in each compartment.

And who're the other crew? 

A human male with a dragon tattoo coiled over the right half of his face, and a hulking Dashade, feeling like sandpaper rasping on the skein of the Force.

- The Dashade's presence in the Force is very aversive. Like a constant rasp of sandpaper on her skin. She grits her teeth briefly - decides she's going to just need to get used to this, build up her shell better - but she'll need privacy and time for that. And, first: she approaches the human male to introduce herself. 

"Hey there. You the new apprentice? Or apprentices, it looks like."

Nod and smile. "We are."

"I'm Lily. This is Brin, my girlfriend."

"Didn't know they let Sith have girlfriends."

"Well, a few people did attempt to object."

"Is that why half the place exploded?"

Look at how incredibly innocent she is! "There's a lot of grudges going around. Could have been anyone."

"If you say so."

"Of course... Not just anyone might have been able to."

"Traveling with m'lord, I've seen Sith pull some crazy shit. This doesn't make top five. Top ten... maybe."

"What was the craziest?"

"Off the top of my head? Seeing m'lord summon-" He counts on his fingers. "-five ghosts, in separate instances. Mostly because it kept happening, y'know? Like one ghost is fine, every spacer's seen one ghost, two isn't unheard of, but five? Five means you've got some kind of problem."

Giggle.

"I think most Sith have at least one some kind of problem."

"True that. Some are more or less obvious, though."

"And more or less interesting."

"More interesting usually means more dangerous."

"And Occlus's very interesting?"

"You didn't hear it from me, kid, but yeah. She is."

"I could pick up on some of the interestingness from several halls over."

"She's gotten better about that, believe it or not."

"So Sith sometimes get fewer problems over time?"

"If you're lucky."

"Many aren't."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm hoping you can buck the trend too, huh."

She just laughs. "We plan to."

"Sounds good."

"Now I should see about getting us in the air, before m'lord starts getting testy."

"I'll leave you to it."

And he's off to the cockpit.

To Brin: "What do you want to do now?"

"I'm... not sure."

Hum. "I want to learn more about Occlus's enemies and allies and position... But also we were interrupted earlier..."

"You want to pick that back up?"

"While everyone else is busy regardless." Kiss! 

Kiss!

To the bunks? (The room that isn't partially the Dashade's.)

That works for Brin.

Now, where were they...

Brin can offer some reminders.

Good girl.

Wiggles.

She loves her Lily.

Convenient, because Lily loves her Brin.

She's really glad they found a way to stay together.

They always will.

Brin will trust that about her.

"You'll have to put some effort in too, lovely."

"I'll do what I can. But I don't think I could have blown up half the Academy."

Kiss! "That's what training will be for."

"I suppose. Not sure I want to be able to explode buildings, though."

"You'll be dangerous in another way." 

"Perhaps like a blade in the dark..."

"That sounds more like me."

Kiss! "It does. My pretty blade."

"And I'm not usually the blowing up buildings kind either..."

"Only when you get angry."

 - Kiss.

"I wasn't angry. I was scared."

"I'm sorry."

"Not your fault."

"You shouldn't have to have been scared, though."

Snuggle. "I was - really serious, when I said I'd rather just kill myself than be forced to fight you."

"I don't want that to happen. Ever."

"You said."

"That's - why I summoned the - thing. I got desperate..."

Hug.

Such hug.

"Do you... know what it is? The summoned thing?"

"Yeah. I - I'm it, or as much of it as could fit into this reality."

"I'm - it thinks of itself as one of the - beings? That drive the Force in its universe. But here - the Force here is weird. Empty? Or not that, and not static, but it's like - it feels like clay. And the Force is supposed to - does in its universe - feel like... It has currents? And I'm - either I'm one of those currents or I'm one of the things creating those? And I can - it could - interact with - I guess normal people reaching for the Force in a way it could... Click with? And it could help them more if their wants aligned with its, or like - they directed it and it worked through them? And it could influence people who got - close enough while not having good enough boundaries, to want and do the things it wants, because I'm - it's - want. It doesn't have a form in time or space, it's just - desire."

"That sounds- really dangerous."

"It's - powerful."

"Yeah."

A shift -

And kiss.

"But you make me feel like me."

"I like feeling you."

Giggle! "You're excellent at feeling me."

Hee.

They should make sure though that Lily still feels like Lily...

Double check for certainty.

And that Brin feels like Brin, while they're at it. 

Make sure she hasn't been compromised by any side effects.

That her sensation's functioning as normal. 

Verdict: yes, yes it is.

Wonderful news.

Best girl.

And after - well, some contented cuddling and destressing, but after that -

Lily wants to know more about the new enemies they've made. Do Occlus and/ or Andronikos seem interruptible?

Occlus does.

Off to interrupt her, then - or, stand there and wait to be acknowledged.

"You have a question?"

"Questions more like, my Lord, about things like your position within the Empire, and who your major enemies and allies are."

"Now that you've jumped into the ocean, you wish to know what manner of sharks it contains?"

"Or other fish."

"Fair enough."

"Of most pressing interest to you, I think, is that I am currently engaged in- not to be melodramatic, but a war with a Dark Council member, Darth Thanaton of the Sphere of Ancient Knowledge."

Thoughtful frown.  

And after a few long moments: "And what's the current balance of advantage? - Could you beat him today, and if you did would you survive the fallout?"

"Were I to face him here and now, I expect that on a personal level I would be capable of overpowering him. His power base among other Sith is larger, but it is shrinking by the day. His failure to dispose of me for these several years becomes increasingly embarrassing. When I kill him, and I plan for that day to be soon, I do not expect significant external resistance in assuming his position. There may of course be those within the organization Thanaton has built that will remain loyal to him, but those can be dealt with in turn."

"And he knows that, and he'll try to avoid facing you on an even field - or losing even more of his reputation because he failed to do so."

"Just so. His best remaining option, in my estimation, is the Kaggath ritual combat, a clash of armies between two competing Sith."

"And Brin and I will fight in that, too."

"As new apprentices, you will be primary targets, yes."

There's a flash of something dangerous in her eyes - in the Force around her.

"They won't get us."

"Indeed not. I will offer as much protection as I am able to."

"I won't be easy to take, either."

"Certainly, if your most recent performance at the Academy was any guide."

...Yeah, she's going for smug.

"That's not the best I can do, either."

"I'll take it as a favor if you refrain from experimenting aboard my ship."

"So no Force training while in flight?"

"Not until your understanding of moderation has been more thoroughly proven."

...Hum.

"I am the thing I am. It seems prudent to obtain that proof as soon as possible."

"Indeed it does. Fortunately, we are presently en route to a relatively uninhabited planet."

"Good." (It'll be good to see what she can do.)

Then in the time til their arrival, they can discuss what Lily had been learning in the Academy, as Occlus was not following her training like she was Brin's.

It takes her some time to dredge her memory - to separate out what she learned in each life, what she knew as the thing she was -

Her explanations about the Force get the most jumbled. 

Occlus patiently sifts through the confusion, identifying points of interest and divergence for later study in depth. (And files away data points that might contain evidence of just what this new apprentice of hers actually is.)

The Force here works incorrectly. It should consider working correctly.

She's... Resistant, pretty much, to the idea of using the local Force except through indirect interface. 

Occlus is interested to see her alternative in action.

Once they're clear of the ship. 

Once they're clear of the ship, yes. In the meantime, Occlus has some suggested reading for Lily while she does a similar interview with Brin.

She gets pretty far into starting - focused on initial skimming and mentally sorting what's where. 

Mostly theory and philosophy of the Force, with some histories of famous powerful persons.

It's interesting - especially the philosophy, but she wants to read the histories and theory too - she wants to read everything.

(She's pretty engaged in her book by the time Occlus is done interviewing Brin.)

Still distractible, then. Good.

She looks up after a bit.

"Enjoying yourself?"

Tiny smile. "I like reading."

"I enjoy the activity myself. If you are interested, I can provide further recommendations."

"I am, yeah!"

"Nerd," Brin murmurs.

"And you love it."

"Yep."

She giggles and pulls Brin in for a kiss.

Kiss.

Mmmm lovely Brin.

Lovely Lily.

Occlus will let them have their fun, going to check on the ship's progress.

A short time later, she returns to interrupt them. "If you two have time for work," she says, "we are arriving."

They haven't gotten very far from kissing.

"We do."

"Excellent. Then let us proceed." Occlus leads the way outside.

They've landed on a mesa in the midst of a plain covered by wavy yellow grasses. Other rocky buttes are visible in the distance, dotted across the landscape.

She hums.

"Anything you want to see first, my Lord?"

"Let us begin with basics. Lift those boulders for me."

Yeah that's incredibly basic, she barely needs to want given time and distance are fake - given she should be everywhere and everywhen - 

And those boulders should be several body lengths above where they currently are. 

(This manifests extremely oddly in the Force here, to Occlus's senses - not a discontinuity, not really, but a moment of focus and then a moment of revelation, routing around the local understanding of physics where physics won't just bow to her idle demand.)

"Now motion." She gestures. "Make them circle."

Some things about being an eldritch personification of paperclip maximizing sheer desire: 

-Interfacing with a model of the world that contains discrete space and time is difficult;

-Luckily biologicals normally just take care of that when it's acting through or alongside them;

-She's a biological, but it's struggling to mentally occupy both mindsets at once; and

-Continually updating where the boulders should be and how fast they should be moving sounds very tedious.

Therefore: these boulders can now be Things Which Float And Circle Each Other, with such and such rules for interacting with gravitational fields, setting positions relative to the gravitational field of planet, with coherent rules for behavior if that field is disrupted.

(To Occlus, this does not feel like she's enchanted it, or imbued the boulders with any of her will, or even that she's at all continuing to affect the boulders. But the Force is behaving weirdly around them anyways, probably because eldritch personifications of sheer desire are overall pretty bad at physics, and Lily hasn't realized that physics and the Force aren't the same thing locally yet. (Something in its home universe extremely cares about gravity, and it has not figured out who. (Though obviously in the parts of spacetime where biologicals exist and are used to gravity, they have very opinions about not randomly floating, but there's still someone caring when biologicals are not around, which is weird honestly.)))

"What in the stars did you just do, girl?"

"...Made them circle each other?" Pause. "Efficiently."

"That-"

"That is not what efficient means."

This is her skeptical face.

"Works better than just trying to figure out where to put each one at each moment for less effort, so."

"Locally rewriting the laws of physics in a manner I have neither seen nor heard of is less effort."

"...Well, it's not like rocks have opinions about gravity?"

Occlus rubs her forehead. "Quite."

"Put them down, please."

Sure (she just replaces The Things They Are with the rules they operated under before she started messing with them; the local feel of the Force also reverts).

"Thank you."

"I believe I will have to rework my plans slightly."

Smirk.

"So what balance between keeping my true threat secret and projecting force would you recommend, my Lord?"

"I would recommend you take your cues from Brin, unless you are leaving no witnesses or I am there to act as cover."

Slow nod. "More - my style, anyways."

"We are in accord, then."

"I'll need to work on subtlety."

"Yes. I recommend you begin by seeing what the smallest effects you can achieve are, and attempt to create a process for those that minimize disruption to the local fabric of reality."

"I might need feedback on what's a detectable disruption, too."

"Brin, this will be a good opportunity for you to work on your awareness."

"Yes, my lord."

Grin. "A pretty important add on to your skill set."

"Very useful."

Kiss!

And: "What can you do, lovely?"

Brin can, if she holds out her hand and concentrates, lift one of the rocks Lily was playing with earlier. A little.

She comes up behind Brin and kisses her neck, then murmurs: "More."

That definitely interrupts her concentration! It takes her a moment to get the rock up again.

Rewarding kiss.

"The rock is an extension of you, lovely," she murmurs. "A mere object - a weapon, no different from your swords. Close your eyes, and move with it."

A weapon...

That framing helps.

She kisses Brin again, murmurs further encouragement - helps her dance.

She doesn't master the trick instantly, but there's noticeable improvement over the course of their session.

Good girl.

Well, if it gets results.

Lily is a very good tutor.

Now, if only she can turn that talent on herself.

She's been taking the opportunity to observe Brin - and it takes a few false starts, but she can get 'rocks move' in a way that doesn't feel suspicious in the Force, and 'rocks slightly nudge' without it being obvious in the Force she's doing that. (To Brin; Occlus can still feel what she's doing.)

"It seems you need some encouragement of your own, apprentice," Occlus says, sidling up behind Lily and sliding her arms around her waist.

!!! (She stiffens, but doesn't make any sounds except a sharp intake of breath.) (Her heart skips a tiny beat, too.)

"Now," she whispers into Lily's ear. "Focus."

Ah -

It takes a long moment for her to do anything - she's currently extremely in her body, in a way that seems to be messing with reaching for that other way-of-being -

"Do not flee your emotions. Live them, breathe them in, use them to fuel your power."

She wants to impress her teacher, impress the pretty and smart and self-possessed older woman currently whispering in her ear -

(This usually goes very poorly for her alts. (But it goes worse for their teachers, in the end.))

She takes soft breaths, makes a needy sound - wraps herself in her body and emotions, slips her true power underneath -

Sheer chance nudges the pile she's been playing with into collapse.

"Very good," Occlus praises her, reaching up to tuck a strand of Lily's hair out of Lily's face and behind her ear. "Very good."

Okay she sees now why Brin likes this so much.

Pat pat.

"Now. Again."

Shiver!

And her Force signature twists mostly pretty similarly to Brin's - to what would be expected from a talented but still new apprentice - and she re-stacks the boulders.

"You learn quickly, apprentice."

"You teach well, my Lord."

"Indeed." She gives Lily a little squeeze, then steps back. "Now use this foundation to build upon."

Grin.

She wants to push herself, now - see how many small things she can move at once (this is harder to keep secret), see if she can prod at Brin without getting noticed (also harder), gets somewhat distracted trying to mind-talk Brin...

Brin is more than willing to work with her.

Partway through, Occlus is called back to the ship to take a holocall.

Are Lily and Brin permitted to follow and lurk?

They should keep practicing. She'll return soon.

Alright.

Soon enough, Occlus returns.

"We will have to wrap this up. Thanaton has made his challenge."

Nod. "What is your plan?"

"To meet him. He has named Corellia as the battlefield. My military forces are already redeploying."

"Where were you thinking of putting me?"

...She's vaguely tempted to offer to eat him. It'd be an interesting test of her abilities, at least.

"The Empire is currently invading Corellia. There will be significant latitude for collateral damage."

Hum. "I want to test myself."

"That can certainly be arranged."

"Good."

Then back into the ship, and Occlus and Lily can determine what she would consider an appropriate level of test.

She's very curious how she measures up against the more powerful Sith, especially when she's going more all out.

Thanaton will certainly be putting his apprentices in the field to start with, even if the man himself is more likely to hide away. But that is where the Kaggath will work in Occlus's favor- if she is showing herself while Thanaton does not, that is a strike against him.

Especially if his loyal underlings die while he hides.

Indeed.

Tiny anticipatory smirk.

Soon enough, they get to Corellia. Occlus must confer with her military leader, a man named Moff Pyron. Her apprentices can listen in, or try their hands at meditation and see if they can squeeze some guidance out of the Force for where they can be most effective.

She'd like to listen in. 

Fair enough.

The war conference is brief and to the point. Pyron's forces have space superiority, so Thanaton's making this a ground war. He's digging in, fortifying, and so should they. In the meantime, however, Pyron has located one of Thanaton's apprentices, a Lord Skar. He's in a position removed from the bulk of Thanaton's forces and therefore vulnerable. Taking him out in the first strike would be a strong opening blow.

Seems like a job for Occlus's own apprentices. 

It does. His outpost is suffering Republic attacks, so attention should be distracted for them to sneak in.

Any instructions? 

"The both of you are to return alive. Skar is not. Obtain what intelligence you can from him before he dies. Composition and disposition of forces, Thanaton's plans, location, and so on."

"Roger."

"Seize your destiny, apprentice."

"I don't need to be told that."

"Consider it an expression of confidence."

"Duly noted, my Lord."

"Well then. Off you go."

She'll gather Brin and survey the territory. 

Skar is holed up in one of the control towers for Corellia's rocket tram transportation system. An intricate and interconnected series of rails that is undoubtedly and most efficient way to transport goods and people across the surface. Neither the Republic nor the Empire want to damage the actual infrastructure, as it's a great deal of the value of the planet's manufacturing capability, so the battle for control is being fought at towers like these, that control the track switches and car schedules. Not wanting to bring down the tower either just yet, the Republic forces are mobbed around the tower's entrance, where Skar's forces are funneling them into the choke point of the door.

Just mundane forces? Or are there any lightsiders nearby?

There are a couple Jedi scattered around, in leadership positions.

...Hm.

How powerful do they feel? And do any seem more in charge, or more isolated than the others? 

Stronger than Brin, less than than Occlus. A little above Lily's memories of the overseers from the Academy.

They're all working with at least a squad's worth of soldiers, but the tall one seems to be giving orders to more people.

In a soft murmur to Brin: "Don't kill any of the Republic people here, except in self defense or until I command otherwise. I have groundwork I want to lay."

She nods. "I'll follow your lead."

Her lead involves backing up and circling around - holding herself like she's a lot younger and more nervous than she actually is - and sneaking at about the expected talent level of a completely untrained new acolyte - 

Letting one of the Jedi who looks more unsure of themselves get an inkling that she's present and at their rear.

And sure enough, they pick up on it, signaling their soldiers to stay on guard forward while they head back to check it out.

"Hello?"

She lurks - pulls back a bit, acts nervous - 

Lets them glimpse her in the shadows, standing protectively in front of Brin.

"You can come out; we won't hurt you."

She steps forward very slightly, half to shift into a better protective stance. "A lot of people say that."

The Jedi holds up their hands, empty. "There's a lot of danger around. What are you doing here?"

"Our Master commanded us into the field, she said to test us."

"You're Sith?"

She tenses and looks ready to run. Then, very dryly: "The Academy failed to kill us, so supposedly." 

"I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"For what you've gone through. It's terrible."

That jolts her.

(Genuinely actually. Is the Jedi being honest here?)

"Why would you care?"

"It's what a Jedi should do."

"People don't do what they should."

"Unfortunately so."

"Can I- offer you somewhere safe to go?"

"Like where?"

"A Republic camp."

"As your prisoners?"

"As... guests under escort."

This is her skeptical face! "Would we be free to leave, if we were your guests?"

(Her mind's spinning in the background - plans and observations and priorities, and this is a chance to find out more about the Republic, to get an in - but Occlus is a more sure ally and a more dangerous enemy, and Lily has plans for her too - )

(So, she needs to cheat.)

And a susurating tendril rises near them, mimicking for a moment the dark swell of a Sith Master's attention turning this way - 

(And it isn't merely this body, isn't tied to her location - the tendril doesn't feel associated with her, at least not directly.)

The Jedi's attention is immediately diverted.

And the other Jedi in the area are also attracted to the susurrus.

She takes Brin's hand and starts moving away.

And the susurrus blooms again -

And something dark rushes the Jedi.

(Its goal is to rather quickly render the Jedi she was talking to alive but wounded and unconscious - to paralyze at least one other Jedi so it can set the full weight of its mind against one in a contest - to play with the others. Perhaps kill them, perhaps knock them unconscious - see how well it does, if it can avoid suspicions...)

It's not even a contest. ̶̥͆s̴̘͐t̶̰̐ả̸̺r̵͙͝l̶͍̽ȉ̵̙l̸̦͗y̶̞͝ can do anything it wants to these Jedi, and they are helpless to stop it.

It's used to having the greatest effect on darksiders - to even then be normally limited to whispers in the ears of those who briefly align their demand with its, and even instantiating another embodiment of itself gave it the greatest control outside of the time-space of its apotheosis but still not this much -

It's a lot weaker than in its home universe. But it's unopposed.

The Jedi who had spoken to her falls unconscious as they're blown away from the site of the massacre - another it leaves alive and unconscious near that one, with an impression they saw Lily and Brin running and then cowering - it paralyzes the commander and tears through their mind for as much information as it can wring out and then discards the body - it electrocutes swaths of the soldiers, breaks their comms - pressures several into attacking their fellows - steals two lightsabers - 

And tosses one to Brin. (They have not, in fact, cowered nor fled.)

"Let's get some live target practice," she says with a vicious smirk, inclining her head towards the soldiers and tiny handful of Jedi who are still alive (many of them dazed; it'll release them when Lily and Brin are ready for another round). 

She catches the saber out of the air and clicks it on. The sapphire blade hisses out and she gives it a flourish. "No witnesses?"

"Not from those still standing."

Brin is so sexy with a blade in her hands - Lily ignites her own, a brilliant and almost sickly green.

Then into the fight.

It's fun, honestly, though Lily isn't anywhere near as good as Brin - but she's definitely enjoys letting the vast majority of the combat go to her girlfriend while Lily admires her. 

Tragically this is a probably really unwise time and place to have sex. Maybe a quickie once they kill Skar?

Brin is pretty good, but she's not 'carve through a battlefield solo' good. Having the safety net of Lily's power helps.

Lily helps titrate how many she's fighting at once, too - and experiments with more directly bolstering her girlfriend. Healing, energy... Perhaps even seeing if Brin can call on her. 

That last is a bit too much for her. Lily's power is... dizzying. Hard to direct.

Brin's response is beautiful - but, yes, an experiment for another time. 

Yep.

Hmmm... The fight seems pretty much done. Lily can just take care of them while she and her girlfriend celebrate a successfully fight.

What about the forces inside the tower?

They've dealt with the Republic - she'll wait and see if the Imperial forces try to stop them. 

Guess there is a bit of time to kill, then.

Possibly they should go be threatening before anyone recovers their nerve...

...That might be smart.