Reassurance

Time had enough with Paislee's procrastination since the affliction feasted on her. It left the appearance of her skin waxy and darkness surrounded her sunken eyes. Her appearance was the least of her worries. It seems this affliction had not only a toll on Paislee but the relationships surrounding her life. Her master, literally at his wit’s ends, threatened to end her misery if she failed to do so herself. Lord Var, who is quite reserved, and Paislee imbibed after a long expedition on Corellia used a borrowed med scanner to reveal Paislee’s obvious illness on top of the affliction. The results should’ve been more than enough to light a fire underneath her skin. Paislee refused to believe that Janos had been poisoning her all along. Instead, she suspected her handmaidens.

Events led Paislee to the ultimatum of the choice between fear and freedom. The concept of having the lifestyle she felt she deserved versus the path power carved out for her. There was one person she hesitated to turn to, Saini. Her cousin always helped her out and made amends where Paislee lacked the courage and strength. Suffering from a lack of pride was minimal compared to the daunting affliction taking over her.

Shortly arriving at an unknown location, a dark silhouette appeared out of the alleyway on Darvannis, an unusual place to meet up. Being inside Mandalorian territory was a risky business yet it seemed Saini’s acquired friends in high places. Paislee crept slowly but on her first step, she heard the cock of an elite rifle. She knew the sound well if living amongst the jungles of Dromund Kaas taught her nothing. She stopped in her tracks. The silhouette, still hard to make out, raised a hand as to call off the shot. Paislee sensed her.

“Saini?” Paislee questioned. Her expression smirked.

“If it’s isn’t my pride and joy, Paislee. Oof, where are my manners? Dark Lord of the Sith, Paislee.” Saini came into focus before her, she looked up and wave the crew off.

“What happened to you?!” Saini gestured towards her hilted saber.

While she looked down for a moment, Saini came closer with a hand toward her chin. Like a mother would she inspected her face closely and noticed the stark comparison. Paislee maintained eye contact with her the entire moment. Saini took a step back as her expression grew pained.

“You’ve been poisoned but also, you have an affliction.” She glanced up to think about the matter more closely.

“How did you know?!” Paislee was shocked at her cousin’s conclusion.

Saini, uncomfortable standing in one location, started to walk off. She motioned for Paislee to follow. “Let’s walk,” she said. The two-headed down the alley until their shadows faded. They entered a private room. Paislee clicked her boots unhappy at the sand that got inside them. Saini gestured to the booth in the corner. On the table, there stood a tall bottle of Alderaanian ale, two bowls of hot piping stew, and flatbread.

“We eat then we talk,” Saini grunted.

“Well, let me tell you what happened…” Paislee sat down.

After much-needed discussion, Saini revealed to her cousin that the affliction wasn’t accidental. Unbeknownst to the Lord, she became plagued by a Dark Sith spell, “Waves of Darkness.” Her symptoms made it clear. She experienced intense feelings of despair, pain, and horror, followed by bewilderment, which degenerated to the point that she had killed Janos. Paislee, in disbelief, could not accept the truth that fell from Saini’s lips.

Paislee’s hand fell on her pocket inside was another one of Darth Eaen’s Decoction. She held off drinking it again, though it proved helpful. So she downed it before she responded to her cousin. Paislee's eyes blurred for an instant she fainted.

A series of flashbacks took place in her subconscious. One vision of a shadowy figure escaping the spirit world on Voss. The next one, she started drinking vials of her concoctions. How she managed not to drink a fatal one was fate in itself. Lastly, the moment she shot Janos down in cold blood. Janos, failing to convince her, dies by her hands. His last plea echoed throughout her mind, “Paislee, put the blaster down! Please, no! Paislee! PAISLEE!!!”

“Paislee, Paislee! Wake up!” Saini held her up by the side of her shoulders and shook her violently as she lay there in a slight convulsion for a moment.

“Janos! No!!” she gasped. Her consciousness resurfaced.

“I don’t know what you’re drinkin’ but it must be some strong stuff.” Saini held up the small empty bottle.