As I stare into his intense golden yellow eyes as he moves about me, I try
to reach out for him but he quickly steps away before I can grab at his
clothing. He grins in delight as I look at him with playfully hurt eyes and
I bite gently at my bottom lip. The strange yet arousing sounds he makes
sends shivers running up and down my spine and I can feel my insides
beginning to ache with need. He purrs and makes little growls and grunts in
his throat as he continues to circle me, teasing me with feather light
touches upon the exposed skin of my body. I like the way he moves, the way
his clothing dances about him with every movement-like the waves upon a
beach-almost as if it was alive.

I sigh in mock frustration, playing his little game with him. But the
tears that fall from my eyes are oh so very real. I thought I would never
see one of my kind again and now I'm standing in the presence of one! One of
my kind!

*******
The past-memories…

I've lived on Coruscant all my life - hell, I was born here! And in all
the years I have live here, I have never seen any of my kind. I lost my
mother when I was but a little girl at the age of four and I became the
adopted daughter of a wealthy human Republic Senator named Palpatine. He
took me into his home and treated me as the daughter he never had-giving me
anything and everything my little heart could desire. He gave me a room with
the finest furnishings, toys and clothes and allowed his fellow Senators to
bring their children to come to our home to play with me while their fathers
were in meetings with Palpatine.

He would leave me with a nanny while he was away on political trips-gone
for days, weeks, sometimes months, and he returned always bringing presents.
One day he brought back a present unlike any other: a magnificent black and
sliver metallic looking gem hanging from a delicate golden necklace-telling
me it is from the home planet of my kind…Iridonia. Ever since that day I
wore the pendant over my heart-a piece of what I was - Zabrak, as Palpatine
had called it once. I called him father like any child would call the man
who treated her as such and I have considered him father ever since.

As I grew older, he began to bring me on his trips, allowing me to explore
the cities and places of that world we would be visiting at the time. I was
educated by the finest of teachers and taught self-defense only by the best.

On my twenty first birthday, he gave me a beautiful hooded black velvet
cloak and a strange black box with a golden latched lock -telling me that I
must not open it until he tells me to, and that it will be the greatest of
gifts I will ever have. Without question, I hid the box up in the closet of
my sleeping chambers, forgetting about it. And life went on as it always
has.

*******

The present…

On the day of my twenty fourth birthday, I find that he had changed -
appearing before me dressed on a floorlength hooded black robe, a dark and
vile presence surrounding and emanating from him like a black invisible fog
that seemed to swirl about him with every move he made.

"It is time, my dear, for you to learn the truth." He informed me as he
showed me to a hidden room I never knew existed. It is dark, lit only by
candlelight and a few dimly lit light fixtures upon the inward slanting
walls of the room. There are black tapestries upon the walls, golden
writings of a language I have never seen before embroidered upon them-each
in different glyphs. The room had a darkness and coldness, and foreboding to
it and an air of great danger. I followed closely behind him, he was my
father afterall and instinctively, I believed he was a source of protection.
I was wrong - for the one I called father was the greatest danger ever to be
- to the entire galaxy - the Republic.

"I am one of two-the master and the apprentice, of an order as old as the
Republic and the Jedi. Once we where Jedi, but swayed from the path and were
outcast-exiled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. We grew in
number-calling ourselves the Sith and one day, a battle between the armies
of the Sith Order and the Jedi Order took place, destroying the Sith and
forcing them ever farther out of the galaxy. However, they, the Sith have
survived - their numbers limited by two - the master and the apprentice. I,
my daughter, am the master." Palpatine explains as he sits upon a black
stone chair at the top of a series of steps and looking to me, he motions me
come forward.

I hesitate at first, but I slowly make my way to his right side, looking
upon the man I have called father for the majority of my life. I find that I
cannot see his eyes, for they are hidden in the dark shadow created by the
deep brim of the black hood upon his head.

"You, my daughter are to be one of us." He informs me without even turning
his head to look at me.

Instantly I am filled with fear and disbelief, realizing that my father -
Palpatine has planned to bring me into the darkness - but how? Why?

And then I notice a movement of something dark out of the corner of my eye
and as if on cue, I see a dark figure appear from a hidden door and begin to
move toward us. I cannot take my eyes from the figure dressed in an ankle
length hooded black robe, it's hood pulled far forward, its face hidden in
dark shadow. By the beings body structure, I can tell it only obvious that
the being is a he and HE moves toward us without making a single sound, the
bottom of his robe dancing about his legs with each step - like a great
predator stalking his prey.

"Ah, Lord Maul. I am pleased that you have joined us. Allow me introduce
you to my daughter, Zirena." My father greets, then introduces me the dark
figure as the man moves to Palpatines' opposite side, standing in a
nonthreatening stance - a deceptive appearance, to make one believe him not
a threat. I can sense that he is extremely dangerous - one not to cross and
live to tell about it.

The dark man name Maul is silent but nods his hooded head to me in
greeting. I nod in return, unsure as to how to greet him, and yet I cannot
take my eyes from him, feeling that I must know everything about him - to
know him in every way. And then I feel an intense and electric shiver as he
raises his head, revealing his eyes. Instantly my breath is caught in my
throat and I feel weak in the knees - having to grab hold of the back of my
fathers chair for support, as I look into eyes that seem to glow like fire -
eyes of brilliant golden yellow encircled in a ring of red. His eyes are
magnificent and intense, flashing with delight at my attraction and surprise
of him, and somehow I can feel the grin upon his face without seeing it.

I suddenly gasp as I feel my father take my hand into his and pulling upon
my hand, he moves me to stand before him. I then find the dark man with the
golden yellow eyes, moving to my side to stand before my father aswell.

"Master, I am honored by your gift." I hear the most attractive, yet dark,
liquid silk voice come from behind the black hood of the man beside me, my
father holding my hand to him.

I gasp in disbelief as I hear the dark man, Lord Maul, thank my father as
he takes my hand into his black leather gloved one, my hand tensing in his.
But I do not fight as he holds our hands before us, showing my father, his
'Master" that we are together.

"I am pleased my apprentice. Now go, I have things to attend to." My
father returns as he places his right hand upon ours as he stands from his
seat before us.

"As you wish, my master." Lord Maul finishes with a bow of his hooded head
to my father - his master, and with my hand in his, Lord Maul leads me away
from the great room to the hidden door he appeared from. All I can do is
turn and look back at my father, looking for help from him, but I find that
he is already gone. As I follow Maul, my hand in his, we pass through the
doorway and into a dimly lit corridor.

"Where are we going?" I question Maul, trying to learn where he is taking
me and to hear his silken dark voice again. He does not answer but gently
tightens his grip on my hand as we move along the corridor.

I fall silent as we near a closed door along the wall to our left, but we
continue on, passing it by. Minutes pass in what seems forever and finally
we come to a lift. We enter and with a press of a button, I feel the lift
begin to move downward. The lift stops and the doors of the lift opening, I
find myself looking outside, eyes wide as they fall upon a magnificent sleek
black ship sitting upon the landing platform before us. I have seen it
before, once, not long ago when I happened to look up to my fathers floor of
the building we live in, as I stood upon another landing platform lower to
the ground, waiting to board a local transport.

With a tug of my hand when I do not move, I hastily move to Maul's left
side as he leads me toward the ship – we are leaving Coruscant! But why are
we to leave Coruscant? I cannot leave my father, I assist him in his duties
now and he may need my assistance now!

But as if Maul had heard my thoughts, he abruptly stops, turns to me and
taking hold of my chin in his left hand, looking deep into my eyes as if
looking for something. And within moments, I hear a dark chuckle escape from
him and he releases my chin and leads me again to the ship awaiting us.

Part II

The doors of the ship close behind me, Lord Maul leading me into the dark,
red lit ship, holding my hand as he leads me now to a lift. The lift doors
close behind me and instantly I feel the lift begin to rise then halt as it
reaches the next level.

The lift is small, Lord Maul and I standing ever so close that I can feel
the heat of his body through my clothing. And I can hear his breathing. I
can feel the strength of him and his power and darkness emanate from him
like fog from hot water on a cold day.

He stands before me, facing me, I can feel his intense eyes looking upon
me as I have my eyes lowered and away. I can feel my heart race and my body
tremble and my skin tingle with just his intimate nearness…and then I gasp
softly with fright as the doors of the lift open suddenly.

He turns from me and his hand still holding to mine, he leads me out of
the lift and soon I find myself what could only be the upper level of the
ship, and the cockpit. For to my left I see a row of seats along the curved
back wall and to my right is a single chair – a pilot's seat and consuls of
many kinds before a viewing screen. And in the center of the circular room
is a circular consul of some kind.

I hesitate for a moment, but I am urged to move with a gentle pull of my
hand and he leads me to my left to the row of seats.

"Sit, we are to leave." Lord Maul exclaims as he motions toward a seat
with his free arm as his other hand releases mine. Quickly, I sit where he
had motioned and as soon as I am seated, he grasps hold of the safety belts
at either side of me and he fastens the belt about me. I think nothing of
it.

He moves from me and seats himself in the single pilot's chair and begins
to press keys and flip switches and suddenly I hear the ships slowly come to
life, feeling the one of a kind vibration of the engines powering up.

I take a deep breath. Space travel had always unnerved me – and the lift
off is the worst part of it.

My father used to sit next to me, his arm about me, and for some strange
reason, he was able to soothe me with just his other hand holding to
mine…but now I know how he could do it – he can wield the powers and
abilities of the Force. But now, I do not have my father to soothe me – I am
with Lord Maul, my father having given me to him.

I then feel the ship begin to rise and then it rotate in place. I hold
tightly to the edge of the seat with white knuckles, anticipating the
suddenly blast that will push me back into my seat.

But, as I look upon the viewport before I see clouds give way to darkness
and before I know it, we are in space – I did not even feel the take off!

"* Lord Maul is quite a skilled pilot if I could not feel the take off. *"
I think with amazement for I have not met one pilot that could do what Lord
Maul had done – to not feel the suddenly push back into the seat at take
off.

I can feel the absent pull of gravity - pull of artificial gravity has a
slightly different feel. I wish to stand to my feet from the seat, but as I
attempt to unfasten the safety belt, I find that I cannot undo it and I
quickly become frustrated and panicked as I realized that I cannot get out.

But despite my frustration and fear, I remain as silent as I am possibly
able, so as not to anger Lord Maul. So, finally I just sit here, unable to
figure out the locking mechanism of the belt, letting out the softest and
most silent sigh that I can.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I see movement and raising my eyes, I find
Lord Maul rising from his chair, presses a few keys and buttons then raises
his head to finally look upon me.

I hold my breath as I see his intense golden yellow and red eyes look upon
me, burning me where they look, feeling as though he is looking straight
through me like a clear glass window. And I then see a grin cross with face
and instantly I feel my entire body shivers and I feel the hairs on the back
of my neck rise.

"My Lord, may I please ask that I be released from this seat, I wish to
stand." I ask, summoning up all the courage and strength I can muster,
attempting to appear as lady like as I am possibly able and not to appear
too demanding with my simple request.

He does not speak, but stands there looking at me with those damned eyes
of his that makes my heart race, my body ache and my insides throb like I
have never felt before. And by the looks of it…he knows he does it to me
too.

I then hear him chuckle, a sound that makes me swoon and fear him at the
same time.

"* Damn him! Why does he have to be so beautiful? *" I think with
frustration and realized desire for the man called Lord Darth Maul.

~ To be continued in Part III ~