Star Wars_ The Old Republic_ Revan - Drew Karpyshyn [108]
“Your service has been noted,” the Emperor assured him.
There was something strange about the Emperor’s voice. It didn’t sound like the voice of a single being. It had an unusual echo and resonance, almost as if a great multitude were speaking his words in perfect symphony.
A grim theory passed unbidden through Scourge’s mind: was it possible all those that had been consumed by the ritual on Nathema still existed in some form within the Emperor himself? Nyriss said he’d devoured them, but what if she was only partially correct? What if he had imprisoned their spirits inside his own corporeal form, slowly feeding on their life energy over a thousand years to keep himself young and strong?
Scourge pushed such thoughts away; he needed to focus. One wrong word and the Emperor might see through his lies.
“I continued to serve Darth Nyriss after Xedrix’s death,” Scourge explained. “And I continued to investigate the separatists.”
He paused, waiting for the Emperor to ask what he’d found. After a few seconds he realized the inquiry was not coming.
“I became suspicious of one of Nyriss’s advisers, a man named Sechel. I turned the focus of my investigation to him. But Sechel was careful; he covered his tracks well. It took me until yesterday before I was certain of his guilt. He was also secretly working with the separatists, and he suffered the same fate as Xedrix.”
“You should speak to Darth Nyriss if you seek to be rewarded for your actions,” the Emperor said. There was no change in his tone, but the implied threat was clear: This is beneath me and you are wasting my time.
Scourge swallowed hard, his mouth dry once more. “That is not why I have come before you. Among Sechel’s effects I found these datafiles.”
He held up the disks.
“They show that Darth Xedrix was not the only member of the Dark Council to betray you. He was merely sacrificed to keep the involvement of the others secret. Darth Nyriss was also involved in the plot, along with several others.”
The Emperor had no physical reaction to the revelation; he stayed as still and calm as death itself. But the air around Scourge seemed to grow colder.
“Are you certain of these accusations?”
“I would stake my life on them, my lord Emperor.”
“You already have.”
Scourge felt a shiver trace its way down his spine, and he knew that far more than his life was at risk. The Emperor was no longer a member of the Sith species; his power and immortality had transformed him into a being unique in the galaxy. When he spoke of life and death, it had far deeper meaning than the mere physical existence of the lesser beings that served him.
“Does Nyriss know you are here?”
“No. I came to you as soon as I deciphered the data on Sechel’s disks.”
There was a long silence, and Scourge had the distinct impression that the Emperor was somehow communicating with someone outside the room.
A few seconds later the doors to the throne room opened and Captain Yarri strode in, accompanied by a Sith wearing the same dark robes as the Emperor.
They approached Scourge, and the robed Sith held out his hand expectantly. Scourge handed him the disks.
“Keep Lord Scourge in custody until this matter is settled,” the Emperor intoned.
“Forgive me, Lord Emperor,” Scourge said, speaking quickly but trying to keep his tone humble. “But Nyriss is expecting my return. If I am absent, she will grow suspicious.”
The Emperor’s dark eyes seemed to flicker with annoyance, and Scourge feared he had gone too far. The best he could hope for as punishment for his insolence would be a quick and relatively painless death.
However, when the Emperor spoke again it was not to pass judgment on him.
“You are bold to speak to me in this way,” he stated. “And because you are right, I will reward your initiative … this time. When Nyriss falls, you will be first in line for her seat on the Dark Council.”
“Thank you, Lord Emperor,” Scourge said with a bow.
“If your information proves false, however,” the Emperor added, “you will suffer a fate more terrible than anything you can