Kaido Surrik calmly awaited the climax of his long journey to Coruscant. He ran his fingers through the light stubble that had begun to emerge on his face. It was hard to imagine being back here. Coruscant, the center of the Galaxy and home to the Galactic West and their version of the Jedi. A deep pit found itself within his stomach, and he clenched his fists.
"Sir." Orin Ran called from behind him.
"What is it?" Kaido replied. His voice was quiet and a tad gravely; a consequence of his quiet nature.
"You have a message, sir." Orin replied. The armor clad Mandalorian walked over to Kaido's seat, and placed the miniature holoprojector in his outstretched hand. Kaido activated the holoprojector, watching as a light blue hologram of a well-dressed senator appeared.
"Kaido. How goes your mission?" He asked.
"We've only just arrived. I'll report back once I'm finished."
"Of course, sir."
"How are things on your end? Have you done as I asked?"
"Yes, sir. I've informed the others, and we've received reports that the Yavin base is no more. There's no evidence for any prying Jedi to find."
"Good. You will be in attendance on Concordia, yes?"
"I'm uncertain if I will make it there. It seems I have a mole in my ranks. The West are on to me."
"Damn." Kaido muttered. "And if you're apprehended?"
"The Jedi will know nothing of the Loyalists' plans. You have my word."
"Good. Be safe, Kahn." Kaido replied. The transmission was executed by Kahn, and Kaido returned the holoprojector to Orin's awaiting grasp.
"Nearly there, sir." Came a voice from the cockpit.

Kaido turned to the small table beside his seat, and focused his attention on the object he'd carefully set upon it earlier. Through the Force, a mask moved through the air and into Kaido's hands. It was a light face plate with vague similarities in shape and form to the masks worn by the Kaleesh, although It had a narrow visor on it, not unlike those of Mandalorian helmets, and a featureless black surface. Kaido's master, a Loyalist and Rogue Jedi, had it fashioned for his apprentice when they first met. Before his passing, Kaido's master had revealed that the mask was called 'Kinslayer.' How appropriate. The mask found itself clinging to Kaido's face, and he stood, turning to Orin.
"We're here, sir." The Mandalorian said.
"Excellent. You and Lydia shall follow me." Kaido replied. Orin nodded, and turned to the young female Mandalorian seated behind him.
"As you wish." She said.

Captain Rodrik Daws lowered the electro binoculars from their usual resting place just above the visor of his helmet. Lieutenant Giran Chance, he noted, was doing the same. The two soldiers scanned the area around the prison for any signs of unauthorized speeders, ships, or skiffs. Radar was empty, which to most soldiers was convincing enough, however Daws liked to double check with his own eyes, a habit which he had happily passed on to Giran, the soldier whom Daws planned to have replace him upon his retirement.

In total, Daws had been in the line of duty for well over thirty years. Long enough to witness the end of the Mandalorian Incursion, and the start of the New Jedi Civil war. He was present at the Jedi assassination of then Supreme Chancellor Dare Endo, and witnessed the rise of the New Jedi Regime; a political structure with which he had once been a supporter of, but had in recent years doubted. It was for that reason that he had taken up guard duty to begin with. While he had seen a great many battles, Rodrik lost the stomach for war after the battle and utter annihilation of Cree IX. In a single day, more Jedi and Republic warriors had been killed than throughout 10 years of war.

His mind snapped back to attention as he witnessed a small point in his peripheral vision come into focus on his binoculars. It was still too far off for him to make an accurate guess as to what the model of the ship was, but he could tell by its flight pattern that it was no speeder. As the ship approached, he came to the conclusion that it was a shuttle.
"Look lively, men!" He called to the twin lines of soldiers standing in front of him. There were two lines of 15 Republic Commandos awaiting any visitors to the prison at all times. Should any hostile threat make its way here, Rodrik knew with complete certainty that his men were up to the task of defending it.
"Giran, can you tell what kind of ship that is?" He asked.
"Looks almost like an Eta Class shuttle, sir."
"Is it a Republic ship? We have no records of any further visitors here today."
"Paint job doesn't match any Republic ships I've seen, sir."

Rodrik raised his E-11 blaster rifle and gestured for the two hindmost guards in either line to follow him, with Giran behind that. He activated the 'All Call' setting on his coms, which connected him to the ship's coms.
"Eta-Class Shuttle. You are in a restricted area. Redirect your course now, or you will be meant with deadly force." He demanded. "Do you copy?"
There was no reply. The ship continued in its descent pattern towards the landing pad, and Daws gave his men the signal to ready their weapons. The black ship had several red lines painted across it. Daws narrowed his eyes under his helmet. Red and black, he recalled, was a common paint job of Loyalist vessels. He approached the ship as it landed, weapon at the ready.

The entrance ramp hissed as it opened, leaving Rodrik to stand at the ready alongside his men. He could see two men and a woman walking down the ramp, and observed the black and red Mandalorian armor upon one of the men and the woman, along with the tattered, black cloak of the man leading the group, before he realized the sudden pain building in his chest.

He began coughing, moderately at first but very quickly it became more and more violent. The burning in his chest became increasingly painful until he could no longer stand upright. As he desperately looked around, he noticed every other soldier on the pad was experiencing something similar. Some of them were falling to their knees at the sound of cracking bones, while Giran desperately tried to rip off his ever tightening helmet. As the urge to cough came once more, Rodrik ripped his helmet off. He violently spat blood out of his lungs. The burning in his chest had become debilitating to the point where he could no longer see clearly or stand. Despite his attempts at clearing his airway, blood continuously spouted from his mouth, until he no longer had the strength to cough. He collapsed onto his back, watching helplessly as the intruders moved forwards. His body convulsed several times before he finally succumbed to the lack of oxygen.

Kaido stepped over the struggling guard at his feet, letting Orin finish him off with a blaster bolt to the forehead. All 32 guards on the landing platform had either been killed or incapacitated. Even in large numbers, no soldier could withstand the full might of the Force. The three walked without resistance towards the blast door at the entrance.

The Mandalorians walked out in front of Kaido, knelt to one knee, and aimed the rockets attached to their jetpacks at the door. Lydia fired first, followed quickly by Orin. While the first blast did not open the door, the immediate impact of the second caused enough stress on the metal to melt it apart. Kaido handled the rest, summoning the Force and unleashing a powerful push onto the door, ripping it from its rails and knocking it downwards.

Several Jedi guards and Republic Commandos had gathered on the interior. Kaido allowed the Mandalorians to make the first move, killing a third of the commandos and one Jedi before they had a chance to counterattack. The Commandos were quick to return fire, however, and the Jedi ignited their matching yellow bladed cross guard lightsabers.

Kaido continued walking at his usual pace, never once hesitating or flinching at the sight of an incoming blaster bolt or Jedi. As a Jedi thrust his weapon, Kaido leaned back, dodging the attack. With a quick movement, he secured the Jedi's wrist in one hand, and used the other to break the elbows. He easily forced the lightsaber out of the Jedi's hands, and impaled them with it. Kaido retained the weapon from the corpse, narrowly evading a blaster bolt from Republic trooper, who was shot seconds later by Lydia.

Another guard rushed him with their lightsaber. Kaido did not react, waiting until his adversary had raised their weapon, before rotating his body and thrusting his retained lightsaber through the guard's chest. Releasing the hilt, Kaido allowed the now dead Jedi to fall to the ground, never once stopping or hesitating as he approached his destination.

Bodies fell two, three, even four a time as Kaido marched towards the now closing set of blast doors in front the main cell block of the prison. He reached out into the Force, channeling the cold rage within, and overpowered the motors driving the doors closed. With sudden and deliberate intensity, he launched each of the heavy durasteel barriers back into the walls they were sliding out of, eliminating the threat of any future usage of them. Resistance was thinning now, as guards beyond the main entrance had duties to secure and defend the prisoners themselves, and not just a single hallway. Still, the Republic would send its best in a moment's notice. Kaido knew he would have to act quickly if he were to escape with his prize.

Behind the doors lied the singular hallway that looped around the circumference of the main cell block. Three officers stood directly opposed to Kaido, shocked to see the doors opened so quickly. Time seemed to move slowly as the three each reacted, one only attempting to turn from the console in front of him, another lowering their posture, attempting to turn and run, and the third, the bravest, pulling the DC-15 blaster from its holster on her belt.

With a sudden flick of his wrist the Force echoed outwards, sending the officer at the console and the one attempting to run, into the air. Glass shattered as they fell into the interior of the prison, gravity deciding their fate. The woman, however, Kaido had to admire. Bravery, while stupid in the face of a superior, was bravery all the less. He turned, dodging a blue blaster bolt as it screamed through the air, nudging the Force to throw the woman into the wall beside her. The impact, he calculated, would not be enough to kill her, only keep her from further threatening his plans.

There were two platforms from which a skiff could be mounted. Kaido noticed almost immediately the absence of one such skiff. There were no scheduled meetings or interrogations today, he remembered. The detail of the plan had been precise, there were to be no grave threats here, no true Jedi. Wrong his feelings told him. Kaido stepped up onto the present skiff, looking over the control console aboard. He turned, observing the empty space only 10 feet away. Could it be? He asked himself. This feeling – one of excitement, of pleasure, yet also of frustration and hate. Was it her?

He blinked. The controls in front of him were quite clear.
Enter cell quadrant: Delta.
Enter Delta Cell Designation: 774.
The skiff did the rest of the work, gliding off of the platform, away from the violence of the entranceway. Kaido's mind rushed back towards the absence, towards the now growing feelings within. His heart was racing. His hands, shaking. He almost felt the dampness of sweat forming beneath the mask. This had not been anticipated. He could not deal with her so quickly. Timing was of importance to him. The dominos could not start falling in the middle. He first needed to ensure their fall would be absolute.

An orange barrier entered his direct field of vision. Kaido glanced up from the controls to witness an incoming cell. The skiff halted to a stop, lightly tapping the edge of the cylindrical structure each and every cell was a part of. In response to the skiff, the deflector shield deactivated, leaving the young woman within free to not only see her savior, but approach him.
"Is it really you?" She asked as she stood. Kaido nodded.
"I wasn't sure they were being serious or not when they first contacted me. Everything that's been suggested, your plans…. They sounded insane." The woman said, approaching the masked figure ahead of her.
"What some perceive as insanity others see as necessity." Kaido retorted quietly.
"They told me you were a ghost. A dead man."
"They told me the great Karia Novar didn't talk this much." Kaido muttered. "Are you ready for your departure, Duchess?"
Karia nodded.