Chapter Two
Morgana had heard Hyperion's transmission loud and clear even though she wasn't the one holding the comlink that received it. When the static came, she knew that the comlink had been crushed, likely so that Hyperion couldn't be followed via its signal. She also noticed he hadn't picked up any other comlinks, preferring to disappear into terrain he knew too well to having an ear on the inside. "Even after all these years..." Morgana began, trailing off when she accepted that Hyperion was still craftier than she gave him credit for. On the one hand, she was consoled that she hadn't been incompetent in her pursuit of him but on the other?
Well, one could safely agree that she was lucky that the Devils got more interested in someone who killed any of their members by nature. The more there were dead, the more interested they got in the hunt and sometimes that meant a lower price for their services. Generally, there were no more than a hundred and fifty devils at any one time with this current batch having originally numbered a hundred and thirty before Hyperion's kills. The ones who died were of what they deemed moderate skill, making them even more interested. Because if he could dispatch such experienced soldiers with ease, what'd happen if their seniors got involved.
In a way it was a kind of fetish to see how many of their kind could be killed by a quarry with Morgana holding the highest record so far, hence one of the reasons they joined her. But even so, she knew that if Hyperion tested them enough, their loyalties could change unless she found a way to keep things interesting. That or else she found a way to have them utterly wiped away and replaced with a more complacent troupe of mercenaries. She wasn't unaccustomed to betrayal and strife as these were traits the Dark Side encouraged, even commended. What she didn't care for was the possibility of having to worry about what happened when Hyperion beat her record for most soldiers killed.
"My lady," said a mercenary officer. When she nodded, he spoke, "our spies in the Inner Rim have found reason to believe the Sith still live. They're in hiding from the Jedi and their grand Republic on Balmorra and Dathomir," the officer told her. At first, Morgana thought to ask what this had to do with her vengeance against Hyperion then an idea occurred to her. Apart from running dangerously low on credits (for her standards, as she was still a multi-millionaire), the Sith would also be looking for any recruits who showed promise.
And, since Morgana could still wield a lightsaber with the proficiency of her prime, she could also display her growing Force talents before people who would accept her. More, she had two routes that she could go, either of which could involve the mercenaries if she had wished. She could either usurp the Sith Emperor's throne and then use the superior resources of the Empire to draw out Hyperion or she could turn them into the Republic for the biggest payout of her life and then continue her vengeance with the new funds. More, the Devils of Mustafar would not only have a chance to become a more permanent part of her regimen but they could also have a chance to test themselves against someone of true power like the current emperor. Hell, she could even use the Emperor to dispose of them all then kill him herself and take the throne, if she needed to.
If the Force has willed me to join the ranks of the Sith then that is where I shall go. I can return to Hyperion when I have the command of the Dark Side's acolytes instead of these bumbling mercenaries! she thought to herself silently. "Dathomir is more likely to contain the greater power but the Jedi have already discovered their foundries there. Let's head to Balmorra and see if we can enlist in the Sith cause," she said aloud.
"Enlist, I thought you didn't serve the Sith!" said the Captain.
"Nor do I but the Sith allow people who have a vested interest in themselves to rise to the top of the good chain with relative rapidity. And since I don't need to go to their only Academy for training, they'll probably start me off as a Lord until I prove greater worth. Not to worry, soon they will be serving us rather than us serving them anytime soon. On what basis was the transmission sent?" Morgana said.
"Supplies, my lady. Why?" said the Captain.
"Let's round up all the supplies they need, and what we can afford to buy, then head to Balmorra with the supplies as a peace offering. A gift in return for letting us join as an ally of the Sith with myself in a high enough position of prestige to have influence in the Sith. Let's make a stop at Denon and fetch the supplies then head to Balmorra imminently. Or do you still love the mercenary life?" Morgana ordered.
"As you command my lady. But, forgive me for continuing to question you but won't Hyperion suspect treachery from you and follow? After that last attack, he isn't apt to simply standby and do nothing," said the captain.
"Why do you think we're undergoing this expedition? I'm hoping it draws him out soldier," she told him. He nodded his acceptance if he didn't agree with the plan necessarily. Morgana didn't have either the time or patience to make him understand and besides, it would've taken precious power she didn't feel like wasting. Why tell him she was trying to make Hyperion come to her rather than chase him when she could simply show him that was what they were doing? He would come around inevitably, they all would, especially once they knew Hyperion would certainly be coming for them and Morgana had better challenges to keep them occupied in the meantime.
She was somewhat disappointed that the Sith hadn't been able to maintain their stronghold on Korriban but simultaneously, she wasn't surprised. Korriban and Ziost were likely to have been the first worlds the Jedi would've made sure were taken from the Sith when the Empire lost its advantage. Worlds like Dathomir, Honoghr, Umbara, and worlds like that were more repositories for pupils less fit to be Sith than those who came to Korriban and Ziost. The same was true of Yavin 4, Nathema, and other ancient Sith worlds where the Dark Side ran strongly. With the capital of the Empire gone, it was the very insignificance of planets like Dathomir and Balmorra, compared to Korriban and Ziost, that made them such good refuges. Secrets that she could always reveal to the Jedi if she had to, especially if her life depended on it.