The sun rose over Arafel as the wind carried an autumn chill across the open fields. Situated far from the main road lead to Shol Arbela, tucked behind a copse of towering evergreen trees, was a lone cabin. Made from stout timbers, warmed by a central hearth, and roofed with golden thatch, the cabin was no different from the countless such buildings that dotted the landscape. What made this cabin stand out was its occupant: a woman, living by herself. In the Borderlands, living alone was unheard of, especially when raids by Shadowspawn were a serious threat. A wise farmer would want to have plenty of persons on hand in case the Trollocs should come venturing south. But somehow this woman managed to endure her life of isolation.
The mysterious woman, known as Mistress Ann to the locals, stood in her shift before a mirror, tying her long ashen hair into a neat bun, which she wore atop her head. Dark eyes stared back at her, eyeing her pale skin and handsome, smooth face. Satisfied, she slid a golden band onto her left ring finger, which was shaped like a serpent eating its own tail. She rarely wore the great serpent ring in public these days. Once she was called Cadsuane Melaidhrin, an Aes Sedai of the Green Ajah. As far as the rest of the world knew, Cadsuane was retired from the order, and her sisters likely believed her dead by now. That suited her just fine.
She strode over to the wardrobe, selecting a dark green dress with skirts divided for riding. With a practiced hand she pulled the dress over her head and secured the strings on the bosom. The dress bared a small amount of cleavage, which didn't bother Cadsuane. Showing bosom had its uses, especially when dealing with men. Returning to the mirror, she selected a number of hair ornaments from her jewelry box and secured them to her bun individually, arranging them in a circle. Unknown to most, each ornament was an angreal or ter'angreal. Each ornament performed a specific function with the One Power. They had served Cadsuane well over the years, helping to get her out of many tight spots. Just then, one ornament - a golden key - began to glow with a faint yellow light. Cadsuane turned around cautiously. A silver line appeared in the air, then opened into a gateway. A muddy path leading through a tropical rain forest was on the other side. No sunlight shined through the gateway - the rainforest, no matter its location, was cloaked in darkness.
Oh, Light, the Aes Sedai thought. So much for a trip to market. It's time for me to come out of retirement. She pulled on a pair of knee-high riding boots and fastened the laces tightly. Before departing, she lifted up a floorboard, revealing a hidden compartment, inside of which was a small wooden chest. Inside was a metal rod wrapped tightly in black leather. At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary sword hilt, but Cadsuane knew better. She had crafted it herself, after all. Holding the hilt out in front of her, Cadsuane pressed a small button. A green blade of superheated plasma shot up from the weapon. Cadsuane smiled with satisfaction and extinguished the blade. She tucked the lightsaber hilt into her belt. After standing back up and gathering herself, Ann then stepped though the gateway.
Immediately her boots sank into the mud. One step forward dirtied the hem of her dress. Cadsuane did not worry about that. Dresses were frivolous things, easily repaired or replaced. So were boots, for that matter. Only her hair ornaments and lightsaber were indispensable. If Cadsuane needed to travel nude except for her jewelry and weapon, she would. Creator knows that she had endured worse scenarios in her many years of life.
Ann continued slogging her way through the mud, carefully placing one foot ahead of the other. The ground grew harder as she pressed deeper into the foliage. More than once she stumbled over a root or was poked by a protruding branch. She merely sniffed, smoothed her skirts, and carried on. Soon the jungle foliage gave way to ancient ruins. Most had collapsed, and all were partially concealed by vines and other growth. Cadsuane steadied herself against a fallen obelisk as she caught her breath. In the faint light, she was able to discern writing carved into the stone. Alarmingly, the script was that of the ancient Sith. What had the Sith built here? And why? She continued reading the script.
Enter stranger, but take heed, she read silently. Fear itself lies within these walls. Test your resolve if you are strong, for the weak shall be crushed beneath the heal of nightmares.
"Fear itself?" Cadsuane muttered quietly. "Phaw! These Sith always did think highly of themselves."
Lightning flashed in the overcast sky above, followed swiftly by booming claps of thunder. Rain would soon follow, Cadsuane knew. She began to look around at the ruins and trees for shelter. Multiple blaster shots sounded in the distance, accompanied by explosions. A battle? That warranted investigation. Gripping her lightsaber tightly, Cadsuane ventured back into the forest, following the sounds of combat.
The noise led her into a wide clearing, at the distant edge of which were the ruins of an ancient Sith temple. Opposite the temple, atop a shallow hill, was a lone transport shuttle. A flash of lightning revealed Sith markings painted on the shuttle's drab gray hull. Dug in behind boulders and fallen trees between the shuttle and the temple was a squad of Republic troopers. There were eight soldiers total in the squad, strung out in a staggered line, each one firing their weapon from behind cover. The soldier nearest Cadsuane - a hulking man carrying a repeating blaster cannon - turned from behind a broken tree trunk, unleashed a flurry of green blaster bolts, then took cover as the enemy returned fire. Another trooper lobbed a thermal detonator, which exploded in a flash of orange. Guttural screams pierced the air as... something... caught fire.
Lightning flashed again, joined by thunder, and Cadsuane saw that the hostiles attacking the Republic troopers were not Imperial soldiers, but Trollocs. Hundreds of Trollocs. A horde. They were different from the Trollocs back home, though certainly no less dangerous, and possibly more so. Most of the Trollocs carried scythe-like vibroswords or axes or polearms but some were equipped with blasters. Several hefted grenade launchers. One hulking Trolloc - the size of a Wampa with a Wookie's head - shouldered a multi-barrel rocket launcher. A blue-skinned Myrddraal walked amongst the Trollocs, jet black vibrosword drawn and ready. The Fade's gaunt, blinded face looked in Ann's direction, only for a fleeting moment, but it was enough. A troop of a dozen Trollocs broke from the main horde and charged in Cadsuane's direction.
The aging Aes Sedai sniffed. Here we go again, she thought as she drew her lightsaber and ignited the blade. Cadsuane opened herself and the Force poured into her like a waterfall. The Trollocs were upon her seconds later.
"Jedi!" The lead Trolloc growled from its hawk-like beak then thrust his spear at Cadsuane's midriff, only to squawk in surprise as the lightsaber's wicked blade severed the spear's haft and then was buried in his chest. He fell face down into the mud.
Maintaining a serene calmness, Cadsuane entered a combat stance and readied her weapon. The blade of her lightsaber cleaved effortlessly through metal, wood, and flesh as she flowed from one form to another. Trollocs screamed and died as the superheated plasma did its ugly work.
A wolf-muzzled Trolloc kept his distance and raised a blaster rifle, leveling it at Cadsuane's chest. "Narg smart!" he jeered before firing a single bolt. "Narg stayed back from lightsaber!" He fired again. Cadsuane shifted her blade into the path of the bolts. One she knocked into the air, and the second she deflected back at the shooter. Narg's moment of triumph was cut short when his own blaster shot filled his open mouth.
When the last Trolloc fell, Cadsuane rushed to join the Republic troops, making a beeline for the helmetless soldier carrying a heavy grenade launcher. The soldier, his face scarred as if by shrapnel, crouched behind a wide boulder, and Cadsuane knelt beside him. He met her gaze, and jumped with surprise before spotting the lightsaber. "I don't know who you are, Jedi," the soldier shouted over the blaster fire, "but I'm glad you're here. Captain Jace Malcom, Republic Special Forces. With me is Havoc Squad."
Cadsuane nodded. "I'm Master Cadsuane Merlaidhrin of the Jedi Order," she said with a voice amplified by the Force. "What's the situation, Captain?"
Malcom pointed towards the ruined temple. "We were sent to destroy a dangerous artifact inside these ruins. Keep it from falling into Sith hands." He motioned at the Imperial shuttle. "We spotted this shuttle and reasoned that an Imperial team was already on the surface. Before we could plant a demo charge, these... monsters ambushed us. Poured out of the temple like ants from underground. Now we're pinned down."
A rocket streaked through the air, hurtling straight at the trapped soldiers. Cadsuane pushed out with the Force and struck the rocket's underside. It spun wildly in the air before landing amidst the Trollocs, where it detonated.
"You are in quite a bind, Captain," Cadsuane agreed, "but the situation is not hopeless. First we need to defeat these monsters. They're called Shadowspawn."
From the corner of her eye, the Aes Sedai spotted a Republic soldier perched atop the shuttle, an elongated blaster rifle held at the ready. A sharpshooter. "Have your sniper concentrate on the Fades," she barked at Malcolm.
"At the what?" Malcolm asked, confused.
Cadsuane sniffed. "Phaw! On the ones that look humanoid and carry black swords. Have the rest of your troops take out the Trollocs, the grotesque foot soldiers. Shoot at the ones with blasters. I will take out those with melee weapons. Understand?"
Malcolm nodded and radioed Cadsuane's orders to the rest of Havoc Squad. From her hiding place on the shuttle, the sniper opened fire on the nearest Myrddraal. A single bolt carried off the Fade's head. A dozen nearby Trollocs collapsed as the headless Fade thrashed about wildly. The Trollocs had been linked to it. The rest of Havoc Squad including Malcolm emerged from cover and poured blaster fire into the Trollocs, who roared and moaned pathetically as they died. Malcolm began lobbing grenades into the Shadowspawn's back ranks. Cadsuane stepped about from around the boulder and, pushing out with the Force, unleashed a wave of Force energy, knocking dozens of Trollocs onto their backs. A Fade charged her, shrieking with rage, but Cadsuane blocked the creature's attack, severed its sword hand, then stabbed it through the chest. With a push of the Force she tossed the dying Fade into the oncoming Trollocs.
The Shadowspawn's numbers were thinning rapidly. Cadsuane was certain that they would break and flee at any second. Surprisingly, the Trollocs and Myrddraal held their ground. Then a pair of engines whirred overhead. Looking up, she saw that a second Imperial shuttle was en route. The surrounding foliage bristled and swayed in the wind from the engines' exhaust. The shuttle, its pilots seemingly oblivious to the battle below, touched down beside the temple, lowering its aft gangway. A squad of four Imperial soldiers descended the gangway and fanned out in a defensive formation. As Cadsuane watched through the melee, a group of ten Imperials hurriedly emerged from the Sith temple's entryway. Five of the Imperials were armed guards, four were wearing civilian clothing suited for jungle exploration, and one wore a black uniform and carried a red lightsaber: a Sith Lord. Two of the civilians - a pair of young men - were carrying a heavy plasteel chest between them.
An archaeological team, Cadsuane thought. Whatever is in that chest, they went through a lot of trouble to get it. When the last Trolloc fell, Cadsuane charged the archaeologists as they made a dash for the shuttle. The Sith Lord spotted Cadsuane's lightsaber and motioned the guards to engage her. The squad by the gangway joined in. Nine blaster rifles opened fire on the aged Aes Sedai, but to no effect; Cadsuane easily deflected the incoming bolts by using a wall of Force energy as a shield. Her lightsaber seared through flesh and armor as she closed with her attackers.
Cadsuane reached the shuttle just as the gangway was being raised. All of the civilians and the Sith Lord had boarded the shuttle, along with their mysterious cargo. Cadsuane stole a look at the Sith Lord before the gangway closed. The Sith was a human female of moderate height, with black hair that hung to her chin, and a pair of blue eyes. She gave Cadsuane a smile right before the gangway closed and hid her from sight. Blaster shots sounded, and the shuttle's shields flickered; Havoc Squad was trying to prevent the Imperials' escape. The shuttle lifted off, engines roaring, and spirited into the night. Frustrated, Cadsuane sniffed and stowed her lightsaber.
Footsteps sounded behind the Aes Sedai. Havoc Squad, weapons lowered, formed a semicicle around her, with Captain Malcolm in the center.
"Blast!" The burly Sergeant cursed. "The bastard got away."
"Pipe down, Den," Malcolm ordered. "Not all is lost. Belag, were you able to get anything from their com chatter?"
A young Zabrak soldier with a radio pack lifted his head. "Yes sir. I heard the Imperial guards address the Sith woman as 'Lady Mesaana.'"
Mesaana! Cadsuane thought angrily. One of the Forsaken loose among the Sith. Creator shelter us all.
Malcolm hefted his grenade launcher. "Alright troops, back to the shuttle. Let's get off this weed-covered rock. Command will want to know what happened here."