I failed you, Kastiel. Really, I failed you pretty much in the making of you. I knew better, anyway. Better than to take something so precious as Tamerie when I could never give her everything she deserved, every bit of honor and care and respect she was worthy of. I couldn't even give her my name!

But I never wanted anything more than to be loved the way Tamerie loved me, either. And maybe that's why, when I knew I should, I still kept her close. Because I should have sent her to some far off world, Kas, my little joy. I knew it, when Karen was screaming at me to destroy you, knew I should send Tamerie away, let you grow up somewhere safe, whole. You would've been happy, even.

But I told myself you needed me, that you'd be better off knowing me and how much I adore you. You and your mother. Then your brother and sister came, too, all of you so beautiful, so perfect. And it was so much harder to give you up, no matter how often I told myself I should. I told myself whatever I had to, in order to justify keeping you, holding all of you.

Oh, Kas! To see your eyes light up whenever I came home to you … I would tell myself it was worth it, that the risk was justified. But I was only being selfish. Gods, it's not like there's ever been anything here for you! The Empire's rules are so simple, so neat. There's security won through them, and I believe in that. But I know, too, that defiance never ends well for those foolish enough to break the rules. I imagined some far off day when you, and Gaibriel, and Camiel would find someplace better for you, somewhere you'd be safe, secure. Somewhere you'd be happy.

But now ... well, now that's never going to happen, is it? Or at least not so that I can see it, know it. She's destroyed everything. Everything ...

You're the daughter of an Imperial officer, Kastiel, one who's renowned, accolades galore. I fought hard for our Empire. Remember that, remember me. That no matter what anyone says to you, you are mydaughter, and you've always had worth and value. Remember that I loved you so much I couldn't bear to lose you. And forgive me. For being that selfish, too. Because today you paid the price for my greed. No child should ever have to suffer for the sins of the father, but you did, you suffered because I failed, because I wasn't strong enough. I'm so sorry, my joy. So damn sorry. You deserved better, you always did. Don't forget that.

I love you, Kas.

-Recorded Message; left in care of Tobies Moor; from Colonel Lucian Phyre, commanding medical officer of the battlecruiser Darkness (deceased); to his daughter (acknowledged), Kastiel Shorn, registered child of Tamerie Shorn (deceased). Note: accompanying recordings included, in care of Tobies Moor.


The lake of toxic water sent a mist that drifted across the garrison, leaving behind a nasty film on most of the Imperial equipment, there. As well as a steady, noxious stench that had worked over the past weeks to send an ever-increasing number of soldiers reeling into the medical bay hidden behind the thick door of Darth Gravis' headquarters.

The Imperial soldiers tried taunting their Mandalorian allies, when they set the Mando camp outside the headquarters, insisting they weren't worth enough but to suffer the stench and muck of the toxic pools outside of the shelter of the buildings and mocking them unmercifully. It didn't work. Instead, the Mandalorians set their cooking area as close to the headquarters' doorway as they could, so that the smells of spicy tingular and gi dumpling soup wafted across the pathway of every single green-faced soldier stumbling by them, leaving the pitiful creatures to stop and retch as they shuffled by. After several weeks, Imperial officers began asking that the Mandalorian camp be moved further away from the garrison. Which was precisely what the Mandalorians had intended all along, of course.

Vorten Fett could hear several gagging sounds peeling across the camp even now, as the dawning sun began rising over the misty green … could it really be called water, he wondered? He shook his head as he looked out across the spillage, calling it what it really was. "Green shit," he mumbled, as he moved to duck back inside of the tent where they'd erected an effective holoterminal. The whir of shuttle engines caught his attention, though, and he lifted his head to scan the line of trees that somehow persisted nearby despite the green waste that pooled across the terrain.

Fett grunted towards one nearby Mando, "Kurt, a shuttle? Not scheduled, that I know of."

Kurt groaned his response. "Someone important, they said. The Sith, even, are all wound up over this one. One of their lords, I think."

Fett curled his lip as he moved towards the gathering crowd of Mandalorians standing near the wide, yawning ramp that loomed over the platform where the shuttle was landing. He crossed his arms over his chest, watching as the door of the shuttle slowly rose open. Murmurs trickled through the group of toughened warriors as an incredibly slight figure seemed almost to leap out of the shuttle.

Fett's eyebrows shot high as he stood there, regarding the red-skinned Sith Pureblood standing there, holding a tiny hand just under her nose. He marveled at her figure, so petite she almost seemed to be a wisp, just a tiny ghost of a thing standing there. Her eyes were a dark amber color, almond-shaped above a small button of a nose set straight above soft, narrow lips, set there in a deep red face, almost burgundy, like a rich wine from Alderaan almost. All framed by dark black hair cropped short so that its ends just brushed against her sharp jaw.

Ripples of laughter sounded when the Mandalorians heard the small Sith grumbling about the stench. "Well, this is turning out to be a stinking wreck of a world, gods." Fett smiled as the tiny female turned her dark-haired head to glare back towards the shuttle. "Nikos! Come on, stop playing with that skinny devil and get out here."

"I am not playing with him, Sith! No, I'm going to kill him! Just watch me. I know you'll enjoy the show." Fett grunted when he saw the man emerging from the shuttle. Andronikus Revel was somewhat familiar to him, at least enough to recogonize the pirate when he spied him. The man had, luckily for him, never attacked a Mandalorian vessel, although the Imperials had put his name on several bounty lists over the years. He made a mental note to advise his warriors to leave the pirate be, at least until he verified his status. Considering the company he was keeping, anyway.

"Yea, can't wait to see you try it, you prig of a pirate! Hey, weren't you an accountant at one time? Is that where you got your sense of humor?" The Devaronian who followed after the human was even more familiar to Fett, though. He'd been privileged enough to see that man on holo, his rifle spitting a steady stream of bolts towards anyone foolish enough to try and hamper the Champion's sabotage of the Aurora's engines.

Fett strained to see, to find her, then. And that's when she jumped out of the shuttle, landing solidly enough on the rough metal surface of the platform to send a pinging thud sounding out through the muggy mist-filled air. She sniffed as she looked around, wiping her hands against her armored thighs as she eyed the nearby surface of the toxic lake balefully, before demanding loudly, "What fucking idiot decided to build a garrison in the middle of that shit? Or it is bad that the first thought that crosses my mind is something like, 'Has to be Imperial.' Gods!"

Revel looked over at them, finally, when a few of the Mandalorians laughed. He glared when several of the warriors, there, called back to him about the bounties on his head. The Sith patted a small, red hand against his shoulder, "Ignore the rabble, Nikos. Not worth the hassle."

Kastiel was now eyeing the pirate with a calculating regard, though. "Bounties? You didn't say anything about bounties on the pirate, Gault. All you did was make fun of his hair."

"Hey, don't look at me! Didn't realize the idiot had gotten in as much trouble with the Imps as he did the Republic, believe me. And all I said was that his hair was cut into a pretty pattern there on his head. Don't you think so?"

The Sith stepped easily in front of the pirate suddenly. Fett thought it was nearly funny the way the big man stumbled to a halt so that he didn't run right over the little female, rather than continue his angry leap at the Devaronian who was still smirking over at him. But the Sith was firm, determined in her stance, now. She stood there, her back to the pirate while she faced the bounty hunter. "Are you threatening my pirate, then?"

Fett heard several intakes of breath from the warriors gathered around him. He understood how they felt, too. A darjetii was nothing to sneer at, not when it came to a fight. Fighting force-users was something all Mandalorians trained for, planned for, anyway. But it was rare their skills were truly put to the test. And none but Fett had seen this particular Mandalorian fight someone so skilled. He wondered how she'd manage against a Sith rather than a Jedi, though.

But the bounty hunter just leaned back, her dark eyes amused as she took in the spitting red kitten of a Sith standing there in front of her with clenched fists. "Your pirate, huh? What, did you stencil your name on his butt cheek? Wait, no! Don't show me! I might really puke if I have to look at his naked ass, on top of smelling this place."

The little Sith stopped glaring. Fett could swear she was trying hard not to laugh. The Mandoes barked out several rumbled sounds of admiration at their Champion's temerity, her fearlessness in the face of a Sith's dark power. Even Fett was grunting happily as he stood there, watching her. The Pureblood glanced towards their crowd of Mandalorians, gauging their numbers up against the bitter rage she could feel coming from Andronikus, behind her. She finally raised her little chin, pointedly. "You may wish to join your gang while I calm down my pirate, yes. Don't threaten him."

Kastiel shrugged, tapping one finger against her own blaster, never once looking towards the nearby group of Mandalorian warriors. She protected her own, after all. "Sounds good. Because when pirates start saying they're going to kill friends of mine … well, I just get testy."

The Sith nodded her black-haired head. "So we understand each other."

"Maybe. We'll see." Kastiel tapped Gault on the shoulder as she stepped away from the platform, heading towards the Mandalorian camp. She left the Sith staring after her, looking slightly stunned at the sheer verve the hunter displayed so easily. Fett was pleased, leaning to his side to whisper towards Kurt, "She shows them what it is to be Mandalorian." Kurt groaned slightly, not even looking away from the hunter as she approached them. Fett just shook his head at the near-worship that marked Kurt's face, until it looked like he was almost drooling by the time the Champion had reached them.

"Su cuy'gar, vod. I'm curious what brings Mandalore's ad to my camp." Fett called out the greeting, waving towards Kastiel. She glanced at him, looking curiously at the implants that replaced his right eye, taken by a particularly vicious opponent in the gladitorial rings on Geonosis who'd thought that throwing acidic fire in his face was a good idea. He'd paid the price for the misconception, when Fett used his beskad to slice the man's gut wide open.

"Hunting, actually." Kastiel suddenly noticed Jogo, standing towards the rear of the group. She started looking around, scanning the camp with a piercing look in her dark brown eyes. Fett frowned at her, suddenly intent. Only one target on Taris would be worthy of the attention from a new Champion of the Great Hunt. And that target's son had only recently gone missing.

Kurt was muttering, "Only Rakghouls on this stinking heap of a world. Maybe some nekku. What are you hunting?"

But Fett interrupted them, quickly. "Come with me. We'll talk of your hunt."

A few of the Mandalorians scowled as Kastiel followed along behind Fett, along with Gault, all of them moving towards the privacy of his command space, ducking under the flaps of the tent and disappearing. Not that Kastiel seemed to notice the angst that persisted all around her. And Gault just grinned at the disappointed puppy-dog looks the tough warriors tossed at her.

"You're looking for the traitor. Likely that he's dead, you know. This planet is a wasteland, infested with crazed beasts that used to be men. Doubtful even Jicoln Cadera could've lasted so long, here." Fett rested one lean hip against the edge of the holoterminal behind him, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at her. "But I can't have my Mandalorians, a thousand strong, tramping around looking for a ghost of a traitor, either."

"Bloodworthy is certain he's still alive."

"Maybe. Wouldn't put it past the traitor. He fought fiercely against Mandalore. Unfortunate, since they were friends before then. Made the fight that much uglier."

Kastiel frowned as she regarded him. "Bloodworthy told me he raised an army against Mandalore. Do you know why?"

"No. Just know Mandalore hated Jicoln after. The Cadera clan paid the price for Jicoln's betrayal. Mostly children lived. The rest are dead. Or hiding, like the traitor himself."

"Children? Like Torian?"

Fett's gaze sharpened at the familiarity implicit in her tone, remembering the rumors that had followed Torian to Taris. He'd actually hesitated to bring the warrior to the planet, suspecting the impulse driving at him. But he'd not been able to deny him the chance, either. Not with Jogo's taunts of Torian's supposed unworthiness to lay a finger against the Champion's face ringing in their ears. Torian had the right to fight, or hunt, wherever and whenever he wished. "Yes, like Torian. A strong warrior, capable. I liked him."

Kastiel shifted her stance, silent for a moment. Gault tensed, though, frowning towards Fett, who stared back at him, curious. "You speak in the past tense. Where is he?" She spoke with the sheer, piercing determination, so that the question became more of a demand. He wondered what she'd do if he indicated he'd done something to the man. Or, better. What would she do to anyone who'd actually dared lay a hand on him, if that's why he'd disappeared.

Poor Jogo, he thought suddenly. Once again, Torian had proved himself, had done what no other Mandalorian had yet managed. He'd neatly caught the attention of Mandalore's own ad. It actually soothed much of Fett's own concern, because no commander liked losing one of his men. Much better to think that his warrior was only hunting, rather than taken. And looking at Kastiel, at the worry tightening her features, he decided that Torian had a rather good reason to go hunting.

Still, he tightened his lips, his worry an obvious thing. He glanced towards the holoterminal, where the reports continued blinking at him. "I don't know. His last transmission came in yesterday morning, describing a potential target, He was scouting one of the Republic colonies nearby, one with a garrison in place. Was going to send some fighters there today, root out the soldiers there and leave the colony to collapse. He should've returned by now."

Gault pulled out a datapad, recording the coordinates that Fett offered to him. Kastiel only glanced at the map Gault pulled up on the pad for her, nodding. "Do you think they've harmed him?"

Fett leaned back, shaking his head. "I don't know. Curious what you'd do if you found out they did, though. There's good bounty for the hunters who take out that garrison, by the way. Which was why I was offering it to my warriors."

She didn't respond, just turned around to leave. He heard Gault muttering as he followed her, rather, "They might find pieces, you never know."


Kastiel bent to one knee, her gaze skimming along the torn grass and brush there in the clearing. Gault looked up, scanning to the very top of the tree that loomed over the area, his mouth hanging open. "Don't think I've ever seen a taller tree, even on Devaron, Kas. Thing's huge! You'd think the bombardment would've destroyed it."

Kas didn't even glance up from her perusal of the ground. "Thing's probably three hundred years old. Which only goes to show you, planets are tougher than the people who try to destroy them."

"Yea, well. I'd bet real money someone, somewhere will eventually come up with the means to really destroy an entire planet. Blast it to smithareens!"

"I hope I'm dead by the time you win that bet, Gault."

Gault snorted. "Heh, I wouldn't worry. No one's crazy enough to pull a stunt like that."

"Just don't bet your money on that assumption. That one you'd probably lose." Kas came back to her feet, glaring off in the direction of the Republic colony. She could see the edges of their fields through the tree line, even if the buildings themselves were far enough off she couldn't really discern them. "There was a fight, here. Hard to tell, though, which direction the winner went towards. Seems like a better tracker than me, at least."

Gault looked down at the dirt and grass covering the ground, wonderingly. "How can you tell there was a fight?"

"Mostly the crushed grass and dried blood." Kastiel crept closer to the tree line, moving slowly and ignoring Gault's mutterings about "dried blood no one else can see". Gault almost huddled behind her as she regarded the nearby colony, frowning. He shifted on the balls of his feet, carefully checking the power charges on his rifle. And he kept his voice low, respecting the hunter's increasing caution.

"You think they have him?"

Kastiel was quiet for a long moment. "Not really. I think he killed some of them, rather. But they're probably tracking him now. So they'll have a better idea of his direction. Besides." She shot Gault a wicked grin, her lips twisting. "Fett said there's a bounty on that garrison down there. And we could use the credits, don't you think?"

He grunted as Kas darted forward into the nearest field, keeping her head low as she moved quickly through the rows of plants and growing vegetables. He tried motioning for caution, until Kastiel's missiles began flying towards the various droids the colonists had put into the fields. "Crazy-assed hunter! Trying to bring the lot of them running for us? Sheesh!"

"Oh, do you want to go chasing all over these fields looking for the colonists, then? Hey, be my guest!" Kastiel gestured towards the empty air in dramatic fashion. Gault glared at her sullenly as smoke billowed from the wreckage behind her. She just smirked as she spun around and rushed forward again. Gault tumbled after her, mumbling angrily, his rifle raised up as he fired steadily at the droid targets that continued to block their progress forward.

Shouts began sounding, wild yells from the colonists that rushed in from the surrounding fields. The men rushed forward, surrounding their women and children as if to make a living barrier. Kastiel ignored them utterly as she rose up over the smoking heap of yet another droid. She focused, rather, on the three soldiers who came running out of the garrison building itself, their weapons held up despite their muttered curses and shaking hands.

Gault went down to a knee, taking a nebulous bit of concealment behind a small bush. His rifle spit one single bolt, the sound loud in the clear air. The officer in the lead of the men spluttered an angry sound as the bolt struck him in the stomach, spinning him around. He collapsed onto the ground, his hands held hard against the blood streaming from his abdomen. He yelled out angrily as the other soldiers screamed fearfully, throwing their weapons down as they turned around to run.

Kastiel's first shot took one of the soldiers in the back, hitting him against his right shoulder and causing him to stumble forward against one hard wall. He began screaming, agonized, the shrill cries peeling through the air. She fired again, aiming at the second soldier. She breathed out roughly when the bolt struck the back of that man's skull, turning his head into a mist of bloody gore.

Gault was standing over the officer by now, his rifle pointed down towards his face, shaking his head as the man continued bleeding all over himself. He glanced up as Kastiel stalked past them towards the screaming soldier lying against the wall. The blaster bolt she put in his head, then, didn't really stop the cacophony, though. Only because the colonists took up the racket, all of them shouting and yelling at her, their maddened cries sounding terrified as they watched the soldiers destroyed within precious few minutes.

Kastiel finally yelled at them. "Shut up! All of you! Now!" She gently bumped her blaster's barrel against the very top of her leg armor as she waited for them to calm down, causing a steady, rhythmic tapping sound that was eventually only interspersed by the slow tears of some of the more panicked members of the colony. She finally motioned towards one of the men, who stepped closer, stumbling away from the rest of the group with his hands help up in desperate appeal.

"Please! We didn't do anything! I swear! Just … don't kill us!"

Kastiel snorted at him. "I'm looking for someone. A Mandalorian named Torian. Do you have him?"

"Uhh …" The human stammered, his eyes confused and uncertain. Kas sighed as she watched him look back over his shoulder at the rest of the colonists. "Any of you know what she's talking about? Please, let us help Captain Riss. He's bleeding!"

The bleeding officer – she assumed he was the forenamed Captain Riss – glared over at her, his skin blanched of blood. He was dying, he knew. He hoped to do just one more thing with the last of his life, buy just a little more time, a little more life for these people. Damn Taris! A waste of a world! Wasn't even Imperials who'd destroyed him, destroyed his command – just a sorry bunch of mercenary bastards!

He almost spit out the words. "They don't know anything, damn you! Just a bunch of civilians. I'll answer your questions, and you let them go. All right?"

Murmurs went through the group as Kastiel moved to stand over the felled officer, glancing at the wound on his stomach. She leaned over, carefully easing his hand away from the wound to regard the damage. She sighed, before applying a stim to his side that would help ease the pain he was certainly enduring. "No promises, captain. I need to hear what you have to say, first. Don't lie to me. Prove you're worthless, and the next thing I poke you with will cause you so much pain, your heart will just give out from the stress of it."

He looked at her, feeling the coolness of the pain medication easing through his system. He glanced back at the colonists, saw them watching him. The slim twi'lek who'd tried flirting with him several days ago was crying, tears trekking down her dirty, pale blue cheeks. He should've taken her up on the offer, should've at least kissed her. Damn it. The hunter leaned forward, then, intent, determined. She repeated, "His name is Torian. Where is he?"

He breathed out, tired, feeling like he was falling asleep. "Haven't seen any Mandalorians. But we suffered a series of sniper attacks during the last week. Three of my men were killed, including two of my younger officers. Good men, damn you! I sent out a team to catch the sniper, they went out two nights ago. Found their bodies on the edge of the fields, just to the east." He coughed, feeling blood against the back of his throat. He jerked his gaze back to her face, snarling his last words. "If he went east, he's done for. That area is teeming with Rakghouls, crazed monsters that rip a man to shreds! But we didn't do anything to him, I swear! Now, let these people go."

Kastiel stood up, her dark eyes cold and hard. "Don't care what they do. I'm done here." She spun around, stalking away from the bleeding figure. Gault glanced back one time as he ambled behind her, watched as a small twi'lek rushed forward to catch the dying man's head against her lap. She called out his name as she held onto him. But Kas just walked away, heading east.


darjetii - Sith

ad - child or son or daughter

beskad - slightly curved saber made of Mandalorian iron