To be One Sith was to submit entirely to the dream of Darth Krayt. Submission required trust in the purity of his dream, the power it provided, and the authority of Darth Wyyrlok to convey his truth. It required absolute devotion, even to the point of dying, and the sacrifice of personal ambition in the name of the final triumph of the Sith. Darth Krayt asked much of his followers. Sith like Terrid and Kroan had failed to achieve his standards and had thus been purged. Even Darth Kheykid had struggled with trust and sacrifice during his youth, but that was decades past. When Krayt's new command came from the mouth of Darth Wyyrlok, he did not hesitate to obey, even though it shocked him.

It shocked the younger, less experienced Sith more. After he gave orders to Darth Ruyn, the Twi'lek asked his unconcealed nervousness, "Are you certain we have the time to do everything Wyyrlok requests of us?"

"It is not her request, is it Darth Krayt's order," hissed Kheykid.

"Of course, Lord," Ruyn bowed his head. "We will try."

"You will do it. The future of the entire One Sith depends on you and the others."

The Twi'lek looked up with new age on his face. "Lord, once we are safely on Korriban… I hope to see you there."

Kheykid didn't want to give false hope, to Ruyn or himself. "Darth Wyyrlok wills it that I join her stand here. I will do everything I can to preserve Lord Krayt's vision. As will you."

"I will always remember your sacrifice."

"Good. One day it may be asked of you as well."

"I will try to live up to your example." Ruyn bowed one more time. "Goodbye, Lord Kheykid."

Once Ruyn had left to carry out his duties, Kheykid went in search of Wyyrlok. The abject admiration in the young Twi'lek eyes had jarred him. It had driven in the enormity of what he was about to do, and how difficult it would have been for other Sith.

Lord Krayt demanded that every Sith serve however he or she best fit his design. Kheykid knew he'd never have Wyyrlok's raw Force power, nor Maleth's ability to bridge minds, nor, thankfully, would he ever relish political power-plays and vermin schemes like Kroan. He was a fighter and a killer. Darth Xoran had recognized that early and made him into a weapon for the One Sith, but she'd taught him more. Xoran had shown him the strength that came from devotion, and that one Sith Lord could kill a Jedi Grand Master. In moments of rare vanity, Kheykid hoped he could replicate her feat before the end.

He found Darth Wyyrlok where he'd expected to find her. She sat in the middle of the vestibule beneath the main pyramid, back to the great stone doors of Darth Krayt's chamber. The Barabel stepped up and lowered himself onto the black-and-red flagstones in front of her.

"Everything is in motion now," he said. "Ruyn and the others will do as they're told, but they are right to say we don't have much time."

"It will be time enough," said Wyyrlok. Her eyes were closed in meditation, though Kheykid did not sense she was communing with Darth Krayt.

"Are you certain you don't want to join them on Korriban?"

"The future has been prepared for," she said cryptically. "Trust, Lord Kheykid."

"Always."

"The Jedi will come crashing against us like waves against rock. We will stand against them. If they overtake us, I will order Darth Saydel's ships to blast this place to atoms from orbit."

"I fear they might do that without your command," Kheykid confessed.

"If Saydel tries it now it would not matter. But no, she threw her lot with ours at Orelon. We'll stand against the Jedi together."

Kheykid wondered if Krayt's dreams had told her that, or her own assumptions. All he could do was what he'd always done, trust her words and follow her commands. This time he'd follow her to the ultimate end, but when they made their sacrifice against the Jedi they'd do so together, to protect Krayt's dream. If he was to die, he wanted his death to mean something. He wanted to leave a legacy behind. Ruyn and the others would take that legacy with them soon, leaving him behind to fulfill the purpose first proscribed for him by Xoran so long ago. He knew that, and was satisfied, and it gave him courage to face the waiting dark.

-{}-

Korosh Vull had never had worked with communications arrays aboard a Kontos-class frigate, not aboard Shieldbreaker or Voidwalker. That specialists aboard Oathkeeper thankfully knew their machinery and they arranged for him to send and receive encrypted signals from a private secondary station located in a closet-sized room aft of the bridge. Vull was a tall man and the tiny space cramped, but he put it with it because he wanted to make his calls without anyone watching. If this went badly, and it very well could, he didn't want to look the fool in front of the entire Oathkeeper crew.

The experiences aboard Voidwalker a quarter-century ago forged many close relationships, of which Davek and Marasiah Fel's was merely the most famous. Vull had started that mission aboard Shieldbreaker and had sheltered aboard Voidwalker only after his original frigate was destroyed. He'd taken a handful of other TIE Demolisher pilots with him, but during their grueling six weeks behind enemy lines every pilot from Shieldbreaker had been killed except him. The interceptors from Voidwalker had barely fared better, and a scant seven TIE pilots out of a combined sixty-two had survived. That kind of experience bred fraternity, and Vull had kept close contact with Marasiah until her husband seized power. He'd also kept in touch with the other pilots to vary degrees, and even after the Empire broke in civil war he'd kept his ears open for news about the only other Voidwalker pilots still in the service.

Pocs Norvok had been captain of a frigate at the start of the war and he was still one now. He'd had to wrack his memory, but Vull eventually remembered the personal hailing code he'd used to talk to Norvok over. He remembered Norvok's conservative bent from their old talks, and he'd noticed that his frigate had never seen front-line action during the war. That, plus a frayed friendship, wasn't much to gamble on, but it was the best he could do.

The calling code had worked, and he could tell even from Norvok's holo-image how the man had aged. Apparently the same held for Vull; Norvok squinted ahead for a moment before saying, "Emperor's bloody bones. I never thought I'd see you again."

"Hello, Pocs."

"Aren't you-" Norvok stopped himself and shook his head. "I don't believe this. I have to be hallucinating."

"No, you're not."

"I know you went over to Veers, Korosh. Where are you calling me from, prison?"

"No. I'm calling you from a ship."

Norvok squinted again. "You weren't at Kovix, then? They said none of your people got away from there."

This conversation was going to require a lot of lies, so he started early. "My frigate was on a pick-up mission to a base in the Velcar Sector. We were heading back to Kovix-589 when we heard it was under siege. Obviously, we didn't rush in."

"Obviously." Norvok paused. "You have a frigate now."

"Kontos-class. It's very nostalgic."

Norvok snorted, apparently amused. Vull was relieved and a little surprised the man didn't hold it against him for siding with Veers. The Norvok he'd known had been eminently professional and disciplined. Eight years of civil war seemed to have stripped that away, as well as his previous patriotism. He seemed jaded and weary now. It was exactly what Vull had hoped for.

"We're renegades, Pocs. Our leaders have surrendered. We have no place to go."

"I'm a captain with a frigate of my own. What do you expect me to do? You should fly into the nearest base and surrender. I've heard prisoners aren't being treated that badly."

"Would you surrender if you were us?"

"I didn't side with Veers." Norvok sounded annoyed, not indignant. "That was your choice."

"I was CAG on his flagship. Fel fired first. I don't know what propaganda he's been telling you all these years, but that's what happened. He started this, not us."

Norvok gave the long sigh of a man who really didn't want to argue. "You didn't risk calling me to surrender. What, then?"

"I need your help. We're holding position and laying low- I won't say where- but we've decided to run for it."

"What are you going to do, fly across the galaxy and play pirate in the Outer Rim?"

Vull had already considered that idea and found it repulsive, but he nodded. "We'd rather live free than in prison. My entire crew has talked this over."

"Then what's stopping you from running?"

"We need to get out of here. Safely. Once we're clear of Imperial Space we'll never come back and you'll never hear from me again."

Norvok took that as incentive. "What can I do?"

"This ship is operating with a Restorationist transponder. We can modify that, but without proper codes we won't be able to make the enemy think we're friendly."

"I thought you wanted to escape, not pull a sneak attack."

"We need to get out. Again, I won't say where we are, but Fel's ships are patrolling this area. They must have gotten some tip about us. If you can get me an authentic transponder code for a Kontos-class frigate we can switch it on and sail out of this system, out of the Empire entirely, and nobody'll get close enough to touch us."

"And you think I can get you that?"

"You're a frigate captain yourself. I remember the things you can pull with that rank. Unless they've changed them since I've been gone."

"They haven't changed it, exactly…" Norvok still looked annoyed.

"All I'm asking for is a false ID code so we can get out unmolested."

"What if I give you the wrong code? What if the same ship you're faking as is in that system, hunting you?"

Norvok was handing him everything he needed. "Give me an ID from a ship you know isn't. Like those ships Fel is about to take on a major campaign outside Imperial Space."

His eyes narrowed. "How did you hear about that?"

There was no way he was going to tell Norvok that he was getting intel from a fugitive Sith Lord. "Just rumors. I don't even know where they're going."

"Neither do I," Norvok snorted. "But yeah… I've heard rumors too."

"So your ship won't be joining them?"

"Not that I want to. I thought we were done with this stupid war."

"We are. It sounds like Fel wants to start a new one."

His face crinkled in disgust. "I am aware of… certain ships that are being mustered at Yaga Minor."

"Including frigates like mine?"

"That's right." He sighed. "You should have never gotten yourself into this mess. You should have laid low and did only what you were told."

"Can you give me what I ask for? All I need is one thing, Pocs, and I'll never ask anything else from you."

Another sigh. "I will… see what I can do. Can you call me back on this freq in two hours?"

"Of course."

"All right. Two hours."

Norvok abruptly shut off the link. Vull sunk back in his chair and prayed he'd come through. There were a few other options he could try, but this seemed his best chance, slim as it was. He wished Darth Kroan had given him a better explanation of his plan, but instead the Sith had taken his black ship and flown off to a location undisclosed. He'd given a promise to come back and even if Vull didn't like or trust the man, he wanted to see it kept. If Kroan's plan didn't work their options really would be prison or piracy.

He dwelled on those bad options for a few long minutes. As he got out of his seat and opened the door he noticed a new light on the console. Oathkeeper's main comm system was receiving a new transmission. He didn't know who else it could be if not Kroan. Vull hurried out to the main command deck and was surprised to see a large holo-image already broadcasting with a good portion of the bridge crew gathered around it. He was more surprised to see that the face on the holo was not Kroan's, but the Emperor Fel's.

"This is not a decision I've made lightly," Fel was saying. He'd draped himself in shimmering robes and even wrapped a thin metal crowd around his head. "We are doing this to secure a better future for the Empire, and a better future for the galaxy. Beings galaxy-wide once looked to the Empire for safety and security, and if no one else will provide it then it is our duty to do so."

Vull realized he was seeing an all-frequency Empire-wide broadcast. Oathkeeper's hushed crew watched as Fel continued, "The powers controlling the Hapes Cluster have committed grievous crimes against their own citizens. Queen Serissa has overseen the purge of an entire class of people. Millions have been killed or enslaved and no one, not even the Alliance, has dared hold her accountable. Just as important, she has sheltered elements that helped instigate the treasonous war Moff Veers waged against the Empire. The seed of the so-called Restorationist menace was planted from there, and so we must go there to eradicate our true enemy once and forever."

Kroan's rumors had been exactly right. An invasion of the Hapes Cluster would be a massive undertaking and Oathkeeper would be ale to slip into the attack fleet without raising alarm. What they'd do after that was another question, and again he had to trust Kroan to provide an answer.

"Once we liberate Hapes from its tyrant- and I assure you we will- then we will also reestablish our moral leadership and the unquestioned bravery of our soldiers. I know this is a bold step. I know many of you are confused or frightened by this decision. But in the end we will make a better Empire, and a better galaxy, through our actions at Hapes.

"I thank every Imperial citizen, soldier and civilian, for having fortitude thus far. We will walk this path a little further, and then finally we will know peace. As your Emperor I give you my promise. I will not lead you astray."

The signal shut off and Fel's image disappeared. Conversation immediately rippled across the bridge but Vull stood silent amidst it all. He wasn't surprised by Fel's move; the man had made his career on bold, unexpected acts. He was thinking that Pocs Norvok must have just finished watching the same message. If that didn't convince him to give Oathkeeper what it needed, nothing would. Fel couldn't have timed that better if he'd tried.

-{}-

With Intruder as his transport, Darth Kroan could have sneaked right to the cliffs beneath the Fountain Palace and slipped unnoticed into the Hapan queen's fortress. Instead he released one carefully-timed hail when he was minutes away, announcing his presence but giving Darth Saydel no time for an elaborate response.

He received what he'd expected to: an order to dock at one of the secret hangar bays built into the cliffs, a dozen black-armored Hapan guardswomen as escort, and a trip down unfamiliar hallways to a small windowless meeting chamber deep below the palace.

"They always said you were bold, Darth Kroan," Saydel said instead of a greeting. She was dressed in elegant, folding silks that obscured her figure and, he was sure, her lightsaber.

"I believe boldness should be the way of the Sith. Sulking in the dark, following cryptic prophecies passed along by a tattooed alien… That always felt like a waste to me. I thought you and I were of like minds."

"You should have learned otherwise by now."

"Then you've hailed Shedu Maad and informed Darth Wyyrlok of my reappearance? Or have you not gotten around to informing your master yet?"

Her lips twitched in distaste. "You didn't leave me the time. Which I'm sure was your intention. What are you here for, Kroan? What did you think you could gain by crawling to me?"

He spread his hands and smiled calmly. "A partnership for our mutual benefit."

"I had a partnership with Darth Terrid. You know what happened to him."

"Terrid's ambitions outstripped his powers."

"Darth Wyyrlok said the same about you."

That irritated Kroan but he didn't let it show. He'd only sell this by sounding confident and strong. Bluffing his way through negotiations was, thankfully, something he'd learned long before he'd been introduced to the ways of the Sith. "You are about to face a coalition of powerful enemies determined to remove you from your throne."

"I am aware, and I've been making preparations."

"I'm sure you have, but you know that even a quarter of the Empire's war machine is enough to crush your fleet. Your fights with the loyalists have strained your resources more than you want to admit."

"Fel just finished his own war."

"Yes, and that last battle cost him less than I'd hoped. Believe me, I know. I was there."

Her eyebrows drew together. "What do you want? Say it plainly."

"I can kill Davek Fel."

She stared at him hard. "How?"

"I have allies aboard an Imperial frigate, the only one to escape the siege at Kovix-589. They're procuring a false transponder ID now that will allow them to slip amongst Fel's invasion fleet."

"What do you need me for?"

"I need your ships to help mine. One little frigate can't take out Fel's flagship, but it can take down Fel, so long as my people and yours work in cooperation. With their Emperor dead, the Imperials will be scattered. I can't guarantee they'll withdraw, but it will severely hamper their campaign. It should fracture their cooperation with the Jedi as well."

"Your offer's compelling," Saydel admitted. "What do you stand to gain?"

"I was a power once. I lost it all, not just because of Davek Fel but his brother and wife and son. I can avenge myself. You just might save your kingdom from an invasion. As I said, we both benefit."

She looked him over, as though evaluating whether he'd really risked flying into her clutches just for revenge. Like Kroan himself, she'd been born to vermin and raised to exercise secular power. They'd become Sith in part to attain more of that power. The difference was that he'd lost all he'd been born to while she'd climbed higher. He hoped she could imagine, even for a second, what it would be like to lose her throne. If she could, she'd understand the need for revenge.

"I believe a partnership could benefit us both," she said.

"I'm glad you agree."

"My ships will coordinate with yours. In the meantime, I insist you remain in the Fountain Palace, as my guest."

"I didn't come here to make myself your prisoner," he snapped.

Her smile was infuriatingly confident. "I said guest, Lord Kroan. You'll have all the luxuries a man of your breeding could want, and no armed guards."

"But guards on my ship, I'm sure."

"Yes. And I'm sure you'd be able to kill them and escape if you wanted to, but the moment you leave Hapes our partnership is over."

"Why is it important that I stay here?"

"If I can't keep tabs on you, I can't even pretend to trust you. If your plan fails, and Emperor Fel really does take Hapes, I'll at least have your beautiful ship to escape on."

Kroan didn't like being forced into anything, but securing this pact was more important. Warningly he said, "If you try to harm me, or if you betray me to Wyyrlok, I will find out. I will kill your guards, take my ship, and escape."

"I didn't doubt you'll try. But don't worry, Lord Kroan. Right now we have the same enemy. Until that changes, we can remain partners." She gave a sly smile. "And if you don't my saying, you're very good at striking bargains. Pitching, perfect, and sealing them."

It was a look that could have snared younger, weaker men. Kroan responded with a polite, professional smile. "I've had a lifetime of practice. I may be Sith, but I've always been a businessman at heart."