Chapter 3: Chain Reaction

"Captain! The Cathar battle group is demanding…." An explosion cut through the transmission and Captain Bellmore was tossed from the counsel.

"Fire teams to the bridge!" The Lieutenant screamed through the rumble of hull tearing moans. Beyond the forward portal, dozens of Sith fighters were caught in dogfights with Cathar fighters and their rubble littered space. Beyond the fighters was the Cathorian battle group; six battle ships of Republic design. Their triangular shape gave them away instantly, and Bellmore knew that they were outnumbered, but still, his orders where to hold them off as best he could. The Lieutenant continued to belt orders as Bellmore pulled himself from the deck. "Get those damned shields back up! Contact fighter squads seven and nine to give more support to defending the ship!"

"Lieutenant, more bombers inbound!"

"Damn it!" Bellmore hissed as he gathered his composure. "Lieutenant, order all fighters to assemble around the ship and defend our retreat!" The deck officers shockingly looked to Captain Bellmore with a gaze of horror, yet none complained about the order. "Now!" Bellmore snapped at his Lieutenant as he glanced over the holographic display of the battlefield.

"Yes, Captain! All fighters, orders are… Alpha-Alpha-Tango! I repeat, Alpha-Alpha-Tango! Defend this ship until we are clear of the battle. Good luck warriors."

Bellmore glanced over the display, looking for a weakness in the Cathar defense line. Six ships and they had appeared so suddenly that he had yet to prepare for a defensive stand. He had done exactly as Darth Edranus had instructed him not to do; to underestimate the Cathar. Even if he was able to save the Titan, Edranus would surely kill him. Edranus! It hit him like a bolt of lightning. He had forgotten about the landing parties.

He pushed the medical officer away as he ran to the communications' station. "Hail the landing parties!"

"Sir, I've been trying to reach them since the battle began. The Cathar are jamming all of our transmissions!"

"Blasted vermin! It would seem their skill has improved since the Mandalorian Wars. Are all the frequencies jammed?"

"No sir, I've been able to breach the Cathar transmissions fairly easily, yet they aren't broadcasting any substantial intel."

Bellmore had to reach Edranus, yet sending a transmission over the Cathar waveband would mean telling the Cathar where Edranus and the other landing parties were. "Damn. Prepare a droid probe and launch it to Edranus's last location. Transmit our battle status up to the last second before launch."

"Yes Captain." The bridge rocked from another direct hit as Bellmore glanced toward the forward view portal. Three of the six Cathar ships had broken formation and were heading toward the Titan.

He screamed to the forward command bay, "Helm! Move the ship to barring one-seven-three! Divert all shield power to the aft emitters! Get us out of here!"

"Captain, power is down sixty-percent!"

"Captain, the Cathar fighters have broken through our defenses!"

"We can't out run them."

- - - - - - - -

Mana pressed the send command and repeated her last three transmission, "Sergeant, this is Mana. Do you copy? What is the situation at the landing pad?" Two minutes ago the Sergeant had reported an inbound squad of Cathar troops heading toward the landing pad, but after that moment all transmissions ended.

"It's jammed, sir." One of the Sith troopers added as he held up a large data pad. The antenna on the pad circled loosely as it scanned the transmission being broadcasted from Mana. "This entire region is jammed. Seems to be a modified Republic jamming signal; I'll try to cut through it."

"Understood. Keep me informed of your progress." Mana huffed as she slipped her transmitter back into her belt harness. She then left the troopers and returned to Edranus and Sebrani's side. Sebrani sat upon a fallen tree stump while Edranus glared into the thicket of the forest beyond.

"Master, it appears the Cathar are Jamming the area. It is a republic signal, slightly modified, and the corporal believes he can cut through it."

Edranus turned and looked to Mana with down cast eyes. "Seems we have underestimated the Cathar's resolve. They've learned much since the war."

Sebrani cut in, "Nearing extinction has a way of changing your viewpoints. We needed to strengthen ourselves, become smarter and better in battle."

Mana huffed as she stepped in front of Sebrani, "Speak when spoken too. You are here as a guide, nothing more."

"Mana, calm yourself. Hostility is unnecessary at the moment. If she steps out of line, we will deal with her. What she says helps us to know our enemy."

Mana sulked, "Yes master."

Edranus approached Mana and Sebrani. "Tell me more about the Cathar defenses, Sebrani."

"Forgive me, but I don't know much. I am merely a trainee of the Force, not military. But I can tell you that we have amassed a small number of ships to defend our world, as well as a sizeable army and fighters."

Mana sat beside Sebrani and looked at her curiously. "What is the population of Cathar on this world?"

"Nearly 3 million. We have sent ships out to find more refugees, and our population is constantly on the rise. Also we …" Sebrani paused and quickly glared into the sky.

"Mana?" Edranus questioned. Something was not right and they all sensed it.

"I felt it as well, master." She replied as she looked upward. "A great outcry of pain."

Edranus frowned as he gazed into the sky. "Look deeper, Mana. It is much more serious than that."

Mana focused and allowed what she had just felt to sink into her. "The Titan?"

"It's gone. The Titan has been destroyed." Edranus clinched his fists and the Force began to swell around him.

Mana and Sebrani both collapsed to the ground, not from loosing their balance, but because they were sensitive to the power being pressed around them. Sebrani crumbled to her hands and knees, her eyes glared into the swelling turmoil of Edranus's power and she could not comprehend what she was feeling or seeing; yet it terrified her all the same. Mana, struggling to stand, reached out to Edranus and gripped the base of his cloak. A Surge of power gushed through her and she was propelled away. One of the Sith troopers caught her and they both tumbled to the ground.

"Sir! What's happening?" He questioned. Unsure of what had just happened to Mana Her arm smoldered slightly as if she had been burned, yet there were no visible marks upon her.

"Master! Calm your fury!" Mana screamed as she tried to cut through Edranus's rage. She stood to her feet and walked closer to her master, but with every step toward him, it became harder and harder to stand. It was as if the power swelling around Edranus was a vortex of gravity, and only he could withstand it. "Master, what is happening?" Mana once again crumbled to her knees, but she watched as Sebrani began to stand.

Sebrani focused, sensed the storm around Edranus, and stood to her feet. The power was unlike anything she had ever seen, not even her teacher could utilize the force in such a way. She had to know more, she needed to understand what this power was. She took a step forward and placed a hand upon Edranus's shoulder. She fully expected to be consumed by the power and forced away, yet to her surprise she was not. Instead, she saw into the depths of Edranus's mind. His darkness was deep, his anger and rage was heavy upon his soul, and the power within him was evil. Chains clouded his mind, filling him with a deep vendetta against an enemy he did not know; he was bound to it.

Deeper into his mind she delved, deeper still into the root of his pain and anguish. She wanted to know where this power came from and the deeper she went, the greater the Force swelled. Yet before her, like a blinding light, was a child. Amongst all the chaos and Dark Force power swirling within Edranus's mind, there was peace within the image of a young child.

Great pressure filled Sebrani's chest. Her connection to Edranus faded and pain quickly filled her. She opened her eyes and felt herself tumbling in the air; a Force Push.

"Get out of my head!" Edranus roared as he shoved the palm of his hand into Sebrani's chest. She landed and slid next to Mana. The pain passed and she sat up quickly, wondering what Edranus would do next; but he did nothing. The Force storm had passed and he lowered his head.

Mana glared at Sebrani, curious as to what happened. "Can I kill her now, master?" She grinned with a feverish bloodlust.

"No." Edranus replied. "You can not kill her."

"She over stepped her bounds, master. Looking into your mind without your permission; she deserves death!"

"Hear me, Mana." Edranus addressed once again. "You can not kill her. She is beyond you." Mana froze, her expression lowered and suddenly, in a moment of weakness, she felt Sebrani's Force aura. Edranus was right, she was strong. Mana had not noticed it before because Sebrani was masking her power well, but after touching Edranus she was in a state of confusion and had not completely calmed herself. The Force was strong within her, and this only fueled Mana's hatred toward her.

Edranus walked passed them both and approached the troopers. "Corporal, the Titan is no more. Our operation has now changed."

The corporal in his silver armor stood tall, ignored the confusion that had just occurred, and spoke through his helmet microphone, "Sir, your orders."

"Gather two of your men and return to the platform. Scout mission only. If you are seen, return to me quickly, full retreat. I have no intentions of loosing any more men unless necessary. I need to know how bad this situation really is. No heroics, Corporal. Gather intel and return."

"Understood sir. Permission to switch armor?"

"Granted. Do what you must." Edranus walked away as the corporal pulled off his helmet and heavy Sith battle armor. He then quickly pulled on a light armor suit from their supplies.

He pointed to two men, "You two switch to scout gear with a light blaster. We need to move quickly. The rest of you, stay with the Jedi. Guard them with your life. We'll return as soon as we can."

Edranus walked to Sebrani and waved his hand over her shackled wrists. "Speak not of what you saw. And if you ever get that close to me again, you will die." The shackles fell to the ground and Sebrani rubbed her sore wrists. "Lead on. We still need to find the creature."

- - - - - - - -

Upon the top of the landing pad, several miles from Edranus and his search party, the Sergeant and his men were still in the midst of a heavy fire fight. The Cathar had landed in the woods and they were climbing the tower toward them. The Sergeant had established a fare defense yet the Cathar were also bombing them from the sky. The two escort fighters had been destroyed long ago.

Blaster fire whipped back and forth across the platform. "Ignore the fighters! Focus on the ground troops coming up the stairwell! Don't let them set up that barricade!" The Sergeant fired his blaster into the chest of a Cathar that was pulling up a large hunk of metal. All blaster fire that impacted the metal was instantly deflected. A nearby trooper pulled up another empty crate and used it as a shield, while the auto turrets that the Sith had setup were firing wildly into the advancing Cathar lines.

"They are either very brave, or very stupid!" The young trooper shouted. He watched as two Cathar ran up the stairwell, gripped the metal bunker and they were cut down by the auto turret before they could move it an inch. He pulled up his rifle and fired at three more Cathar that raced up the stairwell. They managed to fire two rounds before collapsing to the deck, yet one of them had a thermal detonator and it was rolling toward the Sith line. His eyes widened, "Thermal Detonator!" He sprung backward just it detonated. The young trooper died as his body toppled end of over end in the air.

"Regroup to the section!" The Sergeant shouted to his men. He had only lost three men so far, but it wouldn't be long before the Cathar wore them down, and his communications officer was having a hard time cutting through the jamming signal. It wouldn't be long before they were all dead.

- - - - - - -

The group of five pushed on, Edranus led with Sebrani close behind. Mana watched the perimeter and walked away from the group; not wanting to be close to Sebrani. Mana was still torn by how quickly Edranus was accepting the young Cathar at his side. The two Sith troopers, carrying the extra supplies on their backs, followed Edranus and Sebrani closely; their eyes and scanners constantly on the lookout for anything that would pose a threat.

Mana turned her head a glared at Sebrani in the distance. She then gripped her hand and recalled the power that had swelled through her when she touched Edranus. She had never felt him bare such power. Her arm was still slightly throbbing from it, yet somehow she had no marks upon her. She then realized that Sebrani was able to touch Edranus in the midst of his rage, and she was unaffected by it. The thought merely added fuel to an already burning fire. Yet Mana knew that to oppose Sebrani would not be wise; this was what Edranus wanted.

"We are now near the dragon's lair." Sebrani stated to the group. "This is the beast's hunting grounds. We try to avoid this area as much as possible."

Edranus continued forward, unafraid. "Describe this dragon. Perhaps this is the creature we seek."

"It is a monstrous beast that stands on four legs, covered in scales, and is more then twenty-four meters long."

"The creature we seek is stronger, but not nearly as big. Perhaps they are natural enemies?" Edranus pondered the thought but he was quickly overwhelmed by a surge within the Force. It was Mana and she was startled by something. He turned his head to the left and Mana darted through the trees. She flipped and landed at Edranus's side, her lightsaber at the ready.

"Something big, master!" They all watched as a massive Krayt Dragon forced its way through the trees, pushing them over with ease.

"A Krayt Dragon!" One of the troopers screamed. He stepped back while firing into the beasts hide, yet his blaster rifle seemed ineffective. The dragon roared and slammed its foot into the ground with thunderous results.

Edranus handed Sebrani her lightsaber and then stepped in front of Mana and Sebrani. "Attack quickly. Do not let it get the chance to attack you." Edranus looked to the two troopers. "Fall back and take cover!" They quickly obeyed.

"Master, do you really intend for us to fight this … beast?" Mana seemed concerned; she had never faced anything with such power. Sabrani powered up her lightsaber and the green glow reflected off of Mana's Dark Jedi robes. "How did you get that?"

Edranus cut in, "I gave it to her. Quickly, attack its legs." Edranus pulled off his cloak and dashed forward. This was Sebrani's first time seeing him without his cloak, and she quickly took in the view. Edranus was wearing modified Sith armor, yet it easily allowed for the Force to breath within him. It was sleeveless and his arms were covered in scars. He wore Republic Mod Gloves which gave him some protection from mild electric currents, but was more useful in repair work. His head was shaven and his complexion was dark; yet is eyes were deep silver due to the Dark Side of the Force within him.

Edranus was fast. He swept beneath the beast within a split second and sliced his saber across the dragon's knee. The beast reared back in pain and swept its teeth at Edranus, yet he was long gone. The Krayt Dragon's blood spilled into the tundra of leaves and brush, yet it didn't stumble.

Mana weaved in and out of the dragon's reach, her mind was racing with questions, "A Krayt Dragon, here? How is this possible? They are isolated creatures and only known to inhabit the deserts of Dantooine. But here, in a forest?" She stabbed her blade into its back leg and quickly retreated as the dragon roared.

Sebrani slipped under the dragon's gapped jaw as it yelled in pain. She quickly cut down the center of its neck and jumped clear. The dragon gargled as it exhaled through the hole in its charred neck. The monstrous creature was in great pain from being cut and it was severely wounded, but it continued to fight. It had not noticed that Edranus stood upon its back, balancing himself, despite that it was bucking wildly. He aimed his saber at the base of the dragon's skull, lunged forward and stabbed his blade between two of the dragons outstretched horns. The dragon huffed once and slumped forward; its bodyweight crashing into the ground.

The troopers emerged from the distance and cheered to the victors. Sebrani powered down her lightsaber and clipped the hilt upon her belt. Edranus jumped off the slain dragon's back as Mana walked closer to the dragon's corpse. She inspected the creature closely and then cut off one of its horns.

"Sixteen rings." She thought aloud. The creature was young, only sixteen years old. Most Krayt Dragons have been known to live more then a hundred years. After inspecting the creature further she dropped the horn and returned to Edranus's side.

There was a sullen silence between Mana, Sebrani and Edranus. Much like a domino effect; they were each feeding off of the others actions. Mana was sulking over the fact that Edranus had allowed Sebrani to have her lightsaber back. Sebrani was in shock, because she had mustered the courage to fight the creature that her teacher ordered her to avoid. Edranus, was sensing both of their moods. They responded quickly to battle, yet Mana had shown a slight hesitation. He attributed this to the shock of Sebrani wielding a saber; he could not allow her actions to go unnoticed.

"Mana." Edranus's words snapped her from her brooding frown. "Why did you hesitate?"

"Master … I … it was Sebrani's lightsaber!" She quickly stuttered. "I was shocked to see her holding it."

"None the less, when I give you an order you are to react instantly. You still have much to learn. You must not let yourself get distracted. Be aware of everything around you, yet you must react only to that which is most important. The biggest threat was the Dragon, not Sebrani."

"I understand, master." Mana looked away from Edranus and began to walk toward the Sith Troopers.

Sebrani stepped closer to Edranus, carrying his cloak in her arms. "Your feelings shine when you speak to her. She does not understand your intentions. She seems confused about your treatment toward her. She is very important to you but you are constantly reminding her of the flaws she carries."

Edranus gripped his cloak and snatched it from her hands. "Stay out of her mind as well. Do not mistake the reason that you are still alive, Sebrani, we are not friends. When your usefulness has expired, you had best hope that you have proven yourself worthy of my teachings."

Sebrani took a half step back, but suddenly recalled the image she saw within Edranus's mind. She had seen his heart and her fear of his words quickly passed. "You wish for me to guide you, yet you threaten to kill me if I'm not useful? I have seen the good in you, Sith. No matter how much of a wall you cast around it, it is there. I have seen it. I saw your heart and the light you are trying to suppress …"

Sebrani could not bring herself to stop Edranus's sudden grip. His hands lunged out with the speed of a blaster bolt and locked upon her throat with the force of an angry Wookie. She gasped for air and dared not to retaliate; she did not want to provoke his anger any more then she already had.

"Perhaps I was mistaken." Edranus calmly stated. His grip grew tighter and Sebrani could feel her body growing heavy. She slowly began to lose control of her body as darkness crept into her eyes. "I should have killed you when we first met."

Sebrani sensed no remorse in his words. She felt it through ever fading muscle in her body. Edranus was going to kill her if she didn't fight back. She quickly gripped her lightsaber and powered it to life. The immense pressure faded and she gasped as she fell to her knees.

"What will you do know, Sebrani? Will you fight me for your life, or will you roll over and die at my feet? You fear is strong, and I sense that you want to succumb to it. Are you still afraid?"

She gritted her teeth and lunged where Edranus stood, but she missed completely. She attempted to jump back, but he suddenly appeared before her eyes and was holding her hand and lightsaber. Edranus stood face to face with her, with his hands upon the hilt of her blade. She was stunned beyond comprehension; he had not shown this level of speed when they fought the first time.

"I commend you for attacking, Sebrani. It seems you have shed that cowardly persona you displayed before. The Dark Side still beckons to you if you wish to learn more, and finally be rid of this fear within your heart. However…" Edranus slipped his leg behind Sebrani, cupped her chin within his hand, and toppled her backward toward the ground. The back of Sebrani's head slammed into the thick brush and her lighsaber was tossed. "… you will know who your true master is!" Edranus pinned Sebrani's head tightly to the ground and gripped her left hand. She struggled, but was simply overwhelmed by his strength. Edranus grabbed her left pinky and effortlessly bent it backwards. The bone snapped and Sebrani shrieked loudly.

"You will call me master. You will obey my words. You will not speak to me until I have given you a reason to. You will stay by my side and you will be complacent." Edranus stood and glared down at her with an irate stare. "Or you will die."

Sebrani sniffled as she held her left hand and broken pinky. She glared up at Edranus and began to snarl, but Edranus quickly kicked her in the face. Blood dripped from her jaw as she slumped back to the ground.

"Good. Your anger is spark that I will break, but you will harness it and make it into a formidable ally. Submit to me and obey my will, and I will reward you with everything I promised; so long as you do not prove yourself useless." Edranus stepped closer and whispered. "What is your decision, Sebrani?"

Sebrani wiped the blood from her jaw as she sat up before Edranus. "I will serve you, master." There was nothing she could do to resist him or his will. He was far too strong, but there was something else within him that begged for her to follow him. A lone tear rolled from her eyes. It was a tear of sorrow, fear and hatred toward Edranus, yet there was a lingering ray of hope within her mind; there was more to Edranus then he was letting on, and she wanted to uncover its meaning.

"Good. You have nothing to fear of me Sebrani, yet you do not want to tempt my anger again." Edranus stepped away from her and looked toward Mana. As expected she had gleefully watched the entire act. "Bring a med kit, and take care of her." Edranus stepped away and proceeded to follow the path that the dragon was guarding.

Mana laughed as she knelt at Sebrani's side. "Troopers, follow Edranus. We shall catch up soon." She pulled out her medical kit and examined Sabrani's face and hand. "I don't think I've ever seen him get that angry. Not even when he killed my pathetic excuse for a brother."

"He killed your brother, yet you serve him willingly?" She mournfully questioned.

"Yes. But before you ask me 'why', know that I wish not to discuss it with you."

Sebrani lost it. She began to tearfully sob and moan as Mana examined her hand. "I knew of Revan, we all knew of Revan … but Revan … Revan was never this horrible. He saved many Cathar during the War. The Darkness within Edranus can not be from Revan's teachings."

"Before Edranus was taught by Revan, he was Malak's apprentice." Mana chuckled. "The man you see comes from Malak's cruel hand and teaching. There are those that say Malak forcefully used anger as his teaching tool. What you have left is a dark Jedi who has Malak's cruelty and Revan's genius." After a few moments Sabrani's broken pinky was set in a field wrap and bio-scanner constantly monitored it. She stood beside Mana and they slowly began to follow Edranus and the Troopers paths.

"He does not treat you this way, does he?" Sabrani questioned as she cautiously followed Mana.

"No. He has no need to break my spirits. I will serve him without question. You, however, are still torn between your loyalties to him and your teachers back home."

"He did this to break me spirits?"

Mana laughed again as she turned and faced Sebrani. "No. He did this because you are afraid. He is trying to make you aware of your weakness and how it is slowly loosing control of you. Last night you were terrified, but today you didn't back down until you saw that you had no chance. Don't worry about the little things. He broke your left pinky finger and you will not notice its absence in combat. Trust me … I've been around the Sith Academy and the lower regions of Nar Shaddaa. You got off lucky. Still, I would have been happier if he had killed you." Mana smirked and continued down the path. Sabrani paused in her tracks and looked at the still body of the dead dragon. At that moment she realized that Edranus could have killed it by himself, yet he chose to fight the creature as a team. Sebrani couldn't help but question to herself why he chose not to kill the beast with his own power?

- - - - - - - -

Corporal Tredmond and his two support troopers briskly sprinted through the thick brush, back tracking the trail they had cut over the past sixteen hours. Running without their heavy Sith battle armor gave them a massive burst a flexibility and speed. Within two hours they had already covered the distance that it took to walk.

The massive landing pad was ahead and Tredmond slowed to a light jog. A clearing was ahead and Tredmond didn't want his small squad to go into it. For now they would lay low in the brush of the forest.

"Optical." Tredmond's one word command was immediately answered as the trooper at his side quickly passed him a visor. Tredmond crawled on his belly and crept through the brush until he could see the landing pad tower beyond the clearing. He gazed through the optical visor and noticed that the pad was active with Cathar troops. "It looks like the Sergeant was overwhelmed." He quietly commented to himself. One of the troopers tapped Tredmond on the heel of his boot, and he quickly pulled himself out of the bush.

"Three scouts just passed by, twenty meter south of us." The man was older, a long time warrior within Republic guard and had served with Raven since the beginning of the Mandalorian wars. "I sent Mikal to track them and to make sure they didn't double back."

"Good work, Devin." Tredmond clipped the visor to his belt and pulled out his blaster. "How where they armed?"

"Rifles, mostly, with vibro-sword side arms." Devin stated as his eyes continuously scouted the nearby brush. He was and old war vet that knew what it meant to survive, yet he was never promoted within the Sith ranks.

"Go to Mikal. Tell him to hold his position and cover our tracks. We'll make a break out of here as soon as I can confirm the Sergeant's status."

"Understood." Devin made sure the area was clear and quietly shuffled out of the patch of vegetation that they were using for cover. Tredmond turned and continued to look at the landing platform. He needed to get closer. The clearing encompassed the base of the landing tower, making it nearly impossible to get closer without being seen. His option would be to wait for nightfall, but time was crucial. Yet a solution suddenly presented itself.

All eyes quickly averted upward as a streaking projectile begin to descend through the atmosphere. The Cathar troops were completely confused and began to take shelter from the unknown object that was quickly falling toward them. Smoke and flames snapped from behind it as it quickly streaked toward them. As it grew larger in his eyes, Tredmond quickly realized what the flaming object was.

"A probe." His eyes then looked to the Cathar that were standing at the edge of the towering landing platform, and they had all vanished. He quickly dashed out into the clearing and strode toward the base of the platform. He then climbed the monstrously tall staircase and peeped onto the deck. The Cathar troops had sought shelter, yet they were still pearing upward at the smoking probe that was streaking toward the forest. Tredmond quickly looked the area over and spotted three Sith Troopers, bound with their hands behind their heads, knelling in the center of the platform. The Cathar guards stood nearby, yet they were clearly distracted by the object above. There was nothing Tredmond could do for them, unless he wanted twenty enemy troops to pounce upon him. He continued to scan the deck of the landing pad and then spotted the smoldering red armor of the Sergeant; he had taken two blaster rounds to the chest.

His mission was complete, and the falling probe was going to impact somewhere in the forest; it was time to leave. Tredmond turned and raced down the stairway. The path was clear and after the long descent he quickly sprinted across the clearing and dived into the brush. He huffed as he regained his breath and quickly began looking for Mikal and Devin. They had to get back to their Jedi master and report the situation. However, he was tempted to investigate the crashing probe.

"Corporal!" Devin shouted from a nearby tree. Tredmond spot his two teammates and quickly ran to their side.

Mikal, the youngest of the group huffed continuously as he scanned the area, "The path is clear if we want to get out of here. But that probe is going to crash on the far side of the platform."

"You both saw it as well?" Tredmond questioned in a huff.

"It was hard to miss, sir." Devin replied.

Tredmond stood tall and took one last deep breath. "Our orders were simple; gather Intelligence and report back. I'd hate to get caught going after that probe. But at the same time, I'd hate for it to fall into enemy hands, especially if the Titan was destroyed. If they launched a second probe to this world, then there has to be reason." He looked to his two teammates. "Vote."

"I say we go back, check with Edranus and Mana and return if need be." Mikal chimed in.

The aged vet, Devin, replied, "We check the probe now. Get there before the Cathar do."

Tredmond checked the charge on his blaster. "I agree with Devin. Mikal, take the rear. I'll take point. Let's find the probe."

- - - - - - - -

Edranus pushed deeper into the darkest region of the forest, where not even the sun of midday could pierce through the overhanging canopy of trees. He stepped lightly and cautiously, as the groans and rumbles of unseen creatures welcomed him into the dark region. He stopped at the base of a steep incline that would take them further into the forest's depths and looked back to Sebrani.

"This area is mostly unexplored … master." Her words were cautious and spoke only when Edranus seemed to need her knowledge; she was also having trouble with addressing Edranus as master. "Few, if any, have dared to enter this place. It has a strange darkness that we dare not test."

Edranus returned his gaze into the lower darkness before him, "The Force is strongest here. So too is the Dark Side. We're close." Edranus turned toward the Sith Troopers. "Make camp and keep a watch out for the Corporal. When he returns, he'll assume command. The three of us will descend into the lower regions to see what we can find." Edranus walked away from the troopers and neared the edge of the slope. He pushed passed a few branches and descended deeper into the darkness. Mana, without hesitation, followed. Sebrani gathered her nerve and followed last.

The darkness was overwhelming, as if the sun had completely vanished from existence. Reluctantly, Mana turned on her flashlight. It would make them an easy target, but she could not see without it. Edranus seemed unaffected by the darkness around him, using the Force as his guide. Mana knew that she could use the Force as her eyes and ears, but the Dark Side of the Force was overwhelming her senses in this area; her focus was too distracted. Sebrani reached out and gripped Mana's shoulder. Mana resisted at first, but soon found comfort in having Sebrani behind her. The brewing mood within the area was thick with evil and everywhere they looked something seemed to move.

After an hour of walking in complete darkness, Edranus spoke up, "Our search ends here." Through the darkness of the forest floor, he could sense the brooding aura of the Dark Side swelling beneath his feet. The creature he had sought had been found. "Mana, shine the light over here."

Mana did as ordered, and beneath Edranus's feet lay the massive bones of what was once a gigantic three fingered hand. Mana continued to shine the light around the area, following the bones of the arm until it connected to the rest of the skeletal structure. The skull was nearly as tall as Edranus, and it was twice as wide with sharp overgrown teeth. Mana quickly passed the light to Sebrani and she ran closer to the remains.

Mana examined it closely. "It died of natural causes. Judging by its size, I would say it died of age." She repositioned and Sebrani followed her with the light. "Look at these bone spikes from its back! Clearly this is a Tarentatek, the largest ever seen! It died many years ago. Judging by the scars on these bones, I'd say that numerous creatures have been eating away at the carcass for quite some time."

Edranus stepped into the light. "How old do you think it was?"

"Based on the two Tarentatek's that Uthar Wynn has at the Sith Academy, I would say that this one was three times bigger than them. I had the privilege of feeding those two irritable Tatek's, they had quite the attitude, but so long as they were being fed they were easily tolerant of anyone within Naga Sadow's tomb. They are young; merely ten years of age. But this beast, judging by the age of growth…"

"Quickly Mana…" Edranus interrupted. He was growing tired of her insipid tirade of information.

Mana huffed. "Eighty years. But from my studies of the Korriban remains and the living Tateks, they can easily live for more then two hundred years."

Edranus stepped toward the back of the hulking Tatek's skeleton and picked up one of the long spikes; which once protruded from its back. He held it within his hands and cut it in half with his lightsaber. The spike was nearly longer then he was tall, but cutting it in half made it portable. He removed the glove from his left hand and touched the bone with his bare hand.

"This is the darkness we felt from so far away. Even in death the Dark Side swells from its grave." Edranus slung the spike onto his shoulder and looked to Mana and Sebrani. "Gather what you need to study it and track it. If this was the last on this world, then we will move on to the next world."

"But the Titan …" Mana begun, but Edranus turned and began to walk into the wood.

"Revan gave me a mission, Mana. I will not let the destruction of my ship hinder its completion. Go back to camp, I will follow shortly."

"Master, where are you going?" Mana questioned as she took the light from Sebrani.

"Do not come back. I will return when I am done." Edranus vanished into the darkness. Mana grabbed the Tarentatek's left arm and dragged it back toward the Camp; Mana followed her back.

- - - - - - - -

Blaster rounds cut through the air as the Cathar troops gave chase to the three humans. The Cathar were fast, and were as equally skilled at firing on the run as any enemy Tredmond had met. It was only by blind luck that the Cathar spotted them. They had sent a team to investigate the falling object, and their paths crossed. From that moment on it had been a foot race to the crashed probe.

"Mikal, set some thermal detonators on our trail! Devin, cover him. I'll run ahead!" Tredmond turned his light jog into a full sprint as Mikal and Devin quickly began to lay traps for the pursuing Carthar soldiers. It was a dangerous tactic, especially with the Cathar so close on their heels, but they had to do something to slow them down. After a near hundred yard sprint, Tredmond heard the signature thud of a detonator exploding behind him but he ignored it and raced on. Just ahead of him was the smoldering shell of the probe and two Cathar examining it.

His aim was quick, and neither of the feline humanoid knew of his approach, until the first blaster bolt struck one of them in the head. Tredmond's second shot sailed wide of the other Cathar, but his next attempt struck the creature in its chest. He stopped and pressed his back firmly against the probe and peeped around its hulking side. After verifying that the area was secure, Tredmond pulled a data-pad from his pocket and quickly scanned the probe. He had to destroy it, or salvage the main system before the Cathar could access it. In the distance he heard several more blaster bolts from stock Sith repeaters and was reassured that Devin and Mikal were still protecting his rear.

Upon closer examination of the probe, Tredmond found that the interior droid was still functional. He quickly unlocked the probe's outer hull and glared at the four foot frame of the droid.

"It shut down to protect crucial systems." Tredmond opened an access panel and began to power on the unit. Under the access panel's main hatch was the insignia, "PD-Y3." A loud series of beeps came from the droid and it began to hover out of the crashed probe hull. "Power on your shields and switch to defensive." A blaster bolt scored a direct hit on the useless probe hull and Tredmond took cover. The Probe droid began to hum as a red field formed around it. It quickly turned and began firing successive blaster fire back toward the approaching Cathar. Tredmond clipped the data-pad to his chest just as the droid began to speak again.

"No. Edranus isn't hear, we're heading to him now." Tredmond fired back as Devin and Mikal exhaustingly crumbled at his feet.

Mikal tiredly questioned, "The probe droid is still functional? We could use the firepower."

"Follow the droid, he'll clear a path for us." Tredmond then turned to the droid. "Head south west. We'll cover you." The droid beeped a response and began to hover away from the crash site. Tredmond, Mikal and Devin followed closely behind.

"They'll follow us." Devin added as he fired at a Cathar that had wondered to close.

Mikal chuckled, "Nope. I left a little something to cover our trail. When it blows, cease fire and run." After a few moments the probe droids outer hull detonated massively. On cue, the droid picked up it's pace and floated faster, while the humans ceased fire and followed.

After a short sprint, the group settled and took cover. They gazed into the path behind them and made sure that they were no longer being followed. They all sighed heavily after realizing that they had escaped for the moment.

"Good work, Mikal." Devin laughed.

Mikal laughed along. "I figured a well place frag-mine would take care of that probe's fuel cell. Those Cathar never knew what hit them."

The droid slowly hovered to Tredmond's side and began a constant barrage of beeps.

Tredmond irritatingly waved at the droid to calm it down. "Okay, okay. We'll get to Edranus soon enough."

"What is that thing talking about?" Devin questioned as he looked to the data-pad upon Tredmond's chest; the only means of understanding the droids constant beeps and clicks.

"It has an urgent message for Edranus from Captain Bellmore, and extraction point coordinates."

"The captain is alive?" Mikal questioned as PD-Y3 continued to beep at them.

"Yeah, he's alive. And he has a small shuttle hidden in orbit."

Devin bulked at the information. "A shuttle can't out run those Cathar battle ships. We'll never make it out of system."

"Still, that is one option of getting off this rock. We'll go to Edranus and relay the message. He'll know what to do." Tredmond patted Devin on the shoulder and turned to Mikal. "Let's move out. Double-time."

Mikal moaned, "I'm tired of running."

- - - - - - -

In the stillness of the complete darkness, Edranus pushed on. He could feel it, something calling to him from deeper in the darkness. He squeezed the spike of the Tarentatek tightly in his hands and continued to push forward. The Force was growing stronger around him, and he realized that something more lay ahead, but he didn't want Sebrani or Mana to see it. They did not feel it before therefore there was no reason to bring them further.

He treaded softly on the unseen ground and without warning the area exploded in a dark redness. The trees glowed passionately with a humming red that pulsed around him. Everything was red, deeply red and it was horrifically bright. His eyes needed to adjust but in the moment he closed his eyes, a sound echoed in his mind.

"Tell me why you have come, Jedi, or die where you stand!" It was as if hundreds of voices were screaming at him all at once. Edranus opened his eyes and saw what had spoken to him. It floated merely ten feet away, a glowing red orb that pulsed with life yet was filled with darkness.

"What are you?"

"What do you seek, Jedi? Death awaits you if you do not answer correctly."

Its words were internal, and they hurt his head. "I seek power!"

"Only in death can you achieve the power that is within your heart. The Force is what makes you who you are, and therefore you must die. And in death you will find what you seek."

"I do not understand. Beyond death there is nothing but the Force."

"You do understand, yet you can not comprehend. Therefore you must die." The orb pressed closer and Edranus felt his power being ripped away from him. He gripped his lightsaber and swung madly at the orb, but there was nothing to hit. His blade passed cleanly through and it continued to drain his power. Edranus feel to his knees and ccrumbled into a ball. "Beyond life, there is the Force. Beyond the Force, there is nothing. The power you seek can only be found beyond the Force and beyond life. The two are connected and cannot be severed. But in death you will see, and you will awaken to a new life. But in this new life you will understand that what you seek in your heart is not truly what you need. Die Jedi, and be born anew."

Like a swirling vortex of power, the orb pulled the force from Edranus leaving him a fragment of what he was before. The orb vanished and Edranus reached out in pain. Every muscle ached, he couldn't scream for help because he could not muster the breath, and before his eyes he could see the tattered dust mounds of Malachor 5. In death he had returned to where it all began, where he first died and gave his life to hate. Once again he was alone and weak and near deaths door, but this time he was not physically wounded. His mind was ripped from him and all knowledge of the Force removed. He was a shell, empty and devoid of any power, and he was alone with no one to help him. His body was growing heavy from being devoid of the Force, and in its absence he could not remember how to breathe.

Without the Force, he was surely going to die.

To be continued…

Authors Notes: I love suspense. But as you can see, the web is getting darker... but wait.. soon their shall be more. Enjoy and please leave comments.

Soulguard