Got to love when the week runs by and all of a sudden its Tuesday again... Well, next chapter is here, enjoy! R&R!

Chapter Seventeen

Strengthening Shadows

Zhar had been looking forward to this moment for ever since they exited Hyperspace over the world of Korriban.

The boy he had captured on Obroa-skai had immediately been placed in one of the strongest cells in the Sith Academy, so that the boy could fume and stew at his capture for a time, while Zhar saw to things regarding the ordering of the planet. Meetings with the local Korriban council of Dark Side Prophets, various artifacts to examine that had been drudged up from the tombs of the Dark Lords, and the skills of new acolytes to judge as they vied for the right to leave the dust ball world and join their Emperor's forces in glorious combat with the Republic had taken much of his time, but finally Zhar was free to meet with his new apprentice at his leisure.

He had made sure that the only contact with the outside world that the boy had had was a droid, just one to bring his meager meals three times a day, which was ordered to never speak to the prisoner, merely deliver the food and leave. Zhar was surprised that only one escape attempt had been made by the boy, only to be forcefully repulsed when the innocent looking droid turned out to be one of the lightsaber dueling droids, conveniently set for the maximum skill level and ordered to injure the lad if he tried to escape.

Needless to say, the battered and bruise child had learned quickly that escape was not an option. Now as Zhar approached the stone door behind which his new learner was waiting, he could feel the emotion swelling from the chamber beyond. 'Good,' he thought. The boy had all but abandoned what little Jedi training he had been given, sinking into despair and the floodgates of emotions that he had been taught to shut out and ignore.

With the slightest of gestures, Zhar swept the massive black stone aside, revealing the small cell and the child, scrawny from nearly a week of minimal nutrition and filthy from the lack of any cleaning facilities in his prison.

But what pleased Zhar the most were the boy's eyes, gleaming with hatred at the very sight of his tormentor. Without a word, Zhar clutched his hand, lifting the boy into the air by his throat with the Force, keeping just enough pressure for the boy to be concerned with the attack rather than actually trying to kill him, and levitated the small body out of the cell and down the corridor of the dungeon.

Passing several other rooms of captives, Zhar smirked as the prisoners flinched back from him, knowing that he had power enough to slaughter each and every one of them, and their fear overriding any other thoughts in their small minds.

Finally he turned into the room he desired, throwing the boy solidly against the large stone in the middle of the empty room, and using the force to wrap the chains anchored to it around the boy's arms and legs. It wouldn't do for the lad to escape this first session of torture, pain that would eventually break him fully to the Dark Side.

Once the boy was firmly secured, Zhar finally spoke, his voice cool and collected, "What is your name?"

The boy thrashed in response, crying out in anger and he tried vainly to extend his arms toward the Darksider. Sighing, Zhar pointed a single finger at the child, unleashing a bolt of lightning, striking the lad in an outstretched hand, making his shriek in surprise and agony and pull the pained limb back.

"There is no use to me if you're planning to degrade into an animal…" Zhar said, tilting his head to study the boy as he spoke, "I ask again, what is your name?"

Anger still apparent in the child's eyes, he nevertheless relaxed himself, laying uncomfortably against the rigid stone, "Johell… Asbfos…" he replied, voice rusty from disuse and all the screaming.

"Do you know why you've been brought here?" Zhar continued, watching Johell for physical reactions more than his verbal response. The boy was lithe, even still with the apparent weight loss from his imprisonment, and would easily be trainable into a tight cord of strength, ready to whip out and slay any who opposed him.

"Does there have to be a reason?" Johell shot back, his boldness returning, "Whatever sick games you intend to play I expect, nothing more or less from a Sith!"

Zhar hit the boy again with lightning, this time using one entire hand's word of bolts, and sustaining it for one full second. The screams echoed around the stone room, sounding almost melodic with the reverberation. "Incorrect…" Zhar replied, smirking as the boy's head sank onto his chest. "You are here because I have a use for you. However, it is rather up to you how that use will be met out…"

Stooping to put his face just out of reach of the boy, and making the child face him, Zhar continued, "You're hatred of me will give you great power, and I intend to turn that power into a fiery weapon to use in the name of the Empire. In time you will call me Master, and your actions will carve a path through the Republic, killing Jedi and soldier with impunity. Either that…" he pulled back and shoved the boy against the stone again, "…or you will die a slow and most painful death, here on the world of Korriban, amid the tombs of the Dark Lords of old."

"Then I will die…" Johell replied, spitting blood from his mouth where he had apparently bitten himself while flailing under the lightning.

"We shall see… but then, I've broken many Force users over the years, and I'm not sure your endurance is anywhere near theirs…" Zhar replied nastily, turning both hands onto the child, drinking in the screams and wails as his lightning danced over the small body.

This boy would be his in the end, and he would raise up an apprentice that would capstone all his work for the Empire, one greater than Septin or Dziqis; one that would indeed be the heir of the title of High Prophet of Korriban, Master of the Tomb World of the ancients, and one of the leading members of the Dark Council.

And he knew it would happen eventually, as time, naturally, was on his side.

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Severus had lain low after retaking his wand from the guard set over him, although he still maintained the curse over the man, whose struggles against it had faded with time until even he was not aware that he was being controlled. Biding his time while preparing many various potions and poisons, Severus had slowly built in his mind a layout of the massive facility, or at least the floors that would lie in his route of escape.

There were only a small handful of potential complications to his plan working, but if he timed everything just right, he should be able to slip past his captors and make it into the blackness of space unnoticed. The biggest issue was what to do after that. He had nowhere to run that he knew of and little knowledge on how the ships themselves operated.

There was also the massive Centaur that roamed the corridors of the station from time to time, glowing with its red and orange eyes at Severus whenever he came into contact with the creature. He had learned quickly that the beings name was Uowill, and the black creature was one of twelve beings on the station with the most authority and strength in their strange magic-like powers.

The former Death Eater and spy was not willing to try and clash with any of these just yet, as he had little idea how their mental defenses would be in comparison to the dunderhead of a guard that had been placed over him. Thankfully, the full group were often locked away on the topmost level in meetings and rarely came down to his floor, however they often were on the hangar floor when not in meetings, so he had to make sure that they were all away before making his escape.

Setting the last of his cauldrons into stasis before making his now quite routine walk about his prison floor of the station, Severus mentally ordered the guard to follow him. Typically he would tour around to the large observation part of the floor, gaze out at the inky blackness of space for around twenty or so minutes, allowing his muscles to relax from stooping over the low cauldrons for hours on end, but in reality there was something of importance in that room that he desired.

A computerized console… Severus knew he himself had no access, but his guard must have had the codes, as he used it from time to time. Mentally urging the man to check if the Prophets were in council while he stretched his body, Severus waited for the results, gazing over the guard's shoulder.

He was in luck, the twelve powerful beings were all in their little meeting, and therefore not around the hangar. Deciding that it was now or never, Severus ordered the guard to 'escort' him to the lift, and punched in the button for the hangar level, which he had memorized from his own select trips outside his level.

Drawing his wand, but keeping it out of sight, Severus kept attentive as the lift stopped and the door slid open. Heart starting to become noticeable to him in its pounding, he exhaled carefully, throwing his emotions behind his Occlumency. It wouldn't do for any of the others on this station to notice that he was anxious until it was too late for them to stop him.

Having the guard open the hangar doors was as easy as before, and Severus slipped in and out of sight of the various robots and black robed beings in the spacious room. He had the guard go and prepare one of the slightly smaller shuttles, one that he would have no difficulty fitting inside with the imperioused man as they fled. He would have no choice but to take the guard with him to fly the contraption, until they found some other place to land and he could dispose of him.

At this point it was too late to consider what he'd have to do afterward, so Severus quietly stole toward the same shuttle, keeping out of sight as much as possible. He froze however when there was a commotion out in the center of the hangar, with several beings shouting and the snap hiss sounds of their weapons igniting.

Cursing to himself, Severus edged around a large metal column to see his guard fighting with a pair of sentries, who had obviously questioned his presence and why he was not watching his captive. Unable to allow his ticket off the station to die just yet, Severus aimed his wand, thinking the incantation of his personalized dark cutting curse.

His emotions shrouded, he watched the confusion on the second sentry as his comrade suddenly staggered, before his head and shoulders merely slid from his body to the metal floor. The guard had no reaction, merely planting his weapon into the other sentry's throat, ending the threat quickly.

Unfortunately, the damage had been done. Several other guards had seen the violence, and sounded an alarm, which was sure to bring more powerful opponents that Severus was not willing to contend with. Bolting from his hiding spot, the Potions Master made a dash for the shuttle, even as the mind controlled guard parried incoming bolts of red and blue light with his crimson weapon, backing slowly to the ramp himself. Once inside, the guard hit a release that raised the ramp, and dashed for the consoles that controlled the ship.

Severus looked out of the large cockpit to see the door back to the station hiss open, and to his horror the massive Centaur charging through toward them. The ship lifted off, but too slowly. The Centaur arrived, throwing the massive pike in its hand at the ship, skewering through some important system or other, as the entire ship rocked as it exploded, crashing back down to the deck.

With a grinding of metal and Severus was thrown to the floor of the ship, and felt the entire thing shudder as the metal ramp was ripped away from the hull by a powerful force, the guard attempted to defend him, his weapon out and charging as the Centaur appeared on board the ship, but he was easily impaled by the much larger and deadlier weapon, before being tossed aside like a ragdoll.

"Well, well…" the Centaur said, baring its falsely sharpened teeth at Severus, "It appears the Master's little pet has tried to run away with its leash attached…"

Severus scowled, but was unable to stop the massive creature from grabbing him roughly and literally drag him from the ship and back onto the platform, where half a dozen more black robed figures waited.

"Take this one back to his little cage," Uowill said as he threw Severus to the deck in the middle of the assembled persons. "And make sure that his new guard is stronger willed than the last, or there will be more than one that dies as punishment if the Master's pet escapes before he is supposed to."

Those words caused Severus paused, even as he was cruelly dragged back to the lift. He was supposed to escape, eventually? What madness was the centaur speaking?

Like it or not, Severus had little else to ponder as he was deposited back in his potions lab, with a new, more alert guard watching over him from just outside the room, and a red barrier over the door denying him any passage whatsoever to the rest of the level. What in the world could the centaur have meant by his words. Could the mad creature simply be hoping that he'd attempt escape again, just so it could kill Severus?

Or was it telling the truth, and eventually Severus was to be more or less released, but for what purpose, and to whose gain? The methodology made little sense to the former Death Eater, but it wasn't as though he had much of a choice regarding it at the present time. Glancing around, all the potions he had right now were either simmering to their final stages or completed, so he could retreat to the small personal area in the very back of the room, where a cot lay.

Laying down gingerly, he had struck the deck pretty hard a few times and there was bound to be a few unpleasant bruises in his future, Severus tried to relax and reorganize his mind as to what had gone wrong, and how he might try to push to escape again. It wouldn't be nearly as easy as this first attempt; that much was certain to him already.

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Lord Fury was growing mightily impatient. It had been some time since the glorious skirmish on Ossus, and since then his fleet had been given orders to scout outlying systems from the growing Sith Space, defeating fleets of pirates and other vessels that they came across, constantly on the lookout for any signs of a Republic attack force.

But none had come in the month or so that they had taken up their positions. It was dull work, ordering around the mundane soldiers through their endless routine of drills and practices, keeping them all in a state of alertness for the slightest sign of an attack. Even the small potshots at smugglers and pirates had abated, other ships learning very quickly to avoid the sector completely, and the 'Manticore' fleet was more or less alone in the vacuum of space here.

Stalking through the corridors, unable to bear the dull metallic sheen in his cabin any longer, Fury wandered, debating between going to the communications array to check for any new messages from the Emperor or to the bridge to receive another report of no activity throughout the sector.

As it turned out, he had time for both, and was disappointed when everything was exactly as he thought. It was almost as though he had been simply forgotten, much like a weapon during times of peace, only to be unsheathed and used when the time was right, and replaced immediately afterward.

He was about to return to his cabin, suppressing the urge to simply harm a member of the crew for his own amusement, when one of the junior officers cried out, "Sir, a small fleet is exiting Hyperspace into our sector!"

Admiral Odjek turned about to face the officer, "What codes are they using?" he demanded, and the entire deck seemed to pause with bated breath as the young officer ran a scan.

"Republic, sir!"

"Red Alert, we have a Republic fleet incoming," Odjek declared, slamming a fist on a button before him, which sent the signal throughout the ship, and over to the others of their fleets. "All hands to battle stations!" cried a somewhat metallic voice over the intercom.

Fury remained where he was, wondering what role he'd have to play in this sort of battle. Not that he was unaccustomed to space combat, but he much preferred to get his own hands dirty, face to face with his enemy, not across the emptiness of space or in a cockpit of a fighter. Unless boarding was an option or counter option, he felt that he would be left to just observing this fight from the sidelines, but at least he knew one thing for certain now. The Emperor had his reasons for placing the fleets where he did. Why else would they have waited here, alone, for nearly a week if not for this precise moment, when the Republic would try to scout the Neo-Sith Empire's territory?

And it must have been a surprise to the Republic that a fleet would be here waiting, as while ship after ship exited Hyperspace, Fury smirked at their lack of formation. They didn't even have time to open fire as they approached, which gave the advantage of initiative to the Sith Fleet.

Green and red bolts of plasma started flying toward the advancing ships, and fighters were propelled from hangars to intercept, even as the Republic warships scrambled to enter a more strategic formation, but it was several moments before they even had a semblance of battle readiness, and the first of their fighters left the cruisers, after the Sith ships had been bombarding their shields the entire time.

"What do you think Admiral," Fury said, genuinely asking, "should we just wipe the fleet out and leave the wreckage here for the fools to find, or shall we have some fun and see about finding out why exactly our enemy came here, to this precise spot at this time?"

"If you're asking permission to board the lead ship, you are the ranking officer on this ship, my Lord," Odjek replied, "If it is your will that we send several parties then we will do so."

"I am asking your strategic opinion, however," Fury said, trying to keep his eagerness from his voice. If he simply wanted to indulge his violent tendencies, he'd already have given the order.

The admiral glanced down at a strategic hologram of the battle, complete with each ship and the wings of fighters swarming over the area. "It would be good to know what the Republic was planning…" he admitted, "I just can't see a safe opening to launch shuttles to board any of their cruisers."

"So, why not alter the playing field to make an opening?" Fury suggested, pointing at their own formation.

Their six ships were currently in a protective 'V' formation, barring passage unless the enemy tried to arc around them, but such a movement would expose them to fire from all of the ships with little means to retaliate, but Fury brought up a hypothetical simulator, and pushed the three battlecrusiers, Hydra, Nexu, and Rancor forward into the line of enemy ships, dividing the Republic's defensive line.

It opened up the three ships to enemy fire, but at the same time would draw significant fire from anywhere else, allowing more fighters and even shuttles to be launched from the remaining three ships without having to deal with the superior firepower from the larger Republic ships.

"It's a risk, but it would accomplish what you desire," Odjek commented, turning to the communications officer, "Signal the three Centurion-class for shields at maximum and move well into the enemies defensive line, and prep boarding shuttles and escorts, we're taking the command ship for the Empire."

"I will lead the attack personally," Fury said, stepping away from the command display and turning to leave. The fight was well within his admiral's control, and there was little that Fury would do usefully here. Checking his weapons as he strode through the ships corridors to the lift, he smirked at the twinge of excitement that trickled through him at the prospect of future bloodshed.

He arrived in the main hangar just as three shuttles started filling with troopers and a handful of other Dark Adepts, and Fury strode up the ramp of the lead shuttle, settling just behind the pilot as the ramp sealed shut and all systems flared to life.

"Launching!" the pilot yelled in warning, even as the ship bucked upward in its haste to fly after the fighter escort. The blackness of space stretched out in all directions, but Fury's focus was set on the grouping of ship dead ahead of them. Just as he had thought, the Republic was in disarray with the three ships puncturing their line of covering fire, taking a massive beating from the Sith ship's superior weaponry, and all but ignoring their approach.

A few Republic fighters tried to knock them off course, but their own escort was far faster, moving to intercept and destroy the weaker republic vessels before the transports were even touched.

As they approached the lead Republic cruiser, the fighters broke off to engage the other enemy fighters, and Septin moved to the front of the landing ramp as the shuttle touched down heavily inside their target. All lights died inside the shuttle, and for a split second everything seemed to stand still, before a crimson light flashed to life above the ramp and it slammed downward, impacting the deck below them.

Sabers flaring into being, Fury charged onto the hangar floor, immediately deflecting blaster bolts that were shot from the security personnel and Republic pilots that were still inside the hangar. Troopers surged out of the shuttle behind Fury, returning fire with their weapons, and the Republic soldiers started to fall back, giving the Dark Adept the moment he needed to charge forward, vaulting over a stack of fallen fuel tanks and landing among the retreating soldiers.

Reaching out with his anger, Fury violently pulled a pair of fleeing pilots toward him, cleaving them both in pieces and he advanced on the others, arms quickly adjusting to precisely reflect bolts back to those who shot at him, before leaping into the air again to close the last bit of distance to the doors leaving the hangar bay, cutting down a pair of security guards that had tried to keep him back while their comrades escaped. "Secure the hangar and move on to the bridge and navigation!" Fury called to his soldiers, before leaving himself to clear the way his troops would most likely take through the ship.

The cruiser rocked beneath his feet, probably their shield finally giving way to the destructive power of the Sith Battlecruisers, but the Dark Adept was more focused on clearing out pockets of soldiers that were starting to converge on the hangar from all directions. The corridors were quickly becoming one swath of dead bodies after another, but slowly Septin was pushing further through the ship, knowing that his reinforcements were right behind, cleaning up anything that he had left.

It wasn't until he reached the main freight lift of the ship that he encountered the first potentially problematic contingency. A pair of massive durasteel crates waited on the lift, but as he approached, the Republic handlers immediately hit switches on the outside, opening up the metal containers and powering on the massive assault droids that were inside.

Deflector shields activated around them as high powered auto cannons targeted the Darksider, and Fury grunted in anger as he was forced to dodge the streams of cutting bolts that immediately flooded his position. Fueled by the Dark Side, he sprinted in a wide circle around the droids, trying to find an opening to get closer, but it seemed that their defenses were far greater than even some small starships, and nothing short of assault weapons or explosives would punch through the shields and armor plating.

Checking his surroundings, Fury smirked as he spotted a large cache of weapons for his own use. Straining with the Force, Fury lifted a large box of the miscellaneous armaments, hoping for at least a few explosives somewhere in the mix, and hurled it with all his might at the nearest of the two droids, watching the explosion at the cannons tore through the crate mid flight. The droid fell backward from the explosion, albeit mostly undamaged, and Fury growled in annoyance as the droid staggered back to its feet moments later, continuing its barrage.

But there was at least an option now, with the room littered with more containers of weapons for him to use. Leading the two droids around the room, he lifted several more crates from behind them, and sent them smashing into the back of the same hulking droid, where they exploded on impact once again, but causing far more damage with the contact.

The rear droid, which he had attacked first, staggered forward into its companion, knocking it off trajectory to shoot at Fury, and the Darksider took the opportunity to leap at the front droid with his lightsabers, slashing viciously at the reinforced armor plating, tearing gashes and singing the metal in his attempts to sever the droid's head from its massive, weapon filled body.

The rest of his assault team arrived, adding their blaster fire to the din, and effectively confusing the droids, causing the pair to divert their attention from Septin as he leapt off the droid he was trying to carve up.

One pair of troopers brought up missile launchers, and started arming the weapons, which Fury realized he needed their aid with. Throwing himself forward as one of the droids targeted them, he deflected a hailstorm of plasma, before leaping for the droid's exposed optic sensors, impaling one with his blade while slashed and missing at the second. Why someone thought the droid's needed human-like faces Fury would never know, but the familiar anatomy was helpful.

Soon enough missiles were firing off at the droids, punching through shields and armor alike, and within minutes tore the pair to shreds, scattering scrap metal and sparks all over the lift.

"My, Lord!" the commanding officer of the mundane troops shouted as he approached.

"Good work, Lieutenant," Fury commended, checking the officer's rank as he spoke, "Let's go, I will lead the way to the bridge."

"As you command!" the soldier replied, hurrying back to his regiment to organize them and follow the Dark Adept.

The Republic soldiers seemed to think that their war droids would be enough to stop the boarding party, as the rest of the pockets seemed far more desperate after that. The fools even thought that sealing blast doors on the bridge would keep out a powerful user of the Dark Side, but Fury showed them by ripping the doors open with just the Force, allowing his soldier to swarm inside and open fire on the bridge.

When Fury joined them, the lieutenant was already at the consoles, downloading Republic data as quickly as their damaged systems would allow, while the other soldiers were planting explosives all around the important controls, priming and setting for remote detonation.

"Download at forty-seven percent, my Lord," the officer announced as Fury approached, "So far nothing of significance that I've noticed, but we're still hopeful."

"Good, get as much as you can before we leave," Fury stated, pulling out a comlink and contacting Admiral Odjek. "We've taken the bridge and are nearly halfway done stealing the Republic data, as well as priming this ship as a bomb."

"Excellent my Lord," the man replied, "We're receiving the data as its downloaded, and are sifting through it as quickly as we can. Return to the Manticore as soon as your mission is completed, and we will withdraw for your bomb to go off."

The connection broke, and Fury stalked about, making sure everything ran smoothly as he waited for the various troopers to finish. Periodically, a handful of Republic troops would appear, trying to stop their sabotage, but the fools were so ill prepared to face a Dark Side Adept that they were easily slaughtered even as they set foot onto the bridge.

In the middle of a particularly large push to retake the bridge, Fury felt something, and ducked as the green blade of a lightsaber flew over his head, striking a Sith trooper behind him that had been supporting the Darksider.

Looking up at the Jedi commander that come at last to defend his ship, instead of hiding like a coward, Fury smiled. Raising both sabers in his hands, he charged the brown robed figure, ignoring all other Republic filth in his hatred of the saber wielding hypocrite. Slashing high with a powerful double swing, he forced the Jedi, which was a middle aged human with dark skin, to duck, allowing him to surprise the warrior monk with a quick knee to the gut.

Sadly, it seemed that the Jedi Order was still struggling to instruct their members on how to fight wielders of the Dark Side, as from that moment the battle turned strongly to Fury's favor. With his pair of matched weapons, he was sadly able to quickly overpower the Jedi, clearly little more than a Padawan newly Knighted, and slay the man even as the Lieutenant declared the download finished, and the troopers started to pull out of the bridge.

Leading the way, Fury carved a path through the last remnants of soldiers to back to the shuttles in the hangar bay, where a fierce fight was being held to retain possession of the ships. But the surprise of Fury's return with the rest of the attack force easily stemmed the flow of Republic warriors and the Sith soldiers were able to quickly board their shuttles and flee the limping cruiser.

"We're away, move the Battlecrusiers away from the Republic Fleet." Fury commanded, watching as their shuttled fled back to the main command ship. Once the three attack ships, their shields flickering and one sporting some hull damage, pulled away, the Dark Adept turned to the demolition expert of the team, "Do it." he said calmly.

The man pressed his detonator quickly, and they watched as the Republic command ship went up in flames, a series of explosions starting in the bridge and working its way through all the systems until it was a bright fireball in the midst of the beaten and devastated fleet. It was no surprise when the remainder fled minutes later.

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Colin was sure that he hadn't been followed.

Leaving Coruscant had been an easy task, but for the assassin and bounty hunter, easy always meant that he had to be extra vigilant to compensate for any possible underhanded tactics. Although he ought to have known that the vaunted Jedi were so above such useful skills that they wouldn't attempt anything that may be considered untoward, even against someone that had infiltrated and stolen from their precious temple.

Either that or, as Draco had promised, the council was effectively deflected to other places trying to seek him, unaware of the true motives he had for what he had done.

With the Sith Amulet guiding him, Colin had made his way to the northern part of the Galaxy, to the lush and grassy world of Dantooine, where an ancient Jedi Enclave was attempting to be rebuilt for the Jedi Order, and more importantly, where his target, Jedi Master Vubud Egi, was located with the crystal that his Master desired.

The Ithorian was surprising not even related to the Jedi's efforts to rebuild their academy, but rather an old hermit that lived and wandered the grasslands of the world, dwelling in the caves that were rumored to be strong in the mystical energy that the Jedi and Sith wielded; the Force.

Colin had yet had opportunity to truly go head to head with a Jedi, having been all but forbidden from engaging them in their Temple aside from knocking a few unconscious, but they had been unaware of him and therefore it didn't truly count as a challenge of skill.

He was looking forward to meeting and fighting this quarry head on, proving to the Emperor that he had only one truly loyal and powerful assassin in his arsenal.

Soaring over the fields and hills, Colin quickly found a secluded place to land, far from any settlements so he could move about unobserved. This world was still so very rural and deserted that the villages that even had spaceports were so far separated that it left large gaps in their ability to monitor incoming ships, which made his stealthy approach all the easier.

Descending from the ramp of his ship, Colin withdrew the amulet, pointing it this way and that until the deep glow intensified, directing him to the south-east, and toward his prey. Smirking, Colin pressed a small switch in his gauntlet, which lowered a part of his ship's cargo bay, revealing the modified swoop bike that he acquired and retrofitted with magi-tech to give the one man transport extra power and speed.

It would be his primary mode of transportation as he hunting this Jedi Master across the planet. Colin had heard many tales of their power, including their ability to push their physical bodies to the limit and run as fast as some speeders, so he had acquired the fastest he could, and made sure to master the vehicle until he felt quite at home in the seat as on his own legs.

There were little to none that could escape him on foot now, and his final test approached. Launching out across the grasslands of the planet, Colin blindly followed the glow of the pendant on his chest, bouncing every so often when he had to avoid obstacles that occasionally littered the otherwise smooth ground. Several times he had to drastically alter his course due to the troublesome terrain, and once to avoid a particularly large group of Kath hounds that were lounging in a knot of trees directly in his path.

While the Assassin was sure he could easily eliminate the beasts without trouble, the unnecessary noise might and slew of bodies would attract unwanted notice, and word could travel faster than he ever could. The last thing he wanted was the Jedi getting tipped off than he was coming and escape his clutches.

A handful of farming settlements also whizzed by, but Colin paid them no heed, choosing to doggedly follow the amulet's course toward his prey. Pleasing Lord Veneficus took priority over everything else, including his personal safety at times, and Colin was not willing to disappoint the Emperor like many of his other servants had or will yet.

He had been specially chosen to come with Veneficus when the other wizard had first returned to their world, after securing the Ravenclaw, Hermione Granger, for her transport to a special place that the Assassin didn't know or care about where was.

In time Colin started seeing faint marks of some other vehicle ahead of him, and could only presume that the Jedi was on the move himself. That did explain some of the sudden and strange course changes when he was so much farther away, however with how quickly he caught up Colin couldn't imagine that the Jedi was aware that he was being tracked just yet, unless he knew and was leading Colin into a trap himself as well…

Eventually the speeder itself was spotted, resting idle near a cliff face near a bare grove of twisted trees. Next to it was a looming cavern entrance, and Colin presumed that the Jedi had fled inside, probably hoping that the vile kinrath that lived inside the dark places of this planet would help protect him. Unfortunately, the unintelligent insectoids would prove a less than adequate defense against Colin, he mused, leaping from the swoop bike as he came to a stop beside the speeder.

Drawing his wand quickly, Colin waved it a few times, going through a complicated location spell to see if the Jedi was indeed inside the cave. Normally he would just do the human revealer spell first, but as he knew that his quarry was in fact a nonhuman species, the spell would do nothing. Wizards were somewhat foolish in the regard that they made so many spells specifically against their own kind, even when they lived in a world with goblins and other sentient humanoid creatures.

Finishing the spell with a flourish, Colin was greeted by a small burst of lights behind his eyes, which showed him all the living things within the cave. Towards the center, a large mass of insects were burrowing, probably the kinrath nesting area with their matriarch. At the same time, in a much farther dead end cavern, one other creature was waiting, which Colin could only presume to be the Jedi, as it was something he had not sensed before through this spell.

Now came the tricky part. Insects like the kinrath did not see with their eyes when locating prey or enemies, they relied on smell and sensing the disturbance in the ground. That meant that Colin had to worry less about being seen, although he would still disillusion himself anyway, and concern himself more with masking his passage and smell to be able to stealthily sneak past the swarm of creatures in the cave.

As easy as it would be to just level the cave with a few thermal detonators, he actually needed something that the Jedi had, and killing him would therefore not be enough. From a saddlebag of the swoop Colin pulled several antitoxin bags, just in case, and approached the cavern opening, weaving muffling spells and other defensive wards around himself, all but disappearing from most of the natural senses. These had worked well inside the Jedi Temple, but he wasn't sure how it would stand up to a lone Jedi with no other sentients nearby for Colin to be confused with.

Silently, he slipped into the darkness of the cave, letting night vision goggles do most of the work of allowing him to see, and keeping a sharp eye out in case the kinrath spotted him and decided to attack. The first interesting thing that Colin noticed however, wasn't the creatures, but the crystals of the cave.

There were massive growths of the mineral deposits all over the cave walls, each shining with various colors and hues. It explained why the Jedi had come here, whether or not he knew Colin was following. Colin had read that these sort of crystal caves were natural locations strong in the energy field called the Force, and that Jedi and Sith alike flocked to them for guidance and to feel the flow of power through the cosmos that echoed off the crystals.

It was something like a sacred place to them, and while Colin felt nothing for their strange brand of religion and magic, he still could sense that there was something special about this place. Soon enough he neared the kinrath nest, knowing it by the appearance of the hulking forms of the male breeding variants. They hadn't noticed him yet, so he still had a high likelihood of slipping past unnoticed, but he was still awestruck when he entered the nest to see the mountains of crystals that overflowed in the main room here.

The kinrath queen even has several growing out of its body. It wasn't hard to assume that this was one of the oldest nesting grounds on Dantooine, probably left undisturbed for many years. Edging around the very outskirts of the room, Colin happily made it through without disturbing the insectoids however, and gladly continued his hunt without dealing with them.

Down another passage, and the kinrath all but vanished, before the cave came to an abrupt dead end. Crystals were growing here as well, and sitting in the very middle in a clear meditative pose, was the Ithorian Jedi Master that the Assassin had come for.

"I trust that you didn't bother either the kinrath or the crystals on your way inside, their ecosystem already is in so much peril…" the Jedi said, looking up as Colin approached.