Belsavis, an ancient prison world of the lost, Rakatan Empire. For years the Republic has used this secluded planet as a dungeon to lock away some of its most dangerous threats. That is, until the Empire had discovered this great secret. The Sith launched large a massive jailbreak to free their former brethren from incarceration. Since the initial jailbreak the Republic has boosted its security over the remaining cell blocks. Though, no amount of reinforcements could steer the Empire away from such an illustrious target.
The nature of this mission made Zavron's entrance into Belsavis more challenging. Not only did he have to break an inmate out of one of the most well guarded prisons in the known universe, he had to do so without attracting the Empire's attention. Supporting an enemy of Sith Intelligence could be viewed as treason in the eyes of the Dark Council. Luckily, the Empire was not the only group who had friends trapped on Belsavis.
The Annihilators were a band of pirates based near Dantooine. With the proper suggestion Zavron was able to impose his will over the entire crew. Whilst an armada of mercenary ships attacked the Republic, the Ebb Tide pulled into its destination.
As he explored the Rakkatan tombs he could spot the inmate camps. After the initial attack on the prison, several groups were able to secure their own sectors of the prison. By now, the most valued political prisoners had either rejoined the Empire or were moved to the maximum security cells. Those remaining in the camp were considered too unimportant to risk extraction. Though the Empire had already recalled most of its ground forces they still supplied the free inmates with weapons and supplies. This was done to maintain the prisoners trust if further jailbreaks were needed.
The Empire's strategy failed to account for the value of military support. Without Imperial troops the convicts were doomed to failure. Many of the camps had been forced into smaller and smaller pockets of territory. Without greater assistance it would be unlikely for the inmates to survive the next year.
The Zabrak casually passed through the camp in search of the right person to speak with. The camp was segregated by species, each tribe of criminals respected the other's boundaries, with the exception of one large tent intersected them all.
The Sith made his way into the tent as he saw a human examining a tactical map of the prison along with a female Trandoshan on his right and a Rattataki on his left. The human had shaggy, grey hair and a cybernetic chin, beneath a thick mustache. The Trandoshan carried a sharp double blade on its back. She had tattered, heavy armor and was missing an eye. The Rattataki was tall and muscular with piercings all over his face and scars between his lips. As the acolyte came closer the human grinded his teeth in frustration.
"Well what do we have here?" The human snickered. "It looks like the Empire has finally decided to get its hands dirty. I bet the guards are already retreating." He laughed.
"I don't care for your tone, criminal." Zavron hissed. The Trandoshan snarled back as the Rattataki gripped his rifle.
"Relax, it was only a joke. It's good to have a sense of humor when you stand at death's door. Now tell me friend, what can we do for you?"
"I need your slicers to locate a specific prisoner."
The rebel twirled a strand of his hair. "My, my, that is a tall order. I'd love to help you out on your quest, but as you can see our resources are already spread pretty thin. Perhaps if you helped us with an errand or two, we could be of service to you."
Zavron scowled. He knew he was being used but it was important to find Djannis as soon as possible. "Name your terms."
Hutt SpaceOn the bridge of Shoust's cruiser, Mugen stared deep into the stars as Tarkona approached.
"The preparations have been made for our arrival. My friends on Nar Shaddaa are already looking into the target."
"Good." The Sith Lord sighed.
The Twi'lek furrowed her brow. "Something wrong? You've been acting strange ever since we left Korriban."
Mugen cringed at the word. "Korriban," she repeated with a grimace, "I've always hated that place. It's a constant reminder of my life before I met my master; a life without meaning. For centuries we all repeated the same trends, fighting, dying, and hating, all for the greater glory of the Empire, or so we claimed. Honesty, peace, and friendship, were all considered a weakness by our code."
"What about your parents?" Tarkona inquired.
"I was born to an old family of Sith Lords. They were both horrid creatures, as dumb as Tuk'ata and as viscous as Terentateks. Their only redeeming quality was their combined knowledge of cruelty. It still comes in handy whenever I feel the need for aggression.
In hindsight, I don't think they ever like each other, they just married because they were expected to breed strong children, like their parents did. It felt like we were only mimicking life, not living it. I always thought I was tied down to that rock-to that life, until Verudan showed me a different path."
Tarkona spoke freely. "At least you had a home. I've been running for so long that I don't really remember what my home used to look like. Trust me red, traveling the stars isn't all it's cracked up to be, especially when they're blasters behind you and a lot of death ahead of you."
Shoust leaned closer towards her companion. "You don't have to run anymore, Blue, cause when you have a team you're already home."
The Rutian was silent for a brief moment before smiling. "Thanks!"
The Pureblood smiled back as her hand gently twined between Tarkona's fingers. Together, the touch of their skin was ecstatic. The sensation blended the passionate warmth of a Sith with the tempered coolness of an experienced mercenary. Mugen bit her bottom lip as Tarkona's lekku slowly danced behind her back. As their faces drew closer the pilot's voice rang over the intercom.
"We've reached Nar Shaddaa Captain. Awaiting further orders…" Said the Zeltron.
Tarkona quickly shuffled to the room's comms button to reply. "Assemble the crew in the mission control room."
"Understood."
She sighed, before glancing back at Lord Shoust. "I have to go."
"Of course," Shoust concurred. "Far be it from me to keep you from earning your pay." Mugen brushed a hand across the Twi'lek's cheek. "Somehow, I doubt that I ever could."
On KorribanVerudan examined the security footage again. He rewound the recordings to catch sight of the culprits' faces. Not only had the Republic been able to enter the Sith homeworld of Korriban, they had also killed a member of the Dark Council and stolen a valuable date from the Sith Academy. As soon as news of the Incursion was reported, Verudan was appointed to oversee the recapturing of Korriban and the investigation which would naturally follow.
He zoomed in on the face of the Jedi who had executed Darth Soverus. He recognized this face vividly to be the dreaded Hero of Tython. It was no surprise to Darth Verudan that the hero defeated a Dark Councilor so easily, being that this was the very same Jedi who overcame the Emperor. Still, the thought that such an enemy could pierce the heart of the Empire was unsettling to morale. The Dark Lord hurled a bolt of lightning at the monitor so intensely that the heat from the electricity had evaporated the screen's glass on impact, leaving a smoldering black hole in its place.
"Bad timing?" An ominous figure asked after emerging from the shadows. The blood crimson figure with a feathered helm moved into the light revealing himself. This was Darth Mathias, the youngest and contestably the most dangerous Sith on the Dark Council. Many Lords saw Mathias as a blight to their culture, representing the very worst of the upcoming generation of Sith, but he was now Verudan's ally.
"Not at all," Verudan assured. "I could use a distraction right about now."
"Then I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. The council has sent me to observe your progress in the investigation."
Verudan scoffed. "The Council-since when do you follow their orders?"
"I don't." Mathias hissed. "Usually I would discipline any other Sith for addressing me in such a tone but you are not just any other Sith, are you?" Mathias stared through Verudan.
"Your actions are arbitrary to say the least Darth Verudan. Nominating me, a Sith you have never met before, to one of the highest positions in the Empire and actually having the influence to secure the vote is intriguing. I've looked into your background with the Empire, aside from seeing your name in some of our greatest victories, you barely exist. How does a Sith of your power remain hidden for so long and why do you meddle in the Council's affairs now?"
Verudan moved in front of Mathias. With each step in his advancement, Mathias could feel the energy being drained from his body. He rapidly drew his saber and swung it at the Phantom Lord only to see it miss his frame entirely. Verudan's eyes glowed as Mathias dropped to his knees, in mere seconds the Dark Councilor was groveling in pain as Verudan deactivated the lightsaber. He knelt to the ground and whispered into Mathias' ears. "I would like to make this very clear, so that our dialogue never needs repeating: details regarding my prior history, my current agenda, or my plans for the future shall only be shared with the Council if I feel the need to disclose them. If I don't, then they are classified and shall remain a mystery. Anyone who violates the terms of this arrangement I have with the council shall be terminated with extreme prejudice."
Verudan released his force hold, allowing Mathias to rise. Mathias breathed heavily as he stood up and received his lightsaber from the Phantom Lord. Verudan shook Mathias' hand as he continued to speak, but in a more pleasant tone. "It was a pleasure to finally meet you Darth Mathias. I know you will do excellent things on the Council if your invasion of Tython was any indication. Feel free stop by whenever you wish to discuss these matters further."
Mathias withdrew his hand with a scowl as the Phantom returned to his desk. "I'll be back." The Dark Councilor swore.
On Belsavis…Zavron exchanged names with the leadership of the prisoner camp. The ringleader was a human called Brennek Desaar; his lieutenants were a Rattataki named Kallum, and the Trandoshan Quivok. To ensure the group's survival Brennek would need to lock down the neighboring wing of the prison. Although his camp had weapons and large numbers of inmates the Warden had brought in Balmorran battle droids, making it impossible for Desaar to take the wing through sheer aggression. Luckily, the wing had terminals with access to the entire prison mainframe and his new Sith ally was in need of his slicers.
The Sith obliged the camp leader's request. Together they planned a breach on the facility.
"You and Kallum will sneak into the facility during the shift change. Quivok and I will amass our reinforcements to flank both sides of the wings as soon as the doors open."
"I don't need a babysitter!" Zavron hissed. "Your lackey will only slow me down."
"This isn't negotiable Sith." Kallum growled. "What Brennek says goes."
"If you have a problem with that you should look for help elsewhere." The Trandoshan hissed in her native tongue.
Zavron glared at the two cronies before Desaar moved in between the three of them. "Easy guys, I'm sure our new friend meant well." He said with a reassuring tone. He slowly moved Zavron away from the table, staying at a range close enough to ensure his safety.
Brennek spoke softly beneath his breath. "Please forgive my associate Kallum, he has a rough way of saying it but he has a point. Of all my men he is most familiar with the Wing-because he had already broken out of it when he first found my camp. He won't slow you down." Desaar affirmed. "Besides, if you really need a slicer Kallum is as good as they come." Brennek smiled. "Let's get back to work."
Brennek and Zavron rejoined the table with the disgruntled duo. Desaar's fingers glided over the schematics, pointing the route to the control room. "Remember to deactivate the droids before you give us the signal. We wouldn't want you to wreck our new toys before we got a chance to play with them."
The prisoners laughed as Zavron's lips curled. "Let's get this over with."
The Sith spotted the vacant guard post through a pair of optics. "Advance!"
Zavron and Kallum swiftly passed through the checkpoint before new guards shuffled in. Together the boosted one another into an air duct leading into the facility. Once Kallum had cut through the vent both men dropped to the floor. They quickly noticed two silhouettes approaching their room.
Both infiltrators hid along the frame of the door. As Kallum drew his knife in preparation, Zavron waved in protest, signaling that he would handle it himself. As the door opened Zavron hurled both guards forward, rendering them unconscious.
He crept out of the room but immediately returned when he heard two blaster shots. "What are you doing!?" He yelled quietly. "They weren't going to wake up."
"Now they'll never wake up." The Rattataki grunted before facing the Sith at eye level. "I'm not sure how things work on the outside, but around here we don't leave loose ends. Try not to be so soft." Kallum adjured, as he holstered his weapon. He could see the fire in the Zabrak's eyes but knew that nothing could be done until they reached the control room.
Kallum rushed through the corridors, as the Sith followed in support. With each passing moment Zavron's hatred for the convict grew exponentially. It was clear to Zavron why no one had tried to rescue this Rattataki. Kallum was a monster through and through, the type of man who was too immoral to be of value to the Republic and too defiant to serve the Empire. He deliberately butchered patrollers who could have easily been avoided and almost compromised his position while doing so. He was a talented brawler but too bloodthirsty to ever truly master the art of killing.
The last corridor ahead of the control room was filled with guards and Republic Troopers. Kallum dashed into the hallway, plunging his knife into a shouting guard before using the body as a shield. The Sith used the diversion to his advantage. After cloaking himself in the force, he lept through the hallway, unsheathing his golden saberstaff in midair to strike down both of the heavy troopers. As the other guards heard the sounds of agony they turned to fire at the Sith. Zavron instantly grabbed a thermite grenade from one of the troopers' belts and lobbed it at the remaining guards. To accelerate the explosion he struck the grenade with a chained bolt of lightning, making the blast unavoidable to the paralyzed guards beneath it.
Kallum walked past the charred and scattered remains, leaving one of the guards to burn alive. He unpacked his gear at the doorway and proceed to slice the door.
As soon as the door opened a rocket flew out towards the intruders. Zavron impeded the blast but was forced back from its shockwave. From a distance he could see another Rattataki, a female encased in carbonate. "Kaliyo." He thought aloud.
Kallum returned fire by the doorway but was pinned by the supporting fire of a large Vanguard. The rest of the squad rushed the prisoner out of the room as the Vanguard stood behind to secure the droids as several technicians attempted to activate them.
Zavron paced through the open doorway to deflect fire with his saberstaff as Kallum advanced into cover. The Vanguard pulled back to fire a harpoon through the Sith's torso, pulling him in front of the trooper. He butted Zavron with his minigun and prepared to fire his sidearm, but when Sith spun to the floor he gazed into the trooper eye's and overcame his opponent's mind.
The Vanguard's hands trembled as he shot each of the remaining technicians. His arm folded as his hand pressed the blaster to his temple.
"Nononononononono"-BANG!
The Vanguard collapsed beside Zavron, along with the smoking blaster pistol. Kallum walked over to Zavron to steal the armor off of the trooper's corpse. "Looks like Brennek was right about you. Even I didn't see that one coming." Kallum said whilst polishing his new helmet. He ran over to the control panel to activate the holo recorder.
A blue hologram of Brennek Desaar appeared in the room as Kallum began typing. "About time! For a moment there I thought you wouldn't make it."
"We have the droids and ran out the guards," Kallum reported. "The rest of the plan should go accordingly."
Zavron winced as he pulled the harpoon out. "It'll take more than a few troopers to defeat a Sith."
"Is that so?" Brennek grinned. "Well that's a shame, but I guess if you want the job to be done right it's best to do it yourself…Kal."
The Balmorran Droids moved into formation, surrounding the wounded Sith at gunpoint.
"What is the meaning of this?" Zavron growled.
"No loose ends." Kallum retorted.
To Be Continued…