Thank you very much to everyone for reviewing/favourite'ing/following my story. I apologise for the delay.

planetsmasher: Thank you. I was very pleased with the landscape description and I'm glad that you like it. I have to admit writing villains with depth is one of my biggest problems. I can't make any promises but I'll try.


Kory sensed that something was wrong. The Force felt oddly unclear somehow, like looking into muddy water. She focused her mind, seeking the source of the clouding effect.

There!

Realising he'd been spotted Zabo snarled as he drew a double-bladed lightsabre. Two crimson blades blazed to life. He sprang at Kory to deliver a killing blow but she blocked the attack with her green blade.

"Get back" she called to the Evocii. Both of them withdrew, allowing her to focus entirely on the Sith Assassin.

Zabo went into a furious offensive flurry, seeking to break through her defences with pure aggression. He slashed high and low from alternating sides or jabbed his weapon forwards like a spear. Kory met his fury with calm, maintaining her still, quiet centre as she parried each attack.

Having trained as a Jedi Consular her primary focus had been on the development of her Force abilities and diplomatic skills. Despite this she understood all too well the necessity of combat ability in the war against the Empire and so she had not neglected the development of her duelling skills.

Zabo by contrast had trained almost entirely as a Sith Assassin. His focus was upon striking when least expected, preferably against vulnerable targets, and then killing them instantly with a blindingly fast offensive. He had little experience against anyone that could last long enough to fight back.

She sidestepped a vicious stab and then came at him with a fast series of high and low cuts. Completely unprepared for her sudden switch from defence to attack, Zabo was forced to give ground. His double-bladed weapon provided more surface area for parrying but it lacked precision.

Despite this he was still a Sith Lord. As such he had no qualms with what others would deem cowardly tactics.

Like taking a hostage for example.

He jumped back, giving himself just enough time to fling out an arm to his left. A teenage boy who had been watching the duel cried out as he was lifted off his feet and pulled towards the Sith.

Kory's focus immediately shifted from winning the duel to saving the boy. She had to divide her attention between applying her own Force powers to break his hold on the hostage and anticipating his next move. It was far from easy but she managed to halt the boy in mid-air while narrowly dodging a stab aimed at her heart.

Before she could counter-attack or her foe strike again, a blaster shot rang out. Zabo stiffened and then fell forwards where he lay still, smoke rising from his back where the bolt had hit him. The boy dropped lightly to the ground.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

He nodded, shaken but unhurt.

Huttsbane glared at the Evocii who had fired the shot and was now holding his rifle in a white-knuckled grip. "You fool! If you had just stunned him we could have interrogated him."

"Go easy on him" said Kory. "He saw a child was in danger and saved him."

"True" he agreed, his anger rapidly cooling. "I'm sorry Benji, you did well."

"Thank you Huttsbane and you Jedi" he replied.

"Still, it's a shame we can't get any information out of him now" Huttsbane mused.

"I don't think we could have gotten anything out of him anyway" she said. "He was a Sith."

"But why would a Sith come here? We are no threat to the Empire" said Juxx.

"Wait, Huttsbane, didn't you say that Nem'ro's factories had increased production recently?" Kory asked.

"That's right."

"If Nem'ro has formed an alliance with the Empire then that would explain the increased production. It would also mean he's broken the Hutt Cartel's neutrality policy. If we can prove this then the Cartel would have to declare him a traitor."

"Hurting Nem'ro is always good." said Huttsbane. "We were planning to send a team to his main factory to sabotage it and make it look like a rival Hutt was behind it. While we're there maybe we can get the proof we need and find out about Uatu and Dr. Hale too. You're welcome to come with us Jedi. Your help would be invaluable."

"I'd be honoured" she replied.


The plan was simple. The Evocii had managed to acquire a cargo transport which they would drive into the factory with the strike team hidden inside. Once they were in they'd plant explosives at key points needed to destroy the building. Before leaving they would access the central computer and see if there was any evidence of Imperial collaboration. To reduce the risk of suspicion Kory drove the transport.

The guard at the security kiosk was bored and hungover. He waved her through with barely a glance. She drove the transport to the cargo bay and parked it. Sensing that there were no observers she went around to the back and opened the access hatch.

"The coast is clear" she said, stepping back as Huttsbane and a dozen warriors piled out.

"Let's get to the main assembly line" said Huttsbane.

They arrived at the assembly line to find it was completely deserted. The conveyor belts that should have been carrying various chemical containers were all still and empty.

"What's going on here?" Benji said as he looked around in confusion.

A booming laugh echoed around the chamber as numerous thugs emerged from their hiding places, all armed with military-grade rifles. More gunmen appeared on the upper level, pointing their weapons down at them.

The laughter came from a Houk that stood in front of the others. He also held a rifle and had a tech-staff strapped to his back.

"That's Carnus, Nem'ro's right-hand man" growled Huttsbane.

"Stupid savages" Carnus laughed. "Your Zabrak buddy told us about your plan. Took a while to torture it out of him but worth it. Now you pay for defying mighty Nem'ro."

Kory clenched a fist and focused on staying calm as she resisted the temptation to let loose a blast of Force energy and pulverise Carnus where he stood.

"Death to Nem'ro!" Huttsbane yelled. He and his men opened fire, the thugs instantly responding in kind. Energy bolts flew back and forth across the chamber.

Deflecting a volley of blaster fire, Kory thrust her hand forwards, releasing a wave of energy at the shooters on the upper level. All of them were knocked sprawling.

"Get to the next level" she yelled.

Five of the Evocii broke off from the main group and ran for the stairway. She cleared the way for them by using the Force to hurl pieces of equipment at the thugs, forcing them to scatter.

Carnus was not so easily swayed. He rushed forwards, shouldering aside the debris and firing his rifle at the Evocii. She responded by leaping in front of him and slicing his weapon's barrel off. He tossed it away as he stepped back and drew his tech-staff.

A wave of her hand sent another piece of debris flying at him but he contemptuously batted it away and laughed.

"Women should not be warriors. Women soft" he sneered.

She calmly raised her blade. "Test that assumption if you wish."

Carnus attacked with brutal overhead blows, trying to break through her guard with pure strength. Kory dodged his attacks with quick evasions or deflected them rather than meet them head-on. She counter-attacked with fast slashes but the enforcer was surprisingly quick and skilled. He blocked each one, taking full advantage of his weapon's length to stay out of her range.

"Little Jedi dance around like Twi'lek slave" he said mockingly. "Maybe you be a good slave for Nem'ro."

She ignored the taunt and continued guiding his blows away, waiting for the right opening.

The Force alerted her to a Devaronian standing to the side, out of her line of sight, and taking aim at her with a blaster rifle. As he fired she spun and intercepted the bolt with her blade. It bounced back the way it had come and the Devaronian fell, a burned hole in his chest.

However the distraction cost her dearly as Carnus moved in and drove his fist up into her ribs. Only Force-enhanced durability kept them from shattering. Even then she was lifted into the air by the strength of the punch and fell to the floor. Her lightsabre dropped from her hand, the blade going out, as she lay gasping for air.

Carnus snorted and raised his weapon for the killing blow.

Maintaining her focus, refusing to give in to the easy path of fear and anger, Kory let the Force flow through her. With it she levitated a dropped rifle and sent it hurtling through the air to smash into the back of Carnus's knee. He roared in rage as he stumbled and fought to stay upright.

Before he could recover Kory sprang up, reactivating her lightsabre as she did so. One diagonal swing across his barrel-like chest ended Carnus's life.

Sparing him a brief look of regret she rejoined the fray, batting away bolts or pelting the thugs with thrown objects. They had the advantage of numbers and better weapons but the Evocii had better teamwork. More importantly they were fighting to save their children while the thugs were fighting only for money. Soon all of them were slain, except for one, a human, who dropped his gun and fell to his knees.

"I surrender, don't shoot!"

"Give me one good reason not to" Huttsbane snarled.

"Your Zabrak buddy is being thrown to the beasts tonight. I know a secret way into the palace" he said quickly. "Spare my life and I'll get you inside."

"What about Dr. Hale? Is he all right?" Kory asked.

"He's fine. Nem'ro needed a new doctor so he was put to work in the palace" he replied.

She turned to Huttsbane. "I believe what he says."

"All right, but he's coming with us. If he leads us into another trap I'll kill him in a heartbeat" the Evocii leader said.

"Thank you" the man said, looking as if he was about to pass out with relief.

"Right now let's get on with why we came here."