Chapter 2
10 Years Prior
Tosin had accepted his master's command; he would have agreed to anything, anything to make the pain stop. But now, now that he was alone, now that it was gone …
He found himself standing before a modest home on the outskirts of New Adasta. Here, the buildings lacked the towering magnificence of the capital, but there was a completeness about them, a sturdiness and solid feel that seemed to stand in defiance of the cityscape. After all, did these homes not protect its denizens from the rain and wind? Did they not shelter and nurture the children within as well as any skyscraper apartment could do?
He reached out his hand to knock on the front door, but the sound of lively conversation emanating from within gave him pause.
His first thought was of escape. It was always escape. That flicker of hope that told him he could flee the capital, flee the planet, start a new life somewhere free of the Sith intrigues, the Imperial hierarchies, the deadly dance of a slave's life amongst his masters.
It always held for a second or two, before reality snuffed it out. There was no escape.
Peace is a lie. There is only passion.
He had no choice.
Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power.
There would be only one route to freedom.
Through power, victory.
Tosin knocked on the door before him. He heard laughter inside, followed immediately by a man's warm and welcoming voice. "Just a moment, I'll be right there!"
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The door swung open. " … Tosin? Brother, is that really you?"
The Force shall free me.
Tosin activated his lightsaber and watched as the crimson light magnified the dawning horror that spread across the faces of his only brother and his family; a horror matched only by the despair he felt swallow his soul.
3637 BBY
The profiles Quen sent over were meticulous. Detailed biographies, thorough threat assessments of each target, and comprehensive analysis of their strengths, favored tactics, and vulnerabilities were all organized in easy-to-follow dossiers. Rend had to hand it to her; Quen excelled at her work.
He spent the shuttle ride to the Langxi district poring over his datapad. He knew some Sith favored the brash and brazen approach, preferring to leverage surprise and sheer viciousness to overwhelm opponents; Rend was not such a Sith. Years of studying under Darth Siphon had taught him that a well-coordinated plan often brought more success and at less cost.
The mercenaries his master wanted eliminated were once known as the "Dread Hunters;" Quen's intelligence suggested they had undertaken a naming transition for obvious reasons, the similarity to the Dread Master's forces likely an unwelcome comparison after those particular Dark Lords had betrayed the Empire. The group itself was comprised of a dozen or so bounty hunters, elite operatives, and even a few ex-Imperial Intelligence. None seemed worth the trouble of dispatching two of Siphon's strongest disciples; at least, not until Rend came across the name Vandal Pike.
Pike had become moderately well-known in the last half year; there were few bounty hunters who were as well-known for their success rate on Ziost, and Pike only took on the toughest of jobs. The last bounty he brought in was for the Dark Council - a powerful Jedi Knight who posed a consistent thorn in the Council's side. Rumor had it that Pike had challenged the Jedi to single combat … and prevailed. If any knew the details of such a capture, none yet had managed to spread the tale.
The bounty hunter was an all around mystery. Much like Rend's master, none had ever seen the man's face. Rend briefly wondered why that was.
Regardless, it made sense then, that Siphon would want to deny her opponent Pike's service. Rend only wished his master had sent someone other than Lord Andora to join him. The twi'lek warrior reveled in bloodshed and butchery; that in itself might not have constituted a weakness, but his tendency to rely on brute force and refusal to comply with any arrangement that called for subtlety often precluded the execution of any coordinated effort.
Rend had no choice in the matter though; choice of partners was a luxury that could not be afforded during a Kaggath.
He arrived dutifully at the rendezvous point, a small commercial hub just south of the target coordinates Quen had provided. Adjusting his loose-fitting robes slightly to compensate for the four hour ride, he made his way to a nondescript market. The sun was just beginning to cross the horizon; Andora had already arrived, pacing restlessly as he waited, crimson lekku swaying slightly against the breeze that had picked up over Langxi. The twi'lek wore similarly dark robes over a flexible suit of plasteel armor, tinted black with shades of red. Some might have found the look imposing, though Rend was not impressed.
"About time. I was beginning to think you had fallen to Visaj," greeted Andora impatiently.
Rend ignored him. "Looks like they've set up a makeshift headquarters at one of Orthas' estates. If we infiltr-"
"Forget that. I just watched the whole gang strut into the local cantina. We'll catch these Dread Guard knockoffs by surprise and massacre everything alive."
Andora's intentions were as expected, but the twi'lek's insistence on a direct approach was nevertheless aggravating. Rend struggled to keep his voice calm - better to save his anger for their enemies. "Andora. Our master would not have sent the pair of us if we were dealing with just any band of mercenaries."
"Is that it?" Andora sneered. "I waited for you out of courtesy, Rend, but I've no need to offer respect to a coward. Come with me or no, I'm going to finish this."
Even as Rend shouted "Wait!" the twi'lek had already whirled around and sprang into motion. Unable to deter his partner from proceeding and unwilling to sacrifice the advantage of another Sith at his side, Rend had no choice but to follow.
10 Years Prior
"Brother … Tosin … what are you doing?"
Tears welled up in Tosin's eyes, his grip on his lightsaber flimsy and shaking. "I'm sorry, Torio. I'm so sorry! I don't have a choice!"
Torio fell to his knees, careful to stay as far away from the humming blade of light as he could. "Yes you do, Brother! Please, don't do this!"
Tosin shook his head. "If I don't … she'll find out. She'll find me, and kill me. It's you or me … and I d-don't want to d-die …" There was a pause, as Tosin struggled to keep his vision clear, glancing from Torio to his wife - Tosin's sister-in-law, Yaraline - and back again.
It was Yaraline who broke the silence, her voice cold as stone. " … you coward."
The accusation took Tosin by surprise. Coward? It wasn't his fault … he didn't … he couldn't … is that really what he was?
"Yara," said Torio, shooting his wife a pleading look.
"No, Torio. He is a coward. He's willing to … to do whatever he's about to do, just to save his own sorry hide. It's pathetic. It's disgusting!"
More than her words, it was her tone that sparked the fire in Tosin. That sound of judgment, of contempt … what right did she have to say these things? She had no idea what he had been through, the tortures he had endured, the suffering that consumed almost every waking moment of his life! How dare she judge him?
Embrace the anger, apprentice. Do not hold it back.
"Tosin, NO!"
But it was too late. He sailed through the air, gripping his lightsaber more tightly than he had ever done before.
3637 BBY
They reached the cantina in minutes; it stood at least three stories, and was abuzz with activity. Night had fallen, and it seemed the bar was a favorite spot of the locals just getting off their shifts. Rend noted most of the patrons were human; it was to be expected among this part of the planet. Racial diversity was not a pressing concern for a culture that valued only specific races and - perhaps more tellingly - enslaved others.
The twi'lek Sith didn't stop for a moment before striding into the cantina and demanded the attention of their quarry, all hope of stealth or subtlety thrown to the wind.
"Dread Hunters … my master demands your extermination!"
Rend's only signal that his partner intended to begin combat was the gush of Andora's lightsaber extending. At the sight, most of the civilians and cantina staff dove for the nearest possible shelter; Andora didn't wait for confirmation before moving to strike down any who remained standing.
The cantina exploded in a cacophony of blaster bolts as the Dread Hunters pulled out their weapons and began firing. Rend didn't bother activating his own blade, choosing instead to leap up to one of the interior balconies overlooking the rest of the bar in an effort to get a better vantage point and pinpoint the greatest threat: Vandal Pike.
Fortunately, Andora had drawn all the attention of their enemies. Even sporting armor, the twi'lek sailed through the air with furious intent, his movements so quick that Rend could barely keep up with them; what Rend did see hinted at smatterings of both Ataru and Juyo, deftly transitioned and expertly executed. One by one, Andora cut down the mercenaries with swift strikes of his lightsaber, pausing only to fall into Soresu to better deflect incoming blaster fire.
Lord Rend briefly contemplated summoning a force storm to aid the battle, but decided Andora had things well in hand. He refocused his own efforts on locating Pike, but the notorious bounty hunter was nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, his partner had almost cut down every single mercenary - and doubtless a few innocent bystanders - foolish enough to have remained standing.
Could Quen have been wrong? Perhaps Pike had never been with these mercenaries … or perhaps he had remained at Orthas' makeshift stronghold.
The answer came quickly enough as a jetpack sprang to life with a roar and a missile launcher ejected a deadly explosive aimed straight at Andora. The twi'lek Sith leaped out of the way in the nick of time, only to be forced instantly on the defensive with a hail of rapid fire blaster shots from above.
Rend recognized the black skull painted on the bounty hunter's armor from Agent Quen's profiles: it was Pike. He watched as Pike hovered in midair just below his position on the interior balcony, covered from head to toe in heavy armor and sporting a whirring jetpack, still unleashing a relentless assault of energy bolts. He realized that Pike must have taken shelter the moment Andora made his announcement, doubtless to better assess the situation, just as Rend would have done had he been in the same situation.
He didn't have the time to offer unspoken adulations to his enemy, however; Pike's assault had taken Andora by surprise and it was clear Rend's partner favored being on offense rather than on defense. Rend was no master duelist and even he could see the sloppy movements and unnecessary openings that began to reveal themselves in Andora's stance. Rend needed to provide an opportunity for Andora to regain his momentum.
A surge of electricity crackled to life in his hand; just as he prepared to fling it at Pike's hovering form below him however, the bounty hunter somehow anticipated the attack, whirling around and firing a miniature rocket at Rend's position. "Not gonna happen," said Pike, his voice distorted through his heavy metal helmet.
Rend barely managed convert the electricity in his hand to a static barrier, absorbing all the kinetic energy of the missile; the smell of smoke and fire assailed his nostrils as the explosion whipped harmlessly about him.
Had Pike known Rend's position all along? … how had he known Rend was about to strike?
As the smoke dissipated Rend launched himself into motion, strafing the balcony while flinging bolts of lightning towards the bounty hunter, narrowly missing every time as Pike dodged mid-flight, defiant and nonchalant.
"Fool!" shouted Andora. "I'll tear you limb from limb! You won't survive this contest!"
Though Rend's attacks had failed, they still provided the opening his partner needed to regain the offensive. Already, the twi'lek had taken to the air, crimson blade readied to deal the fatal blow. Before it could connect, more blaster fire from the only remaining mercenary forced Andora down. A furious wail hissed out of Andora's mouth as he instantly redirected his attention to his latest attacker, a man who too late chose an attempt to escape. In one swift motion, the twi'lek had severed the mercenary in half from shoulder to waist.
The distraction had left Andora vulnerable, however, and Rend saw Vandal Pike prepare to seize his opportunity. Rend likely had only one chance to save his companion; he flung a rapid charge of lightning towards Pike; finally, this one connected. More importantly, it disrupted one of the stabilizers on Pike's jetpack, causing the bounty hunter to spin wildly out of control in the air.
Rend could almost taste their victory.
Before either he or Andora could capitalize upon what they thought was a helpless Vandal Pike incapacitated in the air, the bounty hunter somehow managed to unstrap himself from his machine whirled about in the air for a few more seconds before colliding with the ceiling and exploding, showering the cantina below with shrapnel. Freed from that deathtrap, Pike fell, simultaneously launching a series of tracer missiles at both Rend and Andora and then igniting the rocket boost in his boots to stabilize his landing.
The twi'lek managed to dodge out of the way, but the last tracer following Rend slammed into the wall beside him too close for him to evade and too fast for him to summon the Force to defend himself. The explosion knocked Rend off his feet and hurled him to the ground floor uncushioned. He heard his own body's collision with the earth before he felt the pain erupt everywhere.
"Sorry, friends. Today's just not your day," Pike said, half-chuckling.
Stunned and barely conscious, Rend could only watch what happened next. Andora appeared out of nowhere, flying through the air like a hawk ready to seize upon its prey, blade whistling as though it too surged with adrenaline. Just as the crimson beam seemed about to reach its target, suddenly, it stopped dead in its tracks. Another blade of vibrating light erupted with a thrum, golden and brilliant, blocking the crimson saber's path.
The bounty hunter had a lightsaber.
Rend struggled to recover, even as he watched the duel between Vandal Pike and Lord Andora unfold. Red and yellow light danced around the cantina as the duelists' blades clashed, hissing as they collided against each other. Rend half-expected Andora to overwhelm Pike immediately but as the seconds drew on, it became abundantly clear that Pike's saber skills were anything but ordinary. Blow for blow, slash for slash, Vandal Pike matched Andora's attacks, deftly parrying every single strike with variants of Makashi and Shien.
The bounty hunter had been trained to use a lightsaber.
"What was that you were saying earlier about a contest? And here I was thinking this was going to be a challenge."
His Ataru and Juyo unable to piercee Pike's defenses, Andora turned instead to the Force, summoning it with furious intent to slam Pike backwards into a wall of the cantina. The Bounty Hunter had anticipated this, however. As Andora unleashed his attack, Pike launched a grappling hook from his wristpiece; it snagged itself around the twi'lek's belt.
The Force slammed the bounty hunter backwards and into the wall. Protected in his armor, Pike seemed to barely notice. Instead, he retracted the grapple, jerking Andora forward with violent speed; simultaneously Pike pointed his still active lightsaber straight into the path of Andora's forward momentum, the tip aimed for the twi'lek's throat, the distance between them rapidly shrinking.
There was no time to think. Still on the floor with barely the strength to lift his arms much less his body, Rend slammed his open palm towards the pair. The Force collided with Andora, so violently that it snapped Pike's wrist cable and hurled Andora into the opposite wall. The twi'lek hit cold stone with a thud and then fell to the floor, unmoving save for the shallow dips and crests of his breath.
Rend had no time to consider whether his actions had saved Andora or not; he only knew that Vandal Pike would be coming after him next. The bounty hunter had already stepped in his direction. Knowing he had only seconds, Rend dug both his hands into the ground, commanding the Force once more to do his will. Moments later, the whole building began to groan as the earth beneath them all quaked with tremendous force. Pillars and sections of the balcony began to come apart, crashing down, destroying what remained of the furniture and decor within and crushing the corpses that lay strewn about in every corner of the building..
"Guess I won't object if you want to bury yourselves alive." Vandal Pike turned tail and ran.
The building already on the verge of imploding upon itself, Rend turned to keeping himself alive. He debated for a second leaving Andora to his fate, but the prospect of having to face Pike again - and without an ally - did not sit well with him; reaching into the Force once more, he weaved a barrier above both himself and the unconscious twi'lek across the room. The effort to repel falling debris exhausted every last ounce of his strength; before he could be certain the aftershocks had ended, he felt the world spin as everything before him faded to black.