Spoilers for the Trooper, Bounty Hunter, Agent, Smuggler, Sith warrior, and Jedi Consular storyline.
Rated T - Language, violence.
The Emperor's Wrath was not a woman to be taken lightly. She traveled at the will of the Emperor. She was his weapon on the battlefield. She was his voice in the Dark Council. Milara Alsorran was a force of rage to be reckoned with. Her arrival on Agamar was expected within the hour and the Imperial troops scurried about the small base preparing. Lieutenant Goran, the man in charge, has been nervous since hearing the news of the Wrath's advent.
"The Wrath's ship is entering Agamar's atmosphere, sir." A young scout called out. Goran searched the hazy sky for the ship. He had heard the rumors of Darth Milara's skill with a lightsaber and her lack of empathy. Though he had also heard of her race. She was a Mirialan, which meant her skin was surely green and likely to be elegantly tattooed. Like most in the Imperial Military, Goran was a pure human. He had his reservations about other species holding ranks in the Imperial hierarchy.
A large shadow grew around Goran and his men. The Darth's ship was descending rapidly upon the camp.
"At attention, men!" Goran yelled, spittle growing in his poor excuse for a beard as he did so. The soldiers quickly assumed their positions as the ship settled onto the planet's surface. A gust of wind burst from the ship. Goran held up a hand to shield his face from any dirt or debris. They all remained silent. The only sounds that could be heard were the deft beeps of radars and other tech. Their eyes all focused on the hull of the sleek ship.
The durasteel door slid aside to reveal the Sith lord. She wore dark robes that clung to her body attractively. The Sith walked swiftly toward Goran with a young woman at her side. The girl appeared to be the Darth's apprentice.
"It is an honor to be in your presence, my lord." Goran spoke clearly. Once Milara was close before him he was able to see her face. Goran did not know what to expect. He had seen his own share of Sith warriors. None had been as visually stunning as the woman who stood before him. Her features were pleasantly proportional and her resting expression was calm, gentle almost.
"At ease, Lieutenant." She said. Her voice was soft like her complexion. The geometric tattoos across her cheekbones were fascinating.
"We only just heard of you arrival, my lord. Pardon the appearance of the camp." Goran sputtered. Milara's deep purple eyes surveyed the area. She maintained a bored expression.
"I'm here about one of the colonies. There has been a disturbance." She said simply.
"Y-Yes, my lord. We have a speeder ready. I can take you and your apprentice there when you are ready." Goran smiled shakily at the girl beside the Emperor's Wrath. She was pretty while her master was gorgeous. The girl bowed respectfully to the lieutenant.
"Quinn, we are headed to the colony. Stay with the ship." Milara spoke into a communicator on her wrist. Goran's eyes followed the Sith as she approached one of the available speeders at the edge of the camp. "Lieutenant?" Her face curved into a question. Goran scurried toward one of the other speeders, mumbling about his mind being elsewhere. He couldn't be sure if he had seen a smile on her face.
What remained of the colony were the still smoldering huts and bodies crusted over with burnt carbon. Milara moved lightly through the ruins. Her apprentice stood at the other side of the colony, knelt beside a hearth. Goran and the soldier he had brought along stood by the speeders, unknowing of what to do.
"Jaesa, do you feel that?" Milara asked. Goran was amazed the apprentice could hear her master from the distance she was at because he could hardly make out what she said.
"Yes, master." Jaesa replied, moving back toward Milara. Goran had no idea what they were talking about. All he could feel was the uncomfortably thick heat of the planet. He had been on Agamar for close to a year now and still he could not get used to the humidity. Goran watched the two women close their eyes and go into some sort of trance. The Force was something Goran did not even try to understand. He had been raised knowing that questioning the Force was a move that would likely get you killed while in the presence of a Sith lord.
"Sir," The soldier at his side pulled Goran's attention away from the Sith. The lieutenant followed the soldier's pointing hand to the edges of the clearing. Humanoid shapes emerged from the dense forests that surrounded them completely.
"My lord!" Goran cried out without thinking. Milara's eyes opened and instantly narrowed in Goran's direction. The irritation on her face was obvious but she noticed the movement in her peripheral. Her lightsaber was suddenly ignited and raised. Her acolyte did the same and walked around to stand behind her master, facing the enemies on that side. Goran's heart was racing. Was he about to see a Sith in battle? It was something he had always dreamed to witness. During the Sacking of Coruscant, Goran was still in military training. He had wanted to badly to be there to join the fight with the Sith and strike that devastating blow against the Republic.
Without warning, Milara lunged at one of the figures. She moved so fast, Goran almost missed it. Her red blade cut with precision, slicing the being in only a matter of seconds. Now that Milara had struck the first blow, the enemies opened fire. Goran and the soldier crouched into cover and shot into the mass of enemies.
Milara moved between adversaries as easily as a knife through butter. About twenty of these unidentified aliens converged on her. She lifted one into the air with the Force and slammed him into a cluster of others, knocking them all to the ground. Milara released her saber with a throw, piercing an assailant 40 feet away as she kicked another down. She raised her hand and the lightsaber flew to meet it. The strength with which she struck each blow was deafening. With every strike, Milara cried out, her rage fueling her connection to the Force.
Across the clearing, her apprentice was faring well. Unlike her master, Jaesa wielded a dual-side saber. She fought as gracefully as a dancer. Jaesa twisted, her entire body augmented with the strength of the Force. She released devastating waves of the Force to propel her enemies 20 to 30 feet away from her. Goran watched in awe as thin bands of lightning shot from her fingers to paralyze five enemies at once. He suddenly felt very unnecessary.
The fight continued without either Sith showing signs of fatigue. The enemies themselves were piling up upon the corpses of the dead colonists. Goran watched as more and more of these unrecognizable creatures appeared from the forest. Milara noticed his as well. Something was not right. These creatures, while alive, did not emit the hint all organic life did in relation to the Force. After cutting down yet another one of these creatures, Milara rushed to Jaesa's side. The enemies stood at the edge of the forest, completely still.
"What are they, master?" Jaesa asked with worry on her face. Milara shook her head as a reply. Goran jogged up beside them.
"I've never seen these things before." He admitted, wishing he had a better answer for the Sith. Milara stowed her lightsaber on her belt and thought for a long moment. Why had they stopped fighting, she wondered. Any other Sith would continue the onslaught against them without hesitation. Milara lifted a hand and Goran watched one of the creatures at the edge of the clearing zoom toward her hand. The alien had a bizarre appearance. Its skin was bumpy, its eyes bulbous, and a hideous shade of puce.
"Where do you come from?" Milara snarled. They all watched the creature writhe in her iron grip. Her green fingers tightened on the thing's neck. "What do you want?" Milara's patience ran out as it continued to struggle. Her hand became a fist and the alien's neck snapped. It fell to the ground with a heavy thud. "Worthless." She mumbled. Milara turned to Goran. He reddened under her intense gaze.
"Yes, my lord?" Goran was nervous again. Something in her expression made his heart crawl up his throat. All the awe he had felt for Milara and her skill with a lightsaber was replaced with fear.