Twin suns set on Tatooine.
The air slowly began to cool as shadows lazily stretched over the desert, ready to claim this side of the planet for night once more.
A young woman stood in front of a burning pyre. This endless sand was useless when it came to burying a body, and she would not have his bones picked at by the scavengers. He deserved better than that. He deserved so much more than the agony his final months had given him.
She had watched him waste away, ever since they had escaped. He seemed cut off from his own life force, and advanced in years as he was, he seemed to age even faster toward the end. It pained her to see his strength leave him in such a way. He was once so strong, so powerful. By the time he had passed, he was little more flesh and bone.
Still, he had been her rescuer. He had delivered her from the torment she had been subjected to from her earliest days. She owed him everything, and now that he was gone, the task of his vengeance fell to her.
Calliope packed her bag with her only belongings, and set out towards the nearest spaceport.
"Goodbye, Father. I will avenge you."
Soon, the ashes of Doctor Passus blew in the wind and mixed with the endless sands of the Dune Sea.
"So then it is settled. Lord Japheth will send a complement of his forces to Taris to assist in Lord Latson's resettlement efforts. Latson will make appropriate recompense to Japheth's coffers."
A dark conference room. Five Sith Lords were represented by holocall. A sixth was absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the table. These proceedings were beneficial, but also frightfully long-winded at times.
"Next item of business. Lord Spiriac is requesting a number of rare items from various Republic-controlled worlds in the Core systems. Judging by the list, most of which appears to be various faunas and plantlife, is this correct?"
"That is correct, Lord Rundes." Spiriac stood to address those gathered. His face tendrils quivered. "My science division is experimenting with various toxins, and the current tension between the Empire and the Republic has made the purchase of such items a headache."
"I can handle that."
The Sith turned to face the large man seated in his dark conference room. Rundes addressed him directly. "Lord Asmodeus?"
Spiriac was to be commended. If there was a sneer forming beneath the surface, he hid it well.
Asmodeus spoke again. "I have contacts in the Core worlds. It would be a simple matter for them to gather the items you need and have them transported to me."
Rundes returned to business. "Settled then. Lord Asmodeus will be sent the list of requested items and have them procured. Lord Spiriac will make appropriate recompense to Lord Asmodeus' coffers."
Spiriac nodded to Asmodeus, and took his seat.
"If there are no further matters to discuss, I move to close the meeting."
"Seconded." This voice came from Darth Tortha, an older Sith who rarely spoke during these meetings. Asmodeus appreciated Tortha's restraint in the face of these other windbags.
"Meeting adjourned then. Until next week."
The holocom switched off and the lights came up in the conference room. Asmodeus rose from his chair and winced at the popping sounds coming from his back. Though his clan benefited from an extremely slow aging process, he was already old before it began, and he felt older still. He stretched and pulled out his datapad, reviewing it as he left the room. He enjoyed being here, on the flagship of his organization. The Harrower class vessel, known to the galaxy as the Haymaker's Vigil, was a second home to him, and he conducted the majority of his business here.
"Asmo!" A familiar voice echoed down the hallway. The large Sith sighed again and put away the datapad. He turned to find Barrow, the jovial Rattataki approaching with a small orange-skinned Torgruta child. "Asmo, hey, this is the new arrival I told you about."
Asmodeus nodded and addressed the young girl. "Greetings, child. I am Asmodeus Halcyon, your new benefactor." He extended his hand.
The Torgruta girl smiled shyly. She extended her own hand, which completely disappeared in the meaty handshake that followed. "I am Kaikorero."
Asmodeus nodded again. "I've heard a great deal about you, Kaikorero. It has been quite some time since a Halcyon has been chosen naturally. It is a rare event, one that I was certain I would never see again." Asmodeus eyed her carefully as she shifted her weight. He took careful notice of her mechanical leg, which anyone could see had undergone recent modification. "I'm told you grew up in the deep vaults of Belsavis. Amazing that you even survived, much less escaped. I'd love to have dinner with you soon. I'm sure you have a great many exciting stories to tell."
Kaikorero curtsied awkwardly. "It would be my pleasure, my lord."
Asmodeus smiled and nodded in dismissal. "Barrow, please ensure that Miss Kaikorero has everything she needs."
"Sure thing, boss. Also, I'm supposed to tell you that Oryon is looking for you."
"Thank you."
Asmodeus descended down the lift to the crew deck, where a small crowd had gathered outside the medical bay. Asmodeus could hear Oryon's raving from the lift, and he cringed that he would have to have this conversation with the cantankerous Chiss yet again. He silently moved through the crowd and entered the med bay. A glass beaker shattered against the doorframe, narrowly missing Asmodeus' head. He turned to avoid the glass shards.
"You!"
Asmodeus straightened up, no longer amused. Oryon, the blue-skinned doctor, was once again on one of his tirades.
"I've been requesting new Double-Pulse Implant Processors for weeks now, and there are crates of them up here! Crates! Since when does the nurse get better access to supplies than the Medical Officer?"
Asmodeus held up a hand to silence the doctor. "You chose to keep your lab on the Tatooine base. Zal'vor is in charge of the lab here on the ship. That was your decision, Doctor."
Oryon scowled. "How rediculous of me to assume that these new resources might be put to good use in upgrading my lab, instead of building this gaudy new nurse's station on the ship. Its bad for appearances, Asmodeus. We can't have the mobile lab in better condition than the one at Headquarters. It sends the wrong message!"
"You are just afraid that people will start to see Zal'vor as their primary physician, while you are back on Tatooine treating sandburns."
Oryon frowned again, his face so twisted that Asmodeus feared his jaw might drop right off. He pointed a scalpel at Asmodeus. "You've chosen to shut me out, and that is fine. But now you are denying proper medical supplies to-"
Asmodeus held up a hand again. "I'm going to stop you there. You chose to distance yourself from me, Oryon. And despite whatever personal grievances you and I may have, I would never deny medical treatment to any of my team out of spite. The medical supplies you need are here, on the Vigil. You are welcome to gather from this stock any time you need."
He turned his back on Oryon. "No more tantrums. Its not befitting for a doctor."
Oryon scowled as the Sith left. He gripped the scalpel tightly in his hand.
"One day, you'll turn your back on me for the last time..."