SPACE – THE VAIKEN

Darth Marr read over the reports before him, secluded in his chambers where he had the privacy he wanted. There had been little to report in regards to the Darkstar family members he sought. Pyrannus' plan was playing itself out and it was now a simple matter of waiting. The escape had occurred as planned and predicted, the operation to that point going smoothly. It was all he could have hoped for as an outcome.

Sliding back the data pad onto the desktop before him, Marr reclined back in his chair, closing his eyes a moment as he thought about things. His contingency plan was well in hand, Pumirra having won over the zabrak Darkstar in fact. He did not need to know how she had done such, though he had sensed there was something more than cunning behind her actions. So long as she served loyally and without failing him, he cared not. If his one cathar's plan failed to bring the results he wanted, he had his other cathar executing his alternate plan.

"Pyrannus, I would see you now." Marr stated as he thumbed the button on the arm of his char, opening his private comm channel.

"As you will, my lord." The cathar's voice answered back.

It did not take more than a few minutes before the cathar sith walked through Marr's chamber doors. The woman was on full display in her armour as she always was, hips swaying with each stride she took. Marr admired her a moment before turning his attention fully to business. It was time to put all the pieces in place, just in case.

"You have done well, I am most pleased." Marr stated, "You will now go to Korriban and join your sister. Wait there for me. If things do not go as planned, then we will expect company there. Take no action without my approval. Is this understood?"

Pyrannus smiled at the news, pleased at the reassignment and knowing her master was happy with her service to him. She had not seen her sister in some time either, and the thought of their reunion kept the smile on her face. It would be good to see what she had been up to.

"I will go at once, as you command my lord."

Marr waved a hand at his cathar, cutting his pet loose to do as he willed. He had no doubts she would follow his word. Putting the two cathar women together was simple strategy. Pumirra was more subtle, a darkness in her that ran to cunning. She was a perfect foil for Pyrannus who was fury and power. If it came down to a fight, the two of them together were going to be very hard to overcome, even for the Emperor's Wrath.

"And now we wait and let the upstarts come to us." Marr said to himself.

KORRIBAN

Abaron paced back and forth in the small room that he had been given as an office. The pure blood sith had been tucked away in the academy, pushed aside to be ignored and forgotten as it suited those in power. As much as an affront as it was, there was little he could do about it. He had been fighting a losing battle where the pure blooded sith were concerned for so long, they all but ignored him now. Despite the slight, the fact he was hidden in a corner of the academy, in a tiny office and forgotten about was now coming in handy.

The young pure blood warrior, Raistlis, stood leaning against the wall by the door, watching both he and Loun intently. For Abaron he represented all that he sought to bring into being, a rise in the positions and ranks of power for his people. Glancing to the desk he watched as Loun worked away on the computer terminal. With his access, she was now scouring through files trying to locate her missing charge.

Not for the first time, Abaron questioned why he was aiding them and sticking his neck on the chopping block. If they were caught, he would assuredly share their fate. There would be no one on the Council weeping at his demise either. Arms crossing over his chest, the sith stopped his pacing to stare at the other Overseer. The woman had been passionate in her plea for assistance, and had played on his wishes and beliefs for their people. He had met and seen Necrolis Darkstar, was aware of his time at the academy. Tremel had chosen well, he had thought, even after word had spread that Necrolis had slain the Overseer. Baras had been a devious bastard, Abaron knew, and it was his doing and orders in that instance.

"Have you found anything?" Abaron asked, Loun looking up briefly at him before returning her attention to the screen.

"Not yet. He's not where I would expect them to keep him." Loun said.

Abaron cast a glance towards the office door before sighing and looking back. He wanted to tell the woman to hurry up, but knew it was moot. Searching would take as long as it took, complaining about such would not change the fact. He was already neck deep in it now anyways, he knew. Not only had he met and spoke with Loun, he had now helped smuggle her back inside the walls of the academy. Aiding a traitor meant death if they were found out.

"That is not a good sign." Abaron stated.

"Patience." Loun urged even as she tabbed through screens, eyes scanning over everything.

Loun frowned as she continued to have her search for Blackheart Darkstar thwarted. She had thought he would have been in the holding cells of the academy. Scouring through the data she had found nothing at all, not even a mention of the young sith arriving. Where have they taken you, Loun wondered? If they had him elsewhere it had to be someplace few even knew about. The thought struck her that perhaps he had even been transported off planet and was no longer even there to be rescued. Don't think like that, the woman reminded herself.

"Damn." She swore in frustration, trying to think of something, anything to narrow down her search and locate Blackheart.

Raistlis pushed off the wall, moving over to place palms on the edge of the desk, leaning forward to try and peer at the screen. Seeing the frustration and knowing the woman was getting nowhere, he tried to mull over what might give away where Blackheart was. He could only come up with two ideas, but when you were running out of time and options, whatever you had left to try you might as well do so.

"Why not try tracking the guards?" Raistlis asked, tossing the idea out. "Or better yet track that sith. She would have to stand out like a sore thumb around here."

Loun pushed herself back away from the computer, reclining in the comfortable chair and looking at the younger sith. She reached a hand up to rub at her chin in thought on his ideas, seeing some merit there. Guards may not show up at all, especially if it was some sort of secret facility, but the sith could only hide so much. She had to have some place to go to, a place to rest even. And if she had to access any systems, it should be easy enough to track her.

"You might well be on to something there." Loun said finally, sitting back up and returning to the computer terminal. "Let us hope we get lucky."

ZIOST

Abraxas Miransi shuffled in slow steady steps, leading the group he had rescued through the warren of narrow tunnels that ran like a maze beneath the training facility. No one but him knew of the tunnel system. Long ago one of the Head Masters had been a bit too paranoid. He had made sure to have tunnels running about for getaways from enemies he imagined were coming. Poor bastard had lost his mind, Abraxas remembered. Over the years the tunnels had served him well, providing a means to do his work, to help as he wished, or even to just hide from the rest of the staff. The last thing he had thought to use the tunnels for was smuggling former students about. He had thought he was done doing that long ago when he had helped Necrolis and Shadelis.

"Where are we?" Bloodshade asked as she ignored a muttered complaint from the deshade who had to almost bend over to fit in the tunnel.

"Oh just in what I refer to as the wamp rats warren." Abraxas answered. "Necrolis knows, he's been in a small part of this before."

Necrolis felt the glances move to him and he had to think for a few moments before realizing what Abraxas meant by his comment. The pure blood sith glanced to his sister, even as Shadelis returned the knowing look back. How had I forgotten about such, Necrolis wondered? Shaking his head, the sith knew he could have gotten in far easier had he not focused on the anger of the events and thought more clear headed. The old groundskeeper was one of a kind, Necrolis knew, and clearly a lot more on the ball than he was.

"I had not recalled those days and tied it to these tunnels." Necrolis said aloud in answer finally.

Abraxas chuckled and kept moving. The groundskeeper turned left, then right twice, then left twice more before continuing on straight for what seemed an eternity. The tunnels were mostly dark, broken only by the small light the old man had brought with him and carried. Following behind, the group could only keep pace and stay together. Abraxas finally brought them to a halt, the way ahead barred by a wall that dead ended the tunnel they were in.

"Great, we get lost?" Teffa growled.

"Lost, ha!" Abraxas snorted in derision, shaking his head. "Always the impatient one trying to smash through any obstacle, aren't you. You haven't learned a damn thing have you, Teffa?"

The bounty hunter growled even as he heard Bloodshade snicker behind him. He had almost forgotten how much crap he had taken off the old man over the years. Teffa knew enough not to answer back, there was no point in it. He was not going to win that argument, not with Abraxas. The old man did not wait for any comeback from the man either. Holding the light to the wall, he pressed on stones to the right side which then gave a slight hiss as the mechanism unlocked the secret door. Pushing it, the groundskeeper lead them forward right into the spacious room that was the Citadel groundskeeper storage area.

Filing into the room out of the tunnel the group settled themselves where they could. Doc leaned on the wall just away from the hidden door, remaining apart from the group. Tormen and Teffa moved to settle themselves on some crates to one side. Necrolis and Shadelis perched themselves on a few more long narrow crates across from them. Bloodshade settled herself in the lap of her deshade, the large creature sitting on the floor and simply looking about taking it all in. Abraxas moved over to the small stool by a workbench and settled himself before casting a long slow look at each of them in turn studying them.

Necrolis had changed little the man noted. He was still serious, calm and collect, and looking fit if not still on the thin side. Yet he could see time was leaving its mark on the man. The lines on his face and the loo in his eyes bespoke a man who had seen far more than he should have. Abraxas wondered if he had come to a place where he was questioning his purpose.

Teffa was still the brash, headstrong, shoot first man he had been in his youth. Abraxas could well remember the trouble the man would get into, and that had included his siblings. Still, he had done well enough in winning the Great Hunt and making a name for himself. Sometimes Abraxas had wondered if a lot of Teffa's problems stemmed from being in Necrolis' shadow all those years.

Bloodshade seemed to still be the quiet but shocking woman he remembered. The ratattaki had always been one that seemed at odds with everything and everyone, including herself. Seeing the giant creature that clearly followed her lead and was under her control, Abraxas had to admit he was rather impressed. When he had heard word she had even earned a seat on the Dark Council, he had been quite proud of her. The groundskeeper still remembered having long talks with the woman when he would find her in a foul mood about the training grounds.

Lastly there was Shadelis. The chiss woman appeared troubled still, though he knew enough to know her scars ran deep. The fact the woman had risen through the ranks of Imperial Intelligence had to count for how resilient she in fact was. Abraxas had wondered about her often enough, and when he had heard she was dead he had even shed a tear. He had taken a liking to the chiss right from the start. She had been full of life, always quick with a smile. Looking at her now he could still see that little girl in her, but it was buried deep down within. The walls she had built up kept everyone at a distance. Well, save Necrolis, Abraxas reminded himself. He had to admit he had often thought the two of them might well get together, but then Necrolis had married and she was supposed to be dead.

"I can't say I'm not pleased to see you all, especially for those of you who were supposedly dead." Abraxas commented, before looking at Necrolis. "Now what are you all doing here of all places?"

"We're searching for answers." Necrolis said and shrugged.

"You were here when we arrived as children." Shadelis said, leaning forward, hand resting on her hands. "Was there anything… anything out of the ordinary?"

Abraxas laughed at the chiss' question, nodding his head and hands smacking his thighs. Of course, he thought, it was all about their past. He should not have been surprised. So much happening out in the galaxy, and here they were chasing old ghosts. They had always done the strangest things it seemed to the old groundskeeper.

"Oh I was here. Whole damn thing was out of the ordinary, lass." Abraxas said, frowning as he thought about those early days. "I may be old but I remember well enough."

They all exchanged looks before giving the old man their attention once more. Teffa removed his helmet, the zabrak giving the groundskeeper a nod while they all waited for him to continue. If he could shed light on anything, it might be the clue to finding whatever they were looking for. Mekhis had to have some sort of facility or area, they just needed to know where to look.

"Now mind you, I don't ask questions, this is only what I just might have happened to overhear or see." Abraxas said, clarifying what he was about to tell them. "There was a lot of attention from the Dark Council when you all arrived. Very strange, that. You were all guarded like you were a Hutt's treasure vault, they barely even let me about to clean up! And then came the attack by Republic forces. That's when some of you kids were taken."

"Wait, what do you mean taken?" Bloodshade asked.

"Some of you kids as infants wound up in the republic." Abraxas said, pointing a finger to Tormen Darklight. "A few such as Tormen there. Sad to see you kids on opposite sides, but well, the galaxy moves in mysterious ways."

Necrolis frowned digesting what the man had just told them, sparing the smuggler a glance and seeing the confused and questioning look on the man's face. He knew that feeling all too well, they all shared it. There were no easy answers for any of them, and the more they were learning the more the lines were blurring on just who the real enemies were.

"I'm surprised none of you asked or dug this information up years ago." Abraxas said.

"Yeah well we also didn't have someone trying to kill us years ago either!" Teffa answered back flippantly, Abraxas rolling his eyes and shaking a finger at the bounty hunter.

"You wouldn't have thought to anyways. If you can't shoot it or punch it, it can't be solved." Abraxas shot right back, and Bloodshade gave a laugh that earned her a glare from her brother. "So what have you found out?"

Necrolis glanced at Shadelis, then to Teffa who shrugged. Shadelis sighed and then nodded to the sith to go ahead and talk. They all knew Abraxas, knew he always had kept his eyes and ears open to what went on about him. If anyone might know anything, it would be him. The chiss knew they had been able to trust the man in the past, and she doubted that had changed at all. If it had, he would never have saved them in the first place.

"Whatever is going on, it's tied to the Dark Council, to Mekhis." Necrolis explained watching the groundskeeper frown at the mention of the woman's name. "That's why we're here. We need to find wherever she was working on things. There has to be a base of operations."

Abraxas Miransi sighed and shook his head. Hearing it was Mekhis that was involved the grounds keeper got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Tread carefully, a little voice in the back of his head was saying. She had always scared him, the purely evil nature of the woman ever present and she had revelled in displaying such. He had cleaned up enough messes the woman had made over the years. When she had vanished, been replaced on the Dark Council, Abraxas had thought the galaxy a far luckier place. Despite the worry and fear of the woman, he had paid enough attention to have useful information. The question for him now was, did he tell them or not? Would it be kinder to crush their hopes with a lie, or let them learn the truth with his aid and possibly end up hurting them all the more.

"You know something, don't you Ab?" Shadelis said, red eyes watching how the old man reacted and grew pensive.

"I can help you, but I don't think you will like what you find if Mekhis is involved." Abraxas finally said throwing his hands up. "I can't be sure but I think I know the place you are looking for."

Janas Terek stood at attention, hands clasped behind him at the small of his back, eyes looking straight forward but well aware of the head master pacing about the room. He had expected to be summoned, given that they had failed to capture the intruders. He still had no idea how they had escaped. Worse, the fighting had cost him a good number of his men. Whoever they are, they were good the Overseer knew. Janas had already tuned out most of Valderas' heated tongue lashing about their failure, used to the sudden outbursts from the man. What he really wanted was to know what they were going to do now.

"I want results, I expect competency especially from Overseers!" Valderas snapped before gritting his teeth in anger.

"All posts are on high alert. Guards have been doubled." Janas reported. "Bridge entries have been fortified, they won't get out of here without us knowing."

"They had best not get out of here, period!" Valderas stopped pacing and glared hard at the man.

Valderas moved across the office to settle himself in the high backed chair behind his desk, scowling still even as he looked once again at the Overseer. They had failed him, and now whoever it was that had trespassed was out there and free to do as they liked. If it was who he suspected, then he wanted her found. If it wasn't her, then whoever it was, they would suffice for his purposes and would not be getting off Ziost alive.

"Make this happen, I want those intruders found." Valderas growled out the words, watching the man nod in understanding. "Dismissed."

Kayln Nidor frowned as she let her red eyes go over the bank of screens before her. Each one in turn scrutinized and watched, she still could find no trace of the intruders. She had heard the comm chatter from both Janas and Varel about their sudden disappearance. We had them, the chiss thought, there is no way we should not have them in custody. The chiss could no more explain what had happened any more than either of her fellow Overseers. She imagined the Head Master would not be at all pleased. It reminded her of old days and of those who used to frustrate all the staff, one more than any other. Is it you, Teffa, the chiss wondered?

"Now what has you so preoccupied?"

The voice startled Kayln, a rare occurrence and reminding her of just how distracted she truly was. The chiss looked over her shoulder to take in the togruta female she knew. Rian Cen Nur stood with arms crossed watching her intently, a bemused smile on her face. One of the Inquisitor Overseers, the woman was an accomplished teacher, but being alien she had been shunned for advancement no matter how well her students did. It was a shame really, Kayln thought. Shaking away her thoughts, Kayln turned and leaned on the console, taking in the other woman.

Rian was slightly taller than she was, reddish-brown skinned with the white facial markings of her race in ovals about her eyes. The head-tails and montrals that were on either side of her head were likewise white, a dark reddish striping on them that matched her skin tone. She wore the sith robes of her station, a deep black colour that made her features stand out all the more. She was striking in appearance, and the chiss knew at one time many an acolyte had lusted after the Overseer.

"Just looking for signs of the intruders." Kayln answered the woman's question. "A little excitement to break up the usual doldrums as it were."

Rian Cen Nur cast a wondering glance at the chiss. Kayln was pleasant enough, but she was the queen of secrets after all. The togruta had her suspicions the chiss knew more than she was letting on. It was nothing more than the way she had found her so intent on the security cameras, a feeling that came off her. Something had her attention, and it was not simply a case of duty or boredom.

"Well I think I should get the rest of us together. I heard rumour there were force users among the intruders. Janas and Varel might need a little more support than mere blasters."

Kayln nodded in agreement with the woman. "There were, and likely a good idea."

"Let us know if you spot anything." Rian stated before nodding to the chiss and then walking out. The inquisitor wondered not for the first time just how much the chiss would hold back and hide from them. Can we really trust her, she wondered?