The setting sun cast a blood-red glow across the barren landscape on Ambria as Zannah watched her Sith Master, Darth Bane, approach. This was the moment she had prepared for her entire life.
She ignited her double-bladed lightsaber, the red blades humming to life. Acid burned in her veins - the Dark Side fueling her resolve. Today, one of them would fall. Bane ignited his own lightsaber, the single crimson blade slicing the air. Zannah could feel his power, dark and insidious. They began to circle one another warily, feet shifting through the dust. The tension coiled within them, ready to unleash in a deadly dance.
Zannah knew this was her destiny - to seize the mantle of Dark Lord from her aging master. She had trained relentlessly for this moment, mastering every dark art Bane had taught her.
After few moments Zannah said coldly, "The last time we were here, you were too weak to stand. You thought I betrayed you to the Jedi. You said you'd rather die than be a prisoner. You demanded I end your life but I refused. I knew you had more to teach me. You vowed not to die until I learned all your secrets."
Her eyes burned with menace. "That day has come. I have surpassed you, Bane. Now, I am the Master."
Bane's tone remained calm. "Then prove it."
He lunged at her with blistering speed. She barely blocked his attack in time. He used techniques she'd never seen, never taught her during their training. Still, her defenses held strong. Soon Bane settled into a pattern of feints and swift thrusts.
However, in her focus on the duel, Zannah failed to notice the freshly dug grave behind her. As she advanced on Bane, she stumbled on the grave and fell hard.
Bane set upon her with a flurry of fierce attacks, kicking and stomping at her as she lay prone. Zannah felt a rib crack under the onslaught. Rolling with the impact, Zannah landed on her feet and drew upon the dark side power within Ambria itself. Tendrils of pure dark energy erupted from the ground around them, lashing out at Bane.
Bane charged at Zannah, while keeping his eyes locked on her. He realized his only hope was to cut her down before the tendrils overcame him. When Bane was finally in range, he struck out with his lightsaber. Zannah, her focus split between the tendrils and defending herself, barely deflected the blow. But the impact knocked her lightsaber from her grasp. As Bane went for the killing stroke, one final tendril lashed out, severing his sword arm.
Bane collapsed to the ground, howling in agony and defeat. Realizing he had one final chance for survival, Bane lunged at Zannah, grabbing her wrist in a grip. Dark side energy arced between them as Bane began a ritual of essence transfer.
Zannah's eyes snapped open, her body drenched in cold sweat. This nightmare of her duel with Darth Bane on Ambria was all too familiar, years later she still woke from vivid reliving of it.
Sleep would not return, so she rose from the bed, mind racing with memories of Bane and their fateful battle. She crossed to an ornately carved table, and poured herself a glass from the bottle of rarest Alderaanian wine in her collection. The liquid was smooth, rich, but failed to dull the memories.
She saw again Bane's fierce attacks, savagery masking his desperation. Felt again the crack of her ribs under his boot. Sensed again his aura of darkness and malice, trying to smother her own.
Only through ferocious will and the Force had she prevailed, severing his sword arm, resisting his attempt to steal her life essence. But even a decade later she could still feel his presence, an indelible stain on her being from the ritual of essence transfer.
The early morning light was just starting to break through the darkness, but Zannah had no desire to watch the sunrise.
After all, she had succeeded where Bane had failed. She had taken his network of agents and companies, expanding it beyond anything he could have imagined. Yet the memory of Bane still left a bitter taste in her mouth. She disliked recalling him, especially his final betrayal of the Rule of Two by trying to steal her body.
Determined to shake off these memories, Zannah swiftly dressed in her Sith robes and left her chambers, striding through the sprawling mansion towards her study. She reached the ornate doors and threw them open, breathing in the familiar scent of old books and flicking on the lights. This was her private sanctuary. Zannah made her way to her desk, scrolls from the previous day still scattered across the surface where she had left them. They barely mentioned Andeddu.
Frustration grew withing her, she knew Bane retrieved Andeddu's holocron from Prakith yet it wasn't at Ciutric IV, where she'd taken everything valuable from their old home. She was stuck. Finding Andeddu's holocron was essential to truly understanding the ritual of essence transfer and maybe even rid herself of nightmares that plagued her.
The problem was she had no idea where Bane hid it and there was practically no other information available about Andeddu or the ritual, as the damned Jedi had hoarded all crucial knowledge of him, leaving Zannah with next to nothing beyond what little Bane had deemed important enough to include in his holocron. Zannah let out an exasperated sigh as she sat at her desk, glaring irritatedly at the screen in front of her. After months of research this trail had gone cold.
Zannah got to work, shewanted to finish reviewing some documents before her monthly meeting with Ryan. He was head of a vast galaxy-wide organization that covertly belonged to Zannah herself. Ryan role was to act as the public figure with no visible ties to Zannah - their relationship to outsiders appeared as that of old friends and mentor-student because Zannah had helped start Ryan's career.
Ryan had come from humble beginnings, losing everything after a series of misfortunes. In desperation, he sought work in one of Zannah's vast organizations, taking a low-level position.
Over time, Zannah noticed Ryan's talent, competence, and loyalty. She took him under her wing, mentoring him and helping him rise through the ranks. Ryan was grateful for Zannah's guidance and sponsorship, growing to respect her wisdom.
Zannah scrolled through reports as she awaited Ryan's arrival for their meeting. Being the wealthy director of an investment group gave her the freedom to explore the galaxy and pursue her ultimate goal: destroying the Jedi and claiming the galaxy for the Sith. Though the meetings could be tedious at times, Zannah revelled in the challenge of employing her cunning, wits and mastery of the dark side to bend others to her will. With a mere flick of her wrist, a carefully chosen word or subtle gesture, she could bring even the most stubborn opponents around to her point of view. Suddenly, an alert beeped on one of Zannah's screens, catching her attention. It was a message from the spaceport, informing her that Ryan's ship had just landed. She quickly turned her attention back to the screen in front of her and checked the prices of tibana gas. Her plan to manipulate and create a shortage of any commodity were finally paying off. The prices had nearly doubled since yesterday, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction in knowing that she had succeeded where she had previously failed with dunnium and cortosis. A smile spread across Zannah's face as she rose from her chair and made her way to one of the salons where she was meeting with Ryan.
Ryan gazed out the speeder window at the sprawling grounds of the Zannah estate - manicured lawns, stately sculptures tucked amidst towering hedges, and flower beds bursting with color as far as the eye could see. Ancient trees lined the winding gravel drive that emerged from the woods, their branches waving gently in the breeze. He liked this place and looked forward to meetings with Zannah. She was the only person he truly respected in the entire galaxy, even before she revealed her secret to him a year ago - that she was a Sith, plotting to destroy the Jedi. Ryan hated the Jedi, so when Zannah confessed her plans and took him into her confidence, he eagerly joined the plot. Now their plans were advancing rapidly. Finally, the mansion comes into view in all its glory. A majestic stone edifice, turrets piercing the sky, mullioned windows gazing serenely outward. Ivy creeps up crumbling outer walls, only adding to the sense of history. This place is the kind of old world luxury that seems impossible to replicate in the modern era.
Speeder halted at the imposing front doors. A butler appears and opens the car door, stiff and formal yet with a twinkle of welcome in his eye. Ryan follows him inside where time seems to have stood still. An enormous hallway stretches into the distance, lined with marble busts and suits of armor, the air heady with the scent of wood polish and furniture wax. They make their way into one of the salons where Zannah is waiting. Buttler shows ryan in and leaves while closing the door. Zannah sits in an ornate armchair, slender and poised at forty years old. Her plain black robes couldn't diminish her beauty, though Ryan still missed the elegant dresses she wore for their off-planet meetings. Zannah fixed Ryan with a knowing smile.
"Welcome," she said pleasantly. "I trust your journey was pleasant."
"Yes, my lady," Ryan replied dutifully.
Zannah gestured to the armchair across from her. Ryan sat and began his report. "The tibanna gas shortage is causing problems. Refineries across the Republic don't have stable supply, and many are operating at reduced capacity." Zannah kept her eyes on Ryan, not speaking as he continued. "The Republic has decommissioned older ships to ensure the remaining fleet has adequate tibanna and the Jedi continue to turn a blind eye to the pirates who hijack tibana shipments. They view it as a local problem, leaving the Republic with no choice but to hire private companies to protect shimpments." A sly grin crept onto Ryan's face as he added, "And some of those private companies are ours." However, Zannah sat in silence, offering no reaction.
After a moment of awkward silence, Zannah rose from her seat and spoke with a polite smile, "Very well. Someone will show you to your quarters, and we can discuss this matter further over lunch."
As she turned to leave, Ryan interjected,"My lady, there is one more thing I learned." Zannah halted in her tracks, her smile fading as she turned to face Ryan. Though he knew it was not his area of expertise, Ryan felt compelled to share what he had discovered, hoping to impress her. He believed that if she was unaware of this information, she would be pleased to hear it.
Ryan relayed his final piece of intelligence. "An ancient temple has been discovered on planet Aridax."
Zannah looked displeased. "I have others searching for such things."
Undeterred, Ryan produced a datacard. "It's of unknown origin, sealed in a cavern. Workers were terrified, claiming something haunted the area."
Suddenly interested, Zannah gestured for the card. Unplundered temples were rare, this one possibly guarded. She smiled at Ryan. "You please me. Rest now, we'll speak later."
Zannah left the salon and walked to her study. She had tasks to complete before lunch with Ryan. She sat at her desk and inserted the datacard Ryan had provided. If the description of the temple matched Ryan's account, she would dispatch Cognus to investigate further. Though gathering business and political intelligence was Ryan's primary duty, he still found ways to please her a testament to his loyalty and initiative. While others focused solely on the tasks she assigned, Ryan kept his eyes open for any opportunity that might benefit her agenda. Zannah smiled to herself as she read the initial reports on the datacard. Ryan had outdone himself once again. An untouched temple, possibly of the dark side, guarded by ancient powers if true, it could yield valuable knowledge and artifacts. Though uncertain of her apprentice's exact location, Zannah suspected she may be on Paradise Station a location not far from Aridax. Figuring she should contact her apprentice to give her a new mission, Zannah retrieved her comlink to contact her apprentice.
Paradise Station lurked in the Outer Rim, a beacon for the depraved and lawless. Slavers, pirates, and smugglers from across the galaxy converged here, seeking illicit pleasures and trading in illegal goods. Violence and danger hung thick in the smoky atmosphere of the cantinas and darkened corridors, and only the strongest and most ruthless survived for long among this den of scum and villainy.
Many an ambitious soul had ventured to Paradise Station, seeking fortune or opportunity, only to meet a grisly end at the hands of one of the cutthroats that prowled the station's underworld.
Huntress sat in her usual spot, eyes fixed on the arena below where a group of Wookies were fighting a vicious Rancor. The scene was captivating, but her mind was elsewhere, lost in thoughts of her own. Suddenly a man sat down next to Cognus and said, "I have a job that will pay well."
Cognus didn't even look at him. "Not interested," she said curtly.
The smuggler persisted. "Come on, just hear me out."
Cognus slowly turned to face him, her eyes flashing dangerously. In a low, dangerous voice she said, "You have three seconds to vacate that chair before I show you what real persuasion looks like."
The smuggler started to protest but then saw the murderous look on Cognus's face. He realized if he didn't leave immediately, he might not leave at all. Hurrying to his feet, he muttered an apology and quickly walked away.
Despite the interruption, she was still lost in thought, thinking about her upcoming mission. Finally, something interesting to do, she thought to herself. It had been months since she'd had a mission that wasn't just dealing with smugglers and pirates. A temple had been discovered on the planet Aridax, and she was tasked with uncovering what was inside. The temple was going up for auction in a month, but Cognus had plenty of time to get there and find out what secrets lay within. A smile spread across her face as she leaned back in her seat, eyes once again fixed on the arena below. The Wookiees were still battling the rancor, but now only half their original number remained standing, bringing a renewed thrill to the spectacle. The massive rancor tore into another Wookiee with brutal ferocity as the crowd roared with excitement. Blood and fur stained the arena sand, but the surviving Wookiees fought on with fierce determination. One landed a massive blow to the rancor's face, eliciting a roar of pain from the beast. She watched with a hungry gleam in her eye, relishing the violence and struggle playing out below, smiling as the aroma of spilled blood and violence filled the air. Few things enthralled her more than watching strength, skill, and cunning tested to the very limits of endurance and then past those limits into death. Another perfect afternoon at the arena