Disclaimer: Don't own the Star Wars games! KotOR 1 and TOR belong to Bioware, and KotOR 2 belong to Bioware.
Quesh's acidic rain pounded against the durasteel ceiling, creating an echo that rippled across the entire compound. Mixed in with the droids constantly manufacturing the planet's chemicals, it was enough to keep a cadet up throughout the entire day and night. Reca was no cadet, and she managed to drown it out. It was the best Reca could do to keep her mind busy for the next few minutes.
Reca's brown eyes scanned the many Republic personnel attending the multiple computer terminals place around her. Any of them paid little attention to the head of Havoc Squad standing in the middle of the command center. Reca could not really blame, they were just trying to make prepare themselves for another attack by the Imperial forces.
During the Great Galactic War, the Republic set up a compound on Quesh to harness the planet's toxic chemicals for making adrenal glands. The presence of Republic troops caught the Sith Empire's attention as they immediately send their own troops. The single planet brought the two galactic powers together brought them into a power struggle over Quesh, like so many other worlds in the galaxy. Both the Imperials and Republic had many holdings on the planet, and many times, one side tried to outwit the other.
It was at that point a gruff, yet familiar voice asked, "You alright?"
Reca's eyes wandered away from the Republic troopers and towards her husband, Sargent Aric Jorgan, who stood next to her. The Cathar was large and donned in full white Republic with Havoc Squad's insignia etched into the shoulder pad. What made him intimidating to the privates around him were the feline features of his sharp teeth and the vertical pupils in green eyes. That and Jorgan did carry a large assault cannon on his back.
"I'll be fine," Reca assured her husband. "I'm just a little antsy."
Jorgan turned his eyes away to glance at the personnel working around the base. The muscles under the red and tawny fur did not move until he spoke, "A place like Quesh is no place for a married woman."
His commanding officer gave the Cathar a playful nudge to his side with her elbow, causing Jorgan to grunt a little. "Then maybe you shouldn't have married me in the face place, Jorgan," the Miralian shot back with a playful grin on her face.
Reca could see a small smile break through the stoic look on Jorgan's face. Such a fearsome look for a soldier, yet Reca found her husband's soft side so easily. It seemed to be a given thing, the lieutenant learned, as her relationship with Jorgan developed since first joining Havoc Squad on Ord Mantell.
The couple had only been married for a few months now, and yet the constant ongoing disputes between the Republic and the Sith seemed to take away from their time together. Sure, they fought side-by-side against Imperials, but they rarely had time to themselves to relax and enjoy the early months of their marriage. It almost made Reca wish that she and Jorgan could leave Havoc Squad and spend living out rest of their days, but she knew that she still had a job to do.
The sounds of footsteps caught the attention of Reca, and she saw two Republic soldiers, members of the many units deployed to Quesh, approaching. Both were armed with blaster rifles that were kept aimed on the person that stood between them.
That said person was a Twi'lek woman dressed in a long, raggedy brown coat over a simple red uniform. The Twi'lek's pair of lekku hung from her scalpel and there were patches of dirt all over her red skin, possibly from being outside. A pair of electronic bindings cuffed her wrists together, limiting the Twi'lek's arm movement.
Reca's eyes shot towards the two Republic troopers flanking the Twi'lek's right and left. "What's going on, troopers?" she inquired.
"We found this one trying to leave the base," the trooper on the right reported, gesturing his blaster rifle at the prisoner. "She was caught smuggling some toxins from the lab."
At the point, the Twi'lek interjected, "Hey, it's not like they were going to use it."
Havoc Squad's commanding officer simply studied the Twi'lek. The Twi'lek carried the look of a smuggler or a scavenger with her clothes, possibly on Quesh to make a profit by stealing some adrenal glands, which had not been uncommon in other parts of the galaxy. As for her accent, there was a hint of Corellian, but there was something that felt off about it.
Havoc Squad's commanding officer was brought back to the Twi'lek's guards when one of them asked, "What do you want to do with her, ma'am?"
Reca sometimes wished she did not have to be the one to make the shots, but there had been little choice in the matter. By the time Taran left, Sajar had turned himself in to the Republic authorities and was sent to Tython to await the Council's judgment. That left Sajar's lieutenant in charge and he was nowhere to be found at moment.
"Take her away," Reca ordered. "Make sure she gets the same rations as the other prisoners."
Both soldiers complied to the command with a nod. "Yes, ma'am," both announced in unison.
Reca kept her eyes focused on the prisoner for a minute, swearing she caught a twinkle in the Twi'lek's eyes. But that went away when one of the troopers lightly pushed the butt-end of his blaster rifle against the Twi'leks back. All Reca could do was watch the prisoner be escorted away to whatever holding cell was available.
"Hey," Jorgan called out to her. Jorgan's voice recalled Reca's attention back to her husband. "You lost it for a second."
She simply waved off the Cathar's concern. "Don't worry about it. That prisoner seems different that's all."
The comment made Jorgan raised a curious eyebrow. "You mean besides the fact she has a long coat?"
"No, I mean…" Reca started, but she stopped herself. The discussion seemed too ridiculous for her to carry on, so she simply said, "Never mind. Just forget about it."
With that, Reca returned her focus to the lack of action that surrounded her. For now, all she could do was just stand and keep watch with the hope of something exciting to occur.
Ever since the capture of the Hero of Tython and his companions, it seemed like the entire ship became silent like void of space. No doubt, they feared the power the two servants of the emperor carried, for a significant number of Imperial troopers had seen them fight. They most likely told everyone else about their power and what followed was the deathly silence.
However, the silence did not affect Servant One in the slightest. The Hand simply stood in the quarters given to him, his hands clasped behind a small portion of his back and his eyelids closed over the yellow orbs. The power of the Dark Side circled around Servant One like a raging storm on Dromund Kaas as he used it to sense the multiple life forms on the ship.
There had been many Imperial personnel on board, each one carrying their individual fears and awe of the Sith Empire they served. The number of Force users were practically nonexistent due to the fact there were no Sith. If there was a single person capable with the Force, it was most likely they simply had the potential and were not given the same training one would receive on Korriban.
Yet, out of the many beings, the Wrath was nowhere to be seen. No, she currently was on her own ship; enjoying the recent victory with those she called "companions." Then again, Servant One has sensed Kera's departure some hours ago as her ship carried herself into hyperspace.
Servant One heard the entrance to his quarters slid open and he immediately felt the presence of Servant Two entering. At that point, Servant One opened his eyes, the two orbs first staring at the room's gray walls before he turned to face his fellow Hand. "What news do we have?" Servant One inquired.
"The prototype has been delivered, as instructed," came from Servant Two. "It will only be a matter of time until it is used."
The news pleased Servant One, yet did not show it as he continued. "Very well. Inform the emperor and..."
The conversation had been interrupted by the door sliding open to reveal yet the presence of an Imperial commander, the same one who confronted the Hero of Tython. The words from Servant One's lips died away, and he, along with Servant Two, found themselves staring at the commander.
A look of surprise flashed across the commander's face when he stared at the two Hands of the Emperor. "Pardon the intrusion, my lords," the commander quickly apologized. "I will back another time."
The commander would have had the chance to depart from the quarters if the doors had not slid right in front of him. Whirling around, the commander saw Servant Two raising a hand and his body was immediately dangling in the air. The commander's eyes were filled with fear at the Emperor's Hand as he saw electricity crackled around Servant One's hand.
Servants One and Two simply stared up at the commander, their eyes leering like a predator about to strike its prey. They both knew one more command the emperor told them, one command that stuck firmly within their minds:
"There must be no witnesses."
AN: Okay that's all I have for now. I'm not really sure if this will make it into the final draft for the chapter, but I hope it does.
Anyway, please leave your comments and thoughts in the reviews and if you have any criticism, please let it be constructive. Also, this it NOT up for adoption. Thank you.
Raika out!