Chapter 11: Gathering Power

The Anvil was going to be dropping out of hyperspace in a few moments and Darth Rhal was glad for that. He'd wanted to stay on Balmorra longer to ensure that the Empire's control there would no longer be challenged, but that wasn't an option. As a Dark Council member, he knew he needed to focus on the Empire as a whole rather than just a single planet, no matter how important the planet was. Quite a bit had happened in the galaxy recently while he was on Balmorra and little of it was good. However, not all was bad either.

Thanks to Watcher One, Rhal now had a lot more information on Darth Angral's operations as well as the constantly updating location of his flagship, The Oppressor, due to a well hidden tracking device that would keep him updated on where the mad Sith was, where he'd been, and where he was going. Even better, Rhal now knew the locations and details of the weapon programs that Darth Angral and his forces had taken over. 'A shame I couldn't have gotten my hands on Dr. Godera. A genius mind like his will only be wasted in the Republic.'

Unfortunately that's where the brilliant doctor was, with the Republic again. Watcher One had managed to briefly capture the doctor on Taris for a quick interrogation for more details on his weapon programs, but the Jedi Knight that had killed Angral's son Tarnis had found and saved the doctor after defeating Watcher One and his men. 'The loss of a man like Nasan Godera is unfortunate but at least the Watcher managed to survive with that ploy of his.' Rhal thought, almost chucking thinking that the Jedi most likely believed the Watcher committed suicide to avoid capture.

In truth, Watcher One had taken a specially designed serum to mimic the effects of death, both physically and in the force. Having been developed by Imperial scientists and Sith Alchemists, it was an excellent way for their more valuable operatives to avoid capture in situations where being captured was all but certain and escape was an impossibility. 'After all, why would the Republic or the Jedi concern themselves with enemies they believed were dead?'

As expected, the Jedi hadn't bothered with the agents bodies and had focused on freeing the doctor before leaving. Soon after, Watcher One's remaining operatives returned and injected the Watcher with another serum to cancel the effects of the first. But his injuries from the battle with the Jedi were still severe and Watcher One was currently recovering after submitting a report on all that had happened on Taris. 'Which turned out to be far more than I'd expected.'

Rhal and most others in the Empire were well aware of the Republic's attempts to try and recolonize Taris after it was bombed by Darth Malak centuries ago. To the Republic, Taris was a chance for them to show that they could survive even the worst losses and come back stronger. To the Empire, Taris was a symbol of Sith victory and the very idea of the planet being restored was unacceptable.

To Darth Rhal, Taris was an all but useless planet with nothing but ruins, rakghouls, and Republic fools that were wasting time and resources trying to achieve the impossible. 'If they want to waste all that time and credits trying to fix a dead world then I hope they continue to do so. Every Republic fool that dies on Taris is one less that we'll have to deal with when the war begins anew.'

Unfortunately, there were just as many foolish Sith and Imperials that saw value in either Taris itself or ensuring that the planet stayed destroyed. One of the Empire's newest recruits Ryler Dorant, codenamed Needles, had defected to their side with Harron Tavus and had been sent to Taris to try and develop a weaponized version of the rakghoul virus and from the reports he'd sent, Rhal knew that Needles had made far more progress in a month than Imperial scientists had made in years attempting to weaponize the virus.

In the end however, it meant nothing as Needles and his team were killed by Republic commandos and his research was destroyed. 'What a waste. Not only did we lose a brilliant mind, but perhaps our best chance at getting the rakghoul virus for a weapon has also slipped through our fingers.' Rhal thought, knowing that while the death of Needles and the destruction of his research was one of the greatest losses on Taris, it was by no means the only waste on that toxic rock.

But before he could think on that issue any further, The Anvil dropped out of hyperspace above Dromund Kaas. The sight of the dark world covered by the many storms actually brought a slight feeling of comfort to the young Darth. Despite all its dangers, Dromund Kaas was still the closest thing Rhal had that he could call home.

A few minutes later he was on a shuttle heading towards the surface and, more importantly, his personal estate. Another reason he had left the Wall operational was that it had a landing platform for shuttles and smaller transport ships, allowing Rhal and his forces to come and go as he wished without having to waste time going through the spaceport. It also made it more difficult for his rivals and enemies to keep track of his movements.

When the shuttle ramp descended, Rhal was greeted by several of his troopers, including his head of security Captain Sarnova, and standing in front of the troops was Ralesk, the little Sith assassin wearing a small smile most would shiver at seeing. But the Dark Council member walked forward showing no emotion as Ralesk dropped to one knee while his troops all gave a slight bow before straightening.

Normally, it was customary for both Sith and Imperial personnel to bow when in the presence of a Dark Council member. However, while Rhal didn't care for such displays from his soldiers, Ralesk was smart enough as a Sith to understand that he did need to bow when in the presence of his master to both show his respect and as a reminder that he knew his place.

Ralesk didn't speak until Rhal stood directly before him. "Welcome back, my master." The Sith said without looking up, rising only after Rhal gestured for him to do so.

The Dark Council member, without a word to the Sith Assassin, turned his attention to the Captain. "Have there been any issues since I departed, Captain?" Rhal asked, to which the Captain shook her head.

"No, my Lord. No issues of any kind within the compound. However, I should mention that several probe droids were briefly detected approaching the Wall, but all of them retreated back into the jungle before they entered firing range." Captain Sarnova informed him and Rhal put a hand to his chin and thought about that for a moment. 'Most likely some Sith, maybe even Zhorrid, searching for any weaknesses to exploit. I doubt it's a great concern at the moment, but that doesn't mean I'll just ignore this.'

"See to it that a half dozen snipers are placed on the Wall, Captain. They are to shoot and destroy any unidentified droids or individuals that attempt to approach the Wall unless they identify themselves or have been granted access, in either case contact me immediately for further instructions." Rhal ordered, to which the Captain nodded before marching off to see his instructions carried out.

After Sarnova had left, Darth Rhal, his guards, and Ralesk all made their way over to the speeders to take them back to the main compound. They could have walked the distance but speeders were faster and more convenient and as soon as they returned to the main compound Rhal dismissed his guards, leaving only Ralesk by his side as the two Sith made their way inside.

Rhal led the way with Ralesk following close behind. Neither Sith spoke a single word as Rhal led the way down into the compound to the main medical wing. Reaching the wing, the two Sith entered a clean and well lit room that smelled of Kolto and had several medical beds and a few Kolto tanks, all of which were empty save one tank at the back of the room with several Imperial medics and medical droids surrounding it.

When they got close enough, Rhal could make out the occupant's features more easily. The one in the tank was a badly wounded female Sith Pureblood. Her entire body was covered by burns, lightsaber cuts, and even her right arm and leg had been severed, the former at the elbow and the latter at the knee. But the greatest injury by far was the deep horizontal slash going across the Pureblood's abdomen, a slash the Dark Council member knew would have been fatal if she hadn't been treated so quickly. Truthfully, even with treatment, Rhal was impressed that she had survived with such severe injuries. 'But it's only proven that she'll be even more useful to me once she's been fully restored.'

The Sith Pureblood's name was Rora Seake. Darth Angral had sent her to massacre a small Republic Settlement on Taris but Watcher One had revealed her mission to the Jedi to buy himself time to interrogate Dr. Godera. Like Watcher One, she'd been defeated by the Jedi that killed Tarnis and surely would have died of her injuries if the men Watcher One had sent to observe the battle hadn't stabilized her before evacuating the planet.

Darth Rhal had learned of Watcher One's actions shortly before departing Balmorra. Most Sith would consider the Watcher's actions treason, but Rhal wasn't like most short-sighted Sith and was capable of seeing the bigger picture. Gaining invaluable knowledge of their enemies and tier plans or massacring weak, defenseless settlers? It was obvious which was more beneficial to the Empire and losing a single Sith was worth such information in Darth Rhal's mind.

However, despite her defeat, Rhal still saw value in keeping the Pureblood alive. When Angral had learned of Seake's failure and survival, he'd ordered the Pureblood be executed for her weakness. Darth Rhal had assured him that he'd deal with her personally and Angral had been satisfied with the answer. He did not add that he had no intention of ending her life. Such an action would have been yet another waste. 'But if Angral wants to waste a powerful Sith then I'll be more than happy to make use of her talents for myself.'

After learning she was still alive, Rhal had gotten Rora Seake's Intelligence files and records detailing her time on Korriban as well as any other missions she'd taken since completing her trials. The female Pureblood's history was fairly impressive. During her time on Korriban, instead of fighting the other acolytes or the beasts in the tombs, she'd used the force to enslave the beasts to her will and used them to attack any other acolytes that crossed her path. Most died at the hands of her pets but a few stronger acolytes overcame them then turned their blades towards the beastmaster herself. 'Unfortunately for them, it seems Rora Seake is even more deadly than the beasts she commands. Oh yes, I think she'll make an excellent addition to my forces.'

"My Lord." A voice came from behind him. Turning away from Kolto tank and its occupant, Rhal turned to face the speaker. Walking towards him was a short man with dark skin and a cybernetic implant that covered his left ear and extended to just under his left eye.

Lanniter Droge was a scientist that Grathan had employed to design better cybernetic enhancements for his forces. Unlike many of the other scientists who'd been forced to serve Grathan, Lanniter had willingly offered his services to the Rogue Sith since Grathan was the only one with the necessary resources for the scientist to advance his research. It was that research and the man's dedication to it that had Rhal not only spare him when he took over Grathan's holdings, but he'd even gone as far as to make Lanniter Droge his Head of Cybernetic Research.

Many Sith and Imperials would question such a decision, especially since Lanniter was among the few who had chosen to serve Grathan willingly, but Rhal was sure that it was the right decision. While the young Lord of the Dark Council knew that Lanniter wasn't as loyal to him as he would like, he was positive that the man was completely devoted to his research above all else and, as long as Rhal continued to provide him with the resources he needed to continue said research, he knew the scientist would not betray him since there were no others who could provide him with what his research required. 'And he's definitely more loyal to me now than he ever was to Grathan since I managed to recover his stolen data from that worthless traitor.'

Rhal's first meeting with Lanniter had happened very shortly after his takeover of Grathan's compound. Knowing that many of Grathan's researchers had been forced into his service, Rhal had offered them all a choice: to stay and continue their research for him with more freedoms than Grathan had ever granted or leave the compound with a fair amount of credits but on the condition that they leave without their research data or anything they'd developed during their service.

That almost all of them had chosen to stay wasn't surprising to the young Sith. Most of them were beyond grateful for being freed from Grathan and others were unwilling to leave their work behind and chose to stay and continue their research. What Rhal did find surprising was one of the scientists coming forward and, without even a hint of fear, requesting a private audience with him immediately.

Rhal had granted the request, both out of curiosity and respect for the man's boldness. Many would have seen the request as signs of ignorance, arrogance, disrespect, or even all three. But Rhal had sensed none of those from the man. All he'd been able to sense was a strong determination and a burning desire for vengeance.

After Rhal and the scientist were alone, with Ralesk acting as a guard outside to ensure they weren't disturbed, Lanniter gave his name and explained that his research data had recently been stolen and that while he very much did want to continue his research, without that data it would be meaningless. He went on to explain Project ARC, which stood for Automatic Regenerating Cybernetics, and how he was attempting to create mechanical body parts that could grow and heal tissue and bone.

Rhal immediately saw the benefits that such a project could bring, especially if the mechanical limbs could regenerate at an accelerated rate, but he was unsure of how to salvage the situation since Lanniter admitted that he didn't know who stole the research or why. He could have ordered Keeper to try and locate the stolen files, but he doubted even Intelligence would be successful since there were no leads.

Then Lanniter surprised Rhal again. He suggested that, since the research was stolen while Grathan was still alive, the thief was likely among Grathan's remaining researchers since the guards weren't privy to the details of their research. A rather short investigation quickly determined the culprit. Ismar Brengle, one of the scientists that Grathan had tricked into his service. The woman was unforgiving and claimed that she'd stolen and sold the plans to hurt Lord Grathan. But when Rhal questioned if she'd made a copy of the data before selling it and asked for the identity of the buyers she'd claimed that she sold the only copy and didn't know the true identity of her contacts. Her hesitation when answering was more than enough for Rhal to know she was lying.

Less than an hour of interrogation later and the thief had spilled all her secrets. She admitted to having secretly made several copies of the data, planning to sell them for further profit even though she'd promised her clients they had the only copy of the data. However, it was the identity of her clients that sealed her fate.

Instead of selling the data to a high ranking Imperial or another Sith Lord as Rhal had originally suspected, she'd actually sold the information to a gang of underworld scum. Her reason? They'd pay her more. Even worse, while she was certain that it was an underworld group on Nar Shaddaa that she'd sold the plans to, she had no names, not even the name of the gang itself. Darth Rhal executed her for treason while allowing Lanniter Droge to witness her fate. Her death and the return of his research data pleased the man greatly.

Since then, Lanniter had been allowed to continue his research. Project ARC was still nowhere near ready for testing on living subjects, but there was still progress and Rhal, unlike so many other Sith, could understand the value of being patient. It also helped that he'd recently learned of another project that could be of great use to Project ARC and Lanniter's research if he could acquire the project's data.

But, focusing on the situation at hand, Rhal turned to face the scientist. "Will she live?" He asked simply, to which Lanniter nodded.

"Yes, my Lord. Though her recovery will take some time yet. I'll also need to begin designing a cybernetic arm and leg to replace the ones she lost. I should also note that the slash across her abdomen seriously damaged several of her internal organs so badly that they can't be healed, so she'll need cybernetic treatment for that as well. The rest of her injuries can be treated with Kolto and Bacta, but many of them will still leave scars." Lanniter informed him while looking down at a datapad in his hands before he looked up at the Pureblood in the tank. "In truth, my Lord, I'm frankly amazed that she still lives. That large slash under her chest would have killed most others." The scientist commented.

Ralesk was not pleased with the comment and spoke up. "Most others aren't Sith, scientist. You would do well to remember that." He said in a light tone, but one that had an edge to it.

Lanniter, realizing his mistake, swallowed nervously. "Of course, my Lord."

Rhal, not wanting to waste anymore time, decided to move things along. "Continue her treatment and keep her sedated until her recovery is complete. When she's fully recovered, inform me immediately but do not wake her unless I give the order to do so. Understood?" Rhal asked, finally turning to look at the scientist who quickly nodded at his words.

"Absolutely, my Lord. I'll be sure to keep you apprised of her progress." He said, to which Rhal nodded and started to make his way out of the medical wing with Ralesk following behind him, the little Sith Assassin giving Lanniter a small smile before doing so, making the other man shiver slightly.

A few minutes later the two Sith were walking into what had become Rhal's personal command center. Commander Jakker and his two other guardsmen were already there waiting but aside from them there was no one else in the room. 'I need to get more allies. Balmorra was a good start, but it's not nearly enough.' Rhal thought as he walked up to the large holotable and, after entering a few commands, the holos of two planets appeared over the table. "Ralesk, it's time to put your skills to the test." Rhal said after turning to face the Sith Assassin.

Ralesk smiled and his presence in the force radiated excitement. "I am yours to command, my master." He said, going to a knee as he did so.

"There's a ship waiting for you at the spaceport in my private hangar. Take it and make your way to Nar Shaddaa and contact me when you arrive for your instructions. Is that clear?" Rhal asked, with Ralesk quickly nodding in response.

"I'll head for the spaceport immediately, master." Ralesk said, bowing his head as he did so. After giving the assassin a dismissive wave of his hand, Ralesk quickly made his way out of the room and Rhal turned back to the holoterminal.

The Dark Council member had no doubt that Ralesk would accomplish his mission, but there were several reasons he was sending the assassin away and in the way that he was. Rhal wasn't a fool. He knew that more than a few individuals in the Empire were trying to keep track of his every move and that when Ralesk was seen entering the spaceport and taking his ship that a few of his rivals would likely send their own agents to follow his assassin's movements. 'And keep some of those eyes off me.'

Rhal could have had the ship brought to the Wall instead so no one would know who had left his compound, but when Ralesk would be spotted leaving his compound it would show the other Lords that he did have some form of Sith support. As much as he hated admitting it, the battles on Balmorra had made Darth Rhal realize that he needed more Sith allies on his side.

Ralesk and Darth Minax were both excellent Sith and loyal to him, at least for the moment, but they were still only two and one wasn't even a Lord yet. Rora Seake would be a good addition as well, but her recovery would still take over a month and he needed more agents now. Not for the first time, Darth Rhal again considered finding an apprentice before he dismissed the idea. He might have needed more Sith on his side, but he didn't want one close to him to begin plotting his downfall so soon when his place within the Empire was still weak.

His recent achievements were impressive, but Rhal knew it wasn't nearly enough. Traitors had been executed before, hard to find targets were eventually located, and there were countless battles occurring across the galaxy every single day. 'It does help that I was able to do so much in such a short time, but I need to do more. Preferably I'd only spend a day or two here before leaving again, but there are still important tasks to take care of on Dromund Kaas before I can continue with my own goals.'

Rhal was broken out of his thoughts by a chime coming from the terminal, indicating that someone was attempting to contact him. Curious, Rhal answered the holocall and was greeted by the holo of a fellow Dark Council member.

"Darth Rhal." Darth Marr said in greeting. The heavily armored Sith Lord gave a very light bow of his head, showing respect to a fellow member of the Dark Council, but not bowing too deeply in a sign of submission.

"Darth Marr." Rhal greeted back while repeating Marr's gesture with a light bow of his own. "I was not expecting you to contact me." Rhal said simply, curious to know why the Sith Warrior was reaching out to him. He doubted it was because of his actions on Balmorra otherwise he would have reached out sooner.

"I wanted to inform you that I've called a session of the Dark Council to discuss the current state of the Empire and several other matters of importance relating to it. Will you be able to attend the meeting or are you otherwise occupied?" Marr asked in a way that almost sounded rehearsed. Rhal guessed it was because he'd likely spoken the same words to some of the other Dark Council members as well before contacting him. However, what drew Rhal's attention more than Marr's words was the emotions he was able to sense from the other Sith.

Almost everyone who called themselves Sith learned very early on was to look for any and all possible advantages while not giving your enemies any sort of advantage and, for the more intelligent among the order, that included not letting your rivals know what you were thinking or feeling. Naturally, members of the Dark Council were very good at not giving anything away. But Rhal was a son of Darth Jadus, perhaps the greatest Sith Lord when it came to not giving anything away when it came to feelings and emotions and as a result, over the years Rhal had learned that no one, not even his father, could keep everything hidden and, since his father was the best at keeping his thoughts concealed, Rhal found that he was able to read others far more easily.

To his credit, Marr was doing an excellent job of keeping his emotions concealed. But Rhal could still sense his anger and frustration boiling just under the surface as well as an odd feeling of resignation. It took a few moments, but Rhal was able to come up with a likely answer for the strange combination.

Marr's duties focused on the Empire's strength and defense above all else so, even if he hadn't been the one to call the upcoming meeting, he still would have viewed it as being extremely important. The rest of the Dark Council however, didn't all take their own duties as seriously as Marr did and likely wouldn't have viewed such a meeting the same way to say the least.

Even those Sith among the Dark Council still viewed their own power as being more important than the state of the Empire so, unless the meeting brought up something that would personally affect any of them, it was very unlikely that they would attend. It was very likely that Marr not only knew this, but had dealt with it many times in the past whenever he'd called similar meetings and by this point he clearly expected most members not to attend.

Rhal nearly smirked as he gave his answer.

A Few Hours Later, The Citadel, Dark Council Chambers…

Darth Vowrawn, Pureblood Sith and one of the eldest members of the Dark Council, second only to Darth Rictus, observed the current meeting with a smile on his face.

Having lived for just a little over seventy-three years, Vowrawn felt it was fair to say he'd seen quite a lot in his long life, especially since there were few Sith that managed to live for as long as he had. He'd sat on the Dark Council long enough to see over half of the current members gain their seats and he'd seen far more who'd risen only to lose their seats less than a year after becoming members due to either being killed or disgraced. 'Though I may have…helped with a few of them.' Vowrawn thought with a smirk.

In fact, Vowrawn was pleased to note a few of the current members had been raised to the Dark Council partially due to his influence. Darth Decimus was one such member and Vowrawn never regretted assisting in raising him to his current position. Gaining almost total control of the Armageddon Battalion had been more than worth it.

Having lived for so long, fighting hundreds of Jedi and Sith attempting to gain his power for themselves, and having far more influence in the Empire than most Sith, many would think that Vowrawn might be seeking to claim the Empire for himself one day. He did have several noteworthy estates and strongholds on all major Sith worlds and commanded thousands of forces loyal only to him.

But if one would accuse Vowrawn of planning to usurp the Emperor, the Pureblood Sith would have laughed in their face before cutting them down. As much as he enjoyed conquest and the Sith power plays, Vowrawn was no fool. He'd risen far higher than most Sith and had managed to hold onto his position for decades, a rare and extremely impressive accomplishment among the Sith, but this also meant that he'd been unfortunate enough to have spent quite a bit of time in the presence of the Emperor.

Vowrawn had met and fought thousands of warriors, assassins, and killers over the years and, in all that time, there were only two beings in all the galaxy he'd truly feared. The Sith Emperor was the first and Vowrawn felt, quite strongly, that there was no being in all the galaxy that deserved to be feared more than the Sith Empire's ruler.

A Sith's power came from the Dark Side of the force and from their emotions. The Emperor was the only exception Vowrawn had ever seen. He was the Dark Side personified. He was pure darkness. Darth Vowrawn didn't quite know what their Emperor was exactly, but he knew that their leader had long shed any humanity within him and now, only darkness and power remained.

While there were no other beings like the Emperor in the galaxy, Vowrawn had unfortunately come across one other who was at least somewhat similar to their leader. Cold, ruthless, and extremely powerful with the Dark Side. It had only taken a single meeting for Vowrawn to decide that he too needed to be feared.

Darth Jadus.

Vowrawn had seen many types of Sith join the Dark Council over the years, but never anyone like Jadus. Quiet, intelligent, extremely proficient in the Dark Side, and completely uninterested in many of the games that Sith normally play. While many Sith saw the Force as the greatest power in the universe, Jadus chose to have non-force sensitives by his side almost entirely, with his own two children being the only exceptions that anyone knew about.

That was another odd thing about Jadus, the fact that he had children. Very few Sith were willing to allow family into their lives, especially children since infants were the most vulnerable of all living beings. More than a few Sith in the past had attempted to have children of their own, only for said children to be killed young or become weaknesses used against them later on. The fact that Jadus had two children, both of whom are now Sith Lords themselves, and neither was able to be used against him was a testament to just how powerful Darth Jadus had been. 'But Jadus is dead now and his son's taken over his father's seat.' Vowrawn thinks as he throws a quick look to the seated Darth Rhal, who appears to be listening to Marr's detailed explanation of the current activities affecting the Empire.

Truthfully, there was little reason for Darth Vowrawn to attend the meeting since he was already aware of most of the topics being discussed. However, when Marr had informed him that Darth Rhal would also be joining the session, Vowrawn decided it might be a good idea to be present as well. 'And it seems I'm not the only one. Ravage, Rictus, and Hadra rarely attend when Marr calls one of these sessions. It appears our newest member is already quite popular.'

Surprisingly, almost all members of the Dark Council were present for this most recent session with only Darth Aruk being absent, busy dealing with a rebel uprising on Hallion. Vowrawn was certain that Marr was very pleased by such a large attendance, even though he likely knew it wasn't because the other members were interested in the topics being discussed, but rather because their youngest and newest member had decided to make an appearance.

Darth Rhal had quickly proven himself to be more than worthy of joining the twelve most powerful Sith in the Empire, having accomplished in a few months what should have taken most Sith years. But while word of his accomplishments were quickly spreading throughout the Empire, there was little to be found regarding Rhal himself. It didn't help that he'd taken Grathan's fortress for himself and was all but untouchable whenever he was there.

Vowrawn suspected he knew a bit more than most of the other Council members since he'd already had eyes on Rhal and his sister for years now. Most of the Dark Council had focused their attention solely on Jadus and his activities during his time, but Vowrawn had gone a step further and had ordered his children watched as soon as he'd learned of their births. Zhorrid was one of many he'd seen who were incredibly gifted in the Dark Side yet had no idea how to do anything with it except destroy and he'd long ago dismissed her as one who'd destroy herself in the future. But Rhal he'd been watching far more closely, especially once he'd finally gone to complete his trials on Korriban and, while Vowrawn himself hadn't interfered, he knew a few other Sith had sent their agents to try and kill Jadus' son in the tombs. Instead, those agents all disappeared. 'Likely wound up as K'lor'slug food. If there was enough left of them for the beasts to eat.'

Vowrawn was broken out of his thoughts when he realized that the session was coming to a close and didn't object when Marr called an end to their meeting and his holo vanished. Most of the Dark Council were either on Korriban or dealing with other issues across the empire so, while the majority of the Council had attended the meeting, only three others were present with Vowrawn in the Citadel's chambers.

Darth Rhal, the one that had caused so many members to attend the meeting, appeared to be entering something into a datapad now that the session was over. Darth Hadra was also present, though she had already started to make her way out of the chambers after casting a glance in Rhal's direction. Vowrawn made a mental note to inform his agents to watch her more closely in case Hadra reached out to Rhal in the future. The last member present was Darth Arctis, who Hadra had purposefully avoided looking at for the entirety of the meeting and during her departure. She was clearly still furious over losing the shrine and artifacts discovered outside of Kaas City to her rival.

As Arctis got up and made to leave, likely to continue overseeing the ongoing work at the shrine, Vowrawn remained seated. He took a few more moments to consider what he was about to do, weighing the possible advantages and disadvantages and finding that while there was some risk, the rewards would certainly be worth it even if he was still somewhat unsure about their newest member. He hadn't said a single word during the meeting, but he didn't need to since he'd let his actions speak for him. Every movement told him something and Vowrawn knew from what he'd seen that he was just who he needed.

The moment Arctis was out of the room, Vowrawn stood up and made his way over to his target who was still looking at his datapad. Once he got close enough Vowrawn opened his mouth to speak.

"Lord Vowrawn." Rhal greeted Vowrawn before he could utter a word of his own, putting the datapad to the side Rhal turned his attention to the elderly Sith with a blank expression on his face.

Smile still on his own face, Vowrawn gave a small nod of acknowledgement. "Lord Rhal. I have a proposition for you." He said quickly, getting straight to the point. In many other cases, Vowrawn usually had to do a bit of word dancing before bringing up what he really wanted to talk about. However he strongly suspected that would only annoy the young Sith so, rather than waste time, he figured the best course of action would be directness. He also greatly enjoyed these rare moments when he could just be blunt and say what he needed to say.

Rhal's expression remained blank, but Vowrawn was an expert at reading others and now he could see a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "I'm listening." He stated, his tone as blank as his face and giving away nothing.

"You are aware of the slave uprising near the colossus in the jungle?" When Rhal nodded, Vowrawn continued. "Then you're likely also aware that it was my apprentice, Lord Qet, who brought in those slaves to build that colossus. Imperial military forces have been attempting to deal with the slaves but they're dug in and little progress has been made. I would like to send in a strong force to deal with the slaves but…"

"But since it was your apprentice who brought in the slaves, doing so would make you look weak before the eyes of the Dark Council." Rhal finished for him, to which Vowrawn nodded. A master did not clean up their apprentice's mess. The apprentice cleaned up their own mess or faced their master's displeasure. Unfortunately, Vowrawn was smart enough to realize this was one mess that his apprentice couldn't fix. Qet simply didn't have the means to deal with so many slaves and his first attempt to do so had nearly been his last when a thermal detonator nearly blew him to pieces. 'Of course, it wasn't the slaves who threw that detonator.'

But where others saw failure, Vowrawn saw opportunities. The longer the uprising lasted, the worse it looked for his apprentice, as well as himself, but Vowrawn knew he couldn't send his personal forces to deal with the slaves. However, that didn't mean he couldn't send other forces to deal with them and at the same time begin what he hoped would be the start of a mutually beneficial alliance. 'And give a headache to a rather bothersome Darth.'

"Indeed, Lord Rhal." Vowrawn said. "I haven't survived for so long by being careless and sending my own men to deal with this situation would indeed be careless. You, on the other hand, have more than enough power to deal with the slaves and you'd gain much from their destruction. You'd add another victory to your already impressive reputation, which would be ending a troublesome slave uprising on Dromund Kaas. This would be, I believe, a rather worthwhile task. Don't you think?" He asked with a grin.

"So I could end the uprising and enhance my reputation in the Empire and among the Dark Council while you wouldn't have to worry about your apprentice's actions reflecting poorly on you any longer." Rhal stated, his eyes locked firmly on Vowrawn. "But why me? I'm certain that you have many others who could deal with the slaves without revealing your involvement, but instead you're coming to me."

Vowrawn was pleased to see that Rhal wasn't just jumping at the opportunity for bloodshed. It proved that he was intelligent and cautious as well as powerful. It was also further proof that he'd made the right decision in approaching him. "You're currently a rising star in the Empire, Lord Rhal, and I expect you to continue rising for some time yet. However, while you may have risen to your father's seat, you've gained more than just your father's position. Lord Jadus may not have attended sessions often but make no mistake, he did have enemies here. Still, he was able to keep them at bay with his strength and the few allies he possessed and, while you do indeed have strength Lord Rhal, you have no true allies."

Vowrawn was positive about that since he'd already been closely monitoring all the other Dark Council members to see if they reached out to Rhal or he to them. The only contact Rhal had made with any other Dark Council member individually was when Marr contacted him to attend this most recent session and, while Vowrawn knew Marr would be pleased that so many members had attended, he also knew it wouldn't be nearly enough to win Marr's support in any future endeavors.

"I see." Rhal said with a slight nod. "So in exchange for dealing with the slaves, I'd not only achieve another victory in battle, but I'd also win your gratitude and possible support in any future sessions. Is that about right, Lord Vowrawn?"

Vowrawn gives a slight chuckle. "I assure you, Lord Rhal, I'm nothing if not observant. As far as I can see, we both get much out of this arrangement. Your already rising reputation will rise even higher, the slaves will cease to be a threat, my apprentice's failure will no longer reflect poorly on me, and both our positions on the Dark Council will be strengthened. It's truly a situation where you have little to lose and so much to gain, don't you agree?"

Rhal broke eye contact and put a hand on his chin. Vowrawn waited patiently as the young Sith considered the offer he was making but his smile never left his face. He already knew what the answer would be. He was offering him much for so little. Kill a few slaves and not only does he get another reputation boost, but he also gains a powerful ally on the Dark Council. Knowing that, there was really only one answer to give.

When Rhal turned his eyes back to him, Vowrawn's smile became a touch wider as he saw the answer he wanted in those cold, blue eyes. "I must admit, Lord Vowrawn, your offer is a very enticing one…" Vowrawn gave a slight bow at that. But when he stood straight, his smile shrank ever so slightly as he saw Rhal now had a slight smile of his own. "And you made it so without even mentioning Darth Baras. Very impressive." Rhal said with a touch of amusement in his voice.

Vowrawn's smile, as well as his friendly demeanor, vanished in an instant. His blood red eyes narrowed and his mouth became a thin line. When he spoke again, his voice was far more quiet and serious. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean, Lord Rhal. Darth Baras isn't a part of this situation whatsoever." He said while reaching out with his senses to ensure the two of them were truly alone and no unwanted ears were listening in.

"No need for that, Lord Vowrawn." Darth Rhal said before reaching to his side and grabbing the datapad he'd been using before. Entering something in the datapad, the two Sith only had to wait a few moments before a small black mouse droid appeared beeping from behind Rhal's seat and parked itself in front of it. "I already had a scanning device in this mouse droid check the room for bugs before you approached me and I can sense no other Force presences nearby that could be listening in on us. I can assure you that our words will remain between the two of us." He said before entering something else that caused the mouse droid to squeak and speed out of the chambers through one of the many maintenance vents.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Vowrawn said, doubt clear in his voice, knowing that the Sith spymaster had many tools at his disposal when it came to gathering information.

"Hm. Perhaps, but regardless it still does not change my answer. I will deal with the slaves, Lord Vowrawn, and in return we will have each other as allies against our common enemies." Darth Rhal stated with a note of finality.

To say Vowrawn was surprised would be an understatement. He was downright shocked. It had taken his agents quite a while to confirm what Vowrawn himself had suspected from the beginning, but he knew that the slave's rebellion was somehow orchestrated by Baras. Finding out that Rhal was not only aware of Vowrawn's true intentions but also Baras' involvement in the plot.

Darth Baras. Just thinking of him made Vowrawn's blood boil hotter than it had in decades. For some time after the Treaty of Coruscant, Baras had been one of the most powerful Sith outside of the Dark Council for his role in getting the treaty signed with terms that benefited the Empire. After the death of his sister, the former Dark Council member Darth Ekkage, Baras had started moving rapidly to strengthen his own power base even further. He did this primarily by pitting rival Sith into battles against one another, then had agents nearby finish off any survivors so that he could claim the spoils for himself without opposition. It was an excellent strategy and one Vowrawn had used himself against several of his rivals in the past.

It only made him hate the other Sith even more.

Baras was dangerous, even for a Sith. He was smart, patient, and held a great deal of influence in the galaxy, and not just in the Empire. Vowrawn was well aware that Baras had spies planted all across the galaxy, but actually locating and identifying those spies was far easier said than done. Every time he'd come close, the suspected spy had either disappeared or died in a convenient accident.

The worst part of all was what Baras had planned. Vowrawn knew Baras had ambitions and that he was too smart not to have a plan to see those ambitions not come to fruition and so far, despite his best efforts, Darth Vowrawn still had no idea what the other Darth was after or how he planned to get it. He suspected it had something to do with his new apprentice, but he still didn't have anything he could use.

After taking a moment to collect himself, Vowrawn looked up to Darth Rhal again…

Only to see that the other Dark Council member was gone.

Looking around the chambers, Vowrawn was again shocked to see that not only was Rhal no longer present, but that he'd never seen nor felt his departure.

Darth Vowrawn, Dark Lord of the Sith, blinked before he suddenly burst out laughing. He couldn't help it. He hadn't been played like that in a very long time.

Rhal had known, even before the Dark Council session, that Vowrawn would approach him and he even knew the full situation before it had been presented to him. 'I wonder if Baras is the only Sith spymaster I should be keeping an eye on. Well, either way, I'm sure Baras' blood will be boiling when Rhal puts down those slaves. Oh, if only I could get a holo of his reaction.' Vowrawn thought in amusement as he made his way out of the Dark Council chambers.

Darth Rhal was proving to be very interesting indeed.

A.N.

Surprise, I'm not dead! I'm sorry I took so long to update but while I've been working on this chapter for a while, I just haven't been too inspired to write recently. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the newest chapter. I know there's no battles this time but you'll get that next time. When will it be next time? I have absolutely no idea. However, it might come sooner if I get some reviews but still, no promises. Have a great day everyone, see you all next time!