Chapter 5: Interesting Developments

"This is not your domain, Keeper. It is mine. It has always been mine." Darth Jadus says to the old Keeper while Rhal stands behind and to the side of his father, silently watching the exchange.

"Of course, my lord." Keeper replies back automatically, clearly uneasy but trying not to let it show. 'Not that it matters. I'm certain father can sense his fear just as easily as I can.'

The reason for the old man's fear is obvious. Imperial Intelligence had suspected Republic activity on Dromund Kaas but had little to no evidence and had chosen not to report their suspicions to the Minister of Intelligence, who in turn could not and did not report to Darth Jadus. 'Had they turned out to be simple spacers or mercenaries, then I could understand Keeper's decision. However, the Republic actually managing to land agents on Dromund Kaas and carry out covert activities? Even if he hadn't been certain, keeping that from just about any other Sith would have all but guaranteed the old man's death.'

"All you have built here, all you hope to control, it falls apart as easily as a human life." Jadus continued, and Rhal knew his father well enough to know that, while his father's anger wasn't close to boiling over, he was certainly not pleased by Keeper's decision not to inform him of the Republic agents. "An hour ago, the Minister of Intelligence dropped to his knees and wept before me. You would do so too, if not for fear of being humiliated."

Rhal had met the Minister of Intelligence a few times and knew that his father's claim about the man breaking down and crying at his father's feet was not only true, but had actually happened several times in the past with Rhal being there to see it. 'An old man whose spirit was crushed by my father's will long ago. I wonder how long until Keeper's own will fails him as well?'

"Your dissatisfaction is clear, my lord. It will be remedied. Now I'm asking you, humbly, to leave. These people are suffering in your presence." Keeper's words break Rhal out of his thoughts and Jadus' apprentice immediately considers the words spoken to be both true and incredibly foolish. 'He's bold. I'll give him that much at least.' Rhal thought, knowing that you did not just ask a Sith Lord, in any way, to leave. Not for any reason, and certainly not a member of the Dark Council.

As expected, Darth Jadus does not take the request well. "I will leave my domain at the moment of my choosing, Keeper." He says with a touch of anger in his voice. Keeper, to his credit, does not try to insist on it and simply nods.

The exchange between the Dark Council member and Keeper is interrupted by the arrival of two others. Two individuals who immediately get Rhal's attention.

Both newcomers are aliens, meaning that they are likely Cipher or field agents. The first is a male Chiss with blue skin, very short dark blue hair, and red eyes without pupils that give nothing away. Rhal's suspicion that the Chiss is an agent is confirmed when he takes note of the white Imperial uniform the Chiss is wearing.

The second individual is a female Rattataki with her species' usual chalk-white skin, a bald head, and dark tattoos going around her eyes, mouth, and head. Unlike the Chiss, she's dressed more like a mercenary than an Intelligence agent with worn looking gray pants, shirt, and coat. Rhal assumes she's likely an assassin or bounty hunter before refocusing his attention back to the first individual.

Rhal had never met a Chiss before and he only knew a little about their species. 'They are known to be proud and intelligent and are very loyal to one another. Their government is known as the Chiss Ascendancy. Unfortunately, that's about all anyone knows about them. The Chiss might be allies of the Empire and are by far the most welcomed alien species among the Imperial population but they guard their secrets very carefully. As far as I know, we still haven't even learned the location of their homeworld Csilla.'

Before Rhal can continue his thoughts, his father's voice cuts in. "You, agent. You were the one sent to Hutta. Is that correct?" His father asks and Rhal decides to use the opportunity to get a read on the Chiss' emotions.

However, the young Sith Lord is surprised to sense almost nothing from the blue skinned alien except a strange calm. The agent appears to be both physically and mentally at ease, something Rhal had never seen from anyone who was in the presence of his father. 'No sweating, no shaking, and not even a drop of fear. Incredible.' Rhal thinks, immediately deciding that the agent is someone worthy of respect.

The Chiss turns his attention to Darth Jadus and Rhal feels his respect for the agent increase when he answers in a calm voice. "That's correct, my lord."

Rhal senses a spike of annoyance come from the Rattataki at the agent's response before it's buried beneath disinterest. 'Definitely a mercenary or bounty hunter with a clear disdain for authority figures.'

"I am Darth Jadus." His father says, introducing himself to the agent. "You served me well in your dealings with Nem'ro. You will serve me well again." Darth Jadus says. Rhal's interest in the agent increases further once he notes that his father is similarly interested in the Chiss. 'I'll need to see if I can find out what business he and Intelligence had with Nem'ro the Hutt.'

"It would be an honor." The agent replies in the same calm voice. Rhal notes that it's not a cold and intimidating calm like his father's voice, just calm and revealing nothing, like the agent's emotions. Even with all his focus on him, Rhal can't tell if the agent actually considered his father's words an honor or if he was just saying that automatically. 'Curious.'

Regardless, it seems Darth Jadus accepted the agent's words. "Sublimate your desires to those of the Empire, and you will go far." The Dark Council member said before turning his attention back to Keeper and causing the old man to stand just a slight bit straighter. "Keeper, you will use this one." He said while pointing at the agent. "He will complete the assignment as I have instructed." Jadus stated and Rhal can sense Keeper's hesitance.

"He's quite capable, my lord, but he lacks experience." Keeper says with his uneasiness starting to get the better of him, causing his voice to tremble very slightly. To his credit, the man attempts to press on. "A more seasoned agent-"

"I have made my decision." Jadus says firmly, cutting the old man off. Rhal knows that his father's mind is made up and attempting to change it now would be like hoping for a warm day on Hoth. It would never happen. "I wish the situation resolved before I leave Dromund Kaas. See to it that my will is done." His father commands and Keeper, reluctantly, nods in acceptance and resignation.

"Very well. I'll make arrangements." Keeper says in a tired voice. 'His loyalty to the Empire is worthy of recognition, but he should at least try to pretend that he doesn't view my father and the Sith as distractions and obstacles.'

Satisfied, Rhal's father turns and starts marching out of the command center with Rhal falling into step behind him. Just before he's completely out of sight, Rhal glances back at the Chiss agent one last time before moving to follow his father and master. 'Very interesting. If all Chiss are like that agent, then I can understand why they're more tolerated by the Empire than other alien species.' Rhal allows his anger to build as he thinks on the Empire's foolish tradition of blood purity.

Blood purity is, in Rhal's opinion, a tradition that should have died out centuries ago and he knows his father likely feels the same way since a few of his advisors are aliens themselves. It's a ridiculous belief that Sith Purebloods and humans are the two most superior species in the galaxy and all other species are lesser and unworthy of the positions and respect granted to Purebloods and humans within the Empire. 'It would be bad enough if just the Sith believed such a thing, but many high ranking Imperials have also gained this foolish belief and continue to pass it to their subordinates. Even my own sister believes that worthless nonsense, though I suppose that part shouldn't be so surprising.'

Rhal had learned early on, both because of his father's teachings and first hand experience, that other species were not lesser simply because they weren't Purebloods or humans.

On one of his earliest missions for his father, Rhal had been attacked by a group of highly skilled Kaleesh mercenaries. The young Sith had managed to kill them, but had nearly been killed himself multiple times during the fight and still had scars from that day. 'Not to mention that Abyssin bodyguard I faced a year ago. I doubt any human or Pureblood could have lasted half as long as he did with the wounds he received.'

However, despite its foolishness, Rhal could see several ways he could use the pointless tradition to his advantage. He knew he'd need forces loyal to himself and Rhal was aware that many Imperials and Sith chose to ignore potential alien allies, even if those same individuals truly desired to assist and serve the Empire. 'It'll make things easier for building my powerbase but I'll still need to actually find these individuals and win their loyalties before I can accept them into my service.'

Rhal's thoughts are once again interrupted by his father's unnerving voice. "You will be sparing with your sister today. I will be observing." Jadus said as the two made their way back into the Citadel.

All thoughts of potential allies immediately went to the back of Rhal's mind as he registered his father's words. He and Zhorrid had never spared against one another before, with or without their father's presence and, while a part of Rhal was very much looking forward to the opportunity to finally put his insane sister in her place, another greater part of him was confused and slightly concerned as to why his father was making this happen.

Darth Jadus was not like many Sith and Rhal knew that his father never did things on a whim. He was careful, patient, and never did anything without having very good reasons to do so. If he was having him and Zhorrid fight now, then there were definitely reasons for it and they were likely very important reasons as well. 'But of course I'll likely never find out what those reasons are and Zhorrid certainly won't know. She'll just see this as another opportunity to prove just why she's so superior to her naive little brother.' Rhal's last thoughts were dripping with sarcasm and anger.

"When, father?" Rhal asked when he realized his father was expecting him to speak.

"Now." His father answered and Rhal realized they were making their way towards the Citadel and towards the private training rooms.

The Citadel had many training chambers since there were many powerful Sith that resided in its halls, but Rhal knew the chamber his father was taking him to was the one reserved only for members of the Dark Council and their apprentices.

Since they were using that chamber, Rhal assumed that one of the reasons his father was having his children fight was to show the two of them off to the other members of the Dark Council. 'Wait no, that can't be right. Father doesn't do anything for mine or Zhorrid's benefit and he doesn't care about showing off strength to his rivals. The only reason I've been given such intense training is because I had to all but demand it and even then I'm sure Jadus used that to his own advantage. So why the spar among the members of the Dark Council?'

It wasn't likely that any members of the Dark Council would actually be there when Rhal faced Zhorrid, but their apprentices likely would be. Dark Council members usually tried to keep their own training and methods secret but their apprentices still tended to use the chambers to practice more basic techniques. 'Is father trying to send a message to the other Dark Council members?'

Rhal assumes that sending a message is indeed his father's motivation for the upcoming duel, but there was still too much he didn't know. If sending a message really was his father's intention, who was the message intended for? The entire Dark Council, a single specific member, or someone else entirely?

He didn't know.

Regardless, Rhal put any thoughts of his father's schemes to the side as the entrance to the training chambers came into sight and Rhal sensed the presence of his hated older sister along with a few others.

Entering the chambers and nearly growling at his sister's smug face and presence in the force, Rhal takes a moment to glance at the other occupants in the chambers, occupants who'd immediately stopped whatever training they'd been in the middle of when they noticed the arrival of Darth Jadus.

There were three others in the chambers and Rhal recognized two of them but the last was a mystery to him. 'Likely a new apprentice that I just haven't heard about yet.'

The first one Rhal laid eyes on was an attractive female Sith Pureblood wearing the robes of a Sith Sorcerer. She had dark orange eyes and blood red hair that almost perfectly matched her skin. Rhal recognized her as Lord Arosh, sole apprentice to the Dark Council member Darth Hadra. He'd sparred against Arosh a few times in the past and knew that the Pureblood was a fast and fierce warrior.

The second individual was the largest of the three. A large human male with a nearly bald head and some new scars on the right side of his face that Rhal knew weren't there the last time he'd seen him. He was also wearing black heavy armor, common for Sith warriors to train in. Qet was one of Darth Vowrawn's apprentices and he apparently has a great deal of respect for his master since he'd brought hundreds of slaves from offworld to contruct a massive colossus in the jungle to honor his master. 'Another reason why slavery should be discarded. If he'd just used droids to build the blasted statue we wouldn't have an ongoing slave rebellion to deal with.'

The last individual is smaller than Qet, but taller and more muscular than Arosh. Another female Sith Pureblood but quite different from Darth Hadra's apprentice. While Arosh is attractive because of her beauty, this Pureblood is attractive because of her strength. Her red skin is lighter than Arosh's and her eyes are golden yellow. She also had pitch black hair, a trait Rhal considered odd since most Purebloods hair were different shades of red. She's also wearing heavy armor more fitting for a warrior rather than a sorcerer. 'She certainly seems strong enough to be apprenticed to a Dark Council member. I wonder who her master is.'

Rhal knew he wouldn't get a chance to ask and refocused all his attention back to his sister who seemed to be irritated that her little brother wasn't entirely focused on her the moment he entered the training room. However, her face quickly switched to one of crazed excitement once Rhal stepped into the sparring area with her and their father stepped to the side. The other three apprentices in the room were all watching now, curious about just what was going to happen.

"No killing. No maiming." Their father stated, drawing a sour look from Zhorrid while Rhal kept his own face neutral and focused on his sister. 'She shouldn't be surprised.' Rhal thought. 'Father always warned that the consequences of one of us killing or crippling the other would be…severe.'

"Anything else is permitted." Their father said before raising a hand, causing the two siblings to activate their lightsabers. Purple for Rhal and blood red for Zhorrid. Both siblings took their stances and waited for the signal to begin. They didn't have to wait long.

When Darth Jadus let his hand fall, the duel was on.

Zhorrid is immediately on the attack, launching fast and powerful strikes that remind Rhal of a wild animal that's desperate for its next meal.

Rhal instead goes on defense, skillfully blocking and parrying every strike Zhorrid sends his way. His sister, assuming that she's forcing him to defend, presses her supposed advantage as the number and strength of her strikes increase. Rhal stays on defense and continues redirecting his sister's blows away from himself.

"Struggling a bit, dear brother?" Zhorrid asks mockingly as she continues her onslaught. Rhal doesn't answer nor does his face show anything besides focus on blocking and redirecting every attack Zhorrid continues to throw his way.

Both siblings prefer attacking to defending, but Rhal had been given a rare opportunity by his father and he was not going to let it slip through his fingers. So, for the time being, he'd stay completely on the defensive.

Zhorrid was clearly not pleased once she realized her taunt didn't get the reaction she'd been hoping for. She steps back and releases force lightning from both of her hands, hoping to catch her brother off guard.

Rhal had known the attack was coming and his saber had already been in a good position to block even before the lightning appeared and, as expected, the lightsaber absorbed all the lightning that his sister was unleashing.

Zhorrid just laughs. "What's the matter, brother? Am I too much of a challenge for you? Maybe-"

Rhal, deciding he's heard enough from his insane sister's mouth, shuts it by pulling his lightsaber back slightly before swinging it forward, redirecting Zhorrid's own attack back at her. The lightning catches the mad Sith completely off guard and slams into her, making her cry out in agony. Rhal decided not to press his advantage and just waited a few moments for his sister to recover.

Zhorrid looks up at Rhal. All forms of teasing and mocking are gone from her eyes, her rage and madness now clearly on display. Without a word, Zhorrid screams and launches a new barrage of strikes. 'Now she really does look like a wild animal.' Rhal thought as he continued his defense, which only seemed to enrage his unstable sister even more.

Which was exactly what Rhal wanted.

He'd seen his sister train many times in the past. She'd never felt the need to hide what she could do from her younger brother, after all she was convinced that there was no way her little brother could possibly pose even the slightest threat to her in any way.

Rhal, on the other hand, had always considered Zhorrid to be his greatest threat. No matter what he did, no matter how strong he became or what powerful allies he made, his sister would always be his enemy. So he'd always watched her training while keeping his own training as secretive as he possibly could. 'Not that Zhorrid ever even bothered to try and find out just how I was becoming stronger. She probably just assumed that she'd always be my better regardless of what I did.'

Zhorrid, unlike himself, had never bothered to have father increase her own training. In other words, while she was powerful her training was severely lacking when it came to more subtle elements like defense and patience. 'True, those aren't common among the Sith, but when we're fighting in battle against enemies as powerful as the Jedi, overwhelming anger and strength just aren't enough. If it was, we'd have crushed the Republic and the Jedi Order long ago.'

The Sith needed other ways to defeat their hated enemies. Rhal knew this, but his sister did not. She was just one more in a long line of Sith that would eventually go into battle and die nameless because she was too proud or foolish to realize her own weakness. 'I know I'm not invincible and that I still have much to learn, but the one thing I am sure of is that I'm stronger than you dear sister.'

He'd have a chance to prove his thought true in a few more moments he could tell. Zhorrid's strikes, while still strong and ferocious, were beginning to slow down the slightest bit and Rhal wasn't even sweating. 'She likely expected this to be over in a minute or two at best. I can tell she's burning through her strength quickly trying to end this.'

Zhorrid's patience for their duel is clearly at an end when she screams. "I'm the superior apprentice! Not you! Accept your defeat like the inferior apprentice you are!" She screeched at him, breathing hard and sweating a good deal by now.

Rhal almost let himself smile. Zhorrid's strikes were slow enough now that Rhal could spot several openings every time she launched another attack. He saw several opportunities where he could have ended his sister's miserable life but held back both because of his father's command and he felt it would be more fitting to humiliate her.

He gets his chance when Zhorrid attacks with an overhead swing that Rhal steps under and past, ending up behind his sister who he immediately kicks hard in the back and causing her to fall to the floor. It wasn't meant to injure, only provoke more anger from the already enraged Zhorrid.

She got to her feet quickly and snarled before attacking once more. This time, instead of attempting to block or parry the strikes, Rhal goes on the attack. He grabs his saber with both hands and meets Zhorrid's attacks with his own, who's caught off guard once more and quickly switched from attacking to defending.

Rhal begins overpowering his sister quickly, whose strength has already been exhausted after launching so many powerful attacks. It isn't long before Rhal has Zhorrid completely on the defensive.

His older sister is clearly not used to defending and it shows in the sloppy forms she tries to use to block her little brother's attacks. Each of Rhal's strikes knocks Zhorrid off guard momentarily, but he still doesn't attempt to end the fight. 'I've waited for this for years. I'm going to enjoy this as much as possible.' He thinks as he continues toying with his so-called "superior" sister.

About a minute later, Rhal decides it's time to end the duel. Gripping his lightsaber tightly with both hands, Rhal knocks Zhorrid off guard once more. However this time, instead of letting her recover, Rhal immediately follows up with an attack towards Zhorrid's blade arm.

It takes nearly all of Rhal's strength to resist the urge to remove his mad sister's arm, but he succeeds and only removes the top of Zhorrid's lightsaber causing the red blade to disappear and leaving only a useless hilt in his sister's hand.

Before she can react to the loss of her weapon, Zhorrid's body is engulfed by force lightning and the mad Sith falls to the ground, screaming and spasming in pain as Rhal unleashes more and more lighting on his sister's downed form.

"Enough."

The cold voice of Darth Jadus immediately causes the lightning coming from Rhal's hands to cease and the young, victorious apprentice drops to one knee, bowing his head to hide his smile while Zhorrid remains laying on the ground. Her form is smoking and twitching and she's making no effort to try and rise. 'She's likely unable to.' Rhal thought with more than a little dark satisfaction.

"You both will continue your usual lessons tomorrow." Jadus said before making his way out of the training room, not bothering to give either of his children a second glance.

Rhal followed a few moments later, but did stop for a moment to glance back at his sister who was just starting to rise to her knees. A voice in his head was telling him to end her, father be damned, but he chose to ignore it. 'There's something more satisfying in knowing that she'll have to live with this humiliation.' He thought before he turned and left.

Lord Rhal never looked back.

Darth Jadus' Private Chambers…

All was ready.

Darth Jadus sat in silence, quietly pleased that his vision of the Empire would soon become a reality. The Dominator and its passengers were prepared, the terrorists and the Eagle were ready to act, and the eradicators were in position and had begun growing.

The final piece had fallen into place once he'd seen his son completely defeat and humiliate his daughter in the training ring. 'My children are ready. They will serve me well, even in my absence.'

Both Rhal and Zhorrid had their uses and their purposes once they and the rest of the Empire believed he was dead and Jadus was now confident that both were capable of what he desired.

Zhorrid was meant to be a sacrifice and deception. Once he was presumed dead and she was given his place on the Dark Council, Jadus knew his daughter would cause chaos among his rivals in the Sith and inflict terrible damage that even his eradicators were not capable of. Then, when it was his time to return, Jadus would eliminate his daughter and reclaim his seat on the Council.

Rhal's role was more important. While his daughter was causing chaos among the Dark Council, Rhal would do everything he could to ensure those Jadus left behind who were loyal to him would not attempt to betray or flee once Zhorrid assumed the Dark Council seat. 'My daughter would destroy everything she touches, including what belongs to her. My son will ensure that does not happen and Zhorrid will be too weak to dispose of him if she chooses to disregard my will simply because she assumes I perished.'

Jadus had considered the possibility that Rhal would kill Zhorrid and attempt to take the Council seat after it was given to his sister, but now he was confident that would not happen. 'He had wanted to kill his sister at the end of their duel but chose not to defy my will. He will not do so once he is informed of my supposed demise.' Jadus thought confidently.

Darth Jadus had briefly considered having his son join him aboard the Dominator but had dismissed the idea. Rhal was powerful and saw many of the Empire's shortcomings, but Jadus knew his son's vision for the Empire's future did not match his own. He also knew his son held strongly to his beliefs and would not change them by choice. 'When I recreate the Empire in my image, he will have no choice but to accept my rule.' Jadus thought, unconcerned that his son would attempt to defy him after the eradicators crippled his enemies.

Jadus moved forward and began entering his will that Zhorrid be given his Dark Council seat in the event of his death. The apprentice with the most seniority was usually the one chosen to inherit after the previous member's death but there had been exceptions in the past.

Darth Jadus would not allow such an exception now.

Not when his vision was finally about to become a reality.

A few weeks later, the Citadel…

Rhal was currently sitting in one of the Citadel's libraries reading some old texts detailing an ancient force ritual that involved reducing a being's force presence so the individual was practically invisible to other force users. His encounter with the Jedi in the jungle had shown him that he needed to improve his abilities to hide himself in the force.

There were many Sith that preferred to face their enemies head on and annihilate them on the battlefield and, while this was a viable strategy, it was not Rhal's preferred means of defeating his enemies. 'Why bother cutting through wave after wave of replaceable soldiers when I can sneak behind enemy lines and take out their leaders?'

There were many on both sides that would consider such a strategy cowardly and dishonorable, but Rhal knew assassinations could produce far better results than a long standoff on a battlefield and that those who fought with honor didn't tend to last long in war.

That was another problem Rhal needed to be solved.

He didn't know war.

He had fought several groups of mercenaries and assassins in some of his previous missions, but Rhal knew that wasn't the same as actual warfare. This would be a problem when the Empire or the Republic decided that they were done skirting around the Treaty of Coruscant.

A new war with the Republic was inevitable and Rhal knew he needed to be prepared for it. He needed a battlefield to test himself, a true battlefield with trained soldiers and not simple mercenaries and thugs. 'I need to know what to expect from my enemies so I can be prepared to counter them.'

He put that particular problem to the side for now and focused on a more immediate concern, building up his own powerbase and forces.

His powerbase was barely growing but he hoped, now that his father would be away from Dromund Kaas for a time on his tour, that he'd finally be able to start making some real progress. 'I know an excellent way I could significantly increase both my powerbase and my reputation, but it won't work right now. I'll need more men and for Grathan to be significantly weakened. Perhaps I could order Captain Sarnova to have her troops attack Grathan's patrols? No, that won't work. She cares about her men too much to risk them for something so minor and it wouldn't be enough to cause the damage I need. Maybe-'

Rhal stood up from his desk in the library so quickly that his chair fell over. He'd just sensed a massive shift in the force. Something significant was about to occur, he was certain of it. 'But what?'

As much as he hated doing it, Rhal pulled out his holocommunicator and attempted to contact his father. Whatever he just sensed, he was certain his father had felt it as well and as much as he hated Darth Jadus, he knew that his father was the most likely person to know what the force was trying to tell him.

However, his father wasn't answering his holo, which was highly unusual. After a few minutes of silence, Rhal shut it down and rushed out of the Citadel hoping to see or hear something, anything, that might give him some clue as to what was going on.

He got his answer when he stepped out of the Citadel's entrance and looked up at the raining sky. Far above the clouds, Rhal could just barely see his father's ship, the Dominator, high above the planet. He knew immediately that something was wrong when he saw a slight orange glow at the rear of the ship. One of the engines appeared to be on fire. 'Is it sabotage? Perhaps-'

Any thoughts Rhal would have had about the ship and its condition were shut down when the Dominator suddenly exploded in a massive ball of fire and smoke. It was very clear and noticeable in the normally dark sky.

A moment later, Rhal felt something else in the force, something he knew should have been impossible.

His father's presence in the force disappeared completely.

Even for the strongest of force users, such a thing only happened in one situation. Rhal knew of course what that situation was and could only stare up at the cloud of smoke and ash that had previously been his father's ship while the rain continued to pour down, his mouth hanging open and his eyes wide as he uttered four words that he never imagined himself saying.

"My father is dead."

Korriban, the Dark Council Chambers…

"They're only Lords!" Darth Ravage protested. "We can't put a Lord on the Dark Council!" He argued while the rest of the Council considered his words and the best way to deal with this unexpected situation.

Darth Jadus was dead. Killed by terrorists that destroyed his ship above Dromund Kaas.

Jadus was hardly a popular member among the rest of the Dark Council but his power had been undeniable. Worse was the fact that his death had only come a few months after they'd lost another Dark Council member, Darth Mekhis. Despite having quickly filled her seat, her loss was still very much felt by the Empire and the Sith and now, they'd just lost their head of the Pyramid of Imperial Intelligence.

Right now, the Empire and the Republic were engaged in a Cold War and Imperial Intelligence and its operatives were vital to their ongoing struggles. All members agreed that a replacement for Darth Jadus needed to be named immediately.

Unfortunately, that was where the agreements ended.

Darth Jadus had specifically named his daughter and apprentice, Lord Zhorrid, to be his successor in the event of his death. However, several members of the Dark Council did not agree that naming Zhorrid to the council would be a wise course of action.

Darths Hadra, Vowrawn, and Decimus had all objected to the choice and revealed that each of their apprentices had witnessed Zhorrid be completely defeated and humiliated in a duel with her younger brother and Jadus' only other apprentice, Lord Rhal.

Of course it was for that very reason that some of the members wanted to see Zhorrid on the Council. She was weak and more than one member had plans to use and manipulate a weak Sith for their own purposes. However, there were other ideas that had been put forward as well.

A few members had suggested naming a Darth that would be more suitable to the position, but the majority of the Council had refused such a suggestion. While Jadus hadn't been a well liked member of the Council, his power and influence was still respected by most of the Sith Lords and it was agreed that one of his children, either Lord Zhorrid or Lord Rhal, would be named the newest Dark Council member.

Well, mostly agreed as Ravage still wasn't pleased that they were even considering naming Sith to the Council that hadn't yet earned the title of Darth.

"My apprentice Krovos tells me that Lord Rhal fought as well as any Darth in the duel against his sister. Her judgment has impressed me so far and I have no reason to doubt her words, Lord Ravage." Darth Decimus said, shutting down Ravage's protests and gaining an angry glare from the other Sith.

"Lord Arosh mentioned something similar." Darth Hadra commented. "She also mentioned that Zhorrid fought more like a rabid beast than a warrior and that Lord Rhal toyed with her for half the match." She said. The rest of the Council could see she was favoring Lord Rhal.

"I must say it's surprising that Jadus would name his daughter to take his place." Darth Vowrawn said with a slight smile and a tone that sounded like a mix of joking and sincere. "I was told that he had observed the match himself." He said before putting a hand to his chin and asked in an overly dramatic tone. "Now why would he name the defeated of such a duel to be his successor, I wonder?"

Darth Marr had already considered that question and assumed the answer was that Jadus wanted the weaker of his apprentices on the Council to unbalance its members after he was gone. 'Not that it would be difficult.' Marr thought to himself as his fellows continued to bicker.

Marr knew the Dark Council was barely united and without the Emperor to oversee them, several members had been making bigger and more aggressive moves against their rivals.

Most recently was the discovery of a Sith shrine outside of Kaas City that Darth Hadra's forces had discovered and she quickly claimed it in her name. Darth Arctis had immediately challenged that claim and Hadra had sent her personal troops to secure the shrine with orders to shoot anyone who approached. Arctis hadn't made any further moves of his own yet but Marr knew that was likely to change sometime soon.

Now, the Council was about to receive a new member who, regardless of the final choice, would still end up being the youngest member of the Dark Council in the Empire's history. Marr knew they could not afford to make the wrong decision.

As soon as he'd learned of Jadus' death, Marr had ordered his agents to start gathering any and all information that there was on Darth Jadus' children and apprentices. He'd found surprisingly little since most of the missions the two Sith had performed had taken place at the edges of the Empire, but there was more than enough for him to decide who was the better choice.

"Jadus' motives are irrelevant." Darth Arctis said, speaking for the first time during the meeting. "Zhorrid is his named successor and she has seniority. The council seat should go to her." He stated, causing more murmuring around the chambers.

Marr wasn't surprised Arctis was choosing to support Zhorrid. Hadra had made her support for Rhal clear and Marr knew that if she had voiced her support for Zhorrid instead, then he would have supported Rhal. Their rivalry had been going on long before Hadra gained the late Mekhis' seat.

"It is tradition for it to be done this way, yes." Darth Mortis said slowly with a hand on his chin and a contemplative look on his face, a sign he was in deep thought. "However, tradition alone will not win us the war once the Republic goes too far." Mortis said, causing more murmuring.

Every member of the Dark Council knew another war against their hated enemies was inevitable. Several members had greatly opposed the Treaty when it was first signed and Marr knew that more than a few Sith had attempted to force an end to the so-called peace and a return to war.

"Of what use would a child be in war?" Darth Acharon spat. "Neither Rhal nor Zhorrid have ever even faced our ancient enemies! I still say that a more experienced Sith should be given Jadus' seat!" Acharon nearly shouted, and Marr silently cursed as it became more and more obvious that they were getting nowhere.

"Enough." Marr said loudly enough to silence all murmuring and draw all eyes to him. "We are just arguing in circles at this point and we have already established why the decision should be Lord Rhal or Lord Zhorrid." He said while shooting quick glances at Ravage and Acharon, both of whom shot angry glares his way but thankfully said nothing. "It is time to make a decision." Marr declared.

The vote didn't take long and it was surprisingly close, but in the end, a decision was finally made. Not all members of the Dark Council were happy about it of course, but they accepted the decision nonetheless.

A summons was soon sent to inform the new Dark Council member of their elevation.

A.N.

Sorry, you'll have to wait till next time to see who got the Dark Council seat. A guest asked in a review of the last chapter, thank you very much for that, if Rhal would become the new Dark Council member after Jadus' fake death or join his father in his plans. Well, Rhal clearly didn't join his father in his plans and, as for whether or not the seat will go to Rhal or Zhorrid, well you'll just have to wait till the next chapter arrives! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it, please leave me your thoughts so I know what you think about all this, and I'll get the next one out to you all as soon as I can. Thanks to everyone who took the time to read this and have an awesome day!