Chapter 6: The Dark Council
Rhal stood patiently outside the Dark Council chambers. To say that the past few days had been intense would have been a massive understatement to the young Sith.
As soon as he'd sensed his father's death, Rhal had immediately gone to his father's chambers while considering his options. When he'd arrived, he shouldn't have been surprised to see Zhorrid sitting in their father's seat and giving him the biggest and most crazed smile he'd ever seen on her.
She quickly declared herself Darth Zhorrid, Lord of the Dark Council and Darth Jadus' successor. Rhal countered that only the Dark Council could make such a decision and, seeing as their father had died only moments before he arrived, he knew there was no way such a decision could have been made.
Zhorrid's mad smile stayed in place when she revealed that their father had selected her to take his place on the Dark Council in the event of his death. She even displayed a holo that showed the will, confirming that she wasn't lying.
Rhal's anger and confusion reached new heights when he saw his father's final command. Angered that his father had still named Zhorrid as his successor after he'd completely defeated her in their previous duel and confused as to why his father would make such a decision.
It didn't make sense. Rhal knew his father chose Zhorrid for a reason, more likely several reasons, and he had no idea what that reason or reasons could possibly be. Unfortunately, the only person who could tell him why was dead and he now had to find a way to deal with his insane sister.
He stated that, despite their father's last command, it was entirely possible that the Dark Council would decide to ignore it and name him as their father's successor instead, especially since several of their apprentices had watched him humiliate her in the training ring.
The mention of her defeat and humiliation caused Zhorrid's smile to drop and be replaced by a snarl. Before she could attack as Rhal expected her to, the holo at the desk changed to a man in a hood wearing worn clothing who introduced himself as the Eagle.
The man quickly identified himself as the one who had been behind their father's assassination. The terrorist gave a short speech and claimed that he had agents, or rather terrorists, on other planets preparing to strike against the Empire before his image disappeared.
Forgetting their previous quarrel for the moment, both Rhal and Zhorrid agreed that there was likely more going on than they were being led to believe. They both knew that no ordinary man could have killed someone as powerful as Darth Jadus so it was more likely that while the Eagle had been involved in the plot, he was likely taking orders from someone else.
Rhal had mentioned that it was most likely one of their father's rivals on the Dark Council, but Zhorrid seized the opportunity to again present herself as Jadus' successor and their argument began once more.
Neither was sure how long the argument lasted before the chamber doors opened and both siblings turned and went silent when they saw a member of the Imperial guard enter the room. The appearance of the red robed guardsman told both apprentices one thing, the Dark Council had made their decision.
The guardsman told them that Lord Rhal had been given the title of Darth and had been granted Darth Jadus' seat on the Dark Council.
Rhal had been stunned while Zhorrid had been apocalyptic. She'd been shouting and screaming at the guard that there must have been a mistake, she was their father's named apprentice, and other nonsense that Rhal didn't even bother listening to. There was only one thing on his mind at that moment.
He was Darth Rhal, Lord of the Dark Council and successor to Darth Jadus.
The Imperial guard ignored both siblings' reactions to the news and informed Rhal that the Dark Council had summoned him to Korriban to assume his new seat. Rhal wasted no time listening to anymore of his sister's enraged objections and made his way out of what were now his chambers and headed to the Kaas City Spaceport.
However, Rhal still took a moment before leaving to summon Commander Jakker and two of his guards to accompany him to the Sith homeworld. He was a Dark Council member now and he knew that, while he was fully capable of defending himself, it was expected of him to have personal guards with him at nearly all times.
The Commander and his men had no issue joining him. Rhal knew that many who served his father were terrified of Zhorrid and her unpredictable madness so he wasn't too worried about any of them siding with her against him. He still made a mental note to keep a close eye on his sister once he returned to Dromund Kaas.
On the way to Korriban, Rhal spent all of his time reading about the current Dark Council members. He'd only met two members of the Emperor's Council in the past, Darth Marr and Darth Mekhis. The first he'd only met briefly and the second was now dead so he knew he had to learn as much as he could before he was introduced to the rest of the Council. By the time he landed on the Sith homeworld and entered the Sith temple, Rhal felt he had a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Most Sith would have been nervous had they been in Rhal's position, standing outside the Dark Council chambers and about to enter as a member of one of the twelve most powerful Sith in the Empire, not to mention the Emperor himself.
Darth Rhal wasn't even slightly nervous.
For years he'd had to stand in the presence of Darth Jadus, a being of incredible dark side power that was so strong it caused pain to anyone who stood before him. He'd endured that pain for all those years and used it to make himself stronger. Compared to that, what he sensed beyond the council doors was nothing. 'Oh, they are all powerful Sith worthy of their positions I can tell, but none of them can match my father and I doubt the Emperor will even bother to make an appearance.'
It was still being kept quiet, but a select few among the Sith knew that their Emperor had been silent for many years now and hadn't spoken since the end of the last war. It was the Dark Council that was currently running the day to day dealings of the Empire. At least until their Emperor chose to return and speak again. 'Now I'm about to be a part of that.'
The thought excited him but he didn't let it show. He knew that if he showed any hint of weakness or vulnerability, then the Dark Council would see it and destroy him. 'I will not be destroyed by them or anyone else.' He thought as the chamber doors finally opened and, for the first time in his life, Rhal entered the Dark Council chambers.
The room was enormous. There were six chairs that looked more like thrones on each side of the room with one throne at the back of the room looking down on all the others. When Rhal saw that it was empty, he knew he'd been correct when he guessed that the Emperor wouldn't be making an appearance. 'Actually, it seems a few of the Dark Council members decided not to attend as well.' He thought when he noticed four of the Council seats were also empty.
Rhal knew one was his own and, after taking a moment to observe the present members, he concluded that Darth Arctis, Darth Rictus, and Darth Aruk are the missing members. 'Since Darth Hadra's here and Arctis isn't, that must mean he voted against me.' He thought, knowing it was the most likely reason for Arctis' absence. He takes a moment to think about the other two and quickly assumes that Aruk is likely occupied.
Darth Aruk is the head of the Pyramid of Sith Philosophy and his duties included upholding the Sith Code and spreading anti-Jedi teachings. Rhal had heard rumors about some sort of cult causing problems in the Dromund Kaas jungles but didn't know much else. 'Could be something to look into later.'
Rhal also has a pretty good idea why Darth Rictus isn't in attendance either. Rictus was head of the Pyramid of Mysteries and had even gained the title of Keeper of Mysteries after so many years of leading it. He was the oldest member of the Dark Council and was considered to be a very traditional Sith. It was extremely likely that he'd favored Zhorrid not only because she was older, but also because of their father's last will to have Zhorrid become his successor. 'Since that didn't happen, Rictus was probably furious but even he doesn't have the influence needed to choose a new Dark Council member on his own.'
"Your seat, my Lord." A female voice spoke up. Rhal turned to see one of the Dark Council members on her feet and gestured to a chair next to her with a slight grin on her face. It wasn't hard for Rhal to guess that she was Darth Hadra.
Of all the current members, Hadra was the only female and was head of the Pyramid of Technology, which focused on the Empire's scientific advancement. She was a good Sith for the position and was considered quite intelligent, but nowhere near the genius her predecessor, Darth Mekhis, had been.
Walking over, Rhal gave Hadra a slight nod before sitting in his Dark Council seat for the very first time. Darth Hadra returned the nod with one of her own and gave him a smile before retaking her own seat. Rhal resisted the urge to give a smile of his own. He was already seeing Hadra's intentions.
Darth hadra had gained her position on the Dark Council less than a year ago after Darth Mekhis' unexpected death so she was still fairly new to the position and, with her ongoing rivalry with Darth Arctis, she was likely trying to get Rhal on her side quickly. Having powerful allies was important, especially for powerful Sith and the newest Dark Council member decided to wait and see how the meeting goes before making any moves of his own.
"Darths Rictus, Arctis, and Aruk have declared that they will not be attending this meeting." A masked and heavily armored Sith said while rising to his feet. "Therefore, I call this meeting of the Dark Council to order." He declared before resuming his seat. Rhal knew, even before looking up any information, that the speaker was Darth Marr.
Darth Marr was the head of the Pyramid of Defense, the very name making his duties clear. He was considered one of the best and strongest Sith alive and, from what Rhal had gathered, he was also one of the most influential members of the Dark Council and worked very hard to keep his fellow members focused on destroying the Republic and the Jedi rather than each other. 'A difficult task for any Sith, even the Emperor.'
"Before anything else, I believe we should properly greet our newest member." A Pureblood Sith said before locking eyes with Rhal and giving him a smile. "Welcome to the Dark Council, Darth Rhal." He said with a nod and a tone that Rhal couldn't tell if he was mocking him or being sincere. He identified the Pureblood as Darth Vowrawn.
Being the second oldest member of the Dark Council and a Pureblood Sith, Darth Vowrawn was easily one of the most influential Sith in the whole Empire. He also had power and intelligence to go with his influence, which was good since he was the head of the Pyramid of Production and Logistics. Overseeing the Ministry of Logistics meant knowing a lot of numbers, the Empire's troops and ships as well as their enemies among other things and Vowrawn had been running it all for decades, so he knew the Empire's forces and chances against the Republic far better than most. Dozens, if not hundreds, of upstart Sith had attempted to take down Vowrawn over the years, but the Pureblood had outlived them all and usually came out stronger after each attempt. Rhal knew immediately that if he couldn't get Vowrawn as an ally, he must not become his enemy.
Saying nothing, Rhal simply gave a slight nod to Vowrawn, who simply smirked in return. A scoff came from the side and Rhal turned to see one of the other members shaking his head. "A child on the Dark Council." He said before glaring at the other members of the Dark Council. "Have the Sith truly fallen so low?" He asked none of the members in particular.
Darth Acharon was the speaker and Rhal had already guessed he would be a problem. As the head of the Pyramid of Biotic Science, Acharon oversaw the Imperial Medical Corps and had complete control of alchemical and biotic science in the Empire, which included cybernetic and physical augmentations, some of which Acharon had used on himself.
While he had served on the Dark Council for several years now and was a powerful Sith, there were few that were as hated as Acharon was. He had a zero tolerance policy for any type of failure or incompetence and was known to have personally executed over two hundred Imperial soldiers and officers during his tenure, with some of them having failed critical missions or they simply wore their uniforms in a way that wasn't to his standards. Needless to say, many who served in the Empire considered serving under him to be a punishment and only fools went to serve him by choice. The only people Acharon hated more than incompetents were sycophants. Rhal made a mental note to ensure he and his forces never performed operations anywhere near Acharon, lest he decide to cut them down for their uniforms being too dirty.
"Child or no, his strength is proven, Lord Acharon. I expect he'll make a fine addition to the Council." A Sith with pale skin, red eyes and tattoos said in a fierce tone. Darth Decimus was the embodiment of Sith strength and ferocity.
Having held his spot since the end of the last war, Darth Decimus was head of the Pyramid of Military Strategy and, from what Rhal had read, there was no better Sith suited to the position. Decimus was a genius when it came to warfare and strategy and always found some way to turn just about any situation to his advantage.
Rhal wasn't surprised that Decimus approved of him. He'd found out that the second Pureblood who watched his duel against Zhorrid was Decimus' apprentice and if there was one thing the Sith strategist respected, it was powerful warriors. 'Still, just because he respected my abilities enough to side with me instead of Zhorrid, that doesn't mean I should count him as an ally. At least not yet.'
"One victory does not make him a great warrior. I'll accept him once he's proven himself against the Jedi." Another Sith said while giving Rhal an appraising look. 'Darth Vengean. He'll be tricky.'
Darth Vengean was the Dark Council member in charge of Military Offense. His skill in the art of war was extremely impressive and his own power was beyond question, being one of the greatest Sith Warriors among the living.
However, Vengean's abilities outside of warfare were not nearly as good. After the Treaty of Coruscant, he had openly criticized anyone and everyone who supported the treaty, even going so far as to quietly criticize the Emperor himself, an act that would have meant death for almost anyone else. It was no secret that he had few allies among the Sith due to his actions. 'But he does have Darth Baras, and that could be enough.'
While not a member of the Dark Council, Vengean's apprentice Darth Baras was one of the most well known and influential Sith in the Empire. Baras had been the one to negotiate the terms of the Treaty of Coruscant and had been steadily building his own network of spies throughout the galaxy, though Rhal had only discovered that last part recently. 'Vengean's a powerful warrior but he lacks cunning. Baras will almost certainly be pulling strings behind the scenes to manipulate his master for his own gain. I'll need to be careful when dealing with him.'
"Regardless, I hope you realize the honor you've received, boy." The Sith across from Rhal said while pointing at him. "You better know your place." The Sith warned. 'Ravage.' Rhal thought as he kept his face neutral.
Darth Ravage. The head of the Pyramid of Expansion and Diplomacy. Rhal had only read a little about Ravage before he decided that, of all the current members, Ravage was by far the least suited to his position.
Ravage was a merciless warrior who didn't know the meaning of diplomacy and, when it came to expansion, whatever territory he managed to capture was usually dust and ashes by the time he was finished. Worst of all, instead of attempting to recruit allies for the Empire, Ravage just destroyed anyone who crossed his path that didn't immediately drop to their knees and submit. Reading about just a few of the groups Ravage had wiped out enraged Rhal. 'He'll definitely be a problem in the future. Thankfully, Ravage isn't known for being subtle. I can definitely use that to my advantage.'
Not backing down, Rhal matched Ravage's glare with one of his own. "I know my place, Lord Ravage." He said, catching the other Sith off guard. An angry expression appeared on Ravage's face and he looked like he was about to speak, but Rhal continued. "I am the youngest Sith to ever become a member of the Dark Council, meaning I will have to work at least twice as hard to prove that I am worthy of my new position, and I will do exactly that." He said forcefully, causing Ravage's expression to change from angered to a mix of angered and surprised.
"Strong words, Lord Rhal." Another member said in an approving tone. "I hope that you can live up to them." Darth Mortis said in a tone that suggested he was interested to see if Rhal really could overcome the challenges before him.
The last of the present Dark Council members, Darth Mortis served as the head of the Pyramid of Laws and Justice and reportedly took his duties very seriously. He severely punished any Sith or Imperials who tried to undermine or violate the Treaty of Coruscant. He also controlled the Kaas City military police, giving him great influence on Dromund Kaas.
For the most part, Rhal considered Mortis to be an effective Sith, but worried that the man's strong belief in blood purity would cause issues in the future. Still, Rhal stayed silent and gave a simple nod to Mortis after he'd spoken.
"If you are all finished, perhaps we can move on to matters of importance." Marr said in a slightly frustrated tone. Rhal assumed that he didn't want the Dark Council focusing too much on him and wanted to focus their attention back towards the Empire and the Republic. If so, Rhal approved.
As the Dark Council discussed matters of importance, Rhal stayed silent and carefully observed each member to better understand their personalities and see if he could spot anything that could be of use to himself or the Empire. He made several key discoveries during the meeting.
The first was, of all the Dark Council members, the ones who were the most focused on the Republic and the Jedi were Marr, Decimus, Vengean, Ravage, and Acharon. The other members still showed their anger whenever their ancient enemies were mentioned, but it was clear that their priorities were focused on other things.
Vowrawn was the hardest for Rhal to get a read on. He just seemed to consider the entire meeting to be an amusing distraction from whatever he was working on and Rhal couldn't tell if the Pureblood was actually taking some matters seriously or was dismissing them due to a lack of interest.
Mortis didn't speak much, but when he did it usually involved matters relating to the Empire. Rhal wondered if he should consider that suspicious or if it was just further proof of how seriously he took his duties.
Rhal was able to see Hadra's priorities quickly as she continued to mention any type of technology that the Republic or Empire possessed that could be of use to the Empire. Of course, she was really trying to find out more about the inventions she described because she was trying to find out how useful they could be to her, rather than the Empire as a whole. 'Is she just trying to learn more about ways to increase her own power or is her position among the Dark Council more unstable than I realized?' He wondered, but was unable to determine an appropriate answer.
After all topics of interest had been discussed, Marr called an end to the meeting and each of the Dark Council quietly made their way out of the chambers, Rhal included. 'Well, that was a very interesting meeting.'
Rhal considered returning to Dromund Kaas immediately, but decided to remain on Korriban for a little while longer and made his way towards his father's old chambers in the academy. Jadus rarely used his chambers on Korriban, so Rhal was curious to see what information he'd discover.
…
A week later and Rhal was still on Korriban, sitting in his chambers with Commander Jakker and his two guards by his side while he continued reading Intelligence reports and other information. He had never realized just how much intel his father and Imperial Intelligence possessed and now he had access to all of it. After just one week, Rhal was certain he now knew far more about both the Empire and the Republic than most. However, that also led to a somewhat disturbing discovery.
The new war against the Republic was going to begin far sooner than he expected. Perhaps a year or two at the most. 'I knew the skirmishes between us had been increasing, but it seems they've really picked up in these last two years. I can't afford to wait any longer, I need to increase my power immediately and rapidly.' He thought while trying to come up with the best solution and concluded that, if he wanted to increase his power and reputation quickly, his best option was back on Dromund Kaas.
However, he couldn't leave until he took care of one important piece of business. Fortunately, he only had to wait a few minutes for a familiar Chiss and Rattataki to walk into his chambers. Both looked the same as the last time Rhal had seen them, though he knew the agent now went by the designation "Cipher Nine" after stopping terrorists from destroying the power conduits beneath Kaas City.
Rhal was impressed by the report and, once learning the agent would be hunting the Eagle and his terrorists, sent a message to Keeper telling him to send Cipher Nine to meet him. He sensed this agent was capable of great things and wanted to ensure his actions benefited himself and the Empire as much as possible.
"Welcome to Korriban, Cipher." Rhal said with a slight nod before turning to Jakker. "Commander, take your men and leave us. Kaliyo Djannis, go with them. The Cipher will collect you when we are finished." Rhal ordered. Jakker gave a nod before he and his two men moved to leave the chambers with Kaliyo just giving a slight shrug before following them out. Once the chamber doors slid shut, Darth Rhal and Cipher Nine were left alone.
"You summoned me, my Lord." Cipher Nine stated, it wasn't a question.
"We met very briefly before so allow me to properly introduce myself this time. I am Darth Rhal, lord of the Dark Council and successor to Darth Jadus. You served my father well on Hutta and Dromund Kaas. I expect you will serve me well by hunting down these terrorists. But tell me, do you believe the Eagle was really the one who killed my father?" Rhal asked, wondering if perhaps the agent had similar thoughts to his own.
Unfortunately, the Chiss' thoughts were well hidden under that same strange calm that Rhal had sensed from him the last time he'd seen him so it was difficult for him to tell if the agent had any other suspicions. "The Eagle did admit that he was the one responsible." Cipher Nine said, getting a slight nod from Rhal. 'Clever. He answered without actually answering. He guards his thoughts well.'
"He did." Rhal confirmed. "But just because he made the claim does not mean that he was the true mastermind of my father's death, it only confirms his involvement. Fortunately, that's enough to work with for the moment. Continue on your mission to hunt down the Eagle and his terrorists, but don't let your guard down." Rhal warned. "No ordinary man could have killed Darth Jadus and I'm not convinced the Eagle was the one behind my father's assassination. If you find any evidence that another party was involved, inform me immediately. Is that understood, Cipher Nine?" Rhal asked.
Cipher Nine gave a slight nod. "Understood, my Lord. Is there anything specific I should be on the lookout for?" The Cipher agent asked. It was a fair question to ask but the Sith saw through it immediately and Rhal resisted the urge to smirk. 'Now he's the one digging for information.'
Rhal gave a slight shake of his head. "No. I only have suspicions so, if a third party is involved, they are currently unknown to me. For now, return to your duties. Focus on the Eagle and his forces but keep your eyes open for anything more. That will be all for now, Cipher Nine." Rhal said, dismissing the Chiss who gave a slight bow before leaving his chambers with Commander Jakker and his guards reentering a moment later.
Rhal didn't return to his seat and put a hand to his chin in thought. The meeting hadn't gone quite how he wanted but he didn't view it as a failure. It was clear that Cipher Nine understood that there was the possibility of something else going on and that alone was enough to trust that the agent would eventually find something of value. 'I look forward to seeing what he finds but, for now, it's time to leave Korriban behind for the time being.' "Commander." Rhal said to Jakker, who immediately stood at attention.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Prepare a ship. We will be returning to Dromund Kaas." Rhal ordered. The Commander gave a nod and activated his holocommunicator and began speaking to someone while Rhal returned to his seat. Dark Council member or not, it would still take a little time for a ship to be prepared so Rhal decided to continue learning everything he could while he waited to return to Kaas City and make his first major move as a true Dark Lord of the Sith.
Some Time Later, Dromund Kaas, The Citadel…
Rhal's return to Dromund Kaas had been simple enough, but in the time it took for him to return several key events had taken place and he was now wondering if the war against the Republic would start even sooner than he'd anticipated.
During his return, Rhal had continued to receive new reports from Intelligence. The first of which was a major defection in the Republic. Havoc Squad, an elite Special Forces squad of troopers had all deserted the Republic and joined the Empire and they were currently working on persuading even more Republic Special Forces members to abandon the Republic and join the Empire with them.
According to what he read, the squad had been abandoned and left for dead by the Republic and had been furious. So furious that they lost all hope in their leaders and abandoned them in return. On the surface, it seemed like they would be an excellent addition for the Empire, but Rhal had some doubts.
They had joined out of anger, not loyalty to the Empire. That loyalty could only come with time and Rhal knew that many Sith and Imperials wouldn't trust them due to their past loyalties to the Republic and that could lead to problems the Empire didn't need.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much Rhal could do about it at the moment and so he decided to find out what he could about the Empire's newest soldiers. He'd been very impressed with some of the things that Havoc Squad had accomplished, even if it had been against the Empire.
Commander Harron Tavus, Havoc Squad's leader, had been the one to contact the Empire about defecting and was the main reason the rest of the squad defected. He now answered to the Minister of War while the rest of the defectors answered to Tavus alone. Thankfully, it was obvious that, despite his time in the Republic, Tavus' skills were highly valued since he had been given command of a Harrower-class dreadnought as his personal flagship. He was also being shown a surprising amount of trust since his request to personally oversee operations involving his fellow Havoc Squad members had been approved.
Rhal spent some time looking over the other Havoc Squad members but the most impressive member, even more impressive than the Commander in Rhal's opinion, was Tavus' second in command, Captain Zora.
The Captain, better known by her codename Wraith, was the Havoc Squad member who specialized in infiltration and assassination. After looking over a few reports of Wraith's previous missions, Rhal quickly determined that Wraith could easily be one of the most dangerous beings in the galaxy, even without being force sensitive. Rhal made a note to keep a close eye on Havoc Squad's activities in the future.
The second incident of interest actually appeared to be two separate incidents that were unrelated, but Intelligence knew otherwise and, as a result, so did Rhal.
Grand Moff Rycus Kilran had attacked a Republic fleet on the edge of Imperial space in order to capture an Imperial general that had defected to the Republic but the ship carrying the general, the Brentaal Star, managed to escape the battle.
The Grand Moff could have pursued, but had received information revealing that another threat to the Empire, Republic Ambassador Vyn Asara, was traveling through Imperial space near his location by attempting to disguise herself as a simple passenger on a Republic transport, the Brentaal Star.
Rather than choosing one over the other, the Grand Moff went after the Ambassador while contacting an Imperial transport, the Black Talon, to intercept the Brentaal Star and capture or kill the general. The captain of the Black Talon however, had refused Kilran's command to attack so the Grand Moff contacted several individuals already onboard the Black Talon to seize the ship and carry out his orders. Those individuals caught Rhal's attention for more than one reason. There were only three and, while one was uninteresting, the other two were very interesting.
The first was a massive Sith Pureblood who was Darth Baras' new apprentice. He'd been on his way to Dromund Kaas on his master's orders, but had apparently been very eager to shed blood and had quickly accepted Kilran's orders to attack. He'd even cut down the Black Talon's captain for disobeying the Grand Moff's orders. Though Rhal had a suspicion that he'd actually just used that as an excuse and made another note to observe Baras' new apprentice carefully.
The second individual was a human who was Lord Zash's new apprentice. The fact that Lord Zash was involved immediately put Rhal on guard. He'd met Zash a few times in the past and, while she appeared to be cheerful and friendly, Rhal knew it was all an act and that she was really a very dangerous Sith Lord. He'd already informed Intelligence to keep a close eye on Zash and her new apprentice even before he'd left Korriban.
The third individual was a bounty hunter who'd been making his way to Dromund Kaas for the Great Hunt, a Mandalorian competition where bounty hunters and warriors from all over the galaxy would compete to find out who among them was the most skilled. The bounty hunter who'd been aboard the Black Talon was just a rookie who'd only recently started his career. Rhal suspected he might advance somewhat in the Hunt since he'd survived the battle against the Republic forces, but he doubted the Hunter's chances of winning against more experienced warriors.
Still, Rhal was surprised to find out that three inexperienced operatives managed to succeed while the Grand Moff himself failed.
While the traitorous general had been eliminated, the Republic Ambassador and her transport managed to escape Kilran's grasp. The only reason the Grand Moff's actions didn't start the beginning of a new war was because both attacks had occured in Imperial space.
However, Kilran's failure to capture the Ambassador hadn't been a total loss. The Grand Moff had identified several individuals who had played key roles in helping the Ambassador and her ship escape. Intelligence was currently looking for more information about said individuals.
As if these events weren't enough, a third event had occurred that Rhal knew could have very serious consequences for both the Empire and the Republic and that was the death of Darth Angral's son, Lord Tarnis.
Darth Angral was one of the most well known Sith in the Empire after he led the fleet that sacked Coruscant and personally executed the Supreme Chancellor during a holonet broadcast. After the Treaty of Coruscant was signed Angral was outraged, though he was much more quiet about it than Vengean had been, and removed himself from Sith politics to significantly build up his own powerbase. He was pretty much a Dark Council member in all but name by this point.
However his son, Lord Tarnis, had recently been part of a secret operation to find out about the Republic's secret weapon programs and steal those secrets for the Empire. He'd actually played his part so well that the Republic put him in charge of one such project, the Planet Prison, a superweapon capable of turning an entire planet's atmosphere into a giant ion cannon, effectively trapping everyone on the planet.
Once the Planet Prison prototype was operational, Tarnis stole it and attempted to use it on Coruscant. Before he could however, a Jedi Knight caught up to Tarnis and killed him before deactivating the Planet Prison. His death was made worse by the fact that Darth Angral had watched it happen and had declared his own war against the Jedi in revenge. The Empire had publicly declared Darth Angral to have gone rogue to keep the peace, but of course this was a lie and they were still supporting him to the best of their abilities.
Regardless, Tarnis had still managed to send the Empire all the information he'd collected involving the Empire's secret weapon programs before he was killed. Unfortunately, Angral's forces had secured those programs and he wasn't sending information on them back to the Empire. Rhal had a suspicion that watching his son be cut down might have pushed Angral over the edge.
Either way, he wanted the info on those Republic weapon programs and was informed by Keeper that agents were already attempting to recover whatever intel they could without provoking Angral or his forces but it was slow going.
Which brought Rhal back to where he was now, sitting in his chambers with Keeper standing across from him with his hands behind his back and a slight amount of sweat on his forehead.
Rhal knew the man was afraid he would be blamed for Jadus' death, but Rhal knew Keeper wasn't responsible, nor did he have any plans to punish the man. "Stand at ease, Keeper." Rhal said simply with a raised hand.
Keeper's eyes widened slightly for a split second in surprise before he resumed his blank face and stood very slightly more relaxed, though he was clearly still on edge. "How may I serve, my Lord?" Keeper asked.
"You are aware that Lord Grathan has been facing some struggles recently." Rhal stated instead, knowing Keeper would be smart enough to understand his meaning.
A look of realization flashed across Keeper's face for a moment before it vanished as if it was never there. "Yes, my Lord. Several agents of the Empire have inflicted heavy damage on the rogue Sith Lord's defenses as well as having killed Lord Grathan's wife, son, and most of his apprentices. It is my assessment that Lord Grathan is currently severely weakened, though that will likely change once Lord Grathan begins rebuilding his defenses." Keeper said, summing up the situation.
Rhal shook his head. "No, Keeper. I have no intention of letting Grathan rebuild his defenses. In fact, I think it's long past time that Grathan learned exactly what it means to defy the Dark Council and the Emperor. Keeper, I want several squads of operatives prepared and sent to the Wall immediately. Inform them to await my arrival and be prepared to receive my orders." Rhal ordered and this time Keeper's shocked expression stayed in place for several seconds before disappearing.
"My Lord, are you-" Keeper's question was cut off as Rhal gave him the answer he knew the old man was after.
"I'm going to attack Grathan's compound and kill the rogue Sith Lord once and for all."
A.N.
There you go, Darth Rhal is now on the Dark Council instead of Zhorrid, but don't think for a moment that she's going to simply accept this or do nothing. I've also introduced quite a few characters of interest or given them some slight mentions but don't worry, a few of these characters will be appearing more later on. You've also probably noticed that Cipher Nine has already taken care of his business on Dromund Kaas before the other characters arrived, this was intentional but don't worry, everything will come together in time. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. See you next time!