Chapter 2: Hunting

Rhal knelt before his father and master, Darth Jadus, with his head down. He currently wore a black cloak while underneath was light armor to allow for more freedom of movement in battle. It was very similar to the armor worn by his father, though Rhal's was colored black with dark violet trim. He was also taller now, not as tall as his father but nearly a head taller than Zhorrid and he'd shaved most of his black hair after one mercenary grabbed his long hair during a fight and decided it was a disadvantage he could do without.

It had been a few years since Rhal had completed his trials on Korriban and killed his former Overseer, an action that had led him to asking a very important question after his father and master delivered his punishment. 'Why end a life when it could be of use later? A question I'd never even considered but I should have. I'll never be so wasteful again.'

Since then he'd been training under his father as well as doing what he could to expand his own power and influence in the Empire as much as possible. 'Not that it has amounted to much. Yet.' He thought bitterly as he'd gained little to no real influence or allies in the Empire since many of his assignments were either on Dromund Kaas or took him to the edges of Imperial controlled space where his accomplishments meant little.

Originally, his father and master had used him as little more than an errand boy until Rhal finally had enough and all but demanded the harshest training and instruction his father could provide him with. Darth Jadus accepted, likely seeing it as a chance to make his pawn of a son more useful to him in the future. More than once, Rhal strongly regretted his actions that day. His father's training afterward became nightmarish. Rhal had sworn to himself that many of Jadus' "teachings" would die with him, feeling they were too horrible for even his worst enemies to suffer, not to mention any future apprentices he chose to train.

'But the results were worth it.' Rhal reminded himself. He knew many other Sith would have been shattered completely by his father's training, but Rhal, focusing on his anger and hatred, not only survived but thrived. He'd built up some good muscle and his strength in the dark side had increased considerably. He was still nowhere near strong enough to challenge his father, but Rhal knew that most Jedi and Sith would fall to his power easily.

However, despite having completed several important missions for his father, including sabotage, retrieval, and even a few assassinations, Rhal still held the rank of apprentice while his sister Zhorrid had been granted the title of Sith Lord over a year ago. The fact that Zhorrid outranked him now was one that constantly made his blood boil, especially since his sister tended to remind him of it every time they encountered one another. He hoped more than anything that whatever new task his father had summoned him for would finally be a chance for him to become a full lord and shed the title of apprentice.

"I sense your eagerness, my son. You hope that this will be your chance to become a true Lord of the Sith like your sister." Darth Jadus stated in his usual cold and emotionless tone. Rhal silently cursed how easily his father could read him.

"As you say father." Rhal admitted, knowing it was pointless to try and deny it. He also decided not to add that Zhorrid was hardly a "true Sith Lord". He doubted his father cared to hear such an opinion, especially since he had not asked for it.

"You will advance when I decide you can advance." His father stated coldly before adding. "A Jedi has landed on Dromund Kaas."

Rhal's head shot up in surprise and, for a brief moment, he wondered if he'd heard his father right. When he realized he had, Rhal's rage skyrocketed.

Rhal had encountered the Jedi only twice in all his previous missions and each time it was from a distance, which was lucky for the Jedi since he'd have killed them if he'd been able to get his hands on them. Their pacifistic ways and complete disregard for their emotions were, in Rhal's eyes, an insult to the force itself. 'They would rather use words to try and end the war rather than their lightsabers. Pathetic. Conflict is what strengthens us, not sitting in a temple listening to some master telling us to suppress our emotions.'

The Jedi had absolutely no place on Dromund Kaas except in the Citadel's dungeons or interrogation chambers. His father might have forced his abominations to become hollow shells, but the Jedi willingly chose that fate for themselves, sacrificing everything and believing it to be some sort of enlightenment. Rhal found it sickening. Any Jedi that dared to set foot on Dromund Kaas had forfeited their life the moment they'd done so.

"Where? How?" Rhal practically growled. He knew his father didn't approve of him lashing out in anger, but he also knew that his father was just as angered by this Jedi's actions as he was even if he didn't show it.

"My agents have located where. You will determine how." Darth Jadus said with the smallest trace of anger in his voice. That tiny bit was more than enough for Rhal to know that his father wasn't just angry about this, he was furious.

"Where can I find this Jedi trespasser?" Rhal asked as calmly as he could manage, desperately trying to bury his anger for later and knowing it wouldn't serve him now. If his father's rage was actually starting to show itself, he didn't dare do anything that might provoke him.

"My agents report the Jedi landed in the jungle south of Kaas City beyond Lord Grathan's estate." His father answered, his rage momentarily subsiding and Rhal's anger returning.

Lord Grathan was a Sith that had fallen out of favor with the Dark Council and actually had the nerve to declare himself the thirteenth member of the council, an action that eventually forced him to flee the Citadel and Kaas City and hole up in his private estate in the jungle with his apprentices and a few Sith that were loyal to him once the rest of the Dark Council called for his head.

The estate itself was a small fortress. It had several buildings and was well protected by automated defenses and private forces loyal to Grathan. For some time now, Grathan had been waging his own private war against the other members of the council but was losing badly. There had been rumors that Grathan was attempting to recruit more Sith and Imperials to his side, but those rumors were unconfirmed and unlikely. His estate had been isolated quickly after he'd fled and all communications coming out of that place were either jammed or, when they could not be, carefully monitored.

While Rhal would've loved the opportunity to end the traitor himself, he knew that wasn't likely since there were also rumors that some Sith Lords were using Grathan's private war for their own ends. Those rumors Rhal believed. 'Besides, Grathan isn't the objective. Not this time at least.' "What would you have me do, master?" Rhal asked instead. He already had a pretty good idea but he'd learned before it wasn't best to assume he knew his father's intentions.

Darth Jadus didn't move or answer at first, but Rhal would swear his father was smiling under his mask. It made him very uncomfortable and he was sure his father knew that. A few moments later, he spoke. "You will locate this Jedi and eliminate him. Bring back his head or his lightsaber as proof of the deed." His father answered before turning away and indirectly dismissing him.

Used to his father's dismissals, Rhal stood and walked out of his father's chambers and made his way out of the Citadel towards the speeder platform. 'I'll have to take a speeder to the Wall before I can proceed further into the jungle. Captain Sarnova will likely offer to send some troops with me but that won't be an option. If my father had wanted troops to assist me, he would have said so.' Rhal thought, trying to plan out his approach as best as possible before confronting the Jedi.

He knew finding the Jedi wouldn't be too difficult. A Jedi on Dromund Kaas was like a bright light in a pit of darkness. Even if the Jedi had enough skill and sense to shield their presence on this world, Rhal was still certain he'd be able to locate the fool. 'Especially if he's still in the jungle. That'll give me an advantage.'

Rhal knew the jungles quite well since he'd done much of his earliest training surviving the beasts and any other threats that were lurking out there. One instance even had him slaughtering a small group of mandalorians after they'd trespassed into restricted Sith territory and had opened fire on him after he'd ordered them to leave. 'A fatal decision on their parts.'

The things he'd need to watch out for most were patrols when he got close to Grathan's estate. Most of Grathan's soldiers were mercenaries, but he did have a small number of force sensitives in his ranks and they might still be able to sense him if he got too close. One or two wouldn't be difficult but if the rest of Grathan's forces were alerted then Rhal doubted he'd be able to take them all on. 'I can eliminate a patrol or two if I have to, but any more would be too much of a risk.'

Obviously though, the biggest concern was the Jedi himself. Any Jedi that could successfully land on Dromund Kaas undetected 'Well, mostly undetected' had to be strong. His father finding out was no surprise. He used Intelligence and its assets well. 'Meaning he likely knew more about this Jedi and purposefully didn't tell me.'

Rhal knew without a doubt this had to be his final test before he could become a true Lord of the Sith. He'd killed criminals, traitors, beasts, and just about everything there was to kill except for one thing: a Jedi, and he knew this would likely be a powerful Jedi as well. 'A padawan wouldn't last here for long. It's likely a knight, maybe even a master.'

As he climbed onto a waiting speeder, Rhal couldn't help but let a small smile appear on his face.

'I'll have to thank this Jedi for helping me before I kill him.'

Back in the Citadel…

Darth Jadus sat without moving as he felt his son's presence race away from the Citadel to pursue his target, the Jedi Knight that Jadus had lured to the planet.

It had taken Jadus longer than he desired for Intelligence to have their agents trick the Jedi into sending one of their own to this world, but he acknowledged that Keeper had succeeded in carrying out his will. 'Now to see if my son is truly as capable as I believe.'

In truth, Jadus knew that his son had already surpassed many of the Sith Lords. However, he also knew his son. He knew Rhal hated his sister, and he knew Zhorrid despised her brother just as much. Each one fueled the other's hate, allowing both to become stronger.

While Zhorrid had wasted many of her talents, Rhal continued to improve and grow. Jadus knew neither of his children would ever truly surpass him, but he still saw uses in each of them, especially considering how close he was to finally putting his grand plan into motion.

The Dominator and the Eradicators were nearly ready, as were the terror cells, the Eagle, and the passengers that would be shown a new form of enlightenment, or be sacrificed for a greater Empire.

Jadus had long ago realized the Empire was far too flawed to remain as it was and, since he'd finally confirmed that the Emperor would not interfere in his plans, knew that he was the only one with both the power and the will to change it. 'The Empire must learn fear. If the rest of the Dark Council refuses to acknowledge this, then it falls to me to remake the Empire into an image of fear and power. My image.'

It had taken him many years of preparation. Locating the various terror cells, providing them with a proper figurehead and the Eradicator plans, keeping the Dark Council and Imperial Intelligence in the dark about his plans, and many other small actions to prepare for the day when the Empire would become his.

Darth Jadus was looking forward to that day.

Suddenly, Darth Jadus was no longer in his office. Instead, he appeared to be in a dark void. Before he could register what was happening, many images began flashing across his eyes.

A swamp world…

Two Hutts doing battle against one another…

Keeper speaking to a shrouded figure…

That same figure destroying one of the Hutts and capturing the other…

A strange flash of blue…

Suddenly, as quick as it happened, Jadus found himself seated in his office again. He quickly discovered that barely a moment had passed but for him it had felt far longer.

It was obvious to Jadus what had happened. The force had granted him this vision because it would be significant to him or his future plans somehow. 'Hutts and a swamp world, likely Hutta. With two hutts doing battle which Keeper uses to the Empire's advantage by sending in an agent to sway the more useful hutt to our side. Who is this agent? What is his role in my plans?'

Darth Jadus was aware that he wasn't likely to receive the answer to his second question for some time yet. However, he was fully capable of finding the answer to his first question right now.

Rising from his seat, Darth Jadus left the quiet of his private chambers and started making his way out of the citadel. He passed very few individuals as he walked the halls and those who were unfortunate enough to cross his path quickly turned pale, bowed their heads, and moved out of his way while trying to hide the pain his presence in the force was causing them.

Stepping outside the walls of the massive Citadel, Jadus took a moment to revel in the dark force energies emanating from the planet. The only place in the galaxy where the dark side was even stronger was the Sith homeworld of Korriban. Walking along the Citadel's catwalk, it only took Jadus a few minutes to reach and enter another section of the Citadel.

The heart of Imperial Intelligence.

A vast network of agents, information gatherers, deception specialists, and strategists working to complete a variety of missions, most of which would never be known to anyone outside the organization. Many of the operatives were the best non-force sensitives in the Empire and, if they did their job well, no one would ever know who they really were or what they'd done.

Unfortunately, even the most talented individuals could make mistakes from time to time and other Sith would attempt to "'acquire" those talented individuals for themselves when they could. Jadus had kept a tight hold on Intelligence and its people, but even he had to occasionally accommodate some of the more influential Sith. 'That will change after I've resculpted the Empire into my image.'

The Intelligence command room was always buzzing with activity. Screens displaying some of the Empire's darkest secrets, Watchers managing massive amounts of data and field operatives, Minders and Fixers assisting the Watchers, Ciphers preparing to head out on highly classified assignments and, in the center of it all, Keeper stood with his hands behind his back making sure everything was running smoothly.

Jadus paid no attention to any of the personnel and marched directly towards Keeper. Most operatives did their best to ignore the Dark Lord's presence and continued their work, but a brave few briefly looked up at Darth Jadus when he passed them and quickly ducked their heads back down, hoping the Dark Council member wouldn't unleash his wrath upon them.

Keeper, by this point, had clearly felt the Dark Council members' arrival and turned to face him. He was an older man with a pointed chin, pale blue eyes, and a balding head. Jadus knew that Keeper had served the Empire and Intelligence well for many years. He also knew the man did not like or want Sith interfering in Intelligence operations. Darth Jadus did not care for the man's wants or desires, only that his results benefitted himself and the Empire.

Keeper had his hands behind his back and remained silent until Jadus stood directly in front of him. The man was hiding it very well but Jadus knew he was nervous. Most Sith contacted Keeper by holo if they had a request for Intelligence, if one came in person it likely wasn't for a good reason. Keeper knew this from experience since it had happened before.

"My Lord." Keeper greeted simply with a slight bow before resuming his previous stance.

"Keeper." Jadus greeted back just as simply. "You have an agent on Hutta. An agent trying to gain favor with the Hutts, is that correct?"

Keeper's eyes widened very slightly in surprise before he quickly concealed it and resumed a look of neutrality. "That's correct, My Lord. A new agent was recently assigned there for an operation involving Nem'ro the Hutt. Why-"

"You will keep me informed of this agent and their progress on Hutta." Jadus stated, cutting the old man off. "I expect this agent's progress to be of great interest. See to it that this agent and their operation meets with success."

Keeper kept his face neutral but Jadus had no trouble sensing the man's confusion and discomfort. "I understand My Lord, but why-"

"Do not question my will, Keeper." Jadus warned, cutting the man off once more. "Simply see that it is carried out."

Jadus could sense the lingering confusion in Keeper, but it was quickly replaced by a sense of resignation as Keeper gave another bow. "Very well, my lord." He said in a somewhat tired voice.

Without another word being spoken, Darth Jadus turned and made his way out of Intelligence. He had no fear that Keeper would attempt to defy his orders. The man's self preservation and loyalty to the Empire outweighed any concern he might've had for those under his command.

Jadus wasn't sure how this agent and their operation on Hutta would affect his plans so he'd monitor the situation carefully. If the agent served well they'd be rewarded, failure would be met with death.

Regardless, Jadus was unconcerned that this would alter his plans. He acknowledged that it could cause a few minor alterations, but nothing major. 'Still, this agent could prove useful. Like Rhal.'

Jadus had found, molded, and created many useful individuals over the years, but he still considered Rhal the most useful of all his assets. He cared not that the young man was his son, feelings like love and care were weaknesses he'd long ago abandoned, but his apprentice's power and determination were something even Darth Jadus had to respect. The day Rhal had demanded harsher training, Jadus had almost felt proud of the boy. 'He will serve me well in my new Empire.'

Thinking of Rhal made him wonder how his first battle with the Jedi would affect him. Jadus had no doubt his son would prevail and crush this Jedi like the insect he was, but he wondered how else he'd be affected.

The Jedi's self abandonment of anything selfish and their near unbreakable belief that such a sacrifice was a strength and not a weakness was nauseating. Jadus had killed so many Jedi over the years and when so many of them fell and said the final words of their code: "There is no death, there is only the force" he couldn't help but wonder how such stupidity could exist when so many of them died the very next moment after they'd said the words. 'Though I suppose there is some small truth in their words. Death will never claim me.'

'I am eternal.'

Dromund Kaas Jungle…

Rhal watched the many trees pass him by as his speeder sped through the jungle. He'd pulled up the hood on his robe as the neverending rain became more of a downpour. He could have gotten an enclosed speeder, but he had gotten used to the fierce weather of Dromund Kaas years ago.

He still remembered the day when his father and servants burst into his room and all but dragged him onto a shuttle. The flight had lasted over an hour before it finally landed and his father used the force to throw him out of the shuttle, but not before also using the force to take Rhal's lightsaber.

"Survive for three months, then make your way back to the Citadel." His father had said before the shuttle took off again, leaving Rhal alone in the middle of the massive jungle.

To say he hadn't been happy with his father's test was an understatement. However, he quickly got a chance to vent his frustrations when a Vine Cat, likely viewing him as easy prey, attacked him from behind. By the time the vine cat realized its mistake, it was already too late. The attack had actually proven to be a great boon for Rhal as the vine cat's claws and bones served as excellent tools and weapons.

However, finding proper shelter had still been a difficult challenge. With the constant lightning storms, and the fact that the section of the jungle his father dropped him in had no nearby lightning spires, Rhal had needed better shelter than a massive tree. He'd finally found such shelter after nearly a week in the form of a small cave.

A small cave that he quickly found out was a Gundark nest.

The creatures were definitely not happy to have an intruder in their home and had attacked viciously. Unfortunately for them Rhal, after having dealt with nearly a week of horrible weather and several more attacks by various predators, was overflowing with rage by that point and had met the Gundark's viciousness with a viciousness of his own.

He'd eaten good for nearly a month after that.

After that he'd found survival to be far easier and the remaining months had passed by in a blur and, before he knew it, his three months had passed and he'd finally started making his way back to the Citadel. His father had dropped him in the jungle much further than he'd thought since getting back had almost taken another month, but he'd still managed to return.

His father had greeted his return as he expected with his usual coldness and quick dismissal after telling him to continue his training first thing in the morning. Zhorrid had pretended to be glad he was back, but both brother and sister knew she was disappointed he hadn't died out there.

Rhal shook himself out of his thoughts when he noticed the giant steel wall in the distance. The Wall had been constructed shortly after Grathan had fled the Citadel and had several purposes.

The first and most obvious was to prevent Grathan and his soldiers from gaining any territory closer to Kaas City. Keeping Grathan isolated in the jungle effectively cut the rogue Sith off from gaining any allies as well as prevented him from causing any damage to the city or the Citadel.

The second purpose was to monitor Grathan's activities. Despite being isolated, Grathan was still keeping himself and his scientists busy by using the scientific research labs in his estate to try and create some sort of advantage that he could use to tip the scales in his favor. The Wall's monitoring stations had been carefully set up so that loyal Imperial forces would be prepared to quickly counter any such advantages.

The third purpose of the Wall was to jam and monitor any communications Grathan tried to send out. Since he'd been cut off from the Citadel, Grathan had been attempting to reach out to other Sith in the Empire trying to build new alliances but had made little progress because of the Wall preventing most of his communications. Unfortunately, Grathan was still able to get the occasional transmission out and, when that happened, personnel at the Wall worked quickly to discover who the transmission had been sent to and why.

The final purpose of the Wall was to house loyal Imperial forces in case Grathan became bold enough to launch an attack to try and claim more territory. For this reason, there were always at least a hundred troops located there. Since he'd been out to the wall several times before, Rhal knew a few of the soldiers regularly posted there.

Setting down next to the massive structure, Rhal parked his speeder and made his way into the Wall. It doesn't take him long to spot the Wall's commanding officer and begin approaching her. "Captain Sarnova." He called out as he approached her.

The captain turned to face him. Captain Sarnova was a short young woman with green eyes, brown hair, and was wearing the armor common to most Imperial soldiers. Rhal had met the Captain a few times in the past and had judged her to be a capable officer that was well suited to her assignment, which was sending troops to fight and push back Grathan's forces.

"Lord Rhal." She greeted with a slight bow. 'Not a Lord yet, but soon.' Rhal thought as he stood before the short captain. "What brings you to the Wall, my lord?" The captain asked.

"Hunting for my master." Rhal said, deciding not to mention that he was hunting a Jedi. Even though the captain was a loyal soldier of the Empire, Rhal doubted his assignment would stay secret for long if he mentioned a Jedi being on Dromund Kaas and the last thing he needed was for another Sith to show up and steal his kill or worse, screw it up and allow the Jedi to escape.

"Understood, my lord." The captain said with a nod, knowing better than to question a Sith's business. "Shall I have some of my troops accompany you?"

Rhal shook his head. "No. This is a hunt I need to complete myself." He said, knowing his father would have a very severe punishment waiting for him if he discovered he'd accepted help for this.

"Very well, my lord. As always I must advise caution going beyond the Wall. My men have done a good job of dealing with Grathan's men, but he's still got patrols out there." Captain Sarnova warned. Rhal could tell she was saying it out of routine rather than worry. She knew he was capable of defending himself.

Rhal nodded. "Thank you Captain. Keep up the good work here." He said before stepping past her and advancing to the other side of the wall.

He knew he couldn't take a speeder past this point. Grathan's men had shot down the few that had been sent out after the Wall's construction was completed and, since then, the area past the Wall was a no fly zone.

Rhal didn't consider it a problem. It would be far easier avoiding Grathan's patrols while he was on foot and the noise from the speeder wouldn't give away his location, nor would it be detected by the enemy sensors.

Making his way deeper into the jungle, Rhal used the force to conceal his presence as much as possible to avoid any beasts that decided to try and make him into a meal. He knew he could kill them if he had to, but the sound of fighting would likely draw unwanted attention and he couldn't afford that, not until he found and eliminated the Jedi.

Rhal couldn't help but wonder just what kind of Jedi would willingly come to Dromund Kaas.

In another part of the jungle…

Making his way through the dense jungle, a tall figure wearing a brown cloak made his way closer to the Sith compound. 'Well, considering I haven't seen or heard any Imperial patrols, I'll assume that Master Kaedan's intel was correct and I managed to slip by the fleet unnoticed.'

To say that he'd been doubtful of this mission was an understatement. Dromund Kaas was the Imperial homeworld and one of the Empire's most heavily defended planets. It was also the location of the Citadel, the very place where the Dark Council, and possibly even the Sith Emperor himself, usually resided. Attempting to infiltrate such a world wouldn't be easy to say the least.

However, the Jedi Council, or more specifically Master Kaedan, had received intelligence of a gap in the planet's defenses and the Council had heavily debated on whether or not it was wise to send someone to try and gather more information on the Sith.

The Treaty of Coruscant had been in place for just a little over ten years now, but to say relations between the Republic and Empire were tense would be the understatement of the millennium. There had already been talk of both Republic and Imperial forces skirmishing along the borders of their respective territories and while most skirmishes were short and quick, recently they had begun to intensify. 'Perhaps that is what finally led the Council to make their decision.'

The Council had been debating the issue for nearly a month until finally Master Kaedan had enough and volunteered to infiltrate Dromund Kaas himself. The rest of the Council heavily opposed such a decision. If Master Kaedan was captured or killed and the Empire revealed that a Jedi Master had trespassed on an Imperial world, not to mention the Imperial homeworld, the Senate would be outraged that such an incident was allowed to occur without their knowledge.

Instead, a compromise was reached and it was agreed that an experienced Jedi Knight would be sent to Dromund Kaas to gather any and all information they could about the Sith, the Empire, and the planet's defenses. Several names had been put forward for such a mission, but only one had been chosen.

That was how Karric Soik had found himself on one of the most dangerous planets in the galaxy.

Karric Soik was a tall man with blading brown hair pulled into a ponytail which was currently covered by the hood of his robe. However his most distinguishable feature was the brown cloth that was currently covering where his eyes would be if he were human, but he was actually a near human species known as a Miraluka. A species that lacked physical eyes but were capable of seeing through the force.

'It was a great honor to be chosen for this mission. I only hope the Council will be pleased with my results.' Karric thought as he continued his way through the jungle as the rain continued to pour down on him.

Stopping quickly, Karric ducked behind a nearby tree and pressed himself against it. The reason why became clear a moment later as two soldiers in dark red armor approached the area he was hiding and Karric could clearly see the Empire's symbol on both of the troopers shoulder pads.

"Anything yet?" One of the soldiers asked. Karric noted that the speaker sounded tired and frustrated.

"No, not yet." The other soldier replied, sounding much more focused and alert than his partner.

The other soldier groaned. "Of course not." The soldier said in frustration. "I mean, why are we even wasting time with this? The scout had to be wrong." The soldier said angrily.

"Maybe he wasn't." The other soldier said calmly but with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "Besides, we're supposed to investigate any suspicious activity regardless."

The other soldier turned to his partner. "Suspicious activity would be coming from the North where the Wall is, not the South where there's nothing but this blasted jungle and dangerous predators. I'm telling you, the scout had to have been wrong." The soldier repeated more irritably. "There's no way anyone could have landed a ship out here."

If he had them, Karric's eyes would have widened at the last bit. 'It seems my landing didn't go completely unnoticed after all.' He thought with some slight concern, knowing that these two wouldn't be the only ones out investigating.

Before he could think about it further, the other soldier spoke. "Apparently Lord Grathan believes someone could, otherwise we wouldn't be out here." He said. This time the annoyance in his voice was clear along with some slight anger at having to listen to his companions' complaints. 'Lord Grathan? Didn't he go rogue?'

Clearly the soldiers' companion didn't think of that and his frustration was quickly replaced by discomfort and fear. "Right. Well, let's just try and finish this sweep quickly alright?" He said quickly, likely hoping his companion will forget or ignore his previous slight against their lord.

The other soldier didn't speak but Karric's special sight allowed him to see the soldier nod before the two continued on their way. Fortunately, neither soldier came close to the Knight's hiding place and after a few moments and Karric was certain they were gone, he continued on his way.

He wasn't worried about the soldiers finding his ship. He powered down all systems as soon as he landed and carefully concealed it with branches and the nearby foliage. The only way they'd actually find his ship was if one of them accidentally ran into it. 'Unlikely, considering my ship is far from this area and it didn't sound like those two were going to go much further.'

Moving more cautiously, Karric continues through the jungle. Fortunately, after nearly an hour, the Jedi Knight doesn't encounter any further patrols but doesn't drop his guard as he continues making his way through the foliage.

Traveling for a while longer, he soon spots something in the distance. At first, the Jedi assumes it's some type of communication tower until, a few moments later, lightning strikes the top of the tower and Karric identifies it as one of the planet's lightning spires.

The lightning spires main purpose was to draw in the lightning from the neverending storms of the planet in order to protect Dromund Kaas' cites, as well as any personnel and equipment that were sent out into the jungles. A few were even designed to use the storm's energy to power cities and other facilities. 'Truly ingenious creations. And ones that seem all too necessary on this planet.' The Jedi Knight thought as another flash of lightning lit up the dark sky.

With his force sight, Karric could clearly make out a compound of some type near the spire and he assumed it was the same compound he'd detected when he made his landing. He could also make out many life forms within the compound, and several of them were force sensitives. 'But none of them appear to be very well trained. Perhaps a training compound of some kind? Either way, it's a good place for me to begin.' He thought as he moved towards the spire.

After a few moments, he feels a disturbance in the force. Looking around quickly, Karric immediately assumes the cause is a nearby patrol, perhaps one with a force sensitive. But, seeing nothing, he's left to wonder what caused the disturbance. Moving even more cautiously than before, he's left to wonder what the Force was trying to warn him of.

'I have a bad feeling I'll find out soon enough.'

A.N.

Now, I have a question I need answered. Would you all prefer any future chapters to be about this length or would you like them to be longer? If they stay this length, between six to eight thousand words, I'll be able to update more often. However, if you'd prefer longer chapters I can make that happen, but it will take me more time to finish them and, with as much detail as I'm hoping to put into this story, longer chapters will take quite a while. Please let me know what you all think and what you'd like to see more of. Also, what did you think of this chapter? Please tell me so I know what I'm doing right and what I can fix. Thank you all for reading and I promise to get the next one out as soon as I can. Have a great day everyone!