Chapter 7: Rogue's Fall
Preparations were nearly complete.
After Rhal's talk with Keeper, he contacted Captain Sarnova at the Wall to inform her of his plan and get her support. She quickly accepted the chance to see the end of Grathan and Rhal knew why she wanted to see the rogue Sith Lord bleed.
Shortly before he returned to Dromund Kaas, several of the Captain's men had been captured by Grathan's forces while they were patrolling. Captain Sarnova had wanted to rescue them but didn't have the numbers to attack Grathan's compound so she'd reached out to a Sith apprentice who'd been heading for Grathan's compound for a separate assignment. Rhal had been a little surprised to find out the Sith was Zash's apprentice and wondered just what business Zash had with Grathan.
Regardless, Zash's apprentice had found the Captain's men and put them out of their misery when he did. Rhal didn't have the specific details, but it sounded like Grathan had somehow turned those troopers into droid slaves to fight for him.
Grathan's actions disgusted Rhal because not only were good Imperial soldiers subjected to a fate worse than death, but such an act reminded Rhal far too much of his own father and those abominations he'd called his Dark Guardians. 'At least those things were all destroyed with father.'
Darth Rhal was going to take great pleasure in ending Lord Grathan's defiance. 'How fitting that my first major action as a member of the Dark Council will be to put an end to a Dark Council pretender.'
The thought brought Rhal back to the present and he took a moment to look at the forces gathered at the Wall with him. Captain Sarnova's men had been replaced with fresh troops and, while she wasn't nearly as close to these men as she had been to the ones Grathan had killed, they still respected her and followed her orders.
However, the Captain and her troops were mostly back up. The main forces were the operatives Keeper had sent from Imperial Intelligence. The Shadow Troopers.
Imperial Intelligence didn't just send lone operatives for assignments, sometimes those operatives needed assistance. However, many of the operations Intelligence performed needed to be handled carefully and Imperial soldiers were not known for being careful.
That's where the Shadow Troopers came in.
Unlike Imperial soldiers, Shadow Troopers were rarely if ever seen on the front lines of a conflict. Most of the time they assisted Watchers and other operatives in field assignments that were too complicated or too delicate for traditional soldiers. These troops were highly skilled in infiltration and assassination and their loyalty to the Empire was beyond question.
They also specialized in using personal stealth field generators, which was the exact reason why Rhal had needed them.
Grathan had been building up his private army since he'd been forced to flee the Citadel. His forces were mostly made up of his apprentices, Imperial troops that chose to remain loyal to him, cybernetic supersoldiers created in his research labs, and a seemingly endless number of wardroids. 'Fortunately, those forces have been greatly cut down due to the recent attacks. Now is the perfect time to finish them and their master once and for all.'
Rhal had already made it clear that anyone fighting for Grathan, Sith or not, was to be killed on sight for treason against the Empire. However, he'd also ordered that any of Grathan's researchers who surrendered were to be spared and their creations untouched.
The researchers and their creations were the main reason Grathan had been able to hold out for so long. Some served Grathan willingly, but many had been kidnapped and forced to do the rogue Sith's bidding. Rhal concluded that if he freed and spared those researchers, he'd gain both their gratitude and their loyalties. 'Father always said that genius minds were terrible things to waste and, as much as I hate to admit it, he was right about that much.'
While the main objective of the upcoming attack was to kill Grathan and his remaining loyal forces, Rhal fully planned on taking all of Grathan's resources for himself. In his mind it was a win-win scenario, the Empire had one less threat to deal with and Rhal's own powerbase and his position on the Dark Council would be greatly strengthened.
Sensing Captain Sarnova approaching, Rhal turns his attention to her. "Captain, are your troops prepared?" He asked, causing a small surge of grief within the Captain as his words likely reminded her of the comrades she'd lost before that grief was buried under anger and duty.
"Yes, my Lord." The Captain answered with a nod. "Our orders are clear. We'll stay back while you and the Shadow Troops quietly deal with any of Grathan's patrols that get in our way." The Captain said before hesitating for a moment. "My lord, permission to speak freely?" She asked, causing one of Rhal's eyebrows to raise slightly.
"Granted."
"My lord, even if we can take out the patrols without being detected, as soon as we're inside Grathan's compound we'll surely be detected, but you and a small number of the Shadow Troops will be able to remain undetected. I'd like to recommend that, instead of a full scale attack on the compound, yourself and the Shadow Troops quietly sneak into the base, locate Grathan, and kill him. Once that's done, open a Comm channel to Grathan's forces and inform them their master is dead. It's possible that they'll think it's a lie but, if you offer them a chance to surrender, some of them might stand down when they realize they have no master left to serve and it would allow us to avoid unnecessary bloodshed." The Captain said, proposing her plan. Rhal put a hand on his chin and thought it over.
He'd been planning to get as close as possible then launch a surprise attack against Grathan's forces, catching him off guard and hopefully finishing the rogue Sith's remaining troops quickly. Now though, as he thought about the Captain's plan, he realized it was the better option. Without Grathan, his troops would have no reason left to fight. A few might try to fight on, but self preservation might be enough for at least some to throw down their weapons without a fight. 'It might also get me some loyal soldiers. I'd been planning on just taking Grathan's facilities and using its droids as my own, but flesh and blood troops would look better if they agreed to serve me instead.'
"You raise some good points, Captain." Rhal said, still thinking over her words. After a few moments he nodded. "Very well. Myself and a few of the Shadow Troopers will infiltrate the estate and attempt to locate and kill Grathan. However, I still want you, your troops, and the remaining Shadow Troopers near the entrance to the estate in case we're detected. Understood Captain?" Rhal asked and it was easy for him to see and sense the relief in the female Captain.
"Understood, my Lord. My men and I will set up positions outside the compound so we'll be able to respond quickly should you call for us." The Captain said before Rhal gave a slight nod of acknowledgement and dismissal, to which the Captain gave a quick salute before making her way back towards her men.
Once again left to himself, Rhal tried to think of anything and everything that could be of importance. He'd normally performed all his past missions for his father on his own so leading troops was a new experience for him and one he knew he needed to get used to quickly.
It was why he'd listened to the Captain's plan. He knew Captain Sarnova had, briefly, fought near the end of the last war and had experience leading troops in battle. Rhal had no issue with taking the advice of others. He knew he still had a lot to learn about the force and many other things so until he learned, he'd listen to those who knew more about those areas that he didn't.
So now, Rhal walked over to the Shadow Troopers he'd take with him into the estate. He knew the more he took the greater the risk of detection, but considering who he was planning on having join him, Rhal wasn't concerned.
It only took him a few moments to reach the five troopers and, when he got close, the Commander turned to face him and Rhal took a moment to thank the force that the Shadow Fist was on Dromund Kaas when he needed them.
Unlike the rest of the Shadow Troopers, the members of the Imperial Shadow Fist commandos could be seen on the front lines of a conflict, but not for long since their skill allowed them to complete many of their missions quickly and successfully. They were also fully capable of covert missions as well and had gained a well deserved reputation as one of the most deadly commando units in all the Sith Empire. Usually they were rarely on Dromund Kaas but, since they'd been awaiting new orders, Rhal took advantage of their presence and ordered Keeper to include them in the mission.
The Shadow Fist Commander, a human male with dark skin, short brown hair, and a cybernetic right eye, stood at attention and saluted when Rhal approached. "My Lord, the Shadow Fist is at your command." The Commander stated, to which Rhal allowed himself a small smile.
"Commander, there's been a slight change of plans."
Grathan's Estate…
Sometime later, Rhal and the five members of the Shadow Fist had all slipped past Grathan's outer walls and were now overlooking what appeared to be a training yard in the middle of Grathan's compound.
When Rhal had explained his plan for only himself and the members of the Shadow Fist to infiltrate Grathan's base, the Commander's face and voice were like stone and he'd quickly accepted the assignment but underneath that, the new Dark Council member could sense that all members of the Shadow Fist were greatly looking forward to the upcoming mission.
It was no surprise why. If there was one group of beings those in the Empire hated even more than the Republic, it was traitors. Betrayal, even the very idea of it, was unacceptable to many Imperials and more than a few individuals had been executed on the spot for showing even the slightest hint of it. That was why Rhal had been planning a full scale attack against Grathan's compound.
However, the more he thought about it, the more Rhal realized that while Grathan and his apprentices were traitors, the same wasn't necessarily true for all his men.
Many of the researchers serving Grathan had been kidnapped or tricked into joining him only to be made prisoners quickly afterward and, while Grathan's troopers were less trustworthy, many of them likely hesitated to turn on the rogue Sith Lord because they feared his retribution. Once he was dead however, it was entirely possible they would bow to their new master if he offered them their lives. 'Still, I'll need to reprogram the droids to keep a close eye on the troopers until their loyalty to me is proven.'
In truth, even if Grathan's soldiers wouldn't join him after their master's death it wouldn't be a great loss. Rhal knew that Grathan's facilities were fully capable of creating a small army of droids and, while there were disadvantages to a droid only army, the young Sith knew he wasn't in a position where he could afford to be picky about his choices. Yet.
Rhal took a moment to glance around the area and could have laughed at the damage he saw. He knew Grathan's forces had taken a hit recently due to several Imperial operatives and Sith attacking the base, but it was clear that the damage was even worse than reports had indicated.
There were destroyed weapon emplacements, droids, and even a few corpses littering the area that Grathan's remaining forces were still working to clear while others were repairing damages the buildings had suffered. The only building in the compound that appeared undamaged was Grathan's main building and Rhal knew for a fact that was where he'd find Lord Grathan.
The power of the Dark Side was overflowing from that building and Rhal knew that, while Grathan wasn't a true Dark Council member, he was still strong enough to rival one. It also didn't help that the recent attacks, while devastating, had helped to fuel Grathan's power and rage.
Still, it was obvious that sneaking into Grathan's main complex wouldn't be as difficult as Rhal had thought. Aside from Grathan, he could sense almost no other force sensitives left among the remaining enemy forces and those that were left were focused on repairing the damages from the attacks. 'The lair of the beast is open, however Grathan himself will still be a challenge. A challenge I will overcome.' Rhal thought as he signaled the members of the Shadow Fist to follow him towards the main building.
Rhal himself was cloaked in the force, all but invisible to the naked eye and from the senses of Grathan and his remaining Sith. The five members of the Shadow Fist were all using their own stealth field generators and while they were hidden from the eyes of the common soldiers, they were not hidden from the force. To deal with this, Rhal was currently using a technique to extend his cloak to cover the commandos.
It was a complicated technique. One that Rhal had never actually used during a mission before, only ever trained with it a small number of times and he knew if he had to cloak all six of them for more than several hours then he would probably be left completely drained of his strength.
Fortunately, he found that he was able to conceal himself and the Shadow Fist quite easily for shorter periods of time and, with most of Grathan's forces focused on repairing the estate's defenses, slipping into the heart of Grathan's compound proved to be far easier than Rhal was expecting and it only took about ten minutes for Rhal and his troops to make their way past Grathan's few remaining defenders unnoticed.
Upon entering the main compound however, Rhal knew immediately that things were about to get more complicated. While there were still a few signs of fighting within, the majority of the interior defenses had been repaired and reactivated and Rhal could sense that the forces within were the best forces that Grathan had left.
Sensing the rogue Sith Lord in the lower levels, Rhal quietly guided the Shadow Fist along the corridors of the facility, being far more careful now to avoid the enemy patrols that were still mostly on alert. As they moved through the facility, Rhal had to admit that he was impressed with just how much Grathan had accomplished.
The exterior of the building wasn't too remarkable aside from the transmission towers on the roof and the defenses surrounding it, but the interior was a different story altogether.
The facility was massive and it quickly became clear to Rhal that what he'd seen on the outside was just a cover for Grathan's true base of operations. The rest of Grathan's main facility was all deep underground and it was easily more than three times what was on the surface and contained just about everything he'd seen in Grathan's base and more.
Troop barracks, research labs, droid assembly facilities, everything Grathan needed to continue his rebellion was just as much underground as it was above ground. 'Grathan's no fool, I'm certain of that now. With how far down we've gone, even if Imperial forces were able to disable the shields on the surface, it would take no less than an orbital bombardment with half the Imperial Fleet to reach deep enough into the planet to completely destroy this base.' Rhal thought, knowing that the Empire would never commit so many ships to destroy just a single rogue Sith. The realization of just how much time and effort Grathan had put into his base and facilities only made Rhal want to take it even more.
Once Rhal and the Shadow Fist descended down into the third level of the compound, he sensed immediately that Grathan was on the same level. Even if he hadn't, the presence of so many troops and droids would have made it quite clear anyway. A beeping in his ear indicated that one of the Shadow Fist, most likely the Commander, wished to speak. After a few moments of making sure there were no patrols near enough to hear, Rhal reached up and activated the commlink. "Yes?"
"My Lord." The Commander's voice came a moment later. "Permission to speak?" He asked, and Rhal wondered what the Commander could want to ask now when they were so close to their goal.
Still, he knew the Commander wouldn't have spoken unless he decided it was important. "Granted, but make it quick Commander." He said quietly.
"With all the forces we've seen on this level, it's unlikely we'll be unable to eliminate the traitor Grathan without putting the base on high alert." The Commander stated and Rhal found himself nodding in agreement. With all the forces they'd already encountered within the facility, it was incredible that they still remained undetected. 'Grathan's not taking any chances after the last few attacks. He knows he's vulnerable.'
"I agree with your assessment Commander. Did you have something in mind?" Rhal questioned and, while Rhal couldn't see him physically, he could sense the man nodding.
"While we were descending, we passed by what looked to be a rather large droid assembly line on the previous level. With your permission my Lord, my men and I can return to the previous level and make some noise to draw the guards down here away from Grathan so you can eliminate the traitor without any interference." The Commander explained and Rhal took a moment to consider his options.
If he followed the Commander's suggestion, it would indeed cause most of the guards on the level to investigate the disturbance. However, if the Shadow Fist destroyed the assembly line, then he'd have to spend more time repairing it once it was his. This wasn't a major concern since there were several other smaller assembly lines around the estate, but it still caused Rhal some unease.
However, he quickly put that unease to the side as he considered what would happen if he ignored the Commander's plan. If he and the Shadow Fist all ambushed Grathan together, there was a better chance that the rogue Sith would be killed quickly before any of his forces would be alerted. But Rhal knew, sensing Grathan's rage and power, that the rogue Sith still would not fall easily and, if his forces were alerted, there was a very real chance that Grathan would attempt to escape in the confusion. However, if the so-called "thirteenth Dark Council member" fled from a single Sith confronting him, he would lose any remaining support he had left.
The choice was obvious. "You have my permission to cause your distraction Commander." Rhal said before adding. "But make sure that whatever you do doesn't look like an enemy attack and remain hidden for as long as possible and do not attempt anything further until I've dealt with Lord Grathan." Rhal commanded.
"Understood, my Lord." The Commander said, sounding slightly pleased that his suggestion was approved. "I'll have my demolition expert make it look like a malfunction caused the line to blow. That should buy you more than enough time to deal with the traitor." The Commander nearly spat the last part. There were none more hated by the Empire than those that turned their backs on it.
"Very well, Commander." Rhal said with a nod of his own. "Move quickly. Once Grathan's forces are alerted, I'll engage the traitor and contact you when he's been eliminated." Rhal stated, causing the Commander to salute and quietly make his way back with the rest of the Shadow Fist.
Rhal didn't have to wait long before he felt a slight rumble go through the base. Immediately after, the alarms sounded and dozens of troops were shouting and rushing up the corridors, completely unaware of the hidden Dark Council member moving past them. After a few moments, Rhal had nearly reached Grathan's location before a door opened next to him.
Moving to the side, Rhal watched as another Sith walked out and started walking towards Grathan's chambers, completely ignoring the alarms and the few panicked troops that rushed past him. The Sith was a head shorter than Rhal, very skinny and pale with a bald head and scars on his face. He was also most likely Grathan's last apprentice since Rhal sensed the Sith's power was greater than any of the other Sith he'd seen in Grathan's compound but still lesser than Grathan himself. The Dark Side had clearly left its mark on this Sith with his red eyes and dark veins that were clear signs of his corruption.
Rhal considered cutting him down right away but dismissed the idea. If this Sith was on his way to Grathan, then it would be easy for Rhal to follow him straight to his master. So he did.
It only took a little more than a minute for the bald Sith to reach a large durasteel door and pull out an ID card that caused the door to slide open. The Sith calmly walked inside and, just before the door closed, Rhal used the force to speed through and enter Grathan's private chambers.
The room was similar to a command center and a conference room with a decent sized table and several chairs at the back of the room as well as multiple terminals around the rest of the room. However it was a large holoterminal that dominated the center of the room with several holomaps of different galaxy sectors being shown.
But Rhal's attention was entirely focused on the figure viewing the holomaps.
Lord Grathan.
Grathan's appearance was fairly simple, plain gray combat armor and a lightsaber on his belt, but it was his mask that truly stood out. The helmeted mask covered Grathan's entire head and the eyes were glowing a reddish orange.
Rhal had heard how Grathan nearly lost his head years ago and the helmet was the only reason he was still alive. Regardless, Rhal was certain that many would find Grathan's mask quite intimidating. He was not one of them. 'He'd nothing compared to my father. I'll destroy him and take all that he has.'
The bald Sith dropped to a knee when Grathan turned around. "What is your bidding, my Master?" The Sith asked, his words confirming Rhal's theory that he was an apprentice.
"Ralesk." Grathan said, identifying the bald Sith. "My agents have identified and located my son's killer. He is Darth Baras' apprentice and his cowardly master has just gifted him with a starship which is currently in Baras' private hangar at the spaceport." Grathan growled, confirming the intelligence Rhal had gotten about just who had killed Grathan's wife and son.
"You want me to kill him, master?" Ralesk asked with a slight smile on his face. He was clearly eager but Rhal sensed he had a surprisingly good amount of control over his emotions.
"Yes, but first…" Grathan started before abruptly activating his lightsaber and swinging it behind him. Only for his purple blade to clash with another that appeared out of thin air along with Rhal holding it. "...it seems I have an uninvited guest to deal with."
Rhal quickly broke the saber lock and backflipped over the holoterminal, landing as Ralesk stood and activated his own red lightsaber. The son of Jadus cursed himself for thinking it would be easy enough for him to stab Grathan in the back while also cursing Grathan for being quick and strong enough to notice the attempt.
"Well well, it seems the Dark Council must finally want me to take my rightful place if they sent you here to die boy." Grathan said mockingly before his head tilted to the side slightly. "Or did you perhaps come here on your own? Maybe thinking that you'd find easy prey and a chance to increase your own power?" He asked in the same mocking tone while Rhal kept his face blank as he moved to a more open area of the room so the holoterminal was no longer between him and the two Sith.
Grathan laughed. "You truly do have a death wish child. Fortunately for you, I am death itself. Ralesk, do not interfere. After I cut down this fool I'll give you the rest of your mission details." Grathan ordered, turning his head slightly to look at the other Sith.
Ralesk quickly deactivated his lightsaber and moved off to the side before giving a slight bow. "As you wish, my master."
Taking advantage of Grathan's brief distraction, Rhal sent a quick blast of force lightning towards him, only for Grathan to catch it with his lightsaber before the rogue Sith charged at him.
Purple clashed with purple as each of their lightsabers sent strikes against the other faster than most could see. Both Rhal and Grathan were relentless in their attacks, each probing the other for any openings or weaknesses.
However, between the two, it quickly became clear to Rhal that he had the advantage when it came to lightsaber combat. Grathan's power in the Dark Side was considerable, but it was obvious that he'd been neglecting his skills with a blade for some time, most likely using the force to destroy whatever weak assassins had tried to eliminate him before.
Grathan quickly realized this as well and changed his attack. Stepping back, the rogue Sith Lord stepped back and raised both of his hands, unleashing a huge amount of force lightning towards Rhal. He was clearly hoping it would overwhelm him, but Rhal had dealt with worse from his father.
Raising his lightsaber, Rhal easily caught the lightning with his blade and held his position while Grathan tried unleashing even more power to break past his defenses. Rhal just held his ground and allowed Grathan to waste more of his energy.
Realizing his attack wasn't working, Grathan ceased his assault with the force and renewed his assault with his lightsaber, drawing on the Dark Side to increase his speed and strength. Briefly, it looked like his strikes would overwhelm his opponent, but Rhal quickly adjusted and soon the two Sith were switching between attacking and defending once more.
It didn't take long before both grew annoyed with the clash. Rhal, because despite being the superior duelist Grathan was still able to hold his own. Grathan, because what he'd expected to be a quickly dealt with annoyance was proving to be anything but.
This time it was Rhal who stepped back. Reaching out with the force he grabbed one of the nearby chairs and hurled it at Grathan's back.
Instinctively, Grathan turned and slashed the chair in half before it could slam into him. It only took the rogue Sith a moment to realize the critical error he'd just made. By turning to stop the chair, he turned his back on his enemy. Grathan moved quickly to block the attack he knew was coming.
He wasn't fast enough.
Drained from the fighting, Grathan was too slow to stop Rhal's lightsaber from slashing deep into his back, causing him to cry out in pain. The purple blade cut through Grathan's armor and flesh as if it wasn't there, leaving a long and smoking slash remaining across the entirety of the rogue Sith Lord's back.
Rhal was a little surprised that Grathan was still standing and managed to turn and face him, raising his lightsaber and showing that he was still capable of fighting.
However, even if he fought on, Rhal knew that Grathan was beaten. The slash to his back might not have been fatal, but it was deep and the pain would surely be too much to ignore, even for a Sith as powerful as Grathan. Rhal saw when he looked at Grathan closely that he was correct.
The rogue Sith was still filled with rage and hatred, but the combination of his pain and weariness from the battle was starting to affect his body. He was standing in a ready position, but not as tall as when they first started and, on closer inspection, Rhal could see Grathan shaking ever so slightly. 'He's tired, hurt, and drained. It is time to end this.'
Before Rhal could make a move, Grathan snapped his head over to his apprentice Ralesk, who was watching the battle with his hands behind his back and the same small smile on his face. "Ralesk! Kill this scum, now!" Grathan shouted, his voice filled with anger and some slight desperation. Rhal nearly laughed. 'A Dark Council member calling for help? I don't think so. You truly are a disgrace Grathan.' He thought as he glanced over towards who he believed would be his next opponent.
To his and likely Grathan's surprise, Ralesk merely shrugged. "You ordered me not to interfere in this fight, master. I'm afraid I can't obey you without disobeying your previous order, and you were very clear that I must never disobey you. So, I'm afraid my hands are tied." Ralesk said in a calm, mocking tone. He was clearly amused that his master was all but begging for his help.
Grathan fully turned to face his apprentice. "You will kill this intruder, or I will-"
The rogue Sith didn't get a chance to finish his threat since Rhal had rushed forward, once again taking advantage of his opponent's distraction, and swung his lightsaber to cut Grathan in half. He would have preferred to go for the rogue's neck, but Grathan's lightsaber was positioned in such a way that the strike would have been blocked even if he hadn't seen it coming.
So Rhal aimed just below the lightsaber.
Grathan had been holding his saber with both hands out in front of him. In a single swing, Rhal destroyed Grathan's lightsaber, took off about half of each of his hands, and cleaved the rogue Sith Lord in half.
Grathan let out a sound that was a mix of a gasp and a cough and turned to look at his killer just a moment before his body fell to the ground, his body separating where Rhal had slashed him.
Lord Grathan, the self proclaimed thirteenth Dark Council member, was dead.
However, despite the victory, Rhal didn't allow himself to enjoy it. Turning, he faced Grathan's apprentice, expecting him to launch his own attack.
Instead, he was surprised to see the Sith Ralesk place his lightsaber on the ground before dropping to a knee and speaking. "Well fought, master." He said before looking up at Rhal. "Now, how may I serve you?" He asked.
Rhal blinked.
The Citadel, some time later…
Darth Baras, sitting behind his desk, gave a slight nod to his master Darth Vengean before his master's holo disappeared, leaving him to ponder everything he'd just learned about this unexpected new development.
Lord Grathan was dead, killed by the newest member of the Dark Council, Darth Rhal.
Being the son of Darth Jadus, a Sith whose power was comparable even to the Emperor, Baras had secretly been keeping his eyes on the boy for some time now, but it had always been from a distance to avoid drawing Jadus' attention. Now that he'd assumed his late father's position, Baras had intended to plant a few of his number among the new Dark Council member's servants.
Unfortunately, the business with Nomen Kaar and his new padawan had taken priority and he'd held off on planting his spies so he could focus on his old enemy and his newest scheme. Now though, he was strongly regretting his action, or rather inaction, and found himself wishing he'd split his attention.
Darth Rhal had moved quickly, so quickly that even Baras hadn't found out about it until it had already happened. He'd been expecting the boy to slowly and quietly build up support for himself before taking any major actions. Instead, he'd gone completely against Baras' expectations and had gone after Grathan almost immediately after being inducted into the Dark Council with soldiers and operatives from Imperial Intelligence.
In truth, Baras wouldn't have been half as worried about the situation if any of the other Sith had slain Grathan, but his killer was the head of the Sphere of Intelligence and, due to killing Grathan in single combat, everything the rogue Sith possessed had been claimed by Darth Rhal with little resistance. The claim likely would have been opposed more strongly by the other Dark Council members if it hadn't been for what Rhal had discovered and done after looking through Grathan's data and files.
Tytonus, another rogue Sith Lord, had secretly been in contact with Grathan planning to invade and lead an assault on Kaas City with her own private forces using information that Grathan had sent her along with taking advantage of Dromund Kaas' lack of defenses due to the ships of the Imperial Fleet being spread across much of the galaxy. Such an attack would have been devastating and, even if she'd failed, just being able to land her troops and launch her attack would have been a clear sign of weakness to the Empire's enemies.
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on who was asked, Rhal had discovered Tytonus' plans and intentions and sent the information to the Dark Council, but not before ordering the nearest Imperial Fleet to return to Dromund Kaas and defend it from the upcoming attack. Baras had been furious when he learned who was the commanding officer of the fleet that received the order, Admiral Riserre.
The Admiral was a senior, well respected officer and was one of the best military leaders the Empire had. He'd fought in the last war and had rarely lost a battle during his many years of service and there was even talk of him possibly becoming Grand Admiral if the position became available.
As soon as he'd heard it was Admiral Riserre commanding their defense fleet, Baras had known exactly what the result of Tytonus' invasion would be, his master merely confirmed it. With the intel he'd received from Darth Rhal, the Admiral had his ships perfectly prepared for when Tytonus and her forces dropped out of hyperspace.
The battle, or more accurately slaughter, didn't last long. Tytonus had been expecting to land her forces with little to no resistance and instead, had dropped out of hyperspace to a fleet of warships waiting, catching her completely off guard. Her forces had barely put up a fight and Admiral Riserre and his forces successfully destroyed all of the traitor's ships and killed every lifeform aboard them, including Lord Tytonus herself whose body was discovered in the wreckage after the battle.
In a very short period of time, Rhal's actions had destroyed two traitors to the Empire, allowed him to significantly increase his own powerbase, and had gained the confidence of both the Dark Council and the Imperial military. Darth Vengean had admitted to being impressed by Rhal's actions and had even gone so far as to say he looked forward to seeing what else his fellow Dark Council member would accomplish.
Darth Baras was not nearly as pleased as his master was. He'd been hoping to use the boy for his own ends, but now it was clear that wouldn't be possible or at least, not nearly as easy as he'd thought it would be. 'Especially since Grathan's estate is now Rhal's estate.' Baras thought bitterly.
One of the first things Rhal had done after Grathan's death was to take total control of Grathan's stronghold. According to his master, Baras learned that Rhal had killed all those who'd served under Grathan except for his researchers, who were being allowed to continue their research for their new master, and he had replaced Grathan's troops with those who had been stationed at the Wall and had even reprogrammed Grathan's war droids to serve him as well.
That was another piece of news that had angered Baras, learning that Rhal had claimed the Wall along with the estate. His master and the rest of the Dark Council hadn't cared, saying that the Wall had served its purpose and if Rhal wanted it he could have it, but Baras knew it was more complicated than that.
The Wall had limited Grathan's movements and activities but now, with it being completely under Rhal's control, the Dark Council member had total control of who or what was allowed to enter his stronghold and wouldn't allow anyone to get anywhere even close to the estate without being spotted. Additionally, with its monitoring stations and jammers, it would be all but impossible to know anything that Rhal was up to as long as he stayed within his private fortress.
Darth Baras hated this situation. He'd badly underestimated the newest member of the Dark Council and now, with Rhal in such a strong position, he knew getting a set of eyes and ears close to him would be extremely difficult and, even if Rhal had lied and actually had spared some of Grathan's followers, his only spy in Grathan's estate had been his now deceased apprentice, Dri'kill Ba'al.
Unfortunately, Baras knew that all he could do right now was wait until Rhal made another move and he could seize whatever opportunities came as a result of it. He refused to be kept in the dark. It was his destiny to become the Voice of the Emperor and for that to happen, he needed leverage over all the other Dark Council members. Still, that plan was years away and Nomen Kaar and his padawan were a far greater threat at the moment.
Baras made the uneasy decision to focus on the Jedi and his student for the time being, but made a mental note to keep an eye on anything and everything that Darth Rhal did in the future.
In another part of the Citadel…
Darth Hadra sat in her private chambers as she went over the designs and data that her fellow Dark Council member, Darth Rhal, had sent her from the late Lord Grathan's files. At that moment, she had a smile on her face.
Smiling was something that Hadra usually only did as part of an act, either for potential allies or to enrage her enemies, genuine smiles had become rare for her ever since her appointment to the Dark Council nearly a year ago.
At the time, she'd been extremely pleased with both herself and the Dark Council to be given her late rival's seat. Mekhis always did say she'd get that seat over her cold dead body.
Unfortunately, even in death Darth Mekhis continued to cause her problems. Despite her best efforts, many of her operations and achievements were looked down on by the other Dark Council members simply because they couldn't match the works of her dead rival.
Darth Mekhis was truly a genius and even Darth Hadra would be able to admit that. Many of her inventions had been years ahead of anything Imperial scientists were currently working on even now and the loss of those inventions was still badly felt. The loss of Mekhis was unfortunate, but it was the near total destruction of all her creations that had been such a crippling blow to the Empire.
Out of all the many creations that had existed, only two remained.
The Ascendant Spear was one such weapon and was currently under the control of Darth Malgus, much to Hadra's frustration. A Terminus class destroyer about twice the size of any other ship in its class with weapons and shields far stronger than any of their other capital ships and a prototype hyperdrive which allowed it to go far faster than any other ship its size.
Hadra had attempted to claim the Ascendant Spear for herself soon after joining the Dark Council, but Malgus had put forward his own claim for the Spear at about the same time and the Council had ruled in his favor, believing he'd make better use of the ship than she would. The decision had infuriated Hadra and she'd all but demanded control of the only other surviving ship that Mekhis had created, to which the Dark Council agreed surprisingly quickly.
The Gauntlet was a Harrower class dreadnought with weapons and shields just as powerful as the Ascendant Spear. It wasn't nearly as fast as the Spear since it didn't possess the same prototype hyperdrive, but it more than made up for that weakness with its primary weapon, a lightspeed cannon that could destroy ships traveling through hyperspace.
Being able to track enemy ships traveling through hyperspace was impressive on its own, being able to destroy said targets with a single shot would give the Empire an overwhelming advantage when the next war began.
Unfortunately, upon inspecting the Gauntlet for herself, Hadra had soon realized why the Dark Council had been so quick to give it to her.
She shook her head, not wanting to think about that problem right now and tried refocused her attention on the schematics Darth Rhal had sent her but she once again found her mind wandering to the new addition to the Dark Council.
When she'd first seen Rhal in the Dark Council chambers she hadn't been expecting much. He still looked young and, while his power in the Dark Side was impressive for a boy his age, she still hadn't expected much from him for some time yet.
She, like many of the other Dark Council members, had been extremely surprised to hear that Rhal had not only eliminated Lord Grathan, but had also discovered information of a possible threat to Dromund Kaas and had moved quickly enough to see said threat eliminated before it could even become a problem. Needless to say, Darth Rhal was already proving to be a fine addition to the Dark Council. 'Perhaps my apprentice was on to something when she spoke of his skill.' The thought immediately caused her smile to fall as Hadra remembered her late apprentice, Lord Arosh.
Harda had sent her Sith apprentice and a few squads of her personal forces to hold and secure an ancient Sith shrine her forces had discovered in the jungles near the outskirts of Kaas City. Her rival on the Council, Darth Arctis, had protested her claim and Hadra had ordered her forces to secure the shrine and the artifacts there, believing that Arctis wouldn't dare take direct action against her forces and her apprentice.
She was right that he didn't take direct action. Arctis had instead offered a reward to anyone that eliminated her forces and recovered the artifacts for him. One of her agents had found out about the offer only after everything was already over. She couldn't even say for certain what had happened or who had killed her people since there were no survivors, all she knew was that her forces were all defeated and killed along with her apprentice.
Hadra could still remember sensing Arosh's last moments through the force and she was pleased to know that her apprentice had at least fought to her last breath. 'Still, the loss of such a gifted student of the Dark Side is infuriating.' She thought as she once again renewed her vow to make Arctis pay for what he'd done.
Realizing she'd once again been distracted by her thoughts, Darth Hadra inspected the power readings for the prototype droid designs that Rhal had sent her and was surprised just how high the power levels were estimated.
At first, she'd just assumed that Rhal had sent her the designs because he was trying to win some favor with her. Now, she could see that it was more likely because he didn't have the resources needed to construct such advanced droids on his own so, instead of wasting his time with a project that wasn't useful, he'd sent the plans to her to both be rid of them and gain favor with another Dark Council member. 'Whatever his reasons, these droids will come in very handy once my people find a way to stabilize the droid's power core.'
The power core the droid possessed was the most impressive and disappointing thing that Darth Hadra saw in the designs. While it was extremely powerful, at the moment it was also highly unstable and not even close to being ready for testing. The odds were high that the power core would quickly destabilize and explode if it was assembled as it was now and, while bombs were useful and had their place, Hadra was far more interested in using the droids to replenish her own forces. 'It looks like it'll still be some time until that's possible. I'll have to look elsewhere, at least for now.'
Before she could think on it any further, a slave dressed in her personal colors entered her chambers. "What is it?" She asked, more than a little annoyed by the intrusion.
The slave was visibly shaking and had his head down. "Forgive me, mistress. There's an acolyte here requesting to speak with you." The slave said quietly, but still loud enough to be heard.
Hadra's eyes widened and she cursed herself for forgetting something so important. "See the acolyte in." She said, trying to keep her mask of annoyance in place as she waited to see someone she hadn't seen for far too long.
The slave bowed and quickly made his way out of the chambers. Hadra only had to wait a moment for the acolyte to enter and it took everything she had not to smile and rage at the sight before her.
The acolyte was a young woman with tanned skin, short black hair, and brown eyes. Something of note was that the acolyte's hair looked almost exactly the same as Darth Hadra's but the acolyte's was a bit more of a mess.
However, it wasn't just the acolyte's hair that was a mess. The girl had definitely seen better days. Despite her tan, the acolyte's skin was still paler than Darth Hadra's and there were quite a few scars that Hadra could see on the skin that was visible, though she was pleased to see the girl's face had been spared such things. However, her anger spiked when she saw the acolyte's left arm. The arm that was now metal instead of flesh.
Despite the neutral face that Hadra wore and the anger at seeing the acolyte's injuries, she was far more thankful and relieved to see the acolyte alive.
The acolyte dropped to her knee before her. "My lord, I've returned." She said, her words causing Hadra's frown to deepen. While she did understand the need for such things, Hadra still hated having to perform this act with her.
"Rise." She said in as much of an emotionless tone as she could manage. After she stood up, Hadra took a moment to make a show of looking her over. "You've gained a few scars and a new arm since I last saw you." She said, unable to stop some anger from seeping into her voice.
The acolyte's face twisted in anger. "You were right, my Lord. Vemrin was…too powerful for us. I might have been crippled for a while, but at least I survived." She growled out, obviously as angry at Vemrin as she was herself for being tricked into believing she could defeat him.
As angry as Hadra was at seeing her…acolyte so badly wounded, she nodded in agreement. "I know you were eager to prove yourself and I respect your courage, but you should have recognized the difference in power between yourself and Vemrin. After all, there was a reason why Darth Baras was interested in him." She said, her words caused the acolyte to look at her in surprise.
"Was?" She questioned before her eyes lit up and a smile appeared on her face. "Vemrin's dead then?" She asked, to which Hadra nodded and allowed herself a small smile as well.
"Killed in the tombs of Korriban by the same acolyte who tried using you to kill him." Hadra stated, pleased that the one who disfigured her…acolyte was dead, but also slightly angry that the one who'd used her was now Darth Baras' apprentice.
The acolyte, noticing Hadra's anger, spoke up. "My lord, the important thing is that Vemrin's dead and he won't be able to interfere in my training moving forward." The acolyte said in a confident tone that nearly brought a smile to Hadra's face.
However, the Dark Council member merely nodded. "Indeed. A transport will be ready to take you back to the academy in a few days. Until then, I believe you have some training to catch up on." Hadra said with an air of disappointment, but not directed at the acolyte.
Personally, Hadra would have wanted her to spend at least another week in a kolto tank for recovery but knew that wasn't an option. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't afford to be seen protecting the girl any further, lest her enemies find out just who the acolyte before her really was.
The acolyte, aware of the situation and understanding it, gives a slight nod of her head. "Of course, my lord. If there's nothing else, I can begin immediately."
There was more, so much more that Hadra wanted to say to her but she knew she couldn't. Not now. So, with a hint of sadness, Hadra gave a wave of her hand and dismissed the acolyte without another word. It was a cold dismissal, but both knew it was necessary as the acolyte rose to her feet, gave one last nod, and made her way out of the chambers leaving Darth Hadra alone once more.
The Dark Council member sighed. If the two of them had reunited in her personal stronghold, then Hadra knew the interaction would have gone very differently. Unfortunately, with her status as a member of the Dark Council, Hadra knew that she and her activities were being watched very carefully by many of the other Sith, each one looking for any signs of weakness or vulnerability.
That's why she couldn't order the acolyte to be sent to her stronghold for treatment, despite calling in an old favor to get her off Korriban until she'd recovered. Her position was too unstable and she knew it would get far worse if the acolyte's real identity became known.
'It's necessary.' She reminded herself yet again, even though the reminder did nothing to ease her worry.
A.N.
This took longer than I thought it would, so I'm sorry about but I got a bit sick recently and wasn't able to work on it for a while. Now, any questions or comments feel free to let me know and I'll get back to you as soon as I'm able. Have a great day everyone!