"We have entered the planet's atmosphere and will land in a few minutes."

Golden-brown locks bounced as her head nodded, though she new the owner of the voice on the other end of the comm would not be able to see her. Chocolate brown eyes looked out the viewport at the decadent city that filled her sight. Her soft fingers brushed against the comm on the arm of her seat.

" And you are certain my presence has not been detected?"

" Yes Ma’am, the ysalimir placed about your quarters have kept you hidden to them."

" Excelent. They will know soon enough of my arrival, I would not want to spoil the surprise too soon."

Crimson lips turned up into a sadistic smile as the transport carrying the Sith Apprentice touched down on the planet of Despayre. As the spacecraft settle on the platform, Arai Heishi went about preparing herself for what was to come.

She slipped the shoulder holster over the white, skin-tight, tank top she wore, securing the blaster pistol in place before donning the ankle-length white leather trench coat. The top few clasps were fastened, concealing the weapon. A dagger size vibro-blade was slipped into one of her knee-high white stiletto boots, and her Lightsaber was hooked onto the belt of her white mini-skirt.

Leaving her quarters she slid her hands into a pair of white leather gloves as she joined the captain that stood waiting for her.

" How far from the ship will the ysalimir continue to mask my presence?"

" Only a few meters."

Her head bobbed in a nod once and she was escorted to the boarding ramp that had already been lowered. Outside the spacecraft, heavily booted feet could be heard as the ports security approached the ship. Arai stepped onto the ramp, removing a blaster riffle from its place mounted on the bulkhead.

" It will have to do."

Her thumb adjusted the setting on the weapon, its power cell humming slightly as it charged the bolts to their highest settings. She turned to the captain and took the yellow tinted visor that covered his eyes. Her smile twisted menacingly and she slipped the visor over her own eyes.

" Its good to be home."

Arai moved down the ramp.

The riffle in her hand discharged its bolts in rapid succession, laying waste to the security officers before they knew what hit them. Staying beneath the partial cover provided by the transport, Arai turned the weapon from the dead officers to those in the nearby towers that scrambled for their weapons. Eyes, trained by the best snipers in the Rogue Empire, zeroed in on the soldiers in the towers and eliminated the threat in a matter of seconds.

She rested the muzzle of the riffle against her shoulder, her finger still in contact with the weapon’s trigger. Her time with TRE had prepared her for this moment. She was the best of their best, had been taught to be the greatest assassin and warrior of the Rogue Empire.

With a satisfied smile she walked away from the ship, stopping when she felt herself leave the ysalimir field.

There, she waited.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dakkon sensed the estinguishment of the lives of the security long before he sensed her. Their deaths came as a surprise to them, some not even knowing what had happened. The other guards that opened fire knew, but died wondering how this woman made it through security. He automatically broke into a run, hurrying towards the scene, but suddenly stopped.

Arai was back.

He could sense her force presence immediatly and stopped momentarily before gathering himself and continueing. Luckily he was nearby and noticed already the efficent Rogue Empire troopers preparing a security cordon. He made his way to the officer in charge.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Captain? I am in charge here. I have personel comlink on Secure-Com 897 and can talk to you through that and the standard channels. Now i have to deal with this threat."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> He turned, making his way to where Arai waited and finally arrived, stepping out of the shadows infront of her. His hands were at his sabres and ready, for he did not know what Somir had done to her...<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Arai, what are you doing?"

The young woman grinned ferally as the Admiral approached, the apprehension apparent in his every movement. Disbelief filled his eyes as he took in the corpses lying about the general area and Arai chuckled.

" What? No hello for a drinking buddy Dak?"

She lowered the riffle from her shoulder, the weapon aiming at the stunned man, and her head tilted slightly to the side.

" You know, you’re not who I was looking for. But just like that night in the Sleepy Sith Bar, I’ll have to settle for you."

Arai fired.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Dakkons hands moved swiftly, his sabre igniting before deflecting the bolt harmlessly between them. Taking one hand from the sabre he reached in his belt and removed his other sabre. Igniting it, his blades glowed a strange purple, the colour of incomprehension.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"If we are going to play it like that Arai, don't forget that a threat to the Emperor is a threat to me in the foremost. Perhaps you don't realise the skills i have picked up since you left, but it would take alot more than a petulent child with a blaster to defeat me."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> The sense of duty instilled in him since childhood long superceded any desire to run to her.

Reaching out with the force he ripped the rifle from her hands, it cluttering to the deck on the black scorth mark that was the Siths first kill.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Now shall we discus this further or do i have to hand your restrained ass to the Emperor?"

Arai chuckled darkly. She could sense the stormtroopers waiting just outside the bay, their anger at the lost of their brothers-in-arms radiated from them like a sun's corona. The intense anger and hatred for the woman strengthened her in a way they could never understand as she pulled those emotions to her.

Now empty hands made no movement for the Lightsaber or other hidden weapons. Instead she just inspected the blood red fingernails.

" How arogant. To think that you are the only one to have gained power in my absense. Let me assure you, my friend, that I am more than a child with a blaster."

Her beautiful features twisted into a rage-filled sneer and her arm snapped out toward the Shadow Jedi. In the same instant she took all the dark emotions from within herself and propelled them toward the man. She could feel the rush of enegry down her extended arm and through her fingers.

Bolts of white lightning shot forth from her fingertips, streaking through the space between the two and toward Dak at deadly speeds.

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> A slight twist was all it took for the weakened lightening to strike his sabre, it dissapating in a flash of apothicarial blue. She had learned something on here journeys, but nothing a simple Jedi padawan could defend against, let alone him.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Arai, your wasting your time. A girl with a gun, and girl with lightning, it matters not. You have had me worried Arai, but obviously this shows me that you have not descended far at all.



Its not too late..."

"Not too late,"

She began to pace, much like a wild animal, prying the gloves from her hands as she moved. With a glance at the Admiral she slowly narrowed the distance between them. Arai sensed him tense at her approach and stopped less than a meter from him.

" Perhaps you're right, Dak. Maybe this isn't the path for me. Maybe, just maybe, I haven't fallen as far as everyone things."

Her crimson lips spread into a sweet smile and she took that last step toward him. Her soft hand touched his cheek, her fingers rubbing gently against his skin.

" But then again..."

Her fingers curled, fingernails raking across his cheek as she drew first blood. The next instant she was standing once again a few meters from him and removed the lightsaber from her belt. With the all too familiar snap-hiss she ignited the glowing silver saber.

" ... Maybe I've fallen even further."

The weapon held tightly in her right hand, she motioned with her left to Dak.

" Show me what you've got, Blackblade."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> It hurt, not that much, but that was only on the outside. Inside he was aching, longing her to go back to the way she was, back to the girl he had loved. The humiliation was something he could bare, but the pain?

Instead of anger, he assumed the form of a raging smartass, just as he had when he had faced down the Dark Lordess Athena, Arai's Master. So to would he now face down the apprentice.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"Thats pretty poor Arai. I thought you had guts. Had a pair between your legs, metaphorically of course. Thats what i liked about you.

Obviously the Sith have weakened you, demeaned you to the level of <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> scratching<!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> of all things. Thats pathetic.

You're just a spoilt child, crying out for attention.."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Snapping his other Sabre up quickly, it already ignited, Dakkon lept forward, his left sabre swinging in between them before his other sabre snapped down in a slash towards her head.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

She took a step back, avoiding the frist swing of the saber, aand brought the silver blade up to block Dak's second weapon. The two lightsabers crackled as they connected.

" You want guts? How about I show you yours?"

Pushing the blade upward and away from her, she suddenly spun her saber around and downward in an angled slash toward his chest.

"Ugh, so <!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> clichéd<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->. So unimaginative, just like your fighting nowadays."

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--> Stepping back and pivoting to the side, the slash missed, but only just. Her textbook attacks were nothing to be worried about...

Spinning around as the blade struck the ground, exposing her entire side he darted in with a kick, blindsiding her and knocking her down.<!--EZCODE ITALIC END-->

"This is pointless Arai..."