The Dark Lord nodded.

"I do not doubt you are correct. However, I do not come to you because I need you. I come to you because I want you with me. I respect you. It is as simple as it seems. Old fashioned, perhaps, but.. still a valid point in my eyes."

The Sith Lord had not much to say, but he did wonder why.

He gave a small nod of understanding.

"..An honor at best, but our minds are not the same, never have they been. I have learned to respect your mission, a hard struggle at best. However.... you have your goals and I have mine. My place is not with you."

If there was to be anyone that were to work along with the Dark Lord, the Zabrak did not see himself being the one to do so. His mind was not like that of the Dark Lord's, and the Zabrak believed that the Dark Lord needed a combined mind, one that thought and did like Maim.

Malice continued after the jedi. Passing by groups of both dead and alive massassi. Tge last remaining ones that Diete had missed. No matter, as the demon sith past them, the ones still living dropped dead instantly. Malice too would absorb their energy.

As he came outside, Malice stopped. The jedi's force presense was gone. Erased it seemed. Or just hiding. With white robes billowing around him. Malice shifted in and out of view. Matching perfectly with the surrounding snow. His force sense flared when he spotted someone else. Not a jedi. But a sith. And it wasn't one of the order.

*Zeta....*

He was here. The zabrak dared show his face here. And who was he with.....Maim. The two of them were together. These somewhat shocked Malice, as he knew Zeta did not like Maim at all. That mattered not. Through the force, Malice spoke to Zeta.

(Why have you come? do you wish to have some fun Zeta?)

If the zabrak was not here to aide the Dark Circle. Then he would fall against it's might.

The Zabrak returned his thoughts in kind to the Sith demon.

I have set aside my differences... You of all people should know where and who my displeasure rests with now.

It was still true that Zeta was still displeased with, and still despised many of the Dark Lord's actions, yet with recent past events, there had been something more that overpowered his quick temper toward the Dark Lord.

Why do you think I've come? You hold your fate within one man's hands. Your eyes have betrayed you, Malice. If he continues to be the chosen one, your group will fall. He will wipe out all those who displease him. I've seen it in his eye's Malice. He will strip the order until there is nothing left but his minions.

He of course was talking about the newest Dark Lord.

You and I have trained side by side for many years and I have never steered you wrong, not once. Heed what I have told you, Malice.

"Very well, Lord Zeta. However, should you need my aid in the future, you have but to call."

The former Dark Lord turned, taking his leave. He had his own missions to deal with. His own agenda. His own path to travel.

Sedriss stared at the jedi star with a burning hatred, ready to strike him down for such words of blasphemy. Him, the son of Diete III; the thought irritated him and made hime question the former lords words.

Why would our father lie? If I am the heir to Naga, then why conceal the truth? Prove it to me Jedi, since I have little time for games by the traitor of our family. Because of our relationship I will listen to your words but I will not tolerate heresy.

As his brother grinned at him, the Dark lord sent an order through the force.

Lord Chaos, report to Khar Shian immediately and kill Darth Zeta immediately. His time is at an end. Do not fail me.

Arkan did not turn in reflex against the Jedi's coming attack. Naturally, any well trained Jedi would defeat the discovered weak-point of his in any battle, to overcome weakness was paramount in combat. Instead, Arkan raised most of the amphistaff's upper part over his Ysalimiri. The amphistaff let go of its rigid form and spiraled around the incoming lightsaber, hooking onto it, its protective mucous also resilient against energy weapons like the lightsaber.

Holding his amphistaff with his right hand, he left his left arm out to the side and the amphistaff on that end uncoiled quickly. But this would be utilized later.

Using the dovin basal's ability to create a gravitational pull, Arkan concentrated a specific gravity around Luis and pulled him in fast as his lightsaber was entangled. A flash kick to Luis's chest with the incoming gravity-pull and hold of the dovin basal, Arkan gave a strong tug of the amphistaff, pulling away the lightsaber and turning to face Luis.

The Jedi Star lofted a brow.

"I will prove nothing to you. Look inside yourself, I know what I say is true. As far as your 'heresy' goes. You can shove that wherever you wish. I could not care less about whatever you believe of me. My life has been devoted to undoing my father's work. The work of his other sons. And now, likely, your work also. It is not to late for you, though. You can still be saved their fate."

The Jedi Star leaned closer a bit.

"If you wish it."

Khar Shian

The emptiness of deep space was tainted with Star destroyers around Khar Delba and Khar Shian. Moving seemingly Graceful, the technological Nightmares would surely pick up the Overlord as it fell out of Hyperspace. The Modified YT-2400 light-stock freighter jumped into realspace, dangerously close to the atmosphere of Khar Shian. Piloted by an R7 Unit, the ship would be scanned for life, and find nothing. Even better, the droid was programmed to arrive at a specific time, and to appear injured and disabled. Coming in so close to the atmosphere, the Ship would be captured by the Heavenly Body's gravity, and pulled down. The droid shut off the ship's drives, blowing a parts department, giving the appearance of injury to the ship, and also causing smoke to release into space. Due to the important battle, the ship would most likely be overlooked... considered dead and insignificant.

--------------------------------------------------------


Kale turned another corner, and saw Odon facing off with some Sith that Kale did not recognize. Looking down to his Datapad, Kale saw that he had seriously lost track of time. Without wasting time, Kale pulled his comlink out, and sent the signal to his ship which should have recently entered the atmosphere of Khar Shian. Within minutes, Spinner and Kale's ship would track the signal, and find the Jedi. He had fulfilled as much of his objectives as he could, and it was time to cut his losses.

Kale waved his arms until he knew he caught Odon's attention, then gave the hand-signal that his ship would be arriving. With that, Kale ran out towards the open Tundra, wishing to use the Force, but thinking better of it.

Khar Shian


Caution was the apex of their concerns as the two Shadows crept through the inky gloom of this, the cloning faculty underground. All about them machines of various origin and dubious condition were erected, some chugging with activity and some not. Their objective was here somewhere, for above them they could hear the massive power generators producing juice for the entire station.

“There…” whispered Mat, pointing to a large machine sitting in the corner. “That’s it.”

Nodding in agreement, Tobal moved closer for an inspection. It was indeed their target, the coolant filter, and provider for the power generators above them.

“Give me the Detonators,” whispered the tribal, his hand out. “You get the cabling.”

Mat nodded in return, and fished two fist sized grenades out of his pack. Simple in design, archaic in fact, these detonators were about as fail-safe as they got. Sacrificing power for reliability, durability, and protection from all sorts of elements, they were a mainstay for special-op forces across the galaxy. The casing was an almost indestructible alloy, the bottom magnetic. Often used for breaching the hulls of ships, these explosives secured themselves to the ship’s shell, and blasted a hole into the ship.

Swiftly doing as he had been trained to do, Tobal activated the primitive, yet robust clockwork timer on each of the explosives. Utilizing the magnetic base on one, he stuck it on one of the reinforced coolant return arteries. The other he placed against the main power conduit entering the machine.

“Almost done?” he whispered to his companion, his voice low.

“Yeah,” came the reply. “Just let me get this cable … Ah…” the sound of wire cutters making their way through a thick wire met Tobal’s ears, and he glanced about quickly.

“Hurry up.”

“Just a second… gotta hardwire this… there.”

Mat came around from the back of the machine, and the two crept off again, their work done. As they moved across the floor, backtracking toward where they had come from, Mat stood bolt upright, his eyes wide with fear.

“Down!” he whispered hoarsely, and the two dropped to the ground in an instant. Seconds later, an explosion rocked the floor, lifting the two men up before setting them down. The force rippled out like a shockwave in the minds of each man, a feeling unlike any they had ever experienced. A few moments passed after the detonation, before they dared move.

“What, was that” gasped Tobal, shaking his head in an attempt to loose the ringing in his ears.

“Some sort of massive Force attack, I’m not sure. I’ve never felt anything like it before Tobal… there are some very powerful people here.”

Tobal nodded his head in assent, and motioned for his friend to follow. It was time for them to exit.


This time however, their path was not so easy. As they rounded some machinery, Tobal in a crouch testing the ground before each step, Mat in a semi-crouch almost sliding his feet across the smooth floor, they walked straight into a group of four very suppressed Massassi solders.

Mat stood straight up, his mouth open, his body a mere foot from the Massassi in front of him. The Massassi also stared, its mouth agape. The other three were arrayed behind in a staggered pattern, each covering the other.

Tobal blinked as Mat ran into the Massassi. He focused his eyes forward, and spotted the other three through the inky blackness that surrounded them. Standing on the outside of the turn, he had a good view of the entire group, and their demeanor.

One hand moved to his side, grabbing the vibro-blade he kept there while the other hand balled into a fist. He leapt.

Flying through the air, Tobal’s mind automatically ran through four different ways to kill the Massassi before him, three bloody one not. He settled upon a fifth technique the moment before he landed, next to his friend. Coming up from a crouch, his fist connected with the Massassi’s solar plexus with a sharp thud. The man doubled over, his face contorted with pain. As he tried to back up, a hard chop to the throat crushed his windpipe, and he went down. Before he hit the ground, Tobal was already gone. His now active vibro-blade already on its way to the forehead of the fourth Massassi, and he moving forward still.

Letting out a snarl, Tobal gritted his teeth and slammed his fist into the chest of the second Massassi with all his weight and strength behind it. The blow connected solidly, smashing the ribcage of his enemy and sending him sprawling.

The third Massassi was next in line, his reflexes beginning to move his blaster into firing position. Tobal fell into a slide in an attempt to avoided a premature blast, his forward motion carrying him into the clone’s legs, toppling him onto the tribal.

They rolled a bit, each grasping for the others throat. Squeezing, scratching, the Massassi even attempting to bite. Overpowered by a man much larger than himself, Tobal suddenly gave up trying to choke his enemy, and diverted his attention to the last weapon in his belt, his lightsabre. As the Massassi’s hands found his windpipe and squeezed, Tobal found his weapon and pushed. Pushed the emitter into the pelvis of his enemy and ignited it. The blade stabbed up with an explosion of light, and sound. The Massassi screamed, as his bowels were burned, then cauterized. Ripping the blade up, Tobal kicked and pushed his enemy away. The lightsabre gutted the man, and split his ribcage and head in two. Blood gushed from wounds that were too large to be cauterized neatly, and Tobal rolled away. The sound of a blaster being cocked made him wince, and he remembered the man he had just shoved. In an instinctive move guided by the Force, the force he had strived so hard to remove himself from for the last two hours, he brought his saber up and over his head.

Impact. He felt the connection of bolt to blade twice, the sound not reaching his ears as he continued to roll. Sparks flew as his blade gouged into the permacrete, and another impact was felt on the saber. Then, it stopped. Kicking out Tobal rolled rather clumsily into a crouch, his eyes blinded by his own weapon. The force flowed through him though, telling him exactly where his four dead enemies were.

“I got him Tobal” Came Mat’s shaky voice. “Sorry.”

Deactivating his saber and moving over to his friend, Tobal tried wiping some of the blood off of his face with his equally bloody cloak.

“That’s alright.”

His friend stared, his glow rod now on illuminating Tobal. Blood covered his clothing, covering the already slimy sewage remains in a slick, red tinted glow.

“That, is revolting.” Said Mat, his voice shaky still.

“It is blood. Have you never seen blood?”

“Not that much of it.” Replied the other Shadow, his tone portraying distaste, and a possible sick stomach.

“We had better keep moving.” Said Tobal, snuffing Mat’s light. “I opened myself up there, and someone might have heard the blaster fire.”

“What, after that explosion? I doubt it… we could play Jizz down here and no one would know.” Mat said sardonically.

“Better safe than sorry.”

“Yes.” Agreed Mat. “Shall we move the bodies?”

“What for?”

“Oh…. No reason …”

“We can throw them down this sewage hole, if you wish to take the time.”

“No, no, that’s fine. The timers have a minute to go anyway, we can’t spare the time. Never mind, forget I even suggested it.”

“Ok, do you have your grapple?”

Mat unlocked the device from his belt and handed it to Tobal, who straddled the drainage hole he had mentioned, and fired up. The hook on the end of the wire coil gripped into the ceiling, and Tobal lowered himself into the sewage pipe. Moments later, the gun self retracted into Mat’s waiting hands, and he too lowered himself down.