A year after the destruction of the second Death Star in the celebrated Battle of Endor, another war was waged between the New Republic and Galactic Empire. Basking beneath the desert sun of Jakku rests the remnants of this hostility. Shifting sands have since buried and uncovered countless treasures and relics—to the delight of scavengers eager who hope to recover tokens from either side of the conflict!

The harsh desert offers little shelter from the elements, remaining barren and flat against the imposing backdrop of a fallen Star Destroyer that was left uncovered after the famed Battle of Jakku. Rather than allowing the vessel to fall into the hands of the Republic after the self-destruct had been sabotaged, Captain Ciena Ree ordered the Inflictor evacuated and sent it crashing to the planet’s surface. Sunken into the shifting desert sea, the upper portion of the Inflictor’s hull and exhaust ports remain otherwise intact, preserved amidst the rubble of untold casualties that had once occurred on both sides. Although it has been scoured by the passing of several sandstorms, it still displays the former power and might of the Galactic Empire.

Countless scraps of metal and machines of war share the same grave, echoing the lives of those who fought and died among the perilous wastes. Hundreds of these relics sit untouched, lingering amidst the ghosts that tend and reside in Jakku’s graveyard.

Knight Khryso Mallus had been on Jakku for several days now, following the trail of information he had gathered to the crash site of a long-dead Star Destroyer. There was much about the fall of the Empire that was still unknown to the wider universe, but recent rumors of a holocron located at the final resting place of the Empire had prompted the Chiss to go searching. Understanding the failings of the Empire could prove invaluable, but more importantly, such an artifact would make a great addition to Khryso's slowly growing collection.

Ufie, Khryso's diligent pit droid, walked quietly behind the Sith as Khryso made his way into the massive wreckage. He was only passingly familiar with the layout of old Imperial Star Destroyers, but the information the Chiss had received unfortunately hadn't been specific enough to give him a concrete goal. He would have to find the holocron's true final resting place with his own wits and talents. Pausing, Khryso closed his eyes and extended his awareness outward, searching for a clue that could lead him in the proper direction. What he discovered, however, was actually another presence. Strong in the Force and relatively close by, Khryso got the feeling whoever it was had already become aware of the Sith. It would seem there was no chance in catching up to them, so Khryso elected to bite the bullet and take the direct approach.

Maneuvering through the bent and creaking durasteel, Khryso soon found himself in an old hangar, tiled up at 30 degrees and half buried in sand. A small exit was visible along the far wall that lead out into the light of the desert, but scattered remains of long-gutted fighters and transports didn't offer a clear path. Heading towards the exit was the individual Khryso had sensed. Eleceos turned as Khryso arrived, sensing the Sith's approach. "I didn't expect to run into another Force User here," the Miraluka said.

"Me neither," Khryso replied, beginning to approach Eleceos. "I am actually here looking for a holocron."

"You wouldn't happen to mean this holocron?" Eleceos held up the holocron he'd just retrieved from the inner bowels of the Star Destroyer.

Khryso paused as a stark white Cythraul that had been previously concealed by some debris walked into view just behind Eleceos. "That's probably it. If you don't mind, could you hand it over?"

Cythraul reached out into the Force for a moment, probing Khryso gently. The Dark Side clearly inhabited him, although at the moment, any malice coming from the Chiss was minimal at the moment. "I think I'd rather hang onto it, at least for now," Eleceos said, beginning to tuck the holocron into his cloak.

Khryso sighed and reached out with his right hand, focusing for a moment before grasping the holocron through the Force and trying to pull it towards him. As soon as Eleceos felt the pull, however, he tightened his grip. Khryso narrowed his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I've been trudging around this wasteland for days. I'm not going home empty-handed." He glanced back towards Ufie, signalling the droid to back up as he grabbed his lightsaber.

Eleceos sighed as Khryso began marching towards him, lightsaber drawn. Without so much as a glance between them, Eleceos and Ashyrith were already moving in tandem, the cythraul retreating back behind some nearby debris to begin flanking Khryso. Eleceos frowned as he reached for his bow. "It's not too late to just walk away," the Miraluka offered, but Khryso gave no response.

Eleceos pulled out his bow and aimed it at Khryso as the gap between them closed to ten meters. However, he didn't fire the bow, simply holding it at the ready in a last ditch effort to intimidate Khryso into giving up. The Sith wasn't having it, however, holding his lightsaber at the ready to deflect any incoming fire with one hand and drawing his LL-30 with the other. As Khryso began to fire, Eleceos quickly dove to the side, rolling into cover behind a crumpled TIE fighter wing. Khryso hesitated for a moment, allowing the Force to flood into him and propel him forward in a quick stride. As he neared Eleceos' cover, he suddenly felt a warning signal in the Force. Dropping into a quick roll, the Chiss barely avoided becoming Ashyrith's lunch. The cythraul's pounce from behind carried the beast over Khryso and it landed on its feet, quickly dashing off back into cover before Khryso could draw a bead on it.

The Sith jumped to his feet, pressing his lips together tightly and admonishing himself for forgetting about the canine's presence. When he arrived at Eleceos' cover, however, the Miraluka was nowhere to be found. Eleceos had shifted to different cover while Khryso had been dodging Ashyrith's attack. He unleashed a single plasma arrow towards the Chiss, impacting the ground at Khryso's feet. Khryso quickly turned towards the direction of the shot, holding his lightsaber up defensively, but keeping his blaster arm free to retaliate in case the cythraul attacked again. The Chiss glumly realized he'd once again gotten himself in over his head.