At one point in time Luprora stood as a haven to the immigrated Lupr’or. The haven did not last as worsening climates reduced the population down to a single settlement. All that remains is the corpse of a civilization, constructed from a combination of wood and metal that barely resemble buildings. They function more as a protective shell and a solid frame for those that remain, hoped to be far outside the reach of the native threats.

The rising tide of the expansive seas lap at the outcroppings of obsidian rock that makes up what remains of the land. Mountainous croppings that shrink with the coming waters. Passageways and staircases are carved into the stone itself, left to assist those travelling in low tide. The scattered relics of technology lies abandoned throughout the expanse as a testament to the Lupr'or's original immigration, left unused and at the mercy of erosion and time.

The tide stands as the greatest threat to life on Luprora. Starting at its lowest point at dawn, the tide rises throughout the day and brings with it the native Tsw’ells. These tentacled monstrosities sleep in the earliest hours of the morning and reside in the ocean’s waters. It is ill-advised to travel along the shoreline, as Tsw’ells have been known to drag unsuspecting individuals to their deaths beneath the waves. These massive creatures aren't the lone threat to those who trespass upon the surface. The R’ora live among the shallow outcroppings across the planet. Extremely territorial, this species is sentient enough to wield primitive polearms and rely on the presence of Tsw’ells for protection.

Luprora the haven is a promise lost to the sea, with only the battle for survival left behind.

A raging inferno blazed in the heart of Appius Taldrya Wight. Port Kasiya had been devastated by the Children of Mortis, and the young Consul yearned for revenge. They had to pay for what they had done to his people, to his home. A piece of time-sensitive intelligence had pinpointed where one of the Children’s top creature breeders would be collecting fresh specimens to create their crystal abominations. Appius had never heard of the planet Luprora before, but his brief research showed the natural fauna of that world was not something he wanted to see enhanced by the Shadebreeder’s dark arts.

The Taldryan summit had begged the headstrong Mandalorian to let others within the clan chase down this lead, he was needed back at home. The urge to hit back, to do something, was too strong. The nagging sensation that he had failed his clan and everyone he cared about lingered in the back of Appius’ mind. He was Mando'ade and a hunter first and foremost; he would hunt down this Shadebreeder himself.

The coordinates Appius had been provided were for a jagged and mountainous region that touched the edge of Luprora’s vast oceans. Orbital scans revealed numerous life signs in and around the target zone. He landed his shuttle as close to the coordinates as he could and set out on foot through the passages and stairwells carved into the rock ages ago. Before Appius could reach the site, his Inquisitorius Datapad began to ping. Other members of the Brotherhood were nearby.

“The Lasat is mine,” Appius hissed to no one in particular, referencing his target Nali Goveg.

The Mandalorian Consul cleared a set of obsidian stairs to arrive on an outcropping about ten to twelve meters in diameter overlooking the rough seas below. The tentacles of one of Luprora’s infamous Tsw'ells thrashed in the distance as a trio of elite Grand Master’s Royal Guardsmen kept the creature at bay with their Force Pikes. A large Togorian with tiger-patterned fur seemed to be supervising the Guardsmen while holding a battered-looking female Lasat by the stun cuffs that bound her.

“YOU'VE ALMOST GOT IT, FIGHT HARDER GUARDSMEN!”

As if Appius needed further confirmation that the giant tiger in elite guard-styled armor was anyone other than the new Fist of the Brotherhood. Just seeing a member of the Dark Council before him filled his beskar heart with righteous anger. The Council had sat back while the clans bore the brunt of the Children of Mortis assault. The Iron Legion, from his point of view, essentially did nothing.

A fourth guardsman in bright crimson armor rushed over to intercept Appius, “Keep your distance mando!”

“That’s no way to talk to a Consul of the Brotherhood Captain.” The Togorian motioned for the guardsmen to switch places with him and guard the prisoner while the trio behind him struggled with the sea monster.

Rajhin Cindertail, Fist of the Brotherhood, now towered over the Mandalorian, holding a beskar spear upright. “What can I do for you Lord Consul? If you’re here for our Shadebreeder friend,” he motioned behind him, “I’m afraid you’re too late.”

The almost jovial tone with which Rajhin addressed the situation only inflamed Appius further. The Togorian paused, studying the Mandalorian but unable to ascertain the Consul’s facial expression which was hidden behind a helmet.

“That piece of Mortis filth is coming with me.”

Rajhin did not flinch despite Appius’ deadly serious tone and conviction in his voice.

“And what do you intend to do with the prisoner if I let you take her?”

“Take her back to Kasiya where she will be interrogated and answer for what she’s done.”

The Togorian did not need the Force to perceive the venom dripping from Appius’ every word and that it was directed at him. He pondered the situation for a moment as the Consul seethed.

“There is only one way to resolve this impasse, SINGLE COMBAT!”

The Guardsmen holding the prisoner objected, “but my Lord-”

“-Silence Captain! Our directive was to take this prisoner into Brotherhood custody and I’m sure a loyal Consul of the Brotherhood would share any intelligence they glean with the Inquisitorious.” Rajhin punctuated his statement by staring expectantly at Appius.

The Mandalorian was taken aback by the Fist’s proposal. He knew little of Rajhin but had heard that the newest Dark Councilor enjoyed contests of strength.

“What say you Mandalorian? Will you indulge me in honorable combat?”

Appius drew his lightsaber in response and ignited it; it was not every day one got to beat up a Dark Councilor let alone the man who commanded the very legions who could have saved lives in all the clan worlds during the last war. The anger in his heart became a raging inferno at the prospect of being able to enact even a small amount of physical payback.

“I will not hold back because of your position.”

“SPLENDID!”

The Guard Captain’s shoulders sank in resignation; this was clearly not the first time he had to indulge his charge’s thirst for personal combat.

Rajhin turned the spear upside down and drove it into the ground before retrieving a Sith Sword from his back and taking up a two-handed grip on the ornate weapon. The sound of ocean water splashing and angry Tsw'ell cries filled what would otherwise be a moment of silence as the two warriors stood ready, studying one another. Appius channeled his raw anger into his leg muscles letting the Force build up power before releasing in a near superhuman charge forward.

Sparks flew as the Consul’s blazing emerald saber clashed with Sith alchemical steel. Appius initiated with a downward vertical slash aimed to cut the Fist in two. Rajhin brought his own weapon up perpendicular to the lightsaber for a quick block then pushed back with all his natural strength. Appius was forced to take a step back to regain his footing. The Togorian was exceptionally strong, even without calling on the Force.

“A FINE STRIKE MANDO, BUT A BIT TOO TELEGRAPHED!”

Rajhin’s coaching and seeming enjoyment of the fight only served to inflame Appius’ rage even further.

“Coward.”

“What?”

“You heard me! You cowered on Arx while the rest of us died! COWARD!”

Rajhin flinched for a moment, the Consul’s words had cut deeper than any sword could. Appius’ lips curved into a slight grin under his helmet. Like a predator catching a whiff of blood from their wounded prey, the Mandalorian delighted in returning even a tiny amount of the hurt that he blamed this Dark Councilor for inflicting on him and his people. He would not let Rajhin treat this like a game.

"I AM NO COWARD! I was-"

Appius thrust his left hand forward, wrapping a telekinetic grip around Rajhin's body. It didn't matter how physically strong the new Fist of the Brotherhood was, not even he could resist the power of the Force. This was made evident when Appius yanked him forwards into the path of his lightsaber.

As was expected of Rajhin, he was an expert combatant with a blade in his hand. He used his alchemically enhanced Sith Sword to block Appius' horizontal slash at his torso.

"SPLENDID! VERY UNORTHODOX!"

Rajhin's momentum carried him past Appius, and he spun, raising his weapon above his head.

"Damn it!" Appius cursed in Mando'a. In a moment of quick thinking, he called upon the Force, and for a couple of seconds, Rajhin's movements were stunned in place.

"What the..." Rajhin said, wide-eyed.

Appius took advantage and side-stepped the attack meant to cleave him in twain. He grasped both hands on his lightsaber and struck vertically. The attack was blocked by Rajhin, who swung his sword to meet the strike. He countered with such inhuman strength that Appius staggered back a few steps. Rajhin then pounced, moving with a speed amplified by the Force, he unleashed a relentless volley of cuts and slashes. Appius grit his teeth, but struggled to match Rajhin's raw physical strength. His lightsaber was batted away to the sides with each attack that struck it, sending vibrations through his arms. Rajhin attempted to create an opening, and the worst part was that he was succeeding.

Then, the worst happened. One final attack sent Appius' lightsaber careening out of his hand, rolling across the floor several feet away. Rajhin pointed his sword at Appius' throat, inches away from the unprotected flesh beneath his beskar helmet.

"It's over, I win," Rajhin said with a triumphant grin on his face.

Appius felt the torrent of emotions whirl inside of him. How dare he say this was over. This would be over when Appius said it was over, and not a second sooner!

"I hope I have proven my worth in your eyes," Rajhin said. "I am no coward, I was simply-"

In an act of desperation, Appius thrust forward both hands into Rajhin's chest and blasted him with telekinetic energy. The large Togorian soared across the platform, but with aid from the Force, he landed on his feet. He then skidded to a stop near the edge of the outcropping.

"Sir!" one of the Iron Legion Guardsmen bellowed to him.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE, GUARDSMEN. YOU ARE NEEDED THERE!"

Appius focused on the darkness within himself. The hatred he felt for the Dark Council, and the grief for those lost at Port Kasiya seared within him like a hot tornado. He drove those burning feelings to his fingertips and unleashed a torrent of lightning at Rajhin. The wave of dark energy soared across the distance between the two combatants, hissing like a ghost viper hunting its prey. Rajhin stood tall, his massive seven-foot frame towering over every being there. Before the lightning struck, he held an arm out, allowing the electricity to crash into what seemed to be an invisible wall. The electricity dissipated seconds later, and Rajhin lowered his hand.

"EXCELLENT! YOU'RE FIGHTING SPIRIT IS COMMENDABLE, YOUNG CO-"

Appius interrupted Rajhin's boisterous rambling by shooting more lightning at him. Rajhin raised his hand again, the electricity dissipating once again into nothing in a few seconds like it had before. Appius shot more lightning out of his fingertips. His pupils dilated as he seethed behind his helmet. His body became hot, drowning in the hate and power he unleashed upon Rajhin. Again, it struck the forcefield Rajhin had conjured to protect himself. Appius unleashed a third torrent of dark energy toward Rajhin. He roared, letting the burning feeling within him rise to the surface, overflowing. Yet, it didn't matter, Rajhin simply stood there and took it. The smile on his face had disappeared and was replaced with a stern expression. The lightning disappeared once more, and Appius took deep breaths in, his heart thundering in his chest.

"Impressive, Consul. Though, I sense great anger in you," Rajhin said. "Something clearly troubles you."

"Is this just a game to you!?" Appius bellowed at the top of his lungs. This outburst surprised Rajhin, but he remained firm.

"Consul, this was a simple fight. A contest, nothing more, nothing less," Rajhin said.

"A simple fight…" Appius' lips curved into a frown underneath his helmet as he shook his head. "That's all this is to all of you, isn't it?"

Rajhin cooked his head to the side, confused. "I don't understand…"

"Seventy-six thousand," Appius said. "Seventy-six thousand people died in Port Kasiya when the Children of Mortis attacked. That number could have been halved, if not more if the Iron Legion came to our aid. Instead, the Dark Council left us alone to fend for ourselves."

Appius' words did more damage to Rajhin than the fight had thus far. The new Fist of the Brotherhood winced at the accusation, clutching the Sith Sword in his hand tighter.

Rajhin then stood tall. "I wanted nothing more than to be on the front lines."

"Then why weren't you?"

The question was simple, but the way Appius asked it was like he was shooting daggers through his visor at Rajhin. The Fist of the Brotherhood closed his eyes and slightly hung his head, taking a deep breath.

"Because," Rajhin said. "Good soldiers…"

"FOLLOW ORDERS!" all the guardsmen finished like it had been drilled into their heads. One still held the Lasat hostage, whilst the others continued to fight back the thrashing tentacles of the surrounding Tsw’ells.

Rajhin lifted his head, opening his eyes to look at Appius again. "I had orders from the Grand Master specifically to defend Arx from attack. If it were up to me, I would have spared some forces and spread them across the seven Clans to provide assistance, and I would have joined them myself."

Appius held out his hand, his lightsaber hilt soaring back into his palm. He began to walk slowly towards Rajhin, the nearby guardsmen giving him a wide berth.

"That's the reason?" Appius asked. "I bet Evant is very proud of you…"

"His title is Darth Nehalem," Rajhin said. "You will address him as such."

"Evant," Appius said, with venom lacing the Grand Master's name. "I'm sure he's very proud of his big kitty-cat following orders like a good boy. Does he give you treats when you do what he says? Or are you capable of thinking and acting for yourself?"

Rajhin winced at the question. Then, Appius waved his arm to the side in a wild gesture.

"Thousands of people died, Rajhin! Thousands! They might just be numbers to you and the rest of the Dark Council, but not to me! I was warned about the Dark Council when I became Consul, and I didn't want to believe what i was told, but they were right all along. So, you know what, Rajhin? I'm going to defeat you, I'm going to take that Mortis scum back to Port Kasiya, and you, along with the rest of the Dark Council..." Appius ignited the Darksaber-inspired lightsaber in his hand. "Can burn in Hell!"

Appius ignited his jetpack and leapt forward, ready to engage with Rajhin once more.

Rajhin willed his body to respond to the oncoming attack but a combination of the crash from using his Rage earlier and the crushing guilt from Appius’ words created a sluggishness akin to swimming in molasses. The seasoned warrior knew he had to be deliberate with his movements in his diminished state.

The Mandalorian Consul adeptly took advantage of the heightened position provided by his jetpack to launch probing attacks at Rajhin while keeping his distance. Sparks rained down from the Sith sword like rain when it made contact with Appius’ emerald blade and quickly turned to steam on the moist rock. The Fist held his ground with timely parries but lacked the speed to be able to effectively counterattack before Appius flew out of reach.

Amber eyes darted across the makeshift dueling ground as the old warrior’s mind raced to formulate a plan. Rajhin noticed the beskar spear he had placed upright in the rock earlier and began to feign falling back in that direction so as not to give his intention away too soon. Like a shark smelling blood in the water, Appius continued his relentless pattern of diving in and out for quick strikes against his opponent’s seemingly crumbling defense.

Recognizing the Consul’s pattern, Rajhin waited for another dive then instead of parrying he side-stepped to the left while rotating his body to face Appius’s backside as he passed. With a single fluid motion, the Togorian dropped his sword, swung his right hand around and called the spear to him through the Force. Continuing the motion with practiced mastery, Rajhin extended his left arm forward to help aim and brought his right arm parallel with his shoulder ready to throw the spear.

Appius was well above Rajhin, out of melee striking distance, but in front of him with his back to the Fist. The Togorian hurled the spear with all the might he could muster and reached out through the currents of the Force to give ever so slight guidance to the beskar projectile. The spear found its mark, implanting itself firmly into Appius’ jetpack sending the Mandalorian plummeting to the ground in a trail of smoke.

Even while wearing heavy armor crashing into the stone floor of the cliff was painful. Appius barely had time to reflexively mitigate his fall, landing on his stomach. He pressed a button on his wrist to disengage the jetpack and rolled out of the smoking and sputtering piece of equipment with a large spear protruding from it.

Rajhin had wasted no time, fighting against the intense burning sensation in every muscle in his body, he dashed over to his opponent. The Fist had not even bothered to pick up his sword, instead, he had activated the disc-shaped energy shield generator on his left wrist. Appius, still shaken from the crash, desperately tried to bring his saber to bear to keep the raging tiger at bay but to no avail. Rajhin batted the lightsaber away with the shield and followed up with a kidney shot between Appius’ beskar plates. Even in a diminished state, Rajhin hit like a speeder and the young Consul stumbled back struggling to regain the wind which had just been knocked out of him. The shield sputtered out shortly after making contact with the emerald blade of the lightsaber.

Appius coughed involuntarily as a sharp pain in his side heralded a possible fractured rib. For a fleeting moment, the Consul pondered if he had made a fatal error provoking the Togorian like he had. His thoughts were interrupted by the thrashing tsw’ell knocking down one of the guardsmen. A desperate strategy began to blossom in his mind. The Mandalorian began backing up in the direction of the nightmarish leviathan. Rajhin continued his assault, dodging and attempting to weave past the verdant blur of the lightsaber to land another blow. Appius made a show of dropping the lightsaber and posing as if he intended on engaging in hand-to-hand combat. Rajhin took the bait.

The Torogrian made a horizontal strike which Appius countered by ducking under and to the side. As Rajhin’s body twisted with the blow, the young Consul made an open palm gesture with both hands willing the Force to shove the Fist as hard as possible in the back. The telekinetic maneuver worked and Rajhin flew forward right to the end of the cliff where the tsw’ell had just knocked the guardsman down.

“A CREATIVE MANUEVER YOUNG MANDOOOO-”

Rajhin’s commentary was cut short by a giant tentacle grabbing him around the waist and lifting him off the ground. The two guards fighting the creature began to panic and intensify their attacks to free their boss.

Appius fell to his knees in a world of pain from his probably broken rib. For a moment he took satisfaction in watching the Togorian struggle to free himself from the creature’s grasp. When it became obvious that the Fist would need assistance the Taldryan Consul pondered his options through labored breaths. The Guardsmen could probably handle things but he wouldn’t get his prisoner and relations with the Council would be strained. Having momentarily sated his need to vent his frustrations, the logical calculus of a ruler returned.

The Mandalorian picked up his lightsaber, ignited it and threw it at the tentacle holding the Dark Councilor. The creature let out a roar of pain and loosened its grip just enough for Rajhin to explode out of the slimy appendage with a burst of translucent Force energy. Appius stood silent on one knee as Rajhin slowly picked himself up, clearly catching his breath from the big squeeze.

“Release the prisoner to the Consul,” Rajhin said quietly.

The captain hesitated but then complied after receiving a glare from the Fist.

“A valid wager on an honorable duel must be paid and this Mandalorian has bested me, for now.”

Appius walked slowly over and collected the prisoner, trying to conceal his injury. “I hope to have you fight by my side when next we meet the Children of Mortis in battle Lord Fist.”

Rajhin smiled, “the enemies of the Brotherhood shall tremble before us.” He turned to the guardsmen, “NOW FINISH THIS CREATURE SO WE CAN COLLECT IT FOR THE HEADMISTRESS”

Rajhin braced himself for impact.

Appius rocketed toward him at breakneck speed, swinging his lightsaber above his head and bringing it down on the massive Togorian. Rajhin raised his sword to meet the attack. Emerald green clashed with alchemical steel. Yet, despite the intensity behind Appius' attack, and the momentum aided by his jetpack, Rajhin held firm, unmoving, like a giant sheet of pure beskar.

Appius let out a blood-curdling roar. "What the hell are you!?"

Rajhin became steely-eyed. "I am the Fist of the Brotherhood!"

He sidestepped, disengaging from Appius and allowing him to soar past him. As he did so, Rajhin reached out, grabbing the Mandalorian's blue cape. Rajhin dropped his sword, using both hands to maintain a tight hold of it as he began to spin, and spin, and spin. The Consul began to feel dizzy and nauseous as Rajhin released him, sending him flying across their makeshift battlefield.

Appius had no control as he flew, but only just managed to deactivate his jetpack to save himself from flying over the edge. He rolled to a stop in the middle, using the embedded beskar spear to slowly bring himself back to his feet, dust, sand and gravel flying as it tore a deep groove into the earth. Everything spun. He hunched over after feeling his stomach twist into knots. Thankfully, he'd managed to keep hold of his lightsaber, if only barely.

Suddenly, Appius felt imminent danger, a warning from the Force at the back of his mind. He turned his head to see Rajhin run toward him at great speed. The new Fist of the Brotherhood jumped into the air and extended a leg.

"Oh fr-"

Appius was struck on the side of his cranium; the force of which snapped his head to the side and removed his helmet, sending it clanging across the ground. He collapsed to all fours whilst Rajhin sprung back to his feet, gazing down at Appius with a hard glare.

"It is over! Accept your defeat, Consul. This fight is already over!"

Appius defiantly rose to his feet and threw a forceful punch at Rajhin's solar plexus. The latter slapped away the former's arm, using his momentum to spin and attempt a strike at the back of Appius' head.

The Taldryan Consul ducked underneath, using his superior speed to his advantage as he seized the opening Rajhin had left. Appius attacked like a vornskr after his prey. He wanted to hurt Rajhin. He wanted to make him pay for everything that happened on Port Kasiya, and Appius was hell-bent on making it happen.

He rained punches at Rajhin's head and chest. Even the Togorian's groin area wasn't safe, but it was like fighting a wild animal, and wild animals did not like to be trapped. With the Force on his side, the Fist of the Brotherhood was flexible, instinctual, and took on Appius' aggression with expert manoeuvring. Rajhin thrust a palm forward into Appius' chestplate, staggering him back.

"ENOUGH!"

Rajhin held out one furred hand, and Appius felt his airways tighten. He choked and gasped, finding it harder and harder to breathe as his body was lifted into the air. "If you will not listen to reason, then for your sake, I will end this battle the hard way!"

Appius heard ringing in his ears, and his vision started blurring fast. He felt the sins of his mistakes crawling across his back, and it seemed that no amount of struggling would make up for his failure as a Consul.

"N-No…" Appius gasped.

It wouldn't end here, not like this, and not right now! He clasped his hands together and summoned forth what strength he could muster. He released a shockwave of energy, one just powerful enough to break him free of Rajhin's grasp. Appius dropped to the ground, clutching his throat, coughing and sputtering. The air entering his lungs felt like sweet honey.

He turned his head to the side to see Rajhin staring at him, wide-eyed. Appius returned to his feet, gritting his teeth with a determined look on his face. "This fight ends… when I say it ends… you'll have to kill me to stop me…"

"Why do you persist?" Rajhin asked.

"I…" Appius said. "I… have to make things right… because if I don't, then I failed them all."

Rajhin frowned and shook his head "You are hurting, searching for a reason to make sense of everything. taking out your pain on me will not make things better!"

"How do you know!?" tears began to flow down Appius' face. "Do you know how it feels to have so many people rely on you, only to fail them!?"

"I do."

Appius was surprised by Rajhin's answer.

"There are lots of men and women who served under me. Many of those men and women had families. Families who love and miss them. They miss them so much because they know they will never see them again. Do you know what it is I do to make sure it doesn't happen again? I train. I train myself, and I train my guardsmen to be the very best they can be. Maybe you can do the same? Return to Port Kasiya, learn from this and make yourself a better Consul for Taldryan."

Appius clenched his fists at his side, his breaths were ragged, veins appearing on his forehead, but he stood tall. "This doesn't end until I say it ends."

Rajhin shook his head. "If you take another step forward, this will end badly for you. I will not hold back."

Appius accepted Rajhin's challenge, taking a single stride forward. No matter how badly he was going to be beaten, his Mandalorian pride would face this threat head-on like a warrior of his people.

Rajhin took in a deep sigh. "Well, I tried."

Appius felt the surge of power come from Rajhin. It exploded out of the Togorian like a thermal detonator. His eyes dilated, and he launched himself at Appius, teeth-baring like a hungry predator.

The Taldryan Consul barely had time to dodge the swipe aimed at his head. Rajhin was moving faster, more aggressively than ever. Appius could feel his anger, his fury burning like a hot lava within Rajhin

Appius had no choice but to retreat. He was no match for Rajhin, not whilst he was in a frenzy. He activated his jetpack and leapt back, narrowly avoiding a swipe aimed at his throat. He landed near the edge of the outcropping. However, this proved to be a fatal error.

A massive Tsw’ell tentacle rose out of the water below, and Appius went wide-eyed as the massive appendage descended upon him. He leapt out of the way, but was caught by the slimy appendage as it wrapped around his ankle and hoisted him into the air.

The guardsmen rushed to face the monster, but stopped when they heard Rajhin's booming voice behind them.

"CLEAR THE WAY!"

The guardsmen did as instructed. Rajhin grabbed hold of the beskar spear which he'd driven into the ground at the start of their fight, and pulled it out of the stone it was embedded in. He took aim, turned his body to the side, and threw the spear.

The impaled tentacle recoiled with a shudder and dropped Appius. The Tsw'ell's tentacle retreated out of the outcropping, dropping the beskar spear as it slunk away.

Appius glanced back. By all accounts, he should have been dead, but he wasn't, all because the Fist had saved him after fighting him. He looked up and saw Rajhin slowly approach him, panting heavily, sweat forming on his furred face.

"Why?" Appius asked. "Why did you save me?"

Rajhin knelt in front of him and placed a giant paw on his shoulder. "Because deep down, I know you are a good person. You don't hate me, not really. You hate yourself, you hate your failure, and you hate feeling weak. You are not weak, Consul."

Appius could not look him in the eyes. "What do I do now?"

"Go back," Rajhin said. "Go back to Port Kasiya and be the leader you need to be. As for this one…"

The Lasat gulped, having Rajhin's piercing gaze now upon them.

Rajhin offered a hand to Appius. "I will let you know what I discover. You have my word."

Appius stared at the hand like it was some sort of trap. Maybe this was a trick by one of the Dark Council? He wouldn't put it past them, not now. Rajhin, though? He was an anomaly amongst them. He could see that now.

He accepted Rajhin's hand, allowing the massive Togorian to help him to his feet.

"Then that is what I'll do," Appius held out his hand, summoning his helmet back to him. He carefully placed it back on his head. "Let me know if that filth reveals anything good."

Rajhin grinned and nodded his head. "Of course! What is it you Mandalorians always say… this is the way?"

Appius chuckled. "Not all of us, but I'll take it. Thanks."

He turned and left Rajhin and his guardsmen to their duty. He left with a stronger conviction, a fire burning in his heart to be better. He would be, he had to be, for himself, his family, and for Taldryan.