Begeren. Once a prosperous Sith world, it has been the site of numerous battles throughout the millennia. Grand halls and monuments were torn down and re-purposed by looting Republic forces thousands of years ago, before they were driven from the planet. Isolated settlements still dot the planet's surface, but the inhospitable, craggy, and desert-like terrain, along with the beasts common to many desert and Sith worlds, have kept most humanoids from colonizing. Occasional skirmishes have left debris scattered throughout the desert, and battles were fought here as recently as the Galactic Civil War. The planet is now under the control of the One Sith and is rumored to be full of all manner of priceless, ancient Sith artifacts.

The Dark Council has pushed forth to Begeren and the Grand Master, on his quest for ever more powerful items, has decreed the Clans and Houses seize anything of value. The unity shown by the Brotherhood during the beginning of this Crusade is fracturing, with the Clans and Houses growing tired and frustrated with the seemingly endless succession of battles. Tempers are flaring between former allies, with outright aggression no longer uncommon. Despite this, you have responded to the Grand Master's call—though whether it's to actually seize the items for the Brotherhood, destroy them, or use them for your own purposes, only you know.

You have followed the call of the Force to a stretch of desert wasteland, seemingly unremarkable save for the various rock outcroppings that dot the landscape. These outcroppings, though, hide a subterranean cave network, known to be a den of wraids. Though the entrances to the caverns are typically narrow and dark, these tunnels quickly widen. Below the surface, bioluminescent plants and lichen provide limited light.

You know that, despite reaching this place first, you won’t be alone for long, as an ancient Sith tomb is located deep within the caves the wraids now call home. Exactly what you’ll find in that tomb, you’re not sure—but it is something of great power, that much you can sense. You know it is your duty to find it, whatever it is, before any others can locate it. What you do with it when you find it… that is up to you.

As you near one of the entrances to the caves, you think you hear the sounds of footsteps, or maybe skittering, down below—and above ground, you hear the distant crunch of rock underfoot as someone else has found a different rocky cave entrance as well.

Drool drenched him. The foul smelling, sticky substance clung to his robes as more large gobs of the creature’s saliva flung from its open jaws in its attempt to snap at him. His muscles stung in protest at the feat he was performing; holding all his weight on the limbs he planted on the walls to either side of him. This had propped him up into a tiny crevice from harm’s way, at least until the wraids thought of something rather than launching their hulking bodies into the air and snarling at him. Raiju knew he was in a tight spot, and the situation below him didn't look better.

Arriving on this godforsaken planet almost a week ago, the Tarentum Aedile had found himself at odds with the Iron Throne lackeys ever since. Those that had better performed for the Grand Master on previous worlds had been given priority and Raiju, just as Tarentum had been, was last in the pecking order. Had Raiju been allowed to pick, he would have easily dispatched himself to the mountains and their gem quarry basins - one of the few locations with water on this worthless rock. Yet, as days went on with no assignments; people soon started to return with glory and if Raiju hadn't acted sooner than he would've just ended up as another forgotten face in the crowd.

His defiance hadn't offered any better kinds of hope. His gut led him deep into the desert wasteland, and even when his skin started to have a rubbery touch to it from his dehydration, it kept on path to a cave opening - the same he now hung within. The prospects of finding something meaningful within the cavern, as well as getting his Nautolan body out of the blistering sun, had kept most of Raiju’s attention but when he thought he had heard someone else moving on another outcrop, it had been a distraction to the Sith Battlemaster he would never admit to other company. Instead of minding himself when he entered, Raiju’s survey of his surroundings had ended upon the bright, bio-luminescent fungals that could only suggestion one of the best trips of his recreational use. And Raiju didn't spot the pair of wraids until they were already on-top of him, and only a lucky maneuver saved the Nautolan and left him in his current state high above them among the stalactites of the cave.

Fumbling to unclip his lightsaber from his belt while his other three limbs continued to hold him pinned against the cold, slimy cave walls; a fit of laughter bellowed from the Nautolan’s mouth announcing his success. Ignoring the beasts below for a moment, Raiju narrowed his attention just to the now ignited weapon in his hand. Its orange blow bath him and the cave walls with its hue, and his attention kept on the blade even after he hurled it from his grasp. Guiding it through the air with a slight touch keeping it afloat, the weapon spun through the air and torn through the stalactites around Raiju’s crevice; casting the heavy rock missiles onto the beasts below. The sound of snarls and snaps soon turned to a yelps of pain that quickly cut out to the sound of heavy rock smashing into the ground below. When his weapon returned to his hand, Raiju released the pressure of his pushing on the walls and felt himself slide out of his hole to the solid ground below.

The scene that Raiju landed to was not pretty. A huge, pointed end of one of the stalactites was pierced into the face of one of the wraids and exited through its throat before it smashed to the floor pinning the creature there. The other wraid was laying beneath a pile of smashed stone that had pinned its body beside its fallen mate. Together, the pair blocked the entrance to the cave and Raiju recognized the fact that to succeed in his mission he was going to have to find the other entrance his rival had used.

No time was wasted as the Nautolan moved deeper into the cave. Rather than use his lightsaber for light and possibly alert the other explorer to his presence, the Nautolan used the cave’s foliage to lead his way deeper into the earth and when all sense of time had been swallowed by the darkness around him; Raiju heard his first break on Begeren - off in the distance, the darkness carried the sound of moving water.

Vaulting towards the source, Raiju was more alert this time when he charged into the widening cavern than he had been at the entrance. When a snap-hiss warned of an attacking blue blade, Raiju’s had his orange blade ready to met the danger with an echoing clash. Light surged from the locked blades and poured over the cavern, illuminating the slow current, the stone altar on its other side, and the face of his opponent; whom Raiju smiled at when she displayed a look of familiarity.

“You!” Her shout echoed over the fading crackle of this lightsaber lock as they both pulled back.

“You!”

The word rang out before Sanarai even realized she’d spoken, the single syllable echoing with accusation and disbelief. The being who stood in front of her was Raiju Kang, who had once been part of Naga Sadow and briefly afterwards in Odan-Urr; she recognized him, though she hadn’t known him, at least, not well. What little she did know of him came back to her in a flash: he was a master of Shii-Cho, far stronger than her and built for fighting in ways that she was not. Sanarai was an intellectual, not a fighter, and she had a feeling that Raiju was fully aware of that fact.

Their blades broke apart as she shouted and in the glow of their lightsabres they could each see the expressions on each other’s faces. She was glaring, struggling to control her emotions as the dark side surged around the both of them; the Kiffar was angry, far too angry, but despite that, she had no desire to fight him. Not here and not now, for she would surely be killed here if she fought against the Tarentum Aedile, and she had no desire to die.

At least, not yet.

The Force hummed around her, swirling evilly amidst the cracks in her thoughts. It shook her to the core, fogging her mind and dredging up memories that she had fought for years to keep locked away. For Sanarai, she who was and always would be a Jedi, it was the stench of Sith evil that disturbed her the most. Her hand trembled a bit as she gripped her lightsabre, trying to sort through her emotions and calm them down before she tapped into the dark side.

Raiju merely hefted his lightsabre and eyed her warily, seeming to await her next move. He didn’t speak but he didn’t attack either, so perhaps he didn’t want a fight. Maybe he would be reasonable.

“Any chance you plan on walking away?” he asked. He sounded calm, far too calm, as if appearing to be as such was designed to put her at ease. She didn’t fall for it and expected him to harness the dark power in the cave to smash her into the ground and end the fight before it had even begun.

“Not a chance. I cannot allow an outside force to take possession of this artifact,” she responded, “especially not a Sith.” If he was offended by the tone of her voice Raiju didn’t show it. Instead, he sighed and slid into a Shii-Cho ready stance while the Force shook around her.

“And I cannot allow a Jedi to steal the artifact from its rightful owners,” he said.

Sanarai should have been concerned about fighting someone as well-known as Raiju Kang, the Aedile of Tarentum. She should have been concerned about the backlash that could very well follow her if anything happened to him, but instead, she felt eerily serene. She was different than the mere Jedi Knight with limited powers and the reputation of a murderer; she was a Consular Savant now, a proud member of Odan Urr and a part of the battle team Disciples of Baas. She could handle Raiju, regardless of her lack of practical combat experience.

She could handle Raiju. She had to, for Odan Urr.

But if she wanted to keep the artifact out of Raiju’s hands, she would have to use force...but only if he attacked first.

Ulic Qel-Droma and the Krath...

Quinlan Vos and the Dark Acolytes...

Even Luke Skywalker against the cloned Emperor Palpatine…

The very idea of infiltrating the forces of the Dark Side and bringing them down from within was not new. However, for every Jedi that thought of performing this duty; there were dozens Jedi that stood in their way. This had been no different for Raiju Kang when he left House Odan-Urr and joined he Sith. For almost a year, while he served as the Knights of Allusis commander, he had pressed for his members to be allowed to join other units in the Brotherhood while pretending to have fallen to the dark side - and the errors of those who had done so in the past convinced his fellow contemporaries that Raiju and his members wouldn’t be able to stand the allure. It had been infuriating.

When Raiju finally had made it onto the Jedi Council as the unit’s Rollmaster, his sole objective was to right the way they had wronged him. Extensive political maneuvering, formal training with the best and brightest of their numbers, and even discovering new information on why those that had infiltrated had later fallen; none of his work matter. There was still those of high position on the Council that forbid it, even after Raiju had “experienced” a vision from their founding Gand leader and brought it to the Council’s attention - perhaps they knew he had been lying. However, it had been enough to convince a few notable members to offer their assistance in defiance and the Nautolan had been slipped away into his current position with their help; with only a few knowing his true affiliation.

Baas… The name whispered inside his mind, tickling his senses while he eyed the woman. Raiju still observed his former house and had watched with great annoyance when the Disciples of Baas formed immediately after he had left. The figurehead that their team chose to follow was a specific threat to the ideology that Raiju followed, for it had been Vodo-Siosk Baas who had condemned Qel-Droma’s plan despite the fact it was Baas’ own student had strengthen the Dark Side. Raiju could have frowned and acknowledged Saranai's stance. Closed-minded zealots, the lot of them. She wouldn’t believe my story, she’s already guarded against me.

The thought stuck in his mind. He needed to search the altar and the ruins deeper behind it, but if she refused to leave him be and he couldn’t communicate his allegiance; only her death would stop her.

Only a Sith deals in absolutes.

He had killed plenty since infiltrating the Sith and Tarentum, and that reality didn’t bother him - it wasn’t like any had been innocent. Yet, Sanarai had been the first Jedi, and more importantly the first Odanite, to cross his path since he had return to Tarentum. Though he was confident he had his affiliation under control (It was under control still, right?), her death could confuse his allies left in Odan-Urr.

“Have you lost your nerve, Sith?” The Savant baited, snapping Raiju’s attention. “Guilty conscience-”

The Consular’s words were cut short. The Nautolan had launched himself forward, blade held high over his right shoulder, and smashed his orange lightsaber heavily into the woman’s guard. He wasn’t about to be toyed with. The cavern flickered with the light of created from their weapon’s discharges as they crackled against one another. Each combatant took turns swiping back and forth at their enemy while the other guarded against or dodged the harm. The wide chamber had a huge stone bed resting against the underground spring, but their movements carried the combatants completely across the terrain and back.

The sound of panting soon filled the pauses between blade clashes, as the Savant drew heavily for breath as their exercise drew on at a length; though Raiju wasn’t spared as even his athletic body glistened with sweat. Exchange after exchange battered down the combatants, and when the fight turned away from the physical, Raiju was quick to bring the battle back to their lightsaber duel. For example, when the latest telekinesis attack from the Consular erupted from her outstretched hands; Raiju forced a huge ball of energy beneath his feet and propelled himself into the air over the attack and out of harm's way. When the Nautolan landed, he forced himself forward and closed the distance between them again.

Finally, the strategy had taken its toll on the Savant. Her guard had weakened against the continued assault from his might and she struggled for breath while keeping up with Raiju’s speed; so Raiju took control. Backing the Savant into the edges of the water with his combination of assaults and parrying, Raiju waited for when the Consular was knee deep into the cold stream while he was still firmly planted upon its stoney shore. Instead of parrying away the woman’s final stroke, the Nautolan dropped to his knee and let the blue-white blade pass over his head. Immediately he thrust his left hand to the water’s edge, hovering mere inches above it, and concentrated on the energy that leapt from his hand and into the stream.

A howl filled the cavern and echoed sharply around the combatants. A blue streak had jumped from the Nautolan’s hands and pulsed over the water, climbing the woman and violently shaking her where she stood. Her teeth initially chattered from the shock, but soon her jaw clutched tight as the rest of her body went rigged. Raiju hadn’t been able to keep up the attack for long, but the water had amplified the effect. A sigh wheezed out of the woman as she collapsed forward onto the shore at the Aedile’s feet.

A frown covered the Nautolan’s face as his internal dialogue worked out the problem before him, and after great struggle he finally brought his blade over the woman. His face hardened has he came to a final decision and his blade flickered off.

Although Sanarai had her ignited lightsabre in her grasp she had no intention of using it on Raiju unless he gave her probable cause to do so. She was a diplomat, first and foremost, and would do anything in her power to keep this confrontation from turning into a battle, and if she failed, such a fight would bring ruin upon both Odan Urr and Tarentum.

“Let’s not allow this to get out of hand, Aedile Kang,” she said, trying to stall for time. Her options, what few she had, presented themselves in seconds but she dismissed most of them at once. He was stronger than her, and more likely he was faster than her as well, so an all-out lightsabre fight could get her killed.

Option one: attack him. That was a strike out, though it had never been a true option, and she was well aware of it.

“Things have already gotten out of hand, Jedi,” he sneered. The malice in his voice as he spoke the name of her chosen affiliation sent shivers down her spine and she could hardly breathe as the Force trembled with the intensity of it. How a former Jedi could feel such hatred towards the light was entirely beyond Sanarai’s understanding; but then again, he was a Sith now. “Once a Sith, always a Sith”, isn’t that how the saying went?

Option two: true diplomacy, without use of the Force. No longer a choice she had to consider, evidently.

“We can settle this,” she said softly. As she spoke the Kiffar began to carefully pull on the threads of the Force, meaning to use the tricks of the Sith trade against the Tarentum Aedile. She took a small step forward and flicked a finger towards Raiju, weaving the strands of the Force as if she were creating a tapestry.

“There is no need to fight.” Sanarai thought she saw a look to her opponent’s face that suggested her attempt at a mind trick was working, but she wasn’t sure. Stepping closer, she risked the entire endeavor by trying again. “We can both walk out of here alive, Aedile Kang,” she insisted.

The look to his eyes wavered and she felt her control over him slipping. “There’s no need for this fight,” she said again. The Consular lowered her lightsabre in a show of peace, though she didn’t deactivate it. Although she believed her words about avoiding a deadly confrontation, she wasn’t stupid and knew that if her control fell again, he would kill her and she needed a way to defend herself if it came to that. “Think of what we could gain by working together,” she urged.

Raiju’s resolve hadn’t been very high; that was how a mere Consular Savant, an Equite of the first rank, could undermine the defenses of Tarentum’s Aedile. As Sanarai continued to work her magic, she slowly held out a hand and met his eyes.

“The artifact, if you please.”

He raised a hand and placed the thing in her upraised palm.