Inhabiting a large depression in the Dune Sea of Tatooine rests one of the oldest creatures beneath the twin suns. A hundred meters of the sarlacc's gargantuan body lies buried beneath the sand, concealing its several stomachs which digest its living meals over one thousand years. Intent on swallowing its prey whole, the sarlacc's mouth and beaked tongue reside in a sinkhole several meters wide beneath the shifting desert, ringed with concentric rows of spear-like teeth to keep victims from clambering to safety.

Although the Great Pit of Carkoon is not visible from a distance unless one is able to gain a significant vantage over the sands, those who draw near enough to see it are often within reach of the sarlacc's tentacles—appendages branching off its buried form that can be used to latch onto unsuspecting prey and drag them into its gaping maw. Jabba the Hutt once held great entertainment in watching his prisoners struggle against the saarlac’s inescapable hunger; the remnants of his lavish sail barge, the Khetanna, now decorating its feeding ground as a marker.

Beyond the pit, the deserts of Tatooine represent their own dangers between the blazing twin suns and the frigid nights. Civilization is a long ways away, and the nearest city is not a walk to be made on foot by even the toughest of species.

Buuuuuurp!

The sound the massive sarlacc made after devouring the business associate whose treachery who’d brought Arden to Tatooine was more than a bit satisfying to the Plagueian. He wasn’t fond of planets like this as they were far too uncivilized for his taste. People out here thought they could get away with anything, probably because they figured no one would notice and that just didn’t sit well with Arden. It also was hot, dusty, and lacking any quality booze.

As he turned to return to his nearby ship, he spotted a figure walking towards him. Whoever it was, they were carefully circling the pit to avoid become the massive beast’s next snack. Arden initially tried to ignore the person figuring they were just a local desert dweller. But as the figure approached, Arden realized he recognized the person as someone from the Brotherhood. It took him a moment to place where he’d seen the person before, but eventually it occurred to him. In his moment of recognition, a scowl appeared across his face.

“Xen’Mordin, what brings you out to this dustball?”

The so-called Emperor stopped and smirked at Arden. “I could ask you the same question.”

“Personal business,” Arden fired back without a second thought. “I had to tend to some investments in this sector. Mining, bantha hides, that sort of thing.”

Xen responded with a slight bit of disdain. “Slaves too I’d wager.”

The di Plagia chuckled at the suggestion. “I have Trandoshans that handle that business. Dirty thing, not something to discuss in civilized company. Besides, that’s clan business, separate ledger.”

Xen shook his head. “I see. Still, there are some that believe you have been engaging in far too much ‘personal business’ lately. I know you know what’s going on.”

Arden’s relaxed demeanor turned far more serious at the inquiry. “I do. I answer to the Throne, not Tyris. Besides, seeing as he clearly knows where to find me, why doesn’t he just come himself?”

“It doesn’t work that way Karn,” the older human replied. “You know that as well as anyone.”

Arden, clearly fed up with the conversation, casually brought his rifle around to a ready position. “If your intent is to bring me in, I’m not going to go willingly.”

The Plagueian noticed Xen raise his right hand slightly as he replied. “Incorrect, you are going to come willingly.” Arden didn’t realize what was going on for a moment though he could feel a tickle in his mind. His rifle seemed to slide from his grip and limply hung from the shoulder strap it was clipped to. As Xen approached, Arden didn’t react at first though after a few seconds he started walking towards the Emperor. When the two men were within about a dozen meters, the Plagueian had a moment of recognition.

“That tricky Palatinean bastard, he messed with my head.”

While the manipulation hadn’t been entirely successful, it had managed to give Xen’Mordin the initiative. Before Arden could raise his weapon, the Emperor launched a crackling bolt of energy towards Arden. Thanks to a warning from the Force, Arden managed to quickly sidestep the attack. Knowing he needed to open some distance, the Plagueian reached out to the Force and quickly snapped his fingers. In an instant, the immediate vicinity was devoid of all light. Using the momentary distraction, Arden called upon the Force to shroud his form from view as he started to walk quickly in the direction of The 22nd Rule.

”Don’t play games with me Arden. We both know how this story ends.”

Xen’Mordin mentally conveyed the comment to the Plagueian. The Elder was forced to shield his eyes with his hand as the darkness Arden had summoned abruptly ended, interrupting the long tirade he was about to dive into. The di Plagia was nowhere to be seen.

“Look it's hot out here, this thing smells like a latrine,” Xen said aloud, gesturing to the Sarlacc, “I really don’t want to be here in the first place. Just come with me.”

Arden didn’t respond, staying tightly focused on maintaining his cloak while working his way toward his ship. Xen sighed, feeling the Warlord before him, knowing his eyes would fail him. He reached up a hand feeling the desert sand around the pit. His clenched his hand into a fist and let the force explode from him. Millions of particles of sand rose and rushed before him. Many flew forward unhindered, but enough had met an unseen obstacle in their path. It was all he needed.

He drew his WLD-5 blaster from its holster and fired off a couple of shots. Arden’s cloaking broke as blaster bolts hit the ground around his feet. There was a series of noises that almost could be taken as screams from the Sarlacc.

“You are a terrible shot!” Arden yelled as he turned back toward Xen.

“Aye, I am. But if I needed you dead I would have blasted you to pieces in my ship. Decimators are good at blowing things to bits.” Arden cocked his head as the Palpatine’s words sounded so flat and lifeless.

“They always said you were a ruthless one. I have to admit I am a bit disappointed by the reality of what you’ve become.” Even from this distance, Arden noticed the Elder’s jaw clenching. Xen kept his pistol pointed toward Arden though it slowly moved to the right of the Warlord. Arden smirked. He had surprisingly hit a nerve.

In a graceful fluid movement, Arden pulled his rifle up and looked down the barrel. His aim would not falter, and he would not hesitate.

Or so he thought. Before his finger could tighten around the trigger, he saw the movement out of his peripheral. The tentacle of the Sarlacc lashed forward. It had been disturbed by the shifting sands and the creature’s hunger was without end.

Arden dropped to one knee and pivoted, firing a burst of shots. Several other blasts of fire came off from Xen’s blaster. While it was an unusual noise, there was no mistaking the scream of pain that came from the Sarlacc as the tentacle withdrew. Arden pivoted back to facing the Palpatine. Xen had already dropped his blaster to his feet, lightsabers springing to life.

Arden held the trigger down, spraying blaster bolts at Xen’Mordin. Xen deflected most with ease, but the volley of fire forced him to move, putting himself even closer to the point of no return in the pit. Another tentacle launched out from the sand beneath Xen’s feet. As it flew up to grab his leg, Xen brought the white blade of his lightsaber down, severing it. He carefully kept his black-cored blade, Shadowfang, up between himself and the Plagueian.

I should have waited for him at his ship. Xen thought to himself while cursing repeatedly. He used the now severed tentacle arm as a secure footing to launch himself up into the air and toward his opponent. Arden dropped his blaster and pulled his own lightsaber from his waist. He got his crackling yellow blade up in time to hold both of Xen’s in place.

“Your cooperation would be appreciated. The sooner you stop resisting, the sooner we both can get off this backward dump.” Xen said as he put the full weight of his body and strength in to his side of the saber-lock.

It was quickly becoming clear to Arden that engaging in this battle might not have been the best idea. While he was skilled against those who didn’t have the aid of the Force, and even some who did, Xen’Mordin was not the sort of enemy he could fight well. There was only so much he could do against someone of the Palatinean’s power and the Emperor had depleted his options. In the couple heartbeats he had before he could no longer hold the lock, Arden tried to come up with a plan of action. There was one trick in his arsenal that might buy him a moment, but it was risky and a bit uncivilized.

Once Xen’Mordin was fully leaned into the saber lock, Arden quickly grabbed on to his robes near his shoulder with his free hand. Calling on the Force to impart as much power as possible, Arden drove his knee up and into the Emperor’s groin area. The sudden force of the strike drove Xen’Mordin back a step or two and the pain caused him to release the white-bladed lightsaber. Arden took the opportunity to take a couple steps back and exchange his lightsaber for the Nightsniper at his hip. As the Emperor gathered himself, Arden snapped his fingers again and sought the Force’s aid one last time, causing another field of inky darkness to appear around the pair. Knowing he didn’t have far to go, Arden did the only thing he could do to get away without killing Xen’Mordin.

He ran as fast as he could.

Arden jammed his legs into the sand with all the strength he had left in his body. He didn’t look back to see what Xen’Mordin was doing, though he could hear the sound of the Palatinean’s blaster flying back into his hand. For his own part, Arden sent a series of poorly aimed blaster bolts back in the Emperor’s direction. He had no intention of hitting his pursuer, only to slow him down. As the elder emerged from the light deprived sphere, he sent his own shots towards the di Plagia, but Arden had plenty of notice from the Force to dodge the blasts.

Arden started to get more and more hopeful as the boarding ramp of his Gozanti got closer and closer. Realizing he wasn’t going to his Arden, Xen’Mordin launched into a full charge to get closer to Arden. Discarding the pistol as he ran, the Emperor reached out his now free hand in Arden’s direction and shot another crackling bolt of energy at the Plagueian. Unlike his prior attempt this one did manage to rip into Arden’s back. As the electricity caused his muscles to seize up Arden first dropped his own blaster and then fell forward, crashing to the sand just out of reach of the Gozanti’s ramp.

“I didn’t know you fought dirty, Karn.” The disgust in Xen’mordin’s voice was clear.

Arden rolled over and shrugged, pain still evident on his face. “Whatever works. Learned that fighting thugs back home.”

The elder shook his head. “Doesn’t matter at this point. Even if you did get off this planet, I’d just keep following you.”

“For what it’s worth, my business out here wasn’t entirely personal,” Arden answered, feeling no need to keep obscuring his purposes. “Not that Marrick would realize that. Or did you really think I’d come out here to feed someone to that beast just because he stiffed me on a 50,000 credit mineral shipment?”

“Why didn’t you mention this earlier?” Xen’Mordin did have a fair question.

“Because, I need the freedom to pursue this on my own,” Arden replied with a tired and exasperated tone. “It’s rare my investment activities and my duties collide, but this time, they did. When I found he was diverting my merchandise to the Lotus, I had to deal with it myself, alone. I have one last thread to pull on this and then I’ll come in. Follow me if you like, I really don’t care at this point.”

Xen’Mordin looked Arden directly in the eyes as he tried to determine whether or not Arden spoke the truth. The Emperor stepped closer and then delivered his own swift kick to Arden’s groin.

“Now we’re even. Go do what you need to.”

Arden couldn’t give his cooperation even if he wanted to. No sooner had Xen finished speaking, then sands beneath their feet began to shift. The sudden loss of stable ground caused both men to lurch back from each other, blades deactivating as they fell.

Both men felt the long distance down the pit to the gaping maw of the sarlacc was a lot smaller on their backs sliding toward it. In their wake, their lightsabers had fallen sticking out of the sand above them.

“You karking moron!” Arden yelled arms flailing to slow himself.

“You were the one resisting!” Xen yelled back as he rolled over to his stomach. Like a swimmer he began to throw his arms into the sand, attempting to half-dig half-swim himself to a stop. Through several seconds of absolutely panic, both men managed to stop themselves.

“It smells worse down here,” Arden said spitting out a mouthful of sand.

“I think that is just you. Or maybe me.” Xen said as he carefully attempted to pull himself further up the pit away from the sarlacc’s mouth.

Arden paused a moment, attempting to spit out the remaining sand in his mouth before following suit, slowly making his way up to the top of the pit. Upon reaching the top both men sat catching their breath. The conflict of just minutes prior paled to the close encounter with spending a thousand years being digested by a pit. Both knew the inevitable return to the conflict was looming over head.

“Let’s get this over with,” Arden sighed. Xen nodded and gave a little wave of his hand. From behind the severed tentacle of the sarlacc launched into the air, and smacked into Arden’s head. The Warlord fell forward again into the pit, rolling unable to stop himself. Xen remained seated and grimaced as the sarlacc ate the Plagueian whole.

“Whoops,” he sighed, “I told you to just come with me.”