The sunrise never really bothered Zodac, the warmth of light offered a comfort he was rarely able to feel. It felt surreal in its own right, like it wasn’t actually happening; as if some heavenly savior was coming down to save this sinner from himself, but Zodac knew he was not worthy of such things. He was a filthy mercenary, taking odd jobs merely to sustain himself, scrounging for scraps like an animal - not that he was far from one.

This morning, however, he felt no comfort. Instead, a cold, constant breeze that brought goosebumps to his exposed arms. This foreign feeling opened the eyes of the nomad instantly, his arm reaching up, his finger instinctively making a pulling motion, but to no avail. No shots were fired and all was silent, and in the heat of the moment, he was convinced he was somehow robbed of his only possessions, the gear he bore and the clothes on his back. To his utter dismay, as the realization of his situation set in, he was not in some dark room he would have rented from a tapster for cheap with a bed as hard as stone. He discovered it to be a dorm eerily similar to those on Jedha from when he was a hovertank commander.

He looked down at his hands to find the scars that blanketed his body had all but disappeared, skin as soft as it was in days long past. Zodac trembled, eyes darting all about the room, the muffled sound of music blaring from behind a closed door nearby. His clothes had changed too, from his usual get-up of armor and dirty clothes to clean, fresh leisure-wear, supplied from the Empire. Moping toward the sound, he felt a lump in his throat, tremble present, face white as a grand admiral uniform. His steps were careful and slow, heart palpitating, something he hadn’t felt since the battle on Jakku.

Pushing open a creaking old door, he was instantly able to make out the faces of soldiers that had previously been under his command. The lot of them, who were once as young as he, were sitting around a crate playing sabacc without a worry in the world. Viera, the woman he loved, sat there with a joyous smile, as beautiful as he remembered. Perhaps even more so, now that he was able to see her in the flesh. The squeak of the door's hinges brought the eyes of everyone onto him, and a smile to all of their faces.

“Commander, commander! Come, join us! We’ve just begun!” Eli called, the youngest of the soldiers, raising his hand and patting the seat beside him. Zodac blinked a few times, his heart beating as rapidly as it could. His breathing became heavy, eyes darting from face to face.

Everyone was… happy.

Now panting like a dog, a tear ran down his cheek. Not of joy to see the people he had cared for the most, the people who forever stained his memory, but of fear. This was not a reality. His soldiers had fallen before him, many of which he held as they gave their final breaths.

To be honest, he didn’t know what it was, but he knew it wasn’t real.

“Commander?”

With a heavy heart and a trembling jaw, he shakily nodded as to acknowledge the young man.

“Will you join us?” The voice echoed, eyes of the dead gazing upon him.

There was no response.

Tears hit the floor with no indication they would stop. Zodac walked to a door that lead to the outdoors, but it was locked. He violently shook the door, but it rattled and nothing more. Some of the men stood in concern for their commander, but his wide eyes gazed upon them.

“None of us have been able to leave. We called for help some time ago, but nobody's come ‘round. Playin’ cards to kill time. Come on, play a few hands and we’ll be out soon, no biggie. Just sit down.” One said, approaching Zodac.

“Stay the fuck away from me. Get the fuck away from me!” He screamed, trying to push the soldier back. “Don’t you fucking dare approach me!” He cried out, his voice cracking.

Viera stood, her hands up, trying to calm the crazed commander down. Her soft words were soothing, but they were not real. None of this was real. He must have died in his sleep he thought, been killed or something, and he was unsure if he was in heaven or hell here among his soldiers, people who he once called friends. Among people he loved, who had died because of his loyalty to a tyrant. Whatever god waited above knew of this sinner, whose atrocities could never be forgotten or forgiven, and has cast judgement.

A tortured soul, who filled the shell of a hollow person. If this was heaven, he thought, he'd rather be in hell.

The others stood and rushed to Zodac, a scream of terror filling the air. They grabbed him, attempting to hold his arms to his sides and grabbing his kicking legs, bringing their commander to the ground. He continued to claw at the arms that appeared to hold him down, but his resistance was futile. Unable to move even an inch, he was beginning to run short on breath. Zodac felt light headed, but continued to kick and scream, desperate.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and was surrounded by people, not his peers, but strangers who had gathered to watch the insane man kick around and yell in his sleep. Some had come to help as well, trying to force Zodac awake by shaking him. Laying among filth in an alley, he sat up panting and looking at those who surrounded him.

“Go on, git. Nothin’ more to see.” He called out. While the small crowd went along, a few stayed to make sure the human wasn’t on death sticks or anything similar. He assured them he would be fine, that it was merely a night terror, and to move on.

After they had finally left, Zodac propped himself against the wall, and sunk his face into his hands. Though he tried his damndest not to, he began to cry. As the morning light took Zodac into its warm embrace, he felt no comfort. Truthfully, he didn’t know what to feel at all.

Nightmares & Dreamscapes

Research Site
Planet Morak

Sergeant Lorgan sat making the final checks to her equipment as the shuttle made it's final approach towards the planets surface. She looked up at the platoon who were doing likewise. She stood up from his place on the benches either side of the cabin. “Alright boys and girls this is it. We make landfall and move out. This might be nothing or it might be something serious. Either way we remember we're the best platoon in the best company in the Warhost. Do you hear me?”
“Yes ma'am!” they responded.
“Officer on deck,” Lorgan announced as she stood and saluted, the other eighteen members of the platoon doing likewise.
The officer in question was Lieutenant Treger. Twenty years old and determined to prove himself in what was his first solo command. “At ease,” he said as clearly as possible and waited until they sat down again. “Okay platoon here is the situation. We are inbound to the planet Morak to investigate why our research station has gone quiet. The last communication we had from them was five days ago and reported normally. It is entirely possible they have a communications problem they have been able to fix. If that is the case we will lend any assistance possible to get them back online. If however it is not that simple then we will do whatever is necessary to determine what and resolve the situation.”
“Whatever that may be,” a voice said from the corner of the cabin. An armoured figure was stood leant against the wall, swaddled in a black cloak. He had drawn curious glances from the platoon when he had unexpectedly boarded as they departed the ISD Perdition. After a quick conversation with the officer and the sergeant he had withdrawn to quiet corner of the shuttle and rebuffed all attempts at conversation. Now he detached himself and walked calmly to the centre of the cabin. “Listen to me all of you. I am Malisane Sadow, some of you may have heard of me.” The sudden serious reaction around the room indicated they had. “The Morak research site is of extreme interest to the Clan we serve. As your officer and your NCO have indicated the fact it has gone quiet is a matter of concern to us. The nature of the work being done here is not your concern, only that it is of the highest secrecy. I am here to ensure the security of this mission. Anything you find out of the ordinary you will report to your lieutenant, sergeant or myself. Anything you see you will not share with anyone outside this platoon until you are debriefed. . The consequences for doing otherwise will be grave.”
“I am sure we all understand that do don't we?” Sergeant Lorgan asked loudly.
“Yes sergeant!” the platoon responded.
Lorgan glanced over at a right light which had begun to flash. “Alright this is it.”

The shuttle landed and immediately the platoon disembarked, forming into squads. At an order from the sergeant four of the troopers moved into position flanking the ramp. The rest of the platoon made their way across the rocky ground towards a squat fabricated building fifty metres away. Malisane walked beside the lieutenant as the sun shone down on the approaching building, the metal glinting in the light. Ahead of them Sergeant Lorgan lead the way, looking to her left to her left at a trooper who was carrying a scanner, concentrating on it. Malisane heard the trooper say something to the sergeant who raised her voice, “No signs of life in the immediate area sir,” she advised, “and no sign of power from the building either.”
Lieutenant Treger nodded and glanced at the Sith who appeared unphased by the news. “Ok we proceed with caution, sergeant send a squad in to investigate and secure the perimeter building.”
“You heard the lieutenant,” Lorgan said loudly, “A squad proceed on target. B and D Squad circle the perimeter and report anything.”
Cautiously holding their rifles ready the squad of four troopers approached the building. One of them placed a hand on the panel next to the door. There was no response. Carefully with his squad members ready he tried the door which slid open as he pulled it. Immediately a light illuminated on his blaster rifle and helmet as the squad entered the building. Malisane and Treger waited while Sergeant Lorgan listened to her communicator. After a few seconds she turned. “It's secure but they've found something sir.”

Leaving the remaining squad outside the officer, the NCO and the Sith made their way inside, turning on their own lights. Inside the entrance to the building was dark, and the area was quiet except for their footsteps. Malisane's display flashed as he looked round the room and regarded the trooper who was crouched next to a mass which was clearly a body. “There are more in here,” another trooper reported from a nearby room. Malisane joined the trooper. The corpse was wearing the armour of the Warhost, similar to the troopers with them. The surface of the chest was ripped, leaving a long tear in the metal covered in dried blood which had pooled out onto the floor. Malisane felt an unusual unsettled feeling. He stood and walked into the nearby room. It was a laboratory. One of the troopers was assembling a more powerful light from his backpack which eventually illuminated the room in a soft light. It was a laboratory, with several benches around the room and a large machine at one end and several cabinets. Another trooper was examining a white suited body on the floor whose clothing was soaked with blood, while another dead trooper lay by the machine.
“There's more in the personnel quarters,” Lieutenant Treger said quietly as he entered the room. “All ours, all deceased and they've all been ripped by someone or something.” Malisane could feel fear and queasiness radiating off the young officer.
“Anything else?”
“The generator has been smashed,” Treger replied, “the sergeant is assessing the nature of the damage but she says it doesn't look good.”
Malisane crouched by the body of the second trooper. He picked up the blaster rifle held in the corpse's hand and examined it, then glanced at the wall. “He was shooting at something,” the Sith mused as his gaze tracked around to the wall, “the shots were erratic whatever he shot was moving quickly.”
Treger nodded. “It looks like it yes. We should secure this building then report back. With the power down here that means the shuttle.”
Malisane stood. “Very well.”

Back on the shuttle Lieutenant Vorcer sat in the pilot's chair. She was reading a datapad calmly while her co pilot was in the back making drinks in the tiny galley. She thumbed the communicator to she troopers stood outside. “Anything going on out there?”
“Negative ma'am,” the reply came back, “all quiet.”
“Very well,” she replied. She turned her head. “Is it coming Drack?”
“Nearly ready ma'am,” the co pilot replied, “you like it strong.”
“Yeah make sure it is,” she replied back in a mock stern voice.
“Affirmative ma'am.”
She smiled as she sat back. After a few seconds she hit the communicator again. “Hey do you guys want some refreshments out there?” she asked. She paused listening. “Hey can you hear me?” She frowned studying the display. “Drack the comms might be playing up again, get in here.” She waited again. “Drack!” She pushed herself out of the chair and turned. Then she froze in horror at what was in front of her. Then she felt a brief second of agony as claws pierced her chest.

Malisane waited outside the building while the sergeant was giving orders to her troopers. “A Squad remain in the building keep working on the generator. D Squad secure the exterior. I want regular reports. B and C with us.”
Treger was also waiting. “Alright with us. Keep your eyes peeled. Whoever did this might be long gone or they may be around. Once we've reported back we'll make a wider search.
Malisane could still feel the lieutenant's nervousness, which was also radiating to a lesser extent off the other troopers. He felt an apprehension himself, an emotion he was not used to. There was something familiar about all of this. He followed the officer and the NCO as the two squads fanned out either side of them, studying the empty rocky landscape for signs of life. Treger was on the communicator. “Lieutenant Vorcer, this is Lieutenant Treger we are returning. Please prepare for a transmission back to the fleet.” He paused. “Please come in Vorcer.” There was still no reply. He turned to the Sergeant who had stopped. “This is damn peculiar.”
Sergeant Lorgan was looking ahead suspiciously at the shuttle. “E Squad should be outside. Where the hell are they?” She clicked her communicator. “Lorgan to E Squad, why aren't you at your posts?” After a few seconds of silence she raised her voice. “Gormer, Arnock, any of you, report.”
“There's something here,” Treger said quietly.
Malisane focused. “I can not feel anything ahead.”
“Scanner,” the sergeant snapped at one of her troopers.
“Negative sergeant,” the trooper replied, “no movement, no sign of life.” He made an adjustment. “And no power signals sergeant.”
“The hell,” she muttered. She glanced at the lieutenant who was staring at the quiet ship, it's ramp still down. “D Squad anything at your end?”
“All quiet sergeant.”
“Proceed cautiously,” Treger ordered.
“Just as the lieutenant says,” the sergeant ordered, “keep them peeled.” Slowly the three of them moved forward, one of the squads moving in front of them and the other splitting to flank them.

Malisane could sense something faint now, something unnatural. He drew his sword, gripping it as he followed the troopers, trying to make sense of what he could feel. “Blood here,” a trooper reported near the ramp, “lots of it, leading inside.”
Lorgan looked up the ramp, her rifle aimed inside. “They're in there.”
“But what?” the Lieutenant asked nervously.
“There is only one way to find out.” Malisane watched as the Sergeant lead a squad inside. He was still trying to sense what was in there. Then he heard the familiar sound of blasters firing and he made for the ramp quickly, sword raised. Then something hit him, a grey shape that smashed him out of the way as it bounded past, sending him crashing to the rocky floor and his sword tumbling from his fingers. Two troopers fired and blaster bolts scorched flesh before it was amongst them, lashing out with it's long arms and claws rending through flesh. Malisane quickly rolled to his feet, his hand going to his lightsaber and igniting it as he could hear more blaster fire as the troopers from outside the building nearby began to run forward, shooting. He looked around and saw a grey flash as whatever was there leapt onto the roof of the shuttle. The Sith moved quickly to follow, turning to try and follow it's movement and then he froze.

From on top of the upper wing of the shuttle something perched. Malisane stood holding his saber in his hand as he looked up at it. “Not here,” he murmured, “it can't be.” Slowly the reptilian eyes moved from the approaching troopers to focus on the Sith and they slowly narrowed in recognition. Then it leapt. Malisane stood frozen as the grey shape dropped towards him, his vision absorbing every familiar feature as the grey scaled reptilian filled his vision before he moved by instinct alone, leaping aside creature slashed at him, claws tearing his cloak as it swirled behind him. The creature landed and leapt again as Malisane swung the saber towards it, slicing the blade along the skin but not piercing. Blaster bolts hit the creature as it landed knocking it forward slightly but glancing off the scaled flesh. The creature turned as the troopers reached it and fired. Malisane watched, emotion raging through him, watching it leapt towards them with a morbid fascination. Then he felt a hand grip his own, dragging him. He vision snapped around as he saw the armoured figure of Lieutenant Treger. “We must retreat.”
Malisane raged with emotions. He ran from nothing, he had faced all the Clan's enemies alone or alongside his fellows with confidence or a determination not to back down in the face of even overwhelming odds. But this was something else. He turned and with the Lieutenant ran up the ramp, two troopers firing at the creature as they followed. As it moved for them Malisane lashed out with the force, smashing it as hard as he could at the creatures chest sending it sprawling backwards. “Emergency lock,” he shouted and one of the troopers wrenched a lever on the wall, and the mechanism dragged the ramp up, closing it with a loud clash of metal. Malisane fell back against the metal wall, his heart racing. Then slowly he sank to the floor, pulling off his helmet as he gasped for air. He rested his head against the wall staring at the wall opposite, his heart racing in his chest and the smell of blood in his nostrils sickening.

Lieutenant Treger looked around the dark cabin, his light ignited again. The floor was covered in bodies, only this time these were his own troopers. He heard a groan and moved quickly forward. Sergeant Lordan was slumped on the floor clutching her side, her helmet removed revealing her pale face shrouded by short dark hair. “Sergeant are you alright?”
“Just a scratch sir,” she replied weakly.
“Check the cockpit,” Treger ordered loudly as he moved her hands and examined the wound under the torn metal. “It doesn't look too bad if we can patch you up you should be alright.” One of the troopers knelt by her with a medikit.
“As I said just a scratch sir,” she replied, “I was the lucky one.”
“Lieutenant Vorcer and the co pilot are dead sir,” the other trooper reported, “and the controls are smashed, as is the power generator.”
Treger removed his own helmet, wiping a hand over his face. “Who do we have left? What about A Squad? Did they leave the building.” He clicked his communicator. “A Squad, come in A Squad. This is Lieutenant Treger, report.”
There was a crackle then, “Here sir, we're still inside. The generator is fried we can't reactivate it. Do you want us to report back?”
“Negative. There is an unknown hostile outside. Barricade yourselves inside as possible and await orders.”
“Affirmative sir, wait sir there's..” The sound of blaster fire came over the communicator and then silence.
“Are you there?” Treger demanded. A Squad, report!”
“They're dead sir,” Sergeant Lordan told him weakly. “What the hell is that thing?”
“It's called Firak,” a voice replied quietly.

They turned to the Sith who was sat quietly on the floor, his scarred and damaged features studying them.
“You know that creature?” the Lieutenant demanded.
Malisane shut his eyes, integral black lenses covering them beneath where his eyelids had been. “A long time ago I was a young Imperial officer, not much older than you. I was sent to lead a force to investigate a group of rogue scientists who were hiding on a remote planet. To protect themselves they had set up multiple defences, highly sophisticated. And something else they called Project Firak, that creature, designed to defend from or hunt force users. Strong, fast, intelligent and highly resistant to weapons and the force. As far as we can determine it killed them when we got there we found an empty facility and that creature. It wiped out most of my force before I ordered a heavy weapons strike trapping and killing it in a building. Or so I thought.”
The sergeant raised her head. “I'm guessing not.”
“No. A decade later it turned up in the Orian system. How we do not know we think it stowed away on a ship. We encountered it on the planet Aeotheran when we were infiltrating a group of terrorists and we fought it and once again we failed to kill it though we lost several members. It has turned up several times since with fatal results and each time we have driven it off but we can not put the thing down.”
“So what is it doing here?” the Lieutenant demanded.
The lenses retracted. “I have no idea.”

The Lieutenant thought for a few moments. “It's obvious we can't stop that thing, but it shouldn't be able to get in here. Procedure dictates if we do not contact command in forty eight hours they will send a company strength rescue party. They ought to be able to handle it.”
“That will not help Lieutenant,” Sergeant Lordan replied weakly, propping herself up on her elbows, “the power is off. That means the oxygenerator is also off. With the ship sealed that means we have the air we came in with. We'll have suffocated before they even realised we were missing.”
Treger glanced at Malisane. “So what are our options?”
Malisane did not answer. His eyes were fixed on the metal floor in front of him. What could beat the creature. He had seen it shot, sabered, blown up and it healed and kept coming. If he had a party of strong Clan members he had a hope. With himself, four troopers one of which was injured and no heavy weapons what hope did he have? But his other option was to sit here and die a cowards death. That was against every instinct in his body. Finally he stood up. “I will not die like this. What weapons do we have?”
“There are explosives in the munitions cabinet,” the Sergeant replied.
“Show me.”

The creature crouched on a rock patiently, watching the shuttle. It could sense the force user inside, and the others as a weaker presence. Hatred surged through it. It studied the ship in front of it, memories of similar technology flicking through it's memory as it looked for a weakness that would allow it in to find it's prey and kill. Then it tensed as it saw movement in front of it. With a metallic clang the ramp dropped quickly. Firak tensed as it sensed the force user and slowly the figure walked down the ramp and the preys head turned towards the creature as their gazes met. It flexed it's limbs waiting for the moment to strike, and then it stopped, it's reptilian eyes flickering over the figure, recognising the devices strapped over the body.

Malisane looked up at the creature slowly, resisting the urge to run back into the shuttle. He would not run. Gripping the device in his hand he slowly began to walk towards the rock it perched on, hearing the ramp shut behind him as the Lieutenant and the remaining troopers winched it back up. Firak's eyes bored into him and he could sense the indecision it must feel, between the urge to kill it's prey and it's preservation instinct. He knew the creature was assessing the situation in it's reptilian brain, looking for an opening. Slowly he walked forward, moving a hand down to one of the explosive packages strapped to his chest and unclipped it. He saw the creatures eyes move to the hand watching it as slowly he drew it back. The battlelord tensed himself, and then threw the package. The explosive bounced onto the rock and then exploded, sending debris flying into the air as the creature leapt backwards, seeming to almost somersault in the air before landing smoothly. It growled at him, and began to slowly circle him. Malisane kept an eye on the creature as he gripped another package, still holding the detonator in his left hand. He began moving slowly away from the creature and the ship, keeping an eye on Firak's movements. The creature followed him, ready to move again if he threw.

Slowly the ramp lowered again and Lieutenant Treger looked out. He gestured to the troopers behind him, and slowly they made their way down the ramp, Sergeant Lordan doing her best to ignore her bandaged wounded side as the pain drugs did their work. Each gripped their rifles as they made their way across the ground, keeping their movements subtle. The creature's eyes flicked to them, judging them for any hostile intent, before they flicked back to the battlelord. At that moment Malisane threw the second explosive, and then broke into a quick jog. As the creature leapt the four troopers quickly broke into a run. Firak emerged from the explosion unscathed as it bound away, it's eyes moving from the lone Sith to the troopers as they made for the building nearby. It focused on the Sith who suddenly turned as it padded after him, then stopped again. Malisane kept his gaze fixed on the creature as out of the corner of his eye he saw the troopers make the building and head inside.

Malisane kept backing off, watching the creature as it followed him. He was becoming increasingly concerned, sweat rolling down his burned flesh beneath the armour. He was alone now. He could die at any moment. He had provoked the creature enough to possibly overide it's survival instinct. The creature was tough and resilient. The explosives on him would probably kill it if it leapt at him, but perhaps not. He was aware of it's regenerative abilities. There was no doubt though they would kill him, preferably before the claws did. He moved slowly backward, his gaze daring it to leap. It followed. Malisane stood facing it for a few seconds. Slowly he removed his helmet, meeting the creatures reptilian eyes with his own. He began to edge forward, his free hand now reaching for his saber hilt. “Come on then you think I'm afraid of you?” he demanded. He raised the blade and ignited it, holding it in one hand. “What are you waiting for?”
Firak opened it's maw, showing it's fangs that glistened with dripping saliva. Then it leapt as Malisane sliced out with his saber in one hand. He felt the creature hit him and drove his blade into it's chest as his other hand pushed the detonator button and everything went quiet.

Lieutenant Tregor stood to attention as the superior officer studied him him. Around then armoured Warhost troopers were moving out to secure the nearby building. Lieutenant Colonel Senth of the Warhost regarded the scene and then his junior officer. “So you do not know what the creature was Lieutenant?”
“No sir. Following the initial attack we managed to secure ourself in the shuttle and restore partial power. I had no other communication from the rest of my platoon. Only myself, Corporal Myer and Trooper First Class Devar survived, Sergeant Lordan did not regain consciousness sir and died this morning. I accept full responsibility sir.”
Senth considered this, the clone had his own suspicions of the nature of the creature but was not about to share them with the junior officer. So far the searches had found nothing. “The enquiry will determine fault Lieutenant.”
Treger nodded. “I understand sir.”
“And the Battlelord.?
“Inside sir.”
Senth nodded. “Show me.”

They walked inside the smaller shuttle, pausing as two troopers carried a corpse out on a stretcher and towards the larger troop ship the reinforcements had arrived in. Senth looked around the small bloody cabin, and finally crouched down next to the cloaked figure leaned against the wall. The Sith's eyes were glazed, and his arms crossed holding his saber hilt clutched to his chest. “How long has he been like this?”
“Since we sealed ourselves in sir. We have not been able to get a response from him.”
The clone officer reached down and touched the Battlelords hand and tried to prise the fingers apart. “He should not be left with this.”
“We tried that as well sir. We could not remove his grip.”
Senth stood. “The medics will manage to get it from him, if necessary by breaking his fingers.”
He turned as two more troopers entered carrying another stretcher. “Be careful with him, for your own safety as much as anyone else's.”
“Yes sir.”
Senth turned back to Tregor. “You will be escorted to the transport under guard. Do not speak to anyone until I arrive.”
“Yes sir.”

The troopers continued to search the area, while others were removing equipment and samples from the abandoned medical building and carrying them towards the large transport. Above them on a rocky outcrop something crouched on a rock. It watched all beneath itself assessing the numbers in it's reptilian brain. This was not the time, there would be another.

Karran Val’teo found himself standing in the middle of his childhood home. He was wearing his Brotherhood robes, but found no lightsaber on his hip. The Jal Ka’toor settlement was nothing special. People milled about, performing their daily routines. They bought food, scolded their children, and bartered with the Jawas over droid parts. The drone of their seemingly boring lives was shattered by a thunderous roar that shook the very ground. The world went black.

The Zabrak’s vision returned and he was running with a crowd of people. He looked over his shoulder and saw a massive shape silhouetted against one of the suns. An incomprehensibly large monster, bigger, it seemed, than a star destroyer, on four legs, tearing through buildings and crushing homes. He ahead to the left and right. There he saw his mother, Batii and father, Kar. His mother was looking back, tears in her eyes.

“Keep running *kelloh*. Please, we have to keep running.” Batii smiled through her tears, attempting to comfort him, still a boy in her eyes.

“Okay, *setȃr*!” The voice was his, but did not come from his lips. He looked to his right, and saw himself. Just a boy of fourteen, his horns just barely coming in. He was running, a look a pure determination in his eyes.

As the horde of people got closer to the exit gates to the settlement, the entire crowd halted. People crushed together as they tried to keep going. Karran and his father tried to look through and over the crowd. A group of landspeeders had crashed at the gate, blocking if off. The gate’s arch was beginning to crumble and collapse from the impact. From behind them, they heard the roar again. People began trying to climb over the burning wreckage of the speeders, burning themselves horribly before they could get through. Others simply froze in place and stared at the gargantuan Krayt Dragon behind them.

A burning rage filled Karran’s chest. He wanted to charge the beast, even if he was unarmed, and stop it, kill it before it destroyed everything. But he found he simply could not move his feet. He tried to let out a bestial scream, but it was caught in his throat. He felt truly powerless. He was vulnerable, just as he had been on that day nine years ago. The massive dragon slowly approached the crowd of people.

The Sith looked over to his parents and his young self. His mother had collapsed to her knees, holding her son. His father had stepped in front of them, as if to shield them with his body from the beast that was bearing down on the crowd. Kar looked to the left and right, before reaching down and taking his wife and child by their hands. He pulled them to their feet and began running, nearly dragging them behind him, down an alley. The family ran through the alleyways, as screams of pain and panic echoed from behind them.

Karran woke up in his bed with a scream. Sweat poured off of him. He breathed heavily. He hadn’t thought about the day that his family had lost their home in years. He knew that the time was fast approaching when he had to go home and face the beast.