The sound of the waves crashing on the shore brought Tra'an to wakefulness slowly. His fingers gripped the sand slowly as he raised his head and found himself confronting a tropical climate with naught but his lightsaber, a holoreader, and a strategically placed sheet, to provide shade from the glaring sun.

The sand was warm, but not brutally so, having been kept in the shade through the heat of the day. It was pleasant, and a surprise to find himself alone in the middle of Force forsaken nowhere. As he stretched and considered his option, it occurred to him that it had been some decades since he had taken a real vacation and just relaxed.

Between running Plagueis, and before it growing to power within the Brotherhood, he'd had very little time of peace and quiet to enjoy reading. As he picked up the holo-reader, he determined that it was filled with enough material to keep him busy for months, just enjoying the backlog of historical and fictional tales he had accumulated.

Idly, he wondered if he should bother trying to escape what was obviously meant to keep him sidelined from the activities at hand in the Brotherhood, as people jockeyed for power with hopes of the death or removal of Sarin.

Afterall, many people coveted the hope of being named Deputy Grand Master to Mav once Sarin was out of the picture. The lure of power and prestige was too much for some people. As he settled back to read, his only regret was in not having a bottle of Whyren's to enjoy. Though, he mused, at least he wouldn't have the agony of finishing the bottle and not having more. That, after all, was true torture.

As the sun continued to move across the sky, and the waves up the beach, Tra'an lost himself in time, far away from the worries of the Brotherhood.

Kul’tak glared at the last vestiges of creaking metal sinking beneath the frothing ocean. Damaged in the battle above, his vessel had nose dived to the surface below, where it was unceremoniously swallowed by the waiting maw of the deep waters. He had managed only to grab three items in his haste to escape drowning himself, and now he wondered exactly how well they would do him. He scanned the beach of this apparent island he was now stranded on. Well, to say it was an “island” was a bit of an overstatement. Standing at one beach, the Zabrak could clearly make out the edge of the opposite beach not all that far away. A short sprint through the sweltering glaze of the planet’s sun would put him at the other side, though there wouldn’t be much for him to do when he arrived. His fate was now dubious as both sides’ fighters zipped about erratically in their macabre dance. If one of the enemy so much as spotted him, he’d be a perfect target for a quick strafing run.

The shadow sighed wistfully and plopped onto the warm sand. He rummaged in his cloak to set the three items he’d nabbed earlier on the sand in front of him. His trusty lightsaber had been the closest thing nearby, and a lifesaver for one who was trained how to use it. Now it represented nothing. It was just here. The next item was his zhaboka, the time-honored weapon of his people. Its blades were short, but its reach made poking the weak points in battle armor much easier. The last item, one he usually kept hooked to the firm middle of his back above his waist, was his thermal imploder. A devastating weapon in close quarters, it was able to clear a room when needed. Not that he needed a room cleared on this miserable pile of sand.

Here he sat, with plenty of ability to kill anyone he encountered but with no one to encounter. Annoyed, Kul triggered the activation mechanism on the imploder and tossed it into the sea. He waited the appropriate time before smiling as bubbles rose to the surface. He was surprised, however, when a handful of some species of fish floated to the top as well.

*Well, at least I won’t starve just yet.*

There once was a senator from Naboo
Who had many plans to do
And what a surprise
For he'd tell you no lies
The tale of Darth Plagueis the wise

Taldryan is the best
Taking names like in the wild wild west
You better run and search for cover
Or you'll be unfortunate to discover
That you'll be pwned like the rest.