Galactic Domination Chapter 2: A Meeting Of Shadows

GALACTIC DOMINATION

{ Chapter 2: A meeting of shadows }

162 ABY, approximately six months before the Darksider invasion on Grand Master Bathors New Je’daii order.

Location: Planet Shikaakwa, Tython System, The Deep Core

{{ Prologue : Escaped wartime prisoners of the Eternal Sith Empire, Captain Cass Gemini of the famed pirate frigate “The Midnight Runner” and her crew grudgingly take on a job from the newly risen Galactic superpower “The Darkside Regime’s” Sith Lord Darth Falkor. The job, using her heavily customized ships' advanced espionage abilities to spy on the Dark Regime leader's major political enemy and only real remaining military threat.. Grand Master Bathors newly restored Je’daii Order on Tython.

After spending two weeks cloaked at the very edge of the Tython system monitoring all transmissions from the Je’daii communications platform “Fury Station”, the Midnight Runner finally intercepts its first significant high priority coded transmission. The apprentice and stepson to Je’daii Master Terrogate himself seems to have stumbled onto a mysterious entrance to an unknown underground temple on the nearby forest planet of Ska Gora.

Cass quickly reports her findings to Darth Falkor, with the full intention of collecting a quick payment and disappearing from the Darksiders notice forever. Instead, the Dark Lord changes both the terms of their agreement as well as their working relationship by forcefully recruiting Cass and her crew into his own evil fleet, flagshipped by his huge Sith Dreadnaught “The Shadowbringer”.

Cass’s first mission, to go to Shikaakwa and meet with one of the Dark regime's top agents before travelling to Ska Gora and retrieving anything of value from the newly found ruins before the Je’daii do. Our Story Continues…….  ))

~~\*~~

Shikaakwa, once home to the powerful Despot Queen who long ago united the ruling criminal families known as The Nine Houses. Under her command they invaded and almost conquered the entire system of Tython until the force sensitive inhabitants of the Planet Tython decided to act. Finally challenged by the original Je’daii order at the height of her powers, the resulting civil war that ensued caused the deaths of close to a million Tythons.. the eventual Je’daii victory came following Queen Hadiya’s death at Kaleth Temple. The victory however came at a great cost. In desperation to end the war during the final weeks of fighting, the powerful Je’daii warriors were unyielding and without mercy in their attacks. The highly trained force mystics eventually bombing the peoples of Shikaakwa back into the dark ages before finally abandoning them and returning to Tython. Leaving the remaining survivors to live under the brutal rule of feudal crime lords once again.

Nearly 26,000 years later, the planet of Shikaakwa now finds itself now under the rule of Grand Master Bathori and her new Je’daii Order. But, the wounds of old wars run deepest and in the cobblestoned back alleys and dimly lit taverns of Shikaakwa, there are still pockets of those who harbour no love for the one armed witches' newly resurrected order of force sensitives...

~~\*~~

“This is the place Cap’n.” Said first mate Anmetei M’lo grimly, lifting his hand lantern up and illuminating the old weather beaten wooden sign hanging from two rusty chains above them. He furrowed his brow and looked back as he, the charismatic pilot Redman Reed and their Captain Cass Gemini came to a gradual halt in the narrow and dimly lit back street of Shikaakwa’s Ryo district. Their boots left near perfect imprints behind them and joined many dozens of others in the thickly dirt covered sandstone floor of the alleyway, the sign above them was only just legible and read “The Flame Tygah Tavern”.

The huge Ryo Fortress, for which the surrounding district was named, loomed over them in the distance and blocked the incoming moonlight. Its vast size accentuated as the soft yellow hue of the moon behind it outlined its ancient stone edges leaving the entire West side of the old crime district now shrouded in the darkness of its shadow. Once the heart of the planet's governing body, this huge fortress structure was now nothing more than a crumbling abandoned ruin set in the centre of a slowly decaying slum.

Back in the alley, and directly below the old hanging tavern sign stood an equally old and worn wooden entrance door that was closed shut and locked from the inside. A soft, amber flickering glow came from the few centimetre high splintered gap at the old doors base and on closer inspection was a closed wooden viewing slot positioned halfway up its length.

The air was cold and a fog was slowly descending on the sparse Ryo district this night. Something unseen shifted its weight in the darkness of the alley ahead, knocking over something that sounded heavy and metallic which caught the group's attention. Cass’s cybernetic eyes instantly scanned the area but was unable to identify anything living other than a couple of diseased ally rodents scurrying out from underneath a dumpster half way along the Eastern wall. Cass found herself brushing her hand against the blaster pistol concealed under her long jacket and a chill ran suddenly down her spine. “Let’s just get this over with.” she said after a second, turning her attention away from the dark alley and nodding at Redman. “Yeah.. this shithole’s about as dodgy as a Toydarian used landspeeder salesman.” he said grumpily, leaning forwards and knocking three times loudly on the Flame tygah’s entrance then taking a full step back.

In a few moments the small wooden slider set halfway up the door pulled back and a set of small, sunken, brown beedy eyes from behind a bulbous and seemingly deformed brow peered out at them.

“Not seen you before an’ boss said, we ain’t taking no more in tonight. So whadda you want!?“ A gruff, deep and clearly impatient male voice shot out from behind the door. “

“Errhhmmm, good evening my good man. Sorry to bother you this late hour but we are looking for someone, actually, more so it's someone inside who’s expecting us. Errhhmmm…  As well as lightening our pockets by purchasing a refreshing ale or two, of course.” Said Redman in his most polite and charming voice, inclining his head and holding up a few shiny credits in the palm of his hand.

“Woman!” The gruff voice barked back at him instantly. Making him flinch with its abruptness. The two eyes peering through the slit in the door looked the pilot up and down. “But sure, for you handsome I’d be happy to show ya….the insides here…” the voice paused suggestively. “And trust me Slugga… once you get a taste o’ this cream puff, you’ll wanna eat the whole pie……. So whadda you say? ….handsome” The deep voice asked sleazily, accompanied by a wink of an eye exposing a single yellowed wart behind its eyelid.

“Ummm, well… my apologies madam” Redman said still in his best charming voice but his tone sounding now somewhat nervous. “Well, hrrrmmm… that is certainly a most charming invitation miss.. yes and one I’ll be sure to take you up on another time I assure you. But you see, like I said, we are actually due to meet someone here. And time is indeed short.”

“Fine! Then you and your friends can just freeze out here in the cold! Clearly.. time’s not the only thing that’s short around here.” The voice shot back offended, the wooden slider snapping closed just as quick and just as aggressively as her words. The group's entrance inside the tavern was clearly now solely reliant on Redman Reed “entertaining” this woman for the evening.

Cass shifted forwards and bumped Redman with her shoulder then glared at him. “What are you doing? We need to get inside!.” She said through gritted teeth and lowering her electronic sounding voice that projected through her rebreather.

“But Cap’n… you can’t expect me to....to..” Redman protested, looking desperate.

“That’s an order pilot.” Cass snapped back, cutting him off cold. Redman screwed up his face into a scowl, clearly unhappy with the order. “Look, I don’t like this any more than you do. But, until I can figure out how to get us out of this kriffing mess we all just need to go with the flow. So, how about swallow your damn pride, start being a team player and go buy that woman a bloody drink will you!? I won’t ask you again Mr Reed!” Cass commanded authoritatively, her hand again lowering to a hover just above her blaster, indicating the seriousness of her words.

Redman frowned and looked down submissively before turning his head and looking up at first mate M’lo, who until now hadn’t said a single word but wore a big smug smirk on his face. “Don’t you dare mention this to ANYONE back on the Runner.” Warned Redman, sticking his index finger up to the large Nautolan’s face before finally turning his attention back to the door and knocking three times again. Anmetei M’lo, still smiling, closed an invisible zipper on his lips and then took a step back allowing the ex-Federation fighter pilot some extra room to work in.

Again, after a few moments the wooden slot quickly slid open revealing the same pair of beedy brown eyes and lumpy brow. “What is it now?… Peewee.” The woman asked rudely, looking directly at Redman.

“Well, madam.” Said Redman shooting a quick glance Cass’s way before looking back at the eyes behind the slot. “Firstly, I would like to apologise for my earlier comments.” Redman continued, in the same forced attempt at a charming and almost posh voice. “It has recently come to my attention my fair lady.. that we seem now to have more time available than I was previously led to believe. And.. and….” Redman stammered, finding it exceedingly difficult to spit out the final words that he knew he must. “And.. well.. well I’d love nothing more than to share a part of this evening in your exquisite company.” The pilot suddenly exhaled sharply as though he’d just finally dropped an exceedingly heavy weight he’d been carrying all the time he had been speaking. Yet on his face he managed to fein an almost close to believable smile.

The deep voice behind the door said nothing for a moment but kept its focus on the attractive pilot. “Fine!” the voice suddenly replied. “But you’ll need to buy me a drink first if you wanna ride bareback on this Bantha. I’m a classy girl ya know.”

“Well, I’d say the way this day’s been going I'll likely require several..” Replied Redman with his continued forced smile. “More like several dozen” mumbled first mate M’lo from behind. If either Cass or Redman heard him they didn’t show it.

And with that, the wooden slide snapped closed once more and the sound of various bolts being opened could be heard from behind the door. In a few moments the old wooden door swung open revealing a wart covered, flabby, grey skinned bipod. It stood about 1.5 metres tall and clearly a near-human species. By its eyes alone the group recognised it as the woman interested in Redman. She wore a red, faded, long sleeved dress that went from her neck to her knees under a sleeveless vest and an old loose fitting brown cap on her head that was held up by two elongated and several times pierced pointy ears. Anmetei M’lo who was even more pleasantly surprised by her appearance now guessed she probably weighed about 140 kilograms or so and sported what seemed to be a decent patch of light brown facial hair on her chin.

“What? You’ve never seen a Cloddogran before handsome?” She asked in her deep gruff voice noticing the first mate gawking at her, giving a pop of her left hip and blowing M’lo a kiss. “Sensual, ain’t we?” She said rhetorically with a playful wink and smile. “Say Peewee, how about you get the drinks and I’ll meet you at the top of the stairs. Then your friends here can have their little meeting while we gets to knowing each other a bit better. You can even show me how you use that little pee shoota you got there..”

Her voice was playful and flirtatious but even so did little to distract them from the smell that seemed to flow out from the doorway. The Cloddogran woman leered at Redman, slowly tracing her warty lips with her greenish grey tongue as she thought about what was to come. Her small brown eyes wasting no time in making their way down to Redmans waist, lingering lustfully a moment before moving back up to meet the pilot's own blue ones. Redman watched the whole creepy thing, then felt himself throw up a little in his mouth.

“Common darlin.. you don’t wanna keep a girl like me waiting. Traug, close up behind us will ya. Boss don’t want any more in tonight.” She added, turning her head to speak to a black bug-like Gand who sat on a low stool in the nearby shadowy corner before she turned and waddled away, leading them all further into the building.

Redman grudgingly crossed the building threshold first, followed by Cass who walked straight past Anmetei M'lo who was still grinning ear to ear like he’d just done the Kessel run in under 10 parsecs. “I don’t know what you're so happy about, you’re the one paying for the drinks.” Cass said in a matter of fact way while she strode confidently past her first mate. The large Nautolan snorted but didn’t drop the smirk from his face. “Drinks? Hell Cap’n… I’ll happily pay for the room.” M’lo replied cheerfully as he fell in behind her.

The crew of the Midnight Runner followed the sexually charged Cloddogran woman as she led them through a narrow ten metre long hallway. The sound of what could loosely be described as old Bothan folk music became progressively more audible as they finally approached an archway that was covered by a brown wooden bead curtain, obstructing their view of the space beyond.

The group one by one stepped through the hanging beads and found themselves inside a small, rustic and poorly maintained tavern. Old tapestries and faded pictographs lined the old light brown wooden walls that were made of the same material as the floor and ceiling which were equally just as worn. To the left of them was a five meter long bar and behind it a back room to what one would assume was a kitchen and store area. To their right was a flight of stairs leading up to a 2nd story landing which ran the entire way around the tavern with a dozen numbered doors to guest rooms. Directly ahead was close to 20 small sized tables and booths set up for patrons, several unkempt females in tight fitting and quite revealing clothing stood on the above railing and others mingled amongst the patrons drinking and laughing. “\*Women of the night flaunting their wearers in a place like this? They MUST be desperate.\*” Cass thought to herself as she looked around the place.

“Kinda busy for such a small place in the slums of Shikaakwa.“ said Cass aloud as she stopped a moment to take in the space. There would have been close to 100 patrons spread across the tavern's seating alone and then a dozen more perched on individual stools stationed permanently along the bar plus those who were standing. The place certainly had an off feel to it and Cass couldn’t help but somehow feel that already they were being watched.

“Only place this side o the planet you can get drink, spice or some company fir creds thanks to them stinkin’ uptight Je’daiis.” said the grey skinned woman leading them inside. “Speakin o that.. why don cha get me an ale suga plums, then come join me in number six up top.. I’ll be waiting... Tonight's gonna be one you remember for a long time.” said the Cloddogran seductively winking at Redman before she slowly waddled away and began to ascend the staircase. It's old wooden steps creaking under her weight as she climbed and her thick fingertips lightly ran across the smooth curved topside of the staircase's black iron handrail as she went.

“Well, that settles it. May as well just blast me in the face now Cap. At least that would be a merciful death compared to this..” Groaned Redman as he watched the grey skinned woman in her red dress and brown cap ascend the stairs. “Thank you Mr.Reed for gaining us entry. Your service to the cause will be noted and rewarded. But stop being so dramatic...” Cass said unsympathetically and reached into her long jacket's inner breast pocket removing a small vial of yellow powder.

“Here” said Cass calmly, handing the vial to her ship's captain and long-time acquaintance. “Just put this in your fair maidens drink. Hold her off for ten minutes or so, then she’ll be out till morning.”

Redman slowly smiled and took the vial as though it was a precious stone worth a million credits. “You’re a lifesaver Cap’n” he said back to Cass with a hopeful sparkle in his eyes. “That’s two you owe me now pilot” she replied, winking at him. “Just be sure not to mix the drinks up Mr.Reed.. she’s clearly on heat and you never know what she’d do if you are unable to defend yourself properly?.” Anmetei said with a smirk, standing directly behind Cass. Redman snorted and glared at him before turning to walk over to the bar, doing his best to ignore the first mate's attempted humour.

Waiting only a few moments before being served he proceeded to order four strong local ales the bartender, a scruffy middle aged human male, recommended after overhearing Redman was to be the door maid “Darlash’s” next male caller. Even though she had only been working there a few months the barman said he’d noticed her acting very strangely the last few days. “Probably ovulating..” the barman suggested, mirroring First mate M’lo’s assumption just moments earlier. “We often get these off-world aliens ‘round here. Refugees mostly. Lookin’ for a hot meal ‘n a bed. Sure they're cheap, but most o’ the time they ain’t nothin’ but trouble.”

On delivery of the drinks, Redman immediately and eagerly downed one of them at what was surely Galactic record pace, then waited for the barman to serve his next customer before tipping the contents of the vial Cass had given him into one of the remaining three glasses. Anmetei had followed and placed the required credits for the drinks on the bar but otherwise had not yet moved from the pilots side. Cass reached up and touched her large Nautolan first mate on the shoulder, getting his attention.

“He’ll be fine. Let’s go meet our contact then get the shak outta here.” Said Cass and the two then turned, leaving their pilot at the bar and slowly started walking through the busy tavern. Cass’s cybernetic eyes scanned each table and booth for the person Lord Falkor had described to her.

They were to meet his best assassin and the orders Master of shadows. Clearly not someone to be taken lightly, but also another one of those damned force users. Cass had almost started believing they may have been stood up until finally and at the very edge of the tavern's furthest corner they found a person who matched the dark lord's description sitting alone in one of the corner booths. The Two approached her cautiously before Cass made herself known.. “Shadow Master Caecus I presume?”

The woman was slim and of a near human species, a Sarkhai in fact. She wore a black robe with her hood drawn shrouding much of her white and blue tattooed face in darkness. Her black eyes peered out from under the shadow of her hood and seemed to be locked onto something or someone on the other side of the busy tavern.

“Commander Gemini, Lieutenant M’lo. I’ve been waiting for you. Why don’t you join me?” Said the dark woman from her seat without looking in their direction, although it certainly sounded more like an order than a request. Cass and Anmetei did as instructed and sat down opposite her without hesitation or obstruction of her current line of sight, although neither of them felt comfortable being so close to a Darksider in a place like this. “Lord Falkor tells me you’ve got a rather special ship in your possession.” Said the dark lady inquiringly but still keeping her head low and eyes on whatever it was she was looking at further away in the tavern. Her voice was soft and calm, but behind it sat a subtle hint of unquestionable authority as she spoke. “One that is near undetectable to known scanners…”

“It’s Captain actually.” Corrected Cass. And yeah, that’s right.. Why else do you think we were hired for this job?” She added, carefully measuring her words into keeping both her and crew sounding more like hired mercenaries here for a single job than actual Darkside subjects. Not that the Dark woman seemed to notice the correction or care about Cass’s official title.

“Interesting” Darth Caecus said ponderingly. “Possible it’s invisible even to the Shadowbringer I’d imagine. A Techno Union custom I’d say if I didn’t know any better. They are then only ones capable of such works but no one has seen what little remnants remain, if any since the war.” She added, voicing her interest somewhat more thoughtfully than Cass was comfortable with.

\*What the hell is she getting at\*? Cass thought to herself. And how did she know so much about Techno Union tech? Cass’s suspicion heightened. Yes, the Midnight Runner was able to be flown by any regular person with some frigate experience that was true, but it's more advanced tech could only be accessed by herself, her first mate M’lo or by Redman Reed. The unique Techno Union installed security was impressive in itself, just as unique and impressive as the cloaking and jamming modifications requested by Cass from the underground manufacturing workshop who helped her create it. The cloaking and jamming systems had not only vocal but fingerprint, facial and also retinal approval checks too. On top of that, at least three of the four checks needed system approval simultaneously in order to allow advanced system access.

“To hide in plain sight is a highly sought after and extremely difficult skill. A skill that my apprentice and I have spent a lifetime in pursuit of perfecting.” Said Darth Caecus, explaining her shared interest as though reading Cass’s thoughts and picking up on her suspicions. “Although, once perfected I’ve found the real skill lies in the timing of when to reveal yourself more than how to continuously remain hidden. After all, what is the benefit of power for someone who chooses never to be seen using it.”

The Darths words would have been cryptic to most but Cass immediately felt a sense of understanding and truth to them. In the past she had often turned off her ships cloaking abilities at strategic intervals to throw off or confuse targets. One time, in doing so she was actually able to convince a large merchant vessel with a highly suspicious captain that there was a space ghost stalking them. The crew had then abandoned ship entirely, leaving the vessel as well as its fully loaded cargo hold for the modified Sunstar frigate The Midnight Runner and its crew to commandeer without even a single shot being fired.

“Yes, well I’m glad you appreciate our crew and our ship's unique talents Shadow Master. Since we’re talking’ about the Runner, she is right now refuelling at the Ryo district spaceport. Our crew will be ready for departure in approximately two hours” Said Anmetei M’lo, cutting more to the point. His face was stern yet Cass knew him well enough to sense his unease and eagerness to finish whatever business they had with the Darksiders and their war on the equally untrustworthy Je’daii.

“Mister M’lo’s right. Perhaps we should get going.” Cass said, looking around at the crowd before pretending to check her wrist chrono and agreeing with Anmetei. “Lord Falkor did say this was a matter of urgency and by the time we all walk back to the refuelling station the crew should be basically ready to leave.”

“We’re not taking the Midnight Runner.” Said Darth Caecus coldly, looking directly at them for the first time since the pair had sat. The dark woman shifted her gaze from one to the other and then back again, finally landing on Cass.

“What are you talking about?” Scoffed the large Nautolan instinctively. “Of course we are. We got a full and experienced crew, plenty of resources for a mission like this and Mr.Reed can pretty much get us to the site's door without so much as a blip on the planet's localised or atmospheric sensors. We’ll be as invisible as ghosts.”

“Your ship can hide.. but you unfortunately can not. And neither can your crew.” Responded the Darth, shooting a harsh glance up at Anmetei M’lo before returning her gaze back to his Captain and slightly tilting her head to one side and narrowing her black eyes. “Does all your crew feel so free as to speak for you Commander Gemini? Or does this one actually run the operation and you are merely his puppet?” Darth Caecus’ words questioning Cass’s authority and ability to lead. As did her continued use of the incorrect title of Commander but Cass decided perhaps to let the latter slide so as not to argue needlessly with the Darth. As it was, already the Sarkhai’s words were now borderlining on annoyance rather than authoritative. Her unprovoked and agitated harsh bluntness reminded Cas of the Imperial guards back on Hallion and was just another reason Cass couldn’t wait to be done dealing with these damned darksiders once and for all.

Cass shot one of her all too familiar looks at her first mate before responding to the Master of Shadows inaccurate and unfounded suggestion. “Not that my ship's internal hierarchy is on trial but rest assured Darth Caecus, I’m the one in charge.. my first mate here is just…” she paused, looking for the right words so as not to offend the dark woman or her power hungry dark order. “Is just eager to get started, and knows our crew's capabilities to get the job done.”

The Dark woman didn’t respond and her face gave away nothing of what she may have been thinking. Cass shifted in her seat awkwardly and decided to press on. “So, you think we would be seen? You must understand that such a thing would be a first for us and as you are aware our evasion record is flawless, so I’m not sure how you’ve come to that conclusion, but you can trust me when I say we know what we’re doing.” Cass kept her gaze fixed on the Darth and did her best to project strength in her voice and body language.

The Shadow Master straightened her head and her reply was now suddenly much more calm, almost like she had been testing Cass. Provoking her to see how she reacted.

“I’m well aware of your crew's impressive record Commander Gemini pirate scourge of the outer rim. I’m also well aware of its origins as escaped fugitives of the Hallion Imperial mining penal colony six years ago.”

Cass was stunned and pressed her back into her seat, fighting the instinctive urge to go for her blaster on her hip. In the six years since their escape Cass had obsessively covered their tracks and took great care to ensure that no one outside of the original twenty three shipmates knew of their history. They had paid for their freedom from that dreaded place in blood, but they were now indeed free and Cass fully intended to keep it that way. This woman’s knowledge was made even more impossible because for the last two years there were only nine remaining of the original twenty three. Cass herself killed three of them after a rogue group of six crew members foolishly accepted a wealthy bribe from a certain Hutt to “replace” her as Captain and steal the Midnight Runner for the mob boss's own private business. Pilot Redman Reed who was first asked and had agreed to replace Cass as Captain double crossed the rogue group, alerting Cass to the conspiracy almost immediately and turning the tables before the mutiny could take place. The Hutt responsible mysteriously was found dead in his palace on Nal Hutta little less than a year later. With three well placed T6 blaster wounds in the back of his enormous greenish brown head.

“It is wise not to trust anyone Commander.” Continued the Shadow Master placing extra emphasis on the word ‘trust’. “But do not fear, the specifics of your crew's questionable history do not concern me as much as your crew's inability to hide their less physical aspects from the enemy.”

Cass looked puzzled, her hand dropping from the space above her weapon and her cybernetic eyes flicking between Anmetei M’lo who looked equally as confused and back again to the dark woman sitting across from them. What was she saying? That the Je’daii somehow knew they would be coming? That they possessed some kind of tech that even the Midnight Runner could not hide from? A preposterous notion as the Runner boasted sound, electronic buildup and thermal dampeners. There was no way they could possess such technology as to detect the crew. There was also no way they could have known Cal was able to intercept and decode their transmission or know they were working for the Darksiders.

“I can see I’ve lost you both.” Said Darth Caecus, sighing impatiently. “You see Commander, the planet we are tasked to go to is overall sparse of intelligent life forms. Most of its few inhabitants still live in flying city ships just as their ancestors except on the other side of the planet we need to visit. The few who do live below on the surface near the Eastern Forests are mainly farmers and specialist deep mining colonists.” The Dark woman pulled her hood back, finally revealing her face and black eyes to Cass and Anmetei M’lo in the dim lighting of the old taverns corner booth.” Her face was not exactly unpleasant to the eye Cass noticed, yet the Darths gaze held the still but intense seriousness of a Dagobah Dragonsnake stalking its next meal.

“Through years of study in the shadow arts under Dark Lady Kevala I can choose when to hide myself within the living force from other force users. An ability I have passed onto my own apprentice as well. Sadly, you and your crew do not possess such talents. And Commander Cass, a brigand of your size, even aboard the Midnight Runner while cloaked would be noticed immediately by a skilled force user as soon as you got within a thousand kilometres of the Valley of Kraau.” Darth Caecus paused, drawing her hood once more and shrouding herself in shadow before continuing. “Needless to say, as I will be travelling with you, that would be potentially problematic to the success of Lord Flakors plan. And a risk I cannot allow.“

The Shadow Masters voice remained calm and matter of fact as she spoke but as the Darth mentioned the force Cass couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine.

Anmetei M’lo cleared his throat and tilted his large tattooed head to the side, rolling his broad shoulders and popping the vertebrae in his neck as he sat back into his chair. “So, what is your plan?” Asked Cass coldly, placing her jewelled fingers onto the boot tabletop.

“Ahhh, now we finally cut to the chase Commander. Good, I was growing tired of your ignorance. Look, over there, but do not stare.” Darth Caecus said, signalling her head with a sharp yet casual nod towards the direction across the tavern she had been looking at earlier. She continued to speak as Cass and Anmetei one by one casually looked around. “The blond woman, sitting at the table with a pitcher of ale dressed in brown robes..” Cass saw her after only a few seconds surveying the area but it was her first mate who responded. “Yeah, we see her. So what? What’s she got to do with anything?” “She’s a Je’daii” said Cass immediately, looking back now at their own table as instructed. Darth Caecus smiled wickedly. “That’s right Commander. She has been here in Shikaakwa for several days now on routine investigations.”

“You mean she is hunting your kind?” Asked Anmetei M’lo somewhat rhetorically. “Yes.. and also no.” The Sarkhai Shadow Master replied, further peaking Cass’s curiosity. “There is more to Shikaakwa than just low life scum and crumbling buildings. The place is old.. older than you know.. and was a hub of darkness during the despot war, much of which was lost to known existence soon after the Je’daii invasion ended.” The Dark woman looks up and smiles eagerly at seeing the blond woman in brown robes now looking their way.

“It was all too easy actually. I simply had a little spider under my command let slip a rumour to the local law enforcement there was a Sith artifact possibly trading owners here tonight. I then let my guard down for a time, hinting at a concentration of intermittent darkside power in order to lure her here. That pathetic little yellow haired girl couldn’t help but take the bait when a Sith artefact rests its head but local authorities know better than to come into Ryo district after dark.”

“She’s here by herself, so she must have a Je’daii starship closeby. You’re going to use her ship to sneak past the Je'daii outer planetary defences and land on Ska Gora?” Said Cass feeling the heat in her rising, the dozens of individual pieces of a potential plan starting to fall into place.

“Exactly.” Said the Shadow Master, reaching into her robe and removing a near twenty centimetre long item and placing it onto the table between her and Cass. The item was concealed, wrapped in a faded brown cloth but its outline could have easily resembled something like a boot knife or dagger of some kind. The item's placement was deliberate and particularly visible to the onlooking Je’daii, yet still subtle enough as not to be easily viewed by anyone else who may have been watching.. “Take this and lead the Je’daii to the Ryo Fortress ruins, I’ll set our trap there.” Said Darth Caecus darkly, sliding the cloth wrapped item closer to Cass then retracting her hand. “But even with her ship, will you need her to give us the proper access codes? I doubt she will just hand them over to us..” said Cass thoughtfully.

Suddenly, from the landing above them but several meters to the left a door slammed closed loud enough to think its hinges had likely given way. The bang was abrupt enough that it drew the group’s attention as well as the Je’daii rangers and several nearby patrons, even over the typical tavern sounds of music and chatter of many semi drunken conversations all happening simultaneously.

“What in the seven hells?” Said Cass without thinking, looking upwards towards where the noise had come from but unable to see anything except the wooden underside of the landing above and a small bloom of dust gently descending from the joins in its wooden flooring. Less than a few moments later the cause of the noise finally made itself visible at the top of the staircase.

“Reed?” Said First mate M’lo who had strangely almost forgotten about the usually cocky Pilot who had under orders followed the Cloddogran up the stairs with several mugs of ale now close to an hour prior. The pilot looked like he’d just been in a six round wrestling match. His hair was scruffy, his shirt and vest looked as though they had been forcefully opened exposing his bare chest and he was busy buckling and zipping up his pants as he half stumbled down the staircase. He was covered head to toe in a thin film of sweat and had a pale washed out look on his face like he’d just been sick.

“How strong were those drinks?” Cass mumbled under her breath before looking back down towards the Shadow Master who had been sitting across from her, but to the Captain's utter surprise the Sarkhai Sith had now somehow disappeared. Leaving Cass and her first mate alone in the booth with the carefully concealed item. “I think we should leave Captain.” Said M’lo sternly who had now also lowered his gaze from the pilot. But unlike Cass who was looking at where the Shadow Master had been, the large Nautolan was looking directly at where the Je’daii woman had been sitting just moments ago. She too, somehow had also disappeared completely from sight. Cass, overcome with an immediate unease accompanied by a strange feeling of vulnerability, quickly took the cloth wrapped item and placed it inside her long jacket interior pocket. “I think you’re right Mr M’lo. Let’s get Reed and get to that fortress Asap.”