The Art of Negotiation: Master's Call [Complete]

[Taylor Millard]

I still don't understand why I can't have someone else do it Millard wondered as he awaited the arrival of his guest.

Prince Simus or something like that, a name Millard had never heard of or encountered, apparently had requested The Imperial Grand Admiral to take him to some backwater planet for a ceremony of some sort. When Millard had contacted him about having the Superior take him, the Prince had brushed it off, saying he wanted a shuttle and only Millard to take him.

Thomas had hated the idea, "It's putting you in a situation that could be dangerous for you Taylor. What would happen if you were injured? It's not like you can use the Force and help-"

Millard has shot a glare at his bodyguard, "Don't mention that again, Thomas! You know I prefer not to talk about that."

The Imperial Guardsman went silent.

"But," Millard said, his tone softening, "I appreciate your concern. I'll make sure I'm extra cautious."

Rear Admiral Laran had liked it about as much as Thomas, "I would prefer not to take over for you in command of Guild Sector for an extended period of time."

Millard grinned, "Understood Serena. Good luck as command while I am gone."

Now he awaited the arrival of Prince Simus. The sound of the shuttle door opening signified the Prince's arrival. There was something familiar about the man, Millard couldn't place. It was an odd sensation, but Taylor could only wonder if he'd met the man before.

"What is our destination Prince Simus?" He asked as they departed the Superior for open space.

[Prince Simus]

Simus allowed his mind to care for the robes that hung at his feet. Without any assistance, they rose off the ground and did not falter. All that could be seen beneath the layers of dark clothing were two boots that seemed scuffed and scraped that made a clank clank with each step up the boarding ramp. Under closer scrutinization, one would realize that the boots were of Imperial design, which implied that Simus was once in the service of the Imperial navy. It also could have implied that he was responsible for the murder of an Imperial, which seemed much more plausible.

The rest of the dark figure was made up of a complicated composition of different discarded rags and old clothing sewn together. Obviously, Prince Simus was not trying to impress anyone with a dazzling gown and crown jewels. He was more of a politician and less of a royal, if that was what one could call him. The "Prince" was much more of a self proclaimed title that held no royal meaning whatsoever. He made himself known as a wealthy dignitary operating in the Oseon system. It was not too long ago that Simus fled the system with but a portion of his credits. The rest of the credits, land and casinos was handed down to those who had worked close to him.

He donated most of his credits to the Imperial cause, not that they needed his paltry credits. One who was not affiliated with the Imperials would consider Simus' donation a fortune, to them it was mere pocket change. The fact was irrelevant to Simus, he had no real need for money. After his departure in the Oseon system he allowed himself several appearances on Coruscant and a few of the inner rim planets. It would be a nice change to seperate himself from noisy urban areas and visit somewhere more quiet. A sanctuary of sorts, that would allow Simus to continue with his history studies and his private collection of ancient artifacts.

"You are the Grand Admiral, correct?" The voice was snippy, and it had a slight hiss to it. Both effects seemed to add a chilling impression on the listener of this voice. The light in the small shuttle seemed to shun itself away from Simus, if that were even possible. The robes that had magically risen by themselves, innocently fell back into place. To add to his bone-chilling effect, Simus' face was covered in darkness that light would dare not pierce. This seemed to scare most, but it had little effect on Millard. Surprisingly enough, the darkness produced two small beads that shone like eyes. One could not be sure that they were, or if Simus was even human. Only Simus knew what he was and what he wanted to do.

The Grand Admiral gave a slight intelligent nod that screamed out Imperial. His stance resembled that of Grand Moff Tarkin in a painting that Simus had once seen. One's stance had nothing to do with what they looked like, Simus noted. Millard was not exactly young, Simus could see that much by looking straight into his eyes. They told a story of a man who'd seen much in his time, a very fortunate gift. Millard seemed very professional at first sight, but that was in the job description. It was whispered by some that Taylor Millard had worked closely with Admiral Thrawn and had saved Palpatine's life. This man struck fear into the hearts of the New Republic, or as the Imperial officers called them, Rebels.

"I apologize if I have interrupted the status quo of your new job, Grand Admiral." The beads shone once again, doing nothing to illuminate the fact that they belonged to. "Congratulations on your recent promotion." The congratulations seemed sarcastic in a polite way, although few would be able to detect it. One would expect it from a character like Simus anyway. He did not seem the kind of person, if one could call him that, that would bow down to anyone but the dead Emperor himself.

His robe covered arm rose from the darkness and flicked across the air, in a one slash motion. Out of the abyss of his sleeve, a tattered piece of flimsy travelled through the air. At this point it was obvious that Simus knew a thing or two about spells and such. One would call him a Force user blindly, but it was not only Force users who were able to seemingly levitate objects. The tattered piece of flimsy looked near ancient and had been creased over a thousand times. Millard outstretched his palm to receive the flimsy. As it rested on his palm, the paper took on a mind of its own and began to unfold itself. Simus waited a few moments as Millard's eyes scanned over the flimsy. The piece of paper read the coordinates to their destination.

"That is where we must go, Grand Admiral. A holy place that one would dare not utter the name of...An ancient world that once served as the home to a greater race." His voice droned on, showing real signs of expression-filled passion. "The planet Khar Delba." Once again, the eyes shone to reveal themselves. Underneath the veil of darkness, a smile spread across Simus' face. One that contained evil and anticipation, although Millard could not see it anyway. The piece of flimsy threw itself off of Millard's hand and rested itself between the Nav computer controls. Simus waved a hand to the side and the ramp began to close. He treaded across the ship, taking a moment to examine it fully. Simus studied the transport similar to how a wolf would study its prey from afar.

"Let us not dribble with conversational practice." Simus added as he searched for something to sit on. The dark figure sighed softly under his mask, recounting the number of hours the journey would take them. He had much to do on Khar Delba and could not simply dismiss the impatience from his mind. "Khar Delba is a 37 hour journey with a class 1 hyperdrive." Simus rested both arms over his chest, allowing them to sink into the overlapping robes. The blackness of everything seemed to meld together, causing things to seemingly disappear to the unaided eye. "Whenever you are ready, Grand Admiral Millard."

[Taylor Millard]

Millard looked at Prince Simus.

There's something familiar about him. Those eyes for one...

"I appreciate the thanks, Prince," Millard gave no indication if he'd registered the sarcasm or not, "You are correct we should be there in 37 hours or so."

It was the robes that began ringing warning bells in Millard's head. The 'taking a life of their own' and the darkness surrounding the Prince began giving Taylor a 'feeling' in the back of his head. And it wasn't a good feeling. Millard remembered back at Dubruillion when he'd gotten the same feeling then.

Something's up.

"So tell me, Prince Simus," he started saying, even though he knew the Prince didnt' want to speak, "My information says you were in commman of several well known Casinos and Businesses in the Oseon System. Any particular reason why you are here now? What does Khar Delba have of importance to your throne?"

While he was speaking, Millard began setting the course for Khar Delba. Two minutes later, hyperspace took them.

Millard sat, his mind beginning to race.

Simus...Simus...I know him from somewhere but where? The feeling in the back of my head, same as I got when I encountered that 'thing' called Venom on Dubruillion. Something's up. Jaranda's information had very little to say about the prince, only he'd begun surfacing while I was in the Unknown Regions. Guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Millard was happy to have packed the Imperial Repeater Rifle in the shuttle. Were something too happen, Millard wouldn't go down without a fight. He would protect both himself, and the prince were they to come under attack.

And if the Prince attacks you? a voice said in his mind.

Then I will protect myself.

Two hours had gone by before Millard spoke again, "What type of study do you plan on doing on the planet? Given the fact the paper is rather old, you are a lover of information and artifacts."

It wasn't a question, but Millard still waiting Simus' reply.

[Prince Simus]

Simus closed his eyes underneath his mask of darkness and focused on the future. With great ease he could tell that Millard would be attempting to make conversation with the Prince any moment now. He allowed a few seconds to go by before he seriously began to question his foresight. It was told that the future was always in motion and even the simplest thought could cause it to change course. Although, he hadn't used "magical powers" to look into the future and make this prediction. He took a fact-based guess that the Grand Admiral would try to make conversations. Simus was about to scold himself for relying on his thoughts, but was interrupted by Millard's voice. I was not wrong after all. A sense of relief washed over him, causing him to feel a lot better.

"So tell me, Prince Simus," Millard had said in a calm and collected voice. Simus could not tell if he was faking curiousity or if this was genuine. Simus shrugged it off and decided not to give it any more thought. He would entertain this Millard for the time being, and then he would get some rest. The Grand Admiral continued, "My information says you were in commman of several well known Casinos and Businesses in the Oseon System. Any particular reason why you are here now? What does Khar Delba have of importance to your throne?"

The Prince's eyes flared angrily for a moment as he listened to this man and his questions. Obviously someone, somewhere down the line had not done their homework. Although it wouldn't be too much of a surprise. Simus wasn't exactly one to willingly give up information about himself, or truthful information for that matter. His voice sounded muffled and low but it was very understandable to Millard, "You give me too much credit, Admiral. I am not a Prince of royalty nor did I 'command' these casinos. I simply have a love for the politics of business and commerce. The Oseon system is known for its resorts and casinos, which at the time was a gold mine waiting to be picked. I have no real love for credits though one might think otherwise. There were other manners that bore more importance in the Oseon system..." Simus paused for a moment to choose the right words. "I would rather not discuss it at this point in time."

The events of the Oseon system, which occured only a few months ago, were still fresh in the Prince's mind. He could recall almost every minute of the heart pounding endurance trials that he was faced to complete, and the ultimate goal that was obtained near the end of his journey. This goal was the first of many that he hoped to achieve during his travels to the different parts of the Galaxy. Perhaps he would not live long enough to fulfill all the goals he set for himself, but this failed to discourage his effort. Death was a but a boundary that could be breached if one knew how to do it properly. He hoped that in a few years it would pose no real threat to him, if he lived for a few more years. Simus was not dying, nor was he infected by some disease, but the Galaxy was a dangerous place.

"I am here on a mission to Khar Delba as a temporary archaelogical curator for the Galactic Museum. I offered my assistance in studying the holy land for the Galactic museum and informational databanks. The real curator immediately agreed and arranged everything with the Diktat himself." Simus placed both of his hands atop his kneecaps and shifted his sight to the side of the room where the NavComputer lie. "The success of this mission relies wholly on the willingness of the Masters." Millard gave him a confused look again. "It does not matter that you do not understand. You will understand, soon." The last sentence seemed to echo in the quiet transport, if such was possible.

Millard shifted uneasily in his seat as he listened to what Simus had to say. As soon as he noticed that the Prince was finished speaking, he bowed his head somewhat. Taylor seemed to be deep in thought, that much could be read by his quizzical expression. Simus probed at the fringes of Millard's mind, surpassing his defenses and catching glimpses of what his thoughts were based on. He recognized Simus from another time and place, although he could not relate it with a visual. Simus pondered the thought of Millard knowing him. The Grand Admiral had force potential, but shied away from it. This explained why it was easy to read his thoughts, but it did not explain a couple of other things that made Simus wonder. All will be answered when we step foot in the holy land... He bowed his head down and allowed himself to fall into a deep trance.

Two hours later he was stirred out of his trance by Millard's curious voice. Once again he saw it fit to probe Simus with another question that would invariably end up in a half-answer if it was related to the mission. "What type of study do you plan on doing on the planet? Given the fact the paper is rather old, you are a lover of information and artifacts." The Imperial had logic and common sense, but he failed to grasp some ideas. Simus grew tired of answering these questions and sometimes felt as if he were being debriefed for information. He let out a nearly unnoticable sigh.

"I plan to study and classify all that is necessary. The kind of information you receive in your mission outlines and datapad encyclopedia technology. If you haven't noticed all ready there is probably no entry for Khar Delba. It is not a famous planet by any means, nor should it be as such. Khar Delba is an historical site with much history that is waiting to be written. I have been chosen to chronicle these histories and submit them to the proper persons. You have been chosen to escort me, which does not seem like such a hard job." Simus rose from his seat to stretch his legs. Almost a day and a half to go, which would seem like an eternity.

He grasped at a necklace inside of his hooded abyss and ripped it off of his neck. The necklace turned out to be an ancient material that looked like a long stringed noodle. At the end of this necklace there was a beetle black amulet that shone in the illuminated light. Simus rubbed a black gloved finger over the end and watched as it began to react. "This simple artifact is nothing but a good luck token, but I know it is of great value. I have not been able to classify it or identify it as of yet, although I hope to." He lied to Taylor, knowing perfectly what the amulet was and what it was able to do. Simus blocked his emotions through a mental barrier that was hard to penetrate. He knew that Millard had the "abilities" to read thoughts too.

"I am a lover of artifacts, as you have inferred. That paper with the coordinates may seem old but it isn't. Sometimes appearances can be deceiving, I'm sure you know that. It would have been easier to relay the coordinates through a datapad terminal although those," He pointed to the coordinates on the ledge, "are very important and secret. Few have seen the marvels of Khar Delba."

Millard did not say anything initially, though Simus knew he had prompted a possible conversation. He put the amulet away and rested back in his seat.

"What of you, Taylor Millard?" Idle conversation was unavoidable. The only thing left to do was try to make the best of it. "What are you interested in?"

[Taylor Millard]

Millard's blue eyes looked straight into the unnoticable ones of Simus. The man had a little bit of an unsettling effect on Millard, but the Grand Admiral had also seen more eyes that caused his hair to stand up.

Like Grand Admiral Thrawn.

"Honor, loyalty, and serving the Empire to the best of my ability," It was a 'throw away' response, not false, but not completely true. Taylor decided it was enough information to give Simus, and it was fairly obvious Simus would accept it. For now.

Taylor's eyes looked down to the amulet in the Prince's hand. I would believe him, but...there's that feeling I get from him.

There was more to the amulet, Millard knew that, but what was known wasn't much. The Imperial Grand Admiral hoped he would learn more as the mission went on. If Simus continued to avoid some questions, nothing would happen.

An hour later, Millard began to speak again.

He had a feeling Simus wouldn't just accepted the response he was given. He gave his own barely noticable sigh. It was time to open the door just a little bit to his past and his history. But not too much.

"I enjoy learning Prince Simus," he spoke, "I suppose I could be called a 'Blue Blood' of some sort. When I was coming up in the Imperial Navy, my command pulled me aside and taught me even more. That is what I like to do."

He fell silent, saying no more.

32 hours.

[Prince Simus]

Very few human beings do enjoy to learn new things. Perhaps this one is different, as I initially thought he was. Humans are afraid of new things, which drives them to repitition of past ways. Dare I ponder that the Imperial loyalists have filled Millard's head with meaningless values such as greed? Or is that much evident already? There is a chance that he has not been tainted by human tendency. He is a man of strong morals and loyalty with equally strong virtues. I can feel he has no fear for me, another interesting fact that I must make note of. What I wonder most is his reason for staying with the Empire. Conquest after endless conquest, and he doesn't even get to keep the planets for himself. He views his cause more important then himself, most unacceptable.

The ship was silent, despite the fact that two sentients were aboard. For the past hour, both had not made any more efforts to converse. Every hour the navigational computer would beep to indicate another hour had passed. The ship itself relentlessly journeyed through the hyperspace tunnel of designation to the backwater planet. This planet was particularly far from the Galactic Core and had probably not seen visitors for a very long time. It's location was secret to all but a few, and those few would die sooner or later. This kind of information would probably be of value to pirates or those who sought out treasures of the past. Like most treasure, the goal was only obtained through various obstacles that challenged one physically and mentally. It was no doubt that this treasure was protected by traps and curses of all sorts.

Simus seemed to be asleep from a different person's point of view. His hood covered head had sagged downward and his whole body became rigid. How one could sleep in such a position, was unknown and probably not wise. Unbeknownst to Taylor Millard, Simus was not sleeping at all. Instead he had drifted into a deep meditation session, allowing his mind to wallow in the mix of fantasy and reality. The world around him became surreal and began to swirl at a fast pace. Nothing was left but darkness, and this was where meditation usually began. Most often he would receive pictures from other times and places, that would fill the darkness. Other times, his thoughts would dominate the subconscious world and sprout a normal dream. All the while, the back of his mind was somehow conscious of the real world. At any time he could wake himself up from subconscious in the matter of a second. The effect of coming back to reality unpleasant more often then not. For a few moments his whole body flared with pain and the feeling of sleeping on pins and needles.

All the while, Millard seemed to be doing nothing that would categorize itself as "important" to Simus. He was most uninterested in what the Grand Admiral chose to waste his time with. The only thing that mattered now was arriving at Khar Delba, the holy land of the Masters. Simus wondered if they would anticipate his arrival at this great a length? He would bet a large sum of credits in their favor, had this been a betting event. The Masters were the strongest beings that Simus knew of. Neither death nor life constrained them like a chain with a ball of steel attached to the end. Millard was not forgotten in the mix of things. He also played an essential part in this trip, and it was not just transportation purposes. Millard would escort Simus on-planet whether he wanted to or not.

Hours passed and Millard had still not spoken. He seemed to be catching a nap himself. Simus noticed this and awoke from his meditation. He blinked the sudden blindness out of his eyes and rubbed at them absently. His vision returned moments later, giving him a clear view of everything in the cramped ship. Millard was sleeping on one of the extra cots, off to the side of the ship. Everything was silent, until a small beep filled the room for a split second. It caused Simus to turn his head quickly, which had still not woken up. An extremely large amount of pain surged through his spine that almost made him cry out. The meditation had caused his neck to become as stiff as a quandanium pipe. Through half-blinked eyes he caught view of the time on the navigational computer.

19 hours

Force have mercy. I am not sure if I can endure 19 more hours of space travel. No, I can endure and I will endure. He allowed himself a boost of energy that revitalized his shocked innards. Simus gripped a fist in boredom and watched as the synthetic material that made up the glove hugged his skin. Through the gloves he could see his veins begin to pop out as he applied more pressure. When he looked at that hand he reflected on how much damage it had caused in the past. He considered both of his hands and how much damage they caused as a pair. He blinked once, and then twice, allowing his eyelids the luxury of sagging shut. When he opened his eyes, both hands were covered in blood, the blood of the death and pestilence he was responsible for. He winced at the blood that poured from his hand like water in a stream. As soon as his eyes opened, the illusion was gone and his gloves remained.

It was then that the Grand Admiral arose from his short slumber. He noticed Simus was still sitting around, but he could not determine if he was asleep or not. Simus' hooded face slowly turned to the side of the room and glared at the awakened Millard. The effect was chilling and seemed like a scene right out of a horror holodrama. Millard did not exert any fear and once again Simus pondered. Before Millard could say anything, Simus filled the void of silence with his own serpent-like voice, "I am awake as well." He stretched an arm outward and pointed to the computer. "The journey will end in less then a day."

Simus resumed his original position in the passenger chair a few feet away from Millard and the cot that he was sitting on. The Grand Admiral had admirable awareness reflexes for someone who had just opened their eyes. Normally, a human would feel some sort of fatigue but not Taylor Millard. He seemed more aware then a bounty hunter in a warzone.

"Taylor Millard. Did these Imperial mentors of yours teach you anything about ancient history. Five thousand years ago, precisely. Around the time that the ancient Sith Empire was brought into the Galactic spotlight. What do you know of any of this?"

[Taylor Millard]

Sith... the word struck a chord with Millard. His blue eyes shot towards Prince Simus, and they narrowed into an almost glare. He walked towards the food storage, then removed four ration bars. Taylor wasn't sure if the prince ate, but it was polite to offer food to someone even if they weren't hungry.

"I'll leave these here incase you want them. They're not as good as some of the delicacies either of us have eaten, but they ease hunger."

He took a glass of water, letting the liquid replenish his innards. As he took the pilot's seat again, Millard spoke,

"During my training I was taught about various cultures including that of the Sith Empire. I know a bit about their history and the strenghth of their Empire. I know it was the selfish attitude held by Naga Sadow which helped end it.

"I do not apologize for my thoughts on the original Sith Empire. Sadow's decision to isolate and destroy his rival was not the best decision. It threw the Empire into a civil war, causing the Old Republic to destroy the Sith. I truly do believe, were this not to have taken place, the Sith Empire would have stayed around, not resurfacing years later.

"Their culture is still a bit unknown to me, however, I have done a little bit of study. I spent a few years with the Sith on Corellia. It was informative, but their lack of honor does not appeal to me.

"Although I am certain you knew, I do value loyalty and honor in the Empire. The only bit of pride, I suppose you could say I have is the rank I hold, and the sector I command- containing my home planet of Balmorra. But I serve the Empire by protecting its borders.

"Khar Delba was a former part of the old Sith Empire, I do know that. But what do we expect to find there? Did Sadow leave behind any artifacts you hope to find?"

He turned back, checking the status of the journey. As he turned back towards Prince Simus he saw the cloaked man was staring at him.

"You find that interesting, Prince Simus?"

[Prince Simus]

"Khar Delba was once the homeworld of Naga Sadow, the traitor to the Empire." The Prince Simus clenched both fists together and unclenched them in sequence. "There will be something there waiting for us, Admiral Millard." His gaze averted to the cold durasteel floor that seperated them from the dangers of hyperspace. It was unfortunate that they still had a journey to endure, for Simus was beginning to feel impatience creep into his hidden skull. He wished for nothing more then to step foot on the holy land and feel the soil of the damned and long forgotten. The legacy that place held in its iron grip of gravity was uncomparable to other worlds.

Simus was not a supporter of Naga Sadow as one might think. Sadow was a very powerful Sith that had an equally ambitious agenda to fulfill. Each and every person had an agenda to fulfill in their life time and it helped give meaning to who they were. Those who did not have their lives planned out and lived their life on the fast lane were doomed to die. Some believed that the Force pre-destined everyone's occupation, but how could that be true? Simus did not want to believe that his life had been pre-determined by the Force. On special occasions, he took this idea into account and considered it fully. Simus still did not have an answer to whether the Force dictated lives. This was what the Jedi often believed, but he was not a Jedi.

Taylor Millard knows more then any Imperial datapad could ever tell him about the Sith. I suppose this could be a good sign for him. Simus craned his neck forty five degrees to stare at the ceiling of the ship. He mentioned that he spent time with the Sith on Corellia...I find it interesting he chose to mention that. He knows his history well, but he does not pay homage to the Sith. Millard is infatuated with his Imperial machinery and his materialized worlds. He feels safe within his borders, as a King does on his throne of gold. As long as he is a part of the Galactic Empire he cannot be harmed by outside forces. If this his choice of wielding power, so be it. I would take real power and control over what he has, anytime.

Simus still kept his mind blocked off to Taylor Millard, in case the young man tried to sense his thoughts. Such was possible, but highly unlikely from what Millard observed. If he truly was a Force adept, he did not seem to be in favor of proving it in any way, shape or form. Taylor Millard was more interested in maintaining his honor, a trait which very few could call their own. Simus had never encountered another being that held so much honor within himself. He would allow the enemy a death of dignity, which was hardly acceptable to other Imperial tyrants. His honor could be his downfall... Simus mused. He took a moment to wonder if honor would actually be responsible for this man's death in the future.

"We have eighteen and a half more hours left." Simus spoke, almost half an hour later. It was the first time he truly realized the ration bars in front of him. "Do not expect me to hunger so easily. My bodily nutritions are all that I need to function." He used his lower palm to push the rat's food away in disgust. Food was not a very important factor in Simus' life, but when he did eat, he liked to eat food that looked like food. Ration bars seemed and tasted more like duracrete then any food he had ever tasted. During his visits to the core worlds, he dined some of the finest cuisines one could ever hope to taste. The costs were not important enough to get any mention, but the food itself was exotic. Simus never really saw himself as an xenophobic. He was open to non-human foods, music and literature.

Is Taylor Millard an xenophobic? Does he frown upon aliens that are not of the human race? Or do I pay him little respect in assuming he carries any Imperial traits whatsoever. Simus placed both of his hands on his fingertips and began to count off the minutes in an extremely slow process. As time carried on, it seemed to slow down a thousand fold. Sixty seconds seemed more like seven minutes and half an hour seemed more like 3 hours. His eyes began to feel groggy and his eyelids felt heavy after all this waiting. He was too well trained to fall asleep against his own will. Simus simply ridded himself of his drowsiness through a few deep breaths and a silently uttered word. He raised his neck and stared at the clock in anticipation.

13 hours

[Taylor Millard]

"Not a major fan of ration bars anyway," Millard muttered as he took a bite. As usual, the food tasted like cardboard. How there was nutrition in it Millard would never know.

He leaned back in his chair, taking in the recycled air as it filled his lungs. His thoughts went back to his career as an Imperial...and that of Grand Admiral Thrawn.

It'd been months since he'd seen his old mentor- something he wish wasn't so. Thrawn was the type of person who instilled the values of Honor and loyalty into him when he was coming up in the ranks of the Imperial Navy. It was Thrawn who taught him to appreciate art, science, music, and literature. To Millard, Thrawn was more his father than the Jedi Knight, Kieron Millard ever was.

Even if Thrawn was an alien, Millard still considered him his father. As for most aliens, Millard didn't comepletely trust them, or accept them. But he treated with the respect he would treat any other man, despite his 'unease' he found around them. The only alien he ever found himself comfortable next to, was Grand Admiral Thrawn or the Clan Vitiku in the Unknown Regions.

"Why is it you call Naga Sadow a traitor to the Sith Empire? I thought he was more of the revered Sith in the galaxy before his fall. Is there a specific reason why you do not like him?"

[Prince Simus]

In the silence of contemplation, Simus caught of glimpse of Millard's thoughts. They varied from Grand Admiral Thrawn, his one-time mentor and ally in war to his father. A most interesting fact that Simus had not known before was that Millard's father was a Jedi. This new realization opened a doorway to more questions that would probably never be answered. Simus thought it neglegent of himself to never actually find any information on Millard's past. Such was not accessible easily, but could be obtained one way or the other. That was unless, Millard had destroyed his past with the simple click of a button and the Diktat's permission. It was a miracle in itself that the Emperor had not destroyed his bloodline. Perhaps they thought he could be taught the dark side of the Force at a young age.

Simus glared at the navigational computer's chronometer wondering if speeding up the sands of time were within the reaches of the Force. Unfortunately, he'd never heard or read about anyone that was capable of doing such a thing, and doubted anyone ever would. It was said that Palpatine could bend space itself and create Force storms that had the ability to destroy starships. Time was another entity by itself that could not be controlled by any device or mystic power. Simus sighed, still wishing that time was his to control. He would immediately speed it up and they would be on Khar Delba in mere minutes.

Millard spoke again, asking a question that was worth the merit of an answer. "Why is it you call Naga Sadow a traitor to the Sith Empire? I thought he was more of the revered Sith in the galaxy before his fall. Is there a specific reason why you do not like him?"

Simus had to smile at this question, wondering why Millard himself did not know the answer. Or perhaps he does know the answer, and he is simply testing me, Simus pondered. Nevertheless the question was easily answerable and had been answered in the past by many Sith teachers or historians.

"Naga Sadow betrayed the Sith Empire by taking matters into his own hands. He made them all believe that the Republic was planning an invasion and led them to believe the Sith had to attack first. Naturally, like all other tyrants in history he was defeated by the forces of good: the Republic and the Jedi. Naga Sadow underestimated his control of the situation and found that not everyone was loyal to him. Palpatine also made the same mistake, thinking the battle of Endor was under his control."

Simus paused for a moment.

"The difference between Palpatine and Naga Sadow is that Palpatine did not bring upon the downfall of a great Empire. Palpatine rebuilt it into something even bigger then the original Sith Empire. Sadow was the destroyer of a dark future, and Palpatine was the creator of one. If you were to ask me why I hate Sadow, the answer is I do not hate him. I frown upon his idiocy in dealing with matters and vanquishing potential allies. Sadow destroyed his own Master who was also known as Simus. Khar Delba cannot be limited to representing his legacy, but the legacy of the Sith Lords that lived before him. The place is a potential death trap, one that a rifle or blaster cannot quench. If you have a weapon, it will be of little use, but you can bring it if you want."

The dark figure pressed his fingers together and shifted his eyes to the viewport. The white lighted tunnel of hyperspace was as bright as ever, while their ship traveled through. It was unbelievable to comprehend that one could actually travel these distances. Some settlements in backwater planets hadn't even discovered hyperdrive technology yet. It was most efficient in allowing one passage to distant worlds. Simus was angered that they could not obtain a faster ship for this excursion, but there was no use in getting mad now. He simply remained silent, choosing not to add to answer for Taylor's question.

12 Hours

[Taylor Millard]

"I agree," Millard spoke, as he took a drink of water, "I find it interesting though, how you call the Republic and the Jedi 'good'. It is my opinion the Republic has done more harm to the galaxy than good. Terrorist actions against diplomats and peaceful worlds. Inciting rebellion and disorder in the galaxy, is not what I can a 'good' thing.

"I am not saying the Empire doesn't have its faults, I know it does. Mainly, politicians involving themselves in the affairs of the military. And no, I am not talking about Emperor Palpatine, Prince Simus, I am talking about those who masquerade as military leaders when they should be running for office."

Millard knew exactly who he was talking about, but allowed the name to not come across his mind.

"It is unfortunate, there are those out there who do not realize what the Emperor wanted," he spoke out of honesty.

Millard allowed himself to trail off after that last statement, he had nothing really to add. Politics concerned him not. Millard preferred to set an example by serving the Empire to the best of his ability. His talents were in command and piloting, both he'd used for his success.

Of course, a part of him said, You do have that...other talent of yours.

Inwardly, Millard glared...it had been a long time since he'd been bothered by an internal argument. There was no need for any sort of argument. But after encountering both Venom on Dubrillion and Simus here...now...it was an argument making itself stronger as the hours went by.

Taylor stood, walking back towards the small bag of personal effects he'd packed while on board the Superior. He removed a book, old and beginning to fray on the edges. It was something he'd taken from the library on Balmorra. The History of the Empire by Kirath Klom. It was an interesting book, even more interesting because Millard knew how biased Klom was.

Klom was the only Rodian ever to be published on a regular basis. His stories were mainly on the romance and humor, but about twenty-four years ago he'd attempted to write the history of the Empire. His book had gotten critical acclaim, but it also lamblasted all of the Empire, calling Palpatine and his men fools for thinking they could rule an enitre galaxy. Klom especially enjoyed roasting the Grand Admiral Thrawn and Darth Vader for not doing well. Millard had hated the book, but kept it as a reason for why he believed in the Empire.

It was, Millard mused, people like Klom which only showed why the Empire was needed. And why he would fight for it, until his own death.

He set the book down on the seat, next to Simus.

"Prince Simus, have you ever read this book?" he asked as a test, "It is quite an interesting read."

[Prince Simus]

"I agree," Millard spoke, as he took a drink of water, "I find it interesting though, how you call the Republic and the Jedi 'good'. It is my opinion the Republic has done more harm to the galaxy than good. Terrorist actions against diplomats and peaceful worlds. Inciting rebellion and disorder in the galaxy, is not what I can a 'good' thing."

Simus clasped both of his fists together, while he tried to ward off the anger he felt for Millard right now. Obviously the Imperial propoganda has had an effect on his way of thinking. It was appaling that this man would actually call the Rebellion/Republic a harbinger of harm. Simus had no real love for the Republic, but he was interested in the truth of things. It was the Republic that would accept Imperial defects. It was the Republic that based their beliefs on equality between humans and non-humans. Simus was tempted to correct this man's tongue with a simple word, but chose against it. Now was not the time, they were nearing Khar Delba.

On the other hand, Millard had been most correct on the Jedi. They were commonly known to be the protectors of peace and tranquility. Simus had to scoff at this statement that bore no real truth. The Jedi did absolutely nothing unless they were the beneficieries. A wise being once told him that the Jedi Order was more corrupt than anyone could possibly ever anticipate. Simus had spent time amongst them, which seemed lifetimes ago. His study of them was enough to drive one to the brink of insanity. They were pretenders to peace, not the proclaimed protectors. What the Jedi really cared for was simply fame and recognition for whatever it was they did. Simus crossed his arms defiantly, wondering if he was being the ignorant one now.

Taylor Millard went to drone on about the Empire's faults and what Palpatine really wanted. Simus listened to what he had to say, but the words were lost on him. He could not say that he cared for the opinion of a military man, even if it did include Palpatine. I have yet to find the third manuscript. Perhaps this man could provide me with a clue to where Palpatine hid it. Simus rose his head slightly and considered taking full control of Millard's head. No doubt it would hold information about Palpatine, but probably not important enough. What he needed was personal access to the files on Imperial center. That would be obtainable in due time, if he presented the Diktat with a suitable gift.

The hours passed and the time was near. Simus grew impatient with waiting, and almost wished that Millard would ask him another question.

The young man rose, as if hearing this thought and relieved an item from his bag. It was a book that did not look familiar from a few feet away. Millard stared at the cover for a moment and then placed the book on the seat next to Simus. He'd inquired if the dark man had ever read the book during his studies. Simus turned his head to the side and unfolded his crossed arms. He summoned the book through the air and into his hand a few inches away. The pages seemed to flip themselves, as if a strong wind were passing by.

"Yes." Was all that Simus said.

Silence passed for a minute before the dark man handed the book back to Millard. "About a month ago during my stay on Coruscant. I found it to be amusing and refreshing to see the story through the eyes of a non-human. It is an amazement that the Diktat did not order for his capture through Bounty hunting sources. The sort of dissent that his voice could cause is tremendous. Opinions seem harmless but can infact be something much more. Kirath Klom is extremely biased, thus none of his ideas and opinions hold much merit. Some of his points were very well written and truly researched, but others weren't. He gives little credit to the great Darth Vader, the Emperor's second in command."

The dark Prince cracked his knuckles and stood up to stretch. For the past few hours he hadn't moved at all, and the effect had taken its toll. His bones ached slightly, but quickly recovered after he used a calming technique to release the tension in his body. Simus felt somewhat refreshed, something he would need for the holy land of Khar Delba. He resumed his seat and shut himself off to the world around him.

Sometime Later...

"The chronometer." Simus rose a dark hand and pointed at the time. They had only three minutes left until emerging from Hyperspace. The dark prince grinned under his mask, thanking the Masters that their journey was finally coming to an end. He could not wait to see Khar Delba...again. Earlier he'd told Millard this would be his first time visiting the planet. Such was not true, but it did not matter. His thoughts were closed off to Millard.

The ship reverted into realspace with a jolt that shook through like a tremor. Simus threw up both hands in joy and pointed with one.

"Behold! Khar Delba."

[Taylor Millard]

Millard jumped in the pilot's seat as the shuttle came out of hyperspace.

So...this is Khar Delba, he gazed over the rocky landscape.

He had relatively little knowledge about the planet, Khar Delba, the information Taylor had attempted to get was unreliable at best.

As the shuttle landed, Millard grabbed several Personal Shielding Units and his Imperial Repeater Rifle. He walked to the back of the shuttle, watching as Simus didn't move.

His blue eyes eyes the prince as he continued not to move. Millard turned his head, then a sudden swirl behind him and the prince stood next to him.

The two began walking outside the shuttle. Millard looked around, seeing the vast landscape around him. He pulled some macrobinoculars out and scanned the area. He saw a temple about 273 Meters away.

As he turned to speak to Prince Simus, Millard suddenly noticed the prince had begun walking towards the temple.

Slowly, Millard began following, keeping his senses alerted for anything.

[Prince Simus]

Simus had turned his back on the Imperial Grand Admiral, choosing to begin his journey immediately. There was really no need for macrobinoculars and he smiled at the sight of Millard using them. Had this man simply used his inner powers, he could feel the main concentration of power. It was emerging from some sort of building that was slightly visible over the horizon. There was no doubt that this building would be easier to see once they travelled further. Simus wished there was some sort of map that he could access to make his journey easier. This was somewhat of a pilgrimage and it was hard to complete a pilgrimage if one had no idea where they were going. This made him wonder if he was being watched by coporeal beings. Khar Delba seemed as lifeless as the planet Korriban that belonged to the Sith Order. Simus had seen it only once, but that was barely memorable in his short-termed memory.

As the two covered the wide desert expanse, the picture of the building became much clearer to them. It seemed as large as a small mountain in size. Simus guessed that the building probably covered a square kilometer in size. He couldn't determine the height yet, nor was it relevant at this time. He was more concerned with the occupants of the temple-like building, if there were any. Korriban was known to have these creature guardians that could sniff the Force. They resembled the Vornskyr of Myrkr, yet were much deadlier and quicker. The thought would bring a chill to any man, yet Simus did not feel any fear. His mental training had left him in control of his own fears. He could exert them at the right time to serve his bidding. Now was definately not that time.

The air on this planet could only be described as old and musty. In a single breath one could taste the legacy of greatness crushed by greed. The sands of this planet also seemed dead, if that was possible. A darkness of sorts that did not pertain to luminosity hung over both of them as they crossed the land. The area they were in could be described as a desert wasteland. There was no proof of bones or anything that could have belonged to a lifeform in sight. Jagged rocks and small plateaus were littered all across the land. There was the occasional small wind that swept through the area, dragging sand particles with it. Simus turned his head to the side and was met with even more wasteland that seemed to stretch for infinity. This planet could be compared to Tatooine, yet even Tatooine held life.

This is such a wretchedly cursed place. Simus extended his senses but could not feel any trickles of life and emotion other then Millard. The young man behind him seemed to be holding up quite nicely and quietly. Simus was mildly impressed that he'd lasted this long without perspiring or tiring from the rugged terrain. Not that this planet could be considered warm, for that matter. The planet of Khar Delba had somewhat of an eerie chill to it that rattled one's bones. Simus had tried to shrug it off with numerous techniques that he'd been taught earlier in life, but none seemed to work. He began to embrace the chill as a normal thing, hoping it would stop bothering him.

With all of the thinking that had been circulating through his brain, Simus barely realized they almost arrived. The temple had a lower rectangle shape with a pyramid atop the building. It hung at the edge of a high cliff that made it look very impressive. A string of black sand layered a piece of land in which Simus had just stepped on. Noticing it, he cupped it in his hand and brought it up to his nose to smell. He recognized the smell as scorched matter. It seemed that these black strings were all around them, leading to the temple.

"Impossible!" Millard turned to hear Simus speak for the first time since they arrived. "The Sith Lords that struck this planet, hoping to capture or kill Sadow ravaged it with their warship over five thousand years ago." Simus bent down and picked up more of the black sand. "This sand has the smell of laser warfare in it. Look around you Taylor Millard, this land was ravaged by the greed of the Sith and their mechanical warships over 5000 years ago!" For the first time they both realized that half of the pyramid atop the rectangle base of the temple was destroyed, leaving only rubble to be seen. "It is my guess that the Sith magic has preserved this land, somehow. The burn marks are still present when in theory, they should have disappeared under sand a thousand years ago. Let us proceed."

They pressed onward, greeting a vast group of stone steps that led them up to the entrance of the temple. Simus bit his lower lip and summoned the strength he would need to fare this large stairwell. He wondered how Taylor Millard would fare on his own, without accessing his potential and using it for mental reassurance. They began to climb the stairwell, enduring the harsh winds that seemed to increase with each step. Although the stairwell was at least seven meters wide, they were at risk. At this point, were one of them to fall off he would die on impact with the ground below. Simus knew that the winds would probably cease once they were inside of the building.

Almost ten minutes later, both reached the top of the stairwell. They were greeted by a circular plateau almost sixty meters wide in diameter. The outer edges of this plateau was littered with statues of Sith warriors. Some were half destroyed and others were in perfect condition. Simus spared a glance to the door which was not intact. A vision of a lancing turbolaser passed through his head, which explained the fate of the large doors. Still, the rubble that had formed would take a bit of time to climb and pass through safely.

Simus turned back to Millard and regarded the older man. For a human that was not considered young, Millard seemed to be in good shape. He was slightly panting, but not too much. Even physical trainers would be wheezing at this point.

"Taylor Millard, does this place impress you?" Simus asked quietly. The winds slowly came to a calm, allowing his speech to echo through the area. "I know exactly who you are, what you were, and what you've become. Your ability to use powers that few have is not ignorant to me. I've known all about you before I stepped foot in your transport."

Simus glared at the man and began to take a few steps back.

"I know of your feelings toward me. You feel as if you know me from somewhere. Though you reject your heritage as a user of the Force, it haunts you with premonition. You are correct in feeling familiarity toward me. We have met in the past as you inferred. A simple dabble in the Force would have confirmed when and where we met, but you were foolish." Simus finished with dripping scorn in his voice. His gloved hands extended forward and both took hold of his dark hood.

"I am..."

[Seth Darkserpent]

"...the harbinger of your inevitable death!"

The hands worked quickly to rip the hood right off of Simus' robes. A wall of dust rose off the stone floor and blinded Millard for at least ten seconds. Black fabric was spouted every which way by a sharp energy blast emanating from what was once Simus. As soon as the dust began to settle, Taylor became aware of the discarded materials that had once made up Simus' ragged robes and outer clothing. The material was literally ripped to shreds by the mild energy blast that Simus had executed. The dust was gone, and Millard's vision was beginning to return quickly. The Grand Admiral shifted his eyes upward at a most familiar image.

"Greetings Taylor Millard. It has been...too long." The figure was unmasked, unlike the past when his face was not to be seen. Although it would be foolish of Millard to deny what he saw before him. The image of Seth Darkserpent was totally undeniable. "I am extremely disappointed in your inability to catch on to who I really was. It was foolish of you to reject the Force as you had, especially on a trip with the untrustworthy Simus. Simus is an identity that I assumed shortly after my departure from Yavin IV, where I learned much about the Jedi and their type. It was only a matter of time before I found a way to arrange this trip with you as my escort."

The grin on Seth's face diminished into an expression of pure hatred and anger. Darkserpent looked dangerous enough to pull the horns off of a Bantha and slice it up into minced meat. His impressive figure stood seven feet tall, encompassed by a large black cloak. The black gloves on his hands had been replaced by the indestructable gauntlets that cost him much more then he'd ever see again. His body was clad in the dark armor he'd recovered on the moon Dxun, during one of his archaeological digs. The boots that he wore were made of extremely tough Barabel scales. They were not as indestructable as the quantum crystalline armor that coated his gauntlets, but very hard to pierce with a blaster.

"You see Taylor, I thought Khar Delba would be a most befitting place for you to die. After all, was it not Naga Sadow that once called this planet his home? Yes, you should feel right at home here, traitor!" Seth growled the word traitor, rather than shouting it. His gauntlets had slowly curled themselves into fists that would crack a man's skull in seconds. "You rejected your heritage to pursue foolish dreams of furthering the glory of a supposed Empire. It is a shame that you have no personal goals for glory, only that weakening loyalty."

Seth allowed himself a moment's breath to calm his nerves down. He grasped control of his anger and exerted it to strengthening his essential limbs. His eyes began to reflect an orange hue, denying their natural brown colours. Seth only experienced this kind of change when he allowed the Dark Side to fully flow through him. All of his hate, all of his fear, all of his negative emotions were channeled and converted into energy, as he'd been taught to draw on.

"Your idiocy blinded you from determining that I was in your presence, and now it is too late. Your death has been required for quite some time now, although it was not that big of a priority. I allowed you to live quietly for some time, making yourself believe you were actually safe. Had you forgotten about the dark forces that you allied yourself to Millard? Did you think they were going to rest idly by and watch your potential waste itself away for all eternity? You've rejected a gift that few have and many wish to obtain. That fact alone does not make you worthy of the life that you wish to squander." Seth unclenched both of his fists and stood up straight.

For the first time, Millard noticed the object hanging from the dark belt that had been hidden by the darkness of Seth's cloak. It was the sword that Seth Darkserpent recovered and rebuilt for himself. Months ago, he thought it was lost aboard a hijacked freighter on Arcan IV. The sword had called to him, beckoned him from afar, as if it had a mind of its own. He was drawn to the weapon and used it to slaughter the ones who'd stolen his ship. They were simple pirates who wanted credits in exchange for their findings.

Seth clasped the sword and unsheathed it with a slow hissing sound. The dark blade revealed its jagged body, a weapon totally unable to reflect light of any kind. Seth Darkserpent rose it in the air with both hands and released some of his inner energies upon it. The weapon took on a purple hue of energy that promised to make it as strong as the Jedi lightsabers. The dark side crystal inside of the hilt collected the energies and amplified them to cover the whole sword. This created somewhat of a bond between Darkserpent and his weapon. This was surprising, considering the fact that he had only used it a few times.

"Now Taylor Millard," Seth pointed his sword at the Imperial Grand Admiral, "meet your death!"

[Taylor Millard]

Oh...frell Millard cursed as he stared at his former master. It all made sense...the love of history, the strange feeling in the back of his head, Simus' opinion of Naga Sadow and the Ancient Sith Empire...all pointed towards one being...Seth Darkserpent.

The former Sith Knight and Dark Jedi watched as Darkserpent revealed himself to the world. As the sword rose to remove Millard's head from his shoulders, Taylor acted by throwing his body to the left of the sword...the blade just missing his body as it swooped over him.

Millard rolled left, avoiding another blade as he came to his feet, Imperial Repeater Rifle in hand.

What do you plan on doing with that? a voice said in his mind, almost mocking him, He's a Dark Jedi...and you're trying to fight him with a blaster?

Millard fired anyway, watching as Darkserpent blocked the slugs as they flew towards him. The Sith Knight raised his gauntled hand ripping the repeater rifle from the Imperial's hand. Another swoop of the hand, and Millard felt himself lift from the ground.

He watched, no real fear showing in his eyes, but dread in his mind...as his former Master walked towards him, hate in his eyes.

[Seth Darkserpent]

"It all makes sense now, does it not Taylor Millard? I can feel the anger directed toward yourself for not realizing sooner. Your inability to fully trust yourself is your own undoing." Seth pointed the sword upward at Taylor Millard who was suspended in mid-air. The simple process of killing him and painting the steps with his blood could be easily achieved at this point in time.

Darkserpent retracted his jagged sword with his left hand and unclenched his right fist. Millard fell back to the ground in an instant, hitting the stone with a small and insignificant thud. All around them the winds began to pick up again, but they were more of a silent wind. Seth snapped his wrist forward and struck at the floor where Millard was recovering from his short fall. The Grand Admiral reflexively rolled out of the way and dodged the attack. Before the sword could impact with the stone, Seth swung it aside and brought it back up. The Grand Admiral stared up at him from the ground, wondering what Darkserpent would do next.

Seth reached into his cloak with his free hand and pulled out a metal object that shone in the mid-day sun. He tossed it toward Millard with a simple flick of his wrist. The object clanked on the stone floor beside Millard for a few moments before coming to a complete stop. Seth spoke in a low tone, "That was your lightsaber. I have kept it in my possession for quite some time now. It was my hope that I would get to fight you with it before I killed you."

Darkserpent summoned the power of the Force inside of him, waking up demons that had been dormant for too long. He dwelled on his anger and disappointment in Millard long enough that he began to feel it take shape and surge through his body. Every single cell in his arms screamed out in pain, but that meant little to Darkserpent. This particular pain was self created to amplify his dark powers and magnify them. As he'd been taught his mind created a mental link with the rest of his body. His muscles tensed and contracted soon after, and his blood was filled with adrenaline.

~ "Take up your lightsaber, and fight!" ~

The stone plateau rumbled as Seth drove his sword into the floor below him. A tendril of dark energy lanced out of the sword and snapped the head off of a nearby statue. The statue's head was jerked forward and went spinning through the air. It's destination was clear to both of the combatants present. The head of the statue was meant to hit and wound Millard.

~ "Defend yourself! ~

Seth pulled his sword out of the ground as soon as the tendril faded away. He quickly walked toward Millard, sword in hand and determined to fight. On one side the Imperial Grand Admiral was faced with a Force-controlled head and on the other side Seth was approaching at a quick pace. One could only wonder how he would deal with this.

[Taylor Millard]

"I know you kept it in your possession," Millard scowled as he looked towards Darkserpent, "I sent it to you."

Millard watched as the black lightsaber clanked on the stone ground of the open-air pyramid. It was a tool and a weapon, nothing more. If he used it, would it mean he was surrendering himself to his family heritage and accepting he could use the Force? It was a question worth considering as the former Dark Jedi stared at the weapon lying on the ground before him.

Suddenly, his brother's words came to him, as he lay dying in the Unknown Regions.

"Honor our family...Remember...who you are. The last of the Millards...honor us...please!"

Very well brother...for you, Millard answered his brother as he picked the black lightsaber up.

It felt odd in his hand, as if it was supposed to be there, yet...not supposed to. The cold, black metal felt comfortable in his hand- the way he'd designed it, when he was on Corellia. His blue eyes narrowed as he pressed the button to activate the weapon.

The blue-red blade dimly lit the darkened area as Millard spun the lightsaber in his hand. He turned, slicing the Stone Head as it came towards him.

"You want a fight Darkserpent?" Millard turned towards the Dark Jedi, "I would prefer not to fight you...but if that's the only way...Very well."

As the purple Sith Sword blade swung down on Millard, he intercepted it with his lightsaber, blocking it, but with some difficulty. Taylor ducked several swipes, most coming close to hitting him as he still refused to use the Force, then flew back as Darkserpent threw him across the room.

Taylor stood up, then waited for Darkserpent's next charge.

[Seth Darkserpent]

Seth found it interesting that Taylor was able to block and parry his shots without even dabbling upon the Force. Obviously this man was well-skilled in the ancient Lightsaber arts of Teras-kasi. Darkserpent hadn't counted on Millard forgetting anything he'd learned at Corellia all those months ago. This was exactly the way he wanted it to be, and how he'd imagined it from the beginning of the trip. He was here atop a stone arena battling with the traitor to the Order, Taylor Millard. Seth promised himself that he would keep the Grand Admiral's head and have it stuffed as a trophy. It was hard to imagine but some actually made credits off these kind of sick professions.

His heart was beating at a slow speed despite the running and slashing he'd performed. Darkserpent was in as much physical shape as this body would allow. Standing at seven feet tall and clad in black armor and clothing, Seth looked like a villain straight from a storybook. His thick hair rippled in the harsh winds that pierced his skin with chill. The sky was still bright, but it seemed as though a shadow had been cast over them. Darkserpent glanced upward for a moment but didn't give it too much thought. He was more concerned with Taylor, who was obviously waiting for him to strike again.

Excellent, Taylor is slowly accepting his heritage. Perhaps he can redeem himself before I end his pitiful life! Darkserpent surged forward with a burst of adrenaline. His jagged sword held high in a defiant attack position. Seth swung his sword down on Millard as hard as he could. Although the former Dark Jedi blocked the attack easily, he was forced to kneel down in order to maintain his balance. Darkserpent broke off the attack and brought his sword down in a sweeping arc. Millard was quick to dodge out of the way and smack the sword away. Seth was almost sent into a spin, but kept his balance.

Seth grinned, showing his white and welt kept teeth. "Your skills are formidable for an Imperial." Darkserpent flicked his free hand forward and sent Millard tumbling away before he could make another attack. Darkserpent looked him straight in the eyes, allowing Millard to catch glimpse of extremely tiny blue tendrils of energy sparking from the edges of Seth's eyes. "Although I have also grown in skill and in power!" Darkserpent launched himself forward and jabbed low. He was blocked and unexpectedly pushed back himself. Seth lost his footing and was forced to roll away to dodge a lightsaber attack.

The one-time apprentice of Darkserpent was faring quite well against Seth. He'd expected more agression, but that would come in time. Seth was not one to taunt his prey into unleashing their anger. He simply subliminally implied to them that anger would be the only chance of victory. This worked on the weak willed, but Millard seemed to be resistant. This angered Darkserpent very much. He would have to find a new approach to angering this man.

"You are weak Taylor! Dwell on your anger and you can defeat me. Once you defeat me, you will be free of the Sith forever." Seth feinted his sword to the left, but retracted and swung at Millard's head. He was rocked back when Taylor quickly blocked the attack. Taylor jabbed forward, but his lightsaber was swatted away by the thicker blade. Seth saw an opening, a chance to wound Millard and anger the man. He struck, but his arm was repelled by some unknown force. Taylor noticed this and slashed upward. Seth regained his senses just in time to move his arm out of the way.

What in the Force happened? He cursed himself silently, using his anger to fuel his actions. Seth slashed to the left, only to be blocked. He jabbed to Millard's unprotected side, only to find out he didn't score a hit. His attacks were becoming more agressive with each moment as he allowed anger to control his hand movements.

Slash, block, slash, slash, block, roll, block, slash.

The fighting continued with Darkserpent as angry as ever. The blue energy around the rimming of his eyes had increased, but could barely be seen in the blur of things. Both Millard and Darkserpent were fighting quickly, but neither seemed to yield. That was until Millard's saber was kept at bay by the jagged Sith sword. Seth used his free hand to swing a punch at Taylor's face. The Imperial Grand Admiral felt the punch and was forced back.

Seth had an evil smile on his face, "You disappoint me, Millard. Perhaps your brother would still be alive if you weren't so weak. Is that a trait that you share with your father? After all, Jedi always amount to nothing. Seems you are destined to follow that path."

[Taylor Millard]

"You disappoint me, Millard. Perhaps your brother would still be alive if you weren't so weak. Is that a trait that you share with your father? After all, Jedi always amount to nothing. Seems you are destined to follow that path."

He's goading you Millard, he's goading you! the voice in his head cautioned him as the former Dark Jedi heard Seth's taunt, If you get angry you'll only make a mistake.

Something had happened during the fight. Seth had been blocked by something, but Millard wasn't sure what. It was almost as if Millard accessed the Force, but didn't know it. The battle had raged on after the incident with Millard holding his own, until his attack had only left him dazed from a punch to the face.

Would it be that difficult? he thought as he fought, To use the Force? Perhaps as a tool and not a crutch?

He'd heard it before, Jedi (both light and dark) using the Force only as a tool- not a way of life, as others seemed to. One reason he had been pleased to have Seth Darkserpent as his Master, was the Dark Jedi used the Force as a tool, as he did all of his knowledge.

But now...his former master seemed more consumed by his anger than normal. Something had happened to Seth, something Millard did not know.

If I am to defeat him, I will have to unleash a part of me, I'd prefer not to.

Now, The Dark Jedi stood over him, his orange eyes blazing with fury. Millard looked up...then his expression changed. His cold blue eyes became the color of blue ice, and Millard glared at Darkserpent.

Taylor rolled out of the way of swing of the Sith Sword, then stood up quickly.

"As far as I see it, Master Darkserpent," he spoke clearly, "It is your anger which makes you weak! You call yourself a Dark Jedi, then what good does it do to kill one of your own? Separating the wheat from the chaff?-"

He dodged another swing, "If that is so, then why isn't The Black Hand thriving? Or have they gone silent?

"Did I send Imperial troops to Corellia or VJun to hunt you down, after I left The Sith Order and The Black Hand?"

More dodging, more clashing of blades.

"I did not, Master Darkserpent. I left the Dark Jedi and Sith to themselves. Now, almost a year-and-a-half since I left their forces, you pursue me? Who is the weaker one?"

His taunt worked and Darkserpent flew after him in a rage. Millard fought harder and harder, watching as The Dark Jedi's attacks began to be more difficult to defend again.

Wait for it....wait for it...

Millard felt his back against one of the pillars. He saw one of the most evilest smiles come to Seth's face as the Sith Knight swung his sword to remove Millard's head from his shoulders.

It was then, Taylor pushed outward, almost as reflex. He watched, almost suprised as Seth was, as the latter flew across the pyramid into one of the pillars. He hit the ground, then almost immediately, rose to his feet.

Millard stood there watching, his senses alert, "You see, Darkserpent," he spoke his voice laced with anger, "I can allow you to spite my father. I can allow you to spite my mother. But you do not insult my brother."

He twirled his lightsaber, then clashed it against Seth's blade...the two battling again. Millard ducked, dodged, blocked, and attacked all in a span of 25 seconds.

"You're breathing a bit heavier, Master...could it be you were not expecting this?"

He threw a hand out, watching as Seth's orange eyes went white. Millard had blinded him.

"While I may have left the Dark Jedi," his cold blue eyes shone, "I never forgot my training."

Seth's own hand shot out, gripping Millard in a Force Choke. Taylor reached for his hand, as if he were prying fingers away...then he concentrated.

...And actually felt the Force.

He broke the hold on his throat, placing Darkserpent in a choke of his own. When that broke, Millard swung his lightsaber, blocking serveral rocks coming at him.

Seth then threw Millard across the pyramid, smashing him hard into the stone floor. Taylor stood up, then glared.

The Force raged through Millard, as the battle began anew. The duo fought around the pyramid, sparks beginning to fly from the blades as they clashed. Another swoop of Seth's hand and Millard flew again.

This time, he flipped, landing on his feet- yet twisting an ankle at the same time. Seth flew through the air, attempting to come down on the injured Millard.

It was then, a large boulder intercepted Seth's flight, his body plowing through it, however, the Dark Jedi fell to the ground.

Millard stood, then leaped in the air, landing behind Darkserpent. His lightsaber swung down, as he expected the towering Dark Jedi to block his swing.

[Seth Darkserpent]

Darkserpent hit the ground with a surprised thud, feeling the pain of sudden shock surge through his body. Blindness began to creep away, and sunlight filled his eyes. Furthermore he felt a sharp pain in his side, inconsequential for now. The unpleasantness subsided a moment later, only to return in the form of an alarm. He felt Millard behind him ready to attack and kill Darkserpent in return for dishonoring his brother. Seth rolled on his back and brought the sword up to block the attack. His own sword almost grounded into his neck, had he not called upon the Force for more arm strength. He pushed forward with his mind, knocking Millard out of the way. Almost instantly Seth rolled out of the awkward position and stood up.

The Dark Jedi paced back and in a half circle until he found himself meters away from Taylor Millard. The distance between them would be sufficient enough for Darkserpent to buy himself some time. Now that Millard had regained his powers, he'd proven himself to be quite a formidable fighter. A little too good, for my preference. Neither Seth nor Millard made any sort of move for the next few minutes. Both combatants waited silently, contemplating what was to be done next. At least Taylor was probably doing that. Seth already had something in mind that he had thought of earlier.

Deal with this... With his right hand he ripped off his cloak. With a quick motion he threw the heavy fabric straight into the air and at Millard. As it unraveled itself in mid-flight the cloak took shape into a wild predator, a force-hungry Vornskyr. It soared toward Taylor with angry eyes and a snapping jaw. As presumed, Taylor slashed through the Vornskyr with his lightsaber. The black creature ceased to be as the illusion had disappated. The cloak itself though caught hold of Millard and clung to his body like food wrap.

Seth had his eyes toward the sky and his arms held out high and wide. His sword was on the floor before him and his gauntlets were tucked away in his cloak, which seemed to imply he did not need them for whatever he was trying to do. From an observer's point of view, Darkserpent was an idiot for not using this distraction and oppurtunity to kill Millard. Only Seth knew that this would not be that easy. Nothing seemed to be happening, other then his lips moving. They were not making any sounds, but he was definately speaking.

~ Five united as one. I draw upon your powers now. ~

By this time in the battle, Millard had slashed his way out of the binding. Whatever was left of Seth's cloak had been burned away by the lightsaber or blown away by the heavy but silent winds. He stared at Seth Darkserpent who had his hands turned upward. Taylor did not waste any time in attacking. He ran at Seth ready to strike and kill.

Snapping out of his trance, Seth noticed the oncoming danger in front of him. His arms swung down to point at Millard, as if that would do much against a lightsaber. The anger creased his face, causing him to look rather ridiculous at first sight. Before Taylor could reach him, Seth unleashed his negative energy through his hands. Blue bolts danced from his fingers and lanced forward, stopping Taylor in mid-step. Instinctively and expectedly, the former Dark Jedi used the Force in connection with his lightsaber to block this sudden lightning attack. The first few blue bolts of lightning had been stopped, but others reached past the weapon and contacted with Taylor. The dark energy surged through his body, paralyzing it for a split second. Taylor's weapon hit the floor with a clank.

~ More, I call upon more energy! ~

Seth unleashed more of his Force energy through his bare hands and straight to Millard. Darkserpent knew of his limitations in regards to this certain technique. Palpatine was said to be a Master at using the Force to create lightning bolts made purely of hate, pain and anger. Over the course of the past year, Darkserpent used this move continuously. Although he was still not as strong as Palpatine, a few more minutes of this would definately kill Taylor.

"Taylor Millard, you have been found guilty of treason by the Black Hand."

The lightning bolts stopped and silence reined for about half a second.

"I sentence you to death." Seth mocked.

His hands came up again, showing his fingers in creased arcs. Blue lightning, notably somewhat thinner, drained from his body. Unbeknownst to most, this move drained much out of a wielder, were they to use it as much as Palpatine did. Seth wasn't beginning to crack and perspire, yet, but it did take toll on his awareness for at least a day in time. In the end, when Millard's body was lifeless, it would all be worth it.

The lightning stopped again, "Any last words before the sentence is carried out?"

[Taylor Millard]

"Yes..." Millard spoke out of cracked lips, "I die with honor, having not betrayed my family."

The Imperial Grand Admiral staggered forward, the lightning sending shocks up his nervous system. It was be impossible for Millard to continue, but he forced himself to. If he could remove his own former Master from the Universe and die with him; he could be with his family.

He was slowly moving forward, his body weakening even more. Only a few more feet...then he would be able to stop Seth.

The blue lightning ravaged his system, most of it causing more injury but part of it feeding Millard. It gave his body strength to continue.

Then, right as Millard was only a foot away...his body failed him. He fell forward, injured...dying...and in pain. He lay on the ground as Darkserpent stood over him, an evil smile on his face.

It was then, as he lay dying, Taylor saw the Imperial Repeater Rifle. It lay 20 feet away, but still reachable. His right hand, burning from the Force Lightning, reached out and called the weapon to him.

With one last gasp, Taylor fired...and the world went dark.

[Seth Darkserpent]

The sudden move by Taylor Millard was unexpected by Darkserpent who was completely focused on drawing energy. Just as soon as the man collapsed to the floor, Seth ceased his electrical attack. He ceased the attack not because Millard was dead, but because of the sudden pain that pierced through his body. With horrified eyes, he glanced downward where his hands had been. The sight of fresh red blood came as even more of a shock. The blaster bolt had pierced him below his unprotected mid-section. The bolt went right through the right side of his belly a second after Millard had fired. Slowly, the blood drops began to stain his hand. He wouldn't have been surprised if an artery had been severed by the laser bolt.

Seth dropped down on one knee, unable to support his weight under his own power any more. The world around him began to dematerialize into blackness or whatever else waited for him beyond the boundaries of reality and space. With one hand clutched to his lower stomach and the other clasped into a tight fist, Darkserpent looked like one of those tragic villains breathing their last breath. His nails dug into his fisted hand as he clenched harder, determined to stay conscious and alive. It would be a shame for him to die now. All of his works and findings would be worthless. He was so close to obtaining some sort of divine wisdom. Darkserpent had used the Dark Side to patch up internal wounds in the past and stop bleeding, but he could barely concentrate enough to grasp it.

I will not die at the hands of this Imperial, Taylor Millard. Thinking clearly was also hard enough and made his head ache with true pain, anger and pain. The fact that Taylor had caught Seth by surprise drove him to edge of madness with anger and hate. He staggered his way back to his feet and began to draw upon the Dark Side for strength. He would have to cheat death once more for the sake of this mission and he would complete it, one way or another.

A sense of relief flooded through his head, allowing normal circulation to flow. He blinked twice to rid himself of the black dots and removed his hand from the wound. Darkserpent summoned a rather long thin patch of his tattered cloak's remains and used it to wrap around the wound. That will sustain the bleeding for the time being. He reflected on how Gav had taught him to use his anger to seal internal wounds. He immediately put his knowledge into effect, experiencing the change within his lower stomach. It brought on slight feelings of nausea, but he ignored them.

As he worked to seal the wound, Darkserpent recalled the story of Freedon Nadd and Exar Kun's final delve into the Dark Side of the Force. The Dark Side had freed Kun's body from pain and rejuvenated it fully. Some stated blindly that only the Jedi were capable of healing, but this was not always the case. Seth had yet to learn the ancient Sith teachings that had the ability to heal oneself. Darkserpent supposed that Dark Side healing was on a different level, but he couldn't state that as a fact. Perhaps one day he would have the ability to study both techniques.

But first! Seth held out his hand and recalled his sword to hand. He sliced once through the air to test it, knowing that it was still deadly without its purple hue. Millard must die. I can still feel some life within him. This is the oppurtunity of a lifetime and I must seize it.

Seth walked forward with slow careful strides. He didn't expect Millard to jump up and attack at this point, but he couldn't tell. Darkserpent reached Taylor with a few more strides and stood above the unconscious man. His looming figure blocked the sunlight, casting a shadow on Millard's figure. Seth Darkserpent pointed his sword to Millard's head and measured the angle in which he would decapitate him. Once he was sure of his angle, Seth reeled the sword back. It rose well over his head, reflecting the sunlight above. Millard did not move and made no attempt dodge or attack.

"Traitorous Sithspit."

The sword swung downward, but never reached Taylor Millard's neck. An invisible force had simply batted it out of his hand. Now the sword went spinning through the air and over the edge of the stone plateau. Seth quickly spun around expecting to see some other Force user nearby, but he saw nothing. Below him, Taylor was still unconscious. Darkserpent stared up at the sky, and then at the caved in doorway to the temple. Through the Force he only felt Taylor nearby. There were no signs of animals or anything.

"Who is there! I demand you to show yourself!" Seth shouted out in the open. The words echoed throughout the area, but they were not answered. He pounded his left fist into his right hand, angry at the loss of his weapon. He contemplated whether it would be wise to attack Millard with his boot. Twice already had he been stopped by some unknown entity. He was almost afraid to think of what the third try would bring him. "Hello?!" Darkserpent shouted out a second time. Something was here, regardless of what he felt through the Force and what he saw. Seth looked down at Millard again, and raised his foot.

~~ Khoraka slyynsh nvkel ftuptk shkankra rantahdea dnumerifca buuvitks ryta sqatyila korhee! ~~

The words made little sense to Seth, but he knew what language they originated from. These were the words of the Sith, playing throughout his head. Someone was contacting him, and they didn't seem too pleased with what he was about to do to Millard. Seth removed his foot and stared throughout the horizon, repeating the words in his head. If he survived this debacle, he would have to search for their meaning.

The wind began to pick up at an increasingly fast speed. Darkserpent felt the coldness pierce his unprotected face, second after second. This wind made sound, lots of sound. The smaller rocks and sands behind him and in front of him were whisked away by the growing wind. Seth felt it pushing against his body, but it proved to be no threat. No wind would ever move him or sweep him off his feet. As if sensing his thoughts, a blast of wind knocked him backward, and continued to do so. Seth tried to keep his footing but was unable to do so. He pushed forward with the Force, but was repelled by the stronger winds. Seth closed his eyes and felt the most powerful blast push him off his feet. He crashed into a statue and over the plateau.

Seth Darkserpent plunged to the ground below, and his probable doom.

[Taylor Millard]

It was almost an hour before Taylor Millard awoke. A groan come from his lips as he slowly rolled onto his stomach, then pushed himself to his knees. His body still ached from the lightning attack he'd sustained from Master Darkserpent. As Millard slowly got to his feet, he discovered the remains of the Imperial Repeater Rifle, broken by some unknown force. Taylor looked around the plateau, attempting to clear his senses as he expected another attack from Darkserpent.

But the Dark Jedi was not to be seen. Only statues of various ancient Sith lords littered the open air, stone floor. As Taylor began walking, he noticed two of the statues were gone. The Imperial cast a glance over the plateau, as the midday sun shone down upon him. It was in that sun, Millard caught a glimmer of some unknown object. He walked towards it, limping only slightly from the twisted ankle received during the battle.

It was his lightsaber. Somehow, the weapon had not gotten damaged during the fight with Darkserpent. He called the lightsaber to him, noticing it wavered as it landed in his gloved hand.

The sudden calling of the lightsaber startled him, Hmm...interesting. I used the Force like an old habit. Interesting indeed. I suppose, using the Force as a tool is not a bad thing.

Sighing heavily, Millard began searching for Darkserpent. The last the former Sith Knight remembered was the sight of his former master standing over him, ready to remove his head from his body. Now...Darkserpent was gone.

~~ Khoraka slyynsh nvkel ftuptk shkankra rantahdea dnumerifca buuvitks ryta sqatyila korhee! ~~

"What the...?" Millard's words trailed off at the voice started again.

~~ Tharal synklevis takaoon! Narg kasta to rakaka, korhee!~~

Taylor cast a glance around the plateau, looking for the source. Still, nothing could be found.

It was when he saw the eyes of the statues glowing, did he begin to realize what he was hearing.

The Sith Statues...somehow...they've been watching this entire event? Could that be why I'm still alive?

His musing was interupted as a sudden flair of searing pain came to his left forearm. Wincing, Millard tore at his sleeve, the black fabric ripping as his right hand shredded the allready ripped threads.

As he stared at his arm, a memory suddenly flooded his mind.

Keep your loyalty to the Empire, The Cloaked Man had uttered in the small ceremony, where Taylor stood in Imperial uniform. He was only a Commander then, and still a pilot. It would be years before he achieved the rank of Grand Admiral.

Serve it. Report traitors and insurgents. Fight the evil of the Rebellion and the Jedi. You have been chosen to serve Palpatine especially...remember that.

The scene fades as the Cloaked Man oustretched his hands, lightning coming from it. It encased Millard's hand, leaving a tattoo-like mark on it.

And it was that mark which currently glowed a bright purplish hue. A sudden wind came through the area, crumbling several immense stone pillars as it passed through. As the pillars collapsed, Millard saw an opening in the floor has been made.

Cautiously, he made his way forward towards the opening. His black lightsaber, still deactivated, was in his hand; it's trigger fingered.

As the curious human stared down into the opening, he saw what appeared to be a stack of scrolls. Taylor leaped into the room, approaching the scrolls.

Perhaps this is what Darkserpent was looking for.

One particular scroll caught his cold blue eyes. As his black hand ensared it, he heard a rumbling deep within the earth...as if he was meant to find it. As he rolled back the parchment, the ancient and foreign words suddenly became clear to him.

He who finds this scroll, is one of us.
He uses his anger to fuel the power within him.
He will have high stature and rank within those he serves, not because of his power...but because of his service to whom it is he serves.
The power of the Force runs through his veins like water to a sieve.

He will reject all, choosing honor and loyalty.
In place of power- Serve others.
And take another path than his Destiny as a Sith.

Millard stared at the parchment, curiousity coming to his mind.

Another path...how interesting. I suppose, I shall discover what it is at a later time?

He paused as he heard the rumbling again from within the earth.

I suppose, it is time to find what happened to Darkserpent. While he did attempt to kill me, he is...or was...my master.

Using the Force, Millard leaped out of the chamber, taking the scroll with him.

Darkserpent's around here somewhere...but where?

[Seth Darkserpent]

Seth Darkserpent had awoken nearly a full minute after Taylor Millard did atop the plateau. He was surprised to find that the Dark lords had been so gracious enough to spare his life yet again. Darkserpent knelt down on the stone floor and took forth his Sith talisman. The concentration device was what helped him attained the dark power within and draw it out easily. By using this talisman he could summon his dark powers with considerable ease, a very useful device indeed. Slowly he brought the artifact to his forehead and thanked the Force for preserving his life. Darkserpent felt that he was a very fortunate being to have lived this long, especially when one consider who he was. The Jedi and Republic seemed more interested in the Dark Siders these days. Nevertheless, as long as he kept on track and uncovered more of the Sith teachings, he would be more like them.

His senses expanded through the will of the Dark Side, allowing the whole area to become clear to him. The blur in his eyes and his mind was wisped away by a refreshing air, allowing him to see again. His surroundings were bright and chilled cold, even though a sun blared above, filling the land with light. His mind recalled the disturbing events that had taken course but a mere hour ago. He, Seth Darkserpent, had revealed himself to Taylor Millard and attempted to kill the Imperial man. With every single oppurtunity thwarted by some unknown Force, Seth called upon his most devestating attack, Force Lightning. The summoning of that attack took toll on his awareness but he was so sure over his victory and the death of Taylor.

The battle was interrupted and there was hidden reason to it. Although the spirits of the past did not show themselves, I could feel them around me. Though bodyless, their magic has preserved their thoughts and their will. What I find most disturbing is that they wanted Millard to live for some insane reason. Seth rolled over on to his other side, as if to shunt the pain away from his right shoulder. Perhaps this Imperial Grand Admiral still has a role to play in the grand scheme of things. If it is so, then I will resign the occupation of hunting him down. First, I must find out if he survived the battle. As I recall he still had life inside of him, but that might of slipped away.

For the first time since he awoke, Seth became aware of his surroundings. He scrambled up, despite the sharp pains shooting through his limbs, and trotted slowly to the end of the ledge that he woke up on. Looking down, Darkserpent realized he was very far from the ground. A sudden feeling of vertigo threatened to overtake his mind, but he pushed it away with his anger. Covering the top of his eyes, he turned back and looked upward. The top of the stone plateau that he fell over was not that high up, but he knew very well that he could not jump that distance. Falling on the center of the ledge was a stroke of luck by some unknown force. Seth wondered how he survived the drop, a topic that would no doubt boggle his mind.

~ Sssseth ~

Darkserpent cupped his right hand into a clenched fist and tried to stand straight. Something had spoken his name through the Force, despite the fact that no one was around. The dark man took a small breath and dismissed the anamoly.

He walked up to the stone wall covered with bricks, wondering if it could be climbed. He reached into his cloak for his two gauntlets and slipped them on. The needlepoint fingertips would probably be able to grapple the stone. Seth took a small jump and swung both hands on to the stone wall. Much to his surprise, there was no stone wall to grapple on to. His body pierced right through the imaginary wall, sending him into a haze of confusion. His arms wrapped around his chest to break the fall, and did a good job of doing so. Seth turned his whole body around only to find himself staring at the narrow ledge and the bright sunlight. He inferred that the wall was a secret entrance to the lower bowls of the temple. Sith magic had covered it up through a fake stone wall.

Instinctively, he felt a sharp presence through the Force that made all of the hair on his neck stand up. Taylor Millard was above him and slowly finding his way down to the lower levels of this tunnel. Seth locked on to his presence through his own in the Force and immediately followed the scent that he picked up on. The surroundings were as black as night, but Seth had no need for his eyes in this activity. The Force were much more superior eyes then the two on his face. They led him forward without second thought to the prize at the end of the tunnel: Taylor.

During his trace, Seth promised himself that he would not attack the Imperial again. Such would only result in his own death for trying the patience of the Sith souls that haunted this whole place. Nevertheless, he made sure that his Sith sword was safely in its sheath. To his surprise his hand swiped nothingness, but then he recalled the events that had knocked the sword out of his hands. Perhaps he would never see it again, how unfortunate. He had no other weapons in his possession, so if Taylor decided to attack with a lightsaber, Seth would be in much trouble. His bones ached with fatigue from the battle that had ensued earlier, but he ignored them and pressed on.

Taylor Millard is nearing. Perhaps I can find him and then we can both get out of here. Seth swallowed uneasily.

[Taylor Millard]

It was then, Millard bumped into the ancient Sith armor. Mottled and beginning to show signs of age- it still shone like a jewel in the night. But it was the sword which caught his eye. It shone even more than the armor, beautiful to the eye.

Yesss....taaaakkkee ittt a voice uttered in Millard's mind.

The Imperial looked around, his eyes gazing around cautiously. Certainly it would be easy to take the sword, it appeared to be a fine weapon. Somehing still held him back though, as if the fine sword was not for him.

Taylor reached out with the Force, feeling around for anyone alive. He found Darkserpent, striding forward towards his former student's location.

He's not expecting anything, but for all I know Darkserpent will continue his vendetta.

But whatever kept me alive during the fight, may keep me alive now.

And so Millard waited. Several minutes later, Seth Darkserpent made his appearence in the open chamber.

"I believe," Taylor spoke, his blue eyes gleaming, as he pointed around the chamber, "We've found what you're looking for."

"And also," Millard started again, "I think I have a new weapon for you. The suit of armor there, has a sword. I think you lost yours during our battle."

[Seth Darkserpent]

Darkserpent entered the spacious chamber, having followed his Force senses to where Millard was. He stopped abruptly, surveying the darkness with unblinking eyes that shone malevolently. Taylor spoke, causing Seth to twitch slightly at the sudden voice that came from the other side of the chamber. He could see Taylor Millard now, standing firmly with his weapon in close proximity. Although he did not use the Force to confirm this, Seth had a suspicion that Taylor was wondering if the Dark Jedi was going to continue his vendetta.

"I believe, we've found what you're looking for."

Millard pointed to a decrepit piece of skeleton covered in armor that looked more like an unlucky thief than a warrior.

"And also, I think I have a new weapon for you. The suit of armor there, has a sword. I think you lost yours during our battle."

"Taylor...Millard. Do you understand that it was unwise of you to direct me to a new weapon? If that is an authentic Sith sword than I can easily resume the battle and earn my kill that I was denied." Seth snarled into the darkness and took a threatening step forward. A few moments later his tone was a tad less angry, "But I will not resume my quest to end your life. Over the past hour or so it has occured to me that the Masters of the Dark want me to spare your life. The reason for this, I cannot possibly fathom, but to go against them would not be wise."

Darkserpent crossed the gap between himself and the armor very quickly. His hand reached out to touch the sword, almost as ancient as these sands themselves. The fingers of his gauntleted hands snaked around the handle, and ever so slowly he pulled it from the old hilt. The sword made somewhat of a slicing sound as it came out. The blade gleamed like the most precious jewel in the universe. Even in the darkness, it seemed to have an ability to gleam some unknown source of light.

Snapping out of his daze, Darkserpent knew where that light came from. A torch to the left of him had mysteriously lit itself, if such were possible. This place was still full of magic, Sith magic. Darkserpent finished pulling the sword out of place and held it close to him. He could feel the dark energies circulating around this Sith sword. He noted it would mean more of an effort on his part when he used the Dark Side to strengthen this sword. It did not have a focusing Dark Side crystal like his last one did. To his right, another torch lit itself. In sequence, every torch on the wall began to produce fire. Seth had seen this kind of phenomenon before, executed by his Master, Gav Mortis. But there was no Gav around, Seth was sure of that.

"Taylor Millard, it seems that we are going to have some sort of company." Darkserpent called.

At that moment, the skeleton in the armor jolted upward and lunged both bony hands at Seth's throat. Darkserpent was taken aback by this sudden movement, not expecting it in a million years. The bony fingers wrapped around his covered throat and began to squeeze and scrape with a great amount of force. Seth jabbed the Sith sword forward, slicing off the unprotected area beneath the shoulders. This caused the lower body of his new foe to crumble away. It seemed to cause no real harm, because the skeleton's hands still held their grip and the head seemed to be cackling at him.

Too bad I did not take the required time to learn all aspects of pyromancy. This skeleton would be nothing but a dark mark on the floor. Seth's thoughts were beginning to become incoherant with each passing moment. Though the room was lit up by the torches, Darkserpent was beginning to see blackness. His hands lost grip on the sword, but he never lost grip on the Dark Side. Grasping both bony arms he pulled away from his throat. Not so easily, the arms lost their grip, and took a bit of skin and material with them. Seth gulped in breaths of fresh air, relishing the fact that he was to live. Small pain erupted from his neck on each side. He surmised there were claw marks on each side.

Seth picked up his new weapon and focused his powers. Off in the distance a sound could be heard that alerted both him and Taylor. Purple sparks soon took shape and formed together like a chain of negatively charged ions. They enveloped his sword, giving it a glowing effect that he was familiar with. Darkserpent grinned at his efforts, very impressed that he was able to tame this weapon as well. The Dark Side of the Force knew no bounds, he was sure of it.

He turned to Taylor, who had already ignited his blade, "It seems that we've caught the attention of the Masters yet again. Already the magic of the Dark Side is preparing to work against us. It is unwise to run at this point in time. I have no wish to die in this desolate place and on this horrid planet. Either you will help me fight, or you will not. It is your choice Taylor Millard. Whatever that choice may be, I am getting out of here if it costs me half of my limbs!"

From both sides of the chamber, an army of dark corpses and skeletons made themselves present. Each had some form of armor on, and toted a spear or a sword. Darkserpent and Millard had moved themselves to the middle of the chamber. Their weapons were held high, ready to fight. There was no telling how many of the enemies were after them, but Seth could guess a lot more then ten.

~Once again, I request the strength of the five. Combined with my own strength, the Dark Side shall lead me through this battle. ~

[Taylor Millard]

Millard stared at the skeleton army as they made themselves present. A glare came upon his blue eyes, as he fixed a cold stare into the empty holes of the dead warriors. With a motion of his hand, four of the skeleton warriors flew back into the throng.

"You take the left, I'll take the right!" Millard ordered as he swung his sabers, cutting down three warriors. As the skeletons fell to the stone floor, they dissolved into a pile of dust.

Taylor reached out with the Force, feeling it around him. However, the only living beings he could find were he and Master Darkserpent.

As the Dark Jedi blocked the swinging blade of one of the hissing skeleton warriors, Millard thought he saw a ghostly visage behind the skull.

"Darkserpent!" he shouted, as he ducked another shining blade, "The spirits are inhabiting the warriors themselves!"

He stabbed his blue-red blade forward, watching it pierce the black armor. Millard brought his blade up, destroying the body easily.

It was then he barely caught it in the back of his mind. An axe swinging down to hit himt. Lurching forward, Millard barely avoided the blow. He turned, removing the head of the skeleton warrior. It was then, he took a blow to the back of the head from the hilt of a sword.

Millard fell to the ground, then concentrated again. As he was getting ready to push the Skeleton Warriors back, the wall to his left exploded.

A large, clay-like creature emerged from the remains of the wall.


~KKLR TIMAR...KKLR TIMAR...KKLAR TIMAR~

It uttered a few more words then suddently yelled.

~DARKSERPENT!~

And charged the master and apprentice.

[Seth Darkserpent]

Darkserpent had begun to fight these armored fiends the same time that Millard did. While his apprentice took one side of the onslaught, he secured the other. They charged through the doorway with their weapons held high. Darkserpent parried a left slash, also managing to slice the sword blade in two. He jabbed forward, sword stabbing through the armor and through the empty rib cage. Darkserpent jerked his sword upward, dismembering the skeleton opposer. He turned his body around and kicked forward, not actually sensing the second skeleton, but out of instinct.

"Darkserpent! The spirits are inhabiting the warriors themselves!" Taylor shouted from somewhere off to the side.

Seth nodded grimly to himself, not sparing any more moments to thought. He brought his sword about in a circular slashing motion, managing to destroy two and cut off the arm of another enemy. He felt a sharp pang on his back that sent him sprawling forward. Darkserpent rolled hard and brought his sword up to block. Three of the skeleton warriors surrounded him, but he simply pushed them away with the Force.

One more skeleton warrior, decidedly bigger than the rest, came running at Seth. It had a spear in one hand and an axe in the other. A warning klaxon burned inside of his head, warning him of danger. Seth rolled to the side and narrowly missed a spear head from above. The Dark Jedi scrambled to his feet and ran at the large warrior. He swung low, but to his surprise the skeleton jumped back with uncanny speed.

"FKLORSKA! SHRRNIV" The skeleton shouted, speaking in sharp ancient Sith.

Darkserpent saw the axe come up, feing to the left and try to score a hit on his right hip. His sword was already there, ready to block the hit. The sword blocked the hit, but Darkserpent was pushed back by the overwhelming force of the blow. To his surprise, his spell on the sword was still working, yet this warrior's axe hadn't cleaved in two. He was forced to regain his senses a moment later when the skeleton attacked again. He blocked, and pushed back with the Force. The bag of bones started to take steps in the opposite direction and fell on its back.

Think Seth, think! He stared up at the ceiling, noticing a particularly sharp stalactite. Focusing on that stalactite, he put all of his power into the force. The fear of the skeleton moving from the ground within any second empowered him like nothing else. Quietly, the stalactite cracked from its foundation and fell to the floor like a dagger. He watched its descent, straight into the warrior's skull, crushing it instantly. Darkserpent grinned at his victory, momentarily forgetting the skeleton onlookers. He felt a sharp pain at the side and turned quickly to find a sword slightly jabbed in his skin. Seth swung his own sword up and destroyed the skeleton. He pulled the piercing weapon out of his side and threw it to the floor. Just as soon as he was preparing to attack the next foe, a deep rumbling sound filled the chambers.

~KKLR TIMAR...KKLR TIMAR...KKLAR TIMAR~

The creature made itself present as it uttered those words. It raised a large clay-like hand and pounded it into the side wall, turning the stone into dust. Suddenly, it stared straight at Darkserpent, and Millard behind him.

~DARKSERPENT!~

Seth let out an exasperated sigh, once again they would have to deal with some sort of super-creation. His fists tightened around his force-controlled sword. His eyes narrowed in on the large enemy only meters away. His mind was set on one thing, survival and the survival of Taylor Millard. He knew this was a test of some sort to test their skills. This knowledge just angered him more, fueling his powers and broadening them. Finally, the monster charged at both of them.

~Taylor!~

Seth called his apprentice through the Force, creating a link with his mind.

~Your weapon will be more effective than mine in this matter. Begin the attack. I will take care of the remaining warriors. Then, I will come to join you.~

The Dark Jedi swung his sword around and cleared the path of the giant behemoth. A skeleton warrior was there to meet him, with his spear up in a defensive position. Seth slashed hard, slicing the spear in two. He regained his balance and kicked upward, demolishing the creature's skull with his steel plated boots.

"GRAAAAAH!" Another warrior roared at him from an upper ledge and jumped down on Darkserpent. His legs curled around the Dark Jedi's neck, and his sheer force dropped Seth down on one knee. Darkserpent felt his life slipping away with the lack of oxygen. Decisively, he stabbed over his shoulder with his sword, hoping to score a hit. The grip was gone on his neck almost a few seconds afterward.

The last skeleton came charging at him with two swords, and a whole lot of armor. Seth ducked the first few attacks and rolled into the enemy's legs. It tripped over him and fell to the floor. Soon after, Seth slashed his sword forward, destroying the lower part of his enemy's bony body. The warrior ceased to attack, but Seth knew it was still alive. He brought his boot up and crushed the helm, along with the skull.

With strength slowly fading from the wound in his side, Darkserpent ran toward the loud noises. He was determined to help Taylor destroy whatever was up against them. He could only hope Taylor Millard was still alive.

[Taylor Millard]

Millard was still alive, if alive was an operative word. The large, goo-like Sith Monster had ravaged the Sith Knight, shredding the shirt and exposing Millard's skin to the swords of the skeleton warriors.

Taylor ducked a blade, then swung his lightsaber through the torso of one skeleton. A Force Push and four skeletons slammed into the stone wall, shattering into dust.

A warning buzz in his head told him to move quickly. The Dark Jedi rolled to his left, avoiding a gooey fist as it slammed on the ground. A blue-red lightsaber blade swung through the air like a scythe, cutting through the fist like it were cheese. A smile came to Millard's face as the fist turned to stone and didn't move. His joy was replace with pain as the stump of the arm suddenly grew back. The creature backhanded Millard, sending him flying into the stone wall just to the left of the monster.

Taylor drew on the Force as he slid to the ground, throwing his lightsaber towards the monster as he felt his senses begin leave him.

He attempted to breathe deeply, and avoid the swinging fist again to know avail. Millard was slammed into the ground again, spitting up blood as he did.

Darkserpent where are you?

[Seth Darkserpent]

Seth felt Millard's dire pain echo through the Force much like a wolf's cry of anguish. Across the chamber, he caught sight of the large creature of clay continuing its onslaught on Taylor. For a moment, Seth was sure that Millard had obtained the upper hand. One of the creature's arms was lopped off by the bluish red blade. Unsuspectingly, a new one grew back in a matter of seconds and unleashed its fury on Millard. A slash to the left, a block and than a hard hit that knocked the senses out of Taylor. The regenerative powers of this monster made Seth feel uneasy of going against it. It was true that if he did not do something soon, Millard would die. He would probably follow in suit, soon after the death of Taylor Millard.

With a loud battle cry, Seth charged across the rock chamber and rose his sword up. He slashed the monster's attacking arms with all of his might. Darkserpent's sword artfully arched upward, jabbed forward and moved in all sorts of different directions that were hard to track. The purple hue of his sword was the only thing visible in the onslaught that Darkserpent delivered. The Dark Side of the Force filled the man with rage and power, giving him superhuman capabilities.

Mere feet away from Seth Darkserpent and the monster of destruction, Taylor Millard lie on the floor. He was still alive and well, but needed at least a minute of time to get his bearings straight. The monster had taken its toll on the Sith Knight and Imperial Grand Admiral with little remorse.

Darkserpent ended his onslaught with a strong jab through the clay monster's mid-section. A moment later he found himself panting for breath and staring up at the lurching monster. It seem to be weakened and sliced in many places. Limbs fell off and turned to stone and it began to sag. Darkserpent was sure of his victory and reached to pull his weapon out of the clay monster's stomach. His fingers curled around the styled hilt and he gave a strong tug. To him it felt as though he were pulling a wooden stick out of dried concrete.

Moments later, both Darkserpent and Taylor Millard were on the hard rock chamber floor. The monster had dealt him a blow that took him completely off guard, and off of his feet. The sword still rested nicely in the monster's stomach, but its wounds began to patch up. Each wound sealed itself nicely and the limbs began to regenerate as well. Seth stared up in horror and anger at the monster who easily regenerated. All of his hard work had been worth nothing now that the monster had proved it was much more stronger than one thought. Both of Seth's hands curled into tight fists, and his elbows arched, scratching the ground with their course skin and the fabric protecting them. He rose himself off the ground and backed away from the monster.

Millard is still there! Seth stretched his hands out and summoned Millard's body out of harm's way. A fat fist crashed into the stone ground where he used to be, leaving a deep gash in the ground. Taylor and his lightsaber traveled through the air much like a couple of puppets on their strings. The only difference was that this wasn't a stage. Darkserpent knew that their lives were on the line and their only chance of survival on this planet depended on the health of this monster.

Taylor stood up on his own, holding his lightsaber as their last physical weapon. The monster stared at both of them, tempting one of them to come forward and fail again. This time it was hunting for blood and the souls of both Dark Siders. A thought occured to Seth, which brought him back to his extended training aboard Gav Mortis' ship. Jeseth and himself had gone through a series of training sessions with both history and fighting techniques. Furthermore, Gav Mortis had begun teaching him a branch of Sith Sorcery. Darkserpent hadn't been able to do anything completely, but his Master said that with time his abilities would improve.

But do you remember the words? His conscience bit out at him with the hard to deal with truth. He could not remember any of the words to the spells he learned. He knew that a bit of time was required to tap into the recesses of his binded mind. Through the abyss of memories, the answer to all of their problems was based.

"Millard...I need you to buy me at least a few minutes of time. Attract the attention of this thing and drive it away from me. I have an alternative resort of defeating it, but the words to the ritual are lost on me." Darkserpent's voice sounded more urgent than anything else.

Decisively, he scrambled against the back of a stone wall. His body curled up and took refuge between the rocks. Keeping himself in a barely conscious state, his mind began to backtrack. Off in the distance, which was only a few meters away, he heard the faint soft of rumbling and slashing sounds.

[Taylor Millard]

Buy some time...? Millard glared towards Darkserpent, not even noticing his master had disappeared.

Come on... a voice mocked him, Is it that difficult to defeat a glob of goo! You're going to have to destroy him yourself you know...Use your power and DO IT!!!

Millard shut the voice down, then looked at the monster. Master Darkserpent's blade still rested in the monster's clay belly, a purple hue immenating from it. Taylor felt his anger rise, and instead of attempting to quell it, he let it feed his mind.

Anger at his brother's death. Anger at himself for not being able to get over it. Anger at Darkserpent and The Sith Order for not leaving him alone. He breathed deeply, feeling the Force all around him.

His cold blue eyes flashed as he stared at the monster standing before him.

Control your anger...do not let it take over...

Taylor's mind reached out, plucking various limbs both he and Darkserpent had cut from the monster during their fight. Throwing his arms out, he watched as they slammed into the monster, goo flying all over the place.

The Sith Monster kept his form though, but Millard sensed weakness in it. He shot through the air, his lightsaber thrusted outward, heading directly towards the monster. Three slashes later, and the monster was growing new legs and a new left arm.

Triumph showed on the Sith Knight's face as he continued the attack. He continued to cut the limbs off the monster, occasionally using one of the severed limbs to beat the monster.

It was then the monster made its move. It lurched forward, a fist backhanding Millard. Then with a quick movement, it surrounded Millard with its body. It felt resistance from the Dark Jedi...and then....nothing. No movement whatsoever.

The monster let a laugh spurt from its mouth as it began to plod towards the concentrating Darkserpent.

~Tikamir Tikamir Forcoota! Darkserpent!~

More laughter followed as it began to reach where Darkserpent hid. The laughter increased, then stopped as the monster made a gurgling sound.

*Pwish!

Suddenly, a blue-red blade shot from the monster's head, sending it back. A goo-soaked Millard leaped from it, hitting the ground and gasping for air.

"Darkserpent...the spell now!" the Imperial Grand Admiral yelled as he dove from the creature.

[Seth Darkserpent]

Darkserpent's mind was deeply concentrated on trying to remember what the exact words were for the spell. Unfortunately, he hadn't had any luck in the first minute except for a seething anger that made him want to punch the walls mercilessly. He felt himself delve into a deeper state of concentration, drowning out everything around him including Taylor Millard and his situation. All that mattered now was obtaining the proper words to what would end this horrid nightmare. Even when he did find the words, it would be quite a longshot to get it to work. Darkserpent would probably need to let go of his control on his anger, and allow it to flow freely through his veins. Such an act had a chance of killing him, as it had done to others in past times.

He felt himself in a dark room with no walls, windows, doors or anything else that he could see. The darkness stretched out as far as he could see, and probably even farther than that. As far as he could tell, there was no one else in this room with him, although he knew it was some sort of a room. Darkserpent wondered if this was a dream or something totally different, also wondering if it even really mattered. At first he tried to call out for others, but no one cared to respond. If there was anyone to respond to his random calls. He began to walk around, wondering if there was a limit to this darkness, or if he was stuck in here for eternity.

"You there, Darkserpent! Have you forgotten what I've taught you already?"

Seth swiveled around, putting his hand near the sheath of his sword. He faintly remembered it was not with him and unaccessible at this time. Before him stood the one and only Gav Mortis as real as though he were actually there. At first Seth hadn't recongized the voice because it was but a whisper. He knew that Gav Mortis was here to instruct him, to refresh his memory of the past. Aboard that ship this great man had taught him many things. Seth felt that he was indebt to his Master and felt that debt needed to be payed back someday.

"Master, I..."

"I know." Gav simply nodded his head and cleared his throat. He began to chant some words, but Seth could not hear them. He called repeatedly for Gav to say the words again, but no answer returned. Seth pounded his fists in anger, once again asking Gav to repeat the words to the spell that he so desperately needed. The picture of Mortis standing before him suddenly seemed so far away from him. It was only a few more idle seconds before the Sith Master disappeared into nothingness.

"Darkserpent...the spell now!"

Seth found himself returning to consciousness just in time to witness Millard escape the monster. The Imperial Grand Admiral had bought him the time that he needed, but unfortunately it was too late. Darkserpent didn't have anything to use against this indestructable thing that was sent to test his abilities. He felt regret for himself after the first few seconds of realization. In a mere matter of more seconds that regret turned to anger and that anger turned to seething hate.

Then the words appeared before his eyes and he could understand each and every one of them. Without thinking twice, Darkserpent began to speak the words of the Sith.

"Felana Gaarn'vel Wist'elina Eloy Sithia Masteria Dinara Rele'kelnar Massass Pharnzerv..."

The monster stopped in its tracks, eyes wide with fury. It began to pound the floor, demanding Seth to stop in its native tongue. Stalactites from the ceiling began to shake and smash on the ground below. The whole chamber seemed to shake with fury and hatred.

"E hatta pota, ne sorge de puen kilso masca. Nul ti haresmu obta hai e sen likt pust."

When the last word was uttered the monster screamed out in terror, filling the chamber with sound. It burst into flames, still shrieking with terror and anger. It was unable to move and exact revenge on Darkserpent for actually completing the spell. The Dark Jedi rose his left arm and called for his sword. It flew past the fire, surprisingly unharmed, and into his hands.

"It is done." Darkserpent called out to Taylor. The sword hit the floor with a clang. Darkserpent followed soon after, still conscious and awake, but overrun with fatigue.

[Taylor Millard]

"Master!" Millard yelled as he staggered to his feet and ran to the fallen Darkserpent.

Although his own injuries were extensive, the Sith Knight wanted to check on his master's health first. Throwing Seth's left arm over his shoulder, Taylor half-staggared to the hole he'd jumped into when he'd found the scroll.

Using the Force, Millard leaped from the chamber to the stony plateau above. He laid Darkserpent on the ground, then pressed the button for the shuttle to come to the plateau.

As it began to land, Millard turned to the just now getting to his feet, Darkserpent.

"Will you be able to make it back to VJun, Master?"

[Seth Darkserpent]

Darkserpent felt his eyelids droop down like sagging bricks in a bucket of wet cement. They snapped back open the moment he felt the chill of the outside world. Millard was talking and asking him things, but he couldn't concentrate on the young man, just on the growing Force inside. The use of that spell had opened some sort of vessel inside of him, whether it was good or bad he did not know. At first he was afraid that his blood cells had somehow begun to destroy themself, which would result in his death very soon. Although when he dwelled upon the darkness inside, he did not feel any danger or discomfort. It was a mystery that he could only explain by tapping into it.

"Will you be able to make it back to Vjun, Master?"

Only the word Vjun made it through to Seth's aural capacities, and even then the word made no sense to him. He was still wondering whether it would be safe to tap into this new feeling and see what would happen. Seth was always the curious type, but also weary of the repurcussions that came with curiousity. He'd been told long ago that curiousity killed the cizerack. During more recent times he'd taken that proverb into serious consideration.

He finally resolved to tap into the unknown entity and live with the consequences. After all what kind of life would he live if he was always in fear of the "what ifs"? He concentrated his mind as he'd done so many times before and focused on that feeling. He delved his own mind into it, embracing the feeling with all of his might. He couldn't explain what he felt at first, but after a few minutes surges of power and pain rocked his whole body. He could feel full consciousness returning to him.

"Millard!" His voice felt raspy and hurt against his throat at first. "I will go back to Vjun on my own accord."

He rose himself off the ground and stared off into the distant sky wondering if it was all over. He hoped they would be able to leave the planet freely, rather than having to face another deadly test. Off in the distance he saw something coming their way and almost screamed out in anger. A few moments later he realized it was Taylor Millard's ship approaching. Seth was glad that they wouldn't have to walk back across that desert. There was no telling what could have happened to them along the way.

"If you could drop me off in the Corellian sector, I would appreciate it." Seth called back to the man.

A wind passed through the plateau, though not as strong as the others that had earlier. Seth knew this planet was very much undead, not alive at all, just undead. The Sith Lords lived forever in the dark void of the Dark Side, but they could still control what was going on in their domains. Darkserpent knew he would not be returning to this planet any time in the near future. He wasn't so sure about any of the planets in this sector of space.

"When you are ready to full embrace your Dark Side heritage, I have an errand for you. Go to Ord Mantell and seek the further tutelage of a man named Trace Sha. He will further your training in the Dark Side and teach you things that I cannot."

[Taylor Millard]

Millard paused...Trace Sha...That was a name he'd only heard mentioned once or twice, but mainly connected with the fortune of Ord Mantell.

Now Seth wants me to pursue him.

"Very well Master Darkserpent, but I will need access to VJun's records on Trace Sha. The Empire only has so much on the Shas and much of it is incomplete," Millard walked up the ramp to the shuttle. He had a gash on his arm from where a sword cut his arm and he felt a bit woozy from carrying Seth back from the battle.

I'll definately have to spend some time in the bacta tank after this one.

A sudden rumbling came from the ground, sending the stone pillars tumbling like pins. They shattered as fire suddenly erupted from the crevice. It flew towards Millard, licking at his clothes but not setting them aflame.

An illusion Taylor walked up the platform of the shuttle, as he heard words in his mind that were suddenly clear.

~~Leave now and you will live. Leave now and you will serve the Dark Side in your own way. Take the shadowed one and be gone from here. You have done your duty and rejoined the fold. Now, leave us, or the next flame will not be an illusion~~

His cold blue eyes shining clear, Millard boarded the shuttle, then took off. He began concentrating after he reached space, as if he could see his wounds healing themselves. Four minutes later and the gash on his gone, replaced by a scar that soon disappeared as well.

The Dark Jedi/Imperial Grand Admiral sat as the shuttle went to hyperspace. Seth had fallen silent, as if he were pondering something deep that even he didn't understand.

Taylor spoke anyway, "Master, why didn't you kill me on Khar Delba?"

[Seth Darkserpent]

Darkserpent took a survey of his wounds, deeming them unimportant enough to participate in bacta therapy. He resolved to simply heal himself, as Gav had taught him during his first battle with Jeseth and Viscera. The downside to the technique was that his life was highly at risk and he had to put himself into a coma for two days. Though Seth knew that if done properly the technique would be very effecient in healing every single bruise on his body, and there were quite a few that required healing. A welt on his back restrained him from sitting straight comfortably. Every moment or so he would shift in his seat and become restless with pain and anger.

His thoughts shifted toward the subject of the future and what he would be doing later on in life. Oddly enough he couldn't think of anything other than archaelogy. There wouldn't be much training in his life or a further expansion of dark arts, just reading and writing. Darkserpent was afraid that he was putting his talents to waste by rotting away in the Sith Order's palace walls. Perhaps one day he would get himself back into politics under the alias of Prince Simus. He trusted Millard to keep the secret safe, but couldn't really count on the man. After all he hadn't told him to keep it a secret and didn't really feel like it either.

"Master, why didn't you kill me on Khar Delba?" Taylor asked, surprising Seth by usage of the term "Master". Darkserpent did not consider himself this man's master any longer.

"Believe me Taylor Millard when I say this, if I could have killed you I would not have hesitated to do so. Unfortunately I've been attracting amounts of bad luck lately, and was stopped before I could harm you with my weapon. At first I thought it was you, but then I knew who it was that sought to prevent me of my prize. It was them. The spirits of the watchful Sith Lords of old wanted you alive to do their bidding. Why they wanted to keep you alive, I do not know. That is your answer to find out, not mine. I knew that if I succeeded in killing you I would never make it off that planet alive."

Darkserpent's eyes flashed orange for a moment. His eyes focused on the small viewport that showed them the planet they were leaving behind. All he could think was good riddance, and felt a whole lot of relief. What started out as a simple luring murder and some archaelogical work turned out to be a fight and one hell of a time. It was probably better that Millard did not die after all. Viscera would sick the proverbial dogs on him for the rest of his life if he killed Millard off. Grand Admirals were hard to come by these days.

"I was never a good fortune teller, but I think you have a destiny ahead of you, Taylor Millard. Not just as an Imperial warlord, but as a Dark Sider too. Why else would the Sith Lords deem you worthy of your life? Perhaps we both still have a purpose in life and I am going to find out what mine is."

Darkserpent grinned, showing off his white teeth.

"I'll do whatever it takes."

[Taylor Millard]

"Perhaps," Millard spoke as he stared out into hyperspace, "I hope you find your purpose in the Universe.

"Your secret is safe with me, Master Darkserpent," Taylor gave Seth a knowing nod, " About Prince Simus. On my honor, not only as an Imperial, but as your student and you fellow member of The Black Hand, I will not reveal the Prince Simus identity."

He rose from his seat, walking to the back of the shuttle. He poured himself two glasses of water, then handed one to Darkserpent.

"The Sith Lords spoke to me as we departed. They told me I had rejoined the fold of the Darksiders and to leave. It appears there was more Sith Magic present than we believed."

As he finished his statement, Millard checked his body again for injuries. They had indeed healed most of the way, although a few bruises remained. Some how none of his lungs had been punctured, although a few ribs had cracked.

Slightly wincing, Taylor asked, "Does your new sword suit you, sir?"

[Seth Darkserpent]

"I would say so, yes it does suit me very well." Darkserpent became conscious of his sword for the first time since they departed. He pulled it out of its sheath and examined the writing on the left side of the blade. It was obvious that this sword was very powerful, but the writing told a bit of a story about the previous owner. The previous owner had been a newly promoted Sith Lord during the peak of the Empire's civilization. It went on to tell how he was murdered a few months after his ascension in social rank. It was a pity that the weapon had no one to wield it after the master had died, but Darkserpent was interested in the question of who wrote the story on the blade. Perhaps through a little poking and prodding with the Dark Side he would come to an answer.

He ran his bare hand against the side of the blade, feeling its sharpness graze his weakened skin. He was careful enough not to form a cut, but the blade still pierced him in a place or two. It was obvious that this weapon was very deadly to its enemies and its wielders. The design of the hilt was unique and felt smooth in his hand. It was a short piece of metal, probably iron with hints of gold in it. The hilt curved a bit at the end, forming a bit of a weapon itself. With the hilt alone he could cause damage to someone's face. Unlike his last sword this one did not possess a Dark Side crystal inside of the hilt, but it did have a dark jewel encrusted at the bottom.

Seth grinned at his new weapon like a child with a new play toy, "Unlike my previous weapon this one is untainted by human hands, and much more elegant. It feels smoother on my hand and is weightless, compared to the last sword. Smart thinking of you to point it out for me, or I would have never seen it at all. That would be a shame, because I can see this sword coming in handy later on in life."

He brushed his thumb across the hilt, wiping a fingerprint off the shiny covering. In a quick motion, Darkserpent stood up and put the sword back in its sheath. It slid in easily, making a slicing sound as it went. Darkserpent sat back down on his seat and looked at Taylor.

"When I'm back on Corellia, I will look further into its origins. I'm sure the library in the Palace will have at least a bit of information on the sword. Perhaps I could even get a price for it, but I would never sell it, no. I'm simply curious how much one would pay for this...antiquity."

Darkserpent grinned at the Imperial Grand Admiral, finding his last comment somewhat witty. It was odd to hear Darkserpent remotely joke because he was no good at it. His sense of humor dwelled upon the misfortune of others, especially rich people and dignitaries. There was nothing funnier to him, than to see a lifelong rich person lose everything they possessed. Of course anyone who had a sense of humor like that was considered demented, but Darkserpent wasn't demented in the least. Although he barely ever showed it, he too could be cruel and even evil, if it helped in the long run.

"I can't help but wonder to myself...Where will you go, Taylor Millard?" Seth asked, rather abruptly. "If I may take a guess, you'll go to Coruscant, then to Vjun, and if your curiousity holds out...Ord Mantell." Seth paused for a moment. "But the choice is yours alone. If in fact you do reject the Dark Side again, I will leave you alone to your own choice. Our paths are no longer correlated."

Seth thought about the probability that Trace Sha would not accept Taylor as an apprentice. He had a feeling that the Sha brother would train Taylor after the man proved himself to be a formidable Dark Sider. Seth had every faith in Taylor Millard's abilities as a Dark Sider, having taught him almost everything he ever knew. It seemed that Taylor's political future would also rise with his future as a Dark Jedi. After all, it was Palpatine's genious tactics that bluntly pointed out politics and the Dark Side fit together like missing puzzle pieces.

Yes, Seth Darkserpent was quite sure that the name Taylor Millard would strike fear into the hearts of everyone one day.

[Taylor Millard]

"No, Master Darkserpent," Taylor spoke, "I will not go to Coruscant. I will head to Balmorra. Perhaps then, I will decided what to do."

The rest of the trip was silent, as Millard kept an eye on their flight path and Darkserpent studied his sword. The trip from Khar Delba to Corellia was a shorter one...taking 10 hours instead of 18.

Millard was a bit cautious when he landed on Corellia, he was certain not everyone in The Sith Order was happy when he'd made the decision to leave their ranks. Although Darkserpent had come to him under the banner of 'The Black Hand', Millard had the feeling he might hear from TSO soon enough.

He shook hands with Darkserpent before departing Corellia, wishing him luck in his own journey. The Dark Jedi had a while to figure out his own place in this universe. For Millard, he was just beginning to find his.

Well, I've come full circle...rejoined the Empire. Reaccepted the Force. What comes for me now is just gravy on the dewback steak I surmise, Millard thought as he reentered hyperspace.

His first stop would be Balmorra for a change of clothes. Then he would visit VJun and hope the Black Hand would not kill him upon arrival. Then he would visit Lord Trace Sha on Ord Mandell.

Millard hoped he would learn more about the Force and how it could be used as a tool in his battle against the New Republic. And now...he supposed...his battle against the Jedi.

Continued at To Every Captive Soul (http://www.swforums.net/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11962)