Prologue
Darth Callous grinned widely as he stared out over the mining facility, Elion Five. Like a colony of insects the workers continued without falter and without complaining, their minds set to a singular purpose of completing the task that had forcibly been placed within their minds.
It was amazing what one could accomplish with the influence of the Dark side and of course the weak willed mentality of those that could be harvested around the galaxy. Something that the members of the Jedi Order refused to understand, once free will was removed people could begin to look past the differences of species and color, and truly become a well-organized unit that let nothing stand in their way. Many thought that legions of droids could accomplish the same union, like the Federation had tried so long ago.
Droids simply did what they were programmed to do and nothing else, yet living beings could think and operate on their own far beyond the problem solving skills of an automaton. And this was the result.
Before Darth Callous was a gaping hole in the blood red surface of the planet of Elion, hundreds of meters wide while being thousands of meters deep, and this had been achieved by the mental enslavement of nearly three thousand individuals from numerous systems. None complained, nor wavered in their task as they had found a natural way of becoming unified under the Neo Sith regime.
To Callous it was one of the only truly beautiful things that he had seen throughout the galaxy, and the thought made him sick. So many times had he heard that the Jedi Order was dedicated to instilling peace and harmony but in truth they stood for all the things that caused the exact opposite amongst people. Remove peoples wants and desires and they found no reason to hate or fight one another. This finely tuned mining facility was the proof to his assessment.
Only on the few occasions that the miners had somehow found a way to reverse his masters mental influence on them, had violence or conflict erupted but the revolts had been quickly stamped out by the Sith highly trained guard. Several times Callous himself had been the striking hand of justice against those that would see progress impeded.
"All they are missing is a queen," A voice came from behind Darth Callous drawing his attention from the sight, and he turned around to gaze at the man that had stepped out onto the balcony with him.
Ralgo Stek was tall and very athletically built, a perfect specimen of the Mandolorian blood line of bounty hunting warriors that had once treaded just beside extiction. He strode forward with impeccable confidence and leaned on the railing next to Darth Callous, his scarred yet handsome face reflected his iron will and steely perseverance. It was obvious that the Mandolorian had no fear of the Sith to his right and did not look at him as if he was his better, but instead as his equal. Of course the majority of Sith would have found such insolence angering but Callous knew that the warrior was a dangerous foe indeed, which was why he had found himself under the employ of his master.
Darth Callous smirked as he spoke, "They have one in a sense. The Sith empire is their queen, and her power grows with every passing moment that they dig into this sullen and forsaken rock."
"Still chasing that fantasy that you found scribbled on a stone?" Ralgo grumbled and shook his head, "Such dedication squandered searching for an imaginary weapon supposedly buried in a forgotten planet."
Being a person that felt the force flowing through every piece of the galaxy and understood it's all encompassing nature, Darth Callous tried to see it from Ralgos point of view, his lack of faith and his disbelief in the unseen. The Mandolorian dealt in hard facts and played with death thinking that nothing at all awaited him when his time finally came to meet the fate that he had sent so many to. In his mind, this must all be for nothing.
Raising his black gloved hand, Callous sent the force flowing through his arm to his fingers and ignited a coursing ball of blue lightning that snapped and tingled with energy, "From a man that believes not in the ways of the Force, either light or dark, I can understand your apprehension on the idea."
Ralgo regarded the spectacle with lax interest, his dark eyes cold and calculating. The Sith could feel not anxiety from the Mandolorian, but instead a tenseness of mind and body, as Callous was sure the hardened warrior was deciding if he could match the siths speed if the situation quickly turned to violence
Smiling wickedly and trying to suppress his own curiosity on the matter Callous continued, "But I hope that your disbelief in our cause won't sway your loyalties at all."
"Of course not," Ralgo stated as he pushed himself from the railing to a standing position and turned his gaze back out into the bustling mine and its thousands of workers, "I am a soldier of fortune and as long the credits keep flowing I will keep fighting."
Callous clenched his fist extinguishing the lightning, "And flow they shall, as long as you keep supplying the results that drew us to you in the first place."
"That is why I am here actually," Ralgo stated, "I have one of my people following some Sith hunters from the Jedi Order, they seem to be coming rather close to our smugglers on Tatooine, if you like I could handle it for you."
"Indeed, we don't want them finding their way under a Jedi inquiry now do we?" Darth Callous turned to the Mandalorian and offered him a slight bow of the head, in recognition of his services, "I trust that a couple of Sith hunters will be no problem for your man."
It was Ralgos turn to smile wickedly, "No it will be no problem for HER in the slightest, Vytal Neeshra has made quite a name for herself putting members of the Jedi order to the test and proving herself the better."
Such a statement would have aroused visible curiosity in most, but not Darth Callous, he made sure to hide that particular emotion, "Indeed, than see that it is done, we are far too close to let the likes of Sith hunters interfere with our progress," He said simply.
Ralgos nodded and didn't bother himself with formalities as he turned and headed back into the mining facility.
Darth Callous waited several moments, allowing the Mandolorian plenty of time to leave the chamber within and then turned to enter as well.
It was a wide circular room, which was the main frame of the facility and from it the entire mine could be run with ease. He was alone in the room save for several droids that saw to the computers and systems and a pair of Sith guards that stood flanking the single door opposite the balcony. They were silent and still, like a pair of lethal statues.
He strode to nearly the center of the room which was occupied by a holographic comms system and dialed in his desired frequency. Several moments later the ghostly image of a cloaked figure appeared in front of him, the face masked by shadows from the hood that was pulled up around it. Darth Callous waited for the form to bow, and he bowed in return.
"I have an assignment for you," Callous announced as his fellow Sith warrior removed the cowl so that her face would be revealed. For their kind it was a show of great respect that was not very common.
"And that would be?" Alious Brood asked, her lilting voice alluring yet harsh. Her alabaster skin accented by black tribal tattoos that where common amongst the Zabrak race, and she had small red gems that dangled from her horns that rimmed her hair line.
Callous always enjoyed talking to the deadly little Zabrak. She always got straight down to business when he made requests of her, "The Mandolorian under our employment has just let slip about an asset that he owns, most likely a female assassin named Vytal Neeshra, and by the sounds of it she may be very apt at taking down Sith hunters. If this is true than she also poses a threat to us."
"And you want me to kill her?" Alious asked her eyebrows raising with what was most likely excitement at the prospect of a good fight and of course the thrill of the hunt. That was the benefit of having a Zabrak straight from their home planet. They had a certain savagery that was lacking from the ones found in the core systems.
"No, no, not yet," Callous replied, "If she is as good as the Mandolorian thinks than she will be valuable to us as long as she remains pointed in the right direction. Simply find her, watch her and see just how good she is. She will be hunting a pair of Jedi on Tatooine"
A slight amount of what appeared to be disappointment crossed Aliouses face and she bowed her head, "Very well, I shall report to you once I have located her."
Darth Callous shut down the comm and sighed deeply. Everything was falling into place and very soon they would have something that would return the power and control to the Sith. Something that was far beyond a weapon as the Mandolorian had thought it was. If what the relic he had located on Yavin 4 said was true about what was supposedly hidden on this planet Elion, than nothing would be able to challenge the Sith ever again.
And he knew that it was. He could feel it. The force seemed to speak to him telling him to continue. No, not the force, it was more like a voice within it, deep and resonant.
He hadn't told his master of how he had felt the pull from under the surface of the planet ever since he had first arrived. As if his destiny waited far beneath his booted feet, nor would he, for this was his task to complete and he would see it completed by his own hand.
Yes. Darth Callous would be the one responsible for returning control to the Sith. This much is true.
