Andul Taár

(OOC: This is the story of the Sith Inquisitor I will be making as my alt. I always wanted my alt to be a force user, and it would be nice to see things from an Empire point of view for a change, particularly from someone who follows the Sith Code. I hope you enjoy)

Background

Andul Taár is a human male of unkown age and origin. He was brought to Korriban as a young child, a slave to a group of Mandalorians who sought to sell him on for a good price. It is assumed that the boy must have been captured during a raid on one of many outer-rim worlds that had been carried out by Mandolorian raiders and bounty hunters.

The group of mercenaries brought the boy before one of the instructors from the sith academy. The boy shied away from him. The instructor sensed his fear, but the boy did not look physically able. He shook his head, and the mercenaries tried to pull the boy away. The boy would not move, so they beat him over the head and knocked him to the ground. The boy entered a frenzied rage. He felt something flow within him, uncontrollably making him pulse and shiver. The mercenaries and the sith instructor approached him. Andul let out a yell, force pushed the instructor, sending him flying into the nearby wall. Andul then found himself in a cloud of pure electricity, surrounded by the recently deceased corpses of his captors.

The instructor was furious that he had been made a fool by this boy. He drew out his lightsaber and tried to strike the boy, but the weapon left his hand and flew into the hand of another instructor.

"Don't be a fool. Can't you see the boys power? This boy could do wonders for our cause!"

He walked over to the boy and knelt down infront of him. "What is your name, and I shall tell you mine. Speak up"

The boy gulped, then slowly said his name. "Andul"

"No family name? Very well, you will go by the name of Andul Taár, a strong Sith name. My name is Sarath Vosdairn, and I will be your new master".

He returned the lightsaber to its owner. "Get back to the academy, and do not let me see you here again"

And so Sarath took Andul on as his apprentice from an early age. Andul was very successful in his education and training as an inquisitor. He lived clearly by the Sith code, and was not afraid to convey his emotions. He often bested his peers, and did not suffer them lightly. One note worth mentioning is that Andul quickly grew to despise his Sith Warrior counter-parts. They always made it clear to him that they were of 'Noble' birth and Andul was but a slave boy. They were snobs, and clearly lacked any real connection to the force, wasting time flashing their lightsabers everywhere they went.

Andul knew he was better, and one day, he would prove it...

Andul woke in his chamber. He did not know how much time had passed while he had been resting. He got up and slowly made his way to his console and signed in. He had one new message, and it was from his master, asking to see him in the courtyard. Finally, the chance he had been waiting for.

Andul donned his robes and equipped his single-blade, red crystal lightsaber, standard for all Sith apprentices. He left his chambers and slowly made his way towards the courtyard, pulling his cloak over his head. As he approached, he saw a figure appear in the main doorway. The figure was that of Garrus Dakan, a sith warrior apprentice that Andul had grown to despise above the others.

"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite little slave-boy. Where do you think you are going then? It is pretty dangerous out there on the surface. I wouldn't want you to get hurt".

Andul felt the presence of two of Garrus' lackeys standing behind him, keeping him surrounded. "Listen, scum. I suggest you and your 'friends' here get out of my way, and quickly, for I would LOVE to see you get hurt"

Garrus' smile faded. He drew his lightsaber, as did his two lackets, and the three of them charged at Andul. Andul, rather than drawing his, simply put his hands together and closed his eyes. He began to hover, and clenched his fists against his chest. As the other apprentices reached him, he lashed out, causing a massive wave of dark energy which sent all three of his opponents flying to the far sides of the chamber. Without looking back at them, Andul pulled his hood up again and made his way to the courtyard.

"Ah, there he is, my Apprentice."

Andul approached his master, and rather than look to him, he fixed his gaze upon a young woman standing next to him. In fact, 'Woman' was pushing it, she was not a day older than 18 years of age.

"And this, Andul my dear boy, is Catriona Fodan. She is a new initiate to the academy, selected by me a few days ago"

"A pleasure to meet you Andul. Your master speaks of... great things about you"

Andul looked her up and down. She was young, with short, blonde hair. She was attractive, for her age, but Andul knew that attraction was a foolish burden to bear. He noticed that attatched to her waist were two lightsabers.

"A duel wielder eh? You must be a Warrior, or want to be. You use a purely aggressive stance. Good, aside from the fact that any enemy of note will tire you out and take advantage of your weak state."

Catriona stayed silent. Serath laughed and turned back to his apprentice. "Ah, my good boy, never afraid to hide your thoughts, are you?". He laughed again. "Indeed. But I understand that you must be wondering why you are here. Today you will finally earn yourself the much coveted rank of Sith Inquisitor. Are you ready to face your final test?"

Andul simply nodded, allowing his master to continue.

Yes, well, in this tomb behind me are a series of tests that have been prepared for you. At the end lies a particular item that you must return to me to prove your success in this trial. And you will be taking Catriona with you. She will be your 'escort', and prove that she has what it takes to be worthy of becoming an apprentice. I trust you will be able to keep her alive if need be.

Andul gave a slight smirk and muttered under his breath "My ability will have nothing to do with that"

Andul turned away from his master and made his way into the tomb, followed by Catriona.

The pair approached the door of the tomb. Andul placed his palm against it, trying to find the panel that would open it. It was covered in dust. Nothing had touched this tomb for a long time. How then, had these tests been prepared?.

His hand eventually found a pressure panel, and the two doors slid open, revealing vast darkness beyond.

"My gosh... what tomb is this?. She looked to Andul, who did not answer, but instead began to walk into the darkness. Catriona was getting fearful."What will we find in here?". Andul again remained silent as they reached a long stretching corridor.

A few metres in front of them were a pair of stationary turrets guarding a doorway. They were dusty and strewn with cobwebs. These turrets were of ancient design for sure. Andul stopped and raised his hand, signaling his partner to stop also. "Tch, don't be daft, they are ancien-". The turrets, sensing her presence, opened fire. Catriona drew her lightsabers and began heavily deflecting the hundreds of energy bolts that were being fired her way. Angul stood back and watched, slowly shaking his head. "Fool".

Catriona couldn't advance towards the turrets, and single movement could make her lose concentration on the necessary pattern of deflection for her to be unharmed by the turrets. Andul grew bored of this quite fast. He walked forward and raised his hand towards one of the turrets and then lowered it, using the force to power it down. He then did the same to the other. Catriona attached her lightsabers back to her waist. "Thanks for the help, though you could have been a little-".

Andul interrupted her. "You are nothing short of an outright fool, typical of you Warrior types. I am your superior during this task, and you will do as I command and remain silent unless I wish otherwise. Failure to comply will simply result in you meeting an early grave. Do you understand?"

Catriona fell silent and simply nodded. Andul walked towards the door which opened automatically for him. Inside was a large empty chamber, with a single doorway on the other side.

"Wow, can you feel it? The raw dark energy flowing through this room. It's... it's remarkable. I'm feeling lightheaded". Andul raised his hand to silence her. Andul was feeling something inside him that he had not felt since he was a young boy. Fear. He thought he had managed to block it, but it had returned. Why now?

Andul walked to the centre of the room alone. He turned to Catriona, who appeared to be completely still. Frozen even. Something was not right. Suddenly, Andul was forced to clutch his head. A searing fire seemed to enter his mind. It was agony. His childhood memories were streaming before his eyes. He was hearing voices, but not in his head. His memories were coming to life.

"Your child is very sensitive to the force. We must take him for training with the Jedi. If unchecked, there is no telling what kind of destructive powers your son could develop"

Andul was hearing screams and wailing.

"No, you will not take my son from me! NO!"

"Sir! The Mandalorians! They are HERE!"

"No! Andul! no!"

"Mother..."

It was unbearable. Andul fell to his knees. He was squirming. The memories, the emotions, they were unbearable. He felt dark energy flowing through him. His past, it was ripe with power and emotion. Fear. Anger. Passion. HATE!

Andul cried out in pain. He began to see images, then figures in the darkness. He thought he was hallucinating. But... they were so real. He got to his feet, and observed the figures approaching from the darkness. Each of them were clad in Mandalorian raider armor.

"You! you are dead! What kind of dark trickery is this?". The figures were those of his childhood captors. They all drew vibroblades, and Andul drew his lightsaber. In turn, each figure attacked Andul, and each time he countered the blow and swiped through each of them, each apparition fading when he struck them. More and more were appearing, charging, encircling. Andul felt fear and anger flow through him. His emotions were taking over. Slow wisps of electricity began to form around him. Andul lashed out with both hands, dark electricity flowing from them. It flowed to all corners of the room, fading all of the apparitions as they appeared.

Andul fell, and there was silence...

"Andul! Andul!". Catriona was standing over Andul, gently kicking him to see if he would wake up. "Absolutely fantastic... trust my luck to be placed with the one who decides to kill himself. .

Catriona began to pace the room in a nervous burst of energy. "What are we even doing here? It would be easier if somebody had told me what we were doing! What should I do!?"

"Being quiet for the first time in your miserable life would be a good starting point."

Catriona's face turned white. She turned around to see Andul slowly climbing to his feet. She rushed over to help him, but he held up his hand to stop her. He gathered himself fully before continuing through the doorway. In the centre of the room was an altar. Andul could not make out what the runes on it were. They were clearly ancient, a language he had never even seen before. He dismissed them as a minor detail, as what caught his interest was perched on top of the altar. His eye caught the glistening of a long hilt. The hilt of a lightsaber. So this is what master was after...

Andul placed a firm grip on the hilt and slowly picked it up, inspecting the detail that had been engraved into it. Does it work?. He activated it. A beam of pure red came out of one side, shortly followed by the other.

"It is a duel-blade? That's...

"...Incredible"

There was wonder in both sets of eyes. Anduls met Catrionas, and a couple of moments past. Andul quickly corrected himself and sheathed the blade.

"Come, we must get back before dark. I imagine my master is growing impatient."

The sunlight near burned their eyes as they made their way out of the tomb and back towards the Academy.

"Ah, Andul, Catriona, welcome back. I trust you are done wasting time? I have no time for the needless passions of youth."

Andul gave his master a shocked look. Anger spread across his face. Catriona stood back.

"Master, how dare you accuse-"

Sarath laughed. "Relax, my apprentice. You can do whatever you wish, I do not care. You have that freedom, such is what it means to be a Sith. Now, onto more serious matters. I see you have the blade. Excellent. Catriona, go see your mentor, in the Library. You have shown that you have true potential to be a Sith. As for you, Andul...".

He stopped talking. Cationa realised why. She was still her. Feeling it would be best not to try the patience of a Sith Master, she turned and walked away to deal with her own business.

"You have passed your test. You are now an honorary Sith Inquisitor. The blade you now carry signifies this. Your time at the Academy is complete. You may now go out into the Galaxy and do as you please... For the Glory of The Empire!"

Andul was taken aback. "Does this mean?"

"Indeed, you are no longer bound to me. You are a free man now. Go, my former apprentice, and strike fear into the hearts of those who would oppose you!"

With that Sarath turned and walked away to see to the other students. Andul was frozen to the spot for a while. Freedom? At last.... He turned and walked back inside the academy. Catriona had been waiting for him, but Garrus had gotten there first. He was flirting with her, but was making a poor job of it.

"But everyone here knows that for a lovely apprentice like yourself to succeed, you need the protection of someone like me. Protection that is not easy to gain..."

Catriona stepped away. "Don't touch me you slime!"

"Trust me, you want this...". He placed his hand on her behind.

Andul made his approach with anger clear upon his face.

"Get off me!". Catriona slapped his hand away.

The hands re-appeared on her shoulders. She reached for her lightsabers. Andul stopped in his tracks.

Catriona lost control. She activated her lightsabers, turned and swiped. Garrus' arms were cut clean off, and screaming in pain he fell to the floor. Catriona stopped, horrified at what she had just done.

Andul tried his best to suppress his smile. Catriona had just earned a lot of respect from him. This feeling faded when he saw a Sith Instructor darting towards the scene.

Andul made his way to the scene.

"How dare you! HOW DARE YOU! We should put you before the Grand Master for this!"

Andul confronted the instructor. "That will not be necessary, I don't think."

The instructor turned to him, puzzled in the face. "Andul, you are an Inquisitor, I must respect your word, but this is UNACCEPTABLE! She will be executed before the sun next sets, I swear it!"

"No she will not. I am taking this right from you. I am formally taking Catriona on as my apprentice. Any action made against her will be perceived as an action against my authority. Do I make myself clear?"

Catriona blushed, yet kept her head hung low to avoid anyone seeing her smile.

"What? Your Apprentice? That is foolish, even for you. She is unstable, there is no telling what she will do next!

"Are you questioning me? She has clearly shown today that she is in touch with the power that her emotions grant her."

"Well there are times when she should learn to control her emotions!"

Andul stepped up and faced off the instructor, his face locking an inch away from the other. "Control her emotions? Those are the words of a JEDI. I suggest you leave beefore you condemn yourself further!"

The instructor was unnerved. He nodded, then backed away, then rushed off away from the scene.

Andul turned away and began to make his way out of the Academy. Catriona caught up to him. "My Lord, thank you! You will not regret this decision! I swear it! I shall be loyal to your name! Together we will achieve glory!"

He was beginning to regret it already...

It has been 10 years since Andul Taár left Korriban as a Sith Inquisitor. He has risen through the ranks of the Imperial Military very quickly, and works in partnership with Admiral Thesor Davak of the 113th Imperial Fleet. Catriona is by rights a full-fledged Sith Marauder, although she still answers to the call of 'Apprentice' from Andul. The following takes place on Dromund Kaas, capitol of the Sith Empire.

"So, the Sith council want to see me? At last, the chance I have been waiting for!"

"They want to see US. Andul turned and gave Catriona a concerned look as they proceeded along the corridor to the chamber where the meeting would take place. "I suggest you do not get too far ahead of yourself. You are a great Sith, it is true, but in my eyes you remain an apprentice until you can prove yourself otherwise. Regardless, once we enter the chamber, let me do the speaking. I would rather not have my image tarnished before I have a chance to prove myself in the eyes of the Council."

Catriona frowned and sighed. She began to mutter under her breath. "What must I do to prove myself in my Masters eyes?"

As they approached, the doors of the Great Chamber opened, and the pair walked into the centre of the room. They were near enough surrounded by dark, hooded figures. Andul could not make out a single face.

"Andul Taár. Sith Inquisitor. Human. Male. We of the Sith Council have heard much of your exploits in the name of the Sith and of the Empire as a whole.

The echoes in the chamber were deceiving. Probably purposefully so. Andul could not tell which of the council members was speaking, he did not know who to address or look at.

"We have a task for you. You and the 113th fleet are to hunt down and destroy a Republic escort. The fleet can handle the military craft. You and your apprentice are to lead a strike squad onto the vessel that is being escorted. The target is a Jedi Master by the name of Calan Ordlenko. You may have heard of him."

Andul had heard of this Jedi, but had never come across him. He was eager to meet this worthy foe by the sheer mention of this name. Catriona, by her confused expression, clearly had not heard of him.

"You are to destroy this threat to the Empire. Failure is not an option. You may go now"

Andul bowed. "Thank you, my masters"

The pair walked slowly from the chamber and made their way towards the space port. They boarded their individual star-fighters and lifted off. Andul was never a fan of having a large personal ship. It took away a major chunk of the element of surprise.

They both shot out through the atmosphere of the planet and made their way out to the flagship of the 113th fleet where they docked.

The ship was alive with activity. Clearly the Admiral had already received his orders and the crew were preparing for their jump to hyperspace.

"Catriona, you would do well to meditate for the task ahead of us. This foe will have power beyond any we have met before"

Catriona opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She simply nodded, then walked away.

Andul continued to make his way towards the bridge.

As Andul approached the bridge, he waved his hand at the blast doors, opening them with command of the force. The guards at the door looked perplexed, but said nothing. No one says anything to a Sith, ever.

As Andul made his way towards the front of the bridge he noticed that activity amongst the crew was even more hectic here than in other parts of the ship. They were preparing for a massive battle it seemed. Which in a sense, was true. When Andul boards the Jedi vessel, the fleet will still be required to engage the escorts. There was a massive possibility that many of these men and women would not be alive in a few days.

"Admiral Davak, all primary systems are engaged. We are ready to jump to lightspeed when-". The crewman stopped speaking when he noticed Andul approach from behind. His face went white and he fell silent, standing to attention.

The Admiral turned to greet Andul."Ah, my lord, what a...pleasant surprise. We were just preparing to make the jump. I was not...aware, that you would be joining us"

"The less you know, Admiral, the better. Are you aware of your task?. Thesor nodded. "Good. I want all personnel to be ready as soon as possible. We don't want the Republic ships to have a chance to fight back after the initial surprise. I will need a small team to-"

"Sir, you have a message!"

Andul turned angrily to the crewman. "Can you not see that we-"

"With all due respect, my lord, it is urgent"

Andul raised his hand into a choking gesture. The crewman was lifted off the ground and Andul held him in a force choke. The crewman was squirming with pain and desperation. "With all due respect, crewman, you should know your place". Andul flicked his wrist and snapped the crewmans neck. His lifeless body dropped to the ground, and there was a sudden hush amongst the other crew members.

Thesor frowned at Andul. "In case you didn't know, my lord, the crew have been quite on edge ever since our orders were received. Senseless killing of my men in public show is not the most helpful contribution you can make to our cause... I hope."

Andul stared at the Admiral."Do what you must. Just be ready for action when the time comes".

With that, Andul turned and made his way towards his personal quarters, all crew and soldiers clearing a large space for him when he passed by.

Andul had made his way down to the hangar bay and had re-grouped with his apprentice. Andul walked in silence as they made their way through the bustle of busy soldiers and pilots towards their personal fighters.

Cationa decided it would be a good idea to break the silence.

"Finally, the chance I have been waiting for, the chance to prove myself against a famous Jedi Master!"

"Don't be a fool". Andul turned to his apprentice with a plain expression. Not that Cationa could see it, Andul was wearing his cloak with its hood overshadowing most of his face. "Who ever heard of a small time Sith Warrior defeating a a Jedi Master? No, you will leave him to me. No doubt there will be other Jedi with him, they will be your targets"

Catriona frowned. She wanted to argue that they should attack the Jedi together, but she knew her efforts would be fruitless. Instead she broke away from her Master and boarded her fighter. Andul did the same. He wasn't a particularly large fan of flying, or relying on Vehicles for combat. Combat vehicles were made by weaklings for use by weaklings. It amazed Andul that these things didn't just drop from the sky after entering orbit.

Andul turned and looked back into the hangar. The soldiers that were to be part of his strike squad had obviously must have seen Andul enter the hangar as now all of them were boarding their own fighters and were ready to launch. Andul opened up the comm in his fighter.

"Everyone listen up. You have all received your orders, you all know what roles you should play in the upcoming battle. However, as long as your are party of my strike team you will play by my rules. Once we launch, you are all to activate your stealth shield generators. No one is to engage any enemy fighters under any circumstances. We want to catch our foe by surprise. That will be all"

A silence fell across the hangar. Everyone was waiting for the moment when the fleet would drop out of hyperpace. This silence lasted for a long time, until it was eventually broken by the Admiral over the ships speaker system.

"Attention to all personnel. In two minutes we will be dropping out of Hyperspace. All units must report to their allocated stations. We are going to catch this enemy by surprise. Once we are in range, all star-ships, fighters and bombers will launch and strike the enemy hard and fast. Beginning countdown now."

The hull of the ship churned as the entire Imperial 113th fleet dropped out of hyperspace. Immediately a light-show began outside, as both sides opened fire on one another. Andul took a hold of the fighters controls and began to take off. The rest of his strike team followed suit. As the fighters left the hangar bay, all of their cloaking devices activated, removing their heat signatures from enemy radar.

They formed a triangle formation and stuck close together. The unit moved up and skimmed along the top of the ship, avoiding any form of contact with the enemy. A flight of allied fighters screamed past, with republic fighters on their tail. That squadron didn't stand a chance. Some of the men in the strike team were getting nervous. Andul could sense this, and re-activated his comm.

"Remain calm men. Don't do anything you may regret. Those men are dying for a just cause. Exposing yourselves now will just lead to more of your friends dying. None of us want that." Andul checked his scanner, then confirmed the data against the radar. "The ship being escorted is now directly below us, prepare yourselves for boarding action".

The unit reached the end of the ship, and upon getting clear of it, nosedived down towards their target. The unit split into two smaller formations to take out the shield generators at either side of the enemy hangar bay. Once they had done this, all ships double-backed and then stormed into the hangar bay together, just before the containment blast doors closed.

As soon as his fighter had landed, Andul opened the cockpit and force-leaped into the air. He activated his dual-bladed lightsaber and launched himself into the enemy soldier formation. Not far behind him he could hear his apprentice do the same. He made short work of the initial group of soldiers with a few short flurries and acrobatic lightsaber maneuvers. This lot didn't even bother to bring vibro-blades.

As he finished off the first wave, he could hear blaster fire open up behind him. The strike team had finally managed to sort themselves out and get into the action. The republic soldiers began to fall back from the Hangar bay. Members of the strike team began to try to hack their way through the blast doors. After waiting a couple of seconds, Andul decided they were not getting through fast enough and so overloaded the console with a deadly flow of force-lightning. The blast doors bolted open.

The corridors of the Republic vessel were filled with the sounds of mass blaster fire and the cries of pain from Republic soldiers as Andul sliced his way through them with minimal effort. Andul was closely followed by his apprentice and the Imperial Soldiers who were providing covering fire. As they got closer to the centre of the ship, Anduls head began to feel heavy. There was a large circulation with the force. Andul knew that Calan was a powerful Jedi Master, obviously the Force would be strong with him. But this was no single entity. There were others.

Catriona caught up to Andul and noticed that he was not himself. She put her hand on his shoulder. "Master? What is it? What is wrong?"

Andul promptly brushed her hand aside. "My senses are being... overwhelmed. Prepare for a tough fight, young one, there is more than a single Jedi here"

With that Andul and his followers again proceeded along the vast corridor. As they were nearing the pod bay, the blast doors at the end of the corridor opened. Andul could make out several robed figures approaching them.

"So, the Dark Council decided to reveal its intentions at long last! What fools they must be, sending two Sith and a couple of Imperial Soldiers after me. Do they expect me to just turn over and die?"

Calan removed his hood to reveal his face. Andul fell silent. This Jedi... He was familiar...

"Well, Sith, have you come to destroy me? You may have the advantage of youth, but I assure you, I will not go down easily!".

The Jedi all activated their lightsabers. Andul activates his, and prompted his Apprentice to do the same. The two groups charged at each other. The Imperial Soldiers, although equipped with Vibro-blades, could not last long against the overwhelming might of their Jedi opponents.

Andul immediately began slicing through the Jedi. Clearly many of them were only Padawans, they could put up a fight, but none of them could stand against him or his apprentice. Andul left his Apprentice to engage the minor Jedi and Andul forced himself into a direct engagement with Calan.

Andul made a swipe at Calan, but it was swiftly dodged. Andul proceeded to make another swipe, but it was deflected. One end of his lightsaber was knocked back, and Calan tried to make a piercing move to penetrate Anduls defenses, but the attack was blocked by the other end of Anduls saberstaff. Andul span the saber-staff in the hope of catching Calan in an unguarded position, but Calan simply force pushed Andul back mid-swing to prevent this.

Catriona sliced through yet another Jedi victim. Clearly these Padawans had a very powerful Master, but this was not reflected in the way they handled themselves in a fight. With her offensive dual-wielding stance, Catriona found that she could easily cut through their nervous defensive stances with very little effort. She saw that her Master was in fierce combat with Jedi Master Calan, and seemed to be unable to gain the upper hand. But she could not move to assist Andul, she had to deal with the rest of these Jedi scum first.

Andul tried to use a burst of Force Lightning to catch Calan off-guard, but Calan caught the flow with his lightsaber and waved it off. Calan leaped at Andul and made a downwards strike against him, which resulted in the pair being caught in a lightsaber deadlock, neither of them willing to pull away.

"Stand down, Sith! The Darkside has corrupted you, clouded your vision. Can you not see that? This is not who you are! Listen to me Andul! Or should I say...Vensan!"

Vensan. That is what his mother had called him as a youngling. Anduls eyes widened. He had realised why this Jedi Master seemed so familiar. He recognised Calan as the Jedi who tried to take him away from his homeland for training with the Jedi just before the Mandalorian attack.

'YOU!'. The ship began to shake heavily. It was becoming badly damaged by the bombardment from the Imperial Fleet. An evacuation protocol activated over the intercom, telling all crew members to make their way to the escape pod bay. Calan took advantage of the distraction and Force Pushed Andul away from him. The blast doors then closed between them and sealed shut.
Andul was distraught. He needed to get off this ship, and fast, but his target yet lived.

"Damn you, Jedi! This is not the end yet, I swear it!"

Catriona finished off her final opponent and approached her Master. "My Lord, we need to leave now, or else we will be crushed!"

"Indeed. Everyone, get back to your fighters. This is not over yet!"

The group made a hasty withdrawal back to the hangar bay. The ship was beginning to fall apart, with occasional debris falling from the ceiling. As they made it back to the hangar bay, Andul signaled to Catriona.

"Get back to the fleet and inform the Admiral of the current situation"

"What are you going to do?"

"My target yet lives, and so i shall hunt him down. I will not fail the Dark Council"

Catriona felt she should object, but she realised it would be no use. Instead she made her way over to her fighter. Andul entered his, and signaled for the soldiers to follow his lead once they were in flight. The group took off and Catriona split from the group and flew back towards the Imperial Fleet. It did not take long for Andul to pick out Calans fighter. Jedi starfighters always stood out among other Republic craft. The group descended on the retreating Republic formation and opened fire. The Republic fighter escorts stood little chance, nearly half of them were wiped out on the first pass alone.
Soon Calan was the only one intact, with a couple of other stragglers. Andul descended on Calans craft, but Calan proved to be a skilled pilot. He successfully dodged every barrage the Imperials sent his way. Andul soon realised Calan was not trying to escape. He was buying time. Just then, a formation of Republic fighters caught the Imperial formations flank.

The Imperials were being outmaneuvered and were outmatched by the Republic pilots. Soon Andul had to break off from the pursuit, however begrudgingly, as he could sense he was being directly targeted by multiple Republic fighters. Andul looked over his shoulder and saw that Calan was now at a safe distance, unreachable.

"I swear on my life, Jedi, that some day, some day soon, I will have the pleasure of killing you. I SWEAR IT!"

It was now Anduls turn to begin evading incoming fire. He promptly made his way back towards the Imperial Fleet to escape. As he approached the fleet, the right side of his fighter receives several hits. The balancing components were completely destroyed. His fighter began to spin uncontrollably. He aimed his fighter in the genral direction of the hangar bay of the Imperial Flagship. He entered a state of force meditation to keep the out of control fighter on course for his target. The fighter flew into the hangar bay at high speed and hit the fueling dock of the larger craft. There was a massive explosion.

Before long, Imperial Personnel were dragging his unconscious body out of the wreckage. He was still alive, but only just. He was deeply wounded in several parts of his body, and the entire left side of his face was heavily burned...

Andul woke to find himself blinded by a bright light directly above where he was lying. It took his eyes a few moments to adjust properly. He was feeling slightly dizzy. He lay there and wondered where he was, what had happened. He soon recognised this place as the medical bay of the 113th Imperial Fleet Capital Ship The Imperial Vanguard. He felt a hand holding his own. The hand belonged to his apprentice.

"Master! You are finally awake! I am glad that you are OK. We weren't sure if you were going to make it after the crash. The crew felt that you would have perished for sure. But not I. I knew you would have the strength to pull through, even if it was for the stubborn purpose of finishing off that Jedi."

Andul frowned. The Jedi. Calan yet lived. He had failed the task given to him by the Dark Council. It was likely that he would face execution upon his return to Dromund Kaas.

Andul slowly pulled himself up, and realizing that it was his apprentice who was holding his hand, he promptly pulled his away.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

He ran his hands down his face, but it did not feel right. He ran them down again. One side of his face felt... uneven. Rough to the touch.

"It has been nearly two weeks, My Lord. The medical staff have been at constant work keeping you alive and-"

Andul made his way over to the mirror, followed by his apprentice. He removed his hands from his face. One side of his face had been severely burned in the explosion.

"I'm sorry, My Lord, but the medical staff did everything they could."

Catriona moved over to Andul and kissed him. Andul paused for a moment before pulling himself away in disgust. He put on his robes and just as he was lifting his hood he looked over his shoulder to address his apprentice.

"I don't want to ever see you make such a public display of weakness ever again"

With that Andul left the medical bay and was headed to the Bridge, despite the pleading and protest of the medical staff. He was still feeling slightly dizzy, but he would not show it. He needed to speak with the Admiral.

Two weeks... The fleet must be close to Dromund Kaas by now

A hush fell across all the crew stationed on the bridge as Andul made his way to the front area where the Admiral was standing. No crew member dared get in his way. they did not want to re-occurrence of the events that took place during Anduls last visit.

The Admiral turned to Andul and was surprised to see that Andul seemed unscathed despite the near-death experience he had endured. Andul was wearing his hood in such a way that his scars were not visible.

"My Lord Andul. What a pleasant suprise. How are you feeling?"

"How long until we reach Dromun Kaas, Davak?"

Admiral Davak was taken aback by the harsh business-like tone of Andul. He knew the Sith was not himself.

"Well, my Lord, we will be arriving before the day is out. If I may ask, were you successful in your task during the ambush?"

Andul scowled at the man, who strangely enough did not so much as flinch.

"You may not, Admiral, and you will remember your place. Contact my Apprentice, tell her that we are preparing to leave"

Thesor Davak nodded, and set about carrying on with his duties that Anduls presence had interrupted. Andul made his way out towards the hangar bay. He could not understand how he could have failed. Fear gripped him at the thought of what would happen to him at the hands of the Dark council. He would soon find out.

Andul stepped out of his ship onto the landing pad on Dromund Kaas. This area had become all too familiar to Andul. His visits to this planet were frequent enough. He had only met with the Dark Council once before. He was now about to meet them for a second time. This time, however, he was not looking forward to it. Fear gripped him as he and his Apprentice approached the council chamber. But he did not show it. He did not show anything, his face was straight and emotionless.

The halls were silent. Usually this part of the building was heavy with activity, but there was nothing, aside from the occasional patrolling guards. Andul remained silent, and his apprentice did not dare break that silence. She knew that it was a possibility that neither of them would leave that chamber once they had entered. But they had to be obedient to the Empire, always.

The doors opened before them, and the pair entered the chamber once more. The doors then closed tight behind them. There was no turning back now. Before them sat the hooded figures of the Dark Council.

"What news Andul? Does Calan lie dead?"

Andul stepped forward and tried his best to control his fear.

"No...No, my Lord, he yet lives. I confronted him on his ship, but the coward fled when the bombardment began. He escaped me."

The hooded figures slowly turned their heads to each other, as though to converse with one another, then turned back to Andul.

"This is...most troubling, Andul. We were led to believe that you would be able to handle this. We were wrong. How very...disappointing."

Andul could no longer control his fear.

"My Lord, please! Let me hunt the Jedi down, I can kill him! I need more time!"

"Andul Taár, you have failed us. You have proven that you are not worthy of your rank, and you must face the consequences of your failure"

The guards grabbed Andul by his arms and removes his lightsaber from his belt. They then began to drag him away, leaving Catriona standing alone in the centre on the room, facing the members of the Dark Council.

"Catriona, former apprentice of Andul Taár. Have you the will to do what must be done in the name of the Emperor?"

Catriona paused, unable to comprehend the events that had just taken place. she then realised her situation, and answered abruptly.

"Y-yes, My Lord, anything you desire"

"Good. You are to take command of an Imperial vessel cloaked in the Ord Mantell sector. There you are to monitor Republic activity in the area, and sabotage their operations against the separatists there. You will draw the Jedi Master Calan Orlenko into the sector, and succeed where your former master failed."

Catriona bowed her head.

"As you wish, My Lord. I shall leave at once"

Catriona turned and left the chamber, although her mind was not entirely focused on her mission. She found herself worrying for the fate of her Master.

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Andul was dragged into a pitch black chamber, and dropped to the floor. The guards left him there and secured the chamber so he could not escape. Andul lay there as light began to seep into the chamber. Andul pulled himself up and sat in a kneeling position. He was horrified by what he saw. Surrounding him in the chamber were several Sith Holocrons. They were emanating energy, and Andul could feel it in his head. They were causing pains, and the energies were steadily becoming stronger.

Foscalan dasc zantor...

The pain in Anduls head was worsening.

Forscalan dansc zantor...

It was becoming more intense. Andul was struggling.

Forscalan dansc zantor...

"Please, stop this! The pain! ARGH!"

FORSCALAN DANSC ZANTOR

Anduls screams could be heard echoing through the corridors outside...

Andul woke up to find that he was on the floor of the chamber of the Dark Council. He pulled himself up, feeling very stiff as he did so. The figures of the Dark Council stood staring at him in silence as he pulled himself off the floor.

"Welcome back, young Andul"

"I don't understand. Why is it that I still breathe my Masters?"

A slow murmur emitted from the Dark Council. It almost sounded like they were... laughing.

"We have spared you, Andul, for your usefulness has not yet run out. We have a task for you, a one that only you can complete."

"A chance at redemption..." Andul thought on this for a moment, then continued. "What would you ask of me?"

"We must ask you... to kill your old Master."

Anduls eyes widened. "My old master? My Lord, he is an honorable servant of the Emperor, surely he..."

"He has BETRAYED the Empire, young one, and must pay for his crimes. You share a force-bond with him, as many pupils have with their Masters. Use this to your advantage. Follow your feelings, track him down!"

"As you wish, My Lord". Andul bowed then turned to leave. He stopped in his tracks and turned around once more. "My Apprentice... what has become of her?"

"She has inherited your previous assignment. She is currently stealthed in the region of Ord Mantell, working on drawing out the Jedi Master Calan Orlenko."

"She is in danger!"

Andul turned and swiftly left the chamber in the direction of his ship.

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Catriona turned to her officer who was commanding the bridge of their stealth cruiser.

"That ship that we just destroyed, the Regal Star, were there any passengers on board"

"Yes, Mi'Lady. A Smuggler and a Bounty Hunter. We would have killed them but one of them bears a potential significance to our mission.

"Oh? And how might that be?"

"The Smuggler, Mi'Lady, is Volar Odias. He seems a small-time criminal, but our Intelligence Agents suggest that he is related to the Officer in command of the Republic Unit assigned to Jedi Master Calan Orlenko"

"A bit of a loose lead, but an important one. Keep him in holding, I will be down shortly to question him"

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Andul could sense that his apprentice was in danger, and sped up to a jog to reach his personal ship.

As Andul sat in his fighter, slowly making its way towards the capital ship of the fleet. Suddenly, he received a transmission from his Apprentice.

"My Lord Andul Taár, it is an honor to speak with you once again. It may interest you to know that we have managed to capture a couple of rather interesting individuals. A Smuggler named Volar Odias and a Bounty Hunter named Alandra Mokel"

"You took PRISONERS?!?!"

"Y-Yes, My Lord. Is-Is something wrong?"

"Are you not aware that the Jedi are hunting you? This open act will have drawn attention. This I know has already happened. You are being actively hunted by Jedi Master Calan Ordlenko. You had better prepare yourself, my Apprentice"

With that, Andul immediately lost his connection.

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Andul made his way across the bridge towards the Admiral, who was standing rather nervously to attention next to his information terminal.

"At ease, Admiral. Is something wrong?"

The Admiral did not stand at ease. He was beginning to sweat nervously.

"I-It's your apprentice. My Lord. Our scouts have picked up reports of a battle in space above Ord Mantell. Republic forces under the joint command of Calan Orlenko and Carodin Odias boarded her vessel and..."

And WHAT, Admiral?!"

"She's dead, my Lord. I'm sorry. A soldier who successfully fled the scene reported that she had entered Lightsaber contact with Calan...

Andul sighed. "And he bested her"

"Actually, my Lord, to the contrary, your Apprentice very nearly won. However... she was shot... by the smuggler they picked up. Volar I think was his name. Volar Odias."

"What!? How could he-" Andul paused for a second, clearly struggling to control his now overwhelming anger.

"I want them dead! BOTH OF THEM! The Jedi AND the Smuggler! The Jedi I will deal with myself once I have dealt with my former Master. Send out a notice to all skilled Bounty Hunters and Assassins currently in Imperial service. I am placing a bounty on the head of this Smuggler and anyone he is known to be associated with. I want him DEAD!!"

"Of course, My Lord. I will announce the bounty at once!"

"I'll be in my quarters. Let me know when we arrive at Korriban..."

Andul felt a strange sensation as he stepped out onto the surface of Korriban. He had not been here for many years now. It seemed... different somehow.

Andul walked between the statues that stood in the centre of the valley. There were various excavators working on un-earthing lost tombs of Ancient Sith Lords. One or two of them noticed Andul's presence and looked up, following his progress towards the Sith Academy. Along the walk way were various students and acolytes of the Academy, who decided to stay well out of his way.

Andul made his way into the courtyard. He could sense the presence of several Sith Warriors of ill intent. They emerged from the shadows, surrounding Andul. Andul dropped his robe, and pulled out his lightsaber.

Around him the sound of several activating lightsabers could be heard. He did the same. The Sith warriors charged at him, but could not make a killing blow between them. Andul was simply too fast. With each blow came a parry from Anduls saber-staff.
Several students who were coming back from the Valley stood in awe of the spectacle before them. Many others within the academy heard the sound of combat and gathered by the entrance to watch. Andul made another parry, followed by a stab through a Torso. He made a slash, part connecting with lightsaber, part connecting with flesh. He sensed a blow coming in from behind, and lunged his saber backwards, catching his assailant before he could make the strike.

Soon the Sith Warriors lay dead around Andul in the courtyard. It was not over, however, as Andul could sense another, stronger presence. Out of the shadows approached his old Student Nemesis, Garrus Dakan.

"Andul. How nice of you to join us. I was beginning to think you weren't coming"

Garrus dropped his robes, and pulled out two lightsabers. Andul studied his arms.

"Cybernetic Arms? How does it feel to be a droid?"

Garrus activated his lightsabers, and Andul re-activated his saber-staff.

"Indeed. To replace the ones your lovely apprentice oh so kindly removed for me. It is a shame she had to die."

"How do you know of her fate?"

"Why, I would say we may be to blame for the event. Master Sarath wanted to see an end to Jedi Master Calan Orlenko quite badly, and so revealed the position of your apprentices vessel to him to lure him into the trap. It's a shame your apprentice couldn't live up to the task"

Andul could not believe what he was hearing. His own Master was to blame for this? How did he know her location, unless... he conspired with the Dark Council.

Andul launched at Garrus. The fighting was intense from the very start. Garrus was faster than Andul remembered him. Much faster. It must have somethign to do with the arms. Andul make repeated swiped towards his opponent, but each one was countered and parried with great finesse. Garrus started to make an offensive. Andul began to parry and dodge, but felt he could not keep up this stance forever. Andul rached out one hand and used the force to hurl a Sith Warrior corpse, at his opponent, trying to catch him off guard. It did not work, his foe simply sliced through the body as it reached him. Andul jumped back and hurled two more at him, but the result was the same.

Garrus used the force to throw his lightsabers at Andul. Andul stretched his arms out and picked up all the remaining corpses and used them as a protective wall. The lightsabers sliced through some, but could not make it through all, and got stuck. Andul then dropped the corpses, re-activated his saberstaff and threw it like a Javelin, striking Garrus directly through the heart. Andul picked up his foes lightsabers and attached them to his belt, followed by his own weapon.

The students said nothing, did not make any noise at all. They simply turned and went about their normal business.

Sarath emerged from the entrance of the Academy into the Courtyard, clapping his hands slowly as he did so.

"Good show, My Pupil, Good show!"

He approached the lifeless corpse of Garrus and gave it a small kick.

"Shame. Good fighter, but weak in the head. No wonder he never made it off Korriban. But alas, this is the way of the Sith. The weak must die to make way for the strong. Yet I sense fear in you, Andul. Fear and... conflict."

"You know why I am here Master. The Dark Council deems it necessary to-"

"Kill me? I thought as much. I knew this day would come, as it does for all Sith. Every Sith that raises a pupil must meet a fate of betrayal before the end. Even you, boy."

"Pray tell me, Master". Andul lowered his hood, revealing the scars on his face. Garrus raised an eyebrow at this. "How might my Apprentice betray me if she lies dead?"

"I can feel a strong hatred within you, Andul. What do you intend to do with it?"

Sarath placed one hand inside his cloak, gripping his lightsaber.

"I would think the answer to that should be obvious, my Master. You betrayed the Dark council. You betrayed the Empire. But, your biggest mistake, was that you betrayed ME"

Andul lashed out with a storm of Force lightning. Sarath, with a little difficulty, caught it in his hands and absorbed it.

"You have grown stronger since we last met Andul. Impressive. But sadly, not good enough. Now...you...must...DIE!"

Sarath then launched out with his own storm of Force Lightning. Andul drew his lightsaber and activated it, swinging it in a circular motion, absorbing the lightning. He then lowered his lightsaber, holding it slightly behind him in a defensive stance.

Sarath smirked. He pulled out his lightsaber, and activated it, with a purple beam extending from both ends of the hilt.

"Come then, Andul. Show your old Master your new tricks!"

Andul charged at Sarath. Their saber-staffs clashed. Both combatants displayed a show of agility, strength and quick reactions. The fight took them in to the Dark corridors of the Sith Academy. Many students and teachers alike stood forzen in their positions, entranced by the flurry's of light passing into the main chamber.

Anduls saberstaff met the end of his opponents. They then swung around and swapped positions. This motion repeated several times in rapid succession. Through this saber combat neither combatant was the stronger, neither could gain any sort of conceivable advantage amidst the fighting.

It soon became apparent to both of them that is was not their skills with a lightsaber that would decide the victor, but their link with the Force. Andul tried to make another swing, but Sarath picked him up and threw him across the room into the wall. Andul quickly recovered, and conjured up a large burst of lightning. Sarath caught it but it knocked him back slightly. It was slowly overpowering him, pushing him back inch by inch. With a sudden burst of energy Sarath re-directed the lightning into a nearby power conduit. The conduit over-loaded, causing a couple of quiet screams among the more timid pupils observing the fighting. The lights dimmed and started flickering. The two opposing Inquisitors were only visible for a second at a time between the flickers.

Sarath made a force push, as did Andul. The two efforts clashed in a force link between them. Each of them pushed strongly towards the other, struggling to resist the efforts of the other. This resulted in both of them being knocked back. Both combatants, almost simultaneously, clenched their crossed arms to their chests. They lifted slightly from the ground, and soon both of them were engulfed by their own bubbles of Dark energy. There was a gasp from many of the spectators who were taken aback by this rare spectacle.

Lightning crackled around the bubbles. Andul remained transfixed on his old Master. Sarath remained transfixed on his old Pupil. The two remained hovering within their fields of Dark Energy before Sarath decided to lash out with lightning. Andul returned the favor. The two chains of electricity met in the middle of the pair. Andul made a final, desperate push. His Master tried to control it, but it was too much. His bubble of energy disappeared, and the chain of lightning passed straight through him. He fell to the floor...

Andul walked over to the body of his former master and lightly kicked it. The man truly was dead. Andul found himself wandering why he really was here. The Dark Council sent him to betray his own Master, for reasons not yet explained. Upon arriving on the planet of Korriban, he was met with immediate hostility. Again, Andul could not explain the reason for this.

He reached down and picked up his former masters lightsaber and added it to the ever-growing collection on his belt. He procceded to put on his outer-robe once more, examining the students gathered around him. He composed himself and raised his voice.

"Those who remain loyal to this dead man, come forth, show me your ignorance and weakness! Are there none? Have you no pride?"

There were murmerings among the students. Many of them were looking increasingly nervous. Not a single one of them were willing to step forward and challenge him.

"Or are you wise? Know you that this man was a figure of weakness? Who among you are willing? Who among you are strong? Who among you have the courage to lay down your ties to Korriban and join me, a true leader of the Sith? Come then, I will show you the true path to greatness!"

It has been five years since the conflict on Korriban took place. Andul opted not to return to the Dark Council with his report on events. They would know what had occurred, and Andul did not feel that he would see light after the event. Capitalising on the loyalty of the men on board his cruiser The Vanguard, Andul removed himself from the service of the Dark Council and focused on trying to further the Sith Empires aims without the hinderence of their corruption. His ship was now the centre of his power, destroying Republic convoys and picking up force sensitive children from throughout the Galaxy to train in the ways of the Sith, without the direct approval of the Dark Council

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Andul walked up to the bridge where Admiral Davak Thesor was overseeing operations. The Admiral turned to Andul.

"My Lord, we have determined the source of the attacks on Imperial Convoys in the sector. It seems that a powerful pirate organisation known as the 'Crimson Star' have a base of operations built in to a large asteroid nearby. They seem quite well armed and numerous. Shall we destroy the facility?"

Andul, stroking his chin as he listened to the words of the Admiral, shook his head.

"No, I will go down there and see for myself what is going on. Simply destroying the facility will achieve little. We need to leave a mark, a message. Their kind need to learn their place in the Galaxy. I will gladly go down and explain that to them myself."

"Very good, my Lord"

"Send a message to my apprentices to meet me in the conference room. We have much to discuss before we arrive at the facility. Tell your pilots to be ready to escort us when we arrive"

Andul turned away and made his way towards the conference room, where he sat and waited for his apprentices.

How long before someone tries to put a stop to my operations? I have been largely unopposed thus far. And who would stand up to the mark? The Imperial Navy? The Republic military? The Hutts? The Galactic Trade Commission?

Andul chuckled to himself. That would be a sight

The doors to the conference room shifted open, revealing two men and two women, all clad in dark robes, lightsabers concealed underneath. These four were the most promising Sith Andul had encountered since falling away from the Dark Council. Each in their own way had proved their worth and loyalty to Andul, and so it was these four that Andul always ensured were by his side when the need arose.

"You sent word for us, Master"

Andul got to his feet and indicated for them to sit around the table. Andul summoned up a hologram image of the Crimson Star compound.

"Why don't we just bombard it?"

"Our Lord wants to send a message"

Andul nodded.

"Yes. We could simply annihilate them like we have every other form of opposition we have come across thus far. But then another minor power will fill the vaccum they leave behind, and the cycle will continue. We need to send a message, make our name feared across the Galaxy."

Andul activated the comm-link to the bridge.

"Admiral, prepare the Shock Troopers and the Pilots. We attack soon"

The hangar bay of The Vanguard bustled with energy as pilots scrambled for their ships. Mercenary soldiers appeared from nearly every direction, heavily armed and aimed directly for the transports. Andul had selected a small transport for himself, his apprentices and a handful of hopeful Sith Acolytes who had joined him at the entrance of the hangar bay. These acolytes were trained in the same manner as the others, not level with Anduls apprentices but certainly able to hold their own. Andul allowed them to join him rather than hold them back as they were expendable in his eyes. The strong would survive, the weak would not, and would soon be replaced by younger more promising acolytes.

Stepping on to the transport, the group all sat down in silence, with Andul standing up at the front, behind the pilots seat, looking out the front windshield. The pilots were just finishing their pre-flight system checks as Admiral Thesors voice could be heard on the comm.

"All units, converge on the base. Follow your orders to the letter, and this will be a smooth operation"

Immediately, all of the fighters and transports began their take-off. The fighters took off first, half of them engaging enemy fighters that were moving against them, the others pulling back on themselves to secure a perimeter around the transports. Andul was content with the capabilities of his men. He could afford high-quality servicemen from his exploits, and commanded authority with both fear and respect. They would do their jobs well.

Andul turned to those around him.

"We need to make this brief. We will allow the soldiers to set about data extraction and facility demolition by their own means. We will head straight for the command centre and see if we can find anything of worth there."

He indicated to the acolytes who had joined him.

"You will join the men and offer them support. They will need it. Show no mercy to these mercenaries"

It did not take long for the transports to close in on the hostile hangar. Fighters flew ahead and destroyed the shield generators allowing them access. The pilots used the short space of tiem they had before the blast doors shut to fly the transports into the hangar at speed, skidding them across the floor. As soon as it was safe to enter, mercenaries re-entered the hangar and opened fire on the transports, which each in turn opened up, allowing the soldiers inside to escape their confines and return fire. Andul allowed this fighting to take place for a short while before opening the door of his own transport. The sound of activated lightsabers echoed across the hangar as Andul and his apprentices charged forward. It did not take them long to reach the enemy line, carving through their ranks fairly easily. Each man that tried to fire upon the group saw their shots deflected and their armour pierced. Those that tried to engage in melee combat saw their swords and batons sliced cleanly in two. All fell before the ferocious assault.

"Have they not heard of cortosis weave?"