False Peace/Chapter Three

False Peace

Chapter Three

The answer Targath gave was all Tomar needed. Tomar took his data-pad that was clipped on his belt and looked at the picture of his target. Targath. He was a Red Sith, without and tendrils of bone spikes on his features.

It was a common genetic condition of the Red Sith these days. A mutation in their genetic structure from millennia of hybridization. Occasionally, two in every ten Sith born will not have tendrils or bone spikes. Sometimes, they get small disfigured tendrils in the wrong places.

To the Red Sith this was a disability, a handicap that stopped them from advancing within the Empire.

Targath suffered from the condition, but unlike many Red Sith who chose to hide their disfigurement by donning masks. Targath displayed his disfigurement openly, showing that he didn't fear his disfigurement, in truth it fueled him.

Putting his data-pad back onto his belt, Tomar let out a slight laugh, enough to annoy Targath. "So you’re the one that has caused the decline of our Empire?" He spat, angrily, unthinking.

The comment did not provoke a response from Targath. No. He looked up at Tomar, and a feeling of hatred washed over him. The Red Sith had betrayed the Empire, broke it down into senseless infighting, over what. Scraps of supposed power. Status increase. Tomar took his lightsaber from his belt and ignited it. The snap-hiss was louder than most lightsabers, it hummed as loud.

"I suppose you wish to fight now? Futile. I'm far more immersed in the Dark Side than you are, boy." Targath spat, as he reached for his lightsaber.

The taunt was true enough. Targath was immersed in the Dark Side of the Force. But he did not know the things that Tomar knew, secrets that only the apprentice of the Emperor himself can know. It would be a close match, Tomar had no doubt the duel could end either way, but the purpose for the moment was to survive until Exar arrived.

Exar had stayed at the command centre to oversee the battles waging across the planet. He had sent Tomar to scout out the palace that Targath lived to find the Sith. And once he was found he was to access his data-pad to send a signal to notify him. A sound plan. The Emperor himself could not risk, would not, himself in a task beneath him. Not when he had an apprentice to do the job for him.

Tomar cursed at that.

He always had the idea that an apprentice was an equal to his or her master. The harsh truth of the matter hit him hard, but instead of being destroyed by it, he used it to fuel his power and move on. Targath eyes bulged, he was becoming impatient he could feel it in his Force aura.

Tomar shot him a strong glare, one that would have scared even a Wookiee. Not in the slightest intimidated, Targath used the Force and grabbed Tomar and flung him towards the fountain. Splashing around in the fountain to re-gain his footing, Tomar felt the fountain move backwards causing him to tumble back into the warm fountain water. He caught a glimpse of Targath walking into the ground as the fountain continued to move backwards.

''Kriffing great! A secret escape route!'' Tomar cursed at himself for not realizing earlier. As Targath descended, Tomar recovered his footing and leaped to where Targath once stood. Turning around he saw the stairs stretching down into darkness.

"Great...just great." He spluttered, still recovering from the fountain water he had breathed in. He pressed the activation button his wrist comm and shouted down it. "Targath has slipped by me. He had a secret escape route...should I follow?" He assumed that his master would be on the other end, but to his surprise he hear through the static voice Grand Moff Nayrak.

"Sorry to say Tomar, but your master has left to intercept Targath." Nayrak said through the static, the water damage was minor, but enough to cause a mild disturbance.

That kriffing man! Exar must have known about the escape route and sent him to delay Targath as much as he could to he could arrive before him. Exar always did that, never letting all the details go, holding all the information to himself, manipulating overs so that over avenues could be exploited. Well he was the Emperor after all, he'd have to be this cunning since he ruled an entire empire. An empire that mostly wanted him removed from power and one of his young children to assume the throne...so they could be manipulated into doing whatever they wanted, whoever they were. Targath was one of them but he couldn't do this alone, so it begged the question; who is he working with? What are their resources? All good questions but Tomar didn't have time to ponder such question at this time.

"I'm going after him anyways. Tell the Emperor…I’m following Targath." He said, he shut off the wrist comm before Nayrak could respond.

After taking several deep breaths he Force sprinted into the secret entrance, using the Force to keep himself balanced as he moved at faster than human speeds. The tunnel was longer than Tomar expected, it took him twenty minutes to reach the bottom while using Force speed, he'd half expected that he would have caught up to Targath by now. Did he somehow misjudge the time it took him to get out of the fountain? Then he noticed it, on the floor below him was a pad that looked like it could have been used as a lift. He looked around to see if he could find a control panel. On the wall right to him was a flashing red light, underneath was control panel. It was a lift and Targath had used it to get down quickly.

"Stang...guess I have some catching up to do." Tomar muttered to himself.

The corridor was narrow, only fit for one person at a time to fit through. A precaution put in place to make sure that if the enemy followed him though it would at least slow them down. Targath was paranoid, but at least his paranoia was paying off—but it was also a double edged blade—it was slowing down Targath as well. Tomar was careful moving through the corridor as there could be traps that Targath may have set up—if he had the time—Tomar hoped he didn't.

&mdash; &mdash; &mdash;

The noise of the battle was drowned out inside the troop transport that Exar had boarded. Out the view-point he could see blaster-fire streaking across the sky, in an effort to shoot down the oncoming troop transports. A futile effort. The anti-air weapons that the mercenary forces were using were out-of-date, easily susceptible to the latest disruption settings on each troop transport. Taking the planet was effortless for the Imperial War Machine--though the mercenary forces managed to regroup and start to resist the occupation. They were a minor annoyance to the greater scheme, Targath, he held the knowledge of the fragmenting empire--he in fact--started the whole thing. All Exar wanted to know his how.

"We're approaching the coordinates of Targath's secret hanger bay, my Lord." The pilot announced over the speaker.

Exar had known about the secret hanger bay since before the invasion, the Imperial Intelligence Agency did months of preliminary investigation on Forther V and found out about the construction of the hanger bay. The hanger was built by off-world slaves bought from the Hutts—a foolish decision—off-world slaves were unreliable, unpredictable, susceptible to thoughts of freedom. They'd followed a design from some famous Devaronian architect, it didn't matter about his name he was dead now, Imperial Intelligence saw to that.

The blaster-fire started to fade as they approached the hanger bay, Exar looked out the viewpoint one last time to see the last signs of battle dance across the sky. Seems like the planet it ours. Exar turned his head to the screen that showed the secret hanger bays doors. They began to slowly open.

“Ah the prey thinks he can escape. Interesting.” Exar said, gesturing towards an Orchid coloured woman. She was one of the Teshiri species that was enslaved by the Sith Remnant centuries ago. Now the Teshiri were given back their own planet and were allowed to set up a government. A government fully allied with the Sith Empire. She served faithfully under as one of the Sith Lords in the Empire, before her elevation to one of the Hands of the Emperor.

“Milord, Targath is a fool he cannot escape us.” She respectfully said, bowing her head.

“Yes…yes, start the operation, Reele Tera.” Exar said, nodding his head slightly.

The woman shot up, three others followed almost immediately after her, they moved towards the back of the transport. The transport spun round, its back now up against a small exhaust hole near the hanger bay door. The back of the transport opened up and Reele and her three men Force leaped into the exhaust hole.

Exar smiled to himself and nodded. “Blast the doors open. Let Targath know that we are here.”

“But…but what about the strike team?” The pilot said, shocked.

“This is part of the plan. Launch the missile!” Exar spat at the comm unit on the wall.

The transport turned to face the hanger doors—now only half open—the missile bay opened quickly, a missile lowered. The missile—a Type 22-X durasteel piercer—primed and ready, the targeting computer quickly made the calculations to launch to cause the most destruction.

And then it launched hitting its target. A massive explosion caused the transport to be pushed back from the force. The gaping hole in the hanger door allowed Exar to see the inside of the hanger.

“That’s…a” The pilot started.

“A Light-class blockade runner. Triumph class.” Exar finished. “Not many are around the galaxy anymore. With this he could get past my fleet.”

To Exar’s surprise the ship was lightly damaged. Enough to stop the ship from taking off? Maybe. It was a hope that Exar wanted to be true. To come so far to let his prey get away, would be a waste of time and effort.

Thankfully, the ship had yet to take off. Targath was seen exiting his ship, Exar could sense his anger and frustration. “Take the ship to land in the hanger behind the ship. Don’t worry about any attacks.” Exar said through the comm unit.

The transport flew overhead and past Targath who glared at the transport as it landed on the hangers floor, scared from the blast. The transport lowered its ramp and Exar walked out of the transport in triumphant strides.

“Exar…you think you have won this! But you have not. You are alone, feeble and weak. You cannot destroy me!” Targath spat, his anger dripping from each word.

“Oh Targath. It’s been awhile hasn't it? You have not changed a bit, quick to anger, and quick to fall.” Exar retorted.

“A bold clam, but I have changed. My allies will end your rule and install your weak willed daughter as the Empress.”

Exar raised an eyebrow dubiously. “Oh. I thought you and your allies would install my second son, Maxir on the throne. But it seems you and yours have not thought this through.”

Targath began to pace, with each violent stride his anger built up. He was not one to back into a corner. Exar was enjoying himself, he barely suppressed a laugh at Targath, and Targath looked at him he seemed to be thinking of ways to get past Exar and the best way to take his troop transport.

“I wouldn't try anything Targath. Just surrender it will be easier than fighting me.” Exar said.

“You came alone. I can take you down right here and now.”

“Who said I came alone?”

Suddenly, Reele Tera and her men burst into the hanger through the air ducts, they landed and quickly surrounded Targath. Each activated their lightsabers and pointed them at him.

“Move and you die.” Reele hissed.

“You’re outnumbered. My apprentice is on his way and should be arriving—” Before Exar could finish Tomar, his apprentice rushed through the door way and skidded across the floor, his lightsaber and glared at Targath and realized that he was already subdued. He gaped in surprise and turned to Exar.

“You have all the fun.” Tomar said, his tone was playful. He didn’t mind that he’d missed Targath’s capture.

The man behind Targath deactivated his lightsaber and struck Targath on the back of the head with the bud of his weapon. With a loud, painful grunt Targath crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

“Take him to the shuttle. Bind him up in chains, treat him like a prisoner of war…for now.” Exar said, turning to enter the troop transport that he had arrived in. He was victorious. Targath’s capture would shed light upon the problems that the Empire now faced. His knowledge will lead him to others who weaken the empire, so they will be punished and share the same fate as Targath.

“Where should we take him, my Lord? Dromund Kaas is where his supporters may lie and they will attempt to free him from our clutches.” Reele said, given Tomar a flirtatious glance.

“To Kest. Your home-world. I doubt anyone would know he was there, and I trust the Teshiri government to keep his capture a secret.” Exar smiled as he talked.

Tomar helped the Emperors Hands by lifting up Targath crumpled body with the Force. “Allow me. Reele.” Tomar teased.

Reele used the Force to lower Targath to the ground, where she strapped stun cuffs on him and his legs. “You can lift him up now. Don’t rush a good thing.” She teased, walking past him. She had a beautiful smell to her. All females of the Teshiri race look beautiful, smell beautiful and even spoke beautiful. They drove males of many other species to lust after them.

“Don’t let yourself be distracted by her beauty. She is deadlier than you think.” One of the Hands told Tomar, they had lifted Targath’s body up with the Force and guided him onto the shuttle. “Make sure you can handle her before you chase after her.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I can handle her.”