Begeren. Once a prosperous Sith world, it has been the site of numerous battles throughout the millennia. Grand halls and monuments were torn down and re-purposed by looting Republic forces thousands of years ago, before they were driven from the planet. Isolated settlements still dot the planet's surface, but the inhospitable, craggy, and desert-like terrain, along with the beasts common to many desert and Sith worlds, have kept most humanoids from colonizing. Occasional skirmishes have left debris scattered throughout the desert, and battles were fought here as recently as the Galactic Civil War. The planet is now under the control of the One Sith and is rumored to be full of all manner of priceless, ancient Sith artifacts.

Begeren’s plunder has been rich, and the Clans and Houses have been bolstered, both by the favor they are currying with the Grand Master, and with their own triumphs against rivals. More fighting seems to have occurred between the Clans and Houses than against the One Sith, and the stream of priceless artifacts has slowed to a trickle as of late. The invasion of Begeren has now entered a wholly different phase, and though the end goal of capturing the world’s precious secrets remains the same, the methods of achieving it have changed. At least for now. The Dark Council has identified several settlements and key military objectives to seize, both for use as staging grounds, and to quell any revolts against Brotherhood authority before they begin. It has fallen to the Clans and Houses to seize these objectives, with large accolades and bounties to those willing to undertake dangerous missions, alone, into hostile territory. Despite the recent inter-clan aggressions, the Dark Council has made it clear that the bounties for taking objectives cannot be shared between units.

One such objective, a V-150 Planet Defender ion cannon, lies nestled in one of Begeren’s northern mountain ranges. The inhospitable and semi-arid region is known for its relatively cooler temperatures compared to the rest of the planet, and is home to one of the only active spaceports on Begeren. Though most of the region is patrolled by local militias, a sizable One Sith presence is thought to be in the area. An enormous feminine stone face, carved into the side of a towering cliff side, overlooks both the ion cannon and the neighboring spaceport, paying homage to a long-dead female Sith Lord.

You stand in a massive scree field beneath the adorned cliff side. The dark side is almost palpable here beneath the monument, but your true goal is the installation and the massive ion cannon immediately to your west. The installation is lightly guarded, and can be accessed by a natural, mountainous tunnel entrance. The entrance is well-lit and quite large for a tunnel access shaft, big enough for the heavy machinery needed to construct and maintain the massive ion cannon. The tunnel itself splits a few hundred yards in, leading to two separate objectives.

There are two main objectives: the fire control and targeting room, and the main power generators. Intelligence reports indicate that the fire control and targeting room is manned by two gunners and two-to-three militiamen from the local settlement. Intelligence also reports a light contingent of three guards and a slew of power droids around the power generators. Which objective you choose depends, in part, on whether you wish to take or destroy the ion cannon. A barracks is not far from the ion cannon, and it’s possible that the One Sith could be lurking closeby should you arouse suspicion.

The sound of shifting rocks and falling boulders alerts you to the presence of another not far from the tunnel entrance, as well. You head quickly into the tunnel, knowing your opponent may be upon you at any time.

"The access code is Aurek Krill Usk Enth Thesh One Nine Orenth! Please don't kill me!" The Shi'ido smiled as the Human technician cowered in the lavatory.

"I agreed not to kill you if you cooperated. Not because I like you, but because I needed that unlock code." Tra'an Reith acknowledged as he lashed out with his right fist to catch the fool on the left temple."Bloody slicers." Collapsed in a heap, the frail human was easy enough to lift into one of the stalls and lean against a wall. Shutting the door behind him, the Obelisk smiled again as he walked toward the control room.

As he rounded the final corner, the two exterior guards looked towards him. With a thought and a gesture, they ignored him, seeing the tech he'd left in the bathroom. The facade lasted just the few seconds it took for him to enter the control room.

The entry door slid slid shut behind him. The militiaman inside the doorway was tilted backwards in a chair, leaning against the wall, cap pulled down over his face as he caught a nap. With a bigger smile, the Obelisk grabbed the Human's neck and snapped it, ensuring he'd never wake.

The thud of the body hitting the floor and the scree of the metal chair scraping the ground from the collapsing body caught the attention of the three gunners. It also brought the other two guards rushing into the control center, each one taking a sharp palm strike to their noses, leaving them collapsed on the ground in a heap as the door slid shut behind them.

The gunners looked at him warily, not entirely sure what to do or say. They eyed the weapons lining the wall near the entryway and at least one of them twitched in that direction. Lifting an eyebrow, Tra'an said nothing as he grabbed a blaster pistol from the wall. When they moved to separate, he pulled his cloak back to reveal the lightsaber beneath and they stopped moving. As he looked over the blaster, he switched the setting to stun, and fired at the group of them, catching them all together in one concentric blue ring. They collapsed like the guards, only without the leaking blood or brain matter.

Placing the weapon back on the wall, Tra'an moved towards the main interface console, entering the unlock code he'd received from the unconscious technician in the lavatory. The system woke up, showing all of the available options. He knew just enough to get lost in the media before getting frustrated enough to empty the blaster into the console. The electricity from the stun charge fried the station, leaving the station smoking.

Walking over to the guards, Tra'an gathered the stun cuffs from their belts, fitting them to the gunners he was leaving behind.

No sense in taking chances with these fools. We'll need them to train our gunners on any system quirks.

Examining the evacuation map on the wall near the exit, the di Plagia determined the best route to the reactor below. Moving quickly, he turned right out of the targeting room, taking the stairs at the end of the hall two at a time.

Slowing as he approached the final set of steps, Tra'an stopped to listen, waiting for the sound of alarm. Thankfully, none came. As he rounded the final corner and emerged from the bottom staircase, he noticed the three unconscious guards in a pile to the side of the doorframe. Standing at the controls of the reactor was a figure he hadn't seen in a long time.

"So Methayas, it's been what, several years now? Longer? Since then it looks like your gambles cost you an arm and a leg." Tra'an joked as he moved clear of the doorway, eyes locked on the Jedi.

"Indeed. The last time I saw you was as your forces fled from our counterattack on Sepros." Methyas replied without inflection. "It seems you chose the route I didn't expect, to keep the facility intact. I applaud your choice not to add to death and destruction without reason." Tra'an raised an eyebrow as Methyas continued. "Now, you will need to hand it over to me for the glory of Naga Sadow."

Something pressed against Tra'an's mind, as Methyas said that it was time for him to concede without a fight. The realization that Methyas was not only trying to influence him, but hide it at the same time, engaged the Shi'ido.

His face went flat, mouth from a light grin into a thin line, lips pressed together as his copper hued lightsaber ignited from the depression of the activation switch. The sound of ionizing plasma filled the air as Methyas stepped backwards, shoulders squaring as his visage seemed to roll through annoyance and exasperation before settling into determination.

"You have changed as well then, since we last met. I'm telling you that you really should just surrender." Methyas said as he reached out to Tra'an. Again, he felt it as Methyas pushed on his mind, only to be left in surprise as the rage seething within him diminished. Raising his left hand to his mouth, he stared at the Jedi's face as he bit down hard enough to break the skin, letting the blood flow over his tongue.

"You don't get it. You're just not that good," taunted Tra'an as he loped forward, blood dropping from his hand and mouth as the molten copper reached forth to sear the bones of the Miraluka. Just before impact, his body locked in place as Methyas turned and ran to put more distance between them. As the momentary hold faded, Tra'an caught a glimpse of Jedi robes disappearing around the curvature of the pylons. Looking down, for a second, he focused and the skin on his hand knitted back together.

"Maybe he_is_ better than I thought he was. It's time to find out." Tra'an muttered to himself as he dashed after the Sadowan.

The fool is going to raise the alarm at this rate, Methyas thought as he moved as swiftly as his body would allow. Tra'an was in peak condition however, especially compared to the studious and frail Miraluka. Worse still, the Shi'ido had always been a skilled duelist and overwhelming swordsman in the heat of battle, even as the Quaestor of Plagueis. The Miraluka’s mind moved quickly as he analyzed his options, considering what his best course of action was to control the situation and wrest control of the cannon from the man pursuing him. His actions before he was interrupted left him a few options as a last resort, although he hoped that it would only be in the most dire of straits that he would need them. A shriek at the back of his mind snapped Methyas' focus to the here and now, prompting him to come to a dead stop as Reith's saber struck out before him with an intense heat and the smell of burnt cloth as the blade caught a part of his robes. In a flash, Methyas grasped his saber and thumbed the activation switch as his legs shifted into a wider defensive stance, his blade snapping to life with a hiss. With a face like stone and a furrowed brow Tra’an focused on Methyas with the tip of his saber aimed pointedly at the Jedi's chest. With the initial display of power, he was more wary of his opponent now than he had been moments before.

While Reith's mind prepared for his next strike, Methyas's mind was a few steps ahead identifying potential escape routes and ways to disrupt his opponent's impending assault. On the edge of his sight, Methyas could see something which could save him from a vastly superior physical opponent, but would create a greater problem for the both of them. Tra'an lashed out swiftly, lunging towards Methyas, only for his blade to be swatted away before swinging it about for another strike. Each move from Tra'an was precise and calculated, his body a well tuned weapon focused on the frail Jedi before him who could only counter and swat aside the attacks against him.

Despite his skill in the Force, Methyas was simply not prepared for a fight against a duelist such as Tra'an. Gritting his teeth as he narrowly deflected another well aimed thrust from Tra'an, Methyas felt the heat of his opponent's saber once more as it grazed past his side and pierced through his robes. Shaking his head at the stupidity of this idea, Methyas took a knee and rolled towards Tra'an as the man's saber sliced through the air behind him. Completing the roll, the Jedi angled his saber in a low defensive stance before his mind grasped hold of the walkways above them. Tra'an spun about quickly to relieve Methyas of his head before a terrible hissing erupted alongside a grunting from Methyas struggling against the power behind the attack. As Tra’an pushed against the Jedi’s saber, the delay was enough for a small victory as several metallic twangs and groans rose up from the walkway above them as it wrenched loose from its moorings.

A small grin crossed Methyas' face as frustration oozed from Tra'an through the Force, the Shi'ido reluctantly breaking off his attack as he moved to escape the collapsing walkway. With a powerful crash the walkway bent and warped around the various generation machinery and pylons surrounding them. The heavy ringing sound of metal crashing down would alert anyone nearby, that much was certain, but part of Methyas' plan had been the objects on the walkway itself. Metallic skittering could be heard across the floor in various directions, something easily written off as pieces of the walkway. But in the moments that followed as Tra'an worked his way around the wreckage to continue his fight against Methyas, various droids awoke from their idle state.

These automatons had been lurking about the generators and atop the walkways as an added layer of redundancy for the complex. The power droids activating quickly with their identifiable 'GONK!' before they began to mill about looking for a safe haven or soldiers to defend them. The sudden increase in movement, despite how slow they were, created an added obstacle for Tra'an as he continued his search for the Miraluka who had caused this mess. The Shi'ido growled to himself as he kicked a hobbling power droid over onto its side to stand upon for a greater vantage point, knowing that if anyone remained within the facility they would be coming to see the cause of it or simply calling for reinforcements.

"Plan to hide like you did on Sepros?!" Tra'an called out, knowing the Miraluka had to be somewhere nearby with how slow the man moved and how little time had passed.

The call had no response, as he had expected, but his eyes still scanned the area looking for the earthen robes of the Jedi he hunted. A small fluttering nearby caught his attention, what he could assume was a Jedi robe disappearing behind one of the machines working for the generator. Tra'an started around the machine in the opposite direction from where he had seen the movement, each step a cautious one as he tried to catch the Miraluka off guard. After a moment or two, Tra'an paused, knowing he should have seen Methyas by this point if he were here. Spinning about, he gazed back the way he had came with no luck. In an instant, the Force screamed to Tra'an before he stepped aside fluidly, a power droid careening past where he had just stood before he spun towards the source of droid's trajectory. To his dismay, he couldn't see his opponent there either. Again, the Force nagged at him in warning before he spun about and cleaved another flying droid in two, grasping the halves through the Force to guide them away harmlessly, "Enough with these games, show yourself!"

The rage threatened to slip its leash and boil over before it was useful, straining and pushing to be allowed to rampage in frustration at the ephemeral nature of the combat. The fact that Methyas was proving to be slippery and always just out of reach goaded him to let the anger become all consuming. Tra'an sought to ride the fine line between chaos and focused annihilation as he switched tactics.

Reaching out to the Force, the Obelisk opened his awareness to everything around him before rushing in. As he moved tangentially to the curvature of the base pylons, his enhanced attention caught the motion of a hand of to his left. He pivoted and rolled forward, ducking underneath the next flying bot sent his way.

The obnoxious "Gonk" it emitted was especially loud as it crumpled into one of the pylons behind him, bringing other droids to investigate its untimely death. As Methyas moved to another hiding spot Tra'an slid around the corner, once again finding himself within line of sight of his target. A feral grin spread across the Shi'ido's face as the muscles in his legs bunched before releasing, propelling him down the walkway between pylons. Even as he lifted his leg in a piston motion, he'd hardly moved before it felt like he was hit by a water hose at the top of his breastbone. The pressure continued for a handful of seconds, not abating while Tra'an pressed forward against it, refusing to allow it to stop or hinder him.

His control slipped and the need to destroy flooded through him, causing his legs to churn, overcoming the resistance and sending him careening down the aisle as he sought to catch his prey. At the last second, rather than turning and risking being easily caught, Methyas dropped to a crouch and summoned a protective layer of power. Tra'an slammed into it, shattering it in a single blow. As he moved to bring his Lightsaber down to finish the job, the image of his former student and lover and the sound of her voice crying out for him to stop assaulted his mind and senses, making him to hesitate.

Pausing for just a moment cost him dearly, as Methyas ignited his weapon and used it to cut Tra'an at the knees. The azure Lightsaber slid through his flesh without a pause, the shock and pain rendering the Obelisk mute and disorientated, vacant eyes staring up at the Sadowan in disbelief. The custom Lightsaber fell from Tra'an's grip and was swiftly collected by Methyas.

"Let this be a lesson to you that the power you crave and the path that you follow are not enough for Victory. Darkness for Darkness' sake will lead you nowhere. It's time for you to reevaluate your path in life." Methyas turned to walk away, unconcerned that his opponent would be able to overcome the shock.

From within, the fires of rage seemed to pulse and surge, trying to burn away the fog of pain and surprise. As his hand twitched, it moved slowly towards the thermal detonator attached to his belt, only to have it pulled out of reach before he could actually grab it.

"I took your knees to teach you a lesson. I'm not going to let you squander it with needless death and destruction. Learn to live Reith, not just to die." Methyas tucked away the matte-black orb in a pocket, moving back towards the entrance way as he used his comlink to signal for pickup.

Methyas knew better than to give Tra'an what he was looking for, to face him in a straight up duel, but his options were steadily growing slimmer and slimmer. The power droids themselves still aimlessly shuffled about looking for technicians to herd them all to safety and repair the walkway, but even so it was only a matter of time before one of them moved just enough or Reith's search brought him upon the kneeling Jedi. While Tra'an had been more than swift enough to escape the collapsing wreckage, Methyas had nowhere near the same mobility and thus had found his cybernetic leg damaged in the chaos. A few stray pieces of shrapnel piercing through the actuators and causing the mechanical appendage to whirl and strain with each subtle movement. Methyas cursed the blasted technology under his breath as he tried to rise to two feet. His heart was beating heavily in his chest as he waited for his undoing to arrive in the form of the inevitable klaxons or the blade of Tra'an. The images of his work at the terminal before Tra'an had arrived flashed through his head, reminding him of the remote connection he had waiting on the datapad at his waist, but his shook his head to dismiss those thoughts. He had been in worse spots before and come through, he faced a Grand Master and lived after all. Besides, the loss of such a valuable asset and the potential for collateral damage were more than enough to persuade him to another course of action.

As if on cue, Tra'an stepped out from around a power droid with his eyes scanning about before they locked on the uneasy form of the crippled Miraluka. There was a slight twinkle in Reith's eyes as he approached the Jedi, seeing how unstable he was upon his damaged appendage, it was such an easy kill for him assuming this wasn't just another trick. Tra'an lashed forward with his saber, striking out at the weakened Jedi before Methyas weakly batted away the attack with a wobble. A cruel smile crept across Reith's face as he started to pace around his prey, analysing the situation for his best angle to attack, watching as his opponent attempted to shuffle along just fast enough to keep himself in a defensible position. With how long Tra'an was taking to act, Methyas took a moment to grasp out with the Force and yank another power droid towards his opponent, the droid launching through the air with a displeased "GONK!"

Once again, Tra'an struck out at the droid slicing it neatly into harmless little bits with precision as he guided them away before spinning back to face his opponent, his rage nearly dripping from his pores now. He had had enough with the games, he simply wanted blood now and the Sadowan would provide more than enough. Force fueled now, Reith's attacks came at Methyas much quicker than he could react, even with the preemptive warnings from the Force itself. The attacks came quickly, a few being displaced by the Jedi's blade as others found their mark along his sides and shoulders. With a quick flick of his wrist, Tra'an disarmed Methyas deftly, the Jedi's saber flying to skitter along the ground nearby as his hand was simply removed at his wrist. Methyas backed away as the pain lanced through him, but his job was done, despite cowering with his arm tucked against his stomach comfortingly. Tra'an would've been able to finish the job had he not felt the Miraluka's trickery once more, his exhaustion kicking in much sooner than he had anticipated.

The scowl on Reith's face simply grew deeper as he realized what had happened, the man moving slowly and trying to lift his saber accusingly at the Jedi. Even in his pain, a small smile crept across the Miraluka's face as he focused, calming himself and seething with energy before his unseen hand tripped the activator of a detonator in Reith's pouch. The Force would scream out for Tra'an to react of course, but Methyas anticipated this as his focus immediately shifted to containment. It didn't last long before Tra'an went to move, but it was too late. The detonator had reached the end of its timer, promptly collapsing and tearing itself apart, the process inciting its brethren to follow suit. A brilliant light flashed between the pair before a the concussive blast and fire filled the area in an instant as the room shook from the sheer power of the explosion. The force of the detonation shifting the droll hum of machinery to a melody now intermixed with the whines and groans of damaged hydraulics and gears.

Several minutes later, the bustle of activity filled the room as soldiers and technicians from the nearby barracks came rushing in to determine the cause of the commotion. Almost immediately the techs and rescue crews went to work looking for anyone from the facility who may have been caught in the damage.

"This one's still alive!"

"I don't see how..."

"Should we get the Sith?"

The voices roused the man from his unconscious state before he answered their question weakly, his voice shaky yet his words were laced with an unseen power, "No, that won't be necessary."

The men seemed to nod in agreement before their rescued victim continued, "You will bring me to your doctor, and let me contact my allies."

"Come on men, lets get this one to safety. He looks like one of them, I think he'll need to make a report of what happened."

Before the Jedi slipped into unconsciousness once more, Methyas forced a smile, knowing that his barrier just barely saved his life and skill with the Force could aid him now.