"What is the meaning of this?" Colonel Veriss asked while casting a suspicious stare at the man before him. "We left perspicuous instructions that no one outside House Prolov was to ascend to the S'Varian throne."

The man rose and stepped towards Veriss. “Colonel, there is much we must discuss. But first, allow me to introduce myself. I am Cordell Karvoss. My bloodline has its roots in House Prolov. My mother was the younger sister of Garren Prolov’s father, Antonias Prolov.”

Veriss placed his hands on his hips and kept his gaze on Karvoss. “And how do you explain your presence among a growing population of machines? We left these KX units in charge of security to ensure that S’Varian culture thrived.” He motioned towards the droid he labeled as Welcoming Committee. “Yet, apart from you, the only sentient individuals on the planet are the multiplying droids.”

Karvoss paused in front of Veriss. “After the fall of the Empire, most of the S’Varian people fled to unspecified locations as per the contingency plan devised by House Prolov in S’Varia’s infancy. The remaining S’Varians reprogrammed the KX units to become more sentient and self-sufficient.”

Veriss raised an eyebrow. “What convinced a majority of the population to flee?”

“Follow me, Colonel,” Karvoss said, motioning towards a stone balcony outside the building. As they walked, he continued. “Ancient prophecy warned of a catastrophic attack in the future. As you may know, my people are of a religious sort concerning the writings of our ancient founders. Once the Empire came to an end, we knew it was only a matter of time before the sovereignty that replaced them would seek justice against our society which openly supported the Imperial regime.”

“And let me guess, Adjudicator General, the so-called New Republic tried to bring justice to you, and they failed. Am I correct?”

“Not quite, Colonel Veriss. After the max exodus of my people, peace reigned over S’Varia for a time. The reprogrammed KX droids provided security and filled in vacancies in essential operations. And then the First Order came.”

Veriss gasped. “When did this happen?”

“A few years before your fleet reappeared. Most of my people who remained on S’Varia were killed. And only a handful of the KX droids survived, but we eventually repelled the invaders.”

Veriss shook his head. “Perhaps the First Order withdrew on their own to save face. However, I do not see any signs of the attack. How did you rebuild so quickly?”

“Their attack was surgical in nature,” Karvoss replied softly. “They sent stormtrooper units without air support, accompanied by conscripts in tan military fatigues. We believe they were searching for something in particular.”

Veriss stepped up to the balcony and turned to face Karvoss. “Tan military fatigues? Did you know who those conscripts were?”

Karvoss stepped up to the balcony and stared out into the murky darkness. “Does that mean something to you, Colonel? You seem to be familiar with those men.”

“According to the reports Admiral Prolov forwarded to me during my journey here, our forces engaged and rescued a company of First Order stormtroopers from men wearing the same color of fatigues,” Veriss replied, drawing a curious stare from Karvoss. “We were able to extract Captain Phasma and the surviving stormtroopers after we neutralized the enemy.”

Karvoss took a step back. “You are allied with the First Order? Do you know what kind of ramifications this will bring you?”

Veriss grimaced as he contemplated Karvoss’s statement. “We are not allied with them. We just agreed to rendezvous with General Hux after he contacted us shortly after we arrived at Endor. And I do not trust Hux or Captain Phasma. I was against allowing her to come aboard our star destroyer, but Prolov insisted that we not arouse the First Order’s suspicions.”

I see where you are going with this, Colonel. It is a test. That’s why you are feeding me information, Karvoss thought. “Please, do not take my words as accusations, Colonel Veriss. I am on your side.” He pressed a button on the railing of the balcony. A bluish box of energy surrounded them and closed off the doorway. “Do not be alarmed. The shield is for protection from the elements…and from the prying sensors of the KX units.”

Veriss furrowed his brow. “I thought you reprogrammed them to serve you. What am I missing here?”

Karvoss turned to him with a frown. “We can’t afford to be too careful, Colonel. During the assault, several of the KX units aligned themselves with the First Order, electing to serve the entity they believed to be the successors of the Empire. Reprogramming them to become sentient gave them free will to choose to whom they show loyalty. The remaining droids are both survivors and descendants of survivors from that conflict. We cannot guarantee they will not elect to side with the First Order again.”

His usage of the term “we” is revealing. There are more human survivors that he has not mentioned yet, Veriss thought. He waved his hand. “I appreciate your candor, Adjudicator General. However, I must know. Does the First Order have a significant presence on this planet?”

“None that we know of,” Karvoss replied blankly. “If they have any presence, they are well hidden.” He leaned in towards Veriss and whispered. “It is imperative that Admiral Prolov returns to claim his birthright. We need him and his prowess to survive. Like the former Emperor, the First Order is led by an entity skilled in the dark arts.”

Veriss pulled back and glared at Karvoss. “Have you had a personal encounter with this individual?”

Karvoss offered him a blank stare. “No. But we did feel his wrath during the attacks. Though the assault concentrated on specific targets, it came with a peculiar sort of brutality.”

“Not as brutal as we can be,” Veriss quipped with a grin. “If you wish, we can allocate resources to aid your defense. It’s not like we have any other pressing matters.”

“If Admiral Prolov decides to bless us with such generosity, then we will graciously accept it,” Karvoss replied. He turned to the banister and sighed. “Perhaps House Prolov will become as prominent as it once was long ago. Time will tell.”

Veriss crossed his arms and glared at Karvoss. “If that is Prolov’s destiny. You mentioned that the assault of the First Order was surgical in nature. That tells me they were looking for something of value to them.”

Korvass continued to stare out into the night. He nodded and turned his eyes toward Veriss. “I think we both know what they were after. The Heart’s Blaze weapon. And it can be argued that is why they ceased their assault before crossing the line into utter genocide.”

“The ramifications of killing someone holding the secrets of the weapon we speak of was too great of a risk,” Veriss stated. “To my fleet, it is a deterrent and leverage over those who oppose us. No sane individual would ever try to take it from us.”

Korvass nodded and smiled. “Not by normal means; they wouldn’t. But you must realize that anyone with the weapon implanted within them can genetically pass it to their offspring. Natural reproduction will bring forth a generation with the weapon within them. That is what the First Order wants.”

Veriss shook his head. “Impossible. Prolov’s only love was Annalisa; no one would ever take her place. And Captain Phasma will never win him over. Besides, she is as cold and calculating as Prolov. I can assure you that he neither has the time nor desire for such foolishness.”

“I hope you’re right, Colonel,” Karvoss said solemnly. “However, we would be fools to presume they will give up easily. Never trust a member of the First Order.”

Veriss waved a finger in the air. “I prefer the phrase our ‘never trust an Imperial.’”

A series of beeps broke the conversation. Veriss lifted a comlink to his mouth. “Go ahead, Phantom Two. What is it?”

“Sir, four First Order TIEs have emerged from hyperspace and are beginning a descent through the planet’s atmosphere,” Phantom Two answered through the comlink. “I’m a few seconds away from your current location. Phantom Three will provide cover for us.”

“Copy that,” Veriss said. He cast a glare at Karvoss. “If I find out you gave us away, then I will come back here and decorate the walls of this temple with your internal organs.”

Karvoss held up his hands, “I did nothing of the sort. We have a traitor in our midst.” He pressed a control on the banister. A human-sized opening appeared in the energy shield. “Get to your ship quickly, Colonel. The First Order is known to be rather brutal with its prisoners.”

“The feeling is mutual!”, Veriss exclaimed while scrambling out on the ledge.

He leaped from the banister and tumbled onto the upper hull of Phantom Two’s TIE Advanced X1. He dropped through the open hatch and secured himself in the straps as the TIE turned towards the skies.

“Load prescribed emergency coordinates into the navigation system! And order Phantom Three to do the same!”, Veriss exclaimed. “Maintain communication silence following the hyperspace jump.”

“We will not fight for our Imperial brethren on the surface?” Phantom Two asked.

“They are not our brethren!”, Veriss snapped as he seized the controls. “And we are not fighting the First Order either! Plot the emergency coordinates and jump to hyperspace!”

Veriss glanced at the sensors. The four TIEs had completed their atmospheric descent and moved rapidly on his position. He sighed while studying their movements.

“They are not coming in on attack vectors, nor are they assuming an attack formation,” he said before banking to the right. “What do you make of that, Phantom Two?”

“A deception, perhaps,” Phantom Two replied. “Possibly another test of our resolve. They want to see how far they can push us before we react aggressively.”

“My thoughts exactly,” Veriss said. “Phantom Three, form up on me and jump to hyperspace on my mark. Three! Two! Mark!”

Bluish tendrils of hyperspace reached out and absorbed the pair of TIE Advanced fighters. Veriss relaxed in his seat. An alarm suddenly echoed in the cockpit. He stared down at the sensor to see four blips trailing him.

He silently groaned. Your true colors are now revealed, Hux!

“How could you bring that abomination upon your family?” the figure seated in the shadows asked. His voice was calm, yet behind the façade of kindness lurked a subtle stinger plunging with venom into Prolov’s soul.

Prolov glared up at the figure. “They took everything from me. What was I supposed to do? Turn a deaf ear and a blind eye?”

The figure remained seated on the dark throne; its face turned toward the stars beyond the transparisteel viewport. The ashen-hued hood covering the figure’s head fluttered under each breath like a leaf caressed by a strong breeze.

“Justice and vengeance should never be blended,” the figure said. “House Prolov was destined to rise above the tarnished past of S’Varia. They were the ones who were to finally break free from the darkened path to lead our people to the light.”

Prolov trembled in the shadows. His kneeling form was soaked from rivers of sweat running off him like water gushing from bursting pipes. “I know what I must do, but what if it drives me to darkness? After using them in what our people deemed as justice, I suppressed those abilities. I cannot wield them again without destroying myself.”

The figure huffed. “You have already destroyed yourself. Seeking vengeance wasn’t enough of a fall, was it? You had to take it further by joining with a weapon forged by one who willingly became an eternally damned soul through vile and self-righteous means.” He paused for a moment, gripping the armrests of the throne tightly. “And then you lusted after vengeance and destroyed those who took Annalisa from you. It nearly brought you to your death only to seal your fate when you allowed the curse of our people to become part of you.”

Prolov gasped as memories of the past flowed through his mind. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind of such destructive thoughts. “I have failed House Prolov; I do not argue against that. But I’ve also empowered my fleet by obtaining the Heart’s Blaze Holocron. They can’t destroy this fleet without destroying themselves.”

The figure released its grip on the chair and clasped its hands. “It is so unfortunate that you cannot see that you have not only bound yourself and those who serve you to this weapon. The Emperor deceived you into taking this journey. He knew it would be another step in ensuring he would take others with him if he fell. General Hux acted similarly when he led you to bring that First Order beast upon this vessel. And now you find yourself in a precarious predicament in doing so.”

“What would you have me do?” Prolov blasted in response. He looked up and noticed the reflection of the figure’s bearded face on the viewport glaring back at him. The message written upon the figure’s expression chilled him to his core. “Don’t make me go back to that dark place. Is it not enough that I have placed my fleet and men in the Heart’s Blaze path? It would be detrimental to return to what I once was before the Empire.”

“It has already proven to be a detriment,” the figure replied coldly. “To face the challenges ahead, you must take up your former mantel. What do you fear? Retribution from commanding officers long since dead? Retaliation from an Emperor who was utterly destroyed at Endor? Those ramifications are minor compared to what you will face if you do not take this step.”

Prolov nodded and wiped a deluge of sweat from his brow. “Tell me, if I do this, will you finally look upon me without disdain? Will you engage me in a face-to-face conversation? Why can’t you make eye contact with me?”

The figure shrugged. “It is by the laws of our people that I cannot look upon you. Light cannot look upon darkness and relish in it. And you have become something worse than darkness. You have become a void to our people and a bane to your house. And you are on your own, Garren Prolov.”

“Please don’t abandon me,” Prolov pleaded. He reached out with his hand as if he could touch the figure sitting several meters away on the elevated throne. “If I can do anything to repair our bond, I will do it… Father!”

Antonias Prolov’s spirit shook its head and stared into the stars. “Face what will come to you soon. Only then will you find a chance for redemption, but you must be ready to make any necessary sacrifices. I will continue speaking to you but I cannot interfere with your task. You have to do that for yourself, son.”

Prolov watched his father’s spirit fade into nothingness. Once alone in the room, he stood up and moved towards a small corridor that led to a row of refreshers. He paused before disrobing and allowing the soothing waters to baptize his weary soul. And for a brief moment, he was in a place where nothing could touch him.