Old Aquaintances Make Good Allies

Shadow Crystal had been released for awhile from her service with Shadow Emperor Glaucus. Her intent was to finally return to her Home World of Eolor as a powerful Force User and visit what was left of her family. Though she had been forced to flee Eolor many years before, things had changed since then. The King had died and the government had become a democracy. They had a Senate where elected citizens now made the laws. The old regime had died with the King. The remnants of the Royal House still lived there, but they held only ceremonial power.

Crystal had been given a death sentence by the old King for killing his son though it had been in self-defense. Her Father and brothers had fought long to have the sentence commuted so Crystal might one day return home. Finally before his death, Crystal's Father had succeeded. An act of the Senate had declared her innocent of murder and lifted the sentence. Crystal's father had however not seen his daughter while he lived. He had died in his sleep not long after the decision of the Senate. Some suspected elements still loyal to the old King may have killed him, but the accusation was unproven. Crystal's brother awaited her on the planet, excited at the thought of seeing her again.

Crystal passed through the Mid Rim Territories and entered the Outer Rim Territories. As she came close to the Korness System she began to detect a large disturbance in the Force. What or who could possibly be causing that she immediately asked herself. On her way home, she thought at first not to investigate. But as her ship went deeper into the Korness System the disturbance grew and seemed to be beckoning to her almost. Then something touched her mind and she gasped. Could it possibly be after all of this time.....

Shadow Crystal quickly left hyperspace and began to follow the powerful Force Presence deeper into the Korness System and to the planet of Gellefon. Gellefon was an Imperial Planet but so far from the Empire that it saw little stormtrooper or military activity. Pinnacle Keep the Imperial Detention Center was on the planet but now only held minor prisoners in dirty cells.

Kig Dannen Spaceport was the capital city of Gellefon. Laid out like the notorious Mos Eisley, in a deep crevasse, it attracted the same type of criminal elements as its sister city. The docking bays were flattened depressions surrounded by blast walls. The city teemed with dirty drinking and gambling establishments and the galaxy's rabble found its way there frequently. If her Force sense was right what was that person doing here in this filthy backwater?

She flew her personal ship Dag's Hammer low through the atmosphere and landed it atop one of the high docking bays. Climbing down to ground level Shadow Crystal allowed that vast Force Presence to lead the way. She was convinced this was not a trap.....this was a rendevous of some sort. They had wanted her to come here for some reason.

Crystal came to Ravaging Wardog Cantina, the typical Kig Dannen den of iniquity. She swung the door open and entered. Quietly she looked around. Women of many species danced in cages above the floor and every seat at the bar was full. The bartender barked orders to the waitresses. The place had the stench of blood wine and old sweat. Crystal shook her head, What in the bloah was she doing here?

Then the Force Presence grew even stronger. Crystal turned. There in a shadowy corner of the cantina was a table. A solitary, hooded figure sat drinking a glass of something....unrecognizable. She caught a glimpse of glowing red eyes, burning with a terrible fire. Crystal gasped inwardly again. Her Force Sense had been right....this was whose mind she had touched.

Walking over to the table cautiously she had whispered quietly. "It has been a long time old ally. Why have you beckoned me here." Then she had chuckled. "This place is not your usual standard of a fine drinking establishment either. Are you certain the blood wine isn't from a rancor?"

A hand had come out of the robe sleeve motioning for her to take a seat. Crystal eyed the chair warily, it was disgusting and had food all over it. She brushed it off with Force Push then sat down. She stared deep into the hood at the glowing eyes. "I sense you wish to discuss something with me, well let's discuss." She waved the waitress over and ordered a blood wine. Then she sat back, waiting for the shadowy, enigmatic figure sitting across from her to respond.

The Dark Lord had been tracking his old ally for some time, Awaiting for the right time to speak with her. Shadow Crystal Formerly known to him as Darth Crystal, was now leaving the Shadow Knights and heading back to her home world. Once Darth Sampaga had gotten this information he had headed out to space to a planet called Gellefon a place for the lowest of scum. This planet was on the way to her homeworld and he knew from here he could attract the former siths attention. Sampaga was always plotting always trying to courrept someone and every single thing he did was for a reason everything would connect, everything he did was apart of his master plan.

The Dark Lord awaited for her arrival at the Ravaging Wardog Cantina he felt her presents above the planet till she landed down and he could feel her making her way to the cantina. He could never forget her force presents. She was his most poweful student back in the days of the darksword empire. He remembered other sith apprentices being jealous that he was giving her more attention then the others. He always knew she would be powerful but he never thought she would abandon the teachings of the darkside to join the grey this angered him, such talent being wasted made him sick to his stomach, but maybe he could change that today.

Suddenly he saw Crystal walk into the cantina, She found the dark lord and he motioned her to take a seat. "Since you've become apart of this Shadow empire I thought maybe you would of tried to arrest me and bring me to justice" Darth Sampaga gave out a slight giggle.
"Tell me Crystal? Why do you walk the path of the grey jedi? You think with this League of System's the galaxy as found peace? How many times have I told you.. "Peace is a lie.. There is only passion"

Crystal stared at Sampaga, she could hardly believe that she was sitting at a table across from her old Master. All the years between seemed to wash away as she remembered the rigorous training she had received in the Dark Side of the Force. She spoke without emotion.

"You know I am a pragmatist. Glaucus offered me power and I took it in both hands. The Darksword Empire was failing Sampaga and there was ever strife between you and Barack Darksword. When the Empire fell, was I supposed to become a Jedi?" She laughed the soft hissing laugh of one who knows their dark deeds are not forgivable by the Light. "You were gone, Barack missing or dead. I chose the path that would give me the most profit for myself. Glaucus offered it and I took it. The Shadow Knights believe that they are the balance between the Light and the Dark Side of the Force. I had come to believe it might be so. But now, I see weakness. Ever the depredations of the Sith erode our place in the galaxy and the Jedi take the loyalty of the people. So what does that leave us? The Shadows just as we call ourselves Sampaga. Never in the forefront as we should be. Why should we be? Because we are not consumed by evil, nor softened by good. We are the stone bridge that holds up the balance and averts conflict. Instead we are seen as a footnote. But I would not have it so. Not any longer."

Crystal paused and sipped her wine. "Why did you reach across the galaxy Sampaga and call me here? To corrupt me? But I am already and have been for a long time wholly corrupted. That has not changed there is no going back. What then do you offer? An alliance of power? A return to glory of the old days? Now those things just might interest me. I have grown weary of peace. I respect Glaucus but want him to be strong and for the galaxy to recognize his place in it. Will you ever the dark Puppet Master stay in the darkness of anonymity and aid us in conquering the galaxy? Or do you wish Sampaga to be in the open once again. The latter might not be wise. You know there is a bounty on your head. Both the Jedi and the Sith desire your destruction. But if you choose it to be so, you can be the Power standing behind the throne and I shall follow the path with you once again. The glory shall be Glaucus' but the victory over your Jedi and Sith enemies yours upon which to gloat."

Sampaga thought about what Crystal had said, There was a bounty on his head he couldn't be out in the open he had to many people that wanted him dead. Even the Shadow Knights wanted him dead but maybe somehow with Crystal's help he could have the Shadow Empire on his side. He would be able to aid them. He had alot to offer the thing now would be to corrupt the Emperor.

"Crystal, I'm glad to see you didn't become weak. Always seeking power as I had taught you. I respect Glaucus as well, A very powerful force user but to close to the light then the dark. You need to open his eyes to the darkside and show him where true power is. Honestly I've brought you here to corrupt yes I will not lie, but since your willing to work with me I have alot to offer you. My true goal is to destroy the sith order and the Jedi Knights. The sith of today have grown weak and the Jedi have been my sworn enemy since day one."

Sampaga took a sip of his drink, It tasted horrible. He had a nasty look on his face like he had just drank rancor piss.
"This is disgusting.." He then contiuned "I must destroy the Sith and Jedi and I know away to do this.. I know away to start a new war and end the league of systems but first I need to know for sure are you with me?"

Crystal sat back in her seat. She pondered the rewards and consequences of her choices. If she said yes, Glaucus might never forgive her, in fact he might execute her. Or he might be pleased with a return to galactic prominence. It would not be easy to defeat the Sith and the Jedi either. Both were formidable factions. But she could not stand this weakened position the SKE seemed to find itself in. Why she wasn't sure.

It could be however because as Sampaga stated Glaucus was too close to the Light. And as she might suggest....not close enough to the Dark. That however was not her issue. Crystal was as close to the Dark Side as a Force User could be. She had not abandoned it, just tempered it for a time. Now before her sat the opportunity to once again know the Power of the Dark Side. To bring the SKE back to leadership in the galaxy. The LOS had weakened their hand, tied their hands in fact. Though the city and planet had been well done and the Empire had grown, still the rest of the galaxy refused to acknowledge their rise in resources and power. But Crystal and Sampaga could force it upon them. Bring the might of the SKE to new glory. Rule the galaxy once more. They could make no mistakes. She would find the ways to get to Glaucus. Get him to abandon the League of Systems and put his own Empire and interests first. Conquer and control. The Darksword Credo would live once again. This time in the SKE. Crystal's dark heart beat strongly once more. The thrill of the planning to come and the intrigue of the betrayal began to fill her....

She turned to Sampaga, eyes shining with anticipation. "I am in Sampaga.....I am in."

Darth Sampaga smiled, Everything was going according to plan Crystal was ready and willing he didn't expect her to help him so easily. She never abandon the darkside she remembered her teachings Sampaga was truly proud of his old apprentice. She she could turn Glaucus they would be able to use the Shadow Empire. The Shadow Empire had powerful members such as loon esta she was a very good navy commander and SKE had a good navy. He knew that with his help the Shadow Empire would be victorious in the new war.

"Good" Sampaga said "We have much to discuss then, I know you know the ways of an assassin and we will need that skill to kill the viceroy of the League of Systems. The L.O.S has grown weak and without it's leader it will fall apart. He needs to die but we need to frame someone and make it look like they killed him. We need to cause Chaos and confusion between the factions. Glaucus I'm not worried about people have told me he's lost faith in the L.O.S once the viceroy dies he will withdraw his state from the league I promise you that. To frame the Jedi I have yet to come up with an idea"

Crystal tapped the table with two fingers. She smiled malevolently, just the corners of her mouth twisted upward. To kill the Viceroy of the League of Systems would require a bit of planning. Learning his habits, what the security he surrounded himself with might be. A ship to get on Coruscant and beyond would be necessary. It would need to be worthy of a lot of challenges. And have a cloaking device. Hmmmm....

"I will need a ship worthy of the challenges Sampaga. One with a cloaking device. Do you still have that Tie Phantom prototype you 'procured' before the others were all destroyed? I know it is a lot to ask. But it would serve our purposes. I could travel undetected just about anywhere. The specialized cloaking device can't be detected on equipment, everyone believes they were all destroyed. If I am to do my best, I need a good, fast stealth ship."

This she knew really was asking a lot. It was the only ship of its kind left. But using it would give them a distinct advantage. Then she thought some more. "I will also set up way stations across the galaxy to use as bases of operation. Abandoned repair yards, academies and the like should serve the purpose."

She was now in full planning mode and looked to Sampaga to add some ideas.

Sampaga began to think, It was to good to be true Crystal was so willing to do this. He sensed no deception in her she was ready for this "My Tie Phantom is like my Child, of course I still have it. I arrived here with it. As matter a fact you should leave this planet with my tie Phantom. The Empire could still track your movements with the ship you have now correct? When you leave here you will be leaving here with a mission and we can't have anyone interfering with our plans"

The dark lord then looked around the room and waved over the waitress "Juma juice please" The waitress then left to get his drink.

"I could sent out some of my spies to watch the viceroy figure out what he dose every day and we could try to find a time to strike, I know away we could frame the jedi. The Sith ship yards we could do some type of terriost attack on it like.. Bomb it and leave maybe things that only jedi have such as jedi robes or something like that."

The waitress returned with the drink and took off...

"As for these bases I do not know of any in this galaxy anymore, I've been spending time in the unknown regions of space I do have my old base though on Honoghr I could give you it's location. I'm still very friendly with the Noghri on that planet"

Crystal's eyes narrowed as she thought harder of what steps would need to be taken to accomplish all that they required. "I know that ship is one of your prized possessions Sampaga I will take good care of it. Once we leave here we can only contact one another intermittently to avoid anyone detecting the communications. I am already planning. Once the Viceroy is dead I already have other ideas."

"Remember Black 15? They get some good sized vessels in for repairs and still build a few too. Not as difficult to infiltrate as some of the others, but still a big boom there would be a loss for the Empire. I'll frame the Jedi for it. The old Ruac Outpost will make one good hideout. Honoghr will make another."

She glanced shrewdly at Sampaga before waving the waitress over with another blood wine. Calmly Crystal planned acts of destruction without turning a hair. "We will need enough occurances to throw the galaxy into chaos, make them all distrust one another and turn to weapons for answers rather than reason. Can we do that Sampaga and not get caught?"

She sipped her drink and whispered softly. "I don't fear death Sampaga as you know and we are dead if it gets figured out. Put out your spies to gain info on the Viceroy's movements. I will need a few things. A personal cloaking device for one. Jedi robes and a few other such trinkets to implicate different factions. None of it should be difficult to obtain. Oh and lets not forget the bomb making materials. Enough for big explosions."

"How soon do you think we can begin? I say the sooner the better."

"I don't know if you know, But I've killed Jedi Master Sylus awhile back. Such an accomplishment for me I needed to keep somthing of his I just so happened to take his robes and his lightsaber.Black 15 would be an excellent target." Sampaga grinned. " We won't be getting caught my old apprentice, We will prepare and plan and it will be perfect. Dead? I have a whole galaxy after me and I'm still alive you just got to smart crystal. By the time were done planning this and my spies return to me with information we will attack. "

He then handed Crystal a two Lightsabers one a jedi saber another a red bladed saber "These will help you with our plans"

Wheels were now being set in motion, Sampaga and Crystal working together would make a deadly duo. If the Galaxy thought they were terrible as sith all those years ago, Just Imagine how they would be now.