CONTACT ON BALMORRA

With her helmet in check, Imperial soldiers would usually avoid Sith Lords upon their arrival, if it wasn't avoidable, they would do their best not to get themselves killed. Though as they entered the office, the girls couldn't help but hear someone speaking. "Sir, I apologize, sir! It was the best I could do!"

"If that's your best, you're useless to me." The apprentice saw the man who she assumed to be the Lieutenant that Baras spoke about. He had the collar of the soldier in his grasps, firm and unpleasant it seemed but they were soldiers – and soldiers demand disciplined and no excuses. Her father seemed to be that way, well, as far as she remembered him anyway. "I can shoot you dead with a clear conscience, is that what you want?"

"N-no sir!"

"Then focus Jillins!" The Lieutenant pushed him away. "Dismissed."

When the soldier excused himself, the apprentice and her companion walked towards the Lieutenant. Having a closer look at him, he seemed to be around a decade older than her or so. Quinn bowed in her presence, as much as he wasn't so concerned about what's under the mask – he was there for a job and he intends to do his job. "I apologize for the delay, my Lord. Lieutenant Malavai Quinn. I'm to be your liaison here on Balmorra."

"A pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant." The apprentice greeted.

"And to you, as well, my Lord." He appeared to be obedient, just as Baras would want. "Lord Baras will brief you personally, but I'm to acquaint you with the climate here on Balmorra first—" but before she could even give him an answer, her senses through the Force began to disturb her thoughts. When she placed her hand against her forehead, Vette immediately began to be concerned.

"Hey…" she placed her hand onto the apprentice's shoulder.

"Bring me up to speed, Quinn," Leena commanded.

The soldier nodded. "Of course, my Lord." He began to explain that even though the Empire wrestled control of Balmorra from the Republic during the war, they were never able to completely eradicate them. With the size of the resistance movement, Quinn stated that even with the denial, there was a good chance that the republic has been backing it up.

The longer she stayed, the more that she felt the disturbance closer to her in the process. Her goal was to make sure that the spy, Baras had on Balmorra is killed and then she could leave. And yet, there was this strong sense of calling that she can't just leave the Empire under attack by these Republic scums, in which they have glorified themselves to be heroes.

A never-ending war between the Sith and the Jedi has always been looked down upon by the galaxy, and yet, they still choose sides. For the Empire. For the Republic.

The apprentice couldn't help but sigh. "Maybe I'll have time to do something about that."

"Something tells me your presence here will leave an indelible impression on the state of things. And I look forward to it." Quinn gave an honest assessment of things before she even started. "I have a secure line to Lord Baras, I'll patch him through immediately."

As he did, the apprentice continued to feel uneasy on Balmorra – the strong tension she's been sensing between her and the Force. The Force speaks to her, but this was one terrible feeling that dwells inside of her.

"Ah, I see you've convened with my apprentice. Very good, Lieutenant. Leave us." Quinn excused himself, Leena gestured Vette that she could leave and she did. Knowing how important this mission was to Baras, all she needed was to please him enough for him to believe that his "taming" for years finally paid off – and be a dutiful apprentice for her to win the game. "Quinn owes his career to me, but we should keep the details of your mission between the two of us. I trust that the slave won't give you any problem?"

"She won't. You have my word, Master."

"Very good. We must act swiftly. Nomen Karr's Padawan has directed to the Jedi's suspicions to my undercover spy there on Balmorra. Do you recall this?"

Leena nodded. "Of course, I remember everything."

"Good. I'll get to the point. My spy is Commander Rylon of the Republic resistance. He is the central contract for all of my operatives in this sector. Unfortunately, Quinn is tracking an investigator that the Jedi have sent. That means we have to cover our tracks before you kill Rylon. Your first mandate is to destroy the evidence that links Rylon to the sabotaging of Balmorra's defense systems during the war. To do so, you must break into the satellite control tower. Quinn reports that the tower is a death trap of mechanical security."

"Are there any special requirements that I need to know?" The apprentice asked, but the Master seemed to be confident about this liaison he assigned for her.

"Quinn has everything you'll need. I'll summon him back." Informed the Dark Lord. "remember, he is not to know the reason for your mission. I'll be in touch." It was considered dangerous and she didn't want to risk Vette on this task, taking the chances – she really did have that uneasy feeling through her body.

She couldn't risk it.

As Baras cut off communication, Quinn came back into the room informing her what she needed to know. "My Lord, I've prepared what you need for your assault on the satellite control tower. In order to destroy the mainframe, you'll mount this charge to the base and activate it. Then contact me and I'll be able to detonate."

The apprentice nodded and took whatever Quinn had for her. Unlike what she did in Lord Grathon's estate back on Dromand Kaas, she couldn't hide and avoid bloodshed. This was a complete assault, and they were in a battlefield – far different than the rebel slaves back on Dromand Kaas.

Vette was hesitant to stay but, Leena explained that it would be easier if she were is go alone. But the reality was that she didn't want Vette to see how brutal she has become.

She basically waltzed in the site and began to slice every Republic soldier she could find. Piling up the body count that has been on her hands since her first kill on Korriban. It was the endless war in which so many people have sacrificed things they have valued for centuries. Even when there's a treaty, her mother was right, it won't hold long enough.

No one can stop a war this terrible. Sith and Jedi, the Empire and the Republic, living in harmony was mocking the galaxy. This war will go on forever and they will all burn together.

When she placed the final charge, Leena stopped for a moment and began to feel that disturbance again. The conflict within her, she had her tasks, she had her duty – there was no room for personal missions besides her craving for vengeance. Killing Baras was the only thing in her mind and the Sern legacy meant nothing to her.

Her first taste in war – no matter how much she used to detest bloodshed and killing, now she didn't feel any conflict on morals, or what is good and what is not.

The Empire has the chaotic resources for destruction, people crave for a freedom that they will never have. Leena knew that and began to embrace the Sith customs and its ways, so that she may survive this war that Baras declared to her. Spies or no, he placed her into the battlefield and she knew that he wouldn't even hesitate on killing her by accident – then again, if he wanted her dead then she should have died in the wedding like Arrun did.

Then she received a call from Quinn. "My Lord, I mark your progress and see that the charge is armed. I will detonate once you are at a safe distance. But first, I have Darth Baras on holo for you. I will retreat and leave the line security for the two of you."

And that he did. "Apprentice, we have one more potentially compromising thing to take care of before you can confront my spy, Commander Rylon. It involves invading a Republic keep to find a lowly ensign named Durmat. He is Rylon's son, and the commander of the confided his true identity to him. Ensign Durmat must be silenced, permanently."

The apprentice couldn't help but sigh. "Maybe the son can be trusted?"

"I don't leave loose ends." The Master warned. "And all indications are that Rylon's son is a very loose end. I'll signal Quinn to give you the details. Be swift."

Then the line was transferred to the Lieutenant. "My Lord, Ensign Durmat is being detained in the brig of the Republic crater outpost, awaiting questioning by the mysterious agent Lord Baras had me tracking. I will alert you if the investigator appears to be heading there. I will assume you wish to get Durmat before she does."

She was rather impressed by this soldier Baras managed to pick up. "You assumed correctly, Lieutenant."

"Then I won't delay you any longer. Good luck on your mission, my Lord. I'll be here if you need anything." With Quinn ending their contact. Leena received coordinates on where she should be. In a single day, she managed to go and be ordered to perform two missions and it was already the evening.

No rest for the apprentice, after all – she does all the work for Baras. And even with seven years of working for him under his wing, she still remembered those painful days he granted her. Even back when she was still in Korriban.

Three years on Korriban. Seven on Dromand Kaas. And she didn't know how long they would stay on Balmorra. Perhaps she would remain shortly for this one task, they didn't want to leave Noman Karr have a few more steps ahead – they needed to be quick.

When she arrived at the outpost, Leena made sure that the soldiers wouldn't be able to notice her as she snuck inside. Even while wearing heavy armor as well as a helmet. She didn't want to make a commotion; she didn't want the need to draw out a lightsaber.

And yet, she needed to be an obedient slave without a collar. Her shackles are with him and she couldn't escape for now. Leena knew that she will only be free from him when he dies.

She was aware of the influences and power he had over the galaxy. The spy-network was one proof of it, even if he could dispose of her, he couldn't. Not yet.

When she made it inside, the apprentice began to slaughter the soldier on duty, where he guards the cages where the prisoners spend for the night. She saw Ensign Drumat, a young man who was scared to death all because he was dragged into a war, he never asked to be in.

He looked like an animal inside a cage.

Caged in for amusement of a Dark Lord was no different than being caged in, to be tortured later for information that he knew about the spy. Rylon may have loved him, as he raised his son to be a man. But the Sith didn't see this person as a man, she saw a frightened boy who was about to pee in his pants.

When she raised her lightsaber, all she could see were the frightened eyes of the boy inside the cage. He was already crying and she had her orders. For a moment, just a single moment, the Sith saw something from the back of her mind.

A crying little girl, trapped inside a box with no holes, no bars, and no stars to illuminate her life.

She lowered her lightsaber as she looked at the boy again and sighed. Baras wouldn't be so happy if she allowed the Ensign to remain alive, nor would it be smart to even set him free. The possibility of the boy being captured again was high. If she gave him to the Lieutenant, he would be executed by Imperials under Baras's orders.

Arrun would have let him live. She couldn't feel guilt but rather, she felt the sorrow and loneliness Arrun left for her.

'Arrun is dead. I have no reason to feel these things.' She thought to herself. And she was right, she didn't have a reason to feel the sorrow and loneliness. She didn't need to follow Arrun's examples – he's dead. Gone from her life and there was no way he would come back to her, no matter how much she could pray to the Force.

She looked at the boy once more. It was already late and the Sith didn't have much time left. The longer she stayed, the higher the possibility she can be caught – she can't have that as an option. She wasn't allowed to leave loose ends on a mission or she will become the loose end. And if she does, she would be decapitated just like Tremel or be murdered like Arrun.

'I'm Sith.' She reminded herself. The shadow of darkness grants them the power she needed with these emotions. But beings often forget that shadows do not exist without the light. In this case with their history, the Sith would not exist without the Jedi. Two sides of the same coin, they were – much like her. One part of Leena embraces the Sith Code, while the other tries to embrace the concept of mercy and compassion.

This is Leena Sern, the young, powerful apprentice of Darth Baras. The woman, Lord Arrun Zaine loved and died for at the altar. The apprentice gripped onto the lightsaber she held, she had to execute this boy to safeguard her place at Baras's side. Not a single trace would be left behind.

As much as she wanted to show mercy and find another way, much as Arrun would advise if he was still alive – she raised her lightsaber, and did her duty as a Sith and murdered an innocent.

She knew that at the end of the day, she will always be Sith. Regardless of what others say about her, worship her, despise her – good or bad, she had to be Sith for she is Zylas Sern's oldest surviving child. She had to be Sith if she wanted Baras down on his knees, begging for his life.

If the time comes where the light rejects her, the darkness will welcome her in every angle, for the dark is generous. There will always be two, the apprentice and the Master.

She watched the boy die inside the cell, she wanted to allow herself to cry but even the Force reminded her: You are Sith.

There was no other life for her. Sudden guilt consumed her whole, as she quietly escaped from the outpost. Leaving the Republic troops to find the murder she left behind. One a safe-zone, the apprentice found herself kneeling down the ground of Balmorra soil. Removing her helmet as she felt her eyes becoming warm and looked up at the night sky.

She saw the moon illuminate the dead down the battlefield, as both sides were scheming for the night. The Sith apprentice could feel the heavy burden of her heart as she reminded herself: 'You killed a boy.'

The lonely sorrows of the night covered her every being. She didn't want Vette to find her in that state, nor did she want military personnel to give pity to a Sith. There was no room for weakness at all.

She didn't want to be weak.

But what would Arrun say? Back then she didn't wish for power, now she craves for it. She could feel the leash pulling her back up, as the Force kept on pushing her to walk down the path it chose for her. There was nothing in the galaxy that could completely master the Force. For the Force is the master of every being it grants power to.

Sith or Jedi.

Dark or light.

Chaos or peace.

Life is as empty without terror as it is without love. The Sith continued to cry even if she denied the fact that tears were going down through her cheeks. She killed the son that had nothing to do with all of this. She wondered how many bodies count, how much blood does she have on her hands already?

How could her mother kill so many people? How could her conscience allow her to do such things?

Arrun would have been disgusted as Leena was disgusted with herself. "I am a Sith." The apprentice mumbled to herself. "I will always be Sith."