"Is this it? Is this all the Empire can do to get information out of me? Resorting to violence and barbarism? Hahahahaha." Luthen said as he was still handcuffed to the chair.
Luthen was still imprisoned in the ISB's main interrogation room. The Supervisors had tried every kind of torture, as Lord Vader had ordered, to get information out of the rebel, but nothing they had tried seemed to work.
The room he was in was cold and dark, dimly lit by a single lamp above his head. The walls were a drab gray, devoid of any distinguishing features, designed to break the morale of those who would be subjected to the interrogations of the Imperial Security Bureau. However, to someone like Luthen, who had seen and experienced the worst of the Empire, that setting was just another battlefield.
One of the ISB officers, a tall man with a stony expression and immaculate uniform, approached him with his hands folded behind his back. His eyes examined him as if he were observing an insect in a jar.
"Your endurance is admirable, rebel," she said in a voice devoid of emotion. "But even the strongest of wills can be broken in time. It is only a matter of patience."
Luthen arched an eyebrow and smiled. "Time? I don't know if you've noticed, but it's the only thing I have right now." He leaned back in the chair, though the dura-steel cuffs holding his wrists held him immobile. His body showed the scars of previous punishments: burns, cuts and dark bruises spread across his face and arms. And yet his spirit remained intact.
Another officer, younger and less experienced, approached with an electroshock wand. "You remain uncooperative, Luthen Rael. I don't know how much more you can take without this becoming unbearable."
The rebel let out a laugh, though he felt a stinging pain in his ribs as he did so. "Oh, boy. If this is the best the ISB has to offer, then I think I'm going to disappoint them."
The young officer gritted his teeth and activated the wand. A spark of electricity coursed through Luthen's body, making him tense for an instant. His muscles contracted with involuntary spasms, and for a moment, a hiss of pain escaped from between his lips. But when the torment ceased, he raised his head again and looked at the officer with a smirk. "Wow. For a moment there I thought you were really going to hurt me."
The older officer sighed, as if losing his patience. "You're making a mistake, Rael. Sooner or later, you'll end up telling us about the Rebellion. You might as well cooperate now and save yourself unnecessary suffering."
Luthen bowed his head with a mock gesture of consideration. "Let me think about it... No."
The young officer, furious, activated the wand again, but this time the superior raised a hand to stop him. "Stop it."
Luthen watched the man with interest.
Something had changed in his attitude. He no longer saw him as a mere prisoner; now there was a glint of recognition in his gaze. Maybe, just maybe, they were realizing that he was no mere rebel. That there was something more to him, something they couldn't quite understand.
The senior officer turned and left the room, leaving the young officer alone with Luthen. The silence lasted for a few seconds until the door opened again. But this time, it was no ordinary officer.
A figure dressed in a black robe entered the room. Luthen did not need to see his face to know who it was. He felt it in the air, in the way the temperature seemed to drop all at once. The aura of death and absolute authority that emanated from that being was unmistakable.
Darth Vader.
The young officer immediately squared his shoulders and lowered his head. "My Lord."
Luthen swallowed saliva, but did not let the fear show on his face. He knew this moment would come sooner or later.
'So the Sith came back for more? Hehe, let him try.'
Vader walked slowly towards him, his imposing silhouette casting an even larger shadow in the dim light of the room. His mechanical breathing filled the silence of the room as he stopped in front of Luthen.
"You have shown an unbreakable will, Rael," said the deep, metallic voice of the Dark Lord. "But all will is broken.... With the right method. Tell me, where is he?"
Luthen held his gaze without hesitation. "Get closer, come on, get closer."
The Sith reluctanctly obeyed, thinking that maybe he was finally starting to cooperate, only for him to listen to this answer:
"I won't tell you."
Vader did not respond with words. Instead, he simply raised a gloved hand and, immediately, Luthen felt an invisible force surround him. A crushing pressure closed his throat, stealing his breath in an instant. He tried to inhale, but got only emptiness. His vision blurred and a sharp pain spread from his chest to his skull, as if his entire body was protesting against suffocation. His legs jerked involuntarily, his wrists struggled against the handcuffs, but all to no avail.
The rhythmic hum of Vader's breathing became the only sound in the room. Luthen felt a shiver run across his skin as the pressure increased even more. Dark spots danced in his vision. Death whispered in his ear.
But he refused to give in. He refused to give them the satisfaction of watching him beg. He resisted, even as his body begged him to give up.
Finally, the force that oppressed him suddenly vanished. Air rushed into his lungs violently, making him cough and gasp in despair. His chest heaved with each ragged breath, and yet, when he looked up at the Sith, a smirk crept across his face.
"Again, Vader... you should know by now that strangling me is useless." he muttered hoarsely, each word bathed in defiance.
Vader tilted his head slightly, as if sizing him up. "Your resistance is remarkable... but irrelevant." He took a step back and turned to the younger officer. "Let him rest. Tomorrow... we will continue."
The door closed behind the towering figure of the Sith, leaving Luthen in the gloom, alone with the sound of his own ragged breathing. But though his body was shattered, his spirit was still intact.
---
The cockpit of the Rogue Shadow was engulfed in a silent gloom, interrupted only by the flickering of the controls and the faint reddish light of hyperspace flashing through the forward viewer. Sabine stood beside me, arms folded and gazing expectantly, waiting for an answer.
"So, what's our next destination?" she asked in a casual tone, though curiosity shone in her eyes.
I didn't respond right away. Instead, I continued to stare into the emptiness of space, lost in the vastness of the cosmos. It was not just a moment of reflection, but a feeling that clung to my mind, a restlessness that I could not ignore. Korriban. The name echoed in my head like a distant echo, a whisper I couldn't quite explain.
"Korriban," I said finally, my gaze still fixed on the blackness. "It's the closest one, plus... I have a feeling about that place."
Sabine frowned slightly and cocked her head to one side. "What kind of feeling?"
I took a breath and exhaled slowly. "I don't know yet, but I have a feeling something will change...something important."
Sabine studied me for a moment before speaking again. "How do you know, did you have another one of those Force visions?"
I shook my head. "Not exactly. I had one of Korriban some time ago, but it was months ago."
"And what did you see in it?"
My fingers drummed lightly on the control board. The image of the vision was fuzzy, fragmented, as if the Force had shown me only a piece of what it really wanted to reveal. "It's not entirely clear to me. It was hazy... shadows, ruins, whispers I couldn't make out. But what I am sure of is that there is someone there. I don't know who or what it is, but there's definitely more than tombs and ancient structures on that planet."
Sabine nodded with determination. "In that case, we'll have to go to find out."
She leaned toward me, her eyes twinkling with that mixture of boldness and affection that was so familiar to me. Before I could react, his lips joined mine in a soft but determined kiss. For a moment, everything else ceased to exist. The weight of the mission, the unanswered questions, the uncertain fate... everything was put on the back burner.
Until a sound broke the stillness.
"Ahem."
We broke off immediately, turning in unison to find a figure shrouded in shadow behind us. Maul stood there, arms crossed and expression inscrutable.
"If you're done exchanging your salivary fluids, we have somewhere to go," he said in his trademark tone, a mixture of disdain and absolute neutrality.
Sabine disguised a chuckle, while I rolled my eyes and sighed. But even in her apparent indifference, I could notice a slight nuance in her voice. Perhaps irritation, perhaps impatience. With Maul, it was hard to tell for sure.
I sat up from the seat and adjusted the Rogue Shadow's controls. "All right, we're going to Korriban."
The stars stretched as the ship entered hyperspace, taking us toward a destination that, whether we knew it or not, would mark a point of no return.
---
Once we exited Hyperspace we came into view of Korriban, already visible from the atmosphere was the distinctive reddish ground and relief that characterized the ancient Sith world.
The reddish haze hovering over the planet created a hypnotic effect, giving everyone an air of unreality, as if we were observing a realm trapped in time.
"Ah, Korriban. It's good to be back."
Maul's voice broke the silence with a tinge uncharacteristic of him: contentment. It wasn't exactly joy, but there was definitely a hint of nostalgia, almost as if he was recalling a time that, though distant, still carried weight in his memory.
"Have you been here before?" I asked, as I maneuvered the ship and began the descent through the dense, dark energy-laden atmosphere.
"Why, of course," Maul replied with obviousness. "It was one of the first planets my master took me to in order to learn about the ancient Sith arts. Though, in truth, it was more a visit to honor what the planet symbolizes, rather than what it really is."
The turbulence of entering the planet caused the ship to vibrate slightly, but I steadied the descent with no problems. Sabine, who was standing by the navigation console, arched an eyebrow.
"Sorry, I feel like I'm missing something, why is this planet so important?"
Maul turned his gaze to her, his expression not hiding his annoyance.
"Were you never taught history, Mando Girl?" he asked in a tone laden with irritation.
Sabine folded her arms and smirked. "History related to your weirdo religion...not really."
Her tone was mocking, defiant. But I knew her well enough to know that she did, in fact, care about the subject. She was only feigning disinterest to tease Maul, and from the way the muscles in her jaw tensed, her strategy was working.
"You Mandalorians really don't learn from the past," Maul spat coldly. "No wonder, at the drop of a hat, you're passed over at the drop of a hat."
Sabine frowned. She was about to respond, and from her scathing tone, I could guess that her answer wasn't exactly going to be kind. I decided to intervene before the situation got out of hand.
"Korriban is a special world for many reasons," I began, keeping my eyes on the controls as I adjusted the descent speed. "It is the place where the first Sith were born. In its early days, the term Sith referred not to an order or a philosophy, but to a race. A species of humanoids with distinctive characteristics: red skin, bone spurs and facial tentacles. Plus, they had a natural affinity for the dark side of the Force."
I could notice how Sabine averted her gaze to me, more interested than she wanted to appear.
"The Sith we know today," I continued, "are the result of the influence of Jedi exiles who arrived on this planet over six thousand nine hundred years ago. It was they who changed and at the same time were influenced by the original Sith culture, merging their knowledge with the beliefs of the native race. And it was here, on Korriban, that the Sith Order took its final form."
I recited almost from memory the information I had learned from Vader, though now, being here, the story took on a different weight.
The Rogue Shadow finally broke through the cloud cover and into the planet's airspace. Millennia-old structures loomed like sleeping giants among the sharp dunes and cliffs. The energy of the place was suffocating, as if the air itself was charged with memories and echoes of a time of glory and destruction.
Sabine let out a slight sigh.
"So this place is some kind of graveyard for your people, huh?" she commented, with less mockery and more curiosity in her voice.
Maul gave her a sidelong glance. "It's more than a graveyard. It's a shrine. A reminder of what power really means."
The sound of the engines descending in power announced our landing.
---
The Rogue Shadow landed softly on the barren surface of Korriban, kicking up a cloud of reddish dust that slowly dissipated into the dry air. From the cockpit, the view was imposing: massive blackened stone structures loomed between dunes and cliffs, witnesses to a civilization lost to time. The oppressive feeling of the dark side permeated every corner of the planet, like a constant whisper in the wind.
Inside the ship, I adjusted the last piece of my armor. The black chest plate barely reflected the dim lighting inside, while the reinforced gauntlets and shoulder pads ensured optimal protection without sacrificing mobility. I made sure my lightsaber was securely fastened to my belt and lowered my helmet visor, activating the visual analysis system.
Sabine finished attaching her own helmet and checked her blaster on her belt, making sure the rifle on her back was securely fastened. In her full Mandalorian armor, her figure looked imposing, almost like a shadow of her ancestral lineage.
Maul, for his part, remained calm, watching us with his piercing yellow eyes. He wore no heavy armor, but his dark tunic and confident posture made it clear he didn't need it. The double lightsaber rested on his belt, as if it were an extension of his very being.
"Okay," I said finally, as the ship's ramp unfolded with a mechanical sound. "Let's get out and find him."
The air outside was dry and warm, with a faint smell of burnt sand and ancient stone. As I stepped onto the ground, I felt a subtle vibration through the Force, a kind of heartbeat hidden beneath the surface. It wasn't just residual energy from the dark side... there was something more.
We advanced through the ruins, the echo of our footsteps reverberating among the imposing structures of weathered stone. The Force vibrated with intensity in this place, almost like a constant whisper seeping through the cracks of reality. I knew we were close.
Maul inhaled deeply and exhaled with an expression of recognition. "The planet still resonates with its history. The power here is... dense."
"You're right, even in its current deplorable state, I can feel the dark side flowing like a river through every inch of this planet." I said as I moved forward with a determined stride.
Sabine crossed her arms, glancing around. "So where do we start? Because unless you have a holographic map with the exact location, this is going to take us quite a while."
"Not exactly, but with the first Star Map we found on Dantooine, I was able to establish a pattern in its configuration," I explained as I unfolded a small device on my wrist. "These maps aren't isolated, they're connected by a network of encrypted coordinates that are activated by interacting with one of them. That means each map gives us clues to the location of the next one. And Korriban is the next piece of the puzzle." I said omitting the information that I had known about the locations of the maps all along, because of my teacher, I just didn't know where specifically on the planet they were.
Sabine nodded, watching the readout on the device. "So this isn't the last one."
"Not even close." I replied.
"There," I said pointing to the valley of the Dark Lords, which from our high altitude position, looked majestic. "If the Star Map is anywhere, it must be in one of the ancient Sith crypts. This one looks the most intact."
Maul sketched a barely perceptible smile. "Of course. The most valuable secrets are always buried with the dead."
Sabine snorted. "Great. Exploration in cursed tombs. It only gets better."
Without further ado, we started down, negotiating obstacles among the relief and being careful not to run into some of the beasts that were still guarding the ancient Tombs of the Sith Lords.
Once we had descended far enough, we began to advance between the dunes and the stone ruins. Every step raised reddish dust that stuck to our armor. The temperature was high, but the helmet kept the humidity regulated, preventing the heat from being unbearable.
It was there that the tracker led us to a structure, the entrance to a tomb.
As we approached the structure, the feeling of pressure in the Force intensified. Something was waiting for us in there.
Something that seemed unwilling to be found.
Maul advanced to a large entrance carved into the rock, his fingers running over the time-worn inscriptions. "What we seek lies within this tomb. And if I'm not mistaken..." His eyes roamed over the figures carved into the portal. "This is the tomb of Naga Sadow. I can feel it, his imprint in the force, even after centuries is still present here."
Sabine cocked her head to one side. "Should I know who it is?"
Maul clicked his tongue impatiently. "One of the greatest Dark Lords of the Sith. A conqueror, a visionary. It was he who brought the Sith war to the heart of the Republic five thousand years ago. And if his tomb is still intact, it means there's something here that hasn't been plundered yet."
"Then we have our target." I said, activating my saber and advancing into the darkness.
The interior of the tomb was stifling, with a stale, heavy air, permeated with dust and an almost palpable presence of the dark side. The corridor descended in a gentle slope, its walls adorned with ancient frescoes depicting battles and dark rituals. But, as soon as we crossed the entrance, the tracker stopped working.
"Great," Sabine muttered, tapping her device. "The tracker signal cut out. Must be some interference from the place itself."
Maul looked down the corridors that branched off in different directions. "This place is a maze. If we want to find the Star Map, it'll be faster if we split up."
Sabine crossed her arms. "Split up in a Sith tomb? Sounds like the beginning of a bad horror story."
"Are you afraid, Mandalorian?" sneered Maul with a half-smile.
She snorted. "I'm just saying that when one goes into ancient tombs full of traps and things that want to kill you, it's best not to do it alone."
"We'll stay in communication," I said, adjusting the communicator in my ear. "Any problems, we'll let you know right away."
Maul took the hallway to the right without waiting any longer, his silhouette fading into the gloom.
Sabine and I exchanged glances before going our separate ways. I advanced down the central corridor, the dim light of my saber illuminating the walls covered in Sith hieroglyphs.
Unbeknownst to either of us, in the shadows of the tomb, cold, calculating eyes watched us. A dark presence, patient, waiting for the right moment to reveal itself.
From the shadows of the tomb, a tall, sturdy figure watched silently. His armor, dark and weather-worn, was decorated with ancient engravings. Over his face, an intimidating helmet hid his expression, with a structure that evoked both the Sith warriors of old and the hunters of the sands of Tatooine.
Beneath the helmet, cold, implacable eyes analyzed every movement of the intruders. His cloak, threadbare with age, fluttered slightly in the draft that swept through the tomb. On his arm, thick armor with organic detailing contrasted with the advanced technology of his equipment.
And just like a predator, he waited for the right moment to appear, certain that it would come.