Ali focused on the map projected from his comms device as he sped across the endless red desert. The west side of the vast area Malgrith had marked as the possible location of the tomb was his responsibility to scout. Alone in the oppressive heat, Ali's speeder kicked up trails of sand as it skimmed over the dunes.
"If I manage to find the tomb, it might give me an advantage in accessing the Force much faster…" he muttered to himself, his voice low but resolute.
The Force sensor provided by Malgrith was securely attached to the front of his speeder. The device was programmed to react when it detected a high density of the Force, emitting a series of beeps and blinking lights to alert him. However, so far, it had remained completely silent.
Hours crawled by as Ali scoured the desolate landscape, the harsh sun of Korriban bearing down on him relentlessly. With a cloth wrapped around his head for protection, he sat atop the stationary speeder, sipping from a bottle of warm water.
"Fuck. I hate deserts. Doesn't matter what world it is," he muttered with a sigh, his disdain for the arid environment evident.
BEEP. BEEP.
The sharp sound of the Force sensor broke through his thoughts, drawing his full attention. His gaze snapped to the blinking device. Immediately, Ali started the speeder and moved forward cautiously, adjusting his course based on the sensor's responses.
For ten minutes, he followed the device's guidance, its beeping growing louder and more insistent. Finally, he came to a small hill of red sand. At the base of the hill was a dark opening that looked like the entrance to a cave.
Ali dismounted the speeder, moving toward the cave entrance with deliberate care. His hand hovered near one of the pistols holstered at his waist, ready to react at the first sign of danger. Peering into the darkness, he saw nothing but shadows. The cave extended far into the hill, the end invisible to the naked eye.
Pausing to listen, Ali caught faint animal noises from deep within the cave. His instincts told him to proceed cautiously, and he stepped inside silently, his every movement careful and deliberate.
The deeper he ventured, the darker it became. The air grew cooler, and the faint sounds grew more distinct—a small bark echoed faintly, almost like that of a puppy. Ali's sharp senses guided him closer to the noise.
As he neared the source, his boot crunched against something brittle. Looking down, he realised he was stepping on decayed bones scattered across the floor. He was close now, only a corner away.
Ali peered around the edge of the cave wall and saw the source of the sounds: five small creatures huddled together near a human skull. They were tiny, with red tails that marked them unmistakably as Krath pups.
'They're definitely Krath puppies,' Ali thought, studying the creatures carefully. He stood still for a moment, formulating a plan.
'I have an idea,' he thought, turning and exiting the cave as quietly as he had entered.
Outside, he was almost at his speeder when he sensed something behind him. Turning sharply, he saw a fully grown Krath emerge from the shadows, its dark red tail raised high in a defensive posture.
'Probably the mother,' Ali surmised, meeting the creature's menacing gaze.
The Krath growled low in its throat, clearly viewing Ali as a threat to its offspring. Its tail arched higher, the blade-like tip gleaming ominously in the sunlight.
Ali took a slow step forward. The Krath responded with a vicious snarl and struck with lightning speed, its tail whipping toward him like a scorpion's stinger. Ali moved with practiced precision, dodging the attack effortlessly.
Before the Krath could retract its tail, Ali seized it in a firm grip. He yanked hard, forcing the animal off balance and stumbling toward him.
SPLASH.
The sound of blood hitting the sand broke the stillness. The mother Krath's body fell in two halves, cleaved cleanly apart by Ali's red quinque sword. The blade dripped crimson, staining the already red sands beneath it.
Ali wiped the blade on the sand before retracing it. He retrieved a piece of cloth he had previously used to carry food but which was now empty. Holding the bag in hand, he returned to the cave.
Back inside, the puppies remained blissfully unaware of their mother's fate. They slept soundly, curled together near the human skull. Ali moved swiftly, grabbing one by the scruff of its neck.
The tiny creature barked in fear, its high-pitched yelp waking the others. But before they could react, Ali moved quickly, catching each pup and dropping it into the bag. Their panicked cries were muffled as he closed the bag, ensuring it had small holes cut for air.
His task complete, Ali crouched beside the skull that had been at the centre of their lair. At first glance, it appeared ordinary, but as he studied it more closely, a strange sensation stirred within him.
'The Force,' he thought, his gaze sharpening. 'I can sense it from this skull. It's the same feeling I got earlier when Malgrith used the Force on me.'
He reached out cautiously, placing his hand on the bone.
In an instant, the world around him seemed to freeze. His surroundings felt alive in a way they never had before. His eyes widened as he saw waves in the air, faint but unmistakable.
'The Force,' Ali realised, exhilarated. 'It's everywhere. I can see it.'
The moment passed as suddenly as it had begun. The sensation faded, and the world returned to normal. Ali remained motionless for a moment, his hand still resting on the skull. He sighed, disappointed the experience had been so fleeting.
Standing, he picked up the skull and carried it outside. He secured the bag of pups to the back of his speeder before mounting it himself.
Before he could start the engine, his comms device projected a message from Malgrith. "Report back to me. This is enough for today."
Ali accelerated, the speeder racing across the desert toward the tent. The journey took an hour, and as he arrived, he noticed Drogath's speeder already parked outside.
Ali parked next to it and retrieved the skull, leaving the bag of pups on his speeder for now. As he entered the tent, he overheard Malgrith lecturing Drogath.
"Drogath, I strongly advise you to focus on controlling your Force strength. Mastering it will expand your abilities exponentially. Meditate, acolyte," Malgrith said, his tone both firm and instructive.
Both Malgrith and Drogath turned as Ali entered with the skull.
"Report your findings, and explain what you're holding," Malgrith said, his commanding tone leaving no room for delay.
Ali stepped forward. "I didn't find anything related to the tomb," he began, "but the sensor directed me to a Krath cave. Inside, I found this skull at the centre of their lair."
He handed the skull to Malgrith, who inspected it with interest.
"Even with my weak connection to the Force, I could sense the dense energy radiating from this thing. When I touched it, everything changed. The world around me felt alive in a way I've never experienced before," Ali explained.
Malgrith placed the skull on his desk. "You were fortunate," he said. "This is the remains of a Force-sensitive individual who had significant control over the Force. When you touched it, the latent Force energy trapped within the skull was released, giving you a brief glimpse of the Force in its purest form. This experience should aid you in your meditations—now you know what you're searching for."
Ali nodded, grateful for the explanation.
Malgrith returned to the map projector, marking sections of the desert in green. "This represents the areas you two have cleared today. As you can see, there is still much ground left to cover. Return to me early tomorrow morning to continue the search."
Drogath nodded and turned to leave, but Ali remained. "Master Malgrith," he said, "do you think Lord Malvok would have use for Krath puppies? I picked up five from the cave."
Malgrith waved a dismissive hand. "Ask him yourself. He's obsessed with those idiotic creatures."
Taking the hint, Ali stepped outside with Drogath. He activated his comms device, sending a call request to Malvok.
The Sith Lord appeared as a hologram, his face twisted in annoyance. "You'd better have a good reason for interrupting my research, acolyte," Malvok snapped.
"Lord Malvok," Ali said with measured respect, though venom laced his tone, "I captured five healthy Krath pups today. I wanted to see if you had use for them."
Malvok's demeanour changed instantly. A wide smile spread across his grotesque face. "Excellent! Well done, acolyte. Deliver them to me immediately," he ordered before abruptly ending the call.
Ali lowered the device, his expression cold. He turned to Drogath. "Head back to the academy. I'll deliver the animals and follow you shortly."
Without another word, the two mounted their speeders and raced off in separate directions, the desert wind whipping around them as they sped away.
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