Darth Nox: The Master of the Force

The tranquil forests of Odessen no longer brought Lana Beniko peace. The gentle wind that once seemed to soothe her had become a constant reminder of Darth Nox's absence. The towering trees, the wildlife—everything felt frozen in place, much like the stalemate between the remnants of the Republic and the fractured Sith Empire. Darth Nox had vanished without a trace, and with him, the heart of their Alliance seemed to have gone dormant.

Lana stared out at the landscape from the Eternal Alliance command center. Her mind wandered back to their last conversation, to the instructions he'd left her and Theron Shan—refurbish Odessen, strengthen the Alliance, gather those who no longer wished to serve the Sith Empire or the Galactic Republic. But the task had grown stale over the months. The Alliance felt like a hollow shell without Nox's leadership, and Lana could no longer ignore the gnawing sensation in the back of her mind: something had gone terribly wrong.

Theron had tried to ease her concerns, but even his usual pragmatism had given way to a quiet worry that neither of them voiced. The Alliance was stable, but stagnant. Meanwhile, Odessen felt increasingly like a tomb. She had tried to remain patient, hoping that Nox's return was simply delayed by some unforeseen challenge. But the Force had grown strangely quiet, and the connection she had once shared with him now felt like an echo from a distant past.

She could wait no longer.

"Theron," Lana said, turning to the holoterminal. His familiar holographic figure materialized, his arms crossed.

"Still no word from him?" Theron asked, already knowing the answer.

Lana shook her head. "I'm done waiting. I'm leaving."

Theron's brows furrowed. "Lana, we don't even know where he is. You're going to scour the galaxy, hoping to find a trail that might not even exist?"

"I have to try. The longer we sit here doing nothing, the more I feel we're losing him." Lana's voice was steely, resolute. "If anyone knows where he might have gone, it's me. I felt something when he left—a pull from the Force that I didn't understand at the time. Now I think it's the only clue we have."

Theron sighed, a mix of frustration and concern crossing his face. "I won't try to stop you, Lana. But you'll need help. You can't go alone."

Lana nodded. "I've already reached out to Xalek. He's been restless since Nox's departure, and he'll want to be part of the search. I'm also bringing the HK droids."

Theron's eyes widened in mock alarm. "HK-51 and HK-55? You know what they're like together. A murderous pair of droids across the galaxy..."

Lana allowed herself a small smile. "That's precisely why I need them."

The holocommunication ended, and Lana wasted no time. She gathered her companions, summoning them to Odessen. The stoic Xalek, once Darth Nox's fierce apprentice, arrived first, eager to set off and reclaim his master. His devotion to Nox was absolute, and he wasted no time in preparing for the journey.

HK-51 and HK-55 arrived next, their programmed zeal for destruction and assassination barely concealed by their adherence to Lana's orders. They were, after all, designed to eliminate threats with cold efficiency—a trait that Lana hoped would prove useful in the uncertain search ahead.

"Query: Master Lana, will we be allowed to engage in wholesale destruction during our mission, or are there restrictions to our behavioral protocols?" HK-55 asked, his voice laced with anticipation.

"Statement: The slaughter of meatbags en route is always preferable to silence," HK-51 added, their photoreceptors gleaming with sadistic excitement.

Lana rolled her eyes. "We're not here for wholesale slaughter, just find Nox. But if anything gets in our way, you'll have plenty to keep yourselves busy."

"Affirmative," both droids chimed in unison, clearly pleased with the terms.

They departed from Odessen soon after, setting their course for the first of many worlds where Darth Nox had once left his mark. Nar Shaddaa, Dromund Kaas, Nathema—planets where the Sith Lord had fought, conquered, and altered the very fabric of the Force. Lana hoped that by retracing Nox's steps, they would uncover some hint of where he had gone, perhaps even find clues left behind by the Force itself.

The first stop was Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler's moon. Its neon-lit skylines and endless city streets were a far cry from the serenity of Odessen, but they were also a place where secrets were bartered daily. As they descended into the bustling underworld of the planet, Lana's mind raced. She reached out with the Force, hoping to feel some trace of Nox's presence, but there was nothing—only the chaotic energy of the crime-ridden moon.

Xalek, always quick to act, wasted no time intimidating local informants for information. But it soon became clear that no one had seen or heard anything of Darth Nox. It was as though he had disappeared entirely from the galaxy. The droids, too, were left unsatisfied—no imminent threats meant no slaughter.

They moved on to Dromund Kaas, the dark heart of the Sith Empire. Lana had once called it home, and the stormy world still bristled with the raw power of the dark side. But even here, among the shadowed halls of the Sith, there was no sign of Nox. They searched Kaas City, questioned Sith Lords, and even delved into Nox's private chambers. Still, nothing.

Frustration began to gnaw at Lana's resolve, but she pressed on. They arrived next at Nathema, the barren world that had been drained of life by Emperor Vitiate's ritual. Here, more than anywhere, she hoped to find something—anything—that might lead them to Nox. The planet's history was steeped in death and dark power, both of which had drawn Nox there in the past.

As they explored the empty plains and dead cities of Nathema, Lana felt a cold emptiness gnawing at her. The Force was quiet here, too quiet. It felt as though the very essence of life had been extinguished, leaving only a void in its place. Even Xalek seemed unnerved by the silence.

But then, in the center of the lifeless wasteland, Lana felt it—a faint, distant whisper in the Force. It was barely there, like an echo from another time, but it was unmistakable. She focused on the feeling, following it as it grew stronger with each step. Finally, it led her to the most unexpected place: Lehon, the ancient homeworld of the Rakata.

The realization hit Lana like a shockwave. Lehon was a world lost to time, a place of great power and mystery. If Nox had gone anywhere, it would be there.

Without hesitation, Lana ordered their ship to set a course for Lehon. As they entered the atmosphere, the world's dark history seemed to envelop them. The sky was a swirl of ancient energies, the remnants of the Rakatan Empire still palpable in the air.

But then, as they neared the surface, something unexpected happened. Lana's body and mind imideatly began to cease their actions, as did the rest of the ship and its inhabitants. Xalek, the HK droids, and the entire ship's crew were frozen in place, trapped in an unnatural stasis.

Time itself had ceased to move.