It was those words that echoed through the young Zabrak female’s mind as she traveled towards the space port on her home planet of Iridonia. Unbridled and easily angered, Dirae Hoth was shunned from her society. She recalled stories of another such as she who had left the planet and was supposedly lost or killed. The name escaped her memory at the moment as she stepped aboard a departing ship set for the desert planet of Tatooine. Her family was dead, killed in wars or massacres. The words of her father echoed in her mind: “Warriors are born, not made. You are one such warrior, Dirae. Be proud of who you are.” Dirae was very proud of herself and her family line. So much so that she had killed someone for their disrespectful comments towards her family. That caused her self-exile, giving her reason to leave Iridonia.
“This way, miss,” a voice said to her left. She turned to see a hooded Zabrak gesturing towards the rear of the ship. She nodded once and went in the direction he pointed. A variety of traveling aliens and Zabrak were aboard the ship, strapped in with their meager belongings and weapons. She chose a seat away from the crowds and purposefully dropped her travel bag on the seat beside her so none would think to sit next to her. She calmly removed her hood from her head and tugged her long braid free from the collar. It draped over her shoulder to reach her middle. Her long bangs were seperated only by her small horns set on her forehead in a triangle pattern. A small red gem sat in the center of the triangle, her only decoration given to her by her mother. Twin horns were on either side of her head just above her ears. The others were hidden by her long brown hair. Her eyes were a sharp green color with flecks of gold around the iris.
The low rumble of the engines vibrated the floor beneathe her. She leaned back and closed her eyes. Space travel was something she wasn’t used to but the constant motion never bothered her. It was just something she knew she’d do someday and expected nothing from it. Once the ship left the planet’s atmosphere the other passengers began talking amongst themselves. Dirae only half-listened.
A pair of female Zabrak started chattering not too far from where Dirae sat. The first one, who looked to be the older of the two, wore a simple robe of brown, her hair short as a male’s but styled in a feminine way. Her companion, possibly her daughter, was dressed much like the older one but her hair was shoulder-length and styled in a half-ponytail. Their horns were small and delicate, making them the more attractive females of the species. Horn size mattered a great deal when it came to the Zabrak. The females were considered more lovely if their horns were small or set in a certain pattern. The males who boasted large horns were thought to be great warriors and good husbands. Dirae’s horns were small but not attractive enough for her to attract a male of her race. She cared little about this fact.
“Did you hear about the problems on Corusant?” the eldest Zabrak asked of her daughter. “It seems the Jedi council is at a loss about this new boy from Tatooine. It seems, from what I heard, that he’s special.”
“No, I haven’t heard about that one. What does our own Jedi master think of this?” her daughter asked in return. The mother shook her head.
“No word from him yet. However, there’s also a problem with the Sith.”
“The Sith! Aren’t they extinct?” her daughter gasped in surprise. Her mother shrugged.
“Apparently not. While the boy was being taken to the Jedi Temple from Tatooine a Sith lord attacked them. No one knows who he was,” she replied. The daughter frowned thoughtfully then said:
“Wasn’t there someone from here that left and became a Sith lord?” Dirae opened one eye and listened to the conversation more closely.
“I’m not too sure about that rumor. Everyone thinks he died when he left. It’s probably just some other lord. I tell you, they’re nothing but trouble,” her mother replied before moving onto another topic that didn’t hold Dirae’s attention. She closed her eyes again and fell into a restless sleep.
* * *
Dirae left the ship once they reached Tatooine and started for the nearest lodgings along the landing strip. Dozens of various aliens, humans, and droids bustled about as she walked down the dusty streets. Sandswirls danced at her feet, making her squint when the wind whipped them up higher towards her face. She saw a large dome-shaped building with a swinging sign that had a picture of a bed on it. Dirae walked inside the building and arranged for a room for a week. A week would be all she needed in order to get out of this dustbowl.
Elsewhere in the galaxy, on a large cruiser, were the two Sith lords, Darth Sidious and his apprentice Darth Maul. Sidious was seated in a large throne-like chair, hands templed before his face as he listened to his apprentice’s report.
“The Jedis escaped before I could kill them, my master,” Maul said in his deep monotone voice. He was kneeling on one knee, his head bent. Sidious waved a hand over his apprentice.
“You have done well in revealing yourself to the Jedi, my apprentice. They won’t be so cocky next time. I must see to something; you are excused.” Sidious turned away from Maul, who stood, bowed and left the chamber. He stalked the long corridors of the ship until he reached his own quarters. Once inside, he removed his long black cloak and carelessly tossed it over the back of a chair. Now clothed only in his black trusers, black tunic, and boots, he sat down at a small table to ponder over his next move. His ship, the Infiltrator, was being prepared for his next journey for Sidious. The Jedi couldn’t hope to evade the Sith forever, he thought to himself, tapping his gloved fingers on the tabletop. Perhaps he could track them down and get the upper hand. Yes, that would please his master greatly. A slow sinister smile spread across his painted face. Satisfied with his new plan, he stood, retrieved his cloak and lightsaber, then headed for the docking bay.