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The behemoth ship drifted lazily through the dark vastness of space in an empty part of the Taral system. Thousands of acolytes lived and died on this ship, but no one in the Empire or the Republic would ever know about it. In a dark section of the ship, far from the residential section and anybody who could help, was the cell where Tenatren was being held. It was far enough away that the rattataki could scream with all the fury of a caged animal, and no one except those that knew of its existence would hear. Among those was a Sith Lord, Êrenal. Êrenal didn't take a single step out of the darkness of the cell before putting his mask back on, a smooth metal veil colored in silver and copper and polished to shine even in the dim yellow light of the prison section. He made his way through a maze of tunnels and elevators, until, finally, he reached the edge of the ship. He had been summoned. The dark room was illuminated when Êrenal stepped in, but he turned them back down with a wave of a gloved hand and the force. He accessed a panel and blue light reflected off his smooth mask, his visage transmitted through the stars to another location. Another blue light brightened the room, an image transmitted back to him. The hologram displayed a hooded figure, face and features shrouded. It spoke, their voice modified to be deep and foreboding.

"You have not shown me any proof that you've found what we've been looking for. This call better change that."
"There is no doubt in it now," Êrenal kept his head bowed, "indeed, we have found what we were looking for. Now, with the boy in our control, we can skip ahead-"
"The instuctions," the hologram interjected, pausing briefly. "Your instructions, were clear."
"... But master, we don't need to find the-"
"Do not presume to know my reasoning," the hologram spoke sternly. "Continue your search. Have an inquisitor deal with the boy."
Êrenal held his breath. "...Yes, master."
The hologram had no expression, there was only a dark space where the light of the transmission couldn't reach. There was silence for a few moments. To Êrenal, It was deafening.
"You're in a dangerous position, Êrenal," the master finally spoke. "If what you say is true..."
"See for yourself."
Êrenal sent the recording of his first meeting with Tenatren. The shadowy figure nodded slowly. "Yes... Yes, these will do."
"I live to serve, master." Erenal raised his arms to the sides.
The shadowy figure remained silent, the sound of the recording playing in the background. "Continue your search, as I instructed. And send regular updates on the boy's activities. I'm curious about the similarities the two may share."
Êrenal bowed his head. "Yes, my master."

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Tenatren woke up for the second time that day, but he hadn't forgotten anything this time. He decided It hadn't been longer than an hour since he was knocked out. He raised his hands gingerly from the seat. They were sore from clutching the edges, but at least he was no longer tied up. He got up and fumbled around in the dark until his shin hit something hard. He cursed softly and grasped at what he hit. A bed? Without a second thought, he threw his body onto the bed. It was the softest bed he had touched in years. He then fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. When he woke up a few hours later, it was still dark. He realized there probably wouldn't be much light coming into the room. "Part of the torture, I guess." He sat up against the wall that the bed was next to, and brought his legs in, crossing them together. He put his hands together, and entered a state of meditation. When would the man come back? What did his friends know about his fate?
The night before had been like any other on the smuggler's moon of Nar Shaddaa. An open party, drinks, dancing, some casual stimulants... And a lead to someone he hadn't seen in a long while. It just so happened the lead was a beautiful young lad. There were a few more drinks, some more drugs, laughing, mentions of an organization that she belonged to... He now sorely wished he had never crossed the girl, but he couldn't let feelings of regret cloud his mental processes. He had to focus on that night. What had that woman said? The Collective? And something about...
And then a featureless silver and copper mask. The door was never locked. Lightning, and now this darkness. He slammed his fist against the wall in frustration. It was in times like these that he would've stormed off to his room and tried to focus his emotions into the sith holocron he had found so long ago. He pictured the holocron, a bright red glow came from deep inside its pyramidal shape. He'd always pour his anger into it in hopes of unlocking the dark secrets within, but it never seemed to be enough. Then he remembered, "didn't the girl mention something about a dark holocron?"
He jumped off the bed and concentrated. He focused the energies surrounding him into a raw blast of force energy directed at the wall across from him, where he imagined a wall, at least. There was a loud crash. Not wanting to embarrass himself further, he walked cautiously in that direction, but when he felt the wall, there were no cracks. It was pristine, like they had never been used before. In a fit of rage, he threw blasts of force energy in all directions frantically, forgoing any sense of shame in expressing himself. One errant blast hit the bed and tossed the mattress aside, disfiguring the metal frame and rendering his comfortable escape useless. The room seemed to shake for a while while he fell to the floor in defeat. There was no forcing his way out. He knew thinking back to his jedi training might be able to calm him down, but this...
"I was reluctant to use the PA system at first," the voice from before spoke with the same practiced inflections, "because I thought I might enjoy a closer look at your face as we spoke, but I think I suddenly feel much more comfortable here after watching that display." The b*****d was mocking him. Tenatren picked himself up. "I hope you have a trick up your sleeve ready. You're gonna need all the ones you can think of to keep me from cutting you in half." There was a silence that lasted a little too long. Had he actually intimidated him? He was about to add another comment when the voice returned. "This is quickly becoming a bore, but I know just what to do for the situation."
There was no sound for the next two minutes. Tenatren waited and prepared mentally for whatever might be coming. At times like these, the jedi taught that the force would sharpen the mind, and guide them in any situation. And so, Tenatren closed his eyes and meditated on the force. After a moment, he sensed it. Tenatren jumped up and grabbed at the empty spaces where his light sabers would've been, but there was not even time to curse as he raised both arms back up. A blast of force energy erupted from his palms and struck into the darkness as a door slid open there right then. Perfect timing. The force was with him, as always. He was about make his escape when he noticed the energy coming from the hallway had yet to dissipate. The threat was still standing.
"Did you think it would be that simple?" the sith's face did not show, but his arrogant smirk could be heard through the words. Just a click of a button and Tenatren was back on the floor, forced to kneel in pain as he shouted. Êrenal kicked him in the face when the shock subsided, pushing Tenatren back to where he started, next to the stool. "The force is quite a powerful tool for the sith. I'm glad to see you command it just as well as I hoped you could." Tenatren did his best to catch his breath where he lay. "Go to hell," he uttered. Êrenal walked over and placed his boot against Ten's stomach, slowly putting more and more pressure against it. Tenatren coughed and gasped for air. A short droid about knee height rolled in just then and stuck a needle into his side. It rolled away just as quickly as it had come in. Tenatren was still desperately trying to get him off when Êrenal lifted his boot and picked Tenatren into the air with the force. "This should help dull that force connection." Tenatren started feeling the effects immediately. He couldn't hear or feel anything for the next few minutes, and eventually his sight faded too. When he awoke for the fourth time that day, if it was still the same day, he screamed. He tried to move his head, but the machine holding him down kept it from moving too much. A red laser was searing the skin between his brows and eyes, and Erenal controlling the mechanism that projected it. "First, i'm going to return your favor." Erenal said excitedly in between Tenatren's screaming. Tenatren screamed bloody murder, his cries carrying the feeling of the horrible pain he was in, and there was no one to hear him.