15 Tatooine: The Mark.

"What brings such a lovely lady here?" Gabriel asked, his armor and weapons concealed beneath a long cloak.

"My name is Sev'rance Tan," the girl replied with a polite smile. "I was sent by my master, Count Dooku. He wishes to personally speak with you at his base, where you will be an honored guest." She gestured toward the ship.

Gabriel had no intention of walking into a trap where Dooku would have the advantage in a confrontation. While Tyranus might not stand a chance against Hassan's power, he wasn't foolish enough to walk straight into a hornet's nest, and Dooku was unlikely to engage in open combat without a plan.

"I must decline," the young man shook his head. "But if your master has something to say to me, he can call me."

Gabriel had no intention of going to Dooku, but there were still things that needed to be discussed. Relations between Hassan, the Jedi Order, and the Sith were in a delicate state, which was far from ideal. If Shaak Ti could talk to the Jedi, then he would have to handle the Sith on his own.

"I assumed you'd say that," Sev'rance replied and retrieved a small round device from her belt.

"Am I that predictable?"

In response, Sev'rance slyly squinted and pressed a button on the device, instantly projecting a hologram of a man whose prime had long passed. However, based on some knowledge of the universe, Gabriel understood that this man was not to be underestimated.

Dooku might appear nearly elderly, but he could still outmatch many young Jedi. If Hassan's memory served him right, it was Tyrannus who managed to sever Anakin's hand, despite the latter being the legendary Chosen One!

"Count Dooku," Gabriel nodded in greeting.

"And you must be..." Palpatine's apprentice paused for a moment.

"Darth Hassan," Gabriel replied.

"Pleasure to meet a fellow title holder," the man diplomatically responded. "It's a shame our first meeting isn't in person."

"At this point, I don't see much sense in that," Gabriel scanned the droid blasters behind him through his mask. "You're waging a war that doesn't concern me."

"Is that really so?" Tyranus gazed into the empty space in front of him. "As a Sith Lord, you must understand that two krayt dragons cannot share the same cave." His voice held notes of threat, prompting the approving smile on the blue-skinned girl's face.

"And I understand that perfectly," Gabriel bluffed, taking on the role of a Sith Lord. "If you were to interfere with my plans, I would have disposed of you back on Geonosis."

"Well," Dooku didn't fall for the casual provocation, "as long as you don't interfere with my plans, I am willing to stay out of yours. But the moment you cross the line, I will have no choice but to unleash the full force at my disposal. I hope you take my words seriously, Darth Hassan."

In Gabriel's old body, he would have long been trembling, given how convincingly Dooku spoke. The man clearly had the talents of an orator and charisma. Just the sight of the grim Sith already instilled fear, not to mention the very real threats he could deliver. Yes, Hassan could defeat him in an honorable duel, but when had enmity between Sith ever been honorable? As a newcomer to this universe, it was too early for him to openly engage in a confrontation with either side, so...

"Of course, Count Dooku, I understand," Gabriel had to concede in this conversation.

Sev'rance Tann's previously cautious gaze turned haughty due to her pride in her teacher, which slightly bothered Hassan. In that moment, he realized something: if he didn't demonstrate his strength, sooner or later, his weakness could come back to haunt him in the future. After all, he had called himself Darth.

"Oh, and I heard that you managed to capture Master Shaak Ti and want a ransom from the Republic? I think I can offer you," he continued, and four droids with cases emerged from the ship, lining up with the girl, "much more for her than my former Order."

"I have principles that I cannot compromise," Gabriel replied, looking at the open cases filled with credits. "If I've already said I'll sell her to the Republic, then that's what I'll do. I'm a man of my word, Count Dooku."

"That is worthy of respect, Darth Hassan," Dooku ran a hand over his beard. "But cooperation with the Jedi and the Republic in general will lead you to the grave sooner or later," the droids closed the cases and returned to the ship. "Take these words as advice for the future."

"Thank you."

"Goodbye," and Dooku's hologram disappeared.

Sev'rance Tan, elated by her teacher's moral victory, put the holoprojector back in her pocket and looked down at Gabriel condescendingly, as if showing him his place. Such behavior was starting to irritate Hassan, so when the girl turned to leave without saying goodbye, the self-proclaimed Sith spoke up:

"You're Dooku's apprentice, aren't you?" Gabriel asked.

"He taught me many things and showed me the power of the Dark Side," Sev'rance Tann replied without turning, continuing to walk towards the ship.

"I'm sure he'll eventually teach you the most important lesson," Gabriel continued.

"And what would that be?" The girl stopped and glanced back over her shoulder.

"Betrayal. You're his loyal little pet, aren't you?" Hassan wanted to call her a dog, but he wasn't sure if they existed in this universe. "He's trained you like an obedient pet, following his commands without question, like... " Gabriel paused for a moment, allowing Sev'rance to turn around. "Like a loyal little pet."

"Watch your tongue," she replied, her hatred evident.

"Getting angry, are we?" The young man tilted his head slightly to the side, feigning surprise.

Even a fool barely familiar with the Dark Side of the Force knew that it was easy to provoke and infuriate Sith, especially if the target lacked experience. It was likely that empty taunts wouldn't affect Sidious, but Gabriel suspected that younger followers of the Dark Side might not have such restraint.

"There's nothing to get angry about here, dear," Hassan began to slowly approach the trembling girl, intensifying his provocation. "When you're of no use to him, he'll simply discard you and find a more useful pet. He'll betray you, Sev'rance, and kill you without a second thought, and then replace you with someone new." Gabriel came almost face to face with the girl, who was trembling with rage.

She thrust her hands forward, pushing Gabriel away, and drew a lightsaber from her belt. The space lit up in yellow—a color not commonly associated with Sith. She snarled viciously and lunged at Hassan to cut him down with a single blow, which... The latter easily blocked with a darkish colored sword.

Sev'rance' eyes widened in surprise as she realized that her lightsaber couldn't cut through the unfamiliar metal. A brief moment of confusion almost cost her, but luckily for her, she was able to anticipate Darth Hassan's lunge with the second sword he had unexpectedly drawn from under his cloak.

The girl skillfully closed the distance between them, assuming an elegant duelist's stance, using the Makashi style specially designed for one-on-one combat. She had been personally trained by Darth Tyranus himself, so she had no doubt about her combat skills. She had already killed enough powerful Jedi to believe in her abilities. However, a nagging feeling of fear on the periphery of her senses reminded her that her opponent this time was a man bearing the same title as her teacher—Darth. This duel would certainly not be easy, but she had prepared for it.

Hassan made an almost instantaneous lunge forward, a move that was incredibly difficult to react to. However, thanks to her precognition, Sev'rance managed to position her lightsaber in time to block his strike. The black blades simultaneously clashed with the lightsaber, which was unable to melt them, and due to the immense pressure from the opponent, Sev'rance lost her balance for a moment and took a step back. But the enemy didn't stop there.

Darth leaped, circling above the girl's head, making another strike with his blades, threatening to cleave Tann's skull into pieces. Once again, the dark Jedi managed to block it with the help of her precognition. The Force guided her, indicating that the next attack upon the enemy's landing would be so powerful that it would break through her defense. However, finding a way to safely retreat or dodge without getting injured was not an option.

Hassan landed softly on his feet and then made a move similar to his initial attack. He swung his swords to his right side to deliver a crushing lunge with both blades. The dark one slammed into the yellow lightsabers again.. Unable to withstand Darth's assault, Sev'rance' hands were thrown to the side, completely exposing her to his next immediate attack.

Gabriel bent his knees slightly and then soared into the air, spinning around his own axis and striking with both blades in all directions. From the outside, it might have appeared as if Hassan had transformed into a small, whirlwind-like entity cutting through everything in its path. Sev'rance was fortunate. She had foreseen this attack and still managed to block the strike, which this time disarmed her of her laser blade. Then, a powerful kick hit her in the face, sending the girl into a brief flight.

After the precise kick, Gabriel landed back on the ground. His last move was more suited for mass brawls than duels, but even in this context, it proved to be quite effective. A painful sigh escaped from Sev'rance' mouth. She intended to get up, but then her body was lifted into the air and placed back where she had been a moment ago, before being sent flying seconds earlier.

"Oh, no-no-no-no-no," Hassan shook his head in dissatisfaction as he circled around the girl.

Darth pulled her lightsaber toward him and then simply tossed it back to the subdued, infuriated, and enraged Tann, who was breathing heavily from her overwhelming emotions. Rage and hatred almost whispered to her to continue the fight, and that's exactly what she did. If it weren't for the Dark emotions clouding her judgment, she should have realized that she couldn't win in a fair duel.

Although she fully understood that Hassan's overly aggressive fighting style completely disrupted Makashi, it wasn't just about the masked man's flawless technique but also his incredibly swift movements and strikes, which were not easy to evade or safely parry.

Sev'rance anticipated that Hassan would smoothly evade her initial attack, and indeed, that's what happened. As soon as her lightsaber blade missed its target, she turned around to attempt to take off his head with one quick, powerful, and furious motion—a move that was redirected using the momentum of Tann's attack.

At the same moment, Hassan hooked both of the girl's legs, causing her to fall on her back, and then helped her land with a sword thrust.

"Kha!" Sev'rance exclaimed as she hit the ground, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets upon impact.

The lightsaber safely rolled out of her fingers, and she struggled to breathe again while trying to overcome the pain in her body. Consumed by not only rage and hatred but also pain and fear, she managed to regain some self-control. She clenched her jaw tightly in frustration at her mistake.

Sev'rance Tann had fought in many duels and had emerged victorious in most of them. The only one she usually lost to was her teacher, so this defeat was a significant blow to her pride. However, she couldn't indulge in reflection for long. When her vision somewhat cleared, she saw Hassan looming over her. He looked down at her, relishing her torment, which only added fuel to the raging fire of anger within her.

"Why are you standing there?" She turned onto her stomach and shouted. "Kill him!" She yelled at the dim-witted B1 battle droids.

"Understood, understood!" The tin cans aimed their blasters at the target and opened fire.

B1 battle droids were not the most reliable, but they were good at one thing – buying time. As Hassan cut the shots, she crawled a little further away, then turned on the comlink attached to her wristband:

"Proceed with Plan B!" she looked back and saw that Hassan was just deflecting sword shots.

These metal swords cannot reflect blaster projectiles, so there were no casualties among the droids. While it was a good thing from one perspective, it infuriated Sev'rance. It was as if he were toying with them. Nevertheless, Tann was already looking forward to victory. Dooku valued her not only as a fighter but also as a strategist who could brilliantly command an army.

From the ship, three droids with anti-tank launchers rushed out. Each of them aimed at the buildings on the farm, where Shaak Ti was hiding. The plan was simple, and that was its beauty! The rockets simultaneously headed toward the structures, bypassing the bewildered Hassan. He quickly turned to face the rockets, using the Force to redirect them away from the buildings with his swords.

This was her chance! Force users always opened themselves up to attack when they used the Force; this rule applied to Sith as well. Sev'rance reached out to pull her lightsaber back to her, immediately igniting it, and she charged forward. A wide smile appeared on her face, foreshadowing her victory over none other than Lord of the Sith himself! This victory would make her even more powerful and dangerous. Even her teacher would have to acknowledge her talent and strength! However, she failed to notice that the droids had stopped firing at Hassan.

Her yellow lightsaber stopped just a few centimeters from the enemy's cloak. An invisible Force paralyzed her entire body, preventing her from moving. All she could do was watch Hassan's hand, which was now directed at her, while his other hand sent the rockets into the sky, where they exploded later.

Panic-stricken, her eyes darted around in terror, as the invisible force began to choke her. Guttural sounds came from her mouth, indicating intense pain. Rage and hatred gave way to horror and despair. Desperation prevented her from thinking clearly. She could have mustered the will to push Hassan away with a Force Push, but panic had taken over.

"You wanted to blow up my money bag?" Darth didn't raise his voice, but his tone hinted at his anger. "I can't forgive you that easily."

He pulled her closer, and Sev'rance, who was convulsively struggling in the air, trying to break free from the stranglehold, saw her distorted face filled with horror and pain reflected in the enemy's mask, plunging her even further into despair. Suddenly, her body started moving away from Hassan. In the next moment, she was surrounded by droids paralyzed by the Force, which began crashing into her, causing her even more pain and suffering.

"Kha! Khe!" She couldn't scream properly due to the choking, and the droids continued to batter her body.

Finally, the metal bodies completely encased Sev'rance, and then the grip on her throat loosened, and she fell down along with the droids. She lay among the robots, gazing up at the night sky. The sun had already set, and now she could see the stars – the last sight before death. She had completely succumbed to despair. The terror of Hassan's power prevented her from getting up and continuing the fight or retreating. Even her broken body wouldn't have allowed her to do that – the droids, used as projectiles, had broken many of her bones.

"Now you understand your place?" Hassan elegantly approached the pile of droids.

He stepped onto the droid carcasses and again loomed over the dark Jedi. A spark of anger ignited in Sev'rance' heart, but it quickly faded as she saw her distorted and frightened reflection in the enemy's mask. She had no choice but to accept her fate and die, so she closed her eyes.

"Do you think I'll let you die? I don't kill just like that."

These words made Sev'rance open her eyelids again, and she saw that the broken droids had risen into the air and scattered in different directions, leaving her on the bare desert ground. Darth sat down gently on her stomach, drew his swords from their sheaths, and then thrust them sharply into the girl's hands.

"Ow!" She let out a slight scream, raising her head slightly.

He pinned her limbs to the ground, grabbed her hair with one hand, and placed the other hand on her face. In the next second, Sev'rance felt a hellish heat emanating from his palm, searing her defenseless skin!

"A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A!!!" Now, she began to scream in agony.

Her painful howl could be heard as far away as Coruscant! It wasn't Force Lightning. No, it was real fire that melted the girl's cheek, cheekbone, and forehead. Sev'rance could only scream. Fear, terror, anger and hatred were gone. She had forgotten despair, too, as an echo of something light and harmless, for now the Dark Jedi's attention was entirely on pain and agony. Real pain and agony, the kind of pain and agony that would make Dooku's pathetic lightning bolts seem like a child's tickle.

Sev'rance lost track of time. She didn't know how long Hassan had been torturing her, but at some point he just threw her head back on the floor. Space, sounds, smells and sensations blended into a formless mess. Because of her combat training, Tann didn't pass out, even though that was what she wanted more than anything right now.

"Mmm…" Sev'rance murmured in pain.

She could no longer resist. Her will to fight or live had been shattered. Now, Sev'rance was just a maimed body, ready to accept her fate. However, she still wanted something... She wanted it all to end. Sev'rance couldn't bear it any longer. She wasn't just being tortured. No. She was being tormented for someone's amusement.

"Hey, hey!" Hassan grabbed her by the chest, pulled her closer, and patted her over a whole section of her face, bringing her back to consciousness. "We're not done yet."

Sev'rance' gaze cleared, and she could see the cracked mirrored mask in front of her, reflecting her face. Branded face. A clear handprint remained on the left side of her once-beautiful face. He had marked her. He had left a mark of shame on her that would haunt her for the rest of her life, assuming she miraculously survived.

"Your transmitter broke while I was bombing you with droids, so let's contact Dooku on the ship, okay? I need your help here."

Hassan placed Tan back on the ground, then rose from her and, with a barely audible sigh of pain, pulled the swords from the martyr's limbs. Darth, with a sweeping motion, cleaned the blades and returned them to their sheaths. Afterward, he bent down, grabbed her hair, and began dragging her across the ground.

And again, there was pain. With each step, Hassan gradually tore out her long, black hair, of which she had been proud as a girl. To alleviate her suffering even slightly, Sev'rance, summoning her last ounce of strength, rolled over, got on all fours, and began crawling after him. Her wrists throbbed with agonizing pain in her head, the brand on her face still burning, and her bones were crying out in agony.

The anger was reigniting in the dark Jedi's chest. Anger gave the girl the strength to keep crawling, ignoring her wounds. Anger bred hatred. Hatred fueled her resistance...

"Agh!" But Hassan struck her across the brand with a slap, extinguishing the small spark of defiance.

Sev'rance Tann had no choice but to crawl after Hassan to the ship. Once the most feared apprentice of Dooku, her yellow blade was feared by much of the galaxy, but now she had been humiliated and disgraced. She was deadly tired, but fear pushed her forward, following in Darth's wake.

Soon, he tossed her onto the main computer on the ship, saying, "Call Dooku."

The dark Jedi wasn't in a hurry to do it herself. Dooku's name still held sway over her, and she couldn't go against her former master. "I repeat, call Dooku," Darth Hassan insisted, his fingertip glowing with a tiny flame, which he began to raise toward her eyes.

Sev'rance, unable to resist, watched the fire dance in fear. Still, she couldn't bring herself to make the call, considering submission to another as betrayal. Broken as she was, Tann still couldn't go against her principles.

"Allow me. To contact. Count. Dooku," intervened the droid pilot in a mechanical tone.

"Go ahead," Hassan said, removing the dangerous flame from the girl's eye.

The pilot droid walked woodenly to the terminal and pressed a button. Soon, the hologram of Tyranus appeared before Hassan and Sev'rance.

"Sev..." Dooku began, momentarily stumbling when he saw the state of his former apprentice.

"Your pupil dared to attack me, so I had to teach her a small lesson in behavior, but I have no intention of letting her go alive. Out of respect for you, I decided to inform you," Hassan explained.

A tense silence hung in the air. Sev'rance stared at her teacher in desperation. For some reason, just seeing Dooku gave her hope for a better outcome. Surely, he could negotiate her release with Hassan. However, the silence dragged on.

"What do you say?" the masked Sith inquired.

"She is to blame for this herself," Dooku replied with disdain. "Sev'rance Tann, you've let me down for the last time." With those words, the hologram cut off, and the girl felt genuine despair.

Her teacher's words had torn a hole in her heart. She remained frozen, staring at the spot where Dooku's hologram had been, in deep shock. Sev'rance Tann was now irreversibly broken, betrayed by the one she looked up to.

"Goodnight, Sev'rance," Darth Hassan addressed her before turning away.