FORSAKEN II - Eternal Dawn

CHAPTER SIX

In theory, things should have been unimaginably lucrative for the criminal element during the Clone Wars. The conflict created shortages of goods, blockades interrupted trade, corruption became rampart, and the lack of law enforcement allowed crime to proliferate in an unprecedented manner—especially if you were one of the major underworld syndicates operating at the time. For the members of Black Sun, this bonanza held true for most of the war. Then, a creature, seemingly spawned from all the death and destruction, emerged from the darkness with promises of power and wealth.

At the time, Ziton Moj was a Vigo, an underboss, and was in charge of the guard. Maul, with his brother, Savage Opress, and the Mandalorian terrorist group Death Watch, arrived at Black Sun's fortress on Mustafar requesting an audience. Maul wanted to create a powerful underworld alliance among the most powerful syndicates at the time: the Pykes, the Hutt Cartel, Death Watch, and Black Sun. The Hutt clan had turned him down—not without conflict. Likewise, Black Sun's Underlord, Xomit Grunseit, refused to submit to the Zabrak's will. Then, Savage Opress slayed Xomit and the four Falleen nobles present. In the blink of an eye, Ziton was faced with a choice: to join the Shadow Collective as the de facto leader of Black Sun; or follow in his boss' footsteps.

Maul's plan paid off. The Shadow Collective rose as a third column in the Clone Wars, going as far as taking over Mandalore. But victory was short-lived. The Jedi came to the aid of Mandalore and the Shadow Collective dissolved. Towards the end of the war, Maul tried to rebuild it, this time adding Crimson Dawn and the Nightbrothers to the ranks. But the Separatists, along with the soon-to-be Galactic Emperor, wiped them out at the Black Sun stronghold in Ord Mantell.

With the fall of the Republic, Ziton used his connections among Coruscant's elite to form a mutually beneficial relationship with the new government. Emperor Palpatine understood the advantages of having a powerful ally in the underworld. The Black Sun was allowed to carry on with its illegal activities, as long as it didn't interfere with the Empire. They provided intelligence, controlled gambling, sold spice and slaves, kept crime in check, and watched over the unruly Outer Rim Territories. This allowed Black Sun to become the most powerful criminal syndicate in the galaxy.

Yet, the Age of the Empire wasn't without its challenges. The mighty and crafty Hutts reigned unchallenged in their turf. The Crymorah sought to control smuggling operations in the galaxy with the help of the Cyban Front. But it was the upstart Crimson Dawn that had become Black Sun's main rival by operating beyond the consent of the Empire and partnering with the Pykes. It was only a matter of time before the two syndicates came into conflict.

Ziton stood by the tall windows in conference room, watching the hellish landscape of Mustafar before him. Rivers of lava flowed between black mountains. Acrid smoke from thousands of volcanoes covered the blood-red sky over the barren land. Ziton was an imposing Falleen, broader and taller than most specimens of the repto-mammalian species. A small mustache and chin beard added to the elegance of his ponytail, and fine vestments, which did nothing to hide his rough upbringing. The sound of distant blaster fire somewhere inside the fortress indicated time was running short.

The captain of the guard dashed inside the room, holding a double-barreled blaster pistol. "Lord Ziton, they breached the fortress. You need to evacuate at once." The shots were getting closer.

Ziton caressed his beard. "Take whatever men you can and go to Coruscant."

"My lord, what are you talking about? You can't stay here; they're going to kill you."

"Nothing can change that now." He turned around. "I am Ziton Moj, Underlord of Black Sun. I refuse to bow down to the will of an assassin, nor will I give him the pleasure of hunting me down like frightened prey. My time has come. Tell the prince his wish was granted; he's Underlord now."

"My Lord—"

"Go."

The Captain nodded and closed the door behind him.

Better to die on a throne than to live crawling on your knees. Ziton looked at the blaster on the conference table. He sat back in the high-back chair at its head and hid the pistol under the table.

What followed for several minutes was eerie silence. Then the door opened. A Black Sun soldier stood outside. Saying nothing, he entered the room with an odd motion. It took a moment for Ziton to realize the warrior's feet were not touching the ground. The soldier dropped to the ground, revealing a burn crossing the length of his back, as Maul stood at the threshold, holding the hilt of his double-bladed lightsaber.

"Greetings, Ziton Moj." Maul entered the room. Soldiers from Crimson Dawn, the Pykes, and Haxion Brood filed in behind him.

"You show your face," Ziton said. "I guess I should be flattered. I heard you don't do that much lately. Not since you were a guest of the Empire in the Spire."

The jab made Maul force a cold smile. "I thought a personal touch was warranted, considering our long history."

"Nothing you're involved with lasts long, Maul. You could have run your criminal empire on your side of the galaxy until your horns fell off. But here you are, once again, trying to exceed the reach of your grasp."

"And here you are, about to repeat the same mistake as your predecessor."

"The only mistake I ever made was to join your insipid collective. How many times do you need to fail to get it through your thick skull? The Emperor is not going to let you challenge his rule."

Maul's eyes burned with fury. "I will wrestle his power from his dead hands. And you can either serve that purpose or join the foundation of corpses in which I will build my reign."

"You know my answer. Now, do the only thing your good at and stop wasting my time."

With a grunt, Maul threw his double-bladed lightsaber, severing Ziton's torso in half as well as the back of the chair. The weapon returned to Maul's hand.

"That's the third syndicate that refused to join us," said a Pyke.

"When enough blood has been spilled, those who refuse to join us will realize the error of their ways. Make sure there are no survivors and burn the fortress to the ground. I want everyone to see the fate that awaits those who deny us."