Night on Tatooine was a different world. The desert cooled, the winds turned sharp, and the stars blazed brighter than the lights of Mos Espa. It was quiet — too quiet.
Kael Solaris moved along the rooftops of the merchant quarter, cloaked in his stealth armor, the magnetic rifle strapped across his back. Below, the streets had mostly emptied, save for the occasional Jawa caravan or wandering drunk.
But Kael wasn't looking for people.
He was looking for machines.
[ Objective: Sabotage Darth Maul's Probe Droids – 0/3 Neutralized ]Threat Level: ModerateReward: +1,000 Credits | Stealth Skill Upgrade | Timeline Stabilization Bonus
Darth Maul had arrived — MercNet had confirmed it with an urgent ping earlier that evening. The Zabrak Sith Lord hadn't shown himself yet, but his signature had flickered across the system like a razor slicing through silk.
He was in Mos Espa. Watching. Waiting.
Kael had no intention of letting him get the first strike.
The first probe came into view over the rooftops — a hovering orb of black metal, red photoreceptors blinking as it scanned the alleyways below. It buzzed softly, scanning the area near Watto's shop, just a few hundred meters from the slave quarters.
Kael raised his rifle.
[ Stealth Mode: Active – Detection Radius Reduced by 65% ]
He didn't aim for the body — that would trigger a self-destruct. He targeted the stabilizer fins near the top, loaded with a disruptor round.
Pulse shot engaged.
The round struck with a faint crack, and the probe spun violently, optics flaring red before it spiraled to the ground in silence. Kael landed beside it, flipped it over, and pressed a spike into its core.
[ Probe Neutralized – Data Scrubbed ]Reward: +300 Credits | XP Gained: 250
He vanished back into the shadows before the smoke cleared.
The second was harder.
It was circling the main square near the podracing platform, scanning long-range routes and trade routes into the city. Kael couldn't approach from above — too exposed — so he used the maintenance tunnels.
He emerged from a storm grate behind a moisture vendor and crept through the alley until he was directly beneath the probe.
A single, precisely-placed EMP disc hit its vent port.
The probe dropped like a stone.
[ Probe Neutralized – Data Scrubbed ]Reward: +300 Credits | XP Gained: 250
Kael tapped his comm. "Ghost. You in position?"
"Affirmative. Third probe passing over hangar perimeter."
"Disable it quietly. Don't let Maul trace our location."
"Understood."
Kael returned to the hangar an hour later, cloak pulled tight, heart still racing with adrenaline. The third and final probe had been destroyed with zero trace.
[ All Probes Neutralized – Timeline Interference Prevented ]Sith Knowledge: IncompleteDarth Maul Status: Investigating anomaliesReward: +1,000 Credits | Skill Upgrade Token (Stealth Class) Acquired
Kael opened his inventory and activated the token.
[ New Skill Unlocked: Cloak Drift I ]Description: While stationary, Kael becomes invisible to all non-Force-sensitive sensors and optics.Duration: Infinite until movement or detection.Cooldown: 60 seconds after breaking stealth.
"Perfect," he muttered.
Then the warning came.
[ ALERT: Direct Force Detection Attempt Detected – Source: Darth Maul ]Status: Blocked – MercNet Stealth Integrity HoldingProbability of Encounter in Next 48 Hours: 87%Suggested Action: Avoid confrontation unless unavoidable
Kael clenched his jaw.
Maul knew something was off. He just didn't know what yet.
But time was short.
The following morning, Kael met with Voro Kres, his local bounty guild contact, in the back room of Oonta's Den. She looked more irritated than usual, tapping her datapad against her thigh as she spoke.
"You're building a name fast," she said. "Rumors say someone wiped out a whole Nikto gang last week without firing a shot loud enough to wake the dead."
Kael said nothing.
She eyed him. "You've got credits. Reputation. A ghost for a bodyguard. What are you planning, Kael?"
He leaned forward slightly. "I'm not playing bounty hunter. I'm building something bigger."
"An army?"
He smirked. "A future."
Voro rolled her eyes. "Whatever it is, you'd better keep it low. There's whispers about a shadow in the city. Black robes. Blood-red face. No one's seen him, but three informants have vanished in the last twelve hours."
Kael's smile faded.
"I'll handle it."
Voro raised an eyebrow. "You want to tangle with that thing?"
"No," he said. "But I will, if I have to."
Back at the hangar, Kael found Ghost loading ammunition into sleek magazines.
"Situation?" Ghost asked.
"Maul's circling. He doesn't know who I am yet, but he's looking. We stay sharp."
Ghost nodded.
Kael opened MercNet's Summon menu, still blinking softly with a 17-day cooldown remaining. Not soon enough.
Instead, he opened the Skill Shop.
[ Skill Purchase Options – Stealth Tier I ]
Silent Entry (Auto-muffles door and window sounds) – 1,000 Credits
Veiled Aura (Suppresses Force signature for 20 seconds) – 1,200 Credits
Cloak Cascade (Disables multiple surveillance devices when active) – 2,000 Credits
He bought Veiled Aura without hesitation.
The Jedi might already sense his odd presence. If Maul got a read on him during the Boonta race, the Sith might follow him back here.
He had to remain invisible until he chose to strike.
[ New Skill Acquired: Veiled Aura – Bound to MercNet Signature | Stackable with existing stealth skills ]Cooldown: 3 minutes | Duration: 20 seconds
That night, Kael watched from a rooftop near the podrace starting gates. He wasn't alone — Qui-Gon stood across the crowd, observing the racers. Anakin was busy prepping his pod, full of nerves but glowing with focus. Padmé walked nearby, expression tense, trying not to seem overwhelmed.
Kael stood motionless in Cloak Drift, almost invisible even in plain sight.
But then he felt it.
Like a cold blade gliding across his spine.
His silver eyes scanned the rooftops.
And there — half-shrouded by a tattered cloak, red skin marked with black tattoos, yellow eyes glowing faintly in the dark — Darth Maul.
Watching. Waiting.
Their gazes didn't meet.
But Kael knew.
Maul was close enough to sense something. Not who, not where — but something unnatural in the crowd.
Kael held his breath.
The wind shifted. The moment passed.
Maul vanished into the shadows like smoke.
Kael exhaled slowly.
[ Force Probe Avoided – Veiled Aura + Cloak Drift Successful ]Sith Suspicion Level: Elevated (25%)Recommendation: Prepare for Defensive Engagement Post-Race
Kael turned his eyes back to the boy on the track.
Anakin stood inside the cockpit of his pod, staring forward.
Focused. Brave.
Alone.
But not for long.