The lead guard, a grizzled Twi'lek with a scar above his eye, regarded them warily. "You shouldn't be here. This temple is a sacred place. The crystal is not for sale."

"You shouldn't have come here," the figure said, its voice low and menacing. "The crystal is mine. And you... you're just in time to witness the rebirth of the Sith."

Kess smiled wryly. "I'm afraid we can't leave without it. We have... buyers who are very interested in acquiring it."

The guard's expression turned cold. "Then you'll have to go through us."

Kess and Vex exchanged a wary glance. They knew they had to get out of there, and fast. But as they turned to leave, they found themselves surrounded by more cultists, and the hooded figure began to circle around them, its lightsaber crackling to life...

The stars streaked by like diamonds on velvet as Kess, a skilled smuggler with a reputation for getting in and out of the most heavily guarded systems, piloted her trusty ship, the "Marauder's Revenge." Her copilot and friend, Vex, sat shotgun, eyes fixed on the navigation display as they plotted their course through the unforgiving expanse of the galaxy.

Kess's eyes narrowed. "That's our destination. The kyber crystal is said to be hidden within."