He was a brute, a tyrant who liked his women, and his power even more. Dargus Kandran floated stealthily about Tae'Karada in his cloaked pleasure ship like a pestilence, sweeping through the planet and leaving only a trail of blood behind. The monarchy did nothing to stop as his corruption threatened to consume the entire planet.

Dargus, however, wasn't content to stop there. The richer he became and the more power he amassed, the larger his ambitions grew. It wasn't only Tae'Karada that he wanted now...it was the entire Outer Rim. He waged war on any crimelord who threatened to usurp the control and dominance he so lusted after - even moreso than his harem of concubines - yet no one in any position of authority bothered to raise a finger to stop him.

He used Tae'Karada as his base of operations; its neutrality in the Galactic Civil War made it the perfect haven for a coward like him. Without the threat of the Empire looming over him, as well as the High Prince overlooking every one of his evil deeds, he was free to reign uncontested on Tae'Karada. His very name was a source of fear to the people, and it seemed everywhere you went, stories of his violence and terror were abound. If only I had known such things...

I arrived on the Drogen Shipyards orbiting the planet almost a year ago and stayed there for only a short time, but the horrors I witnessed and the torment I was subjected to were enough to give me nightmares even to this day. I saw firsthand precisely the kind of evil he was capable of, but the most frightening part of it was he enjoyed watching as he inflicted pain upon others. It was purely entertainment for him and he had no regard at all for the life of others. Whether it be gutting a man or raping a defenseless woman, through it all he wore the same malignant smile on his face. The day I met him on the shipyards was the day everything changed.

He coveted me just as he did creds, and for a time, he managed to keep me within his grasp. I was powerless to resist him and although I struggled at first, it eventually became too burdensome to continue doing so. He preyed on me and would have devoured my soul completely if I hadn't run, but even upon my escape from him, his darkness threatened to engulf me. He was confident that I could not elude him forever, but it was that confidence, the one that fed his megalomaniacal delusions, that caused his downfall.

Through an ingenious plan concocted by my husband and I, we sought to end Dargus' reign. With a tracking device attached to the outer hull of his ship, we bided our time and waited for the perfect moment to strike. That came when an enemy of Dargus' enlisted our help, and with her limitless resources, we blew that bastard into oblivion. All the pain, all the fear he'd instilled in me over a period of a month were burnt to cinders in a matter of moments.

It was a bitter-sweet sight watching that ship light up the heavens and disappear forever within the watery abyss of the Tarkayze Sea. He'd cost me so much and no matter how long he may have suffered, burning alive in that firey ship, it just didn't seem enough retribution for his tyranny. No matter. He's gone now, that's all that is of any consequence. Liam and I can move on now, but it's the people of Tae'Karada I fear for. Their struggle continues with another who has stepped into power, as well as legions of crimelords wishing to claim Tae'Karada for themselves. I only hope for the sake of the Karadans, that the cycle of terror does not begin anew.

Yelara Zaneth, Freelance TechOp