The slugthrower is the traditional long-range weapon of the indigenous peoples of Tatooine. Fashioned from salvaged hunting rifles commonly found on the desert planet, the weapons are outfitted with lengthened barrels and distinctive curved stocks. While it may lack the rate of fire or the ease of use of a blaster, the so-called "Tusken rifle" is rugged, reliable and deadly at ranges of up to a kilometre.

Sign displayed at the "History of Galactic Warfare" exhibit, Republic Warfare Museum

Night had fallen on Coruscant. In the labyrinth of covered walkways that radiated out from the Jedi Temple, all was still. Between the archways, the Jedi Temple Guards stood watch, staring out over the glittering patchwork of light that covered every inch of the planet. Though the city world was entirely devoid of indigenous flora and fauna, it was still very much alive, a place steeped in the living Force.

At a lonely corner, beneath a high-vaulted ceiling, a pair of Guards on patrol paused to stare out over the cityscape. Neither of them saw the outline of the figure above them, and even when they sensed the danger their attacker was upon them before they could move. A brilliant green lightsaber blade pierced the darkness, roaring through the air to cut down the first guard, his deactivated saberstaff clattering to the ground. The second Guard reacted just in time, and a golden blade clashed against the incoming lightsaber. There was a brief engagement as the Guard pushed back, but with a swift move the Guard had their legs swept out from under them.

Then, silence. The attacker, still cloaked in the shadows, looked around to see if he had been spotted. He was just clipping his lightsaber back onto his belt when voice cut through the still night air.

"Krell! What did I tell you before about the disguise kits? They're not toys!"

Former Jedi Master Pong Krell rose from his crouched position, removing his simulator goggles. The dark night of Coruscant vanished, replaced by the dim white glow of an old fluorescent light tube. On the floor at his feet, a pair of what had once been IG-100 Magnaguards lay twitching, their electrostaves lying next to them. The outline of a pair of Temple Guard uniforms flickered briefly around the droids as their disguise kits attempted to compensate for the damage. Finally, their robes melted away in a pixelated cloud, leaving behind the skeletal remains of a droid.

"Dammit, Jedi! Those were my last ones!" Cad Bane prodded the smoking remains of the Magnaguard with his boot. "That's two more you owe me. I can't say the Count's going to be pleased when I add them to his bill."

The fallen Jedi said nothing. Smiling at his handiwork, the former Jedi Master clipped his sabers back onto his belt and sank down into a meditation pose. Adrenaline coursed through his muscular body, carrying with it the now-familiar thrill of the Dark Side.

He had been staying in a safehouse on Nar Shadda for almost a week, and Krell was beginning to grow impatient. He could only stay in the shadows for so long. Now that he had realised his power, it was as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. His mind no longer swirled with doubts, but was instead filled with confidence and resolve. He yearned to take his rightful place as the apprentice of Darth Tyrannus. The Sith Lord had been in frequent contact with his new acolyte, and the pair had discussed the past, present and future at length. Dooku seemed particularly fascinated by the visions Krell had had, taking them as a sign of future triumphs.

Krell also wondered just how much longer he would have to tolerate the presence of the bounty hunter. He was utterly unlike the fallen Jedi, an undisciplined character seemingly without scruples, driven not by any goal more grand or noble than money. Through the veil of the Force, Bane did not glow like a Jedi, or simmer in barely controlled rage like a disciple of the Dark Side, seeming instead to broadcast an attitude of supreme indifference.

There had been another bounty hunter staying with them for the first few days that Krell had been on Nar Shadaa. A Zabrak woman, who called herself Sugi, who Bane had introduced as being an important part of the plan. To Krell's delight, Sugi proved far easier to intimidate than Bane, and he had amused himself for the duration of her stay by using his newly found powers to probe into her mind. The mind-tricks and subtle powers of influence he had been trained in as a Jedi were easy to corrupt for his purposes.

Krell's pleasant memories of tormenting Sugi were interrupted by the low drone of the other bounty hunter.

"Come on, Jedi! Break time's over! We move tonight, and it's time to go over the rest of the plan."

After a moment's pause, Krell rose from his meditation position and followed Bane out of the room and into the main living space of the safe house. The bounty hunter's hideout occupied several back rooms of a factory, which had evidently been abandoned some time ago. This was an oddity on a planet as overpopulated and poorly regulated as Nar Shadaa, but Bane had explained the lack of interest in the building as being due to the presence of hazardous waste in another section of the factory. As long as they used the rear entrance, and stayed away from any suspicious looking crates, the bounty hunter had assured Krell there was nothing to fear.

The main space of the hideout was in an old vehicle maintenance bay. The interior was spartan, to say the least, with stacks of instant rations and canned water as refreshments and an ancient portable sonic shower unit for hygiene. A swoop bike, partially disassembled, was leaning against the far wall, next to a row of cabinets containing Bane's mission equipment. The only other things of note in the room were a pair of Holowan IG-series assassin droids that were standing guard at the rear door. Despite their unusual appearances, with tall cylindrical heads and primitive blocky feet, Krell had fought them before and knew to respect their lethality. Bane had told Krell that they were there to discourage intruders, but the fact that they aimed their heavy blaster rifles at the former Jedi whenever he moved too close made it clear that they were also there to keep him in.

"Well, bounty hunter? You've delayed me long enough. Tell me how you'll be getting me into the Jedi Temple undetected."

"Don't go blaming me for the delay! Your master didn't want to tell me all the details until just now." Bane moved to the table in the centre of the room, and activated it with a data stick. A glowing representation of the Coruscant cityscape flickered into life beneath his fingers.

"The Count already had a contract with me to interrupt proceedings in the Senate district. There's a neutral delegation – Lasats, I think – that look like they might be getting ready to sign on with the Republic." Bane waved his hand over the hologram, activating a pre-programmed simulation. "Myself and a few others are going to mount an attack on the Senate District. I'm not kidnapping any senators this time – not getting paid enough, for a start – but there will still be some there to witness the fireworks. The area from here to the convention centre will be a war zone. Should make for a nice distraction and give those Lasat senators a little taste of the war they're so eager to join."

A large rectangular object appeared above the cityscape, descending quickly until it was moving between the skyscrapers. Following a line traced by Bane's finger, the object eventually came to a stop just a few blocks from the Senate building.

"What you're seeing here is the initial stage of the plan. There's a container vessel in a parking orbit around Coruscant right now, loaded with several thousand battle droids. We'll obtain a clearance to land in Sector 4B West, which is here, just beyond the Senate district, but we'll deviate as soon as we've cleared the security checkpoints. As we go, we'll dump droids over the area, and once we land – or crash, depends how quick the security response is – the rest will come pouring out."

Krell considered the map. "I see. With so many droids in the area, it will be a simple matter to launch an assault on numerous sectors that are critical to the Republic. I suggest that the contingents in this area move to destroy the Naval Academy to the west, and the-"

Krell's detailed analysis of the map was interrupted when a large object moved to obscure his view. Looking up, he saw that Bane had pulled up a stool and propped his feet up on the display.

"What…what is the meaning of this insolence? How dare you interrupt me!"

"I'm meaning no offence, Master Jedi." Bane rolled his toothpick between his teeth. "But I don't take orders from you. I've been over this part of the plan a million times. The ship lands, the droids come out, and we let them do some damage. They don't need any objectives besides shooting everything that moves."

"Clearly, you lack the foresight to command troops in the field, bounty hunter!" Krell gestured towards the droid formations on the map. "It would be a wasted opportunity to not try to cripple the Republic leadership with this strike! The Count will be expecting someone with my skill and foresight to make the most of this opportunity."

"You're missing the point, Jedi. The whole thing's just a distraction. You want to cripple the Republic, you can do that on your own time, and with your own droids."

Miserable worm…For a moment, the urge to wring the neck of the Duros flashed across Krell's mind. A loud snapping sound echoed around the room as Krell cracked the knuckles of his lower pair of hands. Despite the intimidating display, however, the bounty hunter remained impassive, either not realising or caring that each time he made a snide remark he was gambling with his life.

"Well, if we're all agreed on the initial stage, let's discuss the Jedi Temple." Bane paused the simulation and zoomed the display in, highlighting a familiar pyramidal structure that rose above the skyline. "The freighter can't come down too close to the Temple district. Too risky for my escape, and the security response might complicate things for you. You'll have to jump. Not scared of heights, are you?"

"An aerial insertion would indeed be the fastest means of reaching the Temple. I would need to move as soon as possible, to avoid the detection systems around the base of the building. Have you received word from your contacts about my security clearance?"

Bane nodded, indicating a datapad covered in rapidly scrolling Aurebesh. "News came in this morning. My slicer managed to activate some systems within the Temple network using your passwords."

"A waste disposal unit?"

"What were you expecting, the security mainframe? They'd notice that and then your clearance would be wiped." Bane passed over the pad for Krell to inspect. "It looks like the Jedi leadership are keeping your defection a secret, for now. 'Means you've still got clearance in some areas where they don't know to be on the lookout for you. It also means you might not set off any alarms on the perimeter, although the key word there is "might"."

"It will do. I hope your contacts are reliable."

"How were you planning on killing this Ranger guy, anyway?" Bane indicated the long-barrelled rifle that was lying in pieces on the floor next to the map table. "If he's nothing special, I'd just plug him with a sniper blast from a klick or two away."

Krell narrowed his eyes. "You don't need to know that. My mission in the Temple is none of your concern."

Bane shrugged. "The Count never specified, he just sent me the details. Besides, if you're relying on me to get you in and out, then I think I deserve to know what you'll be doing in there."

"I am relying on you to delay the Jedi for as long as possible! After I eliminate the Antarian Ranger, I will move to the Library, where I will attempt to recover as many valuable items as I can. My personal quarters lie close to the library; with any luck, they will have been simply quarantined off, and I can recover some of my personal effects."

"Don't take too long! As soon as things on the ground get too hot, I'm leaving. My droid will bring your starfighter over to the Temple, but he won't be hanging around."

Krell snorted. "I'll take as long as I need. Your droid will have to wait."

"He's got a limited attention span, don't say I didn't warn you." Bane jabbed a finger at a glowing dot on the schematic. "There's a disused hangar bay here, about halfway up the main structure of the Temple. The records say it connects into the old Antarian Ranger facility. If it hasn't been in use for a few centuries, I'd imagine security won't be tight. You can make your entrance here, and your starfighter will land here to extract you."

Krell shook his head. "That's on too high a level. It would be closed during a security alert, especially if the Senate District was under attack."

Bane considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "I guess I'll have to find a way to jam it open. We can figure that out once we get planetside. Get your stuff together, Jedi – we fly tonight."

Wordlessly, Krell returned to his meditation pose. Bane moved over to the row of cabinets, and began noisily piling up blasters, armour and other pieces of equipment on the countertop.

"You know…the Count had another apprentice not too long ago. Nice girl, an ex-Jedi like you. How do you know you're not going to end up like her?"

"I have had a vision."

Bane gave a humourless chuckle. "You're going to tell me my horoscope? How about some winning lottery numbers?"

"The Republic is going to lose this war, bounty hunter. The old institutions of power – the Jedi, the Senate, the Supreme Chancellor…all of them will be swept away, and in their place a new order will rise. And I intend to rule as part of it."

Bane loudly slammed the doors of the cabinets, and began to field-strip one of his blasters. "Yeah, sure. So long as this new order needs people to do its dirty work, then I don't mind a regime change."

Only now did Krell open his eyes. Rising to his full height, the former Jedi Master folded his arms and glared at Bane. "Surely a bounty hunter of your experience would know the value of keeping his mouth shut."

"Or what? I'm on the Count's payroll, and any more damage you do is going straight on his bill, with your name next to it. You got that?"

The air was rent by a sudden snapping sound. As Bane watched, the two assassin droids standing guard at the door crumpled like tin cans, their heads clattering to the concrete floor. The fallen Jedi looked at the droids, then back at Bane, a grin spreading across his face.

"I guess you'll need to add those to the Count's bill too."