While Aria paced for the nearly ten hour shuttle ride, Yerbol chose to concentrate on meditating, seeing as if he didn't at least try to focus on balancing(a term that the both of them had become very familiar with over the past few weeks) his focus, he would be a nervous wreck and wouldn't be of any help to his lover or the Elder that accompanied them. He would break out of his trance every couple of hours to take a sip of water or place a reassuring hand on Aria's back or hip before scratching behind the respective ears of their hounds, the physically imposing beasts melting into cathar pups when he indulged them in the gesture("You guys are such big babies...if babies could disembowel a sentient life form in a matter of milliseconds.") 

When the ship touched down in the hangar, a sickening jolt of sorrow caroused through his mind. It felt like there was a gaping wound on the planet that hadn't been patched up. This was further emphasized by the lack of a populace in the hangar bay minus the group of Alliance soldiers that greeted them, their Imperial accents not able to hide the level of concern they held for the residents of the settlement. After they mounted speeders and zoomed along the desolate path winding through the shadowy jungle, they arrived at the settlement. Once off their bikes, Yerbol was quick to point out:
"No guards." He peered into the thick cover of jungle that ominously stood next to the settlement, eyes moving from the ground to the treetops, noting that some of the trees extended nearly to the top of the stone walls. He didn't know much about the beasts on the world, but he was aware that those he had heard of and looked up in the Jedi archives were notorious for being able to sense those who used the Force, desiring to feed on them whenever possible. Could the Xiis have some manipulated the wildlife to clamber up trees and somehow get into the settlement? 

His theory was quickly put to rest based on the evidence or lack thereof as the trio made their cautious trek into the seemingly abandoned complex. Small, stout buildings not higher than two stories were spaced apart just enough to allow alleyways that were pitch black; in fact, all the illumination that they had was the moonlight casting a pale glow on their surroundings. Exterior light fixtures were extinguished and there were no lights visible from the interior of any building, prompting Yerbol to once again summon blue light from the palm of his hand to guide them on the cobblestone path. As they went deeper into the settlement, rustling could be heard from the exterior. He discounted it as the wind, but when flashes of blue darted past them and around a corner, the once trivial noises took on much more significance. As he drew his saber, Aria was driven back by one of the Xiis, who disappeared just as quickly as he had materialized, the gesture more than likely a goad to follow the lower tier Xiis into some kind of trap Illesia had for them. The dogs confirmed this notion after Cheriss left their company, urgently warning about them about the danger they were about to face. 
"Flank us. Now." Yerbol commanded, the hounds whining in protest momentarily before they complied with the directive, Chwuq on his left and Taral on Aria's right. He looked to his companion with steely determination as he told her:
"Whatever they have planned has got to revolve around the people they've taken. After my little...odyssey with Illesia, I know she'll want them alive. We have to rescue them first. No matter what." He stared forward, adding:
"They can't go through what I did...and we're going to make sure they don't." 

It was difficult to keep pace with the group they decided to track, but their leaping from building to building was visible enough in the dim lighting to see that they were headed to the rear of the settlement, their bounding eventually leading them to the exit. A massive steel gate, which once served as a barrier, had a gigantic hole in the middle of it, streaks of dried blood on the gate and path sloping downward into a maze of dense trees and foliage. 
"Of course it would be a jungle." He quipped, remembering their initial adventure in the wilderness of Quensu. 
"You know this terrain better than I do, so take point. I've got your back." 

Once in the wilderness, they could hear the tree tops swaying above them, the occasional whispered laugh or indecipherable phrase floating through the air, yet there was never a full on assault, which was disarming, Yerbol's senses on high alert for any change  from the non-violent approach the Xiis were taking. After a few minutes of heading straight, he sighted two limp forms laying against a tree that, upon closer examination, were mangled almost beyond recongition. Their skulls were bashed in, entrails strewn around the base of the tree in an almost ceremonial manner. Judging from the bodies, they were
"Young." Yerbol swallowed hard, looking at the short legs and narrow waists before spotting another gory display at a tree further down. 
"Illesia's way of marking her territory, I'm sure." He shook his head as they progressed further.
"Showing us that she's willing to do anything to satisfy her lust for power." His right hand began to tremble, stopping a moment to regain control of the seething emotions that threatened to derail his focus before continuing ahead in silence, bodies continuing to show up every few hundred feet in similar condition to that of the first two discovered. 

They finally reached a rockface that hosted at least a twenty foot opening. Torches were mounted on the cave walls, dull orange flames barely illuminating the path ahead. A voice floated from inside, taunting, menacing:
"Come in, love. You can bring your other woman in here too if you wish. I can handle a little competition." Suddenly a number of Xiis dropped in from above, encircling them. There were ten, maybe twelve of them, all of their hands stained with blood. 
"GO! INSIDE! NOW!" One shouted, pointing emphatically at the opening. 

[i]Let's see what she's up to. We can save our strength for her by not engaging these guys.[/i]

They complied with the directive, following the linear cave path into a central, circular chamber that held a raised stone platform in the center. On the platform was a large rectangular shaped table made of marble, ornate designs carved on the sides that looked strangely familiar and might've been more discernible if it wasn't for the rivulets of blood coming from the body laying on its surface. Behind the table stood Illesia, her mouth dripping crimson. Upon seeing the duo, she grinned, baring her teeth.
"So good to see you again." She strutted casually to the front of the table, motioning to the chamber.
"Especially here of all places." The head Xiis pointed to a path that lay behind her. 
"Because this will be the beginning. The start of something that should've begun long ago."
"You're not going to win, Illesia!" She let out a giggle, lips licking the blood off her mouth as she responded:
"With every pathetic user of the Force I drain, my strength grows and so does the strength of my people, some of which were preserved in this very chamber." She blew out a sigh, inching towards the Champions as she spoke:
"Renso and the others who toyed with us didn't expect us capable of subterfuge, of striking back, but we did...yet we were drained from their continued experimentation. In order to ensure our survival, a number of us fled to formerly inhabited Sith planets like this one and used their devices against them. I was stopped by Renso, but the Five...they're here. And they can't wait to Feast on your sumptuous power." 
"The Five?"
"Five leaders, tribunals that led our resistance against the Sith. I was their herald, their arm, their might. They will bring into existence the chaos necessary to weed out the weak, to purge the insignificant and allow the strong to claim what is rightfully theirs." Illesia's powerful leg muscles twitched, her body convulsing momentarily before she let out a cackle.
"They come!"