The Empire begins with the Fourth Scourge.

2713. Sacrifice

After betraying the Galactic Republic during the Battle of Underron, Pom-Krell joined the Independent System Confederation and became Count Dooku's subordinate.

However, his situation was somewhat unique, because he did not betray the light of the Force; he merely loathed clones and hated the corrupt politics of the Galactic Republic, which led to his betrayal. His choice to cooperate with Dooku stemmed from neither wanting to overthrow the old order nor to establish an ideal new regime; it was purely based on personal likes and dislikes.

This is why Count Dooku doesn't trust him, and therefore he gets closer to Dawn Planet.

After the destruction of the Independent Galaxy Confederation, Pom-Krell joined the Twilight Covenant but refused to fight for the Kingdom of Dawn. He has been searching for his own path—a path that belongs only to him.

At this time, the Twilight Covenant was short-handed, so having him as a teacher wasn't a bad idea. Given his already considerable strength, Tang Xiao didn't do anything to him. He taught lightsaber techniques in the training camp. Tang Xiao knew that people like Pang-Krell were fine as long as you didn't cross the line.

However, as the Kingdom of Dawn continued to win military victories, Pang-Krell realized that it was time to choose sides, otherwise he would have no future in the Kingdom of Dawn.

Therefore, he began to take a more proactive approach, participating in the affairs of the Kingdom of Dawn and engaging in numerous operations to deal with the infiltrating Dark Believers or Inquisitors of the Galactic Empire.

As a powerful combat-oriented Jedi Master, he also began to train a group of young apprentices in his own way—the Star Team.

His unique understanding of the Force was also infused into this team. The members of Stardust Mission neither fully adhere to the doctrines of light nor succumb to the wrath of darkness; the Force is merely a tool to them. They execute missions with detached rationality, navigating the gray areas of the battlefield.

Pom-Krell firmly believed that only by maintaining independent judgment could they avoid repeating the mistakes of the Jedi Order and the Galactic Republic. This idea was also deeply ingrained in the members of Star Trek—steel discipline and inner clarity.

Just like Yorgos now, he has been consumed by anger and hatred, so in Pom-Krell's eyes, he is nothing more than a mindless beast.

“Xinling, you will be the captain of the Star Team from now on,” Pang-Krell said calmly to the young woman with long, black hair.

It's worth mentioning that, because the surnames of the residents of the Dawn Kingdom don't have much historical tradition, some surnames that are very rare or even non-existent on Earth have begun to appear in large numbers in recent years. It is estimated that in a few generations, a unique surname style will gradually form in the Dawn Kingdom.

“Yes, Master.” Xinling bowed, then raised her head with a determined look. “I will not let you down. Next, we will continue the pursuit of Quinlan-Worth. And…”

She glanced at Yorgos, who was already unconscious in madness and pain, and added, "And Karl-Kestis."

“Quinnland Worth, I’ll handle him personally. As for Carl Casetis…” Pom-Krell grinned, “He’s just a side dish.”

He turned and walked towards the operating room door. "Let's go. Ignore this useless guy."

A nearby medical robot suddenly spoke up: "We've received a notification from Shirley Birkin—if the Twilight Covenant has no objections, she wishes to personally treat this patient."

"No objections, whatever." Pom-Krell waved his hand and led the Star Squad away. ...

"Come on! This way!" Quinlan Worth led Carl Caseys along the dimly lit road.

Carl-Cestis carried the heavily injured Ella Sekula close behind. Not far away, the fruit warehouse where they had once hidden was now surrounded, and countless searchlights illuminated the area.

More than a dozen police AV-14 Wasp aircraft hovered in the air. Although the Dawn Kingdom's military did not favor this 9.6-meter-long lightweight aircraft, the police force quite liked its agility, speed, and portability. After modifications to the design, some weapon pylons were replaced with cameras and surveillance equipment. Each AV-14 Wasp could carry four security officers for rapid deployment in security missions.

For criminals trying to escape, being targeted by the fast and agile AV-14 Wasp is the most annoying thing. Fortunately, Quinlan-Vorse had made careful preparations beforehand, and with the cover of night and abandoned pipes, he successfully avoided detection by the aerial patrol.

“That old guy really betrayed our whereabouts…” Quinlan-Worth said to Carl with a grave expression, “Are you sure he’ll still give us the right escape route?”

“I’m sure… he’s just that eccentric and stubborn old man…” Karl-Kestis blurted out a Dawn Kingdom slang.

Quinlan-Vorse suddenly stopped and pointed to a passageway beside him, saying, "Time is limited, and I don't have any more means to get you out of here. Go this way; a hovercraft is ready, and an EMP bomb will detonate in five minutes. This will create a brief vacuum for you to escape our pursuit."

Carl Caseys was startled. He stared at Quinlan Worth. "Hoverbike? Me? What about you...?"

Quinlan-Worth held his own lightsaber in one hand and Ella-Sekula's lightsaber in the other, coldly saying, "I'll hold you off for these five minutes."

“This…does it really have to be this way? Let’s leave here together!” Carl-Kestis was stunned.

“Don’t be silly, kid. They’ve been watching me for a long time. I’m the burden, understand?” Quinlan-Vorth turned his head and said, “You still have a chance before those guys get used to your Force fluctuations and before they completely block all your potential relationships.”

“But…” Carl Caseys still couldn’t accept that Quinlan Worth, whom he had only known for a few days, had sacrificed himself for him.

"Listen!" Quinlan-Vorse suddenly raised his voice and shouted resolutely, "The immortal god-king Darth Andu can devour the lives and even souls of others to achieve immortality! If he falls into the hands of a Sith like the Angel of Death, he would even be willing to devour the life of an entire planet to prolong his life! The galaxy will be forever ruled by darkness!"

He released a wisp of Force from his hand, and two lightsabers, one blue and one green, instantly lit up. "Do what you're supposed to do, kid!"

In the distance, a bright light was rapidly approaching; it was a D-77 Pelican transport plane. The cabin door opened, and several figures jumped directly from a hundred meters in the air!

The leader was enormous, standing at two meters tall, and had four strong arms.

"Little mouse, finally crawled out of your hole this time?" Accompanied by a mocking voice, two buzzing sounds followed, and two double-edged lightsabers instantly illuminated the darkness! (End of Chapter)