How I Fell For a Sith (Star Wars)-Chapter 17: Wig Twisting Season

[Lyra Vess’s POV]
Rage boils through my veins as I slam my fists against the command table, making the holographic display flicker. The black shuttle's interior seems to close in around me, suffocating in its sterility.
"KRIFFING HELL!" I scream, my voice echoing off the durasteel walls. "She should be dead! I cut her down myself!"
The Sith troopers stationed at the perimeter of the command center don't even flinch. They've grown accustomed to my outbursts over the past weeks.
I rake my fingers through my white-blonde hair, pulling it from its severe style. "Vaelix karking Draal," I spit the name like poison. "I watched her fall."
Pacing now, I struggle to control my breathing. The wound in my chest throbs with phantom pain, a constant reminder of my failure. My reflection catches in the polished surface of the viewport, pale skin flushed with anger, yellow eyes blazing with humiliation.
"At least the locals proved useful for something," I mutter, pulling up the data file again. "The Handsome Gentleman." I roll the ship's name around in my mouth, tasting its ridiculousness. "Registered to a Bana Sobill."
The holographic image of a Duros male rotates slowly above the table. His blue skin appears ashen even in the projection, dead men tend to look that way. My troops found his body in the Aroruan jungle, his head nearly vaporized by a blaster shot.
"Which leaves his little protégé as our target," I continue, swiping to another file. "Rax Orlen."
The hologram shifts to display a human male in his mid-twenties. Unremarkable features, standard bounty hunter armor. Nothing special except for the fact that Vaelix was seen entering a dining establishment with him after our confrontation. The significance of this man burns in my gut like acid.
"The one she chose to reveal herself to," I whisper, my fingers hovering over his rotating image. Something about his eyes tugs at my memory, but I can't place it.
I expand the search parameters again, my frustration mounting with each passing second. "So why can't I find a single trace of where their ship went?! We’ve checked every single list of trading outposts in Sith space, and the Handsome Gentleman is no where to be found."
My fist crashes down on the table again, this time with enough Force-enhanced strength to dent the metal. The hologram stutters, then stabilizes.
"Lord Vess," one of the Sith troopers ventures, breaking protocol by speaking without being addressed first. "Perhaps they fled to Hutt Space. Or even Republic Space."
I whirl on him, my hand instinctively reaching for my lightsaber. The trooper stands his ground, though I can sense his fear rippling through the Force.
"Republic Space?" I scoff, releasing my grip on my weapon. "There's no chance a Sith would venture there unless they were actively hunting Jedi." I pause, the thought crystallizing as I speak it aloud. "Which Vaelix is certainly not above. She might do exactly that to prove her worth to Master Nohr."
The realization settles over me like a cold shadow. Of course. What better way to secure Master Nohr's favor than by returning with a Jedi's head? However Hutt space probably makes more sense.
I exhale slowly, reining in my temper. "You're right, Commander. Expand the search parameters to include Hutt trading posts." I tap my fingers against the dented table, a plan forming. "Put out a bounty on Rax Orlen. Alive only."
The trooper tilts his helmeted head slightly. "The bounty hunter, my lord?"
"Yes. He's our best lead to Vaelix." I stare at the rotating hologram of the unremarkable human. "His life isn't worth much since he's not the sacred 'Ty-Lar' that Vaelix is always searching for, thank the Force. But he'll have information on her whereabouts if she doesn’t kill him."
"Right away, Lord Vess," the trooper responds, already turning to carry out my orders.
"And Commander," I call after the retreating trooper, "increase surveillance on any known Jedi movements in the Outer Rim. If Vaelix is hunting, I want to know her prey before she does."
I straighten my robes and smooth back my disheveled hair, regaining my composure. Master Nohr's disappointment burns in my memory, fueling my determination. I will not return to Dromund Kaas empty-handed again.
The bounty should flush them out quickly. Bounty hunters are predictable creatures, driven by greed and self-preservation. When word spreads that Rax Orlen has a price on his head, he'll either run or fight. Either way, that should lead me straight to Vaelix.