[Savage's Solar Sailer, Orbit of Dxun]
Savage Opress
That went well. Lux was not happy to hear how his mother died for an empty cause, but he has promised his aid in my new cause.
I love how his rage felt. The sense of dread as I talked about the events leading to his mother's death, the shock of discovering who really is behind everything and the absolute determination to destroy Sidious.
I've noticed that my sensibility to people's moods has grown from merely feeling them to actually receiving information from them. Almost as if I instinctually entered their minds. Perhaps it's a side effect of falling so deep into the Dark Side and coming back up.
As advantageous as this is, it could prove dangerous if I let myself get carried away by the emotions of my enemies. While I'm on Dxun I should center myself, so it doesn't happen. Which is going to suck because Dark Side meditation can't really be called meditation.
A beeping noise distracts me from my thoughts.
"Commander Savage, B1-234 has accomplished his mission"
"234, I thought I told you to stop talking like th- you know what, forget it. You found the tomb?"
"Yes, sir. B1-234 reports that the structure is a match to the architecture of Sith strongholds "
I think his way of speaking may be growing on me after all the reports I've received from him in the past days while they searched the moon.
"Perfect, send me the coordinates immediately. I want to see it with my own eyes"
The connection cuts, and not long after, the location arrives.
I really can't wait to see it.
[Tomb of Freedon Nadd, Dxun]
The architecture is exquisite. Made from obsidian or a material similar to it, the pyramid has a mirror-like surface that reflects the light that reaches it. Towering and dark, it has the aspect of something out of the old Aztec empire from earth. I'm sure lives were sacrificed here too.
I can see that the gun placements made to defend this place from beasts and looters are now empty. Too bad it couldn't defend against the exile's friends. A deep trench around them, and finally the stairs that will lead me to what I seek.
A column of droids advances on the tomb, prepared to fight any defenses that may remain active.
With each step I take forward the atmosphere feels heavier, colder. The dark side degenerates its surroundings. Corrupting the atmosphere.
Even without the spirit of Freedon Nadd the strength of the Dark Side here hasn't waned. It may have even become more potent since it was left alone for so long.
Powers long forgotten wait for me inside this structure.
I am finally at the entrance…
This feeling… It's overwhelming!
Absolute freedom!
My path is my own! The galaxy can be whatever I want it to be, and I can do whatever I want as long as I have the strength to do it!
The Sith are not wrong, in the end, freedom is the greatest thing that exists.
The doors open with a wave of my hand.
Corpses and broken droids litter the entrance, those who stood in the way of the Exile's friends and Mandalorian allies.
The smell is bad but not so much, after such a long time there is barely any flesh in the bodies to rot and that means no decomposition.
A bit ahead there are three paths dividing the place.
"Divide yourselves in half and take the paths farthest to the left and farthest to the right I will go to the middle path"
"Roger, Roger"
Droids are awesome, I'm sure they are somewhat sentient, but their programming is so restrictive that they probably haven't noticed.
Before I continue, I kneel and start communing with the Dark Side.
The power of the Dark is almost too much, for millennia this place has been the tomb to the corpses of hundreds of Sith, a place to honor the fallen Freedon Nadd, a ritual site and the resting place of his remains.
Yes, this will do. This will be my fortress, my school and if my time comes my tomb.
I take in everything I can, the power that has been resting here undisturbed for a thousand years is now mine.
As long as I remain the master of this structure the power here will answer to me, until such a time comes that I'm defeated, and another takes my place.
This place is mine, I feel every brick, every mote of dust and all that is inside now follows my will.
The protections that keep the decay of this place from the elements feel strange, as if there was another purpose to them, I will have to study this in depth later.
The ancient mechanisms in the walls respond to the force and the traps inside are deactivated.
"HAHAHAHAHA"
Victory is sweet.
BEEEP
"Commander, we found the grave"
Ah, I can feel how it calls to me
The lightsaber of Freedon, it's shouting for me.
In hindsight it's obvious that no one would take it. The corruption it spreads is far too much for ordinary people.
"I will be there shortly"
Darth Bane was a fool, he just took the holocron and left the rest of the stuff, sure it was the best thing but there are still things here he could have used.
The shields and blasters left behind will be a welcome addition to the droid army, Sidious won't know what hit him once all my forces are updated.
As I walk to the remains of one of the great Sith Lords, I can't help but think of my brother, Maul is now a shell of his former self.
He will need time to heal.
[Lotho Minor, Outer Rim]
Maul
Peace is a lie, all I am seeing is an illusion, a test.
I didn't fail.
I couldn't fail.
I am Darth Maul
KENOBI
I'm a survivor.
Nothing can get in my way.
KENOBI
There is only passion.
I will kill him.
KENOBI
The machines will make me better, my body failed me, but they won't.
The darkness beckons my spirit, but I won't follow so easily.
OBI-WAN KENOBI
He must pay.
"Maul, your brother sent us"
Droids.
An illusion, nothing more. I launch myself toward them.
"Please stop, we were sent to retrieve you"
LIES
Destroying the machines becomes my priority.
Above food and water, destruction is the most important thing.
"Stun him"
I can destroy them, nothing will hold me back
OBI-WAN
"If you follow us, you can have your revenge"
…
REVENGE
Yes, I want revenge.
"Follow us, we will get you to where you belong"
There is only passion.
[Tomb of freedon Nadd, Dxun]
Savage Opress
"Commander, we have secured the target"
"Excellent work 626, you must transport him towards Dathomir, I will meet you there"
"Roger, Roger"
Maul is mine.
I can't wait to see Sidious face when he starts to become a threat.
The old fossil is gonna be so surprised.
Mother Talzin may be a problem, her favoritism has bever been a secret, if Maul tries to get the nightsisters support through her, I could die.
My body was enhanced by their magicks after all.
A Fate not unlike Dooku's could await me if Maul decides to fight me, hopefully it won't come to it.
I remember that he did love Savage even if their time together was short, years later and still looking for Kenobi he mentioned me to Ezra as one of the things the Sith had taken from him.
Perhaps…Perhaps we could really be brothers…
There are more important things right now.
Many things left to do here after all and the call of the light saber is strong, it's time to hurry.
I enter the room where the remains lay, more corpses are scattered around the place, old machines and literal pools of darkness decorate the floor.
I didn't even know the force could become an actual liquid. The games always made it look like it was more gaseous than anything else.
Perhaps the time left undisturbed made them this way or it could be the after effect of the failed ritual that was carried in this room.
"You there, touch one of the spots covered in the black thing"
"Roger, Roger"
the shrill sound of an explosion comes without warning.
"Holy fuck!"
I was not expecting such a violent reaction, is this because the droid is a non-living being? Or is the energy simply too much for materials like metal?
This requires further experimentation.
"Get out of here and capture some of the local fauna, bring it here once you've captured at least ten specimens"
While the droids obey my order, I decide it's finally time to take my new weapon.
"That stinks"
The rotting corpse greets my eyes, and its stench assaults my nose.
What the hell! He has been dead for a while, this body doesn't look as mummified as I expected.
Oh god.
"The other bodies don't smell this bad; did they purposefully make it like this? wait i remember that the ritual was to reanimate the body of Freedon is that why it seems to be forever rotting?"
I feel like I can barely breathe at all.
Pushing all that aside I can see it.
Wasting no time, I grab it and close the coffin.
Finally a break from that horrible smell.
The hilt is simple but there is a gentle beauty to it.
A beautiful bronze color emerges from it, unexpected but not unwelcome.
Probing at it with the force I feel the darkness in it.
This blade could never be used by someone who hasn't embraced darkness, it wouldn't allow it.
Misfortune and madness awaited the unprepared.
As I bond more deeply with it, the blade tries to test me by sending waves of corruption to my mind and body but it's a wasted effort.
Darkness is my ally, I was born in it, molded by it and I have long since embraced it.
The test passes and it accepts me.
I look at it more carefully now, the blade is short, shorter than I expected but then again Freedon was more sorcerer than warrior.
Turning it off I continue to access the place before I start giving orders.
"I want you to analyze the machines and the data stored in them, also take some of the weapons and the armor on the bodies to be studied"
"Roger, Roger"
"Have you captured any specimens for experimentation yet?"
"We are having some trouble commander, the animals here are too aggressive"
"Fine I will do it myself"
Daaam, the animals look way more terrifying in real life, the corruption from the tomb has done its job very well here.
There is one of the local animals trapped in a steel net that is being pulled by several droids. It feels strange, like something that you have in the periphery of your vision, something that is there if you can see it but that disappears when you turn your head.
"What do you know about this species?"
"The Maalraas or Nighthunters"
is this species a fucking Warhammer 40k reference?
"Are supposedly capable of using the force to become indistinguishable from the shadows, they attack in packs with long claws and their powerful fangs"
Oh my god they are Konrad's spirit animal
"As we are machines, we have no problem detecting them, but their hides are supposedly extremely resistant to heat with some specimens even being able to resist lightsaber strikes according to our records"
"Wait I think I have heard of them before, while I was at Onderon, one of the beast masters in the palace mentioned that the species was extinct"
"According to our data banks, that was simply a lie told so that the species could remain safe here, many criminal syndicates used to steal the young ones to use them as guards"
There is an idea.
"So why haven't you moved this one to the tomb?"
"As soon as we try to move it, the rest of the pack attacks"
I concentrate on my mind and try to protect it as much as I can, drawing the dark side to it as much as I can before making a metaphorical wall out of it.
I can somewhat feel them now.
There are four…no five of them nearby, watching.
Shit! If animals like this can mess with my perception that means I'm very vulnerable, when I see Mother Talzin I will ask her to impart some knowledge of the mind with me.
The anger that fills my being gives me an idea.
And I have a perfect subject here to try on.
Concentrating I reach for the mind of the trapped animal, I feel its thoughts, the anxiousness, the rage and even the fear that it tries to control.
It has begun to whine, calling for aggression.
Pressing the weight of my mind around its mind only causes it to hiss in pain.
What did Kreia say about the mind of an animal?
Ah yes empty my thoughts, bridge the gap from what distinguishes us and them and then create a barrier around its mind, make it with care and subtlety.
Trying again I follow the wisdom of the lord of betrayal.
The barrier breaks and it calls for help again, its brethren come closer.
I try again with more care and more power.
Failure again.
The thing thrashes against the net, the rest of the pack is taking positions around us.
Once more I go into the mind of the beast and this time, I am more subtle.
The beast is confused and then it becomes passive.
"Release it"
"What? Commander, it took us a while to capture it!"
"Just do as I say"
The nighthaunter is free but it doesn't run, the connection with me makes it impossible.
I approach it carefully and touch its head.
The fur is rougher than I expected.
As I continue petting my new friend the rest of the pack comes out of their hiding places slowly.
I see, this is their alfa.
"I think I'm going to keep you"
I concentrate further on the mind that is now connected to mine, carefully as to not destroy the barrier I made, I probe further with the hope I can give it orders.
A single simple thought.
Follow.
I walk and it comes behind me.
Perfect.
He will make a fine addition to my collection.
Author note: wolo, i am here once again with a new chapter that hopefully has no gramatical mistakes, anyway by this point you know what i'm going to say, so i will see you in two weeks. remember that my p-treon is: /KalJc as always i hope you enjoy what i wrote