Author's note: Sorry about the delay, folks; I forgot to upload it yesterday. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy :)
Raiders of the Lost Mask
Mysterious attacks on Ithor! Suspicious happenings on the Mid Rim planet have led the Ithorian Elders to believe that the Empire or another organization may be secretly hiding on the planet! In order to discover the source of this mystery, Rebel Councilman Tendau Bendon sends General Crix Madine along the Alliance Special Forces to meet him at the orbiting herdship of Tafanda Bay!
With Jedi Luke Skywalker and Ahsoka Tano and mercenary Rianna Saren with them, they hope to gain access to the planet's surface and find out the cause of the attacks before it is too late…
Hyperspace
As the Crucible flew through hyperspace, Captain Ronaarus Davhac (a male Human captain of Asian ethnicity) walked up to Madine who stood on the bridge looking out at hyperspace.
"General, we're almost at Ithor" said Davhac.
"Thank you, captain" said Madine "Remind me to contact Councilman Bendon when we arrive"
"Understood" said Davhac.
"And remind me to wake Commander Skywalker when we arrive as well" said Madine.
Meanwhile
As Luke and Ahsoka lay asleep in their quarters, Ahsoka began turning her head and flickering her eyelids.
Ahsoka's dream
Ahsoka stood outside the Jedi High Council chamber, back as her sixteen year old self. At the center of the council stood Luke who appeared to be sixteen as well and dressed in padawan garbs.
"Padawan Skywalker, are you aware of why we have been brought before us?" asked Mace Windu.
"I do" said Luke "You wish to review my progress"
"More than that, young one" said Plo Koon "Over the course of your training, you have shown great skill and determination; so much so that we're beginning to wonder whether you are worthy of the rank of Knight" Luke's face lit up and he looked back at Ahsoka who should of a look of gratification.
"It would be an honor, masters" said Luke.
"We're not done yet, padawan" said Windu "We're only considering it, we haven't fully decided yet"
"You are still young and knighting a padawan at your age isn't something we do often within the Order; and when we do, it is few and far between" said Shaak Ti "But your skills and accomplishments have come to our attention in great detail"
"And we need more knights to help the galaxy and keep the peace" said Ki-Adi-Mundi.
"But we must take caution in this" said Oppo Ranciscis "We only knight padawans when we deem them truly ready"
"That is why we have called this meeting today, to debate whether to go through with it or not" said Obi-Wan.
"If the council deems me ready, then I will comply" said Luke.
"That is if we deem you ready" said Windu "First we will judge your accomplishments and strengths with what you need to improve of, then we will decide whether or not you are ready"
"I understand" said Luke.
"Good, then we can begin" said Windu.
"The truth is, the skill and expertise you have shown is almost unparalleled" said Eeth Koth.
"Especially considering for one your age" said Saesee Tiin.
"Your lightsaber progression is impressive" said Ki-Adi-Mundi "In all my years, very few adapt to it as fast as you do"
"Your skills at piloting are impressive also" said Shaak Ti.
"Not to mention your affinity with the Force" said Kit Fisto "It's on a level of one such as a knight"
"You show great strength" said Coleman Kcaj. Luke beamed. "However, you are not without your flaws. You also show great recklessness"
"And your inexperience has held you back more than once" said Adi Gallia. Luke and Ahsoka's smiles faded.
"No need to be ashamed, these are not uncommon traits amongst the young" said Plo Koon.
"But they are still regrettable flaws nonetheless" said Windu.
"We were all young and reckless at one point" said Obi-Wan "Master Saa informed me of some of your endeavors when you were but an apprentice" Windu held back a frown.
"With strengths and flaws aside, there is still something to discuss" said Rancisis "The Jedi Trials"
"True, he should be tested before we know he is ready" said Shaak Ti.
"Perhaps the trials are waiting for him" said Obi-Wan.
"Is this is how you would have wanted it?" asked a voice. Ahsoka noticed that the Daughter stood by her side.
"Sort of" replied Ahsoka "Though I'm a little wary of the council since my falling out"
"But is there something missing in this?" asked the Daughter. Ahsoka turned back to the council.
"What do you mean by that?" asked Ahsoka.
"Where is the wisdom amongst the council?" asked the Daughter "Where is the elder? Where is the teacher of all teachers?" Ahsoka looked more carefully and noticed that the small chair that sat between Ki-Adi-Mundi and Windu was left empty.
"Wait, where is Yoda?" asked Ahsoka.
"Yoda's wisdom is what held the council together" replied the Daughter "It may not seem all that bad right now; but after a while, it will start falling apart. A gradual process that will come to fruition only in time; it's interesting how the loss of one small component could herald something to spiral out"
"Did you find anything else out about the dark power?" asked Ahsoka.
"It comes from the Outer Rim, but I do not know where exactly" replied the Daughter.
"Well, that doesn't rule out a lot" said Ahsoka.
"I also feel the disturbance itself growing" said the Daughter "Whatever this darkness is, it's time has almost come"
"You're kidding, right?" said Ahsoka "Couldn't come at a worse time"
"I am sorry, but there's no other way" said the Daughter "I've done all that I can for the moment, I only wish I could do more"
"Ahsoka…"
Ahsoka looked around.
Back to reality
"Ahsoka?" said the voice "Ahsoka?" Ahsoka woke up to see Luke kneeling by her bed shaking her gently on her shoulder.
"What is it?" asked Ahsoka.
"We're here" replied Luke.
"Oh, okay" said Ahsoka as she got herself up.
"Another vision?" asked Luke.
"Yeah, and this was a weird one" replied Ahsoka.
"Did it involve the Jedi Council?" asked Luke.
"Was that a random guess or is there something else to that?" asked Ahsoka.
"I had a dream as well" replied Luke "I was younger and in this chamber where several other Jedi who looked over me. I saw you on the side giving me encouraging looks"
"Yep, that was the Jedi Council" said Ahsoka "What were they talking to you about?"
"They were discussing whether or not to give me the rank of knight" replied Luke.
"That the same dream I had" said Ahsoka "Except there was something else"
"And what was that?" asked Luke.
"Daughter came to me again" replied Ahsoka.
"What did she say to you this time?" asked Luke.
"From what I gathered, there are two important things she found out about the darkness that is coming" replied Ahsoka "Firstly, it's somewhere within the Outer Rim but she doesn't know where exactly"
"That doesn't narrow things down that much" said Luke.
"That's what I said" said Ahsoka "Secondly, it's coming; and if we want to stop it, we have to act fast"
"Let's just focus on the task at hand first" said Luke.
"Yeah, but we have to remember to keep it in mind" said Ahsoka "Especially since…if we can't stop it, I might just hold the only way to beat it when it's at full strength and…I'm too scared to use it"
"It's okay, Ahsoka" said Luke "Given what you described to me, I understand why you'd be uneasy about doing it"
"It's just…it's like I wasn't in control at all" said Ahsoka "I could see everything, I could feel everything, but it wasn't me; the longer she was in control, the more I felt myself fading away into her. And I could do absolutely nothing about it"
"We'll worry about that later; first we'll help the Ithorians, then we'll inform Kota about it" said Luke.
"Are you sure he'll be okay with it?" asked Ahsoka "I mean, keeping vital information from someone is pretty serious; especially when it might have something to do with the Sith"
"In the long term of things, Kota will understand" said Luke "But don't worry about it right now. C'mon, let's go to the bridge" He helped Ahsoka up and brought her to the bridge where Madine waited for them.
"You two are awake" said Madine "We're here" Luke and Ahsoka looked out at the large disc-shaped ship city that hovered over the surface of Ithor. "Welcome to Tafanda Bay"
"Wow!" said Ahsoka.
"I've heard about the herdships of Ithor but to see one up close like this is just…amazing" said Luke.
"Did you bring C-3PO with you?" asked Madine.
"Yes, he's in the hanger with R2" replied Luke.
"Good, you'll need him" said Madine.
A few minutes later
A T-6 shuttle came out of the Crucible, flew down to Tafanda Bay, and landed onto the flight deck. Madine stepped out with Luke, Ahsoka, C-3PO, and R2 stepping out. An Ithorian messenger droid hovered up to them.
"Welcome to Tafanda Bay, General Crix Madine of the Alliance" said the messenger droid "Councilman Bendon is waiting for you inside"
"Thank you" said Madine "Can you bring me to him?"
"This way" said the messenger droid. It floated off and they followed it inside the observation deck. The deck was filled with Ithorians and plants in hanging pots clung from the ceiling and walls with green plant maintenance droids hovering around and tending to them. They then reached a train station just as the train turned up. "This train will lead you to the city. This way" They followed the messenger droid as it got on the train and sped off.
A few minutes later
"Incredible" said C-3PO as they walked through the city "In all my years of understanding Ithorese, I've never been to one of the many herdships before. Although I do wonder why use ships as the main forms of civilizations rather than making them on the surface"
"The Ithorians consider the surface of the planet sacred" said Madine "To help preserve it; they built cities on ships instead of on the surface itself. The only Ithorians who live on the surface are permanent residents who live in villages across the planet. And that is why we are here, to ask for permission to land on the planet"
"But what about the relief mission a few weeks ago?" asked Ahsoka "They allowed us access to the surface then"
"For a non-violent relief mission" said Madine "And even then it took a lot of effort to convince the Ithorian elders. But we're talking about sending an attack force to combat any hostiles on the planet. That will require a lot more effort to convince them" At that moment, they reached the center building were Tendau Bendon walked up to them and greeted them in Ithorese. "Greetings, Councilman" Bendon said something else in Ithorese. "Well; if they're waiting for us, we'd better not disappoint them. Councilman Bendon and I are going in now to discuss things with the Ithorian Elders; hopefully we can come to a compromise. We'll communicate with you when we're done"
"Wait, we're not going in with you?" said Luke.
"I'm afraid they only requested for my presence" said Madine "I would try to convince them otherwise, but it's better if we stay in their good books. In the meantime, you can explore the city"
"But we can't speak or understand Ithorese" said Ahsoka.
"The droid does" replied Madine. He and Bendon turned to the building and went up to the highest floor in the elevator.
Later
Luke and Ahsoka sat outside a café drinking smoothie-like drinks.
"I wouldn't call myself a vegan, but this drink is not bad" said Luke.
"My people prefer meat and even I admit that this is pretty good" said Ahsoka "Boy, these Ithorians sure love their planet"
"Makes you wish that they were running the Empire instead of the Emperor" said Luke. Ahsoka began to look down again. "Is something wrong again?"
"Just talking about my people reminds me of my family and how bad I messed things up" replied Ahsoka "It's like you said; even though I'll never know my true parents, I still had a family…and now, because of my actions, I broke them apart"
"We all make mistakes, Ahsoka; but the best thing you can do right now is wait for the ink to dry and reconcile with them the next chance you get" said Luke "It may take time, but it'll be worth it"
"Besides, it's not I've never had family at all" said Ahsoka whilst grasping Luke's hand "Anakin was always there for me, even in my lowest moment; and with him gone, I've got you" Luke smiled.
"Ahsoka, there's something I've got to tell you" said Luke.
"And what's that?" asked Ahsoka.
"I spoke to Kota some time ago about—" said Luke.
"Commander Skywalker, are you there?" asked Madine out of his comlink.
"Just a sec" said Luke "I'm here, what is it?"
"I'm afraid the Elders won't allow a full army on the surface" replied Madine "However, they will allow a small strike team to the surface. You two, get back to the flight deck and wait for me at the shuttle. I'll contact the Crucible to assemble a team together"
Later
The T-6 shuttle flew down to the planet's surface and landed in an ash-filled clearing. Madine, Luke, and Ahsoka stepped out and walked over to a group of rebel pathfinders who had gathered together.
"Madine, we brought together the maximum that you specified" said Orrimaarko.
"Good work" said Madine "Skywalker, Tano; I'd like you to meet my team. You already know Orrimaarko and Tani Ab'yla from the Battle of Ord Mantell" He gestured towards Rianna Saren. "This is Rianna Saren; she's agreed to help us in need of attack"
"As long as I get paid" said Rianna. Madine gestured towards a male Sluissi.
"This is Napiat, he's our tech expert and engineer; his people, the Sluissi, have great technological prowess" said Madine.
"Thank you" said Napiat. Madine gestured towards a male Elom. "This is Mraw Carlp, he's our support fire" Carlp nodded with a groan. He then gestured towards a commando droid with orange captain tattoos.
"Look out!" exclaimed Ahsoka as she ignited her lightsaber and pointed it at the commando droid.
"Calm down" said Madine "This is BX, he's a commando droid we recovered and reprogrammed to work for us. He's proved quite useful"
"Roger, roger" said BX.
"Alright everyone, let's get down to business" said Madine "This particular location was the sight of an attack; right now, we're in the center of what was once a village" Luke and Ahsoka hadn't noticed it before but they soon realized that they were standing at the center of a ruined and destroyed Ithorian village, charred down to barely anything. "Reports have told me that there are two sets of tank tracks; one that leads to the north and one that leads to the west. We'll split into two teams. Tano, Orrimmarko, Aby'lya, Napiat, BX; take a group to the west. The rest of you, come with me to the south"
"Well; see you soon, Skyguy" said Ahsoka as the group split up.
"Will do, Snips" said Luke. Ahsoka stopped for a second and smirked as they went off.
Later
As Madine, Luke and the others travelled through the jungle, Carlp examined the ground and said something in Elom.
"He says that whatever created these tracks is just up ahead" said Madine "Strange; in all my years I've never seen Imperial tank tracks like these before"
"Maybe it's a new model" said Luke.
"It's not just the tracks that bother me, it's the methods" said Madine "So far the methods stated in reports indicate guerrilla warfare due to the secretive nature of the attacks; but why would the Empire do that? Why not send a full-scale invasion force to subjugate the planet?"
"Shh!" said Rianna "We're almost at the end of the tracks" She crept up to the bushes and peaked through them. Down in a small clearing below stood two figures dressed in red armor standing next to a large tank.
"Looks like we found them" said Madine quietly.
"Imperials?" asked Luke quietly.
"Doesn't appear so" replied Madine quietly "Even if that tanks a new model, its design looks way different from anything the Empire's come up with; all Imperial vehicle stem from a similar design aspect. And the coloration is all off; standard Imperial coloration is shades of grey, white, and black"
"They could be mercenaries" said Rianna quietly.
"Perhaps, but we don't know for certain whether the Empire is even involved" said Madine quietly "We should fall back and get a better position" At that moment, a manollium flew down, landed next to them, and squawked.
"Get away, you filthy bird!" said Rianna quietly. The manollium squawked again, even louder this time causing the two red figures to look up at the area they were hiding.
"It's going to blow our cover!" said Madine quietly.
"Shoo!" said Rianna quietly while waving at the manollium "Shoo!"
"No, don't!" said Madine "It will—" Rianna shooed the manollium away, causing it to fly down towards the two figures.
"Get in the tank" said one of the figures. The other figure ran over to the tank and entered it.
"Oh no!" said Madine quietly "Let's get out of here!" Suddenly, the tank shot out a powerful plasma pulse at them; crumbling the hill down and bringing them down with it.
"Rebels!" said the first figure. Madine immediately pulled out his blaster and pointed it at him.
"Who are you and what's your allegiance; Rebel or Imperial?!" asked Madine.
"Neither!" replied the first figure "Kill them!" As he opened fire on them, the tank shot at them again.
Meanwhile
"We're getting close" said Ahsoka as she and her group walked further into the jungle. Unbeknownst to them, several large vornskr sat in the tree; watching over them and growling quietly. Urai Fen stood with them; he looked down at one of the vornskr and stroked it across the head. At that moment, Ahsoka ignited her lightsaber. "Stop! I can sense something through the Force" Tani sniffed the air.
"I can smell something" said Tani as she pulled out her blaster "Someone's here" Urai gestured towards the vornskr.
"This changes nothing, we'll continue onwards" said Orrimaarko. Suddenly, one of the vornskr leapt down and landed on one of the pathfinders; causing him to scream and shoot uncontrollably. "Shoot it!" Everyone opened fire on the vornskr and killed it off-guard. "That was close" Suddenly, another vornskr leapt down on top of Ahsoka but she accidently stabbed it in the chest with her lightsaber. As countless more vornskr leapt down from the trees and attacked the pathfinders (with the ones on Ahsoka's side attacking her), Urai crept off into the shadows of the trees.
"We can't win this fight" said Ahsoka "We have to get out of here!"
"Agreed" said Orrimaarko "Retreat! Fall back to the shuttle" They all rushed off with the vornskr following close behind, picking off the ones at the back easily. As they ran through, they came across a group of large trees that stood at the side of the path.
"BX, thermal detonator on the trees now!" said Tani.
"Roger, roger" said BX as he pulled out a thermal detonator and threw it at the trees with Tani. As the detonators went off, the trees collapsed over the path; blocking the vornskrs off.
"That should hold them off for some time" said Tani.
Meanwhile
"We can't get him while that tank is still operational" said Madine "It's blocking us off" Rianna looked at the tank carefully and started sneaking over to it.
"At least we know one thing" said Luke "The Empire's not involved this time"
"We'll get more answers if we capture one of these two" said Madine "We just need to focus on…Rianna?" Rianna stood on the top of the tank and pulled the hatch open before dropping two thermal detonators inside.
"Fire in the hole!" said Rianna as she leapt off shortly before the tank exploded.
"Urai, requesting backup now!" said the first figure as he rushed off into the jungle whilst still shooting.
"He's escaping, stop him!" said Madine. As the figure ran off into the forest, he suddenly felt a large blade pierce through his chest.
"Urai…" wheezed the figure. Urai stepped out and pulled the blade away. "But…backup…"
"At this rate, a corpse is easier to carry" said Urai. As he heard the approaching rebel forces, he picked up the corpse and disappeared back into the shadows. It was then that the rebel forces reached the area.
"The footprints end here" said Rianna.
"But where is he?" asked Luke. Madine looked down at the puddle of blood on the ground.
Later
"And then nothing" said Madine "No body, no items, nothing, just a small puddle of blood; he just disappeared without a trace"
"Did you test the blood?" asked Ahsoka.
"It's Human, no question" replied Luke "But I don't think I've ever seen that armor before"
"You know; I heard rebel reports state that Havdori escaped with men dressed in red armor, similar to ones we just met" said Madine.
"Do you think Havdori has a part in this?" asked Luke.
"We can't jump to that conclusion" replied Madine "But at the same time, neither can we rule it out" A scowl formed on Ahsoka's face. "Is something the matter, Commander Tano?"
"Nothing; I'm just remembering how Sarke tricked me into helping him" said Ahsoka.
"Are you referring to how he used Fey'lya as a scapegoat?" asked Madine "If so, you have nothing to be ashamed of; none of us knew that—"
"I know!" said Ahsoka "I know! But still...just the thought of getting even with Sarke—"
"His name was Havdori, Lei Sarke was just an alias" said Madine.
"Well; whatever his name is, we'll find him" said Ahsoka "I can't shake the feeling that he's part of this" At that moment, K'Kruhk walked up to them.
"General Madine" said K'Kruhk.
"General K'Kruhk, what an unexpected surprise" said Madine.
"Apologies for the unexpected arrival, but I have no time to explain it now" said K'Kruhk "Skywalker, Tano; I need to speak with you now. Follow me"
"Sorry about this, general" said Luke as he and Ahsoka got themselves up "I have a feeling that this is Jedi business so it might take a while"
"Don't wait for us" said Ahsoka.
"I'll try to convince the Elders that to give us permission to send an army down there" said Madine "Whoever these people are, there's bound to be more of them; and if any more of their weapons is as bad as that tank, it's going to be torture without more troops" K'Kruhk brought Luke and Ahsoka over to an alleyway.
"Skywalker, Tano; I would like you to meet two people who arrived on Corellia only an hour ago" said K'Kruhk. Out of the shadows stepped two figures; one of them was the Lurmen monk Samfor who Ahsoka met on Tython, the other was a young Miraluka woman who wore a fabric wrap around her eyespots.
"Samfor?" said Ahsoka.
"Greetings, Ahsoka" said Samfor "We meet once again"
"You two know each other?" asked Luke.
"Remember that mission to Tython that Sitra sent me on; I met him there" replied Ahsoka.
"I'd like you to meet Uchji Nuluco, a member of our order" said Samfor "She has recently had a vision that concerns you Jedi greatly. Tell them about it" Uchij stepped forward.
"It is so strange to be around Jedi" said Uchji "Your presence is so familiar yet so different"
"What are you?" asked Ahsoka.
"I am a member of the Force-sensitive race Miraluka" replied Uchji "Physically we are indistinct from Humans, except for one defining feature…" She began t stroke the cloth around her head, showing the shape of her eyeholes. "We lack physical eyes; instead we see through the Force, giving us a closer connection to it than most"
"So what was your vision?" asked Luke.
"It was of something that started thousands of years ago" replied Uchij "Have you ever heard the legend of Darth Nihilus, the Lord of Hunger?" Luke and Ahsoka shook their heads. "Darth Nihilus was a powerful Dark Lord of the Sith who lived during the Old Republic. He was a wound in the Force who fed upon the life force of others like a leech to survive. His favorite prey was Jedi and other Force-sensitives as they sustained him longer and made him more powerful. One of his most devastating acts was what he did against the Miraluka people…"
Uchji's flashback
"Long before Nihilus even came to be, the original Miraluka homeworld was rendered uninhabitable through means lost to history. We settled a new homeworld on the planet of Alpheridies, but we soon found new planets to make colonies; most notable of all was Katarr"
The Mid Rim planet of Katarr lay peacefully in space.
"For years the Miraluka lived in peace, but it would not last forever. In the aftermath of the Jedi Civil War eventually came the original Jedi Purge; the Sith hid in the shadows and struck the remaining Jedi at every opportune time. In order to decide the future of the Order, about a hundred Jedi assembled on Katarr to form a conclave to discuss the matter in secret. However, it wasn't long until the Sith learned about it…"
A badly damaged Centurion-class battlecruiser with a decaying look and feel to it came out of hyperspace above Katarr.
"The prospect of so many Force-users in one place was just too enticing to let go…"
Aboard the bridge stood a tall figure wrapped in black robes. But what was most notable about him was the distinctive mask that covered his face; it was white with red stripes and behind it was nothing but blackness.
"Nihilus may have come into this galaxy through unnatural means, but he was almost like a force of nature; unreasonable and only focused on survival…"
Darth Nihilus began speak in an ancient and unrecognizable Sith tongue before there was a bright flash of white light.
"With all of his power, he drained the life out of the entire planet; killing all who stood on its surface and leaving it as dry and as barren as a bone…"
Back to reality
"Uchji, I'm sorry" said Ahsoka.
"It's ancient history, not something you should pity" said Uchji.
"So what happened next?" asked Luke.
"When Nihilus stepped upon the devastated surface, he sensed that there was just one survivor" replied Uchji "It was a young Miraluka woman named Visas Marr who Nihilus took aboard his ship as his unwilling Sith Apprentice. But it was not the end for her. With the help of a long excommunicated Jedi Exile, she broke out of the Sith Lord's control; and with the help of the connection between her and her master, they were able to finally defeat the dark lord and end his reign of terror once and for all. Visas then removed his mask, the only that kept his essence together, and he was destroyed"
"So what does Nihilus have to do with us?" asked Luke.
"A few weeks ago I felt a great disturbance in the Force coming from the Outer Rim world of Korriban" replied K'Kruhk.
"Outer Rim?" said Luke and Ahsoka simultaneously.
"I felt a great darkness approaching us but I chose not to investigate until I found further proof of what was exactly" said K'Kruhk "If you go to Korriban without a purpose then you are destined to get lost within the darkness"
"But I started receiving nightmares very recently and Samfor told me that I should see the Jedi about it" said Uchji.
"The moment she came before me and told me of the darkness she saw, I knew that there was no coincidence" said K'Kruhk "And it was quite fortunate; because with this information, we now have a reason to go to Korriban. It's time to stop this darkness before it truly begins"
"I'll contact Madine to tell him that we might be a while" said Luke.
"I'm going too" said Uchji "I have this done first hand"
Meanwhile
On the surface of Ithor stood a large palace-like structure overlooking a cliff with various mercenary soldiers around it. At the top of the palace was a large room where Tyber Zann looked out a window and overlooked the terrain. At that moment, Urai entered.
"Tyber, rebel forces have landed on the planet" said Urai "They have spotted us"
"It's about time, I suppose" said Tyber.
"Should I call for a retreat?" asked Urai.
"No; the battle is not lost yet, Urai" said Tyber "We'll stand our ground until retreat is fully necessary"
"Tyber, the Ithorians are loyal to the Rebel Alliance" said Urai "If they're able to be convinced that we possess big enough a threat then we could be facing an uphill battle on our hands. And I spotted a Jedi with them"
"Jedi, huh?" said Tyber "Those are rare to come by nowadays. Good thing we came prepared. Time to give our guest a visit"
"Tyber, don't even think of freeing him" said Urai "Dark Jedi are not to be underestimated"
"An alliance is only a last resort" said Tyber "Until then, we'll have to make do with interrogating him more. He was in charge of the Alliance once; perhaps he knows some tactics and the like"
"Will do, Tyber" said Urai. He turned over to the elevator and went down it to a level where two defilers (the red armored figures) stood guard at the door. "I am here for interrogation"
"You may pass" said one of the defilers as the door opened. Urai stepped in and entered a cell where a man lay in a containment field.
"We need information about the Rebel Alliance and we all know that you may just have answers for them" said Urai "And unless you wish to be permanently scarred, I'd suggest you'd go along with it" The man lifted his head up revealing himself to be Havdori.
"Amuse me!" smirked Havdori.
Meanwhile over Korriban
The T-6 shuttle came out of hyperspace above Korriban.
"There it is; Korriban, ancient homeworld of the Sith" said K'Kruhk "I can feel the darkness from up here"
"So why us?" asked Luke.
"Excuse me?" asked K'Kruhk.
"Why me and Ahsoka?" replied Luke "Couldn't you get someone else like Master Kota or Master Sitra?"
"Master Kota is busy overlooking the reconstruction of Corellia and Sitra is off on her own missions at the moment" replied K'Kruhk "Besides, I have a feeling you two might know more about this dark power than they would"
"And what gives you that idea?" asked Luke.
"Next time you discuss something in secret without us knowing, try to make sure that protocol droid of yours isn't listening in" replied K'Kruhk "He doesn't know how to keep a secret"
"3PO!" muttered Luke.
"Don't be ashamed, I'm glad to have you two here" said K'Kruhk "Don't think for one minute we look down on you, Skywalker; if the old Order still existed, you'd probably be considered a prodigy amongst the students. Obi-Wan may not have trained you for long, but it was enough to set you on your way. And Ahsoka; when Rachi Sitra first found her, she had lost all faith in the Order. And now look at her, she's putting aside her issues and helping us for a better tomorrow. So yes; even if none of us have taken you as a padawan, you are still valued greatly. Kota and Sitra see great things in you both"
"Well, I guess that's something" said Luke. They flew down into the middle of a large valley filled with ominous ruins and statue remains.
"We learned brief parts about Korriban in our studies at the Jedi Temple, but to actually see it in person is quite something" said Ahsoka as she and Uchji entered the cockpit.
"We're in the Valley of the Dark Lords, this place is filled with the graves of ancient Sith" said K'Kruhk "This will be a good starting point to find what we need to find" They flew down, landed in front of the ruins of the Sith Academy, and got out.
"Brrr, the reports never stated it would be this cold!" said Ahsoka as she shivered.
"You'd be used to it if your kind came from Toola" said K'Kruhk.
"So where do we go from here?" asked Luke "How do we know which tomb belongs to Nihilus?"
"We don't even know if Nihilus even had a proper tomb; after all, there was no body to bury" said K'Kruhk "All we know is that his presence was the cause of this darkness and that we have to find and stop it" Uchji started walking off in a direction. "Uchji, what is it?"
"There's a great surge of dark side energy down there" replied Uchji "I can feel it and I recognize what it is"
"Do you think that's what we're looking for?" asked Luke.
"I don't know" replied Ahsoka "But seeing as how she knows more about Darth Nihilus than the rest of us, I'd say her guess is better than ours"
"Be cautious; even with a clear path on what you're looking for, you don't know what you may find as you venture further on the surface of Korriban" said K'Kruhk. As they walked through the Valley of the Dark Lords, they felt a great darkness surging and heard a mysterious whispery chanting in various voices all around them.
"You shouldn't have come here…
Turn back…
You have no idea of what you are facing…
Turn back…
You will be break, as so many others have…
Turn back…
Come only if you wish to embrace the dark power…
Turn back…
Feel the dark side like never before…
Turn back…"
Luke looked down at the skeletal remains of various Sith that lay across the valley.
"It's strange; I've encountered darksiders before, but this place feels like something new entirely" said Luke.
"Same" said Ahsoka "It's like the dark side except much greater and much more ancient but subtle"
"This is the Sith homeworld after all" said K'Kruhk.
"These remains, some of them don't look Human or like any race I've ever seen before" said Luke.
"Long before the Sith was an order it was a species" said K'Kruhk "They were identified by their red skin and tentacle-like facial appendages. They society was caste based: the Zuguruk caste were engineers, the Massassi were warriors, and the Kissai were priests. It was they who initially practiced in the dark side of the Force, building an Empire that would inspire so many more darksiders to follow suite, and they began the tradition that would lead to the Sith we have now"
"What happened to them?" asked Luke.
"No one knows for certain" replied K'Kruhk "They disappeared off the face of the galaxy thousands of years before the Clone Wars"
"Isn't there an official record of it?" asked Ahsoka "I mean, wouldn't the Jedi Achieves contain something about it?"
"That's the flow of history" said K'Kruhk "Some things are well preserved and recorded and stay and the full story is known forever; other things however are ultimately forgotten and lost, the real story becoming unknown to everyone. But nevertheless; the original Sith may be gone, but their legacy will never be forgotten" Uchji brought them to the entrance of what appeared to be a tomb, at the top of which was a worn away yet still haunting statue of Darth Nihilus overlooking them with a sinister glare
"This is where the presence leads to" said Uchji.
"Well, this place looks welcoming" said Luke sarcastically.
"Now you're beginning to sound like Han" said Ahsoka. At the top of the entrance was writing in a strange language.
"What does 'ari mean?" asked Luke.
"In Sith it means lord" replied K'Kruhk "Lord…of…Hunger. This is the place. Whatever this darkness truly is, it ends now" As they entered the tomb, Ahsoka heard the scuffling of some rocks behind them. She turned and looked around.
"What's wrong?" asked Luke.
"I thought I heard…nothing, it's probably just the wind" said Ahsoka. As they walked through the tombs, Luke looked over and saw images on the wall of various things; one thing that caught his eye was one of a large bipedal rancor-like creature covered in spikes.
"What's that?" asked Luke.
"That's a terentatek, a vicious creature that feeds off the blood of Force-sensitives" replied K'Kruhk "They were notorious for hunting Jedi and wiping out large portions of the Order; so much so that great hunts were started to thin their numbers down"
"Are they extinct now?" asked Luke.
"It's hard to say" replied K'Kruhk "It is said that terentatek could hibernate great periods and awake when the dark side is strong in the galaxy again; all the more reason why we have to stop this now" As they reached the end of the hallway, a cool and crisp air whooshed past them.
"The presence is just beyond this doorway" said Uchji "I can feel it closer than ever"
"We're here" said K'Kruhk "Whatever we find behind these doors is what is drawing all the darkness together"
"Found what you are looking for amongst the dead?" said a menacing voice. The four of them turned around to see the spectral image of Darth Bane standing before them, dressed fully in battle armor and with his long black cape waving in the spectral wind.
"And what are you supposed to be?" asked Ahsoka.
"I am Darth Bane, creator of the Rule of Two" said Bane "And what brings Jedi to raid the tombs of Korriban?"
"We're here to deal with the darkness here" said K'Kruhk "And we've come too far for someone like you to stand in our way"
"Do you not understand the truth or are you simply too ignorant to acknowledge it?" said Bane "The darkness of Korriban is not to be taken lightly; it exists within its veins, it is within the dark side itself. All those who walk upon the surface must embrace it or be destroyed by those who wield the power!"
"The Sith here are all dead" said K'Kruhk "I hardly see why they're as much danger to us in death as they were in life"
"Dead?" said Bane "We may be dead, but our legacy lives on to this day. But I will give you this one warning; whatever you find behind that doorway is the path to oblivion, for both Jedi and Sith alike…" The spectral wind began blowing again and his form disintegrated into sand and dust which blew away.
"Darth Bane?" said Luke.
"That wasn't Darth Bane" said K'Kruhk "That was merely a Sith illusion left here to ward off any intruders who may come to the tombs"
"What did he mean by oblivion for both Jedi and Sith alike?" asked Ahsoka.
"Nihilus's appetite was not restricted to merely Jedi, but to Sith and other dark side force-users as well" replied Uchji "He was only helping the Sith to stay his hunger, but he would have turned on them the moment there weren't any Jedi left. Some even theorize that had he lived long enough, the whole galaxy would have reduced to a lifeless husk" The four of them walked through the doorway and entered a large chamber filled with Sith markings. At the end of the chamber stood a pedestal which held the mask of Darth Nihilus on it. "There it is; that's his mask, the one thing that held him together"
"I can't help but feel that this is a bad idea" said Ahsoka.
"We have no choice" said K'Kruhk "It's better in our hands than just here" As they walked over to the mask, Uchji heard strange Sith talking coming from it.
"Wait!" said Uchji.
"What is it?" asked Luke. Uchji listened carefully as the mask continued.
"It's him!" said Uchji "He's…talking"
"I can't hear anything" said Luke. Uchji listened further.
"He knows we're here" said Uchji. Suddenly, countless Sith serpents slithered in through the cracks in the wall and onto the pedestal where they piled up onto each other and formed a body for the mask. The mask began chanting in Sith again.
"Wait, I heard that!" said Luke.
"Me too" said Ahsoka. K'Kruhk looked carefully at the mask and it's body and was instantly reminded of the dark form he had seen on Korriban.
"I knew it was the cause of this darkness all along" said K'Kruhk "Get behind me" Nihilus extended his hand out and shot out a powerful light which caused various skeletal Sith warriors to appear before them and snarl. Nihilus then pointed towards the four of them and the Sith ran towards them.
"This is bad, right?" said Ahsoka as she and the others ignited their lightsaber.
"Too late to say that now" said Luke.
"Do you know how to fight?" asked Ahsoka.
"The monks taught me various martial arts forms in case of defense" replied Uchji.
"I suppose that's good enough" said Ahsoka. As the Sith surrounded them, they began fighting them and slashing them down; but despite taking down a lot of them, there seemed to be more than there were to begin with. "Is it just me or are there more of them now?"
"There's a small army of these guys forming right here" said Luke as he slashed one of the Sith down. K'Kruhk observed this as this happened and noticed that two more Sith suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Skywalker, Tano; every time we kill one of them, two more take its place" said K'Kruhk "If we continue on like this, we'll be overrun"
"There's got to be something we can do" said Luke "I mean, we can't just leave them"
"Uchji, is there something we can do to stop them?" asked K'Kruhk.
"Cut off the heart and mind and the rest should follow" replied Uchji as she pointed at Nihilus.
"Hold on tight, I've got this" said K'Kruhk. He leapt up into the air and landed in front of Nihilus who said something in Sith. "You may have been a powerful Sith Lord once, but now you're nothing more than a long forgotten memory" He swung his lightsaber across Nihilus. The remaining Sith distingerated and disappeared while the remaining Sith serpents slithered away, leaving the mask back on its pedestal. "Even knowing about what the darkness was capable of beforehand, the extent of its power still surprises me"
"The presence of Nihilus is stronger than you originally thought?" said Luke.
"Worse; I fear that the Spirit of Nihilus still endures inside his mask, fully aware of his surroundings and fully capable of manipulating the world around it" said K'Kruhk "The gathering darkness was more than a simple coincidence"
"Then what are we going to do?" asked Ahsoka.
"We have to get it off Korriban immediately" said K'Kruhk "Anywhere strong with the dark side will only give it more power" Suddenly, a powerful laser bolt fired forward and went straight through him shoulder causing him to collapse onto the ground as if he were dead.
"Master K'Kruhk!" exclaimed Luke. Suddenly, several drones flew out and contained them within a force field. "What is this?"
"Finally!" said a voice. Boba Fett entered the chamber.
"Fett!" said Luke.
"What are you doing here?!" snapped Ahsoka.
"I've been traversing this planet for days" replied Fett "The Emperor has put a high demand for ancient Sith artefacts so I came to find some; but the tombs were harder to navigate than I originally thought. Fortunately I happened to come across you bunch and knew exactly where to look"
"Fett, don't take that mask" said Ahsoka "You'll doom us all"
"Like I care" said Fett. He walked up to the pedestal (pushing away K'Kruhk's body in the process) and looked down at the mask. "Sometimes this is just too easy!" He grabbed ahold of the mask and ran out of the chamber.
"Fett, stop!" said Luke.
"Oh no!" said Ahsoka. At that moment, K'Kruhk got himself up.
"Master K'Kruhk, you're alive!" exclaimed Luke "How—"
"I'll explain later" replied K'Kruhk. He looked back at the pedestal. "Where is the mask?"
"Boba Fett took it" replied Ahsoka. K'Kruhk extended his hand out and crushed the drones that contained them within a force field.
"No time to wait, we have to stop him before he leads the planet" said K'Kruhk. They rushed outside just in time to see Slave I lifting off and flying away out of the valley. "Quickly, we can still stop him" He force-gripped tight onto Slave I and held it back. "C'mon; together now!" As Luke, Ahsoka, and Uchji joined in, Fett looked down at his navigation computer and typed into the controls.
"Use the Force against me, huh?" said Fett "Let's see how well you do against hyperspace!" Within moments, Slave I shot off into hyperspace, leaving behind a wave of dust.
"We…We lost him!" said Luke.
"This is very bad" said Ahsoka "What are we going to do now?"
"We'll head back to the shuttle and see where we go from there" replied K'Kruhk "It seems that the fate of the Jedi, the fate of the galaxy, perhaps the fate of the Force itself now lies in Fett's hands"
Author's note #1: Yeah, I really went Twin Peaks with that Jedi Council scene.
Author's note #2: I tried to keep Darth Nihilus story as self-contained as I could in order to avoid too much reliance on knowing Knights of the Old Republic to understand it.
CT7567Rules: Petro and Gungi haven't turned up just yet, but they will. As for Chelaa having two lightsabers, I actually like that idea.
Martin: It took me time, but I finally got the Galen Marek story in; I'm glad you liked it :)