I don't own Star Wars or any of the characters.
The Force led Shae Koda deep into the deep lava filled valleys of the Rift of Tython. The Dathomiri descended human urged her winged Rancor onwards. Another figure came into Shae Koda's view. It was the Sith Sek'nos Rath riding on a blue skinned reptilian mount. Shae smiled at her old friend as he raised his hand in greeting.
"Hola, Shae Koda! Is that a new beast?" greeted Sek'nos.
Shae landed Butch and Sek'nos stepped down from his mount. The two friends warmly greeted each other, not having seen each other in months.
"Yup. Her name's Butch. Why're you here, Sek'nos?" wondered Shae.
"Had a vision of a man in a metal mask. I opened myself to the Force and it led me here. You?" replied Sek'nos.
"I had the shadow man, too." told Shae.
"Looks like we're not the only ones." noticed Sek'nos.
A yellow speeder rushed down the dirt train, leaving a dust cloud in its wake. Shae recognized the speeder immediately, disgruntled at knowing who the owner was.
"I'd know that speeder anywhere. It's the 'princess'!" hostilely spoke Shae.
The speeder stopped and Tasha Ryo stepped out. Sek'nos went to greet the Twi'lek, always happy to meet a lady. Shae turned away from Tasha greeting Sek'nos. The red head had never liked the Twi'lek ever since they met all those months ago. Shae's aggressive, bold behavior was not compatible with Tasha's more calm nature; making the two Journeyers clash whenever they were near each other.
"Am I too late?" asked Tasha.
"Seems to me you're right on time. I'm Sek'nos Rath, by the way. Did you see a vision as well, princess?" questioned Sek'nos.
"Princess? Oh, that's Shae Koda's little joke. I'm Tasha Ryo and yes, I saw…something…" answered Tasha.
"Shadowy man in a metal mask? We had the same—" began Sek'nos.
"Sek'nos! Something's coming…" said Shae.
A great burning ball of fire flew across the sky. Shae Koda pulled out a pair of binoculars, zooming in on the falling object.
"A big something—and its on fire! I think it's a ship! Not like anything I've seen before—and it's headed right towards us! Jump!" warned Shae.
The three Journeyers took cover. The ship landed, exploding upon impact. The three Journeyers sensed the deaths of all those aboard the ship, the howls of the dying flooding the Force.
"I sense beings within it…in pain…dying!" sensed Tasha.
"A battle—" realized Shae.
"And darkness." said Sek'nos.
Shae, Tasha and Sek'nos climbed out from their hiding place when they could no longer sense the dying screams through the Force.
"C'mon, we need to get down there, see if there's any survivors!" spoke Shae.
"I sense none…" told Tasha.
Shae called Butch, mounting the winged Rancor. Tasha took her speeder while Sek'nos rode his mount to the crash site. The three made their way to the crash. Upon reaching the ruined ship, the Journeyers began the search for any survivors.
"I've tried calling the Council, but the shock wave fried my comm.…." announced Tasha.
"The Council can wait. We've got to check for survivors." stated Shae.
They discovered an escape pod not far from the crash site. The three approached the escape pod. Sek'nos was the first to reach the escape pod. Shae Koda and Tasha Ryo were right behind the Sith.
"Careful! It's blistering hot!" warned Sek'nos.
"It's opening! There's…someone!" gasped Tasha.
Shae and Sek'nos drew their swords. Tasha fell into her fighting stance, summoning the Force from within her. Slowly, the door to the escape pod opened. A wave of energy flooded the Journeyers' senses, nearly knocking them off balance.
"I sense darkness." spoke Shae.
"Intense darkness!" proclaimed Sek'nos.
"Anger." sensed Tasha.
A dark armour clad figure stepped out of the escape pod. The armour clad figure removed his helmet, revealing the face of a young male human no older than the three Journeyers. The stranger had fair skin, short black hair and dead blue eyes. A purple triangular marking was tattooed across the stranger's face. The stranger drew the weapon at his side, a purple blade of light extending from the hilt. Whoever this stranger was, he ready to fight.
XXX
At Akar Kesh, Temple Master Ketu could sense a great imbalance in the Force. News of the vanished ship had finally reached Tython, and the Je'daii Temple Master was worried. The leader of the Je'daii Council was in conference with Je'daii Ranger Rori Fenn. The female Je'daii Ranger was fair skinned, blond haired; blue eyed, dressed in a blue shirt and dark leggings, and carried her sword at her side.
"I felt a multitude of beings crying out as they died, Master Ketu—one great voice in the Force..A voice so familiar, yet so alien as well…" explained Rori.
"As one, we Je'daii felt their deaths, Ranger Fenn. All who perished were Force sensitives, like the Je'daii and yet…unlike us as well. More disturbing, the energy I sensed was unbalanced. There was only darkness and then that, too, disappeared." concernedly spoke Ketu.
"Aye, I felt it as well. As dark as Bogan. Sensors indicate that the ship crashed far fro here within the Rift—perhaps in the Abyss of Ruh itself." assumed Rori.
"We need to determine the origin of this craft and its intent. More importantly, we need to know if it was alone—or part of a fleet." sternly spoke Ketu.
"Do you believe this to be a scout ship for an invasion?" wondered Rori.
""I do not know. Ranger hawk Ryo sensed no others, yet we must be certain. Meet him at the crash site. Science Master Quan-Jang will join you. He insisted." ordered Ketu.
"Do you sense any survivors, master Ketu?" asked Rori.
"A Force Storm gathers and clouds the senses. I felt nothing in the wreckage, but separate from it, a spark of darkness still lingers. Be cautious, Rori Fenn. For ten millennia we have been alone in the Tython system. You do not know what you might find—or how dangerous it might be." warned Ketu.
XXX
Back at the crash site, Shae Koda, Tasha Ryo and Sek'nos Rath faced the stranger who had emerged from the escape pod. The Sith and human had their swords drawn, ready to attack the stranger with one wrong movement. Tasha thought the stranger could be reasoned with, so she tried to show him that they meant him no harm.
"Put down your weapon, stranger. We mean you no harm." assured Tasha.
The stranger raised his weapon, apparently not having believed the Twi'lek's words.
"You meet me with blades drawn and expect me to believe you mean no harm? Liars." spoke the stranger.
The stranger charged forward, ready for the kill.
"You are the enemy! I will fight and die as a warrior! You will not feast on my bones!" snarled the stranger.
Sek'nos was the stranger's first target. The Sith raised his sword to block the attack, only for his blade to be cut in half. Sek'nos was shocked, not believing what happened to his sword.
"That's…not possible! That was Madog steel." gasped Sek'nos.
The stranger prepared for his next strike. Shae Koda attacked the stranger from behind before he could strike Sek'nos again. Snarling with rage, the stranger turned his shining blade of light on the Dathomiri human female. Shae raised his sword to hold off the stranger's attack, only for the blade to shatter upon impact with the enemy's weapon. The stranger struck Shae's side before she had the chance to recover, sending the red head to the ground.
Seeing that the stranger could not be reasoned with, Tasha stepped into the battle. Summoning forth the powers of the Force, Tasha tried to talk down the stranger one last time.
"I have no blade for you to sever. Surrender, or I will be forced to harm you. I say again—surrender." demanded Tasha.
"Surrender is death. No surrender. Ever." roared the stranger.
The stranger extended his hand, sending out a powerful Force push. Tasha was sent flying backwards, landing head first against a nearby rock. The Twi'lek's body limply laid against the rock, showing no signs of movement.
Now the stranger had gone too far. Shae Koda and Sek'nos Rath discarded their shattered swords. Weaponless, the young Je'daii would have to rely on their combat skills from now on. Unless they could disarm or find another weapon soon, it was the only option they had.
"Tasha's alive. I can feel it." told Sek'nos.
"Shame. And I was hoping to avenge her death." sharply joked Shae.
Shae charged at the stranger. Sek'nos was not to far from his friend's side. The Journeyers lunged at the stranger. They tried to get close to the stranger in order to inflict a direct attack, but the stranger's energy blade kept Shae and Sek'nos at a distance.
"Focus, Sek'nos! The guy with the energy sword! Remember. Him? This isn't a sparring match!" reminded Shae.
"Sweet mood, Shae. You've been hanging around Rancors too much." mocked Sek'nos.
"Opponent. Energy sword. Trying to kill us. Focus, Sek'nos!" snapped Shae.
"I am. Got something new I've been playing with. Something nasty." chuckled Sek'nos.
Sparks encircled the Sith's fingers as a ball of Force lightning formed in his hands. Sek'nos' lips curled into a twisted smile, a victorious laugh escaping his throat. This would take care of the stranger, Sek'nos assured himself. There was no way his plan could fail.
"Stranger! You can't turn into mist this time!" laughed Sek'nos.
Sek'nos released the lightning upon the stranger.
"You annoy me with children's games! Enough!" emotionlessly said the stranger.
The stranger easily redirected Sek'nos' own Force lightning back at the Je'daii. The lightning hit the ground, causing destruction in its wake. The lightning scared the animals, causing them to panic. Butch slipped and landed in an acid pool. The Rancor cried out in pain, beating its wings wildly as the acid ate through its flesh.
"Butch!" called out Shae.
The human quickly ran to her beast, trying to calm it. Butch thrashed about wildly, screaming and howling in pain.
"Hang on Butch—I've got you!" slightly panicked Shae.
All the while, Sek'nos was still fighting the stranger.
"Shae! Opponent. Energy sword. Trying to kill us! Remember?" yelled Sek'nos.
Shae turned her attention back to the battle.
"I'm on i! Don't let him get away!" called Shae.
The stranger kicked Sek'nos in the head, knocking the Sith to the ground. Quickly turning around, the stranger summoned up the Force and pushed back the red haired girl. Shae flew backwards, landing on her back.
"Shae! No!" shouted Sek'nos.
Sek'nos reluctantly forced himself to look away from Shae, turning back to the stranger.
"Who are you?!" asked Sek'nos.
"I am called Xesh, Force Hound of the Rakata. You are meat." sinisterly laughed Xesh.
"I am Sek'nos Rath of the Je'daii. From a long line of great Je'daii. If you want to die, you will." panted Sek'nos.
Sek'nos grabbed Xesh's weapon, snatching it from the Force Hound's hand. The blade instantly deactivated the Sith pulled it from its owner's hand.
"Blast! How do you turn this thing on?" questioned Sek'nos.
"You don't! You give me my weapon—now!" demanded Xesh.
"That would be a really stupid thing for me to do. Do I look that stupid?" sarcastically asked Sek'nos.
The Sith tossed the weapon over his shoulder.
"Hey, Shae! Catch!" called Sek'nos.
"Got it!" said Shae.
Xesh was enraged. Anger rolled of the Force Hound in waves. The dark energy that radiated off the young man increased, strengthening the deeper his anger grew.
"Fools! You cannot activate the forcesaber! Give it back to me! Surrender and perhaps I will let you live!" snarled Xesh.
With help from the Force, Xesh lifted the Sith high above his head.
"How many opponents have you killed, Je'daii Sek'nos Rath? I have lost track of my kills." manically laughed Xesh.
The Force Hound threw Sek'nos to the hard ground with all of his strength. Xesh pinned down the Sith's limbs, holding his face mere inches above a boiling acid pool.
"Command your female to give me my weapon or you will burn like the beast!" threatened Xesh.
"'Command'?! My 'female'?!" said Sek'nos.
Seeing her friend held captive caused something in Shae Koda to snap. The young Je'daii Journeyer charged at Xesh, forcesaber drawn.
"Stand away from him, scum—or I'll strike you down where you stand! Stand away! Stand away!" shouted Shae.
Anger clouded Shae Koda's mind as she charged her enemy. The forcesaber sprang to life with a soft snap-hiss of the blade. Leaping into the air, Shae raised the forcesaber above her head, prepared to strike Xesh down where he stood.
"You are more powerful than I thought. But not powerful enough." remarked Xesh.
The Force Hound forced the young woman backwards with a simple flick of his hand. Shae easily recovered from her opponent's attempted Force push, knocking Xesh off balance with a slash of his own weapon. The Force Hound stumbled backwards, only to be picked in the back by Sek'nos.
"Yeah, we're that good. You're going down." declared Sek'nos.
"I have erred…misjudged your power. Against greater numbers I cannot prevail. My only choice is to survive." hissed Xesh.
Xesh punched the ground. The earth beneath their feet began to quake and crumble, tossing the Journeyers around like leaves in the wind. The Force Hound used the opportunity to escape to higher ground. A warrior knew when to fight and when to retreat and form a better plan of attack. Xesh would deal with the three Je'daii later. And this time he would come out victorious.
Tasha was shaken from her sleep. Sek'nos was standing over her, holding a large rock up with the Force.
"Heavy. Tasha…move now, please…" requested Sek'nos.
Tasha quickly got to her feet. it was just in time too. Sek'nos had just dropped the rock where the Twi'lek had been laying.
Shae Koda was oblivious to the Sith and Twi'lek, her focus on tracking down and subduing the Force Hound.
"Moons. He's going deeper into the Abyss…and we have to go after him." stated Shae.
"It is best that we wait for the masters! They will have sensed the crash and know far better how to proceed." calmly spoke Tasha.
"Don't you get it, princess? The Force called up here for a reason! If he kills someone, it will be our fault! I think your mother coddled you in Kaleth too long! If you want to wait for the masters, fine. But wait alone!" exclaimed Shae.
Sek'nos picked up the helmet Xesh had discarded. The Sith imagined the looks of pride on the Temple Masters' faces—including that of his grandmother— faces when he brought in that Force Hound for the Council to interrogate.
"Imagine the respect on Master Ketu's face when I bring him in. Think we can get to him before Tython does? Place is dangerous enough if you know it—and Xesh doesn't." spoke Sek'nos.
"Much as I like the thought of the Abyss taking out this creep for what he did to Butch, we need to know more about him and his ship." realised Shae.
"I…agree, Shae Koda. We must go after him." agreed Tasha.
With the three now in agreement, the Journeyers travelled deeper into the Abyss, tracking the path of dark energy the Force Hound left trailing behind him.
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