So I hope you guys like this one. It's probably going to be the longest one ever for me, so I hope you like it.
Chapter 7: Tython
"I've always wanted to visit Tython," The Emperor's Wrath said. "Preferably with it on fire but, oh well."
On a stealth shuttle, heading towards Tython, the Wrath was accompanied by a squadron of elite imperial troopers, his companion. and the agent, a female chiss, the latter of which he distrusted on principle. Operatives almost always had an agenda. All in all it was rather cramped, especially for a long flight.
"The Flesh Raiders have already tried and failed." The operative said, in a matter-of-fact voice, not helping her case against the Wrath's opinion.
"They are weak and stupid." The wrath replied. "I on the other hand-"
The wrath was interrupted by the robotic pilot's voice.
"Five minute to landing" the droid said.
"Get your men ready, sergeant." The operative said to the commanding officer of the squad.
"Yes, ma'am!" The soldier replied, saluting, before turning to his men.
"All right men, prepare for landing. We're going in stealthed."
Dragothis was waiting in the cargo hold, along with the hunter, Darth Nox, and another strike team. He could tell they were all getting antsy, though the hunter and Nox both had no qualms about showing their boredom. Then, surprisingly, one of the troops walked over to Dragothis, with the hunter and the rest of the strike team's shock easily noticeable.
"Sir, permission to speak, sir." The trooper asked, his helmet making his voice metallic.
"Granted."
"Sir, the team was wondering as to when we are going to land, Sir."
"You mean you were wondering."
"Uh, yes sir."
Dragothis was silent for a moment as he silently considered what to do with the trooper from behind his war mask. Simply approaching a sith lord without permission could be punishable by death, but they had limited numbers. And only some with a great amount of idiocy or bravery would approach a Dark Council member to ask when they would arrive, and he could tell this man was no idiot.
"Pilot, what is our eta?" Dragothis asked, talking into his helmet's comlink.
"Five minutes, sir, the same as the other shuttle's." The droid replied.
"Good." Dragothis said, before turning to the trooper. "Five minutes, trooper. Prepare yourself."
"Yessir!" The trooper said, before turning to leave.
"Trooper." Dragothis stopped him.
"Sir?"
"What is your name?"
"Darrith."
For some reason the name seemed to remind Dragothis of something, but he couldn't quite remember. Dismissing it, he nodded to the trooper before turning to converse with Nox and the Hunter.
Tython was a world literally enveloped in the Force. In fact it was so sensitive to it, that if the balance on Tython was ever disrupted, the planet would react, summoning storms made by the Force. So the arrival of three of the most powerful lords of the sith in the galaxy would be very disruptive. In fact, that was part of the plan. The chaos would mask their arrival, distracting the jedi long enough to get in and out of the temple. Nox was talking to Zana as they landed.
"I personally find this mission to be insane." Zana said.
"You still agreed," Nox pointed out.
"I needed to get out more." Zana joked.
Dragothis stood alone to one side, simply watching as the two strike teams carried out his orders. In all there were 15 men to each squad, plus the group he had handpicked for the mission, the agent, the Hunter, the wrath, and a fellow Dark Council Member. Thirty-five men and women against hundreds of Jedi Knights, padawans and masters.
Then again, one of those men was Dragothis.
Jedi Knight Nenu watched as the storm rolled towards the temple. Something had gone out of balance on the Force planet.
Lightning cracked and rain came down, hard, pelting the rooftops. As the building registered the storm, an energy shield began to fall across the grounds, as each jedi returned to meditate. The Masters would have to learn of what the disturbance was and put it back in place before the storms could end.
The Strike Team, designation Alpha, was stealthily making it's way along the perimeter of the grounds, looking for the best entry point to sneak inside the temple. The team was being shielded in the force by Dragothis and the Wrath. Nox and the agent were on a nearby hilltop, ready to provide backup with the other strike team, designation Omega. The Hunter was scouting ahead and just now returning.
"They are putting up an energy shield around the entire grounds." Zana said, standing next to Dragothis, "It looks like we won't be able to get in or out if we're outside of the shield."
"Bring the second team up." Dragothis said, turning to a trooper who carried out his order. Soon the entire group was together, spread out across a garden, giving them excellent cover and mobility.
"Alpha will go with the Hunter, Nox and I. We'll secure the holocron. Omega will be our backup. The Wrath and the agent will defend our route from here to the holocron. Got it?" Dragothis asked, looking around for objections. The Wrath looked less than happy to be working with the agent, but didn't feel any need to object.
"Good. Go"
They each left to their objectives. Omega secured their position, The Wrath and the agent stayed behind the alpha team. Dragothis led the team to the main door, holding there. It was locked. Calling up the tech trooper. Pulling out an advanced hacking device, the soldier placed it on the scanner, activating the code, and opening the door. They made their way to the main vault, encountering only a single group of padawans that hardly put up a fight.
The vault itself was rather impressive. A work of art as well as a defensive system. Dragothis could at least appreciate the gesture of art before he silently tore the door clean off of the front. The alarm would have gone off, had the tech soldier also not planted another hacking device, turning the alarms off for a few minutes. That was as long as it could go before something was noticed.
Dragothis entered the vault and was almost surprised. The vault held dozens of Sith Holocrons, each one of varying power. Choosing the three he felt contained the most power, he picked each up.
"We need to go soon, Darth." Zana said, seemingly worried.
"I agree with the bounty hunter." Nox said. "Just grab one and let's get out of here."
"This one." Dragothis said, grabbing the most powerful. "Each of you take two of these holocrons. Then place the bomb."
"Yessir" The tech soldier said, complying with the orders.
Dragothis, after placing Sorzus Syn's holocron in a pack on his own back, began to run back down the hallway, along with the rest of the team. A muted explosion followed in their wake.
Nenu walked along the perimeter, bored, when he noticed something. Was that-?
Grabbing his lightsaber, Nenu leapt towards the Imperial Soldier, and would have chopped him in two if he hadn't dodged out of the way at the last second, firing at the knight.
Suddenly, Nenu felt more presences in the Force, surrounding him. More troops.
Even as he blocked more and more blaster fire, Nenu grabbed his comlink, opening a holo to Satele Shan.
"Nenu?" Satele Shan asked "What's- Is that blaster fire?"
"Master Shan, imperial troops have infiltrated the temple!" Nenu said back, blocking a blaster bolt that would have gone between his eyes. "I'm at the garden. There may be more."
"Understood." Satele said, closing the link.
Satele turned to the alarm button on her console, pressing it. Nothing happened. Realizing the imperials would have turned off the alarms, she sat down in meditation, sending out feelings of intrusion and home to all the jedi in the temple, particularly the masters and knights. She felt as she got feelings of first confusion then understanding, then preparation. Glad her message got through, Satele Shan grabbed her lightsaber and ran towards the gardens, feeling other jedi doing the same.
Dragothis looked around, running back to the gardens as he felt the new presences of jedi. Suddenly they were behind him, charging at full speed. Then a plan formulated in his mind.
"Keep running, all of you!" Dragothis yelled, before stopping, and turning to face the approaching jedi. Concentrating, Dragothis focused his power. Red mist, colored like dried blood, began peeling off of him and he felt all of his senses sharpen so much that he heard the screams of far off Flesh Raiders, the yells of beasts in far off caves and treetops. He could feel the very planet itself. He could feel the Force emanating from the planet, and he exulted in the amount of power in the planet.
The jedi in front of him slowed as they felt the amount of power gathering in this single vessel. For the first time they knew fear. It grew when Dragothis spoke.
"I am Darth Dragothis, Member of the Dark Council, Killer of Jedi Master Zen Novak, Conqueror of Belsadora and taught by Dread Master Raptus. YOU WILL NOT STOP ME!"
The Jedi looked on as Dragothis became something else entirely. His body changed shape, and in a moment, Dragothis became a large, dragon-like creature. His scales were black, with eyes of blood red. His wings were a darker shade of grey, and a maw filled with long, sharp, teeth greeted the, with a smile of pure evil. Claws scraped the floor as the jedi began to back away, terrified. Their calming techniques would not help them now.
The jedi felt the purest emanation of the dark side coming from this beast, and jedi running to join the battle, fell down, screaming in pain and fear. Flesh Raiders journeying and warring with one another suddenly fell, not in pain, but adulation for this apparent god coming to visit them. Other beasts and animals, bowed their heads in wonder and awe. The jedi in front of him however were allowed a full view into Dragothis' mind
The jedi's minds were torn apart in screaming horror, each being given a vision of their deepest most horrible fears coming to terrorize them.
None survived the experience.
Satele Shan watched as jedi, knights, masters, and padawans fell around her, in pain and fear. She felt the darkness touch her mind and she defended as best she could against it. Then darkness took her.
Nenu watched as the jedi who burst through the door fall to the ground in terror. Then he felt a pain that seemed familiar but… different. Then he realized who the power reminded him of.
The Emperor.
Nenu retreated, jumping back away from the remaining soldier who continued to fire, despite losing an arm. Kneeling down, he used the technique he had been taught to defend against such power. Temporarily cutting himself off from sensing the power, he managed to defend himself against it for now.
Darth Nox felt the power coming from Dragothis, which was when he was granted a vision, not of the past or future, but the present.
He was among the jedi whose minds were being torn apart by Dragothis, and he looked towards Dragothis, in beast form. He saw as Dragothis looked towards him and opened his mouth. A voice spoke, but it didn't seem to come from Dragothis, however, it was deep and filled with the purest expression of the Dark Side.
"As I said, Kallig." The voice said, "I know true power… For I am power..."
Then Nox was back at the shuttle, among his squadron of troops, the wrath, the agent and the hunter. Each was shivering in fright, even as they got up. The only people who were missing were Dragothis and omega squad. Then a flash of light appeared.
Dragothis stood over an unconscious Darrith, a dozen dead jedi behind him, the ones he had killed with his lightsaber which shone with a black blade.
"Si-sir?" Darrith asked, groaning as he sat up. "Wha-What happened?"
"I saved you." Dragothis said. "Can you walk?"
"I think so- gah!" Darrith said as he tried to get up but fell, when he felt his missing arm.
"Don't worry. You have more of a part to play." Dragthis said, as he picked Darrith up in the Force and touched his soldier. A flash of light and suddenly they were there, among the soldiers, sith, hunter and agent.
"Medic, take care of him." Dragothis said to the Alpha medic.
"Uh, yessir!" The medic said, surprised by his sudden entrance, before making his way to Darrith.
"We must leave." Dragothis said, turning to the rest of the squad and allies.
"Ri-right." Nox said, still recovering from his vision.
They each boarded the shuttles and lifted off, heading back to Dromund Kaas, Dragothis watching over Darrith's transformation with great interest.
Well that's it. What part will Darrith have to play? You will see. Alright, so one last time to vote, before we start the kotfe story line. Who will the outlander be? Your choices are Zana, a dark side Bounty Hunter, Cipher 9, a light side Imperial agent, Darth Nox, a dark side Sith Inquisitor, Nenu, a light side Knight, or The Emperor's Wrath, a dark side warrior.
-Dragothis