[20 BBY]

[Tower of the Order of the Terrible Glare, Ruins, Surface of Garn, Garn System, Cadma, Outer Rim Territories]

The bad news was we were fighting our way through, or into, a wizard's Sanctum; the good news though, was that said wizard had designed the place rather poorly so far. I wasn't going to get overconfident, but the fact was the extra-dimensional demon-things were only coming through limited spots, and our force of Jedi was suppressing any entry near us. Subconsciously perhaps, but it was working, and the initial wave of horrors was tapering off while my droids outside fought their way through the corridors towards our position.

Flamers and blasters, and dumbing down self-awareness on the droids, and the illusions and existential dread being less effective against mindless automatons than untrained organics. We had a decent defensive position now; even with Knight Tachi and Padawan Tano unconscious my bodyguard droids, and surviving, one a flamer unit B-1R's, were holding a circle along with the other Jedi present in the centre of this large room. Setting the side in front of me aflame with my slug-thrower was working, sickly green flames burning corrupted not-flesh as the warped creatures fell back now beyond one two that charged us after running through it.

With a serene calm borne of the immersion in the Light I readjusted my slug-thrower rifle into one hand, firing another round into the wall to continue the firewall, and flicking a blaster pistol back into my now free hand. Aim, adjust, press...target down, not-flesh burning to ash and then vanishing back into the ether. Beside me Stass whirled in the Force, one had slashing with the gleam blade while the other gestured and telekinetically spread the flames. Behind me, out of sight but I could feel in the Force, Kenobi and Unduli flinging loose rock and other broken off pieces of statues to lash like blades at the creatures as Bariss fussed over downed two.

Reaching out with other senses, careful as I could so as not to be detected, I felt the power pulse and fade around us. Emotion would be a poor choice here, a subtle undercurrent of manipulation in the air, or at least I thought so as I felt machinery or something like that fill the building. Pulling back as something lashed painfully at my efforts. Techno-Sorcery perhaps?...how rare to see in this galaxy. Or, to be truthful my mind guessed as I blasted another horror, I didn't think I'd seen or heard or in recent history at all. Then again the ancient bodies and armour said this wasn't recent, but the soul stones just felt wrong; vile things, bombs we had to avoid setting off as three were summoned to within out little circle.

"Whatever is summoning and controlling these things is beyond those doors!"

"Agreed, support units seven minutes out at current rate" I replied to Kenobi's calmly stated words through the communications "...explosives to breach are with them..."

Hopefully strong enough to do so at least, those doors were large and strong looking after all "...there's something in the walls, power conduits? Machinery? Feels wrong"

"The whole place feels wrong Padawan..." Stass replied her movements an intricate dance of swirling light as the lightsaber flashed this way and that "...but yes, there is something there beyond the horrors, linking back to our attacker. It keeps attempting to weaken our resolve, do not falter"

'As expected, a better sensor than I in certain things' I thought continuing to shoot in a calm and controlled manner, seeing, moving, killing. Seconds passed, little icons on my HUD blinking out, but the majority continuing to move forward as updates continued from Gardan in the Stormcrow far above in space as Vulture droid-fighers apparently surrounded the ruins and struggled against and invisible force. The Force of course, but it was more distractions and that was a good thing as we prepared for our assault upon the inner Sanctum; thankfully Kenobi was smart enough to wait...

...then, as suddenly as it began the assault ended. The mental assaults weakened, the horrors slithering and squelching away back into the inky blackness of nowhere as they vanished from our sight and senses with a shrieking silent howl in the Force. I didn't wince or grimace, just letting it flow over me as I used the respite to reload my slug-thrower and place it back over my shoulder. Kenobi was giving orders, which was fine by me as we readjusted our formation so that he and Unduli could attempt to cut open the doorway with their lightsabers as I turned and knelt to aid Bariss checking the others.

"I have medication in my armour, do you need anything?"

Bariss shook her head, though there was concern showing faintly on her face through the clear faceplate of her suit "No, they are just...drained I think, the Force...but they won't wake up. Rest, we need get them back..."

I nodded my armoured head "Understood..." bringing a finger to my communicator "...Stormcrow Actual, prepare medical facilities. Gardan prepare quarantine protocols for all of us, and have medical pods at base camp brought up"

"Stormcrow Actual copies General, I'll have them moved up..." the voice from the skies replied, concern in his tone "...now that the enemies have vanished. Should we expect return?"

"Unknown, all units on guard, prep for fighting our way out and bombardment upon evac should be required" I instructed back as the first of the relief droids, two droiekas, rolled into the room and deployed after coming near us. I glanced up and towards the doorway as Luminara Unduli's voice came through the suits communicator as both she and Kenobi stepped away from the edifice.

"The doors are resistant to our lightsabers, it seems a more direct approach will be needed"

I nodded "Okay, explosives it is. Gardan, Fire Plan Iota Seven on that doorway please..." speaking, then gesturing with my gauntleted hand that it was best to get out of the way "...I'd recommend we form up over there, no guarantee these things won't return, and I don't want anyone caught in the blast"

"A reasonable course of action, now, if you could have your droids help carry Siri and Ahsoka?" Kenobi replied gesturing at the two bodies as he and Unduli moved away from the giant doors, just as more of my droids entered the cavernous room. I voiced my agreement, motioning at the two and then at two of my B-1Rs and instructing them to carry the two unconscious Jedi but remain in the centre of our circular formation as the side of room continued to smoulder in green flames.

"Excellent..." the Jedi said in his usual seemingly bemused calm as several of the droids fell into defensive formation around us, and those with explosives came forward and began to lay them against where the hinges appeared to be "...now, let me help with that to speed it along"

'Ah, just jumping in and doing things his own way...of course. No, matter, it will speed things along' I thought, the eerie calm of the spell still in full effect upon me as two packs of explosives lifted off the droids and stuck themselves to the uppermost section. Of course he was still talking, but that was to be expected from the fabled Negotiator now wasn't it?

"...expect another surge of these nightmares when we breach this barrier, or perhaps some other variation thereof, as this particular Darksider is proving a difficult sort despite our numbers"

I agreed, albeit silently, focusing instead on directing my units and then detonating the small shaped charges as they blew one after another in format that caused the massive doors to creak and totter. Then slam down unto the stone floors in front of us as a loud boom echoed out alongside a gust of air that blasted dust towards us, and jerked the flames to roar and crackle. Beyond us, in the darkness of another cavernous room, lay a pyramid of light; seemingly suspended in the air till we strode forward and it began apparent that it was resting upon a jet black pillar with energy signals emanating outwards from it all directions according to my HUD.

"WICKED JEDI!" oh heavens, that's a booming voice "YOU COME BEFORE THE VENGEFUL REMAINS OF RUR, HIGH SHAMAN OF THE TERRIBLE GLARE! NOW YOU WILL SUFFER FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST THE GALAXY!!!!"

'Heavens above, Hells below, a Techno-Lich' I thought to myself just seconds before the a gust of Power rolled over me, staggering me backwards a step as did the others apart from Kenobi who'd braced suddenly with his lightsaber at the ready before him. Not the Dark Side this time, so a dangerous one as I felt familiar...a little familiar...hum, buzz, taste, in the air...

The Force screamed at us, calm fury, as I noticed the skeletal remains littered about darkness of the room begin to stir, eyes glowing, as the souls trapped with the gems surrounding the 'pyramid' with the corpse inside it continued their shrieking. My blaster was already in motion, pressing down on the trigger, the blaster bolt flying toward the corpse inhabited see-through pyramid...only to be blocked by a forcefield generated from the Force itself. Annoying that...

...even more-so when the skeletons in ancient Jedi armour rose to their feet and ignited equally ancient lightsabers. Good news the Techno-Lich, Rur apparently, wasn't simply telekinetically wielding the blades separately inside of using them through the undead Jedi Knights. Bad news; the skeletons were moving in semi-familiar forms with those blades, and in a format faster and smoother than I'd like for stupid undead things – and more concerning there were a dozen of them, in close enough range, in a room that, while large, was not an open battlefield. With barely a thought I fired again with my blast, getting the shot deflected as my other hand moved and I called out orders.

"All units open fire, anti-Force User protocols. Aaron, Abigail, Support. Close Combat"

There wasn't time now to fight as I'd want, the undead Knights charging forward as my units opened up; and ancient as those lightsabers were...it seemed most of the dozen yet worked, deflecting blasts as if the wielders were alive. Four steps would close with me on the nearest, and my free hand grabbed Tano's lightsaber even as the other re-secured the blaster and reached for a hidden compartment...

Three steps; pressing with the Force it opened, the hilt inside flying into hand...

Two steps; I stepped forward...

Snap-hissssss

...and two blades of light ignited. One blocking the blow aimed at my head, as I swung my own in slashing gesture towards the mummified corpse's chest; failing as the thing 'jumped' back a step. My blade did scorch the front its armour though, and I gestured swiftly, serene and calm, to send the creature flying backwards to slam into the far wall thanks to telekinetic slam. The Light Side was excellent for mercilessness and emotional control as battle commenced around me as the others engaged their own undead, and the Techno-Lich threw illusions and attempts at mental control at us.

"I KNEW IT!"

I glanced at my former Master and shrugged in my armoured form. It was revealing more than I'd liked, but it was always a possibility so the easiest thing to give up as a secret "I never claimed otherwise. Now, skeleton-zombie things to kill..." because regardless of my life it always seemed to be bloody undead I noted as I pointed at the black 'tower' under the pyramid, and then upwards as I moved "...and we need to do something about that thing"

"Obi-wan! The pyramid..." Stass began to say, but I moved to deal with another threat as another skeleton Knight engaged me as my two bodyguard droids engaged another. We were going to win this, were winning this, as the darkness filled with blaster fire and flames as the three of the skeletons went down and the Techno-Lich's forcefield was bombarded by blaster bolts; causing it to pulse and flare. Telekintically I touched the button, opening my command comms.

"Heavy Units; Priory is the Pyramid..." I instructed, igmoring the ranting that was now coming from the Techno-Lich about some Goddess, and Vengeance, and a host of other problems with the Jedi as I tore into the walking corpse before me armour or no armour "...eliminate the Force User within!"

It was a brutal fight, but only had one ending. I'd have smiled if I wasn't so calm when the pyramid structure exploded a few minutes later under the barrage of heavy blaster bolts from the Droidekas and the five surviving skeletons collapsed like puppets that had their stings cut...

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