[20 BBY]

[Valley of the Dark Lords, Moraband-that-was-Korriban, Horuset System, Esstran Sector, Stygian Caldera, Outer Rim Territories]

"Ow" I admitted to myself as I lay on my back a moment, thanking the heavens for the armour, before pushing myself back up to stand once again; with another groan as muscles ached and the Force roiled. Not long on planet, and it was already actively trying to kill me...not unexpected really, but I'd thought it'd be less direct about it. I grunted as managed to get up, noting the storm front rolling in dark, angry, and shrieking up in the peaks surrounding me as a cloud bank rolled towards me distant.

Towards us I took note, resting hands on knees and getting my bearings; on ground, creepy horror moving cloud-bank/sandstorm rolling in, gunship crashed a short distance away with one Force signature flaring indicating anger. Which was quasi-good; as it also meant life the way it flared, and the gunship wasn't a complete wreck, or on fire, as I stepped towards it...wincing at the aches before summoning my power to heal the injuries. Reaching out with my Force senses, feelings of blood and horror as ever on this emanating off this blasted rock, I brought my hand up to my wrist; a few presses and a holo-image came to life.

'Good news, damage minimal, bad news gunship down, Kenobi's LAAT down as well...somewhere, that direction' I found forcing myself to move muscles and straighten my posture. Of course seeing far ahead was a problem, the Dark Side laying like a cloak of shadows over the land and reducing my 'vision' to nearby; too much *Danger* beyond that point to be worth anything. Something had been all riled up by Team Anakin, or me, or Kenobi, or Ventress...one of us most likely, as my gunship had not just fallen from the sky ever so conveniently after all. My HUD came to life displaying energy readings as Ventress slammed a damaged door open with the Force as she emerged from the gunship where it lay against the rock face, half on its side.

"Stormcrow Actual, this Moraband Lead, do you copy?"

"...&%&...read...Lead...*%&...confirm...tus...&*%*..."

Good, Bad, then I noted trying again and only getting jibber-jabber half-talk back, probably like them. With a groan, as I watched the Sith wannabe with the Force, and Aaaron and Abigail came up to me and adopted a defensive stance, I punched out a code number into my wrist-comm after pulling away a small cover. One solid data-burst would get through, and I'd let the others know I was still alive, and that the 'mission' was, technically, still ago. Though, of course, that came with the added proviso we need rescuing ourselves shortly, and forces at Base Camp needed to be on guard.

[X-T-V/12754GH/4] flashed back up a moment later as I reached out and moved the damaged gunship to rest 'properly' on its belly, and the droid forces, that were undamaged at least, inside/attached to emerge. I glanced towards a swearing Asajj Ventress "And this is why we wear armour, are you not glad I gave you that nice set?"

I ignored the curses, if not directed at me in truth, glancing off towards the rapidly, and unnaturally, approaching black-grey cloud thing as it moved contrary to the now shrieking winds up in the peaks above. A veritable hurricane up there, but only a light summer's breeze where we now stood; problematic to say the least, and mere minutes away at the current 'speed' of its advance.

Good news; my two bodyguards were undamaged, as were the two droidekas and Ventress – Bad News; only six of the B-1/R's were fully operational, one of them the Pilot which as barely useful in close combat with its programming investment. Of the other five there were varying degrees of damage limiting mobility, and the B-2/R had taken a nose dive into the rocks somehow, and was now scrap. Also bad news – no way we were going to outrun the horror-vid cloud, nor would we reach Kenobi's and his squad of clones downed LAAT further to the east either.

I pressed the comms again "General Kenobi, can you read me?"

Nothing, so another effort "Any member Squad Delta-Six please respond? General Skywalker? Commander Tano?"

"Well...kriff" I muttered after the seconds had passed unanswered, not even static, then turned to the only other organic here as she blazed with undirected anger "That does not look good"

I nodded, the black-fog 'walking' towards us "No, it does not, your suit is uncompromised?"

"Yes, we need to get moving, maybe shelter"

"I agree, we'll hold here till it..." I winced "...passes over us. Plan is still try rescue Team Recklessness, find the other one, and get the hell out of her..." felt the dark pressure of the wave front coming ever nearer, the shrieking winds high above I could hear but not feel "...assuming we can see kriff-all in this thing"

It wasn't my best course of action, but we were a rather long distance walking wise from the Base Camp, and clearly air support might make the situation worse. Shesagora would send down the armoured transports, a few droidekas, and we could evacuate once we'd linked up Kenobi at the very least; Anakin as this whole mess had kicked off since we were clearly getting close to...wherever they'd gone off to "Any other suggestions? I am open to them in the brief period before the terrible whatever-cloud engulfs us"

Because if it was toxic...well, then, my friend was very likely dead, and so too were the Clone Troopers, Kenobi, and Tano. One could only hope the high rating on my combat suit, sealed and warded as it was, would ensure survivability here as I forced myself to stay calm amidst the onslaught of negative energy nearby. Ventress, sadly, had little more of offer as I formed up the droids into a defensive position around the now grounded gunship...and then it was upon us...

...Whispers in the Darkness, Fear, Despair, Chaos, Death...

...then it was over us, past us, a distortion rippling through my body as the world flickered, blurred, burned against my body and mind...

...and into Mordor apparently. I grimaced, feeling the pressure, the darkness around me as the world pulsed into sickly darkness, a sense of dread pervading the world as lightning flashed under now skies of black clouds, yet no hurricane winds. Sometimes I hated magic...when it was used against me anyway, I rather like it when I had the advantage after all. I pushed down those thoughts; I was starting to ramble as I pulled the Force about, directing the Darkness away from me ever so faintly as I let out a breath. Toxicity...Nil, and nothing on sensors, but there was something of a magical, well Force, effect at work.

"Let us get moving..." Ventress growled at me her hands gripping her lightsabers but not igniting them as Aaron and Abigail stood on either side of me "...staying here will not any benefit"

"I agree..." I muttered in reply, turning to the B-1R's that were fully functional as moved toward the largely intact wreckage "...but first, I want you units to load up with emergency packs, and the locator beacon. We're going to grab what we can from the gunship as well, and these five droid will guard the site for now"

--

[20 BBY[Crash plus Twenty-Nine Minutes]

[Valley of the Dark Lords, Moraband-that-was-Korriban, Horuset System, Esstran Sector, Stygian Caldera, Outer Rim Territories]

"Shades or Ghosts..." I stated to Ventress as I went on guard with my modified slug-thrower, just like her as she ignited her weapons, with my rifle at the ready as the darkness swirled and danced just ahead of us into vaguely humanoid shapes "...on guard, don't fire yet"

"Interloper! Pretender! You will die here!"

Die-Die-Die-Die sang on the Force as the shadows spilt and danced around us, droids training their weapons on the five...no six...then five again...vaguely humanoid black shadows with their blasters. I doubt they'd be any use again such things, my senses thrummed with darkness, of decayed emotion; weak spirits, filled with jealousy and spite. Still it was best to take the polite approach despite the whispers and general overly dramatic-ness; they hadn't attacked us as yet.

"Greetings spirits, by any chance have you seen three Jedi running about? I'd really like to find them and drag them back to my ship"

"Weak! Weak! Weak! Die! Die! Die!" they sang back, hatefully, pathetically...moving as if to attack us, passing harmlessly through one of the B-1R's as I sighed, left hand coming up as I gathered power, holding out in front of the nearest one as it 'swiped' at me. The howling of ethereal pain was mild pleasant as the shadow-thing recoiled, burning, as its compatriots scattered away, retreating back into the darkest shadows of dead trees and rocks around us. The helmet hopefully helped keep my tone calm, cold, and restrained as I lowered my hand back to the blaster.

"Don't make threats you can't back up. If you can't be useful, then BEGONE FROM MY SIGHT SHADES!"

I frowned as they hissed and moaned, disappearing back into the ether as the pressure of dread pushed against mine and Ventress's mental shields from afar "I think we're headed in the right direction then"

"Yesss, weak things..." she hissed back, voiced somewhat modulated like my own was "...they attempt to distract us"

"Hmmm, yes, they were, badly..." I agreed as we walked forwards and about a dozen dark cloaked figures came into view, shuffling towards us at a slugging pace, weapons of some sort in hand. Physically there this time as I compared my HUD to my visuals and Force senses "...and here comes the welcoming committee. Aaron, Abrigail, with me and Ventress, everyone else cover flanks and rear"

"Roger, Roger/Roger, Roger, Beep-Beep-Beep" came back as we slowed our walk and came within a few hundred metres of the hooded and robed 'people' before "Hello there gentlebeings! How can we help you this lovely...gloomy...Korriban day?"

"Andddd...zombies, it's always fucking zombies..." I ground out with a flash of rage as I caught the mummified face as the closed of the things hissed at us loudly, the others raising weapons and hiss-snapping their horrid, yet somehow intact, teeth before charging. Too slowly as my slug-thrower came up, as did the blasters on my two bodyguards and blew them away; heads apparently being a success along with the explosive shells in my gun "...Jedi zombies, now crappy Sith zombies, it's always bloody undead"

Ventress gave me an odd sidelong look as the six undead horrors were destroyed before they could get into lightsaber range "Hmmm...problem?"

"No, No, everything is fine..." I muttered lowering the weapon again, focusing on the entrance to...probably a Temple or Tomb up ahead as the locator beacon's faint beeping picked up a little "...perfectly fine. Kriffing undead. Now, let us keep going and find out what possessed..."

...reality rippled around me mid-step, the world screaming, joyous, hatefully, lovingly...as suddenly I...

...it was bright daylight, the sun beaming down from a sky of scintillating reds and blues unto lush grass and trees where once there had been sand and rock and death...

"...Huh?" I paused, Ventress snarling beside me as I looked up at the Brand New Looking Pyramid thing built into the rock face "This isn't just me right? Things did just get freaky?"

"Yesssss..." she hissed back looking to her right, and I turned my head in that direction "...and we have company...lots of company"

I paused, glad of the alchemy and spells strengthening my mind and body right now "Ah...seems so. Well, it definitely is the right direction"

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