[17 BBY]
[Daron Stormcrow, with Strike Brigade 'A Murder of Crows', surface of Dromund Kaas, the Dark Temple, Dromund System, Esstran Sector, Old Sith Empire Worlds, Outer Rim Territories]
'They have been busy, have they not?' were my immediate thoughts as my squads fought their way forward as we were assailed by numerous alchemically enhanced wildlife and former people. Mutated vornskr and mailoc, the first being force empowered monster wolves, and the second giant wasp monsters, all mixed amongst what might have been gamoreans and twi'leks once upon a time. Armed in the cases of those misfortunates with blasters and moving with a semblance of intelligence amongst the more animal monsters attacking us. Directed intelligence, the Darksiders wielding it to control and direct, as well as form a fog to confuse the senses.
There was a path for them to win, taking us out, and, as I'd intended, they were taking it. Or, at the very least, they were intending to make it hard for us, for me and the those around me, getting into the Temple proper it appeared. It was also a firm reminder to me, to all of mine allies, just the danger that allowing these ones allied with Darth Sidious could be. There was information I needed within that looming darkness, and coldly, methodically, we cut through the monsters and sithspawn they unleashed. Mutated swamp wampas, more, more vicious vornskr, and even the plant life. I'd heard of such things, Dart Flowers, but it seemed they existed, tall flowers that launched poised thorns, mixed with trees with hungry vines.
{This. This is our test here} I 'felt/gave' to Asajj we strode forward, her with twin crimson lightsabers slashing, while I used my blaster fire amongst the fires erupting everywhere {Let us show ourselves worthy}
I gave it mental images, a feeling/projection of what I intended through our Force Bond, swinging my heavy blaster back unto my back, freeing my hands, Asajj dousing her blades and doing the same. Within my armour I took a breath, feeling the Force, feeling the sheer power of the Dark Side here, touching and twisting everything to greater or lesser degrees. But all was the Force. Connected. Intertwined. Secure in my own Power I burned with one could call holy light, calling the flames, sparking them higher and hotter as I spread my arms outwards, palms out. Words left my lips, soft and controlled, but forceful and insistent as well, for here I did not summon the flames….
No, here and now, I Commanded them…
There was no trusting in the Force here. Not on Dromund Kaas.
Here there was Power. Predatory and Dark. Dominating and yet Dominated. Here I stood my ground, arms rising up and drawing up the flames, a burning pillar of freezing light, burning against the darkness, yet also growing the shadows. From the brightest flames, the darkest shadows. Around me, where the unseen, but felt, mages in the forests found me seizing the fires, roaring them up, stoking that wrathful spirit of flame, that righteous burning wrath and need to consume.
'Burn' I/We Commanded…
For Fire wanted to Burn…
….so, it Burned, flames roaring up amidst the swampy ruins directly in front of us, where the monsters came from, where the mages waited. Each blaster bolt and mortar, the defoliator on certain tanks, increasing the heat and surface area as pressure came upon me, my gauntleted hands forming into fists, arms struggling to raise up at the weight. But the monsters began to burn, the strength of myself and Asajj forcing the flames over the hostile plant life. For if they would try to turn the life of the world against us, then I would destroy it, cleanse it with purging flames. One step forward, then another…
Another presence joined us….Celeste, to my left as Asajj was to my right. Felt the Darksiders attempt to wield their own strength back as my arms stretched forward now, driving the flames forward as the consumed and consumed with each step. Air and plant and darkness…
It all burned…
It was a tug of war now, a back and forth, as we sought to drive the flames forward, and those beyond sought to prevent it. But it was to no avail on their part, though they slowed us, resisted every step as we drove forward to the inner ruins and what been the temple. Where the powers of darkness were exalted as some earth literature had once said. But we were not without our own darkness as it were, or command over it, as even as Aayla joined us, so did Karis and Naa'leth. We were power, and we had an army, albeit a small one. Inch by inch, for miles we drove forward, till our foes were spent, fled, or dead, even as the flames now guttered, starved, of air and anything left to burn.
Panting I lowered my gauntleted hands to my armoured knees, then gathered myself once more as my droids marched forward, obliterating any remaining resistance as they seized control of the outer temple, and the courtyards open from above. Braika led that part of the operation along with Bastion, and my two primary bodyguard droids, Aaron and Abigail. With the airborne mailocs dead, and the mists dispersed, the immediate 'resistance' was, seemingly, lightsaber armed statues imbued with the Force. It was rather fascinating I admitted as I recovered, coming forward and watching as my personal guard obliterated the golems with shotgun scatter shells and explosive ones…
"Have you noticed those are….Jedi robes?"
I turned my head towards Aayla Secura as her voice came to me over the comms "Sorry?"
"Those…things" she murmured unhappily "The statues. Their clothing design is…well, they appear to be Jedi robes, and the lightsabers are yellow"
I frowned, glancing at the recently destroyed ones, noticing that, yes the lightsabers weren't the familiar must-be-some-flavour-of-red as she'd noted "Hmm…that is true"
"Sith training" Celeste stated "They are for…training I would suspect. Those were lightsaber forms they were displaying, not just wilding swinging…"
"Temple and/or Academy then" I murmured, mind clear and body free of the crushing weight of earlier, now having just the general ominousness of this world there instead "That explains some things"
"I didn't know of this place" Asajj was not a happy camper, looking around as the brigade established an inner and outer perimeter "I am angered by this"
"You're on Dromund Kaas, it encourages anger I believe, but, yes, it seems Palpatine is certainly one to have contingencies" I said to her, and the others, in the immediate vicinity, the two Jedi and Asajj basically, as I brought up the scans of the area ahead, spider droids click-clacking forward "Considering what we've just run into, I'm very much intent on investigating what they are defending"
"I agree" Celeste cut in, body language tense "This is…a dangerous problem"
"Sithspawn, Abominations, Animated Statues…and that's without the murder plants" I agreed listing the problems unhappily. There was much more here than I'd expected for a small hidden base and hidey hole like I'd expected "Yes, this is. I'm tempted to blast from orbit, but…"
"Sith Magic"
"Sith Magic" I agreed with Celeste's statement, seeing there was a significant facility below. Blowing up the place could often be the power trigger for 'teleportation' or some other esoteric ability after all. Or, to be more honest, I wanted to get what notes and data was stored down there, if any "There is also the fact there is very clearly Alchemy taking place here, and we need to know exactly what was done"
Aayla Secura was at least onboard with that idea "In case these things are…unleashed upon the galaxy. Without the Council as it was, without the Order…"
"I'm not as negative, as this has been clearly here a long time" I offered, considering the situation, but overall agreeing "But we need to secure this facility, take prisoners if we can, and certainly figure out what might have gone on here"
'Then we can blow it up' I thought as we discussed amongst ourselves, but generally just waited as my advance droid scouts pushed forward. It was only as resistance was encountered, and a general map of the internal structure was available to us, did I and the others commit to advancing into the temple/academy. Across the small settlement nearby my droid army was seizing people, most living like slaves as best I could tell from the updates. We had room for prisoners though, though I wasn't letting any aboard the Stormcrow with the potential of some pathogen or fucked up Sith magic, and, for now, the testing and processing at droid-controlled landing sites. More 'Jedi' statues assaulted us inside, along with vornskr and mages in gleaming black robes, all seemingly human, and mostly male at that, with black beards.
There weren't that many to my surprise….but they were all seemingly intent on fighting to the death as we advanced, despite offers of surrender. Celeste was happy enough with that…them fight to the death part at least, not so much on the surrender offers. Here the 'Light', though it was foolish to think of the Force like that, weakened, as did our Jedi teachings, and Jedi powers as we progressed. But, for us, there was too much strength with my personal warband, organic and synthetic, to be stopped now. This was no lone Jedi fighting there way into the Academy, or even a Jedi strike team facing a force of Sith, as despite the Old Power lingering…
Undead were unleashed against us. Hollowed out liches that charged with Sith Lightning, the Force swirling around them, as statues guarding them. Here I drew forth my shrouded purple blade, the gloom giving it a darker hue, blooding it almost, just as with the others as all fell before us. This was a test of sorts, albeit very much being rigged in our favour if I had anything to say about it. The ways of the Sith, both old and 'new' in the lineage of Bane was generally fucking moronic in elevating the idiot who could swing the laser sword the best often enough. These ancient undead went down to plasma shields and blaster bolts, to droids and lightsabers as my droid-bodyguards were truly tested here and now…
And found able to destroy my foes…
Till we penetrated the inner sanctum, passed horrific looking laboratories, past a 'creche' of confused children, past ancient runes…
To where a dangerously powerful mage stood. One oozing the Dark Side, and reaching out now as we entered after solving the 'puzzle' on the doors
"You have come to these lands. Here the Dark Side welcomes you, here you Fall…"
I just…
My armoured hand gripped the slugthrower slung over my back, pulling it out as Aayla seemed to collapse to her knees, both Karis and Naa'leth struggling to stand themselves, gasping and panting as the Darkness tried to swallow us all. Asajj…
Held her ground, sneering back. Proud. In control…
In control. She lashed out with the Dark side. Power roared and shredded the defences of the one before us as he assailed us with the Dark. That was her test passed.
My arm lowered the weapon as Celeste broke the Dark trying to enshroud her as the mage before us looking to me, the pressure causing the runes and sigils on my armour to burn brightly even as he somehow silently chanted while speaking. Speechifying at us. Seeking to corrupt us. Using the Jedi's trust in the Force against them, or looking to exploit vulnerabilities to the Dark, to rage, to anger….
CRACCCCKKKKKKKthoommmmmmm
"I'm sorry. But no"
The first shot took his casting hand….
CRACCCCKKKKKKKthhoooommmmmmm
…and the second exploding his head like an overripe melon. This one had been too dangerous to let live. Not here, not now, not in the deepest, darkest, depths of the Temple, Academy, whatever it was. No. Prisoners were one thing, a powerful not-Sith such as this one had been. Now we looted this terrible place and ensured that whatever horrors cooked up here we were ready for should they ever appear in the galaxy at large. Before this turned in another Korriban scenario. Before we had to depart and remind the Confederates the dangers of the dying Republic…
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