Heart of the Demon Moon

[Darth Rage]

[SIZE=11pt]Audroti despised the planet his ancient temple had been built upon. But, such was the irony of the force. He had been trapped in this wretched place for millennia in a deep sleep like trance. Finally he awoke from his slumber as the crystal heart, the seeds for which he had planted so long ago, finally came to fruition. His cult of worshipers, descendants of an ancient Sith military which used to follow him into battle, crossed the jungle fauna in search for the stone heart. Rage could not yet join them as he was still bound to the crystal throne that gave him his power and immortality, but he felt assured that these cultist would achieve his bidding. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]It was not long before they returned with the one he sought. A boy with a glowing chest. He was of Mandalorian descent. It was obvious that the bloodline of Hukatiir was still strong on Dxun. It seemed as though numerous of Rage’s followers did not make the return trip back to the temple. He surmised the Mandalorians had killed them. No matter. They had served their purpose.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The room in which Rage currently resided in was lit by blood red light. It emanated from the crystal that covered everything. In the center was a simple stone table. Carved with ancient Sith runes of power, the locals had built it as a sacrificial altar, so that they might appease their slumbering god. In truth Audroti’s worshipers were little more than savage jungle people. His temple had decayed to the point that it was merely a cave, with an eerie red glow coming from the mouth. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Rage had no way of knowing this though, as he had been bound to the room he sat in the day the crystal chose him. But now, now his freedom was at hand. He would finally be able to leave this wretched place. He stalked from his crystal throne, a place where the light seemed to grow its brightest, and approached the table.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]His ancient Sith phrik armor was rusted and worn. His Sith Tremor Sword dull and blunt. He grunted at the state of his personal effects, but surmised to embark upon the galaxy and reacquire his wealth. The savages that made up his cult set the unconscious boy upon the altar and Rage merely stared at him for a moment. He motioned for his cultist to step forward. It was time to begin. The arduous ritual that would bring about his freedom was at hand.[/SIZE]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

​

​

Ion engines burned brightly in the void of space, as a loan escort shuttle emerged from the depths of hyperspace. The dark side reached far across the galaxy, clouding the minds of those who dared to oppose it. With enough luck, the shuttle would go unnoticed, moving quickly towards the surface of the Demon Moon. Ballen-Ist had been here before, and so he had plotted the most suitable course through enemy territory before his pilots had gotten the chance to.

Their metallic hands guided the ship with expertise, gently setting it down within a clearing that the Pureblood had designated beforehand. The boarding ramp lowered, mist spraying down from the underbelly as the airtight seal was broken. While the shadow of the dark side worked against its foes, those that were able to control it were often granted moments of clarity, able to be used for their own benefit.

Darkness had always been present on Dxun, however it seemed to have grown much stronger as of late. Armored boots squelched against the muddy ground of the jungle, the Sith glancing back to see his two MagnaGuards following in suit. With the dark side as his guide, Ballen-Ist set out to discover the source of this new power. He felt it was nearby, though it would still take some time until he arrived.

[member="Darth Rage"]

 

[Darth Rage]

Rage’s ancient plate boots creaked as he approached the old stone altar. The floor beneath his feet grew brighter as the crystal formation that was his responded to the signature of its partner. He felt its power coursing through his veins, it was like a tidal wave of energy that simply refused to cease. It was exhilarating. His priests gathered around the altar as they prepared for the ritual they had been trained for their whole lives. Oral traditions passed down from generation to generation, that taught these holy men all they needed to know.

They were garbed in a miss match of patchy red clothing. The best Rage supposed his savage followers could afford. Rage looked at the unconscious form on the table studiously. They boy had shabby brown hair and piercing blue eyes that seemed to lazily regard the room. Audroti raised a hand to the boys chest and the crystal within grew all the brighter. He felt it calling out to him, begging through the force to be rejoined with its master.

Soon he told the object Very soon.

Rage looked at the men gathered before them and nodded his head. He connected to them with the force, melding with their minds. Drawing upon their power he raised a hand above the boys body and it began to arch and writhe, as if a thousand volts of electricity were surging through his body. The priest began the incantation that would reactivate the ancient sith ruins that were so long ago carved into the stone heart.

“Ben lak ti!” One of the priest began while another brought a bowl and dagger up to his neck.

“Owen krak nao!” another took up the chant, while the previous had his throat slit open.

A great tornado of wind began to funnel in through the mouth of the cave.

“Shrak kowen ma till te stah!” The remaining priest began chanting in unison as the priest with bowl and dagger made his way among them, systematically draining their lifeblood into the bowl, careful not to spill a single drop.

“Ma till te stah!” They continued chanting as one.

Now there were only seven of them and the wind within the cave was roaring, it was as if a small hurricane had passed over dxun, a terrible storm beginning to brew. The priest with the bowl and dagger slit two more throats.

“Ma till te stah!” The air seemed to come alive as visible purple crackles of energy wafted through the air.

“NOW!” Rage roared, his voice amplified by the force, a great scream like a hundred different spirits possessed him.

The priest with the bowl rushed over to his lord and held the soup up to his master's lips. Rage drank from the bowl greedily, bits of the blood rolling down the corners of his mouth. Their was a surge of energy, but Audroti knew he needed more. He grasped the priest with the bowl and dagger by the neck. The Sith hoisted him high into the air and opened his mouth wide. Visible life essence seeped from the priest very being as rage consumed him. His body withered to a husk and Rage let it fall to the ground where it turned to dust as the last of his life force bled out of him.

Rage extended his arms forward even farther as the priest chanted. “MORE POWER!” The Sith roared.

“Ma till te stah!” The remaining priest responded.

[member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Diranor Cadain]

Elbow-deep in cannok gore, Diranor Cadain cursed his decision to ever come to Dxun.

It had been his choice, after all. He was the one who'd sought out the old Quarren information broker on Toprawa. He was the one who had listened to his half-mad tale of an ancient Sith cult on the Demon Moon. And he was the one who had insisted to his handler that he investigate. "It's well outside our operational range," Gallant had informed him when he'd requested to undertake the mission. "The Free Worlds Coalition is cleaning up the Inner Rim. They're already moving to incorporate Onderon. Let them handle this." But like a fool he'd pushed the point. "If this cult ends up with the Sith Empire," he'd said, "we'll want to know about it."

Gallant had considered the point, the static masking her face making it impossible to read her reaction. "Very well," she'd said. "But this is an intelligence gathering venture only. Do not make contact with the cult. Do not attempt to disrupt this ritual. Find out what they're up to, assess whether the Sith Empire might absorb them, and get out. You're too far from backup to risk taking an active role." Diranor had nodded his assent and turned his borrowed freighter toward the Japrael System, determined to uncover any potential threat to the people of Artorias, no matter how distant. And then he had encountered this horrible jungle.

Slogging through the tangled, gnarled overgrowth had been unpleasant enough before a pack of cannoks had swarmed his camp and eaten his comlink, forcing him to hunt them down, blast them, and carve each one up to find it - even if the device was ruined, he couldn't leave Royal Intelligence gear lying around where it might be discovered. Now, with green-black slime coating his arms and slopping onto his chest, Diranor was less enthusiastic than ever about this vile moon. But that was when he began to hear the chanting. He allowed himself a brief grin of satisfaction. Hunting down the cannoks hadn't taken him off-course after all.

The temple loomed above him, dark stone among dark trees, and the agent suppressed a shudder. Diranor had encountered far too many places, objects, and beings suffused with evil in his young life, but he never seemed to get used to the chill they inflicted on his very soul. The chanting grew louder as he grew closer, echoing up from beneath, from a cavern that radiated blood-red light. Drawing on his training, Diranor moved swiftly and silently through ruined halls, making his way ever downward. Harsh words, suffused with power he did not want to understand, rose in pitch and frenzy. "MORE POWER!" someone shouted, in a voice that chilled him.

At last he emerged on a rocky outcrop, overlooking a crystal-studded cavern far beneath the ruin. Corpses littered the ground, dressed in ragged red, while two others remained standing: another ragged priest alongside a stronger figure, clad in ancient armor, blood running from his chin and a terrifying voice echoing from his throat. At the chamber's center, a stone altar, with a young boy laid upon it. The youth writhed beneath the hand of the crimson-skinned warrior, wracked by invisible power. Diranor felt his stomach do a flip. He'd found the cult, and it looked like they had a victim. Gallant's words echoed in his head: "Do not make contact."

This far from Artorias, he was well and truly alone. He had to stick to the mission; anything else would be suicide. Or so he tried to tell himself, over and over...

[member="Ballen-Ist"] | [member="Darth Rage"]

 

[Darth Rage]

The priest robes swayed violently in the voracious wind. Rage felt the coursing power pulsing through his veins. He felt an intense heat in his body, a power like a thousand suns building up inside him. More, Rage needed more. Visible tendrils of orangish light spewed from his hands and enveloped the remaining priest.

Their forms shook and writhed. Slowly their bodies became hollow. They took on the forms of emaciated men. Their skin stretched across their skulls until eventually it merely sapped away. Bones fell to the crystal floor and Rage felt his thirst for power satiated. Rage placed both hands over the boy's chest and echoed the priest words

“Ma till te stah!” He cried out in his horrendously distorted voice.

Slowly the crystal began to writhe its way free from the boy's heart. It left no scar or visible wounds as it seeped from his being. Instead merely floated listlessly in the air. Rage saw the fruit of his labor. The seed he had planted so many years ago and smiled a wolfish grin. He felt such uncontrollable elation at the sight. He brought the heart to hand and pressed it to his chest. Immortality and freedom were finally his.

The heart sank into his chest and became one with his very persons. He felt the bond between he and his crystal cavern strengthen and knew that he could finally leave this place. The winds settled and the power within the air faded. Rage stared about the cavern for all but a moment. He sensed a presence that was not his people... To leave his grotto exposed so easily was to ensure his death. He would have to deal with it. The boy on the altar awoke finally and regarded Rage dazedly. Rage stared into his blue eyes.

“Go to your clan, tell them that Rage returns and that I demand their subservience once more,”

The boy heard the Sith speak and shook his head for a moment as he finally fully registered what was happening. He stared, terror plain in his eyes as Rage’s burning gaze encompassed him.

“Go now!” Rage roared and the boy shot from the altar and raced to do the Sith’s bidding.

Rage turned to face his loyal subjects. Savages, clothed in rags, armed with spears, hardened by the Demon moons wild life. They would require some adjustment to the galaxy at large. Rage knew of an old Mandalorian weapons cache nearby. It would provide at least a few of his people with weapons and armor...

[member="Diranor Cadain"] / [member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Wide, feral eyes sized the trio up as they traversed the jungle. Many predators inhabited Dxun, though they had not yet managed to sink their teeth into the Sith who stalked within their territory. Quick bursts of speed fended off the creatures, as bright purple electricity was swung from the end of the MagnaGuard's electro-staves. One prod was enough to enrage the beasts, but they were still unaware of their prey's capabilities, and so they stayed back, in the shadows.

A temple weathered by time, almost sunken into the earth to form a cave-like entrance. Undoubtedly the source of the storm that had begun to rage overhead. With a brief motion of his gloved hand, Ballen-Ist directed the droids to stand on watch, having them hide in the shadows, unwavering until they had something to report. Stepping into the cavern, the Sith began to make it way through the tunnels and passages. A quiet beep from his wrist communicator notified him of the approach of an unidentified individual.

His MagnaGuards had seen the male enter the cave, though they themselves had managed to stay hidden. Blending in with the very shadows around him, Ballen-Ist too made sure to stay out of sight, eventually following [member="Diranor Cadain"] as he made his way onto the balcony-like outcrop. It was relatively high above the chamber below, which was littered with crystal formations of an unknown nature. Kyber, if the Pureblood had to guess. The Sith([member="Darth Rage"]) below would most likely be aware of their presence, seeing as Ballen-Ist did little to hide his aura. Instead, he simply stood in the archway that led back into the tunnels, attempting to block the human agent's route back into the temple corridors.

 

[Diranor Cadain]

Diranor had witnessed the powers of the Sith before, but the most spectacular displays of their dark might never failed to churn his stomach. He watched as the priests writhed beneath fiery tendrils of energy, withering to dust, and did not let himself look away. His nightmares were full already, and looking upon the face of evil would only strengthen his resolve to stop it before it could threaten Artorias or her people. He expected much the same fate for the young boy on the altar, or perhaps one even more gruesome, and his hand tightened around his blaster, his resolve wavering as morality clashed with duty.

Before he could come to any decision, it was over, and not in the way he'd guessed. A strange crystal slid from the youth's body, rippling straight through skin and bone as though they were water, and floated in the air before the crimson-skinned sorceror. The sinister figure seized it, a look of mad, frenzied satisfaction on his face, and plunged it into his own chest. All at once there was a release of pressure, as if someone who had been holding Diranor's head beneath the water had suddenly released it. The red light dimmed, the howling winds calmed, and the sense of unease faded from overwhelming to a pit in the stomach and a chill up the spine.

Diranor had no idea what he'd just witnessed, but the fact that this Sith was pleased meant he was certain it was bad news. He'd recorded the whole event, or at least as much of it as he'd caught given his late arrival midway through the ceremony, so he could let the analysts back on Artorias chew on it. For now, it was clear that things were picking up. With the ritual over, a small army of the ragged cultists had assembled, primitive weapons in their hands. Their attention was no longer held by the dark spectacle, and that was bad news for anyone who wanted to move unseen. Time to get out of here and report back to Gallant.

"Tell them that Rage returns." The words echoed in his head. Apparently this particular collection of savage soldiers wasn't all that the Sith could call into battle. That would probably be a problem for the Free Worlds Coalition, who were in the process of clearing Dxun of Sith cultists at that very moment, but if this little army made it offworld they'd be a problem that could surface anywhere. Do not make contact. Grinding his teeth in frustration, Diranor prepared to retreat through the temple. Where these marauders struck next was out of his control. His task was only to gather information; others would know how to use it best.

He knew that he would need to hurry. Sith had an uncanny ability to recognize when someone was near who did not belong.

Turning to leave, the young agent froze, then pressed himself against the carved stone wall. Someone had followed him, he was sure of it. He had been trained in the art of evasion and interception, and all of his remembered lessons screamed that he was in deep trouble. His pursuer was between him and his only means of retreat; the only other way out was through the sorceror, apparently called Rage (the Sith were terribly inventive, he wryly joked to himself), and his little private army. Drawing his blaster in one hand and a stun grenade in the other, Diranor steeled himself for the possibility of combat.

The being behind him was waiting for something; perhaps Diranor could silently follow the cultists out the main entrance. But there were far too many ways for that to go wrong...

[member="Ballen-Ist"] | [member="Darth Rage"]

 

[Jorga the Hutt]

[member="Darth Rage"] [member="Ballen-Ist"] [member="Diranor Cadain"]

Dxun had seen better days not too long ago, by Mandalorian reckoning. For a minute there, a camp on the Demon Moon had been the Mando government-in-exile. Mando blood ran deep here. His ex could be in any number of places; far as Connory was concerned, Dxun was as likely as anywhere.

Even do, the camp had come up dry. He'd expected as much; this wasn't the first moon he searched, and wouldn't be the last. An equal chance was still a pretty poor one, in a galaxy this size. She knew how to go to ground, her and her followers and her side of the civil war and - assuming he believed one of the bounty notices - their son.

At the edge of the run-down camp, Connory paused at his ship’s airlock and scanned the jungle. A tiny element in his HUD flickered with a touch of red, a thaissen fragment responding to a surge in the dark side of the Force. On the one hand, the Sith had as much history here as the Mandos, and random dark arts had every chance of irrelevance. On the other hand, folks considered his quarry a master of the dark side. She might be out there watching him for all he knew.

Connory headed into the forest. Simple choice, in the end.

 

[Darth Rage]

Before Rage could arm his people though, he would need to deal with the foreign presence. He would worry about whether Hukatiir heeded his call or not later. Rage closed his eyes for a moment and attempted to zero in on the foreigner. He felt the force become malleable, his very being seemed to rage against it as it attempted to claim him, to make him one with it. But, Audroti conquered it, bent it to his will and commanded it to do his bidding.

He used the slave that was the darkside and connected with his crystal formation. The crystals told him where he could find the interlopers. Told him one was born of the dark like himself, while the other was of a different nature. Rage’s fiery gaze turned to the outcropping above him and he spied the silhouette of a man. He sneered than began to use force flight to levitate himself upwards and towards the spy. Rage landed atop the natural balcony and spied the two presences. One an obvious sleuth, the other a pureblood just like himself.

Rage’s hand moved to his hip where it rested on the pommel of his Sith Tremor sword. He drew the dull blade from it's rotten scabbard and it came free with an audible tsing. He eyed the duo and spoke harshly

“I am Darth Rage who are you and what Empire do you represent?” He commanded of them with his arm extended, blade pointed directly at the agent, although the question was directed at both of them.

He did not wish to waste any more time here. He longed to see the outside world now that he was free. How much time had passed while he had been asleep? What had happened to the Empire? Where were his apprentices? These questions raced through Rage’s mind and he longed for answers. He supposed perhaps these two might be able to provide them. But, first. He had to make sure they were not a threat to his precious throne.

[member="Jorga the Hutt"] / [member="Diranor Cadain"] / [member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Diranor Cadain]

When dealing with Sith, you had to be extra careful. Any mistake and things would go wrong in a hurry.

Naturally, things had gone wrong in a hurry. One minute Diranor was calculating his chances at two different bad escape routes, all too aware that he was trapped like a womp rat in a cage. The next, the sorceror called Rage casually lifted off from the ground, floating upward as if his feet had suddenly grown repulsorlift engines, and landed on the rocky outcrop to confront him - and whoever had snuck in behind him. His first thought was a deep and complex one: this is really, really bad. So much for not making contact; that decision had been taken out of his hands. His only option: take a few pages out of the Surviving the Sith playbook.

It was a short book, because few of the people who tried to contribute to it were now alive.

Field agents of Artorian Royal Intelligence were rigorously trained in multiple styles of combat. A single agent could get into a firefight with five beings or a slugfest with a Herglic and come out on top using a well-honed blend of finesse and practical brutality. But the being in front of him was no ordinary mortal. Despite his outdated armor and rusted sword, Rage was a Dark Lord of the Sith, and could probably crush Diranor’s trachea with a thought before the agent took a step. It was better to fall back on the other training the agency had given him: deception. Agents were rigorously trained to resist mental manipulation and telepathic probing. And they learned to lie.

Diranor dropped to one knee before Rage, bowing his head deferentially. In his head, he put together a cover story, assembled from all the bits of intel he’d gathered over the past months. And then he believed in that story, believed in it so hard that, in his mind, it became true. “Darth Rage,” he declared, raising his head to address the sorceror but staying in his kneeling position, “I come on behalf of the great Empire of the Sith, now reborn once more. My master,” he cast around for a name, something he’d heard in communication intercepts, and incorporated it into a mental cover so strong it looked like truth, “Darth Caecus, has sensed your awakening.”

That was a story that was difficult to refute. Even within the Sith Empire, individual Dark Lords often undertook projects unknown to one another; their entire structure was a strife-based meritocracy, with any hint of weakness or vulnerability ruthlessly exploited, so they often made moves in the shadows that other Sith would have no knowledge of. At the moment, that would work to Diranor’s advantage… unless Darth Caecus herself really had sensed this and sent an actual agent to check it out. The young agent refused to contemplate that possibility. He had no desire whatsoever to actually run into Caecus or her troops - her name meant slaughter.

“My master desires to know, Darth Rage: do you stand with the Empire once more? Or do you stand alone?”

[member="Darth Rage"] | [member="Jorga the Hutt"] | [member="Ballen-Ist"] |​

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Still in the dark shadows of the outcrop entrance, Ballen-Ist couldn't but furrow a brow from beneath his hood, surprised by the entrance that [member="Darth Rage"] had made. He was also surprised by his title, perhaps the Sith were not so extravagant with their Darth names long ago. He could sense this Pureblood's power, and how imbued it ran through time itself. An odd case, but not one he hadn't encountered before.

He did not flinch or bother to move as weapons were drawn, remaining still as he watched the back of [member="Diranor Cadain"]. The human had begun to address the other Pureblood, speaking as an emissary of the Sith Empire. While he could not sense any latent dark side potential within the agent, it wasn't entirely impossible that he wasn't from the Empire.

"That's funny," Ballen-Ist decided to say, lifting a hand and raising a finger as if to make a point. "Because I also come on behalf of the Sith Empire." He didn't care to say more, preferring to see how this human would try to get himself out of the mess he was currently in.

[member="Connory"]

 

[Jorga the Hutt]

[member="Darth Rage"] [member="Diranor Cadain"] [member="Ballen-Ist"]

Tracking a dark master in a dark jungle had its challenges, to be sure. Humanoids lined up pretty well with some of the local fauna on lifeform scanners. Paired with the thaissen chip's waxing and waning glow, though, the scanners worked fine. Connory had no problem playing warmer-colder until he figured out which cluster of lifeforms was most likely to be the source of the dark side signature.

A quick, low-visibility burst of his repulsor belt lowered him down into a cavern or ruin, where he hunkered down in cover. Maybe thirty metres away, three humanoids stood on a rocky outcropping. He blinked and flicked his tongue, and one of his eyepieces zoomed in somewhat. Mia Monroe was not among them.

He did his level best to manage his disappointment. Even if he'd found her, though, he was in no condition to fight her. Mia knew all his skills and much of his gear, and she knew his favorite tricks and inclinations to boot. And to use the thaissen chip in his helmet, he'd left his mechamiri pack on the ship. No, against the former love of his life and possible mother of his child, he wouldn't have lasted long at all.

The excursion was a wash regardless, so far as his overarching goal went. Even so, Connory owed the Sith all kinds of recompense, and at least one of those three people was a strong Darksider. For the sake of argument, Connory put his money on the one with the drawn sword.

A sonic grenade arced through the gloom, aimed to plop between the three men with a WHAKKARABOOM or something along those lines.

 

[Darth Rage]

Audroti listened to what the man had to say and listened well. The man was of a plain nature, Rage supposed that’s perhaps why he made such a good spy. This one's mind had been conditioned against the ways of the force. But despite his training Rage thought he could sense truth in his words. It was a shame he had come from the Sith Empire

“I hold no love for the Sith Empire… New or old…” He stated plainly.

He had betrayed the last Empire and gone rogue. Carved a bloody path through Sith and Republic space till he was shot down above Dxun. The remains of his dreadnought was probably still somewhere nearby, buried by the sands of time. He cared little for government. Only himself. Then the other emerged from the shadows. A Sith Pureblood like himself. Rage eyed him warily. His power equalled almost his own, but Audroti had the home field advantage. He spoke of representing the Empire as well and Rage quirked an eyebrow.

Many possibilities ran through his head. Perhaps a gambit was made by two different lords, or the more likely explanation… One of them was lying. More than a little annoyed, Rage decided to end the charades and get to the heart of the matter.

“I am afraid you’ve seen far t-,” He began, but was surprised when a small device came landing down between his feet.

Immediately he recognized it as a bomb. Rage dropped his sword and raised both his hands. The crystal cavern seemed to come alive. It encompassed his form, making a floating glowing red rock ball around him. Apparently their was an assassin afoot. Rage growled angrily as he sat encompassed in the rock shield. He heard the loud crack of the grenade even through his crystal womb.

It was deafening, Audroti’s hands shot to his ears as a sharp ringing resounded throughout his head. The rock around him began to fall apart as his attention on the force was momentarily broken. He fell from his levitating shield as the bottom gave out. He landed with less grace than a Sith Lord normally showed. Angrily he picked himself off the ground. He looked to the ceiling and concentrated for a mere moment. The large crystal stalactites began to quake and shake until finally they fell from the top of the cave. Rage was content to bury them all in a mountain of rubble...

[member="Connory"] / [member="Ballen-Ist"] / [member="Diranor Cadain"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

As the trio stood together, another beep would emit from Ballen-Ist's wrist communicator, his eyes glancing down briefly at the device as he read the report. Tensions were seemingly high, with [member="Darth Rage"] almost instantly dismissing the idea of joining the new Sith Empire.

Honestly, Ballen-Ist himself tended not to care about the Empire much ever, having only ever been involved through his master, Darth Ferus. He would occasionally train Sith, or bring them into the fold, nothing more. He too had his own plans, his own agenda, but never as grandiose as a splinter empire.

There was a reason for that, as they always seemed to fail or never truly kick off. He had known others who had attempted to do so, one of them was even a Pureblood as well, but they were always unsuccessful in the long run. No matter, if this one wanted to make an enemy of the Empire, then so be it.

Taking a few steps forward during the exchange, Ballen-Ist moved further onto the outcropping, placing himself closer to [member="Diranor Cadain"] and Rage. A thrill, exhilaration ran up the Sith's spine, and he knew that it was time. The sound of a metallic object became apparent, as it rolled along the rocky surface, between the confrontational trio.

With a brief motion of his gloved hand, Ballen-Ist directed the droids to stand on watch, having them hide in the shadows, unwavering until they had something to report. Stepping into the cavern, the Sith began to make it way through the tunnels and passages.

The noise earlier from his communicator had been a report from the two MagnaGuard droids he had brought with him. They had done well in staying hidden by the cave entrance, having witnessed [member="Connory"]'s arrival and descent into the caverns below. Ballen-Ist had been aware of his approach, and so with a swift backwards flip, the Sith began to fall towards the crystal chamber surface.

The sonic device echoed harshly throughout the underground structure, leaving the Pureblood disoriented, still in a crouched position after sticking his landing gracefully. The same could not be said for Rage, who landed only a few seconds after Ballen-Ist had. He was not sure what happened to the human, but the jump was not that high, and if he wanted he could survive the fall.

From the corridors that Connory had come from, two tall metallic figures made their presence known, the ends of their staves lighting up with deadly purple electricity. They had been following him. One of the MagnaGuards moved forward with surprising agility, lifting its free arm up to aim a hand towards the Mandalorian.

A gadget based on the Warrior culture's own technology activated, a repulsor burst being released from the droid's wrist. It was an attempt to knock the armored man onto the ground, while the other MagnaGuard also sprung to action, launching forth a low-output energy grappling-line, that would hopefully bind the Mandalorian if he were caught off guard.

 

[Diranor Cadain]

On the one hand, Diranor was getting great information. On the other, he was all too aware that he might be seconds from having his head detached.

First, a second crimson-skinned warrior stepped out from behind him, his pursuer revealed. Apparently this one really was from the Sith Empire, and that put Diranor's mind into overdrive. He was about to explain away the apparent contradiction, haughtily remarking that Darth Caecus and her herald need not explain themselves or seek permission from any others within the Empire to do as they pleased, when Rage made his own pronouncement: he was no ally of the regime. That put both Diranor and the true emissary in an awkward position at best, and in all likelihood just moments from a confrontation.

Plans raced through the young agent's mind. He would leap back, let the two Sith battle it out and make his escape during the slugfest. At least he could report to Gallant that there was no risk in this particular Dark Lord joining their enemies. But all those plans came crashing down, replaced by raw instinct, as a small metal sphere landed neatly between the three men. Training took over before there was even time to think. Diranor hurled himself backward, leaping from the rocky outcrop and curling inward to cover his head and neck with his arms. The sonic burst went off an instant later, the force of it slamming into his back.

He hit the cavern wall hard, jagged crystals cutting into his forearms as he bumped and rolled awkwardly down to the uneven floor. He would have broken his neck on impact if he hadn't tucked and rolled, and as it was the burst knocked the wind from his lungs and left his ears leaking trickles of blood. Lying on the stone in a crumpled heap, Diranor rolled over onto his side, trying desperately to get catch his breath. It felt like a bantha had sat on him and still wouldn't get up. His vision swam, painting the cavern in swirls of crimson, and sounds faded in and out, largely drowned by a ringing that made his eyes water.

Get up. Get up or you're dead. Finally he managed to gulp down a heave of stale air, the tang of spilled blood heavy on his tongue, and scrambled to all fours. He squeezed his eyes shut, shook his head, and opened them again, trying to make sense of their scrambled input. On one side of the cavern, the newly-arrived Sith watched as a pair of staff-wielding droids advanced on a Mandalorian - Diranor had to shake his head again to make sure he wasn't hallucinating half of that, but it seemed quite real. On the other side, Rage had landed, fires burning in his eyes. Beneath that terrible gaze, the cavern literally shook.

Stalactites the size of men fell from the ceiling, smashing into clouds of razor-sharp crystal. Shielding his face with one arm, Diranor scrambled forward on his other three limbs, trying to get out of the way before he became a flat red stain. But the more he watched, the more it became clear that there was nowhere safe - the entire cavern would come down if Rage willed it. The young agent glanced up at the outcrop he'd been standing on moments before, taking in its steeply-sloped sides. There was no way he could climb back up it. The only way out was through the large entrance that Rage's followers were preparing to exit through.

The stun grenade had spun out of his grip when he'd fallen, but he spied it a few meters away. Sliding along the slick crystal floor, he jumped for it, primed it, and lobbed it into the middle of the savage army.

[member="Ballen-Ist"] | [member="Darth Rage"] | [member="Connory"]​

 

[Jorga the Hutt]

Priority one: MagnaGuards. Those droids could chew through supercommandos. Despite the bruising double impact of the repulsor on his chest and the wall against his back, Connory found himself grateful for the distance. The nearest stalactites - priority two - missed the droids, but tumbled through the same space as the energy grapnel. Good thing, too. Between the droid ambush and the blocked tunnel, tonight wasn't looking up.

He fell into a crouch, back against the wall, and unslung his hard-sound carbine. The chubby weapon screeched with force sufficient to shatter bone - or, more apropos to the moment, droid electronics. He had little doubt that he could put the MagnaGuards down or drive them off. He likewise had no doubt that the carbine's cacophony had just made him impossible to ignore. At least one Sith Lord, two serious others, a poorly-seen mob of locals - again, not ideal. Especially since his HUD suggested the only exit would be over by that mob.

A grenade popped thataway. Infighting: small mercies.

[member="Ballen-Ist"] [member="Diranor Cadain"] [member="Darth Rage"]

 

[Darth Rage]

Darth Rage watched as chaos unfurled. His attempts at burying the duo were thwarted as they hopped down the outcropping. The would be assassin was revealed and two magna droids immediately assaulted him. It was a mess. Rage had to protect his crystal throne…

His people were filing out of the entrance when suddenly a metallic object landed in their midst. It exploded with a bright fury of sound and light. They shrieked in terror or simply covered their eyes and ears as the device went off. Rage knew the agent was attempting to leave. He could not let him escape with the location of this cavern. Acting fast, Rage focused on the mouth of the cave. He sensed the stone lips and concentrated on bringing them down.

They shuddered violently as Rage used the force to seal the entrance. Several of his own were crushed beneath the rubble. But, a few had scrambled out of the way.

“Krak nao toa!” Rage cried out to the survivors and as they finally became fully aware again they heard their lord's words.

They charged the agent with spear and club. Rage retreated to his throne and using the force once more, elevated the object. A large pillar shot upwards from the ground, with his throne at it’s peak. Drawing on its power Rage sent a burst of purple lightning towards the other Sith pureblood. Electrical currents arced up and down his forearms. The rusted armor on his body began to fall apart, unable to withstand the power.

[member="Connory"] / [member="Diranor Cadain"] / [member="Ballen-Ist"]

 

[Ballen-Ist]

Booming cracks reverberated throughout the underground temple, as [member="Connory"] unloaded on the MagnaGuards. The powerful sonic wave flowed through the rocky corridor, the first droid that had advanced receiving the worst of the weapon's destructive power. The MagnaGuard was plated with fairly protective armor, and while the droid did not shatter, it was sent head over heels onto the ground.

All the while, the second MagnaGuard that had stayed back managed to react in time, having witnessed and analyzed the effects of the Mandalorian's powerful carbine. It's advanced programming spurred it into action, its metallic body leaping backwards with speed. Instead of advancing on the armored warrior, the droid lifted the same wrist it had used for the grappling line, this time releasing a miniature rocket that launched towards the ceiling above.

If successful, the detonation would cause rubble and debris to fall, momentarily cutting Connory off from pursuing or escaping, via a route other than the one around the corner and below, in the crystal chamber. The MagnaGuard responsible would then attempt to scurry off into the darkness, while the other one still near Connory was getting back up.

At a younger age, Ballen-Ist had crafted his Sith sword along side his master, using alchemy of the darkest sorts. He did not have much knowledge in the ways of alchemy, despite being of the Kissai class. He had been raised as a warrior from birth, and that was what he was first and foremost. The blade emerged from its hidden sheathe, shrouded by the large layered capes he wore over his back.

It hummed with dark electricity, bolts of blue lightning enveloped and danced along the sword's length. Standing up to his full height, the Pureblood raised the sword with great momentum, withstanding the initial impact of the purple lightning that threatened to fry him. The dark electricity began to flow into the sword, the burst of power absorbed and contained within the magnificent weapon.

It was for moments like these that he kept it by his side, for it was such a useful tool. Pivoting with the momentum built up previously, the Sith would spin quickly on his heel, hurling his sword through the air in a maddening spin. It curved and altered its trajectory, swinging around to slice cleanly through one of the cultists that worshiped [member="Darth Rage"].

At that moment, the blade released the energy built up inside, causing a burst of electricity to sweep over many other cultists in the area. Perhaps this would make things a bit easier for [member="Diranor Cadain"]. Another beep from the wrist communicator. Something was going on, and Ballen-Ist had a fair guess as to what that was. The dark, metallic hilt of his lightsaber flew into the Pureblood's gloved palm from the belt restraints, summoned by his mastery of telekinesis.

Placing his feet firmly on the ground, shifting to face Rage, Ballen-Ist was ready for anything. This was a rare occasion, for he too would be able to push his limits, thanks to the dark side power that was inherit on this planet, and the area in general. His opponent would require nothing less, for Rage seemed to have a deep connection with the planet as well.

 

[Diranor Cadain]

Finally catching his breath, Diranor got ready to run.

The stun grenade had made just the impact he’d hoped for: the cultists had reeled back, creating an opening he could duck through. Unfortunately, it had also attracted attention. Just before the young agent could make his escape, Rage lashed out with invisible power. The cavern’s mouth snapped shut like the jaws of a serpent, crushing several of the disoriented cultists. It never ceased to disgust Diranor how casually the Sith discarded the lives of their own followers, as if they were tools rather than living beings. But what disturbed him even more was that they still followed the Dark Lords, believing the same objectifying lies about themselves.

Now, though, he had bigger problems than nonchalant evil. His escape route was blocked, and at a shouted word from Rage, the surviving cultists closed in on him. Spears and swords might seem so primitive as to be beneath notice in an era of blasters and missiles, but Diranor knew all too well that they could end his life just as surely as any modern weapon. He grabbed his blaster and raised it as he backpedaled, one hand to aim and the other to steady it, but he knew that the situation was grim. A field agent of Royal Intelligence might well be the equal of five men, but he was a lot more outnumbered than that, and he could only pull the trigger so fast.

And then salvation arrived from an unexpected quarter: the other Sith. His flying blade cut one of Diranor’s attackers in two, then released a huge burst of electricity, its blue-white tendrils reaching out from the dark metal to impale cultists like the sharpened legs of some massive spider. All at once, the odds were more than evened. With two quick, precise shots, Diranor dropped the pair of cultists still coming at him, then sprinted past them as they collapsed. He ran his hands over the collapsed wall of rock that now blocked the cavern mouth and cursed. He had some detonite with him, as usual, but that might just make things a whole lot worse.

The place was unstable enough as it was, and he didn’t want it to come down on his head.

Then he spied one of the cultists’ dropped spears, and a plan began to hatch in his mind. The rocky outcrop, and the tunnel behind it, were out of his reach on his own. But with the help of a tool, maybe he could change that. Taking a running start, he scooped up a spear as he passed by. He hadn’t been much of an athlete when he’d been in school - and all that seemed a lifetime ago anyway - but he’d seen the basic idea of the pole vault. As he drew close to the edge of the outcrop, he planted the base of the metal spear in a small hollow in the rock, bracing it. Then he jumped, levering his body against the spear to carry it up, up, up, and over the ledge.

Landing in a crouch, Diranor surveyed the scene. If he could make it just a few more steps, he could escape into the temple’s upper levels.

[member="Ballen-Ist"] | [member="Darth Rage"] | [member="Connory"]

 

[Jorga the Hutt]

[member="Darth Rage"] [member="Ballen-Ist"] [member="Diranor Cadain"]

The MagnaGuard’s rocket brought down a good chunk of ceiling between Connory and the two droids. Between this, the fallen stalactites, and the Sith Lord's more targeted efforts, that tunnel was now well and truly blocked. Connory bit back a curse and turned to skid down a brief slope into a larger portion of cavern. He'd need to make his way across it to reach the fight at the other-

The other exit collapsed as well. His T-visor’s sensors focused on the probable cause: the enthroned Sith Lord on the crystal pillar. Connory didn't see a ton of cover between here and there, but so be it. He nestled his hard-sound carbine against his shoulder, took a guess at the resonant frequency range of the crystal, and fired. In a perfect world, that pillar would shatter in seconds.

He opted to shoot at the pillar rather than the Sith for two reasons. For one, a Sith's danger-sense centred on direct harmful intent; indirect damage tended to be harder to notice ahead of time. For another thing, the throne just plain looked important.