Private A Whisper in the Darkness

[Sabine Galen]

There is an ancient one, a cosmic evil with many faces – and many names.
​

“It seems, the sun-worshipers did indeed make human sacrifices,” Master Yves Galen had said. “But, it appears that there was quite an important reason for this grim act.” He pushed his thin-framed glasses up the bridge of his nose, fixing the two Jedi Knights in his gaze. “As the tablet reads, these rituals were performed to keep shadows at bay.” His fingers traced the etched stone, and Master Galen muttered incoherently for a moment as he worked out the next inscription.

“The shadow...” His brow furrowed. “Consumes us.”

Master Galen had explained that there was a world quite close, within easy reach of the desert world they had previously visited. And, it would be the job of Sabine and [member="Cassius Droma"] to venture there on a scouting mission. They would see if anything happened to match up with his research, namely the presence of any dark-sided cults. Yves was not the type to become wrought with worry, but he cautioned the two of them – as capable Knights as they were – there could be danger.

He sent the two along with his research, which had images of the tablets he'd brought back from the desert. But, before she'd had a chance to exit the room, Sabine was pulled aside by her father.

“Sabine,” He started, pulling her to the side and speaking quietly. “Do be on your guard.” Yves smiled to see that she was wearing the protective amulet he'd given her. “Good. And, you know...” His voice dropped lower. “It wouldn't hurt to get to know Knight Droma, he seems a fine young man.”

Now, seated aboard the Spectre Melody, Sabine pondered her father's words... She glanced sidelong Cassius in the pilot's seat. He was a friend, one of few that she'd made during her time with the Order. She wasn't keen to ruin that. And, she doubted very much that he saw her as anything beyond a friend. She shook her head slightly, she supposed that her father had been, in his own way, trying to look out for her.

Sabine reached into her pocket and pulled out a small statue, idly holding it between thumb and forefinger. She'd found it just as they had been leaving the tomb – an ancient little figure with some kind of strange beard. At least, she thought it looked like a beard. “I really hope we don't get the life sucked out of us again,” She said, offering a small chuckle, remembering their last harrowing expedition.

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius was deep in thought as the Spectre Melody hurtled through hyperspace. Although he was at the pilot’s seat, he was staring at his datapad, pouring over the data and information that Master Galen had imparted to them before sending the two of them on this mission. He’d managed to gather some information on his own since their little incident on the desert planet. For the most part, they involved some sort of close call with a mysterious, dangerous group whilst trying to obtain an artifact or information on an artifact.

In each instance, whatever he’d discovered, the same types of symbols and runes appeared. While there were many variations of the symbols, they all had common ancestry. The connections could be construed as vague and perhaps coincidental seeing as how big the galaxy was, but Cassius had a foreboding feeling that this expanded far beyond just the ruins of a temple on an out-of-the-way desert planet.

The most concrete evidence they had gathered so far was still from the desert planet, and this was their most promising lead. Sun-worshippers sacrificing people to keep evil spirits or demons or shadows was not exactly something unique throughout the galaxy. However, what they had experienced there, as well as Cassius finding connections to the same rituals all over the galaxy, made it all the more real. This was less of an archaeological expedition to satisfy curiosity now, as much as it was investigating a potential threat.

Sabine spoke up, mentioning their last experience investigating this thread, and Cassius was snapped out of his tunnel vision. “Hm? Oh, yeah. This time,” Cassius turned off his datapad and put it on the console next to him, “we’ll be sure to not to get ourselves locked into any chambers.”

Looking at the navicomputer, Cassius straightened up in his seat. “We’re almost there,” he said, placing his hand on the silver hyperspace handle. At the right moment, he slowly pulled it back, and the blue warbly tunnel gave way to streaks of light, which in turn reverted into white pinpricks decorating a black background. In front of them lay a blue-and-green world with a well-defined ring, the nearby star perched beyond it.

Cassius began to guide the ship into the atmosphere, using the coordinates that Master Galen provided. “You know,” Cassius said, taking another glance at the large navicomputer screen as they passed through a thick layer of clouds, “your father was right. We’re not far from the desert planet at all – less than a parsec. Those ruins were so old and primitive though… I doubt those people were capable of space travel. If we do find something here… it might be interesting to find out how it still got here.”

The door behind them swished open, and T-4D4 entered, the tall droid sitting down in the passenger seat behind Sabine. “Think we’ll find any malfunctioning Sith droids here?” the droid quipped, speaking in reference to one of their first adventures together.

“I hope there’s a bunch of nothing,” Cassius said, a smile quirking at the edge of his lips. “Just ruins that we can study for days on end.”

[member="Sabine Galen"]

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine watched as the stars streaked and slowed until they were dots against the surrounding darkness. She arched a brow as Cassius spoke, and she looked sidelong at him. “My father does have a knack for being right,” She said with a nod and a fond smile. It was true. Be it the influence of the force, or simply 'father knows best,' Sabine had learned to heed his advice. Well, most of the time.

“Yeah,” She started, “It should be interesting.” Her attention was then drawn over her shoulder, where T-4D4 entered. Sabine watched for a moment as Cassius' droid companion had a seat, and her eyes shifted back to Cassius.

“Malfunctioning Sith Droids?” She grinned, “Do I even want to know?”

A good-natured laugh escaped her. She had a feeling that Cassius and Tee had shared many exciting adventures together. Silently, she wondered if this would be one to add – she hoped so. Her smile grew as Cassius quipped about finding nothing.

“If only we should be so lucky.”

A few days studying ruins wouldn't be bad at all, especially with her current company. Privately, however, she did worry about becoming awkward. She definitely did not want to go and make a fool of herself. The thought alone was enough to make her feel suddenly self-conscious, and a bit of color appeared on her face. But she swiveled in her chair and made a show of looking through her pack as though she was performing a double-check of her supplies.

When, in reality, she'd already checked several times over. She gave her belt a small pat, lightsaber clipped in place, along with some other supplies.

“Guess I'm ready,” She said, nodding. Sabine turned her gaze out the viewport and stared down at the planet that waited for them, hoping that she really was ready for whatever was to come.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

“Uh… it’s a long story,” Cassius smirked somewhat, his eyes directed ahead as the cloud layer began to thin. “Didn’t end up getting anything out of it anyways.” He took a quick look at the meteorological readings, noting that there was a rainstorm some one hundred kilometers out, but nothing that the Spectre’s shields couldn’t handle.

Finally, they broke through the cloud layer, and they could finally see the terrain of the planet. It looked swampy in appearance, with dark green marbling the surface, the rivers and patches of water reflecting the dark gray sky above. Cassius gripped the controls as the Spectre Melody cruised along, and as his eyes scanned the horizon, he spotted something.

“Look – a settlement of some kind,” he said, pointing slightly port. “It’s close to the coordinates your father gave us… maybe someone already beat us here.” Which could be equal parts disappointing or enlightening. If it was some type of research team, then they could have either gathered all of the necessary information and could give it to the two young intrepid explorers, or they could have pillaged it all and wouldn’t be willing to share.

Regardless, Cassius got on the comm and reached out. After a minute or so of waiting, he finally got an answer, and was welcomed to come and land at their site. Taking off the comm headset, he stole a glance over to Sabine. “A mining operation, apparently,” he said, guiding the ship towards the large landing pad that seemed to be on the only flat spot of land for as far as the eye could see. “They’re just scouting it out first to see if it would be worth drilling anywhere.”

A few other ships were lined up on the pad – a few bulk freighters, as well as a few smaller scout ships. The VCX-100 touched down and fit right in, its landing gear locking into place. The actual settlement was directly ahead of them, a sprinkling of about a dozen squat, white buildings with orange accents and rounded edges, with only the very beginnings of green weathering from the swamp showing. They certainly looked like luxury temporary housing, the type typically seen on research projects or archaeological digs that would only last a few months.

After doing a short post-flight check, Cassius powered the engines down. “Alright,” he breathed out, standing from his pilot’s seat and grabbing his pack. “Let’s make first contact.”

[member="Sabine Galen"]

 

[Sabine Galen]

As the planet's surface came into view, Sabine straightened up. There was an abundance of marshy green, with blots of murky water. It was a good thing that she'd worn boots, she thought thankfully. With her own gaze taking in the sights, she turned at the sound of Cassius' voice and craned her neck to see. Her lashes fluttered as she saw the settlement. Well, this was an interesting development.

She sat back when Cassius got on the comm, and she mulled over the possibilities in her mind. Fixing Cassius in a sidelong glance, she nodded when he mentioned a mining operation. Had these people come to this location purely by chance? Or had something drawn them here? Her brow furrowed softly as she considered it. Still somewhat lost in her own thoughts, she absently reached for her pack and rose when Cassius did.

Now that the ship was on solid ground, she felt a small flutter in her chest – and not the good kind. There was a dark sense of foreboding.

As the ramp lowered and they stepped down, the camp came into view. On the outside, their settlement looked rather nice. However, the feeling tugged relentlessly at Sabine's mind.

“Do you feel that?” She asked quietly as she set her pack onto her back. “Something doesn't feel quite... right.”

She could offer no other details, it was just a feeling. But, she'd learned to trust these things. And, there was little time for a private discussion on the topic, for a portly man was now approaching. His face was drawn, lines of worry set into his expression.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Sabine commented on how off this planet felt, and Cassius nodded in agreement. “I do,” he said. “The dark side permeates through this place. Keep an eye out.” His vision scanned the swamp around them, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood up as his ears pushed back. The dark forces of the universe had a tendency to twist and corrupt the wildlife and area around it. Whether that took the form of poisonous mynocks or sentient vines that would choke the life out of him, he had no idea. There were a number of different possibilities, but Cassius could already tell this wouldn’t be a purely academic endeavor.

The man approached them, giving them a bit of an open-mouth smile, but his eyes were alert and wide. “Hi there,” he said, lifting a small hand in greeting. “I’m Harath. What brings you all out here?”

“I’m Cassius, this is Sabine. We’re Jedi archaeologists,” Cassius began to explain. The man became rather interested when he’d mentioned the word ‘Jedi’. “We thought there might be some ruins close by, similar to ones from a planet only a few lightyears from here. Have you seen anything like that in your survey yet?”

“Uh, well, we haven’t seen anything like that around here,” the man scratched the back of his head. “But you said you two were Jedi, right?” He pointed to them both, eying the lightsabers clipped to their belts.

“That’s right,” Cassius said, his eyes squinting slightly. He wouldn’t need Jedi intuition to know where this was going.

“Maybe you could help us out, then,” the man said, almost apologetically. He clearly wasn’t the type that asked for hand-outs. “We’ve had a couple of people go missing from our camp, see. At first, it was just a scouting party. We thought that maybe they’d gotten lost in the swamp. But then…” he took a dry gulp of air. “So our families travel with us to these expeditions, otherwise we’d never see them. Some of our wives and children have gone missing.” His hands were fidgety, and Cassius wondered if he was more worried about the disappearances, or the hysteria that was surely going through the camp.

“I know it’s not what you’re here for, but…”

Cassius looked to Sabine. He would have zero issue helping these people, but it was her father’s mission they’d been sent on. If she wanted to switch up their mission, it’d be up to her.

[member="Sabine Galen"]

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine came to stand by Cassius' elbow, her senses alert. As a man approached and introduced himself as Harath, she gave a small nod of greeting. The way the man perked up at the word 'Jedi' had not gone unnoticed by Sabine. Listening, she was somewhat surprised to learn that Harath had seen no evidence of ruins nearby.

An interesting development, to be sure. But, Sabine knew that appearances could be quite deceiving. If her father's research had pointed them here – there was definitely a reason.

And, one reason became clear – the settlement needed help. Her brow furrowed slightly as Harath explained that people from their camp had gone missing, and her expression only darkened as he mentioned women and children. Glancing sidelong, she exchanged looks with Cassius. Even without words, she knew that they were on the same page.

“We'll help you find them,” She said with a small, but encouraging smile. Of course, she wanted to instill hope... but not too much. There was really no telling at this point just what had caused these disappearances. “How long have they been missing?”

Sabine drew a breath as Harath began to unfold the tale for them. It seemed that they hadn't even been situated here for long before the first members of their team went missing. The string of strange disappearances continued every few days, until the last – just yesterday. She hung her head for a moment as she took it in, and then offered Harath a small nod as she pulled Cassius to the side.

“What do you think is going on here?” She asked, her eyes already scanning the marshy landscape.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius nodded as Sabine confirmed they’d help them out. He squinted ever so slightly as Harath began to tell them more about the situation, the gears of his mind already starting to turn and click together. He could only imagine the panic the man felt, and he could hear the desperation in his voice as two vestiges of hope stood before him.

As Sabine pulled him aside to ask what he thought, Cassius sighed as he looked out over her shoulder. “No telling yet,” he said. “Someone or something took them, the question is what or who.” His mouth turned into a contemplative frown. “If it was some sort of territorial predator, they probably would have already found bodies. Same goes for if it was a primitive tribe – they would have made a statement rather than go through all of this cloak and dagger.”

Due to the previous experience on the desert planet, Cassius’s mind started to go down a particular track. “It’s possible they’re being used for something… I don’t know what.” He remembered how he and Sabine had almost had the life sucked out of them. Whether that was related, he didn’t know. These were completely different star systems, after all – not far apart to space-farers like themselves, but unfathomable distances to a primitive tribe.

“Whatever it is, we should get going as soon as possible.” Stepping back over to Harath, he said, “We have a small shuttle we can use to search from the air. You should stay here and watch over things. Here’s our comm frequency.” He briefly dug into his belt and tossed him a data chip a moment later.

“Oh, here’s some transponders for our people,” Harath said, pulling out his own hardware and handing a small pile of cylindrical devices to the two Jedi. “We think they’ve gone dead, but maybe they’ll activate if you actually get close to them.”

“We’ll contact you if we find them,” Cassius nodded to him, leading Sabine back up the ramp into the Spectre. “We didn’t even get off the ramp,” he quietly mused to her as he ascended the ladder to the upper deck.

Soon enough, he’d powered up the Convor shuttle from the back of the Spectre and detached, taxiing for a little bit before unfolding the wings and flying off, keeping low to the trees. “I figure if we do a big spiral from the camp we can cover a lot of ground,” he said. “There’s a sensor station next to you. You might be able to plug in those transponders to boost the signal.”

[member="Sabine Galen"]

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine listened to Cassius, her expression thoughtful and somber. She gave a nod; it was rather odd that they hadn't found any evidence of attacks or bodies left behind. Lingering in place, she watched as her Jedi colleague moved to speak with Harath. Sabine listened, but her eyes scanned the area—her gaze wide and hopeful.

Turning, she gave Harath a small nod before following Cassius back towards the ship. “Yeah,” she said. “Trouble always seems to be close by, doesn't it?”

Sabine settled into the shuttle, her mind still turning over the possibilities. “Oh, right,” she nodded, holding her palm out. Once the transponders were in hand, she swiveled her seat towards the sensor station. She plugged them in, watching in anticipation.

Nothing.

Maybe Harath was right; perhaps the transponders had gone dead after all. Her shoulders rounded slightly in disappointment. As they continued along the course Cassius had plotted out, her gaze shifted between the view ports and the sensors. The thrill of exploration was there, but uncertainty tempered it. She couldn't imagine what Harath and the others left behind might be feeling. Perhaps this was exactly why the Jedi of old did not form attachments. Sabine side-eyed Cassius for a brief moment and sighed.

For some reason, their close brush with death on the desert world stuck out in her mind.

But her thoughts vanished the moment there was activity on the display—signals.

[member="Cassius Droma"]

 

[Cassius Droma]

Cassius put the VCX-100 auxiliary craft in a constant spiral towards port, steadily getting further and further away from the camp as they went. Eventually, he was able to program in the course pattern and let the autopilot handle the majority of it. Then, shifting in his seat and closing his eyes, he reached out with the Force.

Like they had felt when they arrived on the planet, there was certainly some sort of dark presence here. The currents of the Force shifted and moved uneasily, but not a whirlpool or thrashing waves like one would feel on a Sith-controlled planet. Instead, this felt as if it was trying to keep itself from being noticed, but the tiny disturbances couldn’t be avoided. It was almost as if a lumbering giant was sleeping under the surface, and merely its heavy breathing was causing waves.

Just as he thought he was getting closer, the console started to beep. Opening his eyes, he looked down and asked, “We’ve got something?” Tapping on the 2-D display of the map, he zoomed it in. It was weak and intermittent, but there were some transponder signals down on the surface. “I’ll bring her down…” he muttered, taking the shuttle out of its autopilot course and angled her down.

Its wings folding into itself, the shuttle touched down on a marshy piece of land surrounded by trees. The door de-pressurized and opened, and Cassius stepped out, his boots immediately sinking a little bit into the mud.

It didn’t take long to find the transponders. Nearby, there was a small pile of torn clothing, pieces of jewelry and other personal belongings like datapads, and the faintly beeping transponders. Cautious, Cassius knelt down and hovered his hand over the pile. His psychometric abilities could already tell him that there had been a lot of pain and fear associated with these belongings. Steeling himself, he touched one of the torn pieces of clothing.

Although it was dark in the vision, he could see figures carrying bodies of various sizes through the marshes. Those being carried seemed to have been knocked out or… had already passed. One victim had seemed to have awoken early and struggled… before being hit in the head with a club or rock. Where they stood now was apparently the site where they stripped the victims of their earthly possessions, save for a few items of clothes.

Withdrawing his hand, he solemnly looked over to Sabine. “We’re close,” he said, and he scanned the treeline. “That way,” he muttered, pointing to something that one could probably miss if they hadn’t looked for it, as it blended well with the trees surrounding it: a weathered skull propped up by a spear stabbed into the ground.

[member="Sabine Galen"]

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine's eyes narrowed against the looming sense of darkness, and she drew a few calming breaths as the shuttle descended towards the site of the signals. A step or two behind Cassius, she found her own boots soon sinking into the sodden ground. And as she took an initial glance at their surroundings, her eyes widened.

The mud was scattered with various items. Ripped bits of clothing, buttons that had broken loose, jewels, and more. As Cassius moved towards a pile of clothing, she stepped over to a furry brown lump. Kneeling, Sabine reached out and plucked a mud-caked teddy bear from the marsh. Her heart dropped. Glancing towards Cassius, she saw his hand extended over the clothes, likely gaining a psychometric glimpse.

This was one instance she was thankful that she did not have that ability.

These poor people, she thought, still clutching the stuffed bear. After tucking the child's toy into her pack, she stood and made her way back to Cassius' side. Her eyes followed his hand, and she squinted at a skull that sat atop a spear.

“That's not a good sign,” she said and started to trudge through the muck. “Any idea what we're up against?” Sabine asked, nodding back towards the pile of clothes.

Cassius Droma

 

[Cassius Droma]

Sabine asked him if he knew what they were in for – and Cassius’s mind was already at work trying to make sense of it all. In the end, he told the truth. “I’m not sure,” he said, as they passed the mounted skull and moved deeper into the thickening woods. “I’ve studied ancient cults before – things having to do with the dark side of the Force, others merely… demented. This feels different than anything I’d studied, yet… there’s something familiar about it.”

Suddenly, an image flashed across his mind – more like a memory. “Do you remember one of the first missions we were on together, on the sand planet in Wild Space? We nearly had the life sucked out of us. A dark presence ruminated in that place as well. Right now, I feel the same presence here as I did there.” He also thought back to the small figurine that he had recovered from the site, scanned, boxed up, and now sitting on the Spectre Melody.

They continued further, with some trace evidence of disturbances along the way – leaves shuffled around in an unnatural way, broken branches, and even a few more trinkets or items of clothing. The ground was also getting increasingly wetter, indicating they were getting to a swamp.

Eventually, a small island could be seen up ahead, with a moat of shallow water surrounding it. On the island, stone obelisks could be seen, and a bonfire in the middle roared in the dimming light of the sunset. Also, there was movement. Cassius put his arm out in a bid to wordlessly stop Sabine.

Too late – someone had already noticed them, and had gone from a crouched position into standing at full height, peering over at them.

Sabine Galen

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine's memory traveled back to the desert world, back to the tomb where the life had been nearly sucked out of them. An experience she'd never forget, even if she wanted to. And when Cassius mentioned that the dark presence felt the same, she drew upon the force.

Her brow knitted together, Cassius was right.

The thought came with a slight shiver, but she steeled her nerves and pressed on. With the ground wet around her ankles, she stepped carefully and hoped that she didn't lose her boots. Their surroundings had a tale to tell, bits of broken branches and signs of travel. Had it not been marshland, there would likely have been a trail of footprints to follow.

Her eyes widened as a small island came into view. And she halted when Cassius put his arm out before her. Freezing in place, she surveyed the scene... there were men that had a feral, tribal look about them – their skin painted with foreign markings, the color of which reminded her of... blood.

With stone obelisks standing tall on the island and a bright bonfire in the middle, they had just interrupted some kind of ritual. Sabine might have instinctively inched closer to Cassius, and her hand slowly came to hover over the saber on her hip.

A tiny gasp escaped Sabine when she looked towards the fire. Dark shapes mingled with the dancing flames, shapes that looked very much like bodies.

Cassius Droma

 

[Cassius Droma]

Before either of them could say anything to the other, the man that had noticed them gave out a whooping howl, disturbing some nearby flying fauna. Almost in union, the other tribesmen on the island turned and looked, their bodies twisting and contorting to get a good look at the intruders. With yells in response, the entire horde began to break into a sprint towards them. Some were so animalistic in nature that they began to run on all fours. The water splashed violently around their feet and hands as they made their way to Cassius and Sabine.

Reaching out his hand, he threw the first man running towards them into a tree using the Force, their back slamming against the trunk with a dull thud. The incoming group decided to approach not as a singular group, but spread out, meaning to surround and flank the two. Turning his back to Sabine, Cassius reached for his lightsaber and ignited it, the green blade springing to life.

The horde soon descended upon them, and Cassius kept his arcs tight and concise as he sliced through the tribesmen, knowing that he would cover Sabine’s back, and she his. He sliced upwards as one nearly leapt on him, having to use the Force to redirect the man’s limp body so that it didn’t hit him in the shoulder. While having some animalistic tendencies, the men were surely sentient and intelligent, as a few hung back just to see what the two would do.

There were approximately two dozen to start, but they were relatively unarmed – not too difficult for two trained Jedi Knights, but high numbers could overwhelm just about anyone. Eventually, all that remained were the two Jedi, standing in the middle of the swamp with a new pile of bodies surrounding them.

A slow sipping hiss sounded as his blade retracted into his saber’s hilt. He looked to Sabine. “You alright?”

Sabine Galen

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine's eyes narrowed as the tribesmen burst into motion, her jaw set firm. Things were about to get really ugly. The contorted forms, running on all fours came in force. She saw motion out of the corner of her eyes as Cassius sent the first one flying into a sturdy tree trunk. And when he turned his back to her, she did the same – igniting her own bright blue blade.

There was comfort in the hum of their sabers working in unison, she sensed her fellow Knight's movements in the force.

The horde circled, tribesmen closed in while their fellows hung back, waiting. Gripping the hilt of her saber, she swung as a man snarled and lunged at her. As the blade bit into his skin, he fell into the mud and lay motionless.

More came and more fell.

Sabine, breathing hard and flecked with mud, looked over to Cassius. “Yeah,” she affirmed with a nod, and swallowed hard. “I'm fine.” She eyed him for a moment, making sure that he, too, was unharmed. After extinguishing her saber, she placed it back on her belt and turned her gaze to the island that waited a bit menacingly across the shallow water.

The fire still burned, the orange glow illuminating the stone obelisks.

“Looks like some kind of ritual...” she murmured, and her thoughts shifted to the victims. “Sacrifice?” she added.

Cassius Droma

 

[Cassius Droma]

With the knowledge that his partner was unharmed, Cassius ventured forth, stepping over the pile of bodies they had created towards the island. Trekking through the water, it almost got just above Cassius’s boots, but thankfully it didn’t. He made sure to have measured but quick motions so he wouldn’t sink into the mud and get stuck – he briefly wondered how the tribesmen were able to cross it so quickly.

Reaching the island, the stench of rot and decay only became stronger. Cassius grimaced – not just at the smell, but of the abject horror before them. It was as they feared. A pile of dead victims, set aflame. He turned away for a moment and closed his eyes, breathing out of his nose. The surface level horror, as well as the swirling darkness that filled the air around them, was almost too much.

Sabine wondered aloud just what the purpose of all of this was. “Yes,” Cassius muttered, “that seems to be the best explanation.” Finding the strength to look again, he felt grief and sadness as he saw the mangled bodies from the nearby settlement. Some of them looked as though they had been mutilated prior to being thrown in, with missing limbs and twisted necks. Some seemed to even have… bite marks.

“The question is…” Cassius stared into the fire, looking almost entranced in the dancing flames, “just what… or who were they making the sacrifice to?” Reaching out his hand, he considered extinguishing the flames – perhaps the settlers would want to respectfully bury their dead. Yet, he knew that seeing a loved one in this state would only bring heartbreak and anguish. It was hard enough for him to look, as an outsider. Instead, he beckoned the flames to grow and expand, becoming a much more raging fire. By morning, only a pile of ash would remain.

Reaching into his bag, Cassius retrieved some of his spherical scanning droids and released them. Extending harmless red lasers, they began to hover around the site, gathering all the data they would need for later study. The less time they stayed there, the better.

“We can retrieve the transponders and other personal items that we found further back towards the shuttle. That should hopefully give the settlers some closure. Can’t imagine they’ll want to stay… especially if this wasn’t the whole tribe.” He nodded back to those they’d just fought. After all, these members only seemed to be male. There had to be females and children somewhere.

“Unless you wanted to study some of those stone obelisks up close, we can go as soon as the scanning droids are done.”

Sabine Galen

 

[Sabine Galen]

Sabine trudged just behind Cassius, trying to keep her steps brisk through the muddy water. A hand went to cover her nose as they set foot on the island. And the reason became evident, a burning pile of bodies. The breath caught in her throat, and she turned away, too. She took a step back and bent double for a moment, hands resting on knees as she stood ankle-deep on the shore.

Who were they making the sacrifice to? Sabine felt a sense of dread in the pit of her stomach, she didn't want to know. But looking up at the flames burning into the sky, she felt the villagers deserved a chance to rest. And they would owe their surviving family members some kind of explanation. It felt like the right thing to do.

She was quiet as the droids began their scan of the surrounding area.

Sabine crossed her arms, almost hugging herself, and nodded to Cassius when he mentioned gathering the personal items. Stepping closer to one of the stone obelisks, the firelight danced on the surface ominously. For a moment, she reached out to touch the surface that had been worn smooth, but her fingertips recoiled. Such darkness.

Swallowing hard, she dropped her gaze to the rocky stretch of beach. With her heart heavy, she glanced over at her fellow Knight. “We ought to send a report back to my father about our findings,” she said quietly. “Let's go.”

Cassius Droma

 

[Cassius Droma]

There was mostly silence as the droids scanned away, and the fire burned brighter. Perhaps it was reverence, or maybe it was unspeakable fear that hanged in the air. Thankfully, the droids were done after only a few minutes, and they returned to their home dock on Cassius’s pack. He retrieved his holoprojector and turned it on. An extremely accurate rendering of the surrounding area popped up. Zooming in, he checked the visual fidelity, and it was perfect. Definitely good enough to study later – no need to come back here.

Retrieving his lightsaber, he turned it on, the brilliant green light clashing somewhat with the pale orange from the fire. Methodically, he cut down the stone obelisks, pushing them into the muddy ground, where they sank into the marsh. He went in a clockwise circle around the small island, and by the time he was done, he was standing next to Sabine, who was saying it was time to go and send a report to Master Yves Galen. He nodded, extinguishing the blade of his lightsaber and clipping the hilt back on his belt.

“Yeah,” he muttered, taking one last look at the fire, and placing a reassuring hand on Sabine’s shoulder. “Let’s get out of here.”

On the way back to the shuttle, they gathered the various transponders and personal items that had been discarded before the victims had been dragged back through the swamp. Cassius was rather slower and methodical, careful not to activate his psychometric abilities and experience the last horrific moments like he almost had before. It was hard enough, as the Force allowed them to feel things and accept emotions from not just the living, but extreme ones from the past as well.

Once done there, Cassius spooled up the engine of the shuttle, taking off into the night. He sat somewhat slouched back in the pilot’s seat, his shoulders low. When they had arrived, he had hoped that they would find these people alive, if perhaps somewhat injured. Yet, possibly one of the most horrific things had happened to them.

Either way, Cassius figured that hopefully the strange tribe would not hurt anyone else anymore, and that they rest of the mining colony would heed their advice and leave before something like this happens again.

Sabine Galen