Weapons at the ready, the Cultists approached the Dark Inquisitor or more appropriately the Jedi who followed closely behind him. They uttered no sound, but they moved off to the side after hearing that the pair of light siders were here at their master's request. The monastery doors opened and a giant cultist in heavy armor appeared, flanked by more Choir soldiers, though these ones were cloaked in red and stood above the others. Unlike the footsoldiers, the giant cultist spoke.
"The Elder One is pleased." he began, speaking to the Inquisitor before handing him a chunk of the same red crystal that now grew around the base of the monastery and seemed to be expanding as the Dark Side began to extend its tendrils into the wilderness. Yet this particular chunk was unique, it seemed to radiate raw power and even crackled. To one uninitiated in the Dark Side, it might burn the one who touched it and yet the armored cultist seemed unbothered.
"Channel your rage into it. Use it to crush those who would come to this holy place. The Mandalorians in particular, they must not breach the ritual chamber. Do this, and you will be granted the full rewards our Master offers."
Once the Inquisitor had received his deadly new weapon and departed to revel in battle once more, the lead Cultist looked to the Jedi who remained.
"The Master welcomes you. Come with me, I shall lead you to him."
The Cultist turns and heads back through the monastery doors, the chamber within was in fact an ancient lift made of stone, restored to use by the Cult in order to access the deepest chambers of the temple. In this place, the Dark Side was all but overwhelming, the air far colder than should be possible on Onderon. Not since the days of the ancient Sith Empire had darkness such as this consumed this world, perhaps this time it would be a permanent wound to Onderon, one that not even the Jedi could heal. As the lift descended, one could peer into the various halls of the monastery to find nothing but carnage and darkness. Beasts born of the Dark Side and countless worshipers, yet the remaining monks would not be found on any of the upper floors. At last, reaching the lowest floor, a long hallway stood before the group and the cultists began to walk toward the chamber that lay at its end, the very heart of this darkness. Large stone doors opened when the group reached the end of the hallway and within was the instigator of this chaos.
The Cultitsts remained in the hallway, beckoning the Jedi to enter the chamber, the large stone doors closing behind them once they were inside. Arrayed around the pyramid structure in the center of the temple were the remaining monks, kneeling as several cultists stood behind them, prepared to end their lives. The creature that would decide their fate was at the base of the pyramid, hand resting against the structure as it continues to pour energy into the sky, spreading the corruption of the Dark Side with each passing hour.
"You have come. I must admit I expected you to challenge my forces, but you have made the wise decision to witness this moment firsthand."
Turning to face the Jedi, the twisted visage of the Elder One was on full display. Once a normal man, he had become something dark and utterly broken. A thousand years of torment and darkness had taken their toll. Yet his broken mind had healed and had been utterly focused on a single purpose, one that would see him do anything to achieve it. Raising one of his elongated fingers, he points at the Jedi Master, his gaze focused on her for the time being.
"As I thought. You are the ancient Jedi, one who has awoken to a galaxy of utter chaos. Tell me, have you not seen the failure of the Jedi firsthand? Thousands of years, time enough for the Jedi to wipe out the Sith and yet they remain, a new Empire rises and the cycle continues."
Next, he looked to Padawan, tendrils reaching outward to probe his mind. But his past mattered little, for his future lay before him now, in this place.
"You are of this time, and yet you have seen much Padawan. One day you will see the hypocrisy of the Jedi, see the death that will always follow them so long as they insist on serving the force, the very chains that bind them to failure."
Taking a few steps forward, the Sith approached the Jedi, yet he offered no hint of malice. Instead, he welcomed them into what he considered to be his temple, a place where they might see the truth he has uncovered.
"Little would be gained should we battle here. Only more death and I would not waste either of your lives. In truth, an artifact lay entombed here, one I will need to move to the next step of my design. Sith and Jedi have battled for eons, yet here we may find a common goal. The force has failed us and permitted endless suffering in the pursuit of balance. Aid me, put an end to this cruel game, and usher in a new era where a true God at last graces the galaxy, a galaxy of peace and plenty for all."
He turns slightly, directing their attention to the pyramid that remains shut, its prize still out of the Elder One's grasp.
"Without you, these monks will be sacrificed to open the chamber. Yet with a single drop of blood from either of you, I can access the relic within. One last barrier put in place by the Sith of old, and either of you is capable of breaking it. Then you will understand what I intend to do, and why it needs to be done."
He looks back to the Jedi once again, one final warning for them to consider.
"I have seen what awaits us all after death. Only darkness and endless torture. Let us bring this to an end, allow the dead the silence they so deserve."
