Secrets Within Dark Halls [IC | Open | Mission]

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Hyperspace,
Aboard Excidium's personal transport Ruin,
En route to Dromund Fels...

The bright, mottled flares of hyperspace always offered Darth Excidium an interesting visual sensation. So accustomed to light, there was beauty in the cascading display, the Sith's eyes seeing beyond normal human range. It was part of the reason he was so willing to travel for the Sith Empire - he got to enjoy moments like these in an otherwise endless cycle of suffering and proverbial darkness. The flickering light without sent patterns across the sleek controls of the Bastion Class personal transports cockpit, where Excidium stood watching almost in a daze.

<"Eleven minutes until reversion to real-space,"> The automated systems suddenly voiced, breaking the reverie the Sith had been in. <"Prepare for exit from hyperspace.">

With a sigh, Excidium turned on his heel and walked from the cockpit. He made his way through the chrome-like interior of the ship, passing several doors that led to other parts of the craft, instead moving with purpose to the lounge area. This mission was of personal importance to the Sith Lord, given the nature of the treasure that was potentially available, as no Sith would pass up the opportunity to collect a Sith Holocron - let alone a small cache of the prized items.

"Dromund Fels," Excidium murmured aloud, speaking to himself in the vacant corridor. He was prone to speaking to himself. "Unsurprising Holocrons would appear there, really. Interesting that it had taken this long, however."

The Sith began thinking of what he knew about the planet itself. While he had never been personally, there were files in several private libraries that Excidium had been privy to that told of various aspects of Dromund Fels. Largely unremarkable, save its connection to the Sith of old, the planet was arid and had a single moon. There were rumors of Sith temples, but the same could be said of most of the sister planets in that system. Clearly the more infamous Dromund Kaas had gained more recognition and far more complete information recorded. Still, there was obviously some truth to the rumors of temples on the less known planet, as evidenced by the cache that had been discovered...

Excidium's musings ended as he rounded the final length of the corridor, entering into the lounge of the transport. It was of moderate luxury, having comfortable seating and tables available for use. There was a food and drink dispenser and several shelves for storage, were they needed. Much like the rest of the ship, the color scheme left much to be desired - monochromatic, with lots of silver, white and gray. Yet, the lighting had been turned to full by Excidium's preference, and the brightness throughout reflected nicely off the surfaces giving an almost glowing sheen.

"We arrive in nine minutes," Excidium blurted without preamble, speaking to the other Sith that had gathered for the mission. "Finish preparations and be ready to fight. Whomever has discovered these relics likely knows of their importance and worth, and has brought resources to attempt protection of their investment."

While not rude, per se, Excidium certainly had a curtness to him that rubbed a lot of people he knew the wrong way. Pleasantries were best left to those that wanted to manipulate and coerce. When dealing with poisons and semi-sentient creations, one didn't need to use niceties... still, his fellows were Sith, and deserved some opportunities to speak with him.

"Are there any questions?" Excidium raised an eyebrow, his glowing green eyes peering at the Sith. "Also, you, I forget your name, do we have any new information from the advanced probes?"

Often the simpler tasks, like manning a probe report device, was more suited to the Sith of lesser rank. Granted, Excidium hadn't been doing anything overly important with his time - quite literally staring into space - but the fact remained that he was of a higher rank and therefore had the say on whether he wanted to watch blinking lights or blinking monitors... which, he thought, both sounded quite similar and mundane on the face of it all.

Still, hyperspace was beautiful. Probe reports were not.

"Well?"

 

[Olrunn Darr]

If the hours had passed slowly or quickly, she did not know. The acolyte had the habit of detaching herself from such perceptions when endorsed in a task at hand, more so when the thought of it would only make of the travel an even longer and outstandingly tedious affair. A simmering calmness surrounded her as she read through the old, fragile and heavy book parted open to the side of her. Every now and then she would glance towards the beeping lights of the screen in front of her, awaiting for a report that she knew would not be updated with any new information. In her observations during her previous travels alongside her Master she had discovered that there was usually a chronological pattern to these reports. If it had not yet arrived, after exactly a day since the last report confirming the presence of the holocrons on one of the ancient temples on Dromund Fels, then the probability of it ever doing so had severely decreased. The Master would not be pleased.

With nothing to do but waste what was left of her patience in a task she was sure had little purpose, it had been only logical to continue her readings on the old ways of the Sith. The tome that was currently being carefully dissected by the orange eyes of the Gurlanin explored some of the most important bases of Sith Alchemy, an interest inspired in her by her Master. Olrunn had been rearing the hope of some, or at least one, of the holocrons to be retrieved to possess further information on subjects correlated to the ones she had been studying. However, the apprentice had too pictured in her priorities that regardless of what was contained in the artifacts, they belonged in hands of the deserving Sith Lords and not in some lesser beings possession where they were only appraised for their monetary value.

The gurlanin finally shifted from her straight sitting position when she felt the presence of her Master slowly gaining terrain on the corridor leading to the lounge where herself and others were stationed. With swift, careful hands she saw the book closed and stood from her seat, earning a look or two that were quickly shifted away from her as [member="Darth Excidium"] made his entrance into the chamber.

All stayed silent as the Sith Lord informed them of the current situation that awaited them once they grounded on Dromund Fels. It was to be expected, she thought, that such essential artifacts to the Sith were too in other's interest. She rid her mind of fleeting thoughts as soon as her Master had addressed her. Her first response was a neutral, cold and somewhat obedient gaze in her orange eyes, soon after she deliver the desired answer.

"I am afraid no new reports have arrived Master, other than the confirmation of the artifacts presence."

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Eight minutes.

Hands clasped at the small of his back, his ragged and worn robes resembling more a homeless vagrant from Coruscant than a Sith Lord, Excidium watched his Apprentice with a thoughtful gaze. His bright green eyes staring into her equally bright orange ones, taking in every detail following the dismissal of not remembering Olrunn's name - despite remembering it perfectly, as well as everything else the Sith had ever witnessed in his lifetime. That had simply been a test, to see how his new Apprentice would respond to being shown discourtesy; and judging by the calm, controlled response, Excidium had to admit he liked the girl a little more than he had moments ago...

"A shame," The Sith Lord muttered, eyes glancing to the others in the lounge area. "More information would have been helpful. Not needed, mind, but certainly more of an advantage."

Surely there was some lesson there, some kind of lecture about gaining the upper-hand with supreme knowledge over your adversary... but Excidium didn't feel the need to explain every point to the Acolytes and Apprentices gathered, as surely they shared some semblance of a brain-stem between them. The implication was enough, and if any of them needed clarification on why knowing more about ones enemy was important, then they deserved nothing less than the nearby airlock.

"Behold the failure of most technology," The Zelosian continued, his bright eyes narrowed as he considered several topics at once. "So, say we are to presume our probe has met an unfortunate end... what can we expect at the temple and what should be our course of action before proceeding with our mission?"

Excidium noticed that some of the nearby tomes had been touched, their placement slightly off from his recollection of the shelving. He wondered at whom might have been reading, but immediately knew it had been his Apprentice, if only because she seemed to be the only young Sith present capable of not playing with her lightsaber at all times. So many relied only on the combative side of the Sith teachings, and it was a deep disappointment...

"Don't be shy, I'm interested in your answers and capabilities with deduction and planning," Excidium smiled wryly, looking from one Sith to the next, before stopping on his Apprentice. He expected many great things from her, truly that had been one of the reasons for accepting the appointment to be Olrunn's master. "There are no wrong answers here... only ill-informed and exasperatingly stupid ones."

Seven minutes.

 

[Vereshin]

With his nose buried within a book he had found, Vereshin strode by the Sith Lord and his apprentice, a thick eyebrow raised above rimless glasses as he maintained his daydreaming guise. He possessed no information valuable to Exidium, only his raw power in Dark Side to assist in the Lord's quest of recovering stolen knowledge. The Sith Knight held no assets and had only recently acquired a Darth mantle, his influence in comparison, was modest.

"Oh hello Madam, M'lord." The Sith sorcerer looked up from his book and acknowledged his two fellows with a curt nod of his head. He said nothing more and slipped into the side of the lounge while listening intently to Exidium's description of the mission at hand. There was a time when Vereshin would have kissed the young woman's hand, before finding love of his own. The dark mage smiled to himself in response to Exicidium's mistrust of technology, a trait he shared with Vereshin himself.

"It is my preference to take the approach of stealth, should any violent presence be waiting." Vereshin spoke honestly, not out of any skill of planning and leadership qualities, rather simple experience he possessed when undertaking missions into locations hiding arcane anomalies. He did not mention his method of freezing any enemies in time and bypassing them while they were trapped of their movement.

Vereshin had no doubts that his answer was possibly an ill-informed one. He swallowed slightly while awaiting the Sith Lord's response and turned his eyes towards the open page of the book and pushed his glasses up his nose. Wearing his usual black coat with the standing collar above black plus fours tucked into boots fastened with laces, he appeared unassuming and elegant, not desiring to wear robes for any occasion.

[member="Darth Excidium"], [member="Olrunn Darr"]

 

[Olrunn Darr]

​Maintaining that collected and alert profile she tended to fall into when heeding the words of her Master, she was once again pleasantly surprised as she realized the theories she had previously conjured up to make an attempt at explaining the lack of new reports had not been too far from what Excidium himself had figured. The probe must have been located and identified by whoever wished to keep the artifacts away from their rightful owner's hands and had met its end before any more information could be provided to their current party.

She would have been happy to expand more on her thoughts, as the Sith Lord had requested, yet there was an individual aspect of her character that stopped her from doing so. She hated speaking out of place, and since she was not the only one sharing in her Master's presence she would bid herself to silence as long as one of the others provided an answer satisfactory enough to the question. After all, Olrunn tended to feel as if the Sith Lord had some knowledge of her thoughts regardless of her voicing them or not.

Not more than a minute had passed when a third voice besides Excidium's and her own captured the Gurlanin's attention. A Sith Knight with an interesting profile. Olrunn lightly bowed her head in response to his greeting, acknowledging in such a gesture the fact that he stood a stratum higher than herself. Her orange eyes did a good work of remaining distant and cold, whereas inside of her a small flare of curiosity had arose. If she was not mistaken, the man now speaking held knowledge on the arts of Sith Magic, a subject she was most deeply interested in.

After the Knight was through, stating that he felt more comfortable approaching the matter with stealth, the apprentice figured no one else would raise their voice in answer and with this in mind, once again spoke. "If the probe has indeed been found and destroyed, and there is a high probability of this having been the case, then whoever is behind the artifacts is alerted of our coming." The smooth voice her specie's was renowned for resonated with calmness, "Because of this, it would only be sagacious to assume that they have readied themselves for a confrontation that they are aware shall arrive sooner rather than later. Now, they might have set up sentries or locating devices to know when we make our entrance into Dromund Fels' atmosphere and then we shall have lost all chances of keeping the element of surprise on our side. However if they have neglected this and we manage to land undiscovered, stealth - as has already been proposed - seems to be the best path to follow."

[member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Vereshin"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Darth Excidium was - not so much pleased, as - expectant to see Vereshin. As another Sith seeking the power contained within Holocrons and study, it was presumed that he would attend the mission, in order to gain his share of the reward. The tall Sith was also studying a tome, green eyes pouring over each word with clear enthrallment. It was a good occurrence, Excidium had to admit, seeing more pursuits in the dark arts within the Sith Empire.

Now for their thoughts on the coming situation...

Excidium listened as both Sith gave their respective answers, nodding to himself. At least they showed some promise with logic and strategy, unlike some in the Order who simply felt that beating something with a lightsaber until it didn't move was a valid tactic. Thankfully, there was hope for the future, with intelligent Sith actually existing. Still, their plans - while sound - were not utilizing all of the resources at their disposal; the element of surprise was possible, yes, their Force abilities useful, yes, and their personal weapons, clearly... however they were ignoring the potential of the weapon they were standing in.

"Though it is possible they aren't fully aware of the weapons available," Excidium muttered, scratching his chin as he glanced between the pair. Speaking louder, the Sith Lord continued, "Both your answers provide valid methods of proceeding with this mission, however this ship presents a large advantage over our potential enemies on the planets surface. But first, we must assess the terrain, and determine if the enemy has distinct advantages."

Moving to a nearby holographic panel, Excidium pressed a series of buttons, until a glowing blue transparent map appeared in the middle of the lounge. It zeroed in on a specific location, where the probe had created the report concerning the Sith Holocron cache. A brief survey of the planetary data showed several interesting aspects to the area the Sith were headed - firstly, there was a large nearby temple, as one would expect given the bounty; second, there appeared to be a makeshift camp in place, though there didn't appear to be any large weapons mounts at the time of the probe report; and thirdly, the camp was in a mostly open area, before heavy sand dunes swept away to the horizon, intermingled with large vertical rock formations randomly.

"An open view of the surrounding area, but also an open camp," Excidium mused, eyes glowing as he studied the map, checking for vantages. "The only shelter is the temple, which would require a close-quarter battle, which would suit our advantage... so the question remains, how do we force them into the terrain - the temple - that we desire? And what can we do about learning the temple layout rapidly to keep that advantage?"

The ragged Sith had long ago determined to make his pupils and those serving him to earn their keep. They would be made to use their most powerful weapon, their minds, in order to overcome the tasks set before them. There were too many lightsaber enthusiasts and Excidium wanted to ensure he was crafting the future leaders of the Sith Empire to be capable of so much more than combat. The answer to the first question was arbitrary, granted, especially as Excidium had basically delivered the answer on a platter, but he still wanted the Sith lessers to be firing their synapses... but he was interested in how they would answer the second, about the temple itself.

And I wonder if they saw the potential third threat?

​

[member="Olrunn Darr"] [member="Vereshin"]​

 

[Vereshin]

Vereshin, more astute than what he seemed, only chose to pay attention when the circumstances interested or suited him. The dark mage struggled to absorb the words revolving around ships, weapons and terrains and nodded quietly in response, a gesture of acknowledgement paired with a blank stare. He listened to Exidium explain the situation and asked for the opinion of the two younger Sith regarding their strategy. A plethora of arcane related techniques came to Vereshin's mind and he muse on the topic for a moment.

"Dominate their minds and lure them into the temple through the use of the Force, perhaps?" Vereshin spoke honestly, detailing his personal approach to the situation, always one to choose the most mischievous method. As Exidium proposed the further question, his eyes widened further as he thought of another solution. "While under our control, we would be able to see through their eyes the layout of the temple as they are lured in there." The idea was, esoteric to say the least. Vereshin lay back and pushed his glasses up his nose as he mentally prepared himself for a series of raised eyebrows.

"Even if we only puppeteer a small group as bait, the others would surely follow." He mused allowed to himself and recoiled slightly. The thought occurred that possessing the entire site may prove a difficult feat, depending on the numbers. He slid a hand into his coat, procured his notebook and pen and began to estimate and compound equations for the potential set of spells required.

"If they do not, we may set fire to their campsite or cast a field of darkness over the area, forcing them to join their fellows in the temple. If there are already others in there, they will follow them out of panic." Vereshin expanded on his idea with a solution, should the three Sith be incapable of possessing an entire campsite. The latter of which, he doubted, confident in the abilities of himself, Exidium and his apprentice. "Do we know if there are many individuals on the site?" He inquired as he continued to scribble formula.

[member="Darth Excidium"], [member="Olrunn Darr"]

 

[Olrunn Darr]

Olrunn listened carefully to the exchange between the Lord and the Knight. Testing her mind was something she enjoyed doing, more so when there was a better-learned one to show her where her analysis was flawed. Of course, knowing she had overlooked or misinterpreted some details was not something that brought her pride but knowing she would not do so again in the future was to be appreciated. There was no shame in being ignorant at such a young age, an ignorant could learn. Stupidity and hardheadedness on the other hand...

Excidium had always shown a talent for making some of the most precise and hardest questions she had had the pleasure of answering. Sometimes they made her doubt herself and by now, she knew there was always something more hidden among the words that her Master would want her to deduce and include in her answers. Of course and as her placed required her to do, the Gurlanin waited for the Knight to answer first. Again, he presented a possible course of action which she agreed with for the most part, but she could also see many scenarios in which it could go wrong.

Preparation was never to be taken lightly, those who mindlessly plunged into unknown territory perished sooner or later depending on how much luck they could harbor. In her opinion, not even the most powerful of beings could neglect employing the greatest gift of many sentients: intelligence. And in her case, she was neither powerful nor learned enough and in such a case, forethought was to be her greatest of allies.

"We do not have knowledge regarding their numbers or equipment." She answered Vereshin's question before proceeding to give her opinion, not before glancing at her Master in a silent request of permission to speak. "The proposed plan could work out well enough. However, just as we do not know how many of them there are, we do not yet know if any of them is strong in the Force. It is a possibility, and if it is the case, then a tactic based on Force persuasion could be easily detected." Her eyes had glazed over with a distinctly thoughtful look, cold and analyzing.

"It is in my understanding that Dromund Fels is an arid planet. If their camp is found in plain terrain, then they could easily become victims to a sandstorm. If we were to raise one from enough distance, then they wouldn't be able to sense us and the sand would also help to hide the ship from their views." She suggested the idea. "As for the layout of the Temple, I'm sure will be able to find what we need by a quick search of the archive but what is a concern in my opinion is the state of the place. It is a very ancient location, more forgotten than its contemporaries on, for example, Dromund Kas. If it is no longer strong enough to withstand a confrontation within its walls it could become a liability."

[member="Vereshin"] [member="Darth Excidium"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Four minutes

Both plans of attacking the cache location were potentially workable. It was prudent to discuss such things with those you fought alongside, as typically the answers provided gave indications of an allies' strengths and weaknesses. Given that both Sith had offered plans based on deception and cunning, to varying degrees, allowed Excidium to feel some level of comfort in the fact they were 'thinkers'. The last thing the Sith Lord wanted was to rush headlong into battle behind a grunt incapable of planning beyond loading his blaster or unclipping her lightsaber; in fact, oftentimes Excidium considered striking those kinds of individuals down, simply to save the Sith Empire the suffering of their ignorance and stupidity... but even brutes had their purpose, so he resisted. Mostly.

"Both are good plans, both have merits and flaws," Excidium said, his green eyes moving between the pair. "I am pleased you are both willing to approach this situation with some level of intellectual capacity. As to the plans themselves, I feel that high risk-high reward is rarely the way to go, and simplifying a battle is far preferable.

"So, in that, Apprentice Olrunn has the better idea. A manually created sandstorm would benefit us far more than attempting mass mind control." Looking to Vereshin, raising an eyebrow, Excidium smiled. "Still, don't think your plan wasn't impressive. Just idealistic and perhaps overzealous given the unknowns involved."

Walking toward the front of the ship, motioning for the other Sith to follow, Excidium decided to prepare the course of events they would take so the group could prepare for their rapid descent into battle. He paused, near the rampway, as he folded his arms and waited, speaking...

"You both show promise with strategy. Now listen to a superior plan, and think on the merits and flaws in your own. We shall arrive under cover of the sandstorm, however before approaching the temple we shall ensure no scout or long-range support units are present on the nearby rock formations. We do not want to be shot in the backs. Not pleasant." The Sith Lord shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, as though he knew what he spoke of. "Apprentice Olrunn, you shall be dropped off at the most directly placed formation nearest the temple, to handle any enemies in position and then to proceed to the temple in your natural form, for speed. You are responsible for locating any additional foes that may be patrolling, and to deal with them quickly and quietly."

Turning to Vereshin, Excidium nodded his head.

"You, Vereshin, shall be with me. I will be using my power to stir the sandstorm, and you will be tasked with locating and dominating the mind of the group's leader. Once you have achieved control, you will call for a retreat into the safety of the temple to avoid damage from the sand. When this order has been followed, I will have my piloting droid operate the turrets of the Ruin and will gun down as many as possible from their flank."

Looking between both Sith, Darth Excidium smiled again, but it wasn't an expression that caused joy.

"When our enemy is both surprised, and cut off from possible support units, we will disembark and proceed to kill them all within the temple. Vereshin, you shall provide us with a layout of the temple, insofar as the enemy is aware. Also keep us updated of their ambush points and rally locations. We are trusting you to not lead us into crossfire. As for the state of the temple, if it is required, I will maintain the integrity of the structure and ensure we are not killed by chance collapse. However, the further we pursue our enemies under the presumption of a crumbling temple, the more strained I will become maintaining a safe exit... so it is in our best interests to act quickly, and dispatch them as soon as we have them in view. In either case. And finally, the Ruin shall maintain cover-fire from above, in case of surprise reinforcements.

"Once the enemy is dealt with, we shall reclaim that which belongs to the Sith... are there any questions?"

[member="Olrunn Darr"] [member="Vereshin"]​

 

[Olrunn Darr]

A slight, fleeting feeling of satisfaction reached her upon her Master's approval of her plan. Of course, she had not expected it to be lacking the weaknesses that the more experienced man would be able to pinpoint and correct and in such regard it had not allowed satisfaction to grow into pride, something she was thankful of. The prideful, in her opinion, walked paths far to unpredictable. A justified pride was known to draw more enemies, flaunting and taunting seemed childish in her eyes and it also created a false sense of invincibility. No, she was not prideful, she only took gratification from what was a job well-done.

After explaining the flaws in the plans that the sorcerer and herself had proposed, the Lord proceeded to present them with a better, more elaborate one. It was well-rounded, logical and as far as her understanding went together with the fact that the information they had been provided left much to be desired, it seemed to set the scale on their favor. Yet she couldn't stir a feeling of unease from within her. She knew this was not the Force alerting of a disturbance or a danger, but rather her own discomfort at being confronted with such a surreptitious circumstance. They knew too little, and that gave way to many possibilities of things not going according to plan.

But she still chose to listen attentively, her focus absorbed solely by Excidium's words so that she made sure to remember and picture the plan in her mind. Even if she did not like it, more information would not arrive and this was a good plan, a plausible and well-thought one. The only one they currently had. Olrunn knew they would keep to it to the full extent of their ability and should the Force plan something different for them, they were left with no choice but to assess these hypothetical obstacles as they went.

Fully understanding her role in Excidium's scheme, she offered a courteous nod once the lord was done speaking. "Your will, my hands."

[member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Vereshin"]

 

[Vereshin]

Strategy and planning were two things that had never been on Vereshin's repertoire, or list of things which particularly interested him. He was not surprised when Exidium chose on Olrunn's plan as the more sound approach. Not raising an eye from his notebook, he scrawled out the last line he was working on and slotted the pen inside of the page as the Sith Lord offered the final plan. He concealed the notebook in his pocket and followed the other two Sith to the front of the ship.

Exidium explained the plan Vereshin widened his eyes in anticipation as he explained his role. Senses heightening in anticipation, he looked forward to practicing his skills on the leader of the treasure hunters. He listened intently and tried to absorb every detail, nodding his head in acknowledgement as the Sith Lord unveiled the information.

"No questions, My Lord." The sorcerer shook his head lightly and prepared to disembark with the two accompanying Sith.

[member="Darth Excidium"], [member="Olrunn Darr"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

It's time.

The Ruin burst out of hyperspace, the star-lines returning to pinpoint specks of light once more. The arid planet of Dromund Fels floated in the void of space ahead of the Sith, as the droid pilot began the atmospheric entry sequence, internal telemetry already course correcting to approach the site of the Holocron Cache. With several quick commands into a comm unit within his belt, communicating with the droid in the cockpit, Excidium told it to approach from the south below sensor range and to hold until given orders to proceed closer. Putting the comm back on his person, the Sith Lord walked toward the rampway and planted a hand firmly, even as the ship shuddered passing through the upper space of the planet below.

"Remember, Apprentice, use your time effectively and scour as much area as possible before our assault begins," Excidium said, his voice low as he glanced out from beneath his hood. His usually animated features were now cast in an iron-like scowl, his energy beginning to build. "All three of us will be needed to enter the temple... do not keep us waiting."

Darth Excidium believed his Apprentice would perform her task well. So far Olrunn had not failed him, and seemed to feel it was a point of ensuring that didn't happen, whether out of pride or loyalty, Excidium wasn't certain. Yet. Nonetheless, the transport was fast, and the ragged Sith didn't have time to dwell on such things, not when he was meant to be conjering up a sandstorm at any moment...

"Vereshin, begin your spells. You will only have several minutes to search the minds of those below, to find the leader," Excidium paused, looking to the young man, seeing the determination on his face. "You have the most important task... remember that."

And with that, the droid pilot confirmed it had reached the set location for the plan to begin. Pressing the panel of the rampway, Excidium watched as the hydraulics lowered the heavy metal plate, inviting a hot blast of desert wind into the opening. Walking part way down the ramp, the Sith Lord outstretched his left hand before closing his eyes and summoning the power of the Force within, feeding his hatred and anger with memories of his past in vivid detail. The wind turned direction, no longer attempting to enter the ship interior, but rather being sent back outward, even as the sands below began to billow and swirl, slowly building in speed and size... and with a mighty pressure and push of telekinesis, Excidium broke the proverbial dam wall, outpouring a torrent of chaos that resulted in a crescendo, a mighty sandstorm.

"Now, Olrunn. Do not fail me!"

[member="Olrunn Darr"] [member="Vereshin"]​

 

[Olrunn Darr]

Olrunn went over the plan again and again in her head, picturing how everything was supposed to work in order to be ready for the hypothetical case it did not. Her task relied heavily on her swiftness, so it was in her best interest to be quick and go unnoticed, so she may deal with whatever enemies she found without alerting more. Above everything else, if she was too slow there was the risk of having to drop her task without it being completed, for as how the Sith Lord had said, it needed to be the three of them to enter the temple.

For the first time until now, the Gurlanin glided her eyes towards Vereshin. The acolyte had a silent way of speaking with her eyes, this glances were often born out of instinct to show and search for assurance, a muted claim of readiness for what was to come. The Ruin entered the desert planet's atmosphere and a while later landed. When Excidium lowered the ramp her eyes immediately started assessing the land around her, choosing a starting path for her short hunt. Sentinels and guards were most likely to be put in the higher ground, so the rocky, mesa-like formation slightly ahead of them would be her starting point.

Olrunn observed her Master pull on the Force to conjure up the sandstorm and was for a second amazed by the act. It was not often she got to see such grand demonstrations, there was a feeling of pride at being the Lord's apprentice. Then her order was given and after excusing herself with a court nod, she turned her back before morphing swiftly into her natural form. The black wolf took to speed much faster than any human form could ever expect to and disappeared among the rocks.

The acolyte pulled the Force closely to herself, requesting and being granted its Dark guidance. She was headed in the right direction, she could feel it.

[member="Darth Excidium"] [member="Vereshin"]

 

[Matt the Radar Tech]

Very small NPCing of Vereshin, to keep things going.

---

---

The sandstorm continued to howl and thrash, with Excidium standing on the end of the ramp, the Ruin flying at a low altitude above the sand. Beside, the Sith Lord listened as Vereshin began doing his part of the plan, seeking out the leader of the group below to order a retreat into the temple. The effort to maintain the sandstorm wasn't too strenuous, so much as it required consistent focus and concentration. And per its orders, the piloting droid - Fee-Too - was doing a good job of keeping the craft low, on approach to the camp, but still maintaining visual obscurity in the shifting winds and sand cover.

"It's done."

Excidium glanced back to Vereshin, nodding. The next phase was important. As it was, the Sith Lord wanted to begin attacking before the group managed to reach the temple and had a chance to regroup. The best opportunity for causing the most damage was present, and speaking toward the inside of the ship, Excidium called out to Fee-Too...

"The sandstorm is stopping, droid prepare to open fire!" Excidium thought of his Apprentice in the storm. "Alert Olrunn to the end of the sandstorm, also!"

There was a confirmation from the cockpit, but the loud thrashing of the storm muffled the response. Excidium knew it was a confirmation, simply because the droid had yet to fail him. The price of the personal item had been well worth it, and the Sith Lord knew that the extra programming had more than paid for itself, even after such a short time. Not wanting to waste their opportunity, Excidium ceased his use of telekinesis, stopping the Force energy flowing around the ship and area, the once densely sand-filled air was immediately clear. It was as though every part of the dirt that had been lifted and pushed had just been dropped, and like a heavy wave of earth, the ground was impacted by several tons of grit.

And without pause, the mighty turrets on the ship began firing, all three lancing out with deadly laser fire. Below, Excidium watched as the group running toward the temple began to panic, their numbers dwindling as explosions and energy scattered across their makeshift camp. More than half had died by the time they had reached the temple proper, including the leader if Vereshin's mention was accurate, as Excidium believed it to be.

"Olrunn, finish your task and join us at the temple," The Sith Lord ordered through his comm, green eyes watching the last mercenaries disappearing into the dark doorway beyond. "The attack was more successful than anticipated, Vereshin. Stay with the ship, ensure none escape around myself or Olrunn."

Without another word, Excidium dropped from the hovering craft, landing with a thud in the sand below. He drew his lightsaber, the long-handled Siqsa-kaar, and activated the weapon. The shorter blade erupted with a deep thrum, crimson red, as the Sith Lord began to stalk toward the temple. He could feel his Apprentice rapidly approaching through their connection in the Force, just as the first blaster shots began coming from the temple entrance.

"Without their leader, it seems they're more trigger happy... good."

Excidium continued walking, effortlessly redirecting blaster bolts back into the temple, not sure if the enemy were being hit, but simply keeping the pressure on until both Sith were able to coordinate an attack. The Sith Lord's use of Soresu was immaculate, and perfectly suited to avoiding even multiple shots hitting him at once...

[member="Olrunn Darr"] [member="Vereshin"]​

 

[Vereshin]

The ship descended onto the sandy ground and Vereshin held on as the ramp gave away, unleashing a surge of warm air into the faces of the three Sith. His scarf billowed in the wind as he ran down the ramp, following Exidium and preening his focus in preparation for enacting the spell. Olrunn departed, leaving Vereshin and older Sith in the midst of the canyon. They took their position above the valley where the campsite was located and Exidium unleashed a fury of wind into the dunes below.

Keeping his distance from the sand storm, Vereshin gripped the rocks of the cliff face and arched his neck backwards. He closed his eyes and gave his vision to the Force, extending his mind to the pirates in the campsite and combing through each sentient form for their leader. Amidst the site beneath the cliff, the eyes of multiple members of the expedition would focus simultaneously as Vereshin took hold of each of their minds. The thoughts of each individual he controlled crowded Vereshin's own mind and he struggled to organize his thoughts beneath the flurry of whispers.

An incantation rolled from Vereshin's lips as he shook his head, rattling away the excess voices and trying form the spell coherently. Syllables rolled beneath his breath as he scoured the vision of each pirate, tracking their movements and those with whom they interacted, in effort to comb each identity for the leader of the expedition. He could not hear exactly what they said beneath the arrival of their thoughts in mind as the sight of one particular man caught his hold. He followed him to a large tent at the edge of the campsite and watched him place a datapad in the hands of a tall man, one he addressed as the captain of expedition.

The sand storm surged through the campsite and incited panic through the raiders. Vereshin immediately lost his hold of the stray man he had possessed and transported his essence into the body of the leader. The eyes of the man freeze as his direction shifted, causing the man before him to notice a slight change in his demeanor.

"That's a mighty fierce sandstorm churning up, have the entire site take cover in the temple before we're all buried!" Vereshin tried his best to mimic the manner in which he guessed the rogue would speak. The pirate leader addressed his men in his own voice, with the intrusion of Vereshin's choice of words. The men were more concerned in surviving the sand storm to notice. The site began running to the temple as the sand gathered, slowly burying the sand and destroying equipment and necessities.

As Exidium relaxed his hold, the sand storm lifted and waned, leaving the campsite buried and the men running for their lives. Blast fire rained over the canyon, eliminating the raiders as they retreated into the temple. Vereshin maintained his hold over the leader, who waved his hand and called to his man, commanding them to run into the temple before they were wiped out. The Sith moved towards the temple and Vereshin propelled his mind into the body of the leader. He forced the man to grip his blaster and shove the barrel into his mouth. A shot fired through the upper half of his head as Vereshin relaxed his hold and ended the mental assault.

"Their leader is dead my lord, the site have retreated into the temple and await your attack." Vereshin confirmed as he slumped against the rock. He took a moment to rest and channel his strength for the final phase of the plan.

[member="Darth Excidium"], [member="Olrunn Darr"]