Stygium Prime?

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas stepped off the transport ship on Engima Prime, taking a breath of the fresh air. Due to its mountainous terrain, it had taken the ship a while to find a safe landing place. On this planet, he had one goal, and one goal only. To steal himself a crystal. Word had reached him that a mysterious Darth Lachros was in possession of a large amount of Stygium crystal, and it was his job to get it.

He had always wanted his own lightsaber, not the one he had stolen off his nemesis during their fight. He ignited the green saber, examining it. It was a good weapon, but not his weapon. It wasn't personalized for him. No, he wanted something better. Something people would fear. He was on this planet for his lightsaber's crystal, and a crystal he would get.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

From what Vi'kas understood (Which was quite a bit), his enemy's fortress was a few miles away from his position. He had had a few of his associates over at Spynet hack some files for him him, and got the blueprints for his enemy's compound. It was not built with defense in mind, mainly luxury. Vi'kas intended to use this to his full advantage.

Intelligence reports stated that the main inhabitants of the compound were servants and slaves. The rest consisted of the man himself, as well as some family members. Of course, there were security guards stationed throughout the luxurious estate, mainly hired mercenaries. However, it seemed that the Darth brought some highly-trained bodyguards with him, which could pose a problem. A slight problem, but a problem nonetheless.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He thought more about the man's elite bodyguards, pondering the issue. He had previously thought about the option of bringing soldiers of his own to raze the compound, but had decided against it. He couldn't always go into battle with an army, guns blazing. Plus, it'd be some decent training. Vi'kas was undergoing Sith training, but could use some more real-life experience.

He was strolling down a patch, looking at the bounty board, when he heard a noise. He paused for a moment. but heard nothing else besides the sound of his own breathing. He continued down the path, but then heard the noise again. This time, he pinpointed the sound from a nearby bush growing on the cliff ledge. He drew his lightsaber, and saw a man jump out of the bushes. The man took one look at him and ran down the path away from him, hoping to escape. Wasting no time, Vi'kas set off after him.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

It wasn't long before they reached a dead end. The man he was pursuing knew his folly as soon as he saw the steep escarpment at the end of trail. He ran about, frantically trying to find an escape route. Vi'kas walked forward at a leisurely pace. Unlike the other man, he had all the time in the world. As Vi'kas approached, the man's efforts grew more and more frantic, searching for a way out. Once the young Sith was within ten feet of him, the man fell to his knees, begging. "Please, spare me! I beg you! I have a wife and children at home!" He scrambled through his pockets, pulling out an old picture of his family.

Vi'kas formed a loose fist, and the man raised into the air, clawing at his throat. He was half clawing, half crying. Pathetic, he thought. Vi'kas raised his hand, then rapidly pushed it downwards, slamming the man into the ground. Then, he spoke in a deep, quiet voice, "I will only ask this once. Why were you spying on me?" He examined the pathetic man crawling across the ground, like the worm he was. He was going to die either way, but it was just a matter of how painful his death would be.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

It took the man a minute to reply, given he was sort of in shock from being force choked, presumably for the first time in his life. Finally, he stuttered, replying, "I was sent b-b-b-by a man named D-D-Darth Lachros. He s-s-saw you ship enter the atmosphere, and s-s-sent men to investigate."

Vi'kas intended to use this man to his full advantage. Then, he repeated the choking process again. After giving the man a quick moment to recover, he asked, "How will I get into the compound? Is there a code to open the gates?"

"There is a code that will open the doors," he replied, "Without the code, you will have a very difficult time getting in. If you spare me, I will give it to you." Vi'kas found it utterly hilarious that the man thought he was in a position to bargain. He found it so funny, in fact, that he began to laugh. A look of horror spread across the pathetic man's face, as he realized his mistake. This time, Vi'kas opted to use Force Lightning, electrocuting the man half to death. Whimpering, the man gave the young Sith the access codes.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas looked down at the pathetic excuse for a man. The was really no argument in his mind what was to be done with the man. He was an agent working for his enemy, a crime enough for an execution by itself. Yet the man had attempted to spy on him, following orders or not. Plus, he had seen too much already. He ignited his green lightsaber, and with a flick of his wrist, decapitated the man.

He retraced his steps back to the bush the man had been hiding in, and covered up any evidence that anyone had been there. He made sure there were no listening devices hidden in the bush, and continued on his path. The slight... delay had certainly been an inconvenience, but not much to worry about. Plus, he now had the access codes for the compound.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

Vi'kas continued to stroll down the path at a leisurely pace. Many people in his position would be running to cure their anxiety, but he had no such qualms. He wasn't in any rush, and you could tell that much just by looking at him. He whistled as he walked, and had his holoprojector on, again looking at the bounty board.

About half an hour later, the compound came into sight. The Dark Jedi Padawan frowned, looking at the defenses. He had seen everything on the blueprints, but everything certainly looked deadlier in real life. Though it wasn't built for defense, the walls were still impossibly high. Turrets were places every hundred yards or so, giving it the appearance of a fortress wall. Correction: It was a fortress wall. He was lucky to have "acquired" the security codes, else he would have had a major problem on his hands. After taking a good amount of time to analyze the situation, he approached the compound.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He took a while to analyze the schedules for the guards within the compound. The guards would rotate every half-hour, a fact that Vi'kas would note for later exploitation. One time, he saw a small envoy move through the courtyard. He was at too great of a distance to see whether or not it was the mysterious Darth, or perhaps just a family member. Either way, the improbability was noted.

After he was satisfied with his analysis, Vi'kas walked down the path towards the compound. He put up his hood, so nobody who could tell who he was until it was too late. He doubted anyone here knew who he was, but he kept his shielded head down just in case. He also slid his lightsaber up his sleeve, so nobody would be immediately alerted that he was a force-user. He approached the front gates, and still did not hear any shouting or threats directed his way. He found the keypad and typed in the access codes, then stepped to the side of the door, in case he was to be shot at. You could never be too careful these days. As the doors completed their journey, he heard shouting from inside the compound. It had begun.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He stepped out of his small hiding place on the side of the doorway, looking at the two guards. One of them was dressed in cloth wrapped around his body, almost like some sort of armored mummy. The other mercenary was covered in classic mandalorian armor, he probably forged it himself. The mandalorian asked, "Who are you, and why are you here? Family or business?"

The young Sith pulled out a fake ID card, stating he was a representative of the Hutt Cartel. "Business," he said, "I am here to discuss a weapon transfer between the Cartel and Darth Lachros. Go check me in with the computers." The men spoke to each other in whispering voices, then turned to him, saying, "Stay here." Then, they began to walk towards the small guard station where the computer was presumably located.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

The men made the mistake of not checking to see if was following them, the last mistake they would ever make. As they stepped inside the small guard station, so did he. He snapped both their necks too quickly for them to notice, laying their bodies gently on the ground. He shut the door behind him and locked it, just in case some sort of compound supervisor came to check in on them. He used the computer module to shut the gates. To everyone else in the compound, everything was normal.

He stripped the armor off of the mandalorian and put it on himself. It was a little loose, but it would do. He looked himself over, deciding he liked the way the armor looked on him. Then, he examined the room, looking for somewhere to hide the bodies. Bingo. The small supply closet in the corner of the room. He opened the closet door, discovering it was actually a small armory. He grabbed a couple dozen thermal detonators, among a few other supplies from the closet, and put them in a pack. He was going to need these later. Then, he dragged the corpses into the closet. Hopefully, they would be discovered after it was too late. He donned the helmet and slung the pack over his shoulder, ready to get himself a crystal.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He opened the door, and made sure nobody was around. According to his calculations, the guards would shift for another twenty minutes or so. Still, it was smart just to make sure. In his current situation, it'd be better to avoid a fight than start one. He examined the wall with a strategist's eye. He was looking for a weakness to exploit in or near the wall. He looked around, eventually seeing a power generator positioned not too far from the gate itself. Upon further examination, there were a series of these generators; all along the wall, all within a hundred yards of another.

Vi'kas jogged over to the nearest generator, and unloaded his pack. He had his explosives, and few remote activators connected to a detonator. He put about six of these right next to the fuel canister within the generator, which would surely cause an explosion. He repeated the process twice more, until he had enough detonators for one more generator. Then, as he made his way to the final generator, he froze, hearing a voice say, "Buurmanda, what are you doing here? Your post is by the gate!"

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He turned around, and saw a middle-aged Rodian giving him an accusing look. He had to think of something fast, before the bothersome creature summoned more guards. Vi'kas coughed, clearing his throat. Giving his best impression of the mercenary he was impersonating, he said, "Calm yourself, my friend. Just checking out the generators." Judging from the Rodian's look, mercenaries did not say "My friend." The green alien said, "Imposter, you are an imposter!" He looked as if though he were about to alert more guards, but the young Sith wouldn't give him the chance. Vi'kas executed a brutal scorpion kick onto the man's head, turning the move into a flip as he used it to vault over his opponent's head. He then quickly snapped the mercenary's neck, just like what he did to his friends.

He dragged the green body behind the generator, right into the small crevice between it and the wall. The only way anyone would be able to see it is if they were to look down at it from the wall. An unlikely occurrence, but entirely possible. He rigged the final generator with his last thermal detonators, admiring his handiwork. He pulled out the remote detonator, smiling. He was going to make a big boom. With that thought, he set out for the main building.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He walked through the doors without resistance. All he got were a few nods sent his way, nods he did not acknowledge. He focused on the task at hand; to get the stygium crystal. He activated the holonet within his new cybernetic eyes, and pulled up the blueprint. According to the file, the vault was on the second floor, at the the end of a branching hallway on the left. He walked up the stairs, and followed the directions to where he needed to be. Before his eyes was a large, blast-proof door made of Beskar. The bigger the challenge, the bigger the reward, he thought to himself.

He walked up to the large door, examining it. The only tangible way to get in seemed to be a keypad on the wall beside him. He tried entering the access codes he had used earlier, but to no avail. The pad blinked red and told him to try again. He pulled out a few tools given to him by the Spynet, designed for breaking an entry. He delicately peeled off the cover, and examined the mechanics within. He cut a few different wires, careful not to trigger any alarms. After a few minutes of working, he managed to get the doors open. Looking around to see if anyone was near, he entered the vault.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

The young Sith whistled as he admired the inside of the vault. This is one rich Darth, he thought to himself. The room was filled with precious metals and gems of all shapes and sizes. There were emerald-encrusted gold chalices, and ornate crowns decorated with diamonds and rubies. The entire collection would be worth a small fortune. Vi'kas was beginning to wish he had brought a larger bag.

It took him a few minutes to find the Stygium crystal he wanted. Only, as he examined it, it found it wasn't a Stygium crystal. Upon further examination, he found it to be a Qixoni crystal. Realizing this was better than Stygium, he put it in his bag. He grabbed the most precious items in the vault. Diamonds the size of his fist, brilliant silver necklaces, this man had it all. Once the sack was full, Vi'kas tied it closed, and prepared to depart. He was about to leave when he heard a deep voice behind him say, "And where do you think you are going with my riches?"

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He spun around quickly, to see a middle-aged man standing against the doorframe, arms crossed. He didn't look like much of a Sith, just a normal guy. This struck Vi'kas as odd, as most of the Sith he had ever seen were twisted and corrupted by the Dark side. He knew he wouldn't fool the man with a lousy helmet, so he tossed it onto the ground. He then pulled the lightsaber off of his belt, preparing for a fight.

"So, I suppose you are here for the shard," the man said, "They always come for the shard. Though I admit, you have made it farther than most. What is your name, boy?" The comment about the shard confused Vi'kas as he hardly considered the Mestare a shard. Therefore, it was logical for him to assume this "shard" was much more valuable than the crystal, which was not an easy claim to make. "My name is no concern of yours, friend," said Vi'kas, "What is this shard you speak of?"

 

[Lord Ajihad]

The man raised his eyebrows in surprise at the question, and then let out a short burst of laughter. "Seriously? You think that I will fall for that? Know this, many of come for my Kaiburr shard, and I know every trick in the book. Humor me and leave, Qixoni and all. The mere fact you have come here and not for the shard is amuses me, something not many people manage to do. Go, leave here and never come back."

Vi'kas was shocked at this statement. To let the young Sith walk off with the riches was unfathomable. A smart man would have eagerly left with his prize, but Vi'kas wanted more. The word Kaiburr had rung a bell in him memory, though he could not entirely remember what it was. "Where is the shard, old man? I will not leave without it." The other Sith let out a bark of laughter, then tossed Vi'kas out of the room using the force. He still had an amused look on his face, something that angered Vi'kas even further. Nobody was allowed to handle him that way.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

In a blur of motion, Vi'kas drew his green lightsaber. He shot forward at the Darth, aiming for his midsection. The man had quick reaction, but not quick enough. He leapt backwards away from the young assassin, as the blade cut deep into his thigh. He howled in pain, and landed on his backside in a pile of gold coins. He drew a red saber of his own, and sprung at Vi'kas with it. He parried the strike, nd they exchanged blows for a few moments. This ended in stalemate.

The Darth pressed a red button on his bracer, and two IG-100 Magnaguards walked in behind him. He cursed and readjusted his position to block against them both, as the other Sith began to laugh hysterically. After finishing his session of laughter, Lachros sheathed his blade and clipped it to his belt. He seemed content just to watch the fight that was about to ensue.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

He backed up as the two droid bodyguards approached him, electrostaffs in their metal hands. He hadn't seen a Magnaguard in ages, he thought they had been replaced by better models. Apparently, this man was a collector of sorts. He continued to back up until his back hit the metal railing. He quietly cursed as he realized he had foolishly been cornered. Then, an idea struck him. He might get this precious shard yet.

He sheathed his saber, and put it back onto his belt. The bodyguards stopped for a second, examining him. They probably thought of him as insane. Heck, anyone watching him right now would think his mind has gone off the deep end. In reality, his plan was beginning to take effect. The Magnaguards resumed their approach. He waited until the the first one swung at him with its electrostaff, then he acted. With lightning-quick reflexes, he ducked under the incoming staff. He grabbed the droid by its waist, and using all his strength, he heaved it over his head. His workout sessions were beginning to pay off, at least. The guard sailed over his head, and over the railing. A few second later he heard a clank as the droid struck the ground below.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

The good news was, one of the droids was now dead. The bad news was, its companion was now aware of his skills. He drew his emerald-green lightsaber, as it cautiously circled him. He looked over at the Darth, lounging in the piles of his own gold. Another idea struck Vi'kas this one even better than the last. He engaged the droid with all the power he had, driving it back towards the vault. As he had almost driven it there, the Magnaguard made it past his defenses, electrostaff jabbing into his ribcage.

He fell onto the floor, body coursing with agony. The shock that had just went through him had nearly killed him, and he doubted he could take another blow. He could faintly hear the Darth laughing in the background, telling the droid to finish him. he looked at the guard droid as it raised both arms above its head, preparing for the finishing blow. Unfortunately for his opponent, it had just left its entire body open for attack. He mustered all the force he could, and used it to blast the droid a few feet into the vault.

 

[Lord Ajihad]

The effects were both instantaneous and catastrophic. The droid landed in a pile of gold, electrostaff and all. Gold was a very conductive metal, and the staff had landed right in the middle of it. The droid exploded from a circuit overload, blasting fire throughout the vault. The Sith lord screamed at electricity coursed throughout his body, and fire singed him. His clothes burnt, and to make matters worse, his lightsaber also exploded in his hand, blowing off his arm.

After the shock was over, Vi'kas force pulled the whimpering Darth out of the vault. He was not a pretty sight to view. His skin was fried and burnt, while he was missing an arm. The young Sith took pity on the older one and invaded the man's mind, which he was now too weak to defend. He gleaned the location of the shard, and a little information before he pulled out. Apparently, the shard had once belonged to someone named Galen Marek, of whom Vi'kas did not recognize. He then beheaded the man, putting him out of his misery.