Faction Reclamation - The Scouring of Korriban (Sith Order)

[34125]

Objective: Multiply and Replenish
Tags: Darth Strosius

As the shuttle hatch opened, and Maerae took her first steps onto the desolate surface, she was hit by sudden wave of vertigo. She had expected harsh, biting winds under a merciless sun. But all she could feel was... cold. It was as if something had sucked all the heat out of the atmosphere, leaving behind a frozen gale and a sun that was bright, but not warm. It was a chill she felt in her blood, and it should have left her downright hypothermic.

And yet, she felt invigorated. Power welled inside of her chest, as if her beating heart was a cold fusion reactor. Maerae had always had a strong connection to the Force, but she felt as though she could move a mountain, or collapse one of these temples if she so wished it. Hyperbole, to be sure, but the young Acolyte had never felt so strong. It was invigorating. It was intoxicating.

And, finally, she realized what this feeling was: the true nature of the Force, that of the Dark Side.

The troopers at her back fanned out, concerned with only their objective, and seemed not to notice how stunned she was. Maerae was grateful for that, and quickly composed herself, remembering that she was here with a duty to perform. She regained her focus just in time to catch Darth Strosius' orders. Though she had flown down with the inquisition troopers, who were to secure the spaceport, her place was to be at the Sith Knight's side while he marched the legionnaires to the capitol.

"As you command," and as always, Maerae obeyed.

She stepped away from her squad, secretly relieved to be released from commanding them, and took her place a step behind Darth Strosius. Her vibrosword found its way into her grip, mirroring Strosius as he reached for his own weapons.

"To think there are Sith like me who have never set foot on this world before now..." she trailed off, as something akin to fury ignited in her chest, "what these Ashlans have done is unacceptable."

 

[Darth Carnifex]

They fell through the upper atmosphere, the Crestfallen practically nosediving down towards the ground before the repulsorlift engines kicked on and jerked the craft upwards. This kind of breakneck descent wasn't recommended, but the Dark Lord preferred a speedy infiltration rather than a plodding transition from space to air. It took it's toll on the passengers for sure, who had been strapped in so that they weren't thrown about during the drop.

Carnifex, however, stood implacable throughout it. No amount of turbulence could budge the Dark Lord, He seemed as though a permanent fixture of the cabin itself than some external being. As the shuttle leveled out and began a more conventional descent towards the Valley of the Dark Lords, Carnifex turned to address the others. "We'll be making landfall in the Valley of the Dark Lords, our target being the Sith Academy at it's far end. Preliminary scans have reported Ashlan presence within the crypts, but the density of the stone and the winding catacombs makes an accurate estimation of their numbers impossible. Assume every tomb is infested, and act with the utmost surety. Everything beyond us is a hostile."

The Valley of the Dark Lords rose up from the ground as they crested one of the peripheral plateaus. Smoke rose from several points along the valley floor, the remnants of a bombing run that had occurred mere minutes prior. Carnifex wasn't concerned about the structural integrity of the tombs as some other Sith might be, they were merely the hallmarks of those who had come and gone; monuments to long faded glory. He'd ordered them shelled to soften up any resistance, to make the sweep by Himself and His ground forces much easier. Some might balk at the very notion of leveling one of the valley tombs, but Darth Carnifex did not care to entertain the sniveling of lesser life.

Dust spewed out in every direction as the Crestfallen slowed to a rumbling idle above the valley floor, it's disembarkation ramp lowering as the cabin quickly depleted of occupants. Carnifex was the first out, dropping to the floor hardly without a sound. The others followed, and once they had all disembarked the Crestfallen banked away and disappeared into the sky above. Besides the strand-casts of the Rajakzânkut there were several Epicanthix following the Dark Lord, the greatest warriors among the Ilam Bsaakik, the Iron-Blooded. They were survivors of Panatha's destruction, yet remained wholly devoted to Carnifex Sozeal; their most revered savior.

Carnifex directed them with a series of hand gestures, indicating that they should advance through the ruins ahead. Many were decrepit hollows, long abandoned. Still, in some there were signs of life, disturbances in the sand that could've only been made by living creatures. And some of these tracks were made by humanoids, undoubtedly Ashlans, for the Dark Lord could sense their lingering zealotry present even in the evidence of their movement. He bade them halt as He examined the tracks.

And that's when the ambush was sprung.

Quintessa ​

 

[Darth Caedes]

• The Omen's Hangar Bay
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Tags — Kyraj | Zal Aditi | Aliris Tremiru | First Sister | Darth Nwul | [ _Open ]

The hissing chatter of Tiss'char warrior's cadence abruptly fell silent when Caedes set foot aboard the landing shuttle. As he entered, and as he walked through their lines, they bent into genuflection, clawed talons tucked beneath their abdomens, clicking, the membranes of their thin lips quivering back to reveal sharp teeth. Carved by dim red light, the shadow of Darth Caedes fell upon each of them in turn as he passed by, seeming to linger and stick for longer than it should.

To Kyraj he said nothing, expecting that his will had been carried forth successfully and with competence. To the First Sister and Aliris, he offered his gaze, ember eyes beholding their moment of connection, scarred lips grinning. He could feel the First Sister's recognition on the Force as he passed them, breathe in her momentary puzzlement like a scent on the air. From the fourth, newly risen to the Order's mantle beneath Darth Strosius, Sith hopeful Nayne, he felt a unique dissonance in the Force, a disturbance to the minds of lesser beings, but which to Caedes felt only like the presence of another, useful tool.

With a flick of his fingers behind him, Caedes bid the Rajakzânkut rise, ending their clacking admiration just as abruptly as it had begun.

"Sssir," proclaimed the shuttle's pilot as Darth Caedes sealed himself into the cockpit and chose the navigator's seat to recline.​

"Is her beacon active?" he asked, his slow blinking gaze cast out towards Korriban, thoughts elusive. Yes. He could feel her there, powerful in the Force, waiting for him. Zal Aditi, Voice of Hunger for Korriban's long deprived. The Jedi were no match for her, not here.​

"It isss, my Lorrd," the other answered, keying ship systems with long claws.​

"Very well then. Take us to her on the ground."​

"Yess, Lorrd Caedesss."​

​

• Korriban Atmosphere
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Tags — [ _Open ]

The stark shuttle descended like a vengeful specter returning to claim its rightful domain, piercing the ashen skies of Korriban. The Valley of Golg sprawled beneath them, a desolate and rocky valley stretching for miles like an open wound upon the planet's surface. Once a burial ground steeped in knowledge and secrets, its Jedi-marred trenches were now scarred and uneven. Along the valley floor, deep within shadow, lay a tapestry of crumbling tombstones, glyphs, statues, and forgotten mausoleums. The valley's rugged terrain, marked by dangerous traps and treacherous predators, seemed to repel all but the most determined trespassers, the air a foreboding thrum of the dark side. Indeed, it was not merely physical barriers which protected this place. Ancient Sith runes, etched into the very cavern walls themselves, upon tombstones, and the cavern floors, resonant within the Force, crackled with malevolent energy, warning off those foolish enough to approach unbidden.

"There," Caedes indicated with a long grey finger, his voice like ash.​

"Set down on that outcropping."​

"Yesssir."​

The ground rushed up to meet them, a scarred landscape kicking up sand beneath the press of repulsorlifts. As their shuttle touched down upon Korriban's bedrock, metallic legs from the vessel's landing gear extended and sunk in like claws digging through the flesh of a victim. Behind them, all around them, more of the Omen's swarm landed and dug into the valley's upper lip, opening their maws and extending exit ramps, disgorging reptilian warriors to form orderly rows. Obedient, the Tiss'shar mutants hissed and snapped their fangs as if in challenge to the chorus of surrounding starship engines. Still more troop carriers flew past overhead, shrieking, their tailored objectives distant and in far-off places.

Extending his senses and closing his eyes, Caedes allowed for the currents of the dark side to wash over him. He moaned in pleasure, lips forming a crescent. The Force was powerful here, like a tangible thing pulling at him, beckoning him deeper beneath the crusts, whispering from the forgotten halls of subterranean temples. The land was hungry and eager for retaking, the dark side coiling like a serpent, ready to strike.

The last to exit his own landing craft, Darth Caedes swept past readied warriors and came to stand at the head of those assembled. Nearly one hundred Tiss'shar in all, their rows were orderly, their talons clicking as they awaited command. With a simple gesture, he gathered Kyraj to his left flank.

Before him, rippling with triumph in the Force, stood his apprentice, an Omwati with avian grace and sharp cruelty in her eyes. He had sent her long before the rest, deployed to sniff out the Jedi and make ready their ultimate defeat. That, and to gather critical ground-data on their precious Ashlan relics and temples. With it, the Omen could begin eradicating them from orbit, one by one, destroying the Jedi's resolve with a rain of hellfire. She would take to his right flank, the pride of his teachings.

As he neared, Caedes was able to peer over the lip of their landing plateu, and updraft of chilling wind snapping at his black robes. Although the chasm stretched for hundreds of kilometers, it ended abruptly here. With a snarling grin in Zal's direction, Caedes proffered an expectant hand towards her, nonchalant and entitled. Like this, arm casually outstretched in the direction of his apprentice, he turned to face his swarm, the gaping Valley of Golg at his back, figure silhouetted against the bright but heatless glare of Korriban's sun.

"Harbingers of the Dark Side," he began, his voice a velvety rasp that carried a weight of power, "we have arrived at the tipping point. Behold, the Valley of Gorg, ancient burial grounds of the Sith and a bastion of arcane magicks."​

His crimson eyes burned as he continued, returning the stares of his many soldiers, his words whispered though somehow audible atop the boom of starship engines.

"The Jedi scum may have tried to eradicate our legacy, but they failed to realize that true power transcends destruction. The Valley of Gorg, beyond, still holds the remnants of our forebears, the echoes of their mastery and the elixir of their fruitful desires. Beyond the visible end of this valley lies a secret— the true entrance to Korriban's insides, the opening to a labyrinthine network of secret tunnels unknown even to the Ashlan, which connect the many Sith temples sprawling beneath the surface. The hidden veins of this world. Even now, the Jedi hide in the very temples and dark corners they sought to erase from this world, unaware that we have become a doom approaching them from hidden chambers and enshadowed passageways." His voice rose in fervor.​

"The Ashlan Jedi thought they could defeat our power, our grip on this place, but like their misunderstanding of this valley, they failed to see that the end is not truly the end while the dark side is your guide forward."​

A sly smile tugged at the corners of his lips, his words laden with ambition and reverent pride.

"But to unlock this portal, down at the valley floor, the hidden Gateway of Graush, and to fill Korriban's hidden paths, we must each of us first prove our worthiness in the Force. Surely you can feel it, can't you? A ritual of great power awaits us here, before we are to be set loose to the hunt. Together, we shall master the dark currents of the Force persisting here, intertwined in incantation, and descend upon the Jedi where they least expect us, our fangs already around their necks. The land is ready, and I require your aid if we are to become the gate's key." ​

With a commanding gesture and a pivot of his gaze towards the valley's trough, Darth Caedes signaled the reptilian servants and the Sith to move, to descend along the steep and narrow, treacherous pathways which wound like snakes to its shaded floor.

"Prepare yourselves, my brethren," Darth Caedes intoned, his voice resonating with a potent blend of authority, excitement, and sorcerous augmentation.​

"The Valley of Gorg shall bear witness to our ascendance, and the darkness that lies within shall bend, at long last once more, to the commands of the Sith." ​

 

[Zal Aditi]

• Korriban
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Darth Caedes' War Party - Darth Caedes | Kyraj | Aliris Tremiru | First Sister | Darth Nwul

Zal rose to her feet as Caedes' shuttle came into view, followed closely by a swarm of other troop carriers. The red dust of Korriban clung to her knees, calves, cloak, and hands, but she did not brush it off. It felt good to have it clinging to her, a promise of the bloodshed to come.

She stood tall and unflinching as that same red dust billowed around her in the cold wind caused by the landing ship, completely still except for the whipping of her cloak. Her eyes flicked across the shuttle's occupants as they disembarked, noting details - a critical sweep of the Rajakzânkut she had helped craft, keen gaze searching for the hint of a flaw - the other strand-born, not one of hers - the blonde human, sweet-faced but clearly powerful - the quiet, roiling emotions of the black-haired newcomer - and Kyraj, whose signature miasma of arrogance was palpable even before he came into view.

Finally, her master emerged, and as he took his place at the head of his war party and began to address them, she finally broke her implacable stillness. Stepping forward even as he reached out to her, she kneeled before him in one smooth motion, taking his hand and pressing her forehead to his fingers. Into that same hand she slipped the data cards with the information she had gathered on key locations for orbital bombardment.

Then just as gracefully, she resumed her proud posture and took her place at his side.

She could feel Caedes' power washing over the stones, the fervor of the troops as he roused their blood and detailed the path ahead. The plan was not new to her, and neither was Korriban. In the past week she had spent here laying the groundwork for the assault, she had felt more at home than she ever had before - the planet was awakening, stirring in anticipation of the reclamation that was now at hand. She felt both energized and at peace, a strange combination that created a euphoric state of mind, almost a high. She was completely present in the moment, each syllable of Caedes' oration ringing clearly in her ears, each grain of dust and scrap of chill wind distinct against her skin. Already charged and eager, the mounting energy pushed her emotions to a new intensity.

The sacred temples would soon be bathed in blood, re-sancitified by the terror and pain of their enemies as flesh was torn asunder. The time was here. Korriban's redemption was at hand, and the suffering of the planet and creatures which had raised her would finally be avenged.

"Together, we shall master the dark currents of the Force persisting here, intertwined in incantation, and descend upon the Jedi where they least expect us, our fangs already around their necks."

Caedes' words coiled through her veins, their dark promise suffusing her with eagerness for what was to come. She smiled hungrily beneath her mask, stifling the gleeful laugh which threatened to burst from her lips as the troops began to stream past her. She could sense the fear of the Jedi, the smell of it thick in the nostrils of her pack, but they still had hope, still stood bravely as they naïvely prepared their defenses. They had no idea what lay in store for them, the depth of agony they were soon to endure. It would not be long now before the spirits would receive their dire offering.

 

[Darth Nwul]

• Korriban Atmosphere
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Darth Caedes' War Party - Darth Caedes | Kyraj | Aliris Tremiru | First Sister | Zal Aditi

Wake stood at the rear of the procession, watching from amongst the gathered troops. His emerald eyes fixed on the face of the Sith Lord and his two attendants. One of the human soldiers who had been present was kind enough to explain that one was Kyraj, who had opted to lead the war party. The other was Zal Aditi, Caedes' actual apprentice. Wake's lip twitched, he'd assumed that Kyraj had been the apprentice given the man's palpable aura but obviously he was mistaken. Pomp and presence was not all that made up a Sith. He listened to the commands given, the speeches harkening to the glory of what they were to accomplish. Beautiful words. Yet Wake had not grown up among the Sith, he was not one of them, yet, and so the impact was lessened on him. He could feel it in the air, though, the raw energy that the words were generating.

To have the kind of power that could move people like this. Wake's expression twisted a little, but where did it come from at it's core? Was it nothing more than training? Or was it from a deeper, more fundamental understanding of the force? What did the Sith Code that Darth Strosius had explained to him even mean, really? Peace is a lie, there is only passion. That was true, life was nothing more than degrees of passion. The sterility of the Jedi was unnatural, craven even, as if they were running away from life and the fear it instilled in them. He wondered if at some point a Jedi stopped even feeling the fear that drove them to that empty-hearted way of life. Forgetting the point entirely.

His ruminations on the nature of the force were drawn away as the signal was raised and bellowing crys echoed out across the Vally of Golg. He raised his eyebrows and glanced over at the nearest reptile; "Damn, you lot have lungs on you. Bet you would sound great in a chorus," He said whistfully, imagining directing a horde of the beasts into a beautiful chant that rang out over land and sea. Hm, he'd probably need ear-plugs for that, though, if the sound carried that far. Would it? Resonance was an interesting thing, layering waves together. His jumbled thoughts darted away and returned to wholeness, he let out a breath and chuckled at the unamused expression shot his way. Where was the life? The levity in the moment? Weren't they doing something they were passionate about?

Wake frowned, all he could sense was bloodlust and the ardor that came with it. This wasn't what he'd felt when he'd touched the dark side that first time. Why did it feel off? Was it because of his own way of channeling it? How could something so immutable have flavors? He needed answers. His desperate gaze washed over the Valley. Just as Caedes said, this was a place of knowledge. He could find truths here, he just needed to be the first to find it-or strong enough to earn it. He glanced again at the barbarian to his right as the march began.

This big guy may not appreciate how important their work was, but Wake did, and he would appreciate it enough for the both of them.

 

[Lirka Ka]

It was always a wondrous thing to see the Kainate war machine in action, in truth it was Carnifex's great muster that kept Lirka so carefully roped into his grand influence. But to think, all this manpower, all these warships, all this bloodshed...for a bunch of sand and rocks. So many of the Kainate was fueled by faith, a zealot's drive: Lirka had none of these things, at least, not for any cause that wasn't of her own machinations: but she knew one thing would always make her valuable to Darth Carnifex , savage, raw, brute strength. A living missile to throw at his enemies that would murder with glee. It was a fine way to draw herself out from her newest interlude, distracted from the Siths' many schemes and sequestering herself away for her research.

But now, a new comeback seemed only proper decorum. While she may scoff at the Sith's obsession with Korriban, it was their ancestral home and for their fervor in its reclamation she could not entirely fault them for. She stood amongst the Kainate ranks, for this was a day of renewed Sith Supremacy: and a mere slaver wouldn't dare to stand in their spotlight. Perhaps she should have taken some amount of pride in being picked for Carnifex's entourage, the chosen few. But a creature so absurdly arrogant as Lirka Ka would never truly see the honor in such a thing. Sticking out like a sore thumb among the assembly, she moved in silence, signified only by the thump of her metal boots against the flooring.

She shadowed Quintessa and her Lord among the gathered might of the Chosen. Sounded like it was time for a bit of ruin reclamation. Not quite Lirka's forte, but she'd manage. Truthfully, she was just excited for the chance to gut the servants of the Light once again.

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

Aliris stood slowly, her hands clenched into fists. She was over a head shorter than most aboard the vessel. Young, untrained in the eyes of most. She didn't belong here, she imagined. But there was no where else she felt she needed to be more. The Ashlans. Those damned cultists. They'd taken her home, they'd buried her past. Tried to make her into one of theirs through their brainwashing and indoctrinations. That was Kaas, when she was able to break free. This was Korriban.

The ship landed with a shudder. The others were seemingly so excited to be returned to the tomb world. How long had they been denied this world for such visceral reactions? She was silent as she kept to the back, her hand rested on the hilt of the ornately jeweled dagger she held. Forged of Sith Steel, adorned with various gems to empower and focus it's wielder's magics, it wasn't fitting for her, a lowly acolyte.

But it was the last remnant of her families estate on Dromund Kaas that she'd found among the ruins, and she had no intent of allowing anyone to take it from her. The last to try became the fuel it needed. Souls.

The crowd around her ate up the words of the Sith Lord like spice. It was fascinating. Not the speech. While it was one that had even her grin in anticipation, what was truly fascinating was just how feverishly the common soldier revered it. They weren't Sith, not truly. This would never truly benefit them. And yet they'd lay their lives down. She needed to learn how to earn such loyalty. She pulled her dagger free, letting it's edge light up with the unholy energy she'd been stashing away within it. Dark red flame smoldered as she enacted the ritual she had in mind. It wasn't much, but she'd been working for months to get the souls she needed to make even one.

The billowing flame grew further, matching her size before a pair of gleaming eyes stared down towards her, then in the distance. Her Smoke Demon was just as excited as she was. She walked, but paused close to the Sith Lord. Stared up towards him for a brief moment.

"They're not Jedi. Don't underestimate what they'll do. Ashlan's are as fanatic as your soldiers."

Then she hopped down towards her path, the trail of smoke clinging close to her shoulders. She would kill them, any of them, she came across. The Sith needed to break their chains, and she'd start her path with these ones. She was no longer their damned orphaned charge. She was their enemy. And now, she'd be their death.

Darth Nwul | Darth Caedes | Kyraj | Zal Aditi

 

[Crix Maden]

He half-expected to hear the name of his father's ship when the operator responded to the droid's communications. It had been years since he had seen him, or spoken to him, which left Crix wondering if he had been presumed dead by not only him, but the Sith order as well. Needless to say, he hadn't done anything notable in the order so his name would be dust in the wind. Nevertheless, he had returned and did so fall back into the path of the sith teachings. He had endured the life of a mercenary, one which was easy but lacked anything beyond a superficial existence.

As the monitor flickered to life, and thus connected himself to the operator, Crix's deep amber orbs soaked in the visage of the bipedal humanoid, presumably of some reptilian variant species.

'The Omen?'

He wasn't sure who's ship that was, but it was someone who ran something.

"This is Crix Maden, Sith Warrior. I am here to join my brothers and sisters," the young sith spoke.

The communication would continue to whatever end, though ultimately the droid would pilot the ship into a descent into the atmosphere of Korriban. Through the view screen, he could see the arid red sands of Korriban. It was a visage which he had not seen since he passed the trials of the sith temple several years ago. He admittedly had become quite a bit stronger, yet he wondered how far he had been set back by not being surrounded by other force-users working toward the same end. Perhaps that alone made him stronger, and he had yet to realize without a proper test.


He took a breathe in. Meanwhile the ship met landscape in a gentle perch as the landing extremities protruded from the ships base and pressure was released from the ship's bottom via steam jettisoning from it. The feeling of the dark side's presence was something he was receptive from before this, yet the sheer intensity of it was magnified. The small ship's entry ramp dropped and gave a soft thud as it pushed against the dry earth which cracked slightly beneath it.

"Stay here and keep the ship ready. I don't think I will need it for long, but just in case.."

The droid complied and responded verbally before going about it's business. As it did so, Crix departed from the ship. Hot wind and a perpetual pelting of red sands greeted Crix while he made his way down the ramp and onto the terrain. His amber eyes searched through the mass of sith and their subordinates as they were addressed by a Sith Lord where his own eyes began to linger. He didn't know if he truly believed in the sith as a group. Originally, after all, he had never wanted to be one and instead was forced into it. Nevertheless, if it was between the jedi or the sith to use for gaining power, the choice was a no-brainer.
​

 

[Kyraj]

Korriban
Valley of Golg
Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
Darth Caedes' War Party - Darth Caedes | Zal Aditi | Aliris Tremiru | First Sister | Darth Nwul

Kyraj basked in the roiling passions aboard the shuttle. Letting the dark side of the force suffuse him. Letting his own passions rise to meet them. The five sith rode quietly to the surface. Sounds of the hissing creations filling the space. For all his disdain, being in this small space with him gave the apprentice a new appreciation for Caedes power. On the verge of battle his presence in the dark side swelled and all minds in the shuttle attuned to it. Caedes' vision shaping theirs.

As they approached the surface Kyraj felt a shift. Yes there was power here in this shuttle, but more and more he sensed something older. Something more primal. Yes he was beginning to understand the importance of this world. It was not just a symbol, but a power unto itself. A power that soon the sith order would soon possess. A power that he would soon possess.

As they disembarked Kyraj took his cue from Caedes and joined the sith lord on his left flank. The form of Caedes' apprentice approached masked and cowled and knelt before her master. The data she provided would expedite the hunt for the Ashlan immeasurably. As the omwati took her place at Caedes' right hand Kyraj felt a twinge of jealousy. His master did not command the might that Zal Aditi's did. He tamped down the instinct. He would learn from Caedes one way or another.

The dark master spoke with zeal and command. Those surrounding them listened in rapture. This was another type of power. The power to move people. He watched hungrily as those gathered hung on his every word. As Caedes finished and the young girl stepped up to him Kyraj heard her warning about the fanatical devotion of the crusaders. Good he thought. If they died like the average jedi this would be no fun at all.

He ignited one of his lightsabers, raising the pink blade above the his head and pointing across the valley.

"Forward!" His voice boomed with the might of the dark side behind it. He wasn't the orator Caedes was yet but he had learned that trick. "Do not simply kill! SANCTIFY this world with the despair of those who thought they could turn it to the light. Let the death rattle of the Ashlan crusade join the symphony of darkness that will resonate in this valley for millennia! ONWARD!"

He lowered the glowing blade to his side and leapt, propelled by the force, to the front of the horde where he landed with a concussive blast and arcs of violet lightning before drawing a second matching blade and marching implacabley forward.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Multiply and Replenish
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: 3 34125 Open!

​

"There are many that have yet to glimpse Korriban, Acolyte. And many more that perished before they had the chance to do so. What was once a simple pilgrimage in the days of the Sith Empire has become an extraordinary return and first experience for our order." Alisteri sounded forlorn for a moment, as if remembering his own days on the world so long ago. The battle for it that he took part in, the comrades and friends that he last saw here only to never see them again, the many Sith that would never see the holy world again. The moment passed quickly though.

"The Ashlans are not the only ones to blame for this state of affairs, just the most present and the first to be repaid for it." What exactly he meant by that was unclear but he didn't elaborate as he gestured for his Legionnaires to begin moving forward. "While the Kainites hunt down the last of the rats in their holes we will begin undertaking the true task of resettling this sacred world."

While he was more than happy to go slay the remaining defilers of Korriban himself, he decided to let the more imposing and influential Sith keep busy with their fleeting glories whilst he secured the planet properly. The restoration of Korriban as a flourishing holy world, both as a site of pilgrimage and as the home to many Sith themselves, was his main goal for now and he would have no distractions hinder it. "There is much to be done Acolyte, ruins to be reclaimed and cities to be rebuilt. Just look at what has been done to the capital of this glorious world."

As he walked forward the masked man idly gestured to the buildings around them, structures that were grand and ornate yet lacked any notable Sith markings aside from their distinctly dark styles. Statues had been torn down, ornaments destroyed, monuments and scripts of Sith both ancient and contemporary deface and ruined. The entire city felt more like the bones of a defiled corpse than anything recognizable as a center of urban and governmental importance.

"To bring blades and guns alone to this world is foolish. What it truly needs is hammers and building materials, workers and engineers, officials and business owners. Liberating it from Jedi control is only the first step, and perhaps even the easiest. Rebuilding and restoring Korriban is the true struggle. Do you understand?"

 

[Zal Aditi]

Korriban
Valley of Golg
Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
Darth Caedes' War Party - Darth Caedes | Kyraj | First Sister | Darth Nwul | Aliris Tremiru | Crix Maden

Zal turned an unblinking stare towards Kyraj as the troops began to move, sensing the brief flare of jealousy with a small sense of amusement, but her gaze was quickly caught by the girl who dared correct Caedes. She felt more curiosity at the comment than any judgement - it was, after all, quite accurate. Her voice held the confidence of one experienced with these foes, with an undercurrent of venom that spoke to her true understanding. Zal wondered what history this stranger held with the Ashlan, how she had come to know them so well, to hate them so deeply. Wondered if it was a knowledge and a hatred that shared a kinship with her own.

Kyraj leapt forward to the front of the troops, his voice ringing out in his own proclamation of their sacred purpose. Childish or not, he understood the mission, their duty to Korriban. Zal nodded respect to Caedes and began to move out as well, lowering her hood to keep her sightlines clear and her weapons unobstructed. Her tight braids shimmered in the bright sun, the spikes that rose from them seeming almost frosted as the microscopic barbs that covered their surface caught the light as well. She kept the cloak for now, as stealth would again be needed before the day's bloody work was done. Despite their grand commencement, there was more than a simple headlong rush to battle ahead.

 

[Darth Caedes]

• Korriban
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Tags — Kyraj | Zal Aditi | First Sister | Darth Nwul | Aliris Tremiru | Crix Maden | Coconutly | [ _Open ]

Like shadows upon the stone, the abhorrently graceful Rajakzânkut traversed treacherous narrow walkways and perilous ledges, descending towards the Valley of Golg's dark floor. Their hissing whispers echoed through the cavernous depths in their descent, a maleficent chorus to herald the arrival of the Sith.

Above, the last of the Omen's swarm of landing craft flew past, carrying the bulk of his forces, some 3,000 Rajakzânkut, to the main entrance of Kor Naskor, the Sith temple within which the last of the Ashlan resistance cowered and clung to life. The Ashlans would be prepared for assault on that front, thinking it the temples's only entrance and placing their strongest to guard it. The Gateway of Graush was not a secret to be discovered by the clumsy fingers of the light side, and its hidden pathways were yet unknown to the desolate Ashlan. Warriors in desperation, starved and afraid, they would never see past the feint of a full frontal assault; even as Caedes' dagger buried itself in their backs.

A Tiss-shar Officer collected Zal's datachip and returned it to the Omen, taking to the skies immediately to be joined by two armed escort freighters.

"They're not Jedi. Don't underestimate what they'll do. Ashlan's are as fanatic as your soldiers," Aliris said before joining in the swarm's descent.​

"Ooooh," replied Darth Caedes, cooing, sounding pleased.​

"I'm counting on it."​

Forward! Boomed Kyraj, adding his voice to the articulated melody of Gorg. Shrieks and cries, hissings and the scratch of talons sang a grand song of return and reclamation. The dark side swelled within Caedes, like hot liquor and fire, pushing at his fingertips, raging against the cage of his ribs. This was power, repressed and pressurized, begging like the Rajakzânkut to be used, to serve.

Amidst the winds, Darth Caedes' closed his eyes and held his palms outstretched like wings to either side.

"Vor'skar luthar, krul sha'kar," he whispered to the winds. The tone of his voice distorting with incantation, as if a second spoke behind him, far deeper and far slower.​

"Vos'thar ik'roth, sha'kal kar." Caedes stepped towards the valley's edge, the toe of his boots causing rubble to flake off and fall in to the dark depths below him.​

"Maka'ul varr, kor'shan thul,​

Shat'rak ikor, vil'naash kul."​

With another step unto nothingness, Caedes released a held breath and joined himself with the winds. His cloak around him became a slow moving maelstrom, reaching like inky tendrils as he lifted from the stone underfoot and floated through the chasm's open center to the shadowy, cold floors.

As he descended and as his gaze discovered the details thereupon the valley floor, a sight both awe-inspiring and foreboding greeted his ember eyes. Carved meticulously into the ancient stone at the valley's end, a sprawling ritual ground lay ancient and covered in sands, resembling a spherical model of Korriban's own complicated lunar cycle. Six concentric rings, representing the celestial orbits of Korriban's moons, adorned the intricate structure in precise locations. A massive sphere of cracked stone, stained red like the color of old scabs, rested in a groove at the ring's center, the sun high overhead.

Caedes frowned, then studied the ritual site again. That couldn't be right. Korriban had seven moons, yet only six were shown here. Reaching a hand forward he called upon the Force, thrusting forth to clear sand from the tremendous carving. As he did, jagged runes of the Sith language were uncovered, unveiling secrets in long ribbons atop the stone's crust. Brows furrowing, he followed the lines of glyph-work, reading aloud as he translated the ritual's contents.

"Moruun hoth kyr'amal Korriban, korun'aa," he spoke aloud, inviting the Sith to gather round him.​

"Beneath the eclipse of Korriban's seventh moon."​

​

"Shi'norun ashala ashkad rai domun. Illuminated in the roil of storms of lightning."​

​

"... Sha'halet orokur darik'shir kash."​

"And set aglow in the pale glaze of fire..."​

​

"Skotre as'eyn skorathal dalovun..."​

"... In the blood of that which dwells in darkness."​

​

"... Jensa vor'en korath Korriban'kir moril."​

"... You may enter the Maw of Korriban's underbelly."​

 

[Darth Nwul]

• Korriban
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Tags — Darth Caedes | Kyraj | Zal Aditi | First Sister | Aliris Tremiru | Crix Maden | Coconutly

Wake descended the path with the others, following the procession down until the Sith Lord revealed himself to the world. Wake stood transfixed as the man rose into the air, the winds coiling around his dessicated body. He commanded those selfsame winds to part the sands and reveal something of immense historical value. Wake gaped at the beauty of the structure, the attention to detail, the precision, this was more than a ritual platform. It was an edifice to the planetary system that they stood in. Words hung on the wind, Wake's entire body went rigid, dark words whispering ice through a spot on his abdomen. He winced, clutching at it, the pain spread for a moment, a feeling like cold oil leaking through his bones sending a tremor through his body.

He caught his breath, glad to be among the soldiers for now as the moment of weakness passed. What was that? Why had he felt Darth Caedes' words like a punch to the stomach? He shook his head and swept his hair back, composure, the moment had passed, move on. He had more important things to do than dwell on it. The words came again, but this time he braced himself and nothing happened. He let out a relieved breath only to hesitate when he realized that Darth Caedes was translating something for them. A riddle?

"Beneath the eclipse of Korriban's seventh moon."
"Illuminated in the roil of storms of lightning."
"And set aglow in the pale glaze of fire..."
"... In the blood of that which dwells in darkness."
"... You may enter the Maw of Korriban's underbelly."

Wake made a face, was it asking them to set blood aflame somewhere? He stepped forward unconsciously, his curiosity and hunger for knowledge driving him forward. Before he'd even realized it, his saberless, not-quite-sith ass was standing mere paces away from a proper Sith Lord. He had the war blade that he'd found on the pirate camp, but that was about it besides a holdout blaster. The moment of surprise at his own actions faded into curiosity and deeper thought as his gaze moved away from the Sith Lord to the carvings on the ground. He raised a thoughtful finger to his chin.

"The Eclipse of Korriban's seventh moon, but there are only six present. So where would it be based on this configuration? Do we have an orbital map and schedule for the system?" He suggested to no one in particular, "After that, what, blast the spot with lightning then set it on fire?" Wake held out a hand and channeled one of the powers he'd consumed earlier on, he'd found it actually easier to use once he'd embraced his new lifestyle rather than attempting the method that the memories had taught him. Flames erputed on his fingertips and he casually glanced towards the others with a small smile.

"Unless anyone has any better ideas?"

 

[34125]

As Darth Strosius explained how simple it had once been to visit Korriban in the past, the rage in Maerae's chest began to grow. What right did the Ashlans have to claim their ancestral home, and defile it with effigies to the Light Side? If the Sith invaded Tython today, and built new tombs for Sith Lords on the planet's surface, would the Ashlans not feel as indignant as she felt now? Perhaps they should invade the Jedi holy world, just to inflict the pain of vengeance upon these fools who would dedicate themselves to the Light.

Though, from Strosius' words, Maerae got the implication that the Ashlans weren't the only reason Korriban had been occupied and defiled. He didn't elaborate on that, but perhaps she would ask about it later.

Strosius bid that she look around the city, and so Maerae did. At first, she didn't notice anything wrong. It seemed like another metropolitan area, if one with a very twisted sense of architecture. But the longer she looked, the more she noticed the lack of Sith propaganda, or even anything related to Sith culture. There should have been statues of great Sith Lords, scripture of the Sith Code, monuments to moments in Sith history.

But no, the Ashlans had stripped those things away. If Korriban hadn't been a nexus in the Dark Side of the Force, the Ashlan's defilement of the planet would have been complete.

"They have dared to remove the mark of the Sith from a Sith world. The Sith world. Why would they even dare? They must have known there would be recompense for such an insult."

But then Strosius explained something to her that she had never really considered: that reconquering a planet was good an all, but it only solved half the problem. There was no value in a planet that produced no resources, or that housed no people. Their mission might lack the glory associated with chasing down Ashlans in the tombs, but it was still of the utmost importance.

"Do you understand?" It was a simple question he directed at her.

"I think I'm beginning to," Maerae answered honestly, "ships and soldiers might win us worlds, but they do nothing for administrating them. Conquering isn't enough; we must also build. An empire without an infrastructure is doomed to crumble in on itself."

---

Darth Strosius

 

[Darth Strosius]

Objective: Multiply and Replenish
Equipment: Lightsaber, Sword, Dagger, Armor
Tags: 3 34125 Open!

Alisteri nodded at the confusion and offense that the Acolyte spoke with upon realizing just how far the desecration of Korriban had gone. Had the Ashlans ruled over the world for a few hundred more years with their efforts focused on eliminating the Dark Side from Korriban, then the sacred world may have been totally unrecognizable to the Sith. It had already survived and persevered after so much hardship and shifting galactic tides that one had to wonder if there was a breaking point. He sincerely hoped not.

"The Jedi are naïve and foolish by their very nature. They believed the Sith gone and that our holy worlds would be an arduous yet not impossible task to despoil to the Light rather than the Dark. They believed that they were in the right, justified in their erasure of such history and sacredness just because it did not align with their beliefs." Such was the belief of all conquerors in truth.

He nodded again at her assessment and idly gestured once more to the grand buildings lining the street that they marched down. "This world is more than just sacred Acolyte, it is a symbol of the Sith as a whole. How many distinct and different Sith groups have ruled this world? Have listed it among their possessions and claims? How many have yet to do so? Much like the Sith this world has endured and lasted throughout so much change and time that it captivates the mind to think on it. And yet, where are all those Sith now? Those that have claimed this world before us?"

Some of them lay in the many tombs scattered across the world, in the Valley of the Dark Lords, underneath the dunes and rocks that cover the face of the planet. Many more lie in burial grounds far away from Korriban as well, finding their ends in glorious wars or silent catastrophes. "There is something to be learned from the Ashlans that sought to pervert Korriban, Acolyte. Their personal ambitions and goals snatched control of their actions, leaving reality and possibility behind in the desperate search to cure their pride and solve their Sith problem. This is the ultimate failure of the Jedi."

The Legionnaires marching alongside the two Sith seemed rather interested in the words of their leader, despite having sat through countless sermons and speeches of his before. "Naivety and ambition ruin them. Only the wills of individuals carry them to victory, leadership is their only saving grace. But when those leaders falter, when they fail and fade, that is when the dream falls with them." Korriban was one such example of a grand ambition now left in ruin, never to be fully wrenched from the grasp of the Sith as the Ashlans had hoped.

"That is why every Jedi nation eventually crumbles, the only lasting one being the order within the Galactic Alliance. They do not lead peoples, they do not build nations, they simply kill and wage war against the enemies of their precious alliance while claiming to be guardians of peace. This is when the lie of the Jedi becomes most evident, and when they are the most similar to the Sith." A fair bit of the Legionnaires were shocked at that remark but Alisteri gave no pause for them to consider his words.

"The Sith are also led by the wills and ambitions of individuals, even to this day. And look where it has gotten us. We're having to reclaim one of our most sacred worlds, being led to do so by the very 'Sith' that abandoned it to the Jedi in the first place." Carnifex could never make up for what he had done to the Sith, none of them could in his eyes. "The Sith fail and must be reforged time and time again because individual ambition clouds and usurps the ambitions of our empires and orders. A cycle of death and rebirth that Korriban represents in its entirety."

 

[Aliris Tremiru]

A puzzle, a locked door. Aliris froze on where she was, glancing back towards the group, then to the door in question. And frowned. She loved herself a good puzzle, after all. She bit her inner cheek before letting out a sigh and turning back to listen in. Curiosity outweighed revenge. Especially if the end result of whatever this was ended with them getting the revenge she wanted. The smoke demon behind her stood, waiting.

Right.

"Find them, and kill them."

A sadistic grin took over the otherwise featureless creature before it took off, seeping through the very sand for it's targets. She stepped closer, beside the Sith Lord, her gaze surveying the display. Six rings, one broken sphere. Something clicked in her head as she stepped towards the sphere. Without a word the young acolyte set a hand against it.

"Zap this." She paused, blinked. Then cleared her throat as she looked to the others still here. "I think this is supposed to be the seventh moon. Or at least show it. So.. Zap this to illuminate it."

Darth Nwul | Kyraj | Darth Caedes | Zal Aditi

 

[Zal Aditi]

Korriban
Valley of Golg
Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
Darth Caedes' War Party - Darth Caedes | Kyraj | First Sister | Darth Nwul | Aliris Tremiru | Crix Maden

"Moruun hoth kyr'amal Korriban, korun'aa,"​

Zal felt a thrill of energy run through her bones at the sound of the Old Tongue. The translations were unnecessary for her - Omwati and Basic may have been her first languages, but ur-Kittât had been her third, a gift of her true mother. To hear it spoken now, bathed in the restored dark energy of the planet that birthed it, felt holy.

She paced a circle around the ritual ground, scanning it with a keen gaze as the voice of her master snaked through the stones like the chill wind. The Gate would want them to prove themselves before it granted passage. Power would be a part of this, yes, but not power without cunning. The ways of the Sith rarely rewarded the foolhardy or the careless, and many an ancient puzzle held consequences for those who approached without the proper respect. Pain, after all, was a most effective teacher.

As the others began to discuss how to approach the riddle and force powers were summoned in haste, she readied her defenses and quietly braced herself for the potential consequences. Even prepared and keeping to the sidelines, she might not be able to redirect all of the gate's punishment for a reckless misstep. Still, it wouldn't do to rob the others of a valuable educational experience, especially one that might reveal information about the nature of the Gate's mechanism.

The sphere at the center of the orbital rings was Korriban by implication of placement, but at a longer glance, the coloration and surface patterning were all slightly wrong. This was indeed a representation of Chwûqmidwanottoi, the seventh moon, the eternal ember of power. The ritual moon, whose eclipses painted the sands red and pulled the darkest energies of Korriban upwards to the planet's surface.

///"...Diti...?"///​

For a moment she was overcome with the memory of the last time such a tide had risen, the scent and taste of blood suddenly metallic in her throat. The canyon seemed to echo with the ghost of familiar voices, of screaming in horrified, agonized disbelief. Her talons twitched, remembering the tug of ripping flesh, bright blood made black under the red shadow of the moon's eclipse. She blinked away the reverie. This was no time for sentiment.

She tipped her head to the side and looked down at the carved circle of runes Caedes had revealed from the dust. If these carvings could be hidden, there was a chance there were more, either additional pieces of the riddle or as part of the gate's spellwork itself. Her senses swept outward, across the canyon floor and up its walls, seeking further swaths of obscuring dust or the familiar shapes of Kittât inscribed into the stone. Yes - there. Camoflaged by the craggy texture of the stones, she could make out words - not sentences or further riddles, but spellcraft. She stepped forward towards the wall, her hand hovering over the carvings but never touching the stone.

<Dzaiottoi>
Lightning... yes, that was a trigger...

<domun midwan>
Power, but only applied at the proper sequence and placement.

<Châtsokosh wanut
Tiskanut hadzuska koshûjontû
...Which would grant the freedom
of the pathway born of shadows, and of...

skorathal dalovun hadzsiqsa jen derriphan>
...ah. That would be interesting.​

Quietly, she slipped her sniper rifle off her back and unfastened her cloak, kneeling to tuck them and the rest of her scouting equipment safely away between the nearby stones. It would be best to be unhindered for what was to come.

 

[Darth Nwul]

• Korriban
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Tags — Darth Caedes | Kyraj | Zal Aditi | First Sister | Aliris Tremiru | Crix Maden | Coconutly

It would seem that Wake's input had fallen on deaf ears, much as he had expected, to be honest. He rubbed his neck and turned away from the ritual circle, not out of defeat but rather to get out of the way. He had no interest in getting swept up in whatever nonsense they triggered if they happened to be wrong and he definitely wanted to be nowhere near the front-line if they were right. Until he built up his strength, he might as well consider himself an academic. Hardly someone to do any fighting on behalf of the glorious sith. He strode towards the edge of the space, approaching one of the groups of reptiles that were watching from afar and leaned against one of the mostly sturdy looking pillars.

He glanced towards the lead reptile who vacantly stared forward at it's master. He sighed and craned his neck to watch the others blow themselves up-or get stabbed-or maybe punctured by spikes. He started counting off on his fingers ideas for death-traps in this particular area. A hidden focus that releases force lightning maybe? Airborne plagues would have probably died even with the force sustaining them for millennia. A force beast! Now that would be interesting, something big, with claws and nasty teeth. He chuckled childishly at the imagry and scratched his head before some movement nearby caught his eye.

"You aren't going to assist our Lord?" A man in robes said harsly, someone from Caedes' cult, sith probably.

Wake frowned at him, "You're serious. Me? What am I gonna do, lecture the ground until it opens up for him? Give me a break," He waved a dismissive hand to shoo the man away.

The man scowled hard, "I had heard that a neophyte was among the attack team, sent to us by Darth Strosius, I see that he merely unloaded a burden on us. A coward who can't even reign in his own-"

Wake tilted his head and looked him in the eye, while all the world might see just thin and wiry Wake standing there. The man saw something horrible writhing beneath the surface, something cold, and hungry. Like a maelstrom of madness so pure it had become sane and gained a will of its own. The man's posture shifted against his own will, decades of training failing him for an instant. There was something deeply, critically, fundamentally wrong behind those green eyes. Wake's lips parted in a bright smile; "Hey man, watch it, I happen to like that guy, alright? Be cool," Wake said and shrugged, "I'll help out when they need me, but I'm not getting myself killed on purpose, savvy?"

The man turned and left without a word to stand with his peers. He shook his head silently to them. Wake on the other hand turned his attention back to what was happening. The apprentice was making some progress it looked like, smart one that one, he wish he knew a lick of the Sith language. Maybe he could... He cleared his throat and glanced another sith, a woman as well. She was a bit more direct than the others. He liked her manner.

 

[Darth Caedes]

• Korriban
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Tags — Kyraj | Zal Aditi | First Sister | Darth Nwul | Aliris Tremiru | Crix Maden | Elmindra Xitaar
• [ _Open ]

As Aliris' fingertips made contact with the cool stone's surface, a surge of energy coursed through her body. Far from empowering, the dormant runes stung and seemed almost to drain her vitality, drying her skin, leeching from her presence in the Force with an icy coldness. In an instant, the sphere came alive, adorned with crimson red runes that glowed with an ethereal intensity. These symbols danced across the cracked and weathered surface, intricately arranged to form a poem in the ancient Sith language.

It spoke of celestial majesty and foreboding power, whispering of a seventh moon, a gleaming crimson jewel in the vast expanse of the heavens, whose mere existence invoked unsettling dreams in the hearts of those who gazed upon it. It spoke of a cosmic alignment that draped the land in a veil of crimson darkness, a harbinger of unleashed powers to be commanded only by the Sith.

"Lifted to the heavens, the seventh moon gleams,
A crimson— [damaged section] —dreams.
As it aligns, darkness veils the land,
Unlocking the gate with lightning's command."​

Moreover, detailed sets of Sith numerals and complicated mathematics flicker to life across the sphere's surface. They detail dates and times, as well as relational positionality for various local celestial bodies. One mathematic function repeats itself across the sphere's surface, carved in hieroglyphics, charting the alignment of three bodies in sequential order— Korriban, Chwûqmidwanottoi, its seventh moon, and finally Horuset, the Horuset system's star. The sequence describes a full lunar eclipse, such that each celestial body is perfectly aligned, the moon interposing both planet and star.

 

[Kyraj]

• Korriban
• Valley of Golg
• Objective III — Dash Them Against The Stones
• Tags — Darth Caedes | Zal Aditi | First Sister | Darth Nwul | Aliris Tremiru | Crix Maden | Elmindra Xitaar
• [ _Open ]

Kyraj stalked around the outside of the ritual grounds as Caedes descended from above. Scanning the surroundings warily watching for ambush. He paced a half circle toward the far side as Caedes read aloud the riddle on the ruins.
"Lightning on the seventh moon." He muttered to himself. His master had impressed upon him the importance of proficiency in ur-Kittât so he followed along fairly well. The apprentice shielded his eyes as cold winds conjured by the sith lord blew away the red sands in billowing clouds. As the clouds dissipated the blonde girl approached the cracked sphere in the center of the ruin. Suddenly he felt a shift in the force. Anticipatory. He looked aside at Zal Aditi noting her removing her cloak as if in preparation. Turning his gaze back to Darth Caedes as he paced the ring Kyraj braced himself, bolstering his mind and body in the force. Something was about to happen.

Then the girl reached out and touched the sphere.

The Dark energy of the place surged and the sphere lit up with power, draining from the girl. Complex writing flared to life all around the orb.

"Of course there's more."