Private Shadow of Mustafar

[Bendak Crail]

SIEGE OF MUSTAFAR 858 ABY

Chaos reigned all around the fiery world as the last stand was made between the final First Order holdout and the Outer Rim forces governed by a loose government and aided by the Jedi. The day the mighty Kyrel Ren sought was at hand and so did Bendak Crail. While only a mere disciple the last of a prospective breed of the Knights of Ren were mustered out with red clad armored First Order Stormtroopers at the doors of Fortress Vader. Cutting down Jedi and enemy soldiers one by one, but Bendak knew as well as anyone that it wasn't meant to last. As the forces they were the Alazmec of Winsit that had now accepted Kyrel as the new Vader fought against the Jedi forces while that native Mustafarians allied with the enemy seeking to bring down the dreaded citadel that had cursed the fiery land for centuries first under Vader now under Kyrel Ren.

Bendak gritted his teeth as his blade clashed with Jedi and wayward soldier alike, while both Stormtrooper and the mysterious Sith Cultists kept trying to push from the outer gates of the citadel through the iron forests of corvax fen. Watching with fear and hate as both his Ren brothers and sisters were cut down by Jedi Knights and enemy troops alike. A part of him started to resent Kyrel for the insane plan of having all his enemies drawn in. Looking to the skies the remaining Resurgent class Destroyers started to light the skies as fragments started to rain towards the ground. Each crash of the fragments creating deadly small explosions as the roar of TIE Fighters created a nightmarish display battling in the atmosphere and in space. "LONG LIVE THE FIRST ORDER, LONG LIVE SIEGER REN, LONG LIVE LORD KYRE-" One Stormtrooper yelled out before his head was lopped off by a Jedi's saber. Bendak could only watch in anger and frustration trying to desperately hold the line in vain as his saber found it's way impaling a Jedi Padawan's chest.

In that moment a violent light came bursting forth from the tuning forks of Fortress Vader. Bendak and others around him stopped for a moment as crackles of thunder and lightning emerged from the light that pierced through the ash filled clouds. The beam shot twice as it was magnified and for a time Bendak kept savagely fighting on. His blade hacking through as much of the enemy as he could, while at the same time still being encroached upon. Soon he was slowly pushed back through the front door as what happened all of a sudden was the beam that emerged from the tuning forks of the Castle had now turned into a violent reaction. Something must have went wrong, as the same blast ended in a violent shockwave that took apart both enemy and ally alike. Jedi, Stormtrooper, Ren. None were spared from the violent shockwave. The Fortress started to crumble and the tuning forks utterly destroyed. Bendak knew the battle was lost, and still raised his saber. As he attempted to fight to his last breath, he thought the Master of Ren was dead and so let out a battle cry. He soon found his eye cut by a saber, and sustaining multiple wounds to his chest before everything turned black. This was where he truly thought he had met his end.


PRESENT 868 ABY

Ten Years had passed since that fateful day, and now Bendak found himself aboard the Ren craft the Night Vulture on it's way to Mustafar. Bendak gritted his teeth for he was accompanied by Jaedec Ren to head back where it all began. The intense feelings of dread overwhelmed him, as the Vulture dropped from hyperspace to the small ring of debris that floated above Mustafar. Tasked by Kyrel to unlock a vault deep beneath the catacombs of Fortress Vader, what was left of it. Kyrel desired an ancient Sith saber deep from what remained of the Sith Temple created thousands of years ago, and as Kyrel was the dead man was too focused on the conquests of the Maw to get the saber himself, so he tasked Bendak to acquire the saber for him. For Bendak the trip back was anything but pleasant. Mustafar in itself was nothing but a host of bad memories, from being in isolation following the Fall of the First Order, to the Siege and ultimately being marooned on the planet for years until Kyrel's return as an undead nightmare and being recruited into the Maw as a new Knight of Ren. Now Bendak was made an errand boy, oh the irony.

The Craft's cloaking system activated as it approached the eerie ruins of Fortress Vader. Once a place coveted by Kyrel as a place of worship. Now it was nothing more than a smoldering ruin starting to be overtaken by the grown iron forests that started to spread about. The lava stream that had now turned into a river after being unchecked for a decade. Even the unsettling presence of both Vader and Kyrel still lingered on this world much to Bendak's dismay. A hand traced over his scars, his one blind eye suffered from the onslaught led by the Jedi during the last stand. From Corvax Fen to what was the opening into the Fortress bodies still littered across the lands. It was not uncommon to find Stormtrooper pieces or blasters, or broken lightsabers. If one looked closely some debris from orbit still fell from the sky as if the world itself was shedding fiery tears of fury.

The Night Vulture slowly landed on a clearing outside of the ruins. The hatch opened slowly, and what emerged slowly was the masked Ren, followed behind the hulking brute of a Ren behind him. An unsettling feeling followed Bendak as he stared at the ruins behind the visor of his mask. Slowly approaching through the Iron Forests. He had come here for one purpose and one purpose only to gain the prize they sought after for the Wrath of the Maw himself. Even as Bendak inched closer with the Ren towards the remains of the Fortress, he couldn't shake a feeling off as if ghosts were whispering in his ear. He only pressed forward with his mind and his sights set towards getting his hands on that saber by whatever means necessary.

Valery Noble Jax Thio​

 

[Valery Noble]

Shadow of Mustafar​

---

Location: Mustafar
Valery: Appearance
Her ship: Factory link
Tag: Bendak Crail

For several weeks now, Valery had devoted much of her time to studying the more recent history of the Sith she missed during her time in stasis. In order to combat them, she had to understand them better and learn about what had happened to them, and potential locations worth visiting. This time of research was only interrupted by an unsettling attack against the heart of the Alliance - Coruscant. It had affected many and some even lost hope, as much of their world had crumbled around them.

But Valery knew it meant something different for her. It was time the Jedi Master made her return to the front; it was time to strike at the darkness from the Shadows once again.

So with all the information she gathered, the woman's journey continued to Mustafar, a planet she had never visited before, but its history suggested that powerful artifacts may be stored there, as well as signs of ancient battles. It was the ideal location for a Jedi Shadow to find new targets, or gather useful information.

After climbing aboard her personal ship, a modified Stealth-X, the brunette jumped into hyperspace, only to arrive a few hours later. Even from outer space, she could feel the darkness that lingered down below. The previous dark lords who lived there, the large number of deaths from battle - it all contributed to a sickening feeling that echoed through the Force. It was enough to send an untrained Jedi into madness, especially if they were to get too close. But luckily, her training as a Shadow had allowed her to build up all kinds of resistances and even passive Immunity against various dark-sided attacks.

So with confidence in her ability to approach the darkness below, she brought her ship down through the atmosphere and landed some distance away - she'd never keep her ship too close to a dangerous place like this. Stepping out into the open, the woman immediately felt the dark side beating against the edge of her mind, looking for a way inside to corrupt or strike. But Valery pushed it back and grumbled somewhat in response.

"Ugh.." she muttered as she raised the hood of her robes over her head. As per usual, she was wearing her tunic but to have some form of concealment, she had wrapped a set of brown robes around her too. Not that she was planning on relying on this, because as soon as he began to walk, the Master faded away into the Force, leaving her invisible to the naked eye.

Cloaked and determined, she approached the remains of the fortress with great caution in her steps. She sensed a great disturbance, but it was hard to exactly determine what it was - the darkness of this place clouded even the strongest of minds. So as she walked through the fields of battle, she was still unaware that she wasn't alone. Luckily, her Cloak would hopefully keep her safe.

"Hmm.." she stopped and crouched down beside the body of a Jedi, who lay dead near a man dressed in black. A Knight of Ren, but she didn't know who they were. At least, she didn't until her hand shifted for one of the lightsabers in the dirt. As her fingers brushed against the metal, the Force invaded her mind with images, sounds, and emotions of what had happened here.

It was overwhelming at first, but she was finally given some insight into this ancient fortress and its history. She knew that going inside was a must now, and deep down she wondered who these dark siders were that she saw. Did they still exist, too? Or had they been wiped out in one of many wars?

Only time would tell.

 

[Bendak Crail]

Location: Mustafar, Fortress Vader
Nearby: Valery Noble


Bendak followed by Jaedec and the rest of the Knights of Ren continued the trek forward through Corvax Fen and onwards to the Fortress ruins. Bendak keeping his head low, his mask did not betray the unease that stirred from within. He pressed forward to the gates of the Fortress with the other Knights stepped in behind, the sinister presence that plagued the grounds still remained as an unsettling reminder. All around him all Bendak could feel was the ominous cold that mixed in with dead silence among the decaying ruin. Memories of the battle that came before, of being hounded by the native Mustafarians steadily trickled into his mind.

Even with such haunting memories Bendak himself knew that failure would not be an option. If Kyrel Ren demanded the artifact from the shrine that was Fortress Vader then he would see that his Master would have it. Upon approaching towards the interior Bendak felt an odd mix of the Castle's owner and that of his Master. It seemed that even a short time of Kyrel's stay had caused some aura of his to have contaminated the ruin forever. With each careful step inside the crumbling obsidian halls he felt anger, intense greed and desires of vengeance. As if the combination of it all was simply overpowering, but to the dark siders known as the Knights of Ren it felt only familiar.

The halls were lined with dead skeletons, armor consisting of stormtrooper and ragged mercenaries mixed on the ground. Even dust covered lightsabers were a common sight with large gaps of lava seeping into the interior an ever common sight just as well. The man treaded lightly, his hand carefully placed over the crossguard saber of his. Voices echoed in his mind, pleading with him taunting him of power, of the uses of his anger as if the ruin desired a new master. He could only shake his head in response, for the time of the past was done what was once here there was no saving it. There was only the path of the Maw and it's future.

The turbolifts had long since to function following the Siege so many years ago. Lava blocked much of halls or created numerous dead ends. Bendak only seemed to feel as if he was walking in circles before proceeding to follow a set of stairs in a downward spiral. The lower it went, to his surprise much of it had appeared intact even as he felt the nexus grow stronger.

Reaching out through the Force he felt something strong reach out, but he couldn't figure if it was the artifact or something else. His dark aura reaching out he felt something, or someone was here. Someone he hadn't anticipated perhaps. His gloved fingers trailing over the hilt of his saber. As he continued to walk down, his senses were starting to become more on alert while the Ren followed close behind him.

 

[Valery Noble]

Shadow of Mustafar​

---

Location: Mustafar
Valery: Appearance
Her ship: Factory link
Tag: Bendak Crail

After connecting with the hilt of the fallen Jedi, Valery got back up to her feet and glanced down at the remains of the Jedi and others who lay scattered across the field of battle. Her gaze lingered for a moment and within her mind, she spoke a few words of comfort to the fallen. But as her eyes shifted to the structure ahead, it was as if something within called out to her. A faint voice trying to lure her into the dark halls of stone, metal, and lava.

She had heard a voice like this many times before. The sinister call of the Dark Side was always a tempting thing, but she was able to resist it. She was, however, still heading for the entrance. Not because the temptation had overcome her, but because she needed to find out what was in there. Valery had sensed the darkness of this place, but there were distinct presences inside as well.

The closer she got, the better she could separate them.

Stopping just short of the entrance, Valery finally felt it - she wasn't alone. Deeper within the fortress, she could sense there were others, and their signatures in the Force were corrupted; tainted by the dark side. Why are they here? Valery wondered. This place looked to have been abandoned, so they surely weren't living here.

But then it struck her - they were here to collect whatever was in this fortress as well.

As much as Valery was a very capable fighter, the idea of taking on multiple opponents in such a dark place wasn't exactly ideal. Especially because she didn't know anything about them. So rather than moving to engage them, she did her best to hide her presence in the Force, and with the Cloak still up, she began to follow them through the building.

It took her down the spiral staircase, past streams of lava and more remnants of the battle fought within these walls. But for now, her mind was focused on the figures she followed from the Shadows, as well as what they were heading towards. Up ahead, she felt something strong in the Dark Side, but it wasn't alive.

Perhaps an artifact?

 

[Bendak Crail]

Bendak kept on the move down the spiral staircase that led deeper into the catacombs, all the while flashbacks of a life previous to one he had now appeared. How he had seen with every hall the memories of a previous life as a Disciple of Ren, that in some sense it brought a sense of comfort and familiarity to him. How once despite the isolation and Kyrel's mad paranoia that there was once a dark beauty to the Fortress as if made by the finest craftsman in the dark side. Unfortunately it had all been a decaying ruin now starting to be taken back by nature the more he kept his eerie descent down to the darkest levels of the Fortress.

The Knight of Ren unable to shake a feeling as if they were being watched, his hand still caressing his saber as if ready to pull it out any moment to inflict only the harshest damage upon those that weren't careful. Despite the feeling he chose to shake it off, and kept pressing deeper into the dark lava filled caves. Reaching down to the smallest level the Knights used the Force to carve a small path through the magma. The path itself that they walked upon would lead them through to the catacombs for the vault would be located near the cave of where the focal point of the nexus was at it's strongest.

The catacombs themselves were even in worse shape than before. Lava flooded most of the path, while cracks had started to form all along the obsidian walls. Even with the feeling of being followed Bendak only continued to move carefully through the magma stricken path. The Knights themselves finally reached the path they were on, even looking into the room where the focal point was. Once the obsidian slabs that were used in ritual of the Fortresses dark power was now a smashed ruin, much of the Ancient Sith symbolism still remained, but the room showed evident signs of both ritual and lightsaber combat had occurred no doubt this was how Kyrel's ritual was stopped, the moment he tried to rip open a hole deep in the Force a Jedi had stopped him altogether.

Bendak gave the room one last look before pressing onwards, before the group disappeared into the dark. Only stopping when the group of dark siders were met with an obsidian door. Something that looked ancient, and appeared with the ancient symbol of the Sith. Bendak looked closely trying to read the ancient Sith language only seeing that a sacrifice of sorts had to be made for the door to open, but what he couldn't tell. The group seemed to have reached a stand still on the trek towards the artifact.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shadow of Mustafar​

---

Location: Mustafar
Valery: Appearance
Her ship: Factory link
Tag: Bendak Crail

After going further down the spiral staircase, Valery continued to follow the dark presences through the caves. Her eyes and mind were drawn to many of the same things - the signs of battle, and the general decay of such a dark place. But what stood out to her in a very different way was the strength of the Nexus.

To a Dark Sider, it would feel like a source of power, but to her, it was pure death. If it wasn't for her ability to shield herself, the corruption would have already overcome her. This wasn't a place the average Jedi should visit alone - only those extremely experienced in fighting against the Dark Side and its corruption could withstand the pure hatred and agony of these catacombs.

Looking around at the Sith symbols, the weapons, and occasional remains, Valery wondered what exactly this battle was all about. She had seen brief flashes from her earlier use of psychometry, but it wasn't clear. The intense emotions that came with the images she saw were so overwhelming that they disturbed the clarity of the vision. Perhaps what lay beyond the obsidian door would provide more answers.

But that was the problem as well.. a massive door had stopped them from moving.

From a distance, Valery could see the Sith symbols on the door as well. During her initial Shadow training face, she had to learn the Sith language, which was of obvious use whenever she went out to combat them. So she realized that this door asked for a sacrifice as well.

However, there was nothing alive that could be used.

I can't believe I have to do this... she thought to herself as she reached out for the door with the Force. If these Dark Siders were not to get through the door, she would not be able to get there either. They weren't just going to give up and leave - they were more likely to call in for assistance, which meant trouble. So Valery decided to help them, with the hopes of later catching them by surprise.

Seeing through the fault lines of the obsidian, Valery focused and applied pressure through the Force that caused large cracks to form within the material. The door began to break apart in front of Bendak and the other Knight. It was only brief use of the Force, but she feared he would still sense it, so she backed away and began to retreat towards the staircase.

Her hopes were that he'd retrieve the artifact and return to his ship, while she got there first to plant a tracking device. This planet was not the right place to fight them. But she was planning ahead.

 

[Bendak Crail]

The Knights of Ren stood among the door, and while Bendak contemplated on what sacrifice the door had asked for, a thought had occurred to him wondering if Kyrel had led him to a dead end as if the mission was a sort of mockery for Bendak. Both Bendak and Jaedec stood there not sure of what to do or how to open the door. The Sith themselves that designed the inner makings of the Fortress millennia ago had often put tests to these doorways to protect whatever was sacred within it be it some dark forgotten knowledge or some sacred artifact there was no telling.

As he was about to put the riddle of the door to the test, the Knight of Ren sensed the familiar presence he felt above before descending through the catacombs. His hand gripped his saber tightly as if a knee jerk reaction to the being that he felt within the Force. Instead the door began to shake, cracks on the Obsidian began to form. It wasn't long before the door was opened forcefully and Bendak could only peer into the darkness as he felt the sinister energy of the prize he sought.

He gave one look around, wondering who or what had opened the door. He knew that someone must have been following them, but for what he couldn't tell. All that mattered now was gaining control of the artifact and taking it back to Master Kyrel as soon as possible, for it was never wise to keep the Ren Master waiting for too long. His masked face looked back, before moving forward into the darkness. Within the confines of the room stood many artifacts on obsidian pedestals. From ancient Sith manuscripts to holocrons of different shapes, and even ancient Sith armor and helmets that showed a bygone era of old.

Through the darkness, he saw a deadly weapon on which Bendak could feel the presence come from, walking closer to the display it was on. Gaining a closer look, the weapon before him was something he never thought he would see again, the unique design of a Saberstaff with it's unusual crossguard vents meant that the weapon was Kyrel's Harbinger. A weapon thought lost since Kyrel's first death but as fate would have it, it was separated from it's master. Bendak finally understood the task as the weapon itself was looking to return to it's Master's call once more.

At first as he approached it, he felt hesitation as such a dark weapon only Kyrel Ren could wield. He appeared as if afraid by it for a moment before placing his gloved hands over the ridged grip. Upon touching it he felt an immense feeling of rage, no doubt the crystals that came from within the saber. Gripping it carefully he looked back to his other Knight. "We have what we came for... Let us leave this place." He said while placing the unusual weapon on his back, with a nod from his fellow Ren both of them started to walk out of the ancient room, and back the way they came up the stairs. Unaware that someone else was within the ruins of the Castle.

Valery Noble

 

[Valery Noble]

Shadow of Mustafar​

---

Location: Mustafar
Valery: Appearance
Her ship: Factory link
Tag: Bendak Crail

Valery watched from afar as the large obsidian door crumbled and drew the attention of the two Knights of Ren in the process. She feared for a moment that their suspicion of her presence would outweigh whatever was behind this door, but luckily it did not. They were heading inside the room from which she felt great darkness. It was powerful and ancient in nature, stored within the various artifacts held on obsidian pedestals.

But among these artifacts, one, in particular, stood out to her, and to the Knights as well. It was a weapon; one that belonged to a powerful Dark Sider.

She narrowed her eyes and took mental note of this room, but as they retrieved the weapon, she knew she couldn't remain here any longer. To stay ahead of the Knights, she quickly passed through the same catacombs, and up the large staircase to get out through the way she came. But rather than going for her own ship, she approached theirs in Cloak. She had spotted the large vessel earlier, and recognized elements of her own Stealth-capable ship - she knew there would be no way to track it if she let them go.

But she could track something attached to its exterior, something that was outside its protective layers and designed to be found. Reaching the ship, she looked for a place far away from entry points, and out-of-sight from any windows. There, she attached a small device that would act as a beacon that sent out a signal over a channel only she had access to from her ship. There was the risk that they'd detect it, or that it wouldn't work. But it was her best bet.

Valery then circled around to the engines and quickly planted one last device - an explosive that she could control from afar. It would be the only way to pull them out of hyperspace, which she planned to do nearby a planetary system. If they were to crash or land for repairs, she'd have a moment to strike.

With everything set in place, the brunette quickly returned to her ship and waited for their departure.

The clash with the Knights of Ren was bound to happen soon.