Private Unliving nightmare

[Kaila Irons]

The tomb of Darth Parasideus jut from the Dathomiri cliffside like a scar poorly healing over, the black stone and half crumbled pillars being reclaimed by thorny vines wide as trees, though even nature was having difficulty burying the decrepit structure, which seemed to fight back. In fact, something had burnt or perhaps even cut right through the most twisted of these brambles that once covered the entrance, leaving them to shrivel and die a long time ago.

Not many knew of the sith lord buried here, fewer still knew of the tomb itself, built sometime during the four hundred year darkness or perhaps even before. A cult survived him and died out long ago, their works appearing in collections of lore amassed by only the most astute of dark side scholars, these few works describing Parasideus in conflicting terms depending on the period of each work, making their legitimacy near impossible to determine.

The only consistency was that Parasideus seemed to have a knack for winning hearts and minds. Odd then that one account in particular would suggest his or her death to be the result of betrayal.

Thus this tomb was built to house his or her body on Dathomir, meant to honor the sith lord's obsession with the Zeffonian sages, one such sage having been buried on this world long before the birth of Parasideus and the cult.

For whatever reason, the knowledge of Darth Parasideus became of some vague interest to Darth Carnifex , Twice-Emperor of the Sith, and dark master to the young Apprentice Kaila, who was sent to learn more of this ancient and dead cult. Years ago, she discovered the location of this tomb and ventured inside. She has not left since. Now she works tirelessly, pouring over ancient texts in a makeshift study beside the sarcophagus of Parasideus with unclear motive and no contact with her Dark Lord nor the outside world, all while the bodies of ancient cultists shamble to bring her food from outside and stalk the silent halls around her, killing anything that comes near.


Saryn Zambrano

 

[Saryn Zambrano]

The disappearance of Kaila had long troubled Saryn. She was one who he held great affection for, and he had spent considerable resources trying to find her even after all these years, hiring the best bounty hunters in the galaxy to attempt to track and locate her for him. One bounty hunter had managed to locate the tomb on Dathomir she'd vanished into, and had managed to sent out a message to his employer shortly before the undead guarding the tomb overwhelmed him.

As soon as word had arrived, Saryn quickly took flight from Dromund Kaas aboard his Lucrehulk-class Battleship, "The Golden Lothcat", and travelled to Dathomir with all due haste to pursue this new lead. Upon arriving in orbit, he descended to the outskirts of the Tomb below with a C-9979 Landing Craft carrying a small expeditionary force of several thousand battle droids and accompanying armored support to secure a landing zone and help locate his missing friend.

As they made landfall and the boarding ramp extended from the landing craft, Saryn was the first one to exit the craft, followed by his fellow wife of Carnifex, Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax , four of his Magnaguard bodyguards and a full platoon's worth of SB-X Droid Commandos, as well as his Super Tactical Droid adjutant. "The Bounty Hunter's message came from this tomb before we lost contact. Deploy our forces around the perimeter of the tomb and secure the area. I shall head inside with Teresa and a small force to locate Kaila.", he said to his adjutant, drawing forth his Darksaber before marching forth towards the tomb entrance, his mind wracked with worry for his friend, but also resolve to finally bring her home. "We will find you, Kaila. I promise...."

Kaila Irons
Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

She did not often see the little one worry so fervently, ever since meeting up with Saryn aboard his Lucrehulk-class Battleship it was clear that the wife's attention was dutifully pulled. Teresa had remained silent for the journey pondering how long ago was it since she was last went to Dathomir, something like eleven to thirteen years vaguely. Beyond that it was hard to remember so much of what happened back then. Yet once they entered orbit of the world she felt a pain tremble down her back and through her hands. Now she remembered as a soft simmering anger welled up inside as she walked towards the landing craft.

Perhaps it was the expressions that Saryn made that eased Teresa. So still silent on their ride down briming with droids, her hand clasped his shoulder all the way down offering a little comfort. It felt a little strange being in a ship so full yet so little life inside, Teresa was more accustomed to warriors made of flesh than metal. Yet there was a little logic she could understand. Droids would not disobey and could not betray without external interferences.

As they made landfall and the boarding ramp extended from the landing craft, Saryn was the first one to exit the craft, followed by his fellow wife of Carnifex, Teresa Zambrano , four of his Magnaguard bodyguards and a full platoon's worth of SB-X Droid Commandos, as well as his Super Tactical Droid adjutant. "The Bounty Hunter's message came from this tomb before we lost contact. Deploy our forces around the perimeter of the tomb and secure the area. I shall head inside with Teresa and a small force to locate Kaila.", he said to his adjutant, drawing forth his Darksaber before marching forth towards the tomb entrance, his mind wracked with worry for his friend, but also resolve to finally bring her home. "We will find you, Kaila. I promise...."

Hearing the promise spoken out loud the Valkyrie could hear affection in his tone. She looked down at him as he moved forwards with black orbs containing a golden orange ring inside. "If she is here Saryn, we'll get her," she said reassuring him as her hands rested down her sides by the auxiliaries of the Svikin hjörtu. "Tell me about this Kaila as we walk."

Kaila Irons | Saryn Zambrano​

Spoiler: Lightsabers and equipment

Teresa's Sith Outfit
Iroai Amulet

Old Owners Lightsaber

Ancient Lightsaber

Trandoshan Jedi's Lightsaber

Fathers Lightsaber

Svikin hjörtu

Sekitangara

 

[Kaila Irons]

Kaila continued to flip through an ancient tome, golden eyes with dark bags under them trying desperately to look away, trying fight sleep and to fight It, yet always her gaze was forced onto whatever It wanted, for as long as It desired.

But then, for the first time since she could remember, it looked up suddenly through her eyes, scanning the entrance to the burial chamber.

<<This presence is new to us>> She could hear it think inside her own mind as it stared through her, her eyes twitching as she tried to blink. So tired. So dry.

She could barely feel it herself, a slight increase in the dark side within or perhaps near this already dark place, but she could tell the unseen presence within her could feel it more clearly than she could.

Uncontrollably, her hand raised, and so too did many skeletal corpses around her, their bones clicking as many began to float and reform while others pulled themselves from rubble to join their unliving comrades. She could barely see them in her peripherals, yet her eyes never left the chamber entrance no matter how hard she tried to look.

<<Scout. Ambush. Be our eyes>> Another command that only she could hear sent them marching out of the chamber.

They wandered down twisted halls of stone past lights that flickered weakly, often substituted by torches that shone an eerie pale green light on on red runes that fought for supremacy, an amalgamated perversion of Dathomiri and ancient Sith arts.

Some of the undead minions, horned remains of once proud Nightbrothers who fell here, wielded axes and jagged blades, while some appeared to have once been humans wielding rusted blasters and decaying armor from varying eras and makers. Some stayed behind to guard the tomb itself, awaiting their unknown foe around corners or hiding in piles of equally decayed bodies. A few ventured out of the tombs, silently watching from the cliffside or within the swampy brush below, waiting, allowing their master to watch through many eyes.

Kaila could see none of this, only speculate as to what was happening outside.

Then an unseen force bid her reach out again, and her lightsaber was summoned to her hand. It felt colder than usual.


Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax Saryn Zambrano

 

[Saryn Zambrano]

"She was our husband's former apprentice. Went missing a....long time ago. She was also someone I deeply cared for. I....never got to tell her how I felt about her truly, when she disappeared.", Saryn said with a degree of sorrow in his voice. "I've put a great deal of resources into hiring bounty hunters to find her. I'd honestly nearly given up hope before I finally got this lead. I sense.....she is near. But I sense she is not alone either. The darkness in this place is strong indeed. It's good we came prepared."

As they reached the entrance of the Tomb, Saryn ignited his darksaber, while their droid escorts turned on their weapon mounted flashlights to provide illumination to the dark interior. He stepped inside, blade readied as he clutched it with both hands. "Be on your guard......we are being watched."

Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax
Kaila Irons

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

​

Admittedly Teresa did not know much of the others that Kaine trained. Every session she had was one-on-one with him. She knew well how affectionate Saryn was to the gems that caught his eye. Personally she thought it more strange that Saryn was having to put so much effort into just finding one person. "I don't get why you didn't just ask Kaine. If it's His apprentice, then I doubt He'd have taken an eye off them."

Teresa could also feel the movement though discerning who's what just yet was not so clear. Her eyes looked around towards those in the thicket and on the cliffside above. The Valkyrie did not draw her own blade while others around prepared, their torches or even igniting their blade. However her hands rested firmly on the auxiliary and the hilt of her blade they had been since she stepped off the ship. "Yeah, I can tell. They have been for a moment now."

"Two worlds I really hate this is one of em," she said with a slight growl to her voice and even some of the smaller feathers standing up. The woman followed inside crouching down a little through the entrance, thought after a few steps everything opened up. The Valkyries wings pushed out blocking the flashlights a little as her belt made several clicks. The hilts dropped away one by one hidden in the shadows and moved them up into her feathers.

A smell of stagnate pools and rot hit her nose harshly. It drew her attention to the piles of corpses each in a different state of decomposition. As a white light passed over it, the glossy gooey viscera became easier to see. There was not one hint of sympathy for the victims rather it was a complete disinterest at the sight. "Again really hate this world. Everything's either mostly dead or crazy, and that bastard too. Bastards I don't remember his face."

The combinations of the smell and being back here sent her nerves blasting and silent rage building under the skin. It made her remember the feeling of the scalpel as it pressed and dug deep, the hours of dizzy dull torment. The Valkyries lips felt dry as and her teeth were clenched tight. The aura she usually focused to wrap around tight loosened washing across the floor. Saryn surely would feel it, like a wave brushing against his back.

Her golden-orange eyes pierced through the darkness feeling the movements inside. Eventually her eyes resettled back onto Saryn and she had a small smile on her lips as a new thought crossed her mind. "HEY K-AI-LLLAAAAA!" Teresa shouted playfully clear for anything to hear deeper inside. "We've come here to drag you back. My dear sweet Saryn here misses you soooo so much," she said unable to hold back a giggle. Those words were clearly for teasing Saryn a bit while getting their targets attention. "Why don't you come out, or do you want to put up a little resistance?"

Kaila Irons Saryn Zambrano​

Spoiler: Lightsabers and equipment

Teresa's Sith Outfit
Iroai Amulet

Old Owners Lightsaber

Ancient Lightsaber

Trandoshan Jedi's Lightsaber

Fathers Lightsaber

Svikin hjörtu

Sekitangara

 

[Kaila Irons]

The Kainites entered the tomb unchallenged, confident enough in their own safety to call for their query.

Just around the corner and down one more hallway, Kaila's eyes widened as her name echoed through the stone tomb. It came from the lips of a stranger, a voice she had never heard before now. Was it another apprentice of Carnifex? An assassin maybe, come to put Kaila out of her misery? She had been made to do exactly that more than once, reaffirming her place at his side by killing her competing students, such was the way of Kaine.

But then she heard another name, the earliest that she could recall.

Saryn... Her friend, the one being in this galaxy that seemed to care for herself, the misbegotten slave that she was. But if he was here, and they were not here to kill her, then Saryn was in great danger.


The tomb rumbled as the spirit spoke to All of them inside their minds;

<<You will not take her from us>>

It was as if a thousand voices spoke all at once, men and women, the young and old, human and alien, all shackled in dark unison. The Kainites would soon be set upon by the various corpses heaped in sacks they had passed, and the animated stalkers in the jungle outside came running back into the tomb to join their decayed comrades in the ambush.

They would either have to fight their way back out of the tomb or push move forward toward the source of the voice. Forward toward Kaila, who stood in the center of the burial chamber against her will, summoning a pair of lightsabers to her hands.

"Please don't do this.

Don't die here​

...just for me"​

Saryn Zambrano Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax