Valley of the Dark Lords

The comm link that Devlin had given starts to flash. It's recieving a signal from the ship he's using for transport. I follow the signal to it's source and see a cargo ship landed in a clearing with a bunch of rocks. I have an uneasy feeling working with a mercenary, but since I'm not paying him until after the job is done I'm able to put those feelings aside for now.

:: 'I see your ship. The cargo ramp appears to be open, I'll wait by the entrance. I'm ready anytime you are.' ::

I chuckle slightly at the remark the mercenary said and gaze off into the valley, recalling what my information source had told me about where the item is most likely located. I close my eyes and begin to concentrate for a brief moment, getting the force signature of the planet, allowing it to run through me, feeling the rage and passions of countless Sith who have died or were entombed here. Once centered in the planet's energy, I point into the valley.

"My sources say it's in a tomb of one of the lesser sith lords. A tomb that was overlooked by the centuries of grave robbers and plunderers. I have the tomb marked in a way that I'll know when we're there. Now, if there's nothing else, we need to get moving. I'm sure you are just as anxious to get rewarded for this as I am."

I shake my head a little out of embarrassment, watching Devlin pose with his weapon as though he is some kind of model showing off for the holonet.

"For the type of trouble we'll no doubt come across, and for the man you're hired to kill, it is not overkill."

Without verbal notice, I begin to walk into the valley, expecting my hired mercenary to follow. The dark side of the force runs strong through Korriban, and it hides many secrets from the unworthy and unprepared. Fortunately for me, I am neither.

"Now, if you are done showing off to all of the grains of sand in this valley, it's best if we get moving."

I continue to walk away, letting the force energies of the planet flow through me, guiding me to my intended prize. As a mental precaution, I keep my right hand on my lightsaber, in case of trouble.

I keep walking to my destination, letting the force be my guide.

"I never once assumed you were stupid, mercenary. I've seen the scars of many battles, both on your body and on your spirit. I don't see the exact details, nor do I care. There are more than just force ghosts in these places. I've heard that some of the ancients used animals to guard their tombs. Animals that they put into stasis to preserve them. While I have no problems with killing animals, as I said, I cannot kill my buyer with the force or with my saber. There are complications. Details you need not concern yourself with for now."

A brief smirk comes across my face as the threat of being haunted comes out. I keep observing all of the old ruins, feeling even closer now than we were when we began.

"To be haunted by yet another ghost would not bother me mercenary. But if you insist on wasting both of our time with meaningless threats then by all means, continue. I have no intentions of betraying you or leaving you here to die. But my word is only as good as you take it for. You and I are a lot a like in some aspects. But rest your anxiousness, we're close to our destination."

Again I shake my head in disapproval of the long 'log entry' that the mercenary just made.

It's a little bit more complicated than that, but you have the basics of it. I'm being hunted by someone that was upset by a job I took. A job that involved eliminating their father. I sense that he has tracked me here. The trail has ran cold for my hunter however, and I do not wish to heat it up. While I have no qualms over killing a disgruntled orphan, the disruption and annoyance would hinder both of our payment arrangements. And don't concern yourself with consequences. My hunter is fixated on me, and you are in no danger. As for law consequences, you need not concern yourself with that either.

I stop suddenly at the entrance of a tomb. The force energy resonating from it is stronger than I had anticipated. The holocron that I was hired to find was in this tomb. The entrance is caved in and there is debris hindering our entrance. I take my double bladed lightsaber off of my belt in preparation for the dangers the tomb has to face.

"Here is our destination, mercenary. The treasure I seek is in here."

It is a holocron. With very powerful knowledge of force techniques that is supposed to greatly increase one's power in the dark side. And 'sharing' is not a sith trait, mercenary. There's a reason why sith lords meet their end at the hands of their apprentices.

I close my eyes again and begin to meditate briefly, feeling the very strong and powerful dark side aura seeping off of the entrance alone. The sith lord entombed here was no doubt very powerful indeed to have left such a strong pressence. I turn to Devlin, looking at him with a smile.

"If you just have to use explosives, then you may set the charges and detonate them whenever you feel the need. The holocron we're looking for is deep within the tomb so it will be safe from the explosion.

I take cover from the explosion outside of the entrance of the tomb. Once it was detonated I walk back in the entrance and stand beside Devlin, peering into the dimly lit tomb.

"There was not a lot of information on this tomb. It seems almost as if this sith lord's very existence was nearly wiped from history. But the dark side of the force is strong here. Stronger than I've ever felt before. He must've been truly powerful to leave behind such an essence."

With my lightsaber in hand, at the ready, I step through the entrance of the tomb. I observe the first room carefully, looking for any clues and staying alert to where I step, not wanting to set off any of the booby traps that are built into these tombs to detour plundering.

"The only 'spooks' you'll have to worry about here are the booby traps. Also, if this sith lord has been keeping beasts here in stasis, they're invisible. Watch where you step."

I hear the whooshing sound the giant blade makes as it begins to cut a deadly arc through us, and tuck and roll out of the way, igniting one of the blades of my lightsaber.

"Wow, I thought I told you to be careful! We could've nearly been killed!"

My attention is then grabbed by the growl from within the tomb. A very confident smirk breaks across my face as I'm reminded of the many beasts that I had to fight in my training. I can sense it's presence through the force, but nothing specific.

Yes, some of the beasts used by the ancients can cloak themselves in the force. Well, at least hssiss can. If it is a hssiss, thermals will do you no good, as their body temperature is going to be similar to the ambient temperature. But hssiss aren't the only animals that were used. Nexus were common as well. There is a lot of force energy here, and weaker minded beings, such as animals, are bent to the sith lord's will, yet for that, I cannot tell specifically what it is, but I have one way of finding out.

My anger begins to build up and pulsate through my body. I channel all of this rage through the force, and feel the currents begin to flow through my body, as a strong electrical storm racing through my veins. Then I throw my left hand forward with my fingers pointing out and release a wave of force lightening deep into the tomb, in the direction of the growl.

Then I take a stance, with my left foot forward and my blade held vertically in front of my body, waiting to strike at anything that I may have provoked with the lightening.

"I trained against these beasts before I decided that I could learn no more from the one I used to call master. We will need to be very careful to avoid getting bitten. These things have a small connection to their force on their own, and can poison a bite victim with the force. But I don't think that will be a problem."

I again concentrate on all of the negative feelings and rage that I have stored away, focusing the force through all of this negativity, once again feeling it course through my body in waves of energy. To increase my anger and destructive power, I think of all of those that have ever angered me, or that I have ever begrudged or hated, and continue focusing the force through all of the dark emotions. Then I let out a blood curdling shriek as I throw my left hand forward again, unleashing another wave of force lightening in the direction of the beasts groan.

"I sense there is nothing more in that corridor that can pose a real threat. Come, let us go, you'll have to shoot the one that's still barely clinging on to life. These beasts are stubborn in the fact that they won't just shut up and accept death. We need to keep moving, and the room beyond that hallway is as good a place as any to continue our search.