Star Wars Universe

Planet: Groii

The transport that was carrying the two Sith warriors rocked violently as it fought against the storm that governed the waters of the Groiian sea.

Inside the two Sith warriors waited quietly apparently meditating, although one of them franticly looked outside through the windows. “You know they can see us, don’t you master?” The other Sith, didn’t answer, through his mask it was impossible to guess what he was thinking for the untrained eye.

Realizing the disapproval from his master, the apprentice looked away at the window once again, nervously playing with his lightsaber in the holster.

“The despair… can you sense it?” The Sith master finally spoke. His apprentice was at a loss of words, after hesitating for a couple of seconds, he shook his head and responded “Sense?... the-“ He was interrupted by his master. “Sorrow and despair; lust, anxiety… it is a shield. One known only to the most powerful Sith lords to have ever lived.” His apprentice, chuckled and mocked him “You fancy yourself one of the most powerful Sith lords ever?” He chortled.

Hearing tapping sounds from his master’s lightsaber, he immediately stood stiff and became paler. He had foolishly tested his master’s patience, and was spared a swift death. Tension crackled in the air, the Sith master crossed his arms while explaining for one last time “They see us, but their minds have been clouded by a power not even known to the dark side… the void.” The apprentice was not impressed, he was jealous, he wanted to strike the man who called himself his ‘master’, but he would have to wait…

The rest of the journey to a platform standing over the oceans was quiet and tense, ominous. It is common for the Sith to face one another, this was not the exception. The planet Groii had been claimed by another Sith, the powers and identity of this supposed Sith were unknown to both warriors, who were limited to stand at the ship and wonder what awaited them.

Hovering above a landing bay their shuttle made contact with an exposed tower, designed for bringing in an ‘important vessel’, that of the other Sith. Slowly walking their way down the shuttle, the two Siths were confronted by five guardsmen.

“Stop!” Yelled their commander while reaching for his blaster weapon.
“How did they get here? They should have been destroyed! I didn’t even notice-“ Another one of the soldiers who was anxiously running towards the intruders while reaching for his blaster was hacked by a vicious saber throw from the Sith master.

Blaster bolts were fired from the four remaining soldiers, the barrage of energy shots didn’t reach it’s destination; the bullets were stopped as they slammed against a wall of darkness that was constructed by the Sith apprentice. Behind the wall, the master prepared a devastating lightning attack, after powering up for five seconds, during which the soldiers futilely shot at the darkness wall while screaming and barking orders and instructions. The curtain of utter blackness slid open in a second, followed by a massive net of electricity. The soldiers were scorched in an instant; ashes were all that remained of them.

They switched off their lightsabers “Now we wait.” Said the apprentice, anxiously pacing around. Their kills in combat brought him deep satisfaction, but it was drowned by the fear of the next step in their mission. The Master looked up and said “No. He is here on schedule.”

Another shuttle was encroaching the landing tower, now completely abandoned of security, under the control of the two Sith warriors. “The fool is coming straight to our arms!” The apprentice was getting pumped up for the next fight, spreading his legs on a compass and drawing on the dark side to create a projectile of darkness. His plans were stopped short “No.” Was all his master said. With no other option but to wait and watch, he observed as the shuttle landed in their vicinity.

The landing ramp slowly opened, touching the ground with a soft ‘clank’ sound.

“He sure has confidence!” Thought out loud the apprentice, having second thoughts about this mission. Both Sith warriors switched on their lightsabers. A few seconds later, the waterfall that had formed at the doorway of the shuttle because of the rain, evaporated from the exposure to the scorching red blade of pure energy. A hulking Sith sped his way to the two Sith warriors, drawing on the brutality and anger the force gave him, the single Sith made an acrobatic leap and tried to land a deathly blow on both of his opponents. A projectile of darkness stopped him short. To prevent falling flat on the ground, he channeled the force and levitated above ground level for a few seconds, before releasing a massive wave of force energy.

The two warriors shielded themselves from the wave, however the Sith master was quicker to recover and sprinted his way to their opponent Sith lord. Their red blades exchanged blows at an impressive speed. Unfortunately for him, their enemy channeled his hatred to produce tremendous impacts, which left the Sith master on the defensive. Losing control, the Sith master decided he had had enough of close quarters combat, and paced back, expecting to receive the protection of his apprentice’s darkness wall.

All he received was a saber strike to the back. He landed flat on the ground, as his former apprentice watched for some seconds and then looked to his former enemy. The apprentice kneeled; he had found a new master.

“…So it is darkness… you seep potential, your new name is Darth Erebos.” Was all the Sith lord replied. He had finally replaced his former master.

Jedi Master Alex Koji. I regret to inform you that your travels are unneeded. The rumors that I am beginning a galactic conquest are just that, rumors. The Jedi Council have nothing to worry over, and I will contact the Senate immediately to explain everything. Thank you for your time and patience.

Valt Narsey

That was the last message Alex received from the planet Valzsi. All other attempts at communications were useless, which raised the Jedi's suspicions. He and his padawan, along with two other Jedi, were on their way to the planet as ambassadors of the Senate to sort out, as the letter had stated, rumors about a possible conquest. However, Alex wasn't about to back out of an assignment simply because of an apology and explanation. No, something wasn't right with this whole ordeal. He could feel it; a rift in the force. It only grew as they neared the planet. "Sith.." He mumbled under his breath. It was a weak feeling, but familiar to the Jedi. He's had the unlucky pleasures of coming face to face with a Sith in the past. Something he regrets ever doing to this day. That pattern in the force, the tension and hatred that engulfed his senses. There was no mistake; a Sith lord was present on that world. "Thomas, keep your guard up during this mission. I sense a disturbance in the force. Someone is trying to manipulate the Order into believing all is as it seems..."

Thomas was gazing out into hyper space with a data-pad in his hand with planet Valzsi's ecosystem breakup and planet wild life. As he heard his masters remark and looked up as he felt the rift that his master felt the void and gap that was consuming like a black hole. "I feel it to, what is it?" Thomas asked as he gazed at one of the predetors on the planets surface. he hadn't trimmed his hair in a few weeks letting it grow shaggy again. as his apearence begane to reflect his demeanor once again. Thomas then smiled and looked at his master "They should be the ones to put their gaurd up after all there is no way they can be prepared for us whoever they are." Thomas then crawled out of the chair letting his feet touch the metal hull of the ship his boots sitting neatly next to the chair as he moved to stand next to Alex. He owed the man a great deal he had had faith in Thomas when all the others had given up hope. and if nothing else that deserved Thomas's loyalty.

Sam was sitting outside a rather shady bar on Nar Shaddaa waiting for one man in particular. His name was Falupe but people called him the Ringmaster. He controlled a very large illegal trades system throughout the galaxy. Unfortunately the Hut took notice and decided he, and his trade system, should be silenced. So here Sam sat with his blasters cocked and his Phrik sword at the ready. He finally saw him and in a flash he was running towards him. When he finally got there he said "The Hutt say hello." and then stabbed him in the gut with his sword. Just that easy. He then ran before anyone had noticed the now dead body. By time he heard screams he was already at his ship getting the great deal of money the Hutt had promised him.

He hyper jumped back to Tatooine, his current home planet, and was surprised to see his sister's servant, Ne'Haila, standing outside his apartment. She walked to him and said "The war lord King Valt has sent me as a warning. Your sister is dead. Investigate any further and you will be to." She then walked down the street and Sam lost her in the crowd. He stood for about two more minuets and then ran back to his ship and immediately set off for Valzsi.

A hooded silhouette walked through the halls of the Valzian's palace. In front of him, two royal guardsmen bowed "My lord. We are sorry, but his majesty is terribly busy, he will not be able to meet you." Darth Erebos stood where he was and meditated on his next course of action for a few seconds. These soldiers were most likely expendable for the king. They were standing too close, they would not be missed. Rapidly levitating his lightsaber to his hand, he did a quick draw. The red blade cut through the defenders like a knife on butter. He chuckled, he had observed his former master do that on various occasions, although his master would have preferred to eradicate them with a saber throw, a technique Darth Erebos had not mastered yet. Brushing the thought aside he carried on to the royal chamber.

"You really need to improve your security. Your majesty." Said the consecrated Sith Knight. Stepping into the royal throne room.
"I have contacted the senate, they have been unresponsive. I regret to see their blind trust in the Jedi Counsil, and their lack of subtlety." The monarch did not appear to be distressed at all.
"So... is that a declaration of war? Your majesty?"
"No, it is a declaration of their incompetence to conceal their plans. And to think the galaxy must suffer them." The monarch continued "They are sending in ambassadors. I will have them be deceived."
Darth Erebos was starting to get uneasy
"Ambassadors?"
"Jedi." The king spat the word.
"They must not land at any cost! If they do, our entire operation will be compromised. My master will not stand for that, you must have them removed!"
"Oh? Then perhaps your master will be 'kind' enough to let me handle my politics alone. I have no intention on confronting Jedi Knights." The monarch was not pleased by the intermission of his Sith allies.
"...So be it then." The Sith bit his lip in anger.
"The Jedi will not be a threat to us, as long as they do not begin investigating our previous actions." The king frowned, something he said reminded him of trouble. It was not frequent to see the king distressed.
Darth Erebos crossed his arms "... Is this about the Bounty Hunter? I keep telling you, that blasted bandit is a menace, if he reaches either the Jedi or you we will be in trouble." He put his arms down and turned around, ready to walk away.
"I'll cut that loose end myself. I will need a squadron of your best men to cover for me, he will trouble us no further." Darth Erebos began to strut out of the throne room.
"Excuse me. But how will you find the Bounty Hunter." The King was puzzled.
"I can sense his presence, he is already here. And about the Jedi, keep them distracted while I deal with this hunter. Then I will cut them off next." Darth Erebos was now exiting the room.
"I will not allow this to come to that, I told you already."
The Sith Knight chuckled "Believe me your majesty, it will come to that." emphasizing the word 'will' to see if it got through the King, the Sith Knight walked away.

"I feel it to, what is it?" Alex shook his head, gazing off at nothing in particular. "I'm not too sure. But whatever it is, it's force sensitive, I'm sure of it..Pilot. How much longer." Not much longer now Sir, we're entering the planet's atmosphere and will be landing soon. The Jedi nodded, adjusting his cloak a bit. "Remember Thomas. Keep a clear mind. Don't get too overconfident, and try to be somewhat respectful to the king." He laughed.

Their YG-4210 transport ship flew above the largest city on the planet; Valt, named after the king. It was here that the king's palace resided. It was, by far, the largest building in the city. There were others that matched it's height, but were nothing compared to the decor and architecture that made the palace stand out rather brilliantly. The Jedi stepped off his vessel onto a landing strip that was directly connected to the docking bay. From there, they would have to take a short walk to reach the inner walls of the king's private chambers. The design and layout of the building was confusing, to say the least. Rooms that had no real purpose were attached to other, larger rooms. Elevators and air lifts positioned in odd places. Alex skimmed over the schematics of the palace as he walked down the air strip with his padawan next to him.

The two were greeted by a protocol droid. It was a little run down, but seemed to be in perfect condition despite it's appearance. Greetings Master Jedi. I am to take you to the Ambassador's hall, which you may use as a quarters of sorts during your stay on Valzsi. "That's not neccesary. This will be a short trip. We wish to speak to the king, where is the throne room." I apologize, but the king has fallen ill, and refuses to see anyone at this time. Please, follow me. Alex came to a stop, waiting for the droid to walk farther ahead. "Something seems off about this, doesn't it?" He whispered to Thomas, his gaze fixated on the droid. "If he's ill, why let us stay? And why send a droid, and not one of his officials." Alex had a general idea of why, but he was testing his padawan, which he did relatively often.

Sam sat in his ship on the west side of Valt. His ship was relatively small, only big enough for one man, but it was packed with the best defensive system money could buy and it's gun systems were amazingly high tech. He sat in it thinking. If he went in hot, by himself, he could probably take the king out at the expense of his own life. Which COULD end the war...... or the Sith could put a new king in his place and he would achieve nothing. He currently had over eighteen people spreading rumors of seeing him at 3 pubs, 6 churches, and 9 houses. If any normal person looked for him they would have a difficult time. But the Sith would not. People like Sam were hard to come by. Not many had killed over 200 men personally. They could probably sense him several miles away. He finally decided to get moving and go see what he could hear around town. He grabbed both his phrik swords (One on his back and one on a side scabbard), his three blasters (two in shoulder holsters and one on his ankle), and his trench coat (which held countless vibro blades and even more inner pockets for holding things he found). He put it all on and walked out his ship. He saw the Republic craft heading towards the palace and he took note of it. He then started off in the opposite direction from the city. He had an old freind that he wanted to visit.

Thomas listened to the conversation as they walked through the hall he was trying his best not to be disrespectful. "Something seems off about this, doesn't it?" and then asked Thomas "If he's ill, why let us stay? And why send a droid, and not one of his officials." Thomas smiled at the question, and answered. "Well if he is truly sick perhaps he was doing it as a sign of hospitality however in this instance id say its because he feels like he cant let us leave now that we are already hear. hes afraid we have seen something and wants to keep us here. as for sending the droid he is lying if he would have sent one of his officials they would have perhaps given away this secret through body language and can be more easily manipulated by a smooth talker where as a droid is much less vulnerable to these types of interrogation." Thomas concluded then looked down at his feet contemplating taking the boots off, shoes and boots never did settle well with him if they wernt in the palace and if he was sure Alex wouldent have disproved he would have already taken them off.

Thomas ran a hand through his hair moving it away from his eyes as he glanced around the palace seintiant life was teh only life that ever sought to elevate themselves so high it was one thing he had always appreciated about the animals.

Eien stood on the barren plains of Korriban, the engine from the ship blowing the dist across the ruins of the ancient Sith world. It was hard for him to center himself there, the loss of life throughout the ages echoing still. Recent activity on the planet had the Council worried. It took weeks to finally track him down, but he got the message loud and clear. This was a place all jedi must eventually go, and it is where he has brought his newest apprentice. The activity was likely just explorers who wouldn't know any better, nothing worth actually troubling over. Once they were finished here they were to go to Valszi and rendezvous with Master Koji. Eien had decided to make this place the final test for his apprentice. He turned back toward the ship staring at hi young apprentice with an evil-looking smirk on his face.

"Leon, this place will be your final test. This place is the birth place of the Sith. . . and its graveyard. The dark side engulfs this place. The fact that you are able to stand and breath steadily is already enough to pass for many in the order. To be a jedi on the Outer Rim is about survival. There are many places where the force runs so deep that those who feel it cannot even stand stepping on the surface. Then there are places where all you feel is a distant echo. More jedi fall here, than anywhere else in this Galaxy, well except for one place." Eien bent down and picked up the sand from the ground, holding it out. "Where you walk now is where Ajunta Pall once walked. Marka Ragnos, Naga Shadow, Tulak Horde, these men fell here. The reason I tell you this is so you might understand. The only way to resist and defeat the dark side is to accept that it will always be there and that you, we, must always be there to meet it with unwavering conviction." The sand blew from Eien's hand, the whispers of the tombs echoing his words. It was a place that didn't welcome them. Eien smiled and turned back toward the plain. "So shall we start?"

Alex smirked at apprentice's answer. He knew Thomas would come up with something rather quickly. It was one of the things he admired about the padawan. By now, the droid had stopped, and was waiting for them over by a shuttle. The Jedi had two choices laid out in front of them. They could accompany the droid and play along with the king for the time being. Or, they could sneak off and investigate the strange issues that clouded this place. Alex knew Thomas would rather sneak off then stay locked up in a room. But the real reason why Alex motioned for his apprentice to follow him in the opposite way of the droid was because of a sudden surge in the force. It was dark, and manifested with hatred; and it close. Very close. So, a Sith lord has made his home on Valzsir..I'll have to inform the Council about this.

He withdrew the comlink he kept in one of the pockets on his belt. Thanks to the ships satellite, he was able to get a muffled message to the Jedi Council. He wasn't expecting a response, it was merely a report of sorts.

We ha-......-anet as instructed. The ki-.....ill and sent a dro-.....was to take us to our quarters unt-.....ing was healthy enou-.......instead...chosen to pursue a lea-......ity. I feel the Sith ha-.....is planet as we-....will try to sen-.......as soon as possib-

That's all we could make out from Master Koji's transmission. I heard Sith. If Koji is correct, then the Jedi's presence on Valzsir has become a necessity. Hm..Yes, I agree with you. We'll wait until he tries to contact us again. And once he does, we'll discuss further actions.

"Blasted thing!" Alex shoved his comlink back into the pocket. "Communications are down, and will most likely stay that way during our visit." He had walked down the air strip, past their transport vessel, and was walking down a flight of stairs that led to the lower portion of Valt city. Alex had already asked that the pilot of their ship head back to the Temple, making it appear as if the Jedi had left. "For now, we'll have to stick to the lower city. If the king's men were to see us on the upper levels, it would raise suspicion. We're going to have to move fast if we are to figure out what's truly going on. Be ready at all times Thomas, and don't forget. The only ones who know of our trip here are the king and you and I. Let's try and keep it that way."

Darth Erebos steeled himself, the hunt for this bounty hunter was more than likely to be toughest fight of his life. Now walking on the streets of Valzsi, he noticed they were unnecessarily complex, were it not for the seven royal commandos guiding him they never would have left the clusters of elaborated buildings.

“My lord?”
“What is it soldier?”
“We have several agents working on pinpointing the location of the Bounty Hunter. Sam. He has been spotted in multiple parts in the city, according to some of the witnesses. It will be a long search my lord.
“I don’t have time to trek around the city. Do as I say, and do not question why.”
“Understood.”

The Sith Knight could sense an energy much similar to what the Dark Side was like, anger, raw power and arrogance; but it was like a phantom, difficult to see, disguised by… void, mystery and a quiet but pervasive presence only predators could exude. He knew all to well that even one mistake could turn him from hunter to hunted. The seven soldiers he brought with him would more than likely cover for him, but was that enough, what if he could go near the bounty hunter, he would be a sitting duck for the predator to claim his life. He envisioned a plan, that might have just worked. The presence was perfectly concealed, even if he could almost sense the death souls of his victims surrounding the city, he would have been impossible to exactly detect. He could sense him, distant, somewhere, his presence was strong but hard to exactly see.

Then he sensed it, a murderous rage, desire for revenge, personal revenge. It was like a light on the dark to the Sith who was all too familiar with that emotion, determined he set way with his seven commandos to the place of this Hunter.

Hearing the sound of his communicator, he extended his hand and displayed a hologram of King Valt.
“The Senators and the Council have dispatched a team of two Jedi Knights, two!” The King was not pleased.
“They have come to murder you, your majesty. I am tracking the Bounty Hunter, but as soon as I am done with him, I will lead your armies on a massive assault against the Jedi, overwhelming numbers is something no warrior can withstand. Which is why I brought your seven finest men with me on our hunt, no one can stop your forces so long as I lead them!”
“Your plan is worthy of a Sith, but not enough for a King, I am afraid. If you throw my military might at them, the Galactic Order won’t take long to respond will a full scale war, we would lose the element of surprise.”
“What do you suggest?”

“I have been clever not to send any of my officials at the Jedi Masters, I have heard nasty things about the Jedi interrogation methods, it is said they can hypnotize people into telling them their secrets.”
“True, but you still haven’t answered my question. What about the Jedi, we can’t have them snoop around!”
“I have given this some thought… the Senate can only suspect, if for some reason the position of the Galactic Order were put in jeopardy, they would have to sever this mission at once. Also making them resentful and suspicious at the Jedi Order.”
“I am not sure I follow, but go on.”
“I have arranged a deal with a Hutt, he is using corrupt officials from the Galactic Order to send orders to a small military vessel nearby. In some minutes, we will be attacked by a handful of the Order’s forces. The soldiers will believe the orders come from the Jedi Council, of course they will not. When I capture the survivors, they will announce the ‘Jedi Order’s intervention’ in their military operation back to the Order. I will use this as the ultimate excuse to turn the Galactic Order against every single Jedi. Then, we will begin our expansion while they battle one another.”

“So… what of the Jedi? How do you plan to kill them? If they break your defenses, you will be taken hostage. Be mindful, their code restricts them from killing you, but they will sentence you to something worse should you be captured, a lifetime of seclusion under their prisons!”
“That’s where you come in. As you previously purposed, take my elites and have them gun down the Bounty Hunter with your full assistance. When that is over with, disband my elite forces, and take my armies to the palace, secure me and crush both the Order's soldiers and the Jedi Masters at once! My soldiers have already been informed that you are now supreme general, don’t disappoint me, general.”

The Sith Knight was hyped by the thought of having full control of the armies. With that influence even his master would eventually fall. He had to be patient though, for now he needed both the King and his fellow Sith Lord.

“This will be a glorious day your Majesty! This is the day our enemies will taste the full power of the dark side!” The Sith general cheered.

“One more thing…”
“What is it, your Majesty?”
“If the Bounty Hunter escapes, the Galactic Order will be the last of our concerns. That man has almost killed me more than once; I cannot allow him to succeed, obviously. It is of the utmost importance that he dies today, otherwise I don’t see how our enterprise could go on. Not while I have to watch my back.”
“Don’t worry your Highness, both the Jedi forces and this Bounty Hunter will never see a new day.”

Darth Erebos bowed his head and shut down the comm. It came to life again; this time it was a droid “My lord! We have lost all trace of the Jedi!”
“What?!”
“They are gone.”
“I will deal with your failure later, scramble the forces to the city, I want every street to be checked!”
“Should I alert the King?”
“No, not for now at least. He will only get in my way, and besides, I am looking forward to spilling the blood of these Knights as well! When you find them, wound them, but do not kill them, I will do it myself to claim the glory!”
"But my lord! They have left the planet."
Darth Erebos could sense a scorching presence, a concentration of light as strong as the sun, dissipating the angst and darkness present in the city, like a fire burning through a candle. Their presence was hurting him, eroding his strength, they were close... these two Knights were still planetbound. This last thought made him draw strength from his rage, but soon another thought made him even stronger, betrayal.
He shut down his comm. He could feel the darkness flowing through him, if all his enemies died this day, there would be nothing to stop him from murdering the King, and using his forces to kill his former master. He felt as if destiny was flowing through his veins, strength, anger, deception, power… he was stronger than before.

Thomas followed closely behind his master they were starting to move into one of his favorite child hood games hide and seek. "Perhaps we should change?" Thomas suggested hopefully since the robes tended to be more of a dead giveaway to who they were. Valasi still supported some of the more modest and simple clothing designs that Thomas tended to favor compared to what most senate officials sported and formal robes in the core. ahh the lower parts of the city this excited Thomas this is where truly curious things of life where hidden. he had taken painfully to civilized life but nothing fascinated him more than the underbelly of civilization it fascinated him and it is also where he tended to get in to trouble. he was always quick to want to see everything and experience it as well. If Thomas had a weakness his curiosity surly would have been it. "if communications are down and we are all by ourselves then dosent that make us operating outside the senate order master ?" Thomas asked already hopping he knew the answer. as they finally boarded a grav lift that would take them to the lower parts of the city Thomas paused and finally removed his boots and tied the laces together and slung them over his shoulder. and waited for reproach, fact was he couldn't stand them any longer especially if they were going to be walking around all day.

"if communications are down and we are all by ourselves then dosent that make us operating outside the senate order master ?" The Jedi thought about this for a brief moment. It was true, they were going farther then the Senate had instructed.. "Yes and no. It's true the Senate only wishes for a peaceful solution, but it appears the king has different plans in mind. But that's beside the point. We don't answer to the Senate, we answer to the Jedi Council.." He paused mid way, thinking over whether or not to disclose the fact that a Sith lord was present on the planet. Thomas wasn't lacking in the force, and no doubt had already felt the Dark Jedi, so it would seem foolish to keep the information secret. "..There's a Sith on Valzsi. I've felt his presence, as I'm sure you have as well. We cannot allow him to continue on whatever road he's taking. It could prove fatal. And since we are Jedi, the defenders of peace, it is our duty to rid the galaxy of this dark being."

Alex exited the gravity lift, and walked briskly through the dimly lit streets. The lower city of Valt. It reminded Alex of a sewer more than a living place. Different races once littered the roads, but vanished, no doubt fearing the Jedi's presence. "Perhaps we should change?" "Agreed. But, where to find some suitable clothing.." Alex's gaze caught sight of a dumpster lining with abandoned clothes left behind by the upper city's population. It didn't take him to long to find a set of clothes that fitted him nicely. A black and gray battle suit that covered everything except his head and forearms. He could easily hide his lightsaber in one of the more bulky areas, and he even found a pair of military boots to go along with his new ensemble. Once he had changed, Alex looked around, taking in the structures and designs of the under city. "There should be a cantina near by. We'll see if we can gather some information on the issues at hand and go from there."

Thomas scrounged through the dumpster until he found some bland and simple cloths that wouldn't restrict his movement in any way. and a pair of sandals which he could remove as he wished. he transfer his utility belt over to the garment and found a absolutely filthy robe close to the bottom which he promptly threw on once he was convinced he looked bland and thoroughly poor Thomas looked to his master with a smile "I dont see why we cant travel like this all the time." Thomas was reflecting still on the confirmation of a sith on the planet this would complicate things. Thomas quickly checked his light saber and hooked it inside his robe to his utility belt. and pulled his hood up. "You know master as much as i hate to say it im starting to get a bad feeling about this mission." Thomas said slightly more serious however at the mention of a cantina Thomas smiled and thought thoughtfully to himself, I wounder if they play any interesting card games here....

Sam came upon the hut with almost no meaning to what so ever. He was looking for it, but it was an accident that he had found it! He pulled his blaster, old friends could become new enemies quick in his line of work, and entered slowly. As expected he found nothing but a cot and a bookshelf. Ignoring both he went opposite of the bed and touched a small panel in the wall. Instantly the floor slid out from under him and he fell five floors down. He landed lightly on his feet and walked down the hallway to the left. The one on the right surely held a quick and painless death. He came upon the main room and finally came upon the man he was looking for. He walked back into the hallway and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Skully! We have you surrounded come out with your hands up." He pulled his sword and waited. In less then a minuet a heavyset man came running past. He put out his sword at his neck and smiled like a fool. The man turned his head slowly and looked at him for a full minuet before he smiled as well. "Samy! How are ya?!" Sam put his sword away and pumped Skully's hand "Fine, fine Skully. How have your conspiracies gone?" Skully led him back into the main room, which Sam could now see was just a giant cave, "Wonderful. I've built a small chain of spies, I have an underground system underneath the entire city, and I have cameras set up all around the city!" Sam smiled and walked to the giant console "I knew I could trust you Skully!" He sat down in the chair and Skully sat next to him. "What happened to her Skully?" the unexpected question wiped the smile off his face. "She...... She approached the king. She was sure that he would listen to reason...... That he would give it up the second she confronted him.... but he didn't...... I'm sorry Sam..... She was so stubborn.... I couldn't stop her." Sam slapped him on the back "It's alright Skully. She wouldn't have listened to the Maker Himself..... There was nothing you can do." Sam smiled "Do you have anything else to report?" Skully looked at him with genuine relief. "There are two Sith on the planet. One is hunting for you this second. But don't worry I have a man on the inside for a little surprise. Also there are currently two Jedi wondering the city. The last that was seen of them they were going through a dumpster for clothes...... And that's about it!" Sam smiled again and stood up "Do ya have a map of the tunnels? I'd like to go exploring." Skully ruffled through a couple of his drawers and found a folded piece of yellow paper. "Be careful and God speed Sam." Sam walked out of the room and waved "Always am Skully, always am!"

Darth Erebos strut vigorously through the upper levels of Valzsi, with unwavering resolve he pressed on to find the Bounty Hunter. He was determined to succeed.

"This seven commandos I brought with me should be more than enough, the Kingdom's finest according to Valt." He whispered to himself, to boost his own confidence.

The sun was setting down, so the upper level of Valt was beautifully decorated with an orange hue to contrast it's numerous plants and colossal tan buildings. The commoners of Valt carried about their business, being careful not to stand too close to the Sith and his military escort of seven men. For some reason, they were more conformable around a Sith than a Jedi, most likely because of the propaganda King Valt had released for his subjects; the Jedi were oppressors and the Sith their liberators. After rapidly walking his way on long strides to the outer rings of the upper levels of Valt, he thought he had finally found the source of the avenging anger he had found. However, it vanished, as it somehow stopped after becoming increasingly thin throughout the streets.

Then he felt it, the light side had disappeared his trace, almost as if the Bounty Hunter had purposely controlled his emotions to cut the trace. Darth Erebos knew better than that though, he believed Bounty Hunter had eventually calmed his anger, almost as if he were guided by more than revenge... a cause, or rather, a belief. With his trace dead, he had no choice but to stop on his tracks, and look to the sky. The king would not be pleased, they had lost the trace of both their enemies.
Thankfully he had already scrambled the military to spread throughout the many levels in the city, they would not have it easy to survive.

"I dont see why we cant travel like this all the time." Alex laughed a bit and shook his head. "Only you would enjoy something like this Thomas." Once the two were changed, the Jedi walked off down the road, letting the force guide him to the cantina. He could sense it close by. The mixture of lust, anger, pleasure, disgust, enjoyment, pain, victory. But something suddenly caused him to grab a hold of Thomas' shoulder and pull him off into a darkened alley. A small team of palace guards walked through the street, right past their hiding place. "Damn it all! It appears the king didn't buy our little diversion." He whispered, nodding down the alley. It would be better to stick to the shadows until nightfall. "You know master as much as i hate to say it im starting to get a bad feeling about this mission."

"So am I. The Council said they'd be sending a second team of Jedi later on. I hope they arrive soon.. " It didn't take long before a wall blocked their path. But to a Jedi, it was just a small obstacle. Alex jumped, being lifted higher by the force, and landed silently on the opposite side.

Thomas looked at the wall. he could use the force or he could just jump the wall he chose the latter of course. Thomas took three steps fowaard jumping first twords the corner and pushing off of it twoards the middle of the wall then pusshed up with his left foot giving him another few feet of lift as his hands touched the ledge and flung himself over exerting a little of the force to aid him in gaining just a few extra inches of height. Thomas landed with a soft thud as he tucked into a roll and stood up. Thomas knew they needed to get off the streets and other wise the guards would surly find them. as they passed a sewer Thomas motioned to it. "perhaps a place to crash until nightfall is entirely upon us master?" Thomas suggested although thomas was more than content on the streets, he new there would be some seedy vendors on the streets here and he was intrested to see what gimmicks they had for sale.

Darth Erebos sauntered above the streets of Valt. Arms crossed, looking concerned. It was notorious that he was not amused with the resent change of events, their enemies had banished into the mazes of the Valtian lower levels.
He finally took out his communicator and contacted the monarch, his hologram appeared on his hand.
"I traced the Bounty Hunter as far as I could, but his trail died eventually, we've lost him."
"Indeed... truth be told, I never did have faith that you would successfully capture him by wandering around my city. I believe the important fact is that he still remains within my planet, but I am afraid we lost the Jedi Masters, my starport informed me, that they departed back to the temple. Without them, our ruse of the Galactic Order's forces attacking us will never be convincing enough to mobilize the senate... They are already on route, target practice for my forces. But now, we have another plight. Without the Jedi Masters' evidence of presence, the senate will try to determine the source of the military orders more thoroughly. Before the Hutt who sent them is exposed, I need you assassinate him, dead Hutts tell no tales.
If anything, this means the Jedi Order backed down on their suspicions. Again, so long as that Hutt dies and the Bounty Hunter stays here, we shall be fine."

Darth Erebos starting to pace around. Red light glimmering through his body. He was channeling the dark side for a respite; a cold, conformable and smooth anger bathed him; emitting the red hue.
"Ah! A pity that is not necessary, I was looking forward to gutting that Hutt."
"What do you mean? Please clarify."
"The Jedi Knights are still present on the planet. I am sure of this, I have sensed it- I sense them still... but their exact location is impossible to ascertain."
"..."

"I know our situation is precarious- complicated, to say the least. But, so long as we can capture the Jedi before the Order's troopers arrive, we might be able to pull our scam off." The Sith assured.
"Yes, the soldiers tipped to us by the Hutt will make the perfect disguise for a Jedi Order's military operation... very well, I give you leave to act as you see fit."
"I can no longer act lawfully and hope to find the rogue fugitives."
"When did you ever act lawfully, you murdered two of my guardsmen back on the royal chambers..." The kind said mildly irritated.
"I'll take that as a yes then."

"I will place the planet under a blockade, my navy will prevent any republic capital ship to even approach our space. I will spread them far enough, so that the Galactic Order's trooper vessel be able to land without much trouble." These words caused distress to Darth Erebos.
"That leaves us open for more Jedi arrivals... I can not guarantee that will end well, sire."
"Be at ease, I've bought Dark Jedi from your master, they may not be as skilled at you, or influential... but their fighting skills are well suited for mercenaries."
"Those warriors don't know anything about the dark side! They merely seek to get spoils and money using their force sensitivity and lightsaber combat, but then again if that is what you wish." the Sith stressed the word anything in anger.
"It is. As for you... do whatever is required, anything, just give me the blood of the Jedi and the assassin, I will keep a tight guard to prevent the killer from reaching me."
"Good idea, that Bounty Hunter has quite a reputation on infiltration, you'd be strong to keep a hefty guard of loyal soldiers." this time, Darth Erebos emphasized his tone when saying 'loyal', it was a must that these people were not fake or corruptible.
"Very well then, I shall have that arranged... although if my two guardsmen were still alive that might be a little easier!..." The king put two of his fingers on his nose, as if to relieve some stress, he sighed and then continued "Nevermind, dismissed."

With that, Valt cut the transmission.
Darth Erebos sauntered his way into a turbolift, there was a certain Hutt he wanted to visit in the lower city. Maybe even work for him in disguise. His networks would be a must if he were to find the fugitives in hiding.
Looking back, he dismissed his commandos, but one of them lingered. Standing still and turning back entirely Erebos stared at the man.
That man happened to be the leader of the squadron, he barked an order "Blast him!" A man named Skully somehow had turned this soldier against his former masters, he was an inside man. Darth Erebos quickly switched on his lightsaber, soon after the crowd began screaming and running away from the battle that would ensue.

"Yes, Master. But isn't the Dark side created deep within the heart." Leon looked toward his master. Then followed behind him looking around, hearing the echo's of the once was. The plante itself was a desert world were the dark jedi's come to seem if they was worthy of what they are. If they are welcomed to be a Dark Jedi. But Leon knew of this, he knew how the Jedi was created, and how the dark jedi's was made. Deep in there heart they wanted power, power to Kill anyone that came in front of them. But that was the simplest verion of the story. Jedi, dark Jedi's, one was made to keep order on the plante, and the other was created to destroy.

Leon thought about this, and knew that. He was alive for one thing, to keep the peace in the Gallaxy. "Master how will I know?" Leon asked. "About these dark jedi's are they as powerful as they say.?" Leon still hearing, and seeing the dust blow arounding him making his cloak flap, as the gust of wind blow. The red sand would hit the side of the Cloak making a sound, but Leon could hear the Echo's. The Echo's was screams, of rage, and anger. "So I must stay Calm in order to now be a Dark jedi, rage will kill me, Anger will Control me. Is this why they tell us to stay calm.?"

Sam had made a quick detour to the local Hutt and made a quick deal with him. He would kill anyman who came looking for him and Sam would allow a man of the Hutt's choosing to take the King's place. That's how good Sam was. When he told people he was going to topple a king they actually believed he could do it! He walked the filthy streets, attracting almost no attention, in the shadows. He then heard screaming coming from his left and saw a crowd running from something. He walked around the wave and towards the small circle of people that had braved the danger to see the fight that was sure to break out. On one side was a single man with a red saber. On the other side stood seven men read to open fire on the man. Remembering what Skully had said about a man on the inside Sam supposed the man in the middle was this mole. Sam walked to the crowd and stood safely behind a rather large Yaka (OOC: that's a cyborg species) who looked very menacing. He drew his blasters and set them both to kill to be safe. He then waited for the action for the action to start.

"Leon. It is easy to fall. It is far more difficult to admit it. The reason we come here is because of how the hollows enter you at this very moment. A voice inside your head saying, 'power. Give me more power'. As a Jedi, it is you duty to not ignore this voice, but to crush it." Eien lead Leon to a tomb, dusting away the dirt to reveal the Sith engravings on it. "It is hard to say. Personally, I believe the Jedi and Sith now are mere children before those of Old. I do know this, however, that regardless of how strong the enemy... the Jedi must face them. Which is why we are here." Eien turned back to Leon as the tomb door opened behind him. "This is the tomb of Naga Sadow. Following the Jedi Civil War 5,000 years ago, the mask of Darth Nihilus was brought here by his former apprentice. I know this because my Master once brought me here. Your test will be to bring the mask out here and destroy it."

Eien sat down and closed his eyes. "Be careful, Leon. The man might be dead, but his hunger still exists through the force. It will try to stop you, and it will try to call to you. Only if you are able to destroy that artifact of the dark side can you venture with me to Velszi. If you are unable to destroy it..." Eien looked up at him and sighed. "Well, really try to destroy it."

Darth Erebos was not expecting this betrayal, the Dark Side was not always the finest at revealing detailed schemes or those involving complex emotions, however, it was prime to cloud the mind of opponents. Darth Erebos raised his lightsaber up in the air, stretching his arms as a curtain of shadows enveloped his body. The leader of the commandos opened full automatic fire on Darth Erebos, who created a shield of darkness around his free left hand. The other commandos were hesitant and did not act immediately, even though they were aiming at Erebos. The commando shot his power pack empty on his outburst, having drained the energy with his shadow shield, Erebos then shot his shield with all the power he could command at the commandos, the projectile impacted three of them killing only one of the assailants; who burned on black fire as his body slowly turned to dark smoke. Instantly the remaining six commandos, including the two wounded, opened fire on the Sith Lord. Not having summoned another shield, Darth Erebos cursed and jumped to the side, to where the crowd stood watching.

The commandos instantly stopped firing, and scram "Leave! Everyone go! In the name of the King, get out of this combat zone!" Some of the commoners ran off, sprinting their way outwards. Dazzled from the unexpected jump, Darth Erebos lost track of his attackers, all he could see was a commando aimlessly running around through the scattered mob, who scram and scrambled through the street. He was lying face down on the muddy street, he propelled himself forward with his arms and legs, thrusting his scorching red blade into the gut of the commando, however the attack was unstable and he almost lost his balance, confused and trying to regain his stance, he received a blaster bolt to the head. The impact would have certainly killed him were it not for his curtain of shadows, which absorbed most of the impact and heat, but still he had his face burnt by the blast. Tapping into the excruciating pain he channeled it using the force and released it as a blast of red light, crippling the commando who shot him, the man agonized and died consumed by darkness soon after. The commando's shriek of pain called the attention of the remaining three, who restrained from shooting him, in fear of harming the terrified crowd.

"Don't fight like a coward!" Yelled one of the remaining commandos.

Darth Erebos was blinded sheer pain, barely standing straight, he summoned whatever concentration he could muster, and released a projectile of darkness into a post of light, making it impact the ground. The commando captain was crushed and shocked to death by the light-post. The other two, were severely disoriented, Darth Erebos had a choice to make.

The only way to take out the remaining combatants was to blast them with the dark side, but doing so would surely harm the disoriented people around them. He hesitated- he could have usually directed his blast with decent accuracy, but the pain wouldn't permit him to either control the intensity of his blast or to direct it correctly. He was not going to enjoy this, he mindlessly put both his arms in front of him, pushing the force with all the might he could summon. As soon as he had made up his mind, he felt stronger in the force, extreme heat of guilt ran through his veins. Screaming as hard as he could, he expelled all of his crossed emotions through his fingertips. He was shocked when he saw what was emerging from the tip of his fingers- force lightning. The two men and five commoners were scorched in the process. He shut his eyes in both pain and guilt, but then he felt it, strength overwhelmed him, strength and pride, he had summoned lightning. Realizing that, he laughed out loud, their lives were insignificant next to his achievement, the dark side rushed through him and made him feel stronger than ever, he channeled the red glow emerging from his body and used it to summon paranormal stamina, and the pain was no more. "Now I truly am worthy of being a Sith!"

Alex looked over to the sewer. "Hm. That might work. Although, I wish the smell was a bit weaker." He laughed, walking over to it. He stopped himself though, and with a quick flick of the wrist a blur of blue light snapped to life. A sudden surge of the dark side tore through the Jedi, causing him to lose himself for a moment. The random outburst startled the locals to the point of terror, which didn't help the two Jedi. It didn't take long for a group of them to find blasters and vibro-blades, all eying the Jedi with a murderous look. "Blast! This is the last thing I wanted to happen! Thomas! Remember to not harm the civilians. Scare them off!" Alex extended his free hand, the force flowing through his veins and exerting itself as a strong shove that knocked a handful of the attackers off their feet. Without second guessing themselves, the terrorized people opened fire. It was quite easy for Alex to dodge the blaster bolts, but this set back was costing them time. Not only that, but if they remained out in the open like this, the royal guards would surely find them. A stray bullet bounced off of Alex's blue saber, ricocheting back into the mess of enforcers, and hit one of them in the arm. It's not very civil, but for now it will have to do..

As the blaster fire opened up on the two Thomas's saber flew into his hands and ignited the blade runing up the back side of his arm as he began to skillfully deflect the incoming blaster fire. Restraint Thomas thought to himself as Thomas took both his hands and summoned the force to throw anything lose on the ground at their assailants like a modified grapeshot. The derbies smashed into the mob, Thomas taking the slight pause in blaster fire inverted his saber stance and began to cut into the sewer grate. "Doesn't look like we have much of a choice now! looks like either we are going in or they are but This isn't a good situation to be in right now when we are trying to make friends!" Thomas yelled over the blaster fire adding a bit of sarcasm to the last bit as he sliced the grate off and went back to intercepting blaster bolts his stance flowing back into its previous form. Thomas excelled in using the force to manipulate objects however he tended to let it get carried away and with these being civilians he was scared to attempt to dao anything more. he could probably move a dumpster toward the crowd, but that would prove problematic.