First Piece of the Puzzle

[Darth Skuldren]

The dizzying swirls of hyperspace dissipated into the endless white lines of stars, then shrunk back into distant specks of light. One planet swelled in the cabin's viewport.

The planet Dromund Kaas.

It was one of three planets in the Dromund System, and the only inhabitable one. Most of its surface was covered by swamps and oceans. There was a variety of wildlife on the planet that included even the rare ysalamiri as well as mailocs (wasp like creatures), vornskrs, swamp wampas, water cycs (jellfish like creatures who lived in water), and dianogas. Plus there was the notorious dart flowers that were scattered along the surface. The nasty little things would shoot poison thorns and passing victims as a defense mechanism.

Long ago the planet was a part of the Old Sith Empire, and as such it held outposts and Sith facilities. However the only thing that remained from that ancient time was the Dark Force Temple. Built in 5000 BBY after the Great Hyperspace War it was the focal point of a powerful dark side nexus.

Darth Skuldren knew of the temple, though he had never visited it. Yet he had a feeling, no, he knew that one of the pieces to the machine rested within the walls of the temple. Perhaps deep in its dungeons.

"There it is people. Dromund Kaas. There should be a temple on the surface. We'll land near it or on it if we can. What we're looking for should be in the temple."

[Aaryn Kane]

Aaryn didn't like the planet. It felt as if there was a darkness eminating from the planet itself, warning them not to land. That, and the fact that Aaryn had a fear of mailocs from when he was very young. Even now, as an adult, Aaryn could not bring himself to even confront one. They were small and minor, but they were one of the very few things that actually scared him.

Aaryn opened himself to the force as the ship set down on this force-forsaken planet. As the hatch opened, a mailocs flew in to attack the group. Alena tried to fire her gun, but it just wouldn't. Skuldren's lightsaber sliced the animal in half. As strange as it seemed, guns did not work on this planet for some reason. Aaryn opened himself to the force, yet again. Not surprisingly, the largest concentration of the darkside, which is where the temple probably was, was located in the middle of the swamp, completely surrounded by trees. It would be impossible to fly there. The group would have to treck out on foot. But, if this was a planet of the ancient Sith, what traps, devices, and creatures would be waiting for them?

[Darth Skuldren]

Skuldren put them down as close to the temple as he could, unfortunately the only clearing was 2 clicks away from the temple.

It was only fitting that their first few steps on the planet was met by a hostile greeting. At least the mailoc wasn't that difficult to kill. Skuldren managed to bisect it cleanly in two with his lightsaber.

"Well the temple is that way." He pointed toward the thick vegetation of the swampy jungle. "We'll have to walk our way to it. And take note that energy weapons, except for lightsabers, don't work too well here. The dark side nexus interferes with it."

He trudged off into the muck and mire of the swamp. He'd already changed out of his traditional black Sith cloak into some camouflaged fatigues. His combat boots sank down to their tops in the swampy stew they landed in. At least there was hard ground underneath.

"Might want to watch your step as well."

[Camie Jedan]

Camie looked around at this planet she feels the darkside energy and her whole back gets a shiver running down it. She shakes the chill away. "I don't like this place, there is something very dark here" Camie looks at Aaryn and then at the other two.

[Alena Tollen]

Alena looked around the landscape, "I agree with Camie there is just something not right about this place". "It feels strange like almost like a hunger" Alena adds.

[Darth Skuldren]

"That's the dark side nexus that you are feeling. The old Sith built a temple right on top of the focal point. The dark side runs very strongly on this planet. Very strongly."

They slowly made their way across the swampy terrain. Soggy islands of soil covered in thick carpets of moss sat between the shallow sea of muck and scum water. The air was thick with biting insects. Skuldren actually drew upon the Force to keep them at bay.

"Aaryn, watch your step." Skuldren pointed above him at what looked like a hanging tentacle dangling from a tree. "Those things have a nasty sting...and are surprisingly strong."

The thing in question was a carnivorous octopi that snared its prey with its long patient tentacle. The appendage was lined with a numbing poison, and the creature itself had a powerful beak for tearing and crunching its food.

[Aaryn Kane]

The rain had Aaryn's hair down to his eyes. Strangely, the rain made Camie look more...beautiful? Aaryn pushed his thoughts of her out of his head. "Skuldren," Aaryn said, "Maybe it is not a good idea having Camie and Alena come with us into the temple. Just because Alena's weapons won't work and I don't want the dark side corrupting my daughter before she is ever born." Aaryn couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his mouth. "Plus, we need someone to protect the ship."

[Camie Jedan]

Camie looks at Aaryn, "I am perfectly fine, I can shield our daughter from the darkside". She then looks at Alena who nods who also doesn't want to go back to the ship.

[Darth Skuldren]

Skuldren smiled as he heard their replies. He knew their answer before Aaryn even finished speaking. Those two are as stubborn headed as a Squib salesmen.

So they continued their dark journey through the foreboding swamps. Skuldren was able to keep away most of the predators they encountered without anyone else even noticing what he was doing. Here, so close to the Force nexus, his powers were exceedingly strong. He could feel all the living creatures as they watched them pass. He could also sway their minds to leave them alone.

And is was as such that they arrived at the dark temple without any incident. As they broke free of the last clump of boggy forest, they came to a clearing with the temple in its center.

"Behold, the Dark Temple." His words hung eerily in the silent air, only the faint sound of croaking frogs and buzzing insects could be heard.

The Temple was made of dark stone. It stood thirty meters into the air. Not very tall by galactic standards, but in this setting it was imposing enough, for it towered above the landscape.

Skuldren immediately began making his way forward, eager to enter the temple. His companions hesitated, but soon followed. The Sith Lord was surprised to feel the coldness of the temple's stone steps cutting through his thick boots as he climbed up to its entrance. It was an odd effect.

The power of the place must be great indeed. He noted to himself.

In fact it was far greater than he realized. Unlike the Sith homeworlds of Ziost and Korriban, Dromund Kaas did not draw its dark power from generations of long dead Sith. Instead, this planet was the source of a far older darkness. A great evil long dead and forgotten. When the old Sith discovered the planet, they quickly took advantage of its natural power with little regard of its true origin.

The result was that the Sith embraced a darkness which even they could not control.

And now they were about to discover this truth for themselves...

[Aaryn Kane]

"I have a bad feeling about this." Aaryn said as he started to walk forward. Suddenly, he was underwater, falling deeper into the darkness. He couldn't swim up; it felt as if something was pulling him down. Aaryn couldn't see and was rendered completely helpless. Thousands of thoughts were running through his mind. Was it a carnivorous octopi pulling him down? Would his death hurt? What would happen? But the most paramount thing was him screaming for help through the force and his fear.

[Darth Skuldren]

Skuldren whipped his head around as he heard a gush of wind ripping behind him. He jerked back to see a large sunken hole in the stone platform behind him at the top of the steps. He gazed down in the dark, bottomless looking pit.

Skuldren looked back up at the others without a word. Nothing fitting came to mind. There really wasn't anything they could do and part of him feared the worse. Whether the others realized it or not, Skuldren genuinely cared about Aaryn's fate. He was the key to this whole adventure.

Mustering his strength of resolve he spoke, "I didn't expect for there to be traps. Don't worry about Aaryn. He'll be all right. I suspect this wasn't meant to kill so much as to separate him from us." He looked longingly into Camie and Alena's faces. "We have to go on, it's the only way we'll find him."

He waited for them to nod or voice there agreement, then they could head on. He wondered if he would be able to avoid the traps ahead. Perhaps it was destined that they be separated.

[Camie Jedan]

"I'll be able to handle things just because I'm preganant doesn't mean I can't handle anything. " Camie looks at the two men. "Besides I'm a Jedi and I've been in a ton of combat situations" Camie states.

[Alena Tollen]

Alena looks at them and nods, "Yes you see we can go on". The two women walk ahead of the men.

[Darth Skuldren]

((OOC: Camie, just to note, Aaryn fell in some kind of pit, thus he's separated from us.))

Skuldren went first into the temple. There was an open doorway that led into a smooth surface hall of stone. It was a light colored stone that reflected enough luminance so they could see were they were going. Skuldren scanned the floor looking for any more pitfalls.

As his gaze lingered on the floor though, he's attention was distracted from the threat above. A massive tentacled plant struck down, grabbing him by the waste, and snatched him into a hidden alcove in the ceiling. Before he could even react, he was already separated from the others.

He looked around to regain his senses. There was light pouring in from natural, thin slitted skylights. Like the entrance hallway, this floor was also covered in a smooth, white grained stone.

The trap door panel that he'd come through wouldn't budge, not even with the Force. And the plant thing that had grabbed him had already scurried off.

Now he was on his own as well.

"Well if the temple wants to test us, so be it. Let's see what you've got." He challenged the unanswering stone walls.

His voice only echoed in their wake.

The room was large and open, but there was a doorway in the distance. Thus he headed for it.

[Aaryn Kane]

Aaryn knew that he could only hold his breath so long. What he didn't expect was to be thrown across the room and smash into a wall from the force of the water. As Aaryn stood up, he could see that he was in some sort of water channeling room, with all the water being drained back out into the swamp. Clever trap. Aaryn steadily walked around the round room, noticing all the weird statues. They appeared to be statues of jedi...or more likely Sith.

"Excuse me." Aaryn said sarcastically as he walked past one of the statues and towards the door. Then he heard a slamming sound and turned around. Everything seemed normal, but the statues appeared to be a little closer. "Aaryn, it's just your imagination." He turned back to the door, only to hear the sound once more. Aaryn jumped. The statues seemed even closer now.

"You are losing it, Aaryn. Those statues aren't moving." He chuckled, just as the closest statues activated a lightsaber in its hands and swung at Aaryn. He ducked, the blade slicing a thin piece of his hair. The other five or so statues in the room also activated lightsabers and started charging towards him. Aaryn used the force to push himself back. "Statues wielding lightsabers? What's next, they'll use the force?"

Aaryn regretted those words as soon as one of the statues used the force to slam Aaryn into the wall as the others approached him. Aaryn grabbed his lightsaber and activated it just as one of the statues brought its down. Aaryn delivered a punch to the statues face, which only hurt himself. "Damn." Aaryn said, retreating back. His hand hurt a lot, probably broke a bone or two in it.

The statues used the force to jump at Aaryn, but as they came at him, Aaryn sliced them in half. Now only one remained. Aaryn stood there, ready for attack. The statues paused, and then flicked its hand at him. Wait a second. Is that statue...taunting me? Aaryn stood his ground, and the statue unleashed a flurry of attacks followed by force lightning. Aaryn dodged out of the way, rolling on the ground. The statue used the force to pull Aaryn's blade out of his hand.

"Oh come on!" Aaryn exclaimed as the statue started to wield both sabers. It advanced and Aaryn retreated...straight into a corner. If the statue had emotions, it probably would have been smiling. Aaryn stood there, not ready to accept death. Then he remembered the other sabers. Using the force, Aaryn activated the other four lightsabers and plunged them all into the statue. It fell to the ground, breaking into little pieces. Aaryn picked up his lightsaber, paused, and then grabbed one of the statue's lightsabers. It might be useful later on in the temple. Warily, Aaryn exited the room and continued down one of the temple halls.