Begeren. Once a prosperous Sith world, it has been the site of numerous battles throughout the millennia. Grand halls and monuments were torn down and re-purposed by looting Republic forces thousands of years ago, before they were driven from the planet. Isolated settlements still dot the planet's surface, but the inhospitable, craggy, and desert-like terrain, along with the beasts common to many desert and Sith worlds, have kept most humanoids from colonizing. The One Sith’s hold on Begeren is all but broken, though a few small pockets of resistance remain. The Clans and Houses of the Brotherhood now swarm the planet to defeat them, but attention has returned to plunder. Roaming bands of Jedi, adherents to light and dark alike, claim—or destroy—priceless artifacts at every turn. One of the few remaining untouched areas on the entire planet is the Valley of Monuments, so named for its glorious architecture.

The area is impossibly quiet, the air itself seemingly dead. Your perilous trek has lead you to the heart of the Valley of Monuments and to the foot of a massive obsidian obelisk, rising maybe a hundred meters into the sky, each side perhaps ten meters wide. The obelisk is bound by ancient Sith symbols rising more than half way up the ancient monument. Not too far in the distance sits an ancient palace, impressive towers and terraces rising high into the sky. Weapons bristle from the superstructure of the palace far in the distance, large turbolaser batteries easily visible. Yet here, in the courtyard at the foot of this massive monument, the One Sith are nowhere to be seen. To either side of you, a ways in the distance, are impressive cliff walls, faces of long-gone Sith warlords and heretics alike etched into the canyon, preserved in near-pristine condition.

Beneath your feet, the ever-present sands have gradually given way to fine polished granite blocks, some up to a meter in length and width. These blocks form a large pathway leading towards and around the obelisk, then to the palace proper. You are drawn towards the obelisk, your gaze briefly locked on the monument.

The symbols on the obelisk periodically pulse a faint red, all but invisible against the obsidian stone. As they do, power washes out from the obelisk, bathing any nearby with the dark side. You know that on the other side of the obelisk in front of you is a small chamber holding an impressive six inch red crystal, and if intelligence reports are correct, that crystal is likely the source of the energy bound within the obelisk. Some within the Dark Council are desperate for the artifact. It was once a prized possession of Lord Tytonus, though what purpose the crystal held to her is unknown; it was recovered from her fallen corpse after the Sith Empire put her rebellion to rest ages ago.

Before you can even reach the crystal, footsteps upon granite stone tell you that you are not alone, and you realize that whatever you were going to ultimately do with the crystal, it would have to wait. Someone else has come for the precious artifact.

Halcyon Rokir Taldrya, Dark Prophet of Taldryan, paused for only a fraction of a second before continuing his inspection of the obelisk and the surrounding area. He had heard the sound of footsteps upon the granite stone, but acted as if nothing had occurred. He did however open up his other senses, allowing the Force to show him what his eyes and ears had missed. He immediately found the source of the footsteps, hidden behind an impressive cloak of invisibility wrought by the Force. It was a Dark Jedi that conjured the cloak, the dark side etched in the power used, but the strength of the power was below what Halcyon would consider a large threat.

He allowed the other darksider to stay where they were, slowly making his way closer to the obelisk that dominated the surrounding area. His senses had told him more than just who else was in the area. It confirmed that the obelisk itself was drenched in the dark side. The obsidian facade, pulsating with a dull-red glow, could not even hold all the power within its structure. The power seeped through the runic-pores and out onto whatever was near. The power was enticing, but Halcyon was hesitant to get too close to it. Warning klaxons blared within his head whenever he thought about getting close to the obelisk.

“You can come out now,” Halcyon called out, finished with his preliminary investigation and hoping to be rid of this place as soon as possible. It took a handful of seconds before a being finally appeared on the other side of the obelisk. It was tall and lanky, insectoid in appeared with a green, chitinous shell covering it, along with what appeared to be lightweight armour of red and black.

“Whatever you are here for, Verpine, is not worth it. Nothing good can come of this place.” Halcyon knew the species instantly having worked with Verpine many times during his career working with starfighters and other vessels, but he had not yet met one this strong in the Force.

“Taldryan will not have this!” the Verpine spat, taking an aggressive, but calculated, step forward. “I was sent here by Aabsdu, on behalf of the Council. They will have this crystal or else you will have to answer to them.”

Halcyon fought back a smile at the thought of “answering” to the Dark Council, but the information garnered here told him that he was dealing with Brotherhood forces rather than One Sith or a third-party. He had known of the crystal, located closer to the Verpine, but anytime his thoughts ventured to the item it reeled back and hit him with repeated warnings.

“This is all wrong,” Halcyon began, “and you know it. You can’t tell me you don’t sense it as well.” He saw the Verpine hesitate, its large compound-eyes gazing into nothingness as he thought on his words. “This place reeks of power, and yet it is left completely undefended? The One SIth’s Palace is right over there, and yet nothing? They’re afraid.”

_They are right to be afraid _

The voice came from nowhere, yet everywhere. Halcyon could see the confusion evident in the Verpine’s body, telling him that he had just heard the same thing.

_Power such as we offer is for the strong. You have shown them to be weak. You are strong. You will have this power _

The voice was seductive, a multitude speaking as one, but a female tone the dominating aspect. Halcyon knew power and had dealt with its effects for numerous years. There were truth to these words━too much truth. Halcyon fought against the compulsion, knowing how false it really was. The Verpine appeared to be having his own struggle, stepping forward and back repeatedly. Verpine were an intelligent and analytical species, but this was a force most would not be familiar with and wouldn’t have the power or knowledge to protect themselves.

Halcyon sensed the attack before it began, moving to his right as the Verpine ripped his pistol from its holster and opened fire. The pistol was of Verpine-design, loosening small-caliber pellets at tremendous speeds. Even with forewarning Halcyon still felt a few rounds slice through his shoulder as he dove to the ground. The Verpine headed straight at the obelisk, reaching out to grab the crystal as Halcyon loosened an invisible fist that slammed into the Verpine just as his fingers brushed the crystal. The insect-like creature was flung backwards, skidding along the smooth granite.

Halcyon wasted no time getting back to his feet, suppressing the pain in his shoulder as he grabbed hold of his lightsaber hilt and unleashed his emerald blade.

“The power is mine!” the Verpine screamed, his brush with the power having momentarily overridden his normal thought process. He fired his pistol again, but Halcyon was already leaping over it with Force-imbued legs before using his momentum to hit the ground in a roll and coming up with lightsaber slashing. The blade easily cut through the pistol’s barrel before Halcyon brushed the Verpine away with a wave of his hand, sending him even further from the obelisk.

Yes, you will do well scion of the Halcyon-line. We are yours to command. Your power shall lead us to greatness

The voice was in Halcyon’s head, rummaging through his history. He could feel its tendrils digging into him. There was familiarity to the power, but a wrongness that his body fought to flee.

You will control us. We will be yours

His legs moved of their own volition toward the obelisk as he saw images of himself on Coruscant, sitting on a throne carved of pure-emerald, the Grand Master of the Brotherhood kneeling before him. His hand, his true hand, reached out and grasped the crystal. Fire seemed to blanket the sky for only a moment before dying away back into Halcyon’s palm. The crystal thrummed softly in his hand as he looked up, a malevolent smile spreading across his face.

Kz’set’s face twisted into an expression of worry when he saw the look on Halcyon’s face. Fighting the Dark Prophet under normal circumstances was a near insurmountable task to begin with. If he was, as appeared to be the case, infused with whatever power laid in the crystal, mere survival became about all Kz’set could hope for. Kz’set didn’t have long to consider his options before the Prophet struck. A crackling bolt of violet energy erupted from the fingers of the green haired human, slicing through the air towards Kz’set. Only the forewarning the Force gave him allowed him roll out of the way. The bolt was far more ferocious than he had seen before, even from his masters in the One Sith. With his pistol destroyed and few other options available Tossing the weapon aside, Kz’set drew his lightsaber and brought his orange blade to life,

“You really mean to resist, don’t you, bug?” Halcyon shouted with a voice that didn’t seem entirely his own. “I would assume a being as smart as you would know your destruction is inevitable.”

“Perhaps,” Kz’set replied as he assumed a ready stance. “But I can’t allow you have this power. I’m not sure I can allow anyone to have this power. A man as smart and wise as you should realize that. The crystal needs to be destroyed.”

“I’ll give you one last chance to accept a quick death…” Halcyon retorted, but was cut off by the Verpine.

“I’ll take the painful way.”

With that he charged the Prophet, engaging him with a series of probing strikes. Halcyon almost seemed amused by the direct approach the Plagueian was taking. He responded with a blistering riposte that required all of Kz’set’s skill to defend. From there, a ferocious clash of blades caused green and orange flashes to radiate off the polished dark stone. While Kz’set may have been Halcyon’s equal with a lightsaber, Kz’set had the feeling that this duel would last only as long as Halcyon permitted it to. As it turned out, that wasn’t long as the elder tired more quickly than the Verpine.

With a wave of his free hand, an intense blast of force slammed into Kz’set, sending him skittering across the stone floor. He could feel his carapace crack against the hard stone and his entire upper body cry out in pain. Thankfully for the insectoid, he managed to keep a hold of his lightsaber. He looked up though and gave a wry grin when he realized where he had landed. There was still some hope after all. Halcyon strode towards the Verpine as he got to his feet and laughed.

“Now you die, bug.”

Kz’set maintained the grin as he pointed his lightsaber at the nearby crystal.

“Perhaps, but I still win.”

The Verpine raised his blade and swung down towards the glowing crystal.

Halcyon raised an arm, invisible fingers enveloping the Verpine’s wrist and stopping its downward motion.

“No, you do not,” Halcyon responded in a voice not quite his own, smiling the smile of another. Kz’set trembled in exertion, fighting the hold on his arm. With his free hand he unleashed his own blast of telekinetic energy that spread from him in all directions. Halcyon never broke his stride as the blast hit him and seemed to disappear just inches from his face, a faint shimmer of light the only sign of the power he used.

“Not good enough, bug,” not-Halcyon said, increasing the pressure of his grip on the Verpine. There was an audible crack as carapace shattered, and Kz’set let out a small scream of pain as he fell to a knee. Kz’set’s fingers began to open, the lightsaber slowly starting to slip from his grasp…

“No!”

The word was a command, filled with decades of leading others into battle. It startled the others as he felt his captors shift their hold on him. A human-woman with grey hair turned to him, a large smile on her lips as he looked at him.

“No?” she asked, her voice calm, but a hint of anger tainted her tones. “You have no power anymore here. You are our vessel, and nothing more.”

Halcyon struggled against his captors. They had invaded him, these Sith of old. The two that held him were pure-bred Sith, but it was the woman in charge. A Lord Tytonus was said to have been the holder of the crystal, and Halcyon could only assume the woman was that holder.

“Yes,” the woman whispered in his ear, appearing suddenly at his side “I am Tytonus.” “Your thoughts are our thoughts. I bound these souls to the crystal. They are mine to unleash. You know my power. Bow to me, Halcyon, and we may rule both your Brotherhood and the One Sith.”

“If that’s your best line, then it’s no wonder you were trapped in the crystal yourself.”

The smile on Tytonus’ face faltered briefly, anger marring her features for an instant before she could catch herself. “You are already mine. I shall squish this bug first and then deal with you. It will all be over soon.”

Halcyon focused straight ahead. They had invaded his mind and body and were using it to against his will. He was too weak. There were too many of them to defeat head-on. He fed the fear and anger within him. He felt the hands on his arms shift again as a small glow began to appear from the darkened corners of his mind.

“I am Halcyon Rokir,” he began, in a voice that filled every corner of his mind, “Sith Lord, Quaestor of Ektrosis and Son of Taldryan. You are a parasite and a failure. Get the frak out of my head!”

Halcyon punctuated his words by throwing the core of his being at the ghosts that filled his mind, pure emerald light blinding them all for an instant.

...before suddenly feeling all pressure on his wrist removed. Kz’set gripped his saber again, seeming to ignore all pain as he finished his initial stroke, bisecting the crystal.

Kz’set stood still, one knee still on the ground, hesitating as if waiting for something else to occur after breaking the crystal. He looked up at Halcyon, who peered down to him, blinking his eyes quickly.

“Thank you,” Halcyon said, plunging his green blade into the Verpine’s face before he could react. Kz’set fell over, lifeless, as Halcyon trembled from exertion. His mind was quiet again. It had taken all he had to distract Tytonus and the others inside his head long enough to allow Kz’set to break the crystal.

He could still sense the crystal calling to him, looking down to see the two halves glowing ever so faintly. The power was still present, but contained after being broken. He reached out with a shaking hand, grasping both halves and putting them into two separate pouches before sitting down on the ground, exhausted.

“I’m getting too damn old for this,” he said to no one in particular as he looked up into the darkening sky.

As the shaft of orange hued plasma struck the crystal, Kz’set palpably felt the rage that had been building for several millennia inside it rush out. Shards burst forth into the air as the stored power was violently released. While the more distant Halcyon was unaffected by the blast, several pieces tore into the Verpine’s clothing with one even embedding itself into his carapace just above the elbow of his non-saber wielding arm. He was quite obviously in pain, though the Force was deadening it somewhat as he looked up at Halcyon. For his part, the Taldrya had an angry scowl on his face.

“Do you have any idea what you just did, Plagueian?” The prophet chided gruffly.

Kz’set nodded. “Of course I do. I’ve probably saved several lives and possibly even yours. No matter it’s historical value, I couldn’t let something like that pilot you like an overly green starfighter. And if it controls you, I don’t want to imagine what it might do with Darth Ashen.”

Halcyon scoffed at the mention of the Grand Master’s name. “You assume I was going to let Ashen anywhere near it. He doesn’t deserve such power any more than you do.”

“No one does and you know it.” Kz’set chirped in reply. “I did us all a service. Now let us leave this foul place before the One Sith find out what we’ve done.”

Halcyon shook his head and scoffed. “I don’t think you understand Verpine, I still intend to kill you. You’ve failed in your mission. Failure deserves to be punished.”

“You’re more than welcome to try.” Kz’set buzzed as he quickly analyzed his options. Only one seemed logical. As much as he regretted being a coward, retreat was the only option that granted him any chance. Before Halcyon could advance more than a couple steps, Kz’set deactivated his lightsaber and summoned the Force to obscure him from sight. Once cloaked, the Verpine took a deep breath and started moving towards where he knew reinforcements to be waiting. When Halcyon didn’t immediately pursue, he started to think he actually might get away. The Prophet, however, was not as fooled as Kz’set would have thought, as his sharp eyes and skill with the Force quickly revealed the ruse. With a slight sigh, Halcyon casually drew his emerald hued bryar pistol and fired off two quick shots in the area he saw Kz’set’s shimmering outline. The first jade-colored blast flew wide, but the second struck him solidly in the metathorax and sliced through what would have been the spinal column on an endoskeletal species.

Becoming fully visible as he crumpled to the ground, Kz’set was dismayed to discover his legs no longer functioned. In no hurry because of his enemy’s obvious paralysis, Halcyon strode over to the stricken insectoid who seemed to be embracing his fate. Closing his eyes, all he could do was wait for the inevitable. Despite the burning pain in his back and the throbbing in the rest of his body, Kz’set was peaceful in the final few seconds. He hadn’t known peace and serenity like this in a very long time. His spirit would join many, many others in this valley. Kz’set didn’t know what that would mean, but it had to count for something.

“No fear. Good.”

Those were the last words Kz’set heard before a single shot rang out in the Valley of the Monuments. At last, it was over.