Abandoned and forgotten, the ruins of the Dark Temple have slowly succumbed to the erosion of time. In the central chamber the walls have crumbled, the ceiling has caved in, and the jungle now flourishes within the once pristine halls.

Green light filters through the temple, mixing eerily with the dark, violet hue of Dromund Kaas’ sky. Lightning flickers overhead, the raw energy of the Force clashing high above. The floor is overgrown with large plants and grasses that have swallowed the old stone. Wild creatures roam freely, skittering away from the presence of intruders while vicious predators hide just out of sight.

The main hall is lined on both sides by towering statues, heads bowed in supplication. They stand in deference to the sculpture of a pure-blooded Sith, which towers over the chamber with outstretched arms. The sculpture has been split diagonally down the middle, as if cleaved in two by a rusted blade, but the majesty in the stone still echoes to the past.

On either side of the main hall, remnants of branches to inaccessible parts of the temple remain. One might tilt their head to take in what is left of the mezzanine—the balcony overlooking the chamber—still held aloft by the great pillars standing behind the statues. Several of the pillars have fallen, providing a pathway up to the mezzanine for those willing to take the risk for higher ground. Spirits of the Sith are rumored to still haunt the grounds—waiting for poor, misguided fools to walk blindly into their domain.

Unbeknownst to some, Von Ricmore is a man with varying notoriety throughout the galaxy. From the slums of Nar Shaddaa to the highest peaks of Coruscant, there was no limit as to how far the Shadow's sphere of influence could reach. Being Skakoan may not have helped matters at times, but it was nothing a few correctly placed words or little white lies couldn't fix.

This made Von of particular interest to the Vizsla Consul, Declan Roark, who gave the Savant the unenviable position of the Clan's spymaster. It was far from a job most would desire, but it was one that the Force Disciple took to like a fish in water. Through the connections he obtained through his career, he was steps ahead of the competition to the Mercenary Clan and could delegate the right resources to completing tasks.

Things went well for a time. The credits rolled in almost faster than Von could count them which earned him the respect of his peers. For the first time in a while, he was truly happy. He had a purpose to his life and nothing could possibly go wrong. That is until one morning he saw a name appear on his desk that made his soul plummet into his gut.

Appius Wight.

There was much that was known about the man in question. He was a Quaestor in Clan Taldryan, a Mandalorian, and he possessed use of the Force. But the most important detail was the price attached to his skull.

One million credits. Wanted dead or alive.

Clan Vizsla's stance on the man was very clear. He was the first Battleteam Leader of their Deathwatch and one of the former Aediles of House Wren. However, he was also a traitor. Appius was filth in their eyes. The Clan rescued him and took him in when he had nowhere else to go. They made him a brother in arms and for what? So he could learn Vizsla's secrets, operations, and leadership before gallivanting with another Clan of the Brotherhood? It stung worse than any plasma bolt ever could.

Therein lay the problem in Von's eyes. Despite everything Appius may have done, the Shadow still considered him a friend. From the war in the Lyra system, the war with Clan Plagueis, and even the prison break on Tenixir. The two of them had simply been through too much for the Skakoan to discard him like a dead womp rat.

That was why Von was here on Dromund Kaas against his better judgement. If anyone could talk some sense into the Mandalorian Force user, maybe it was him? Perhaps he could smooth things over with Vizsla? Maybe even recruit him back? The latter was the best-case scenario in the Savant's opinion. He understood the protocol well enough. Once a high priority target was found, a battalion was to be dispatched to apprehend and capture them dead or alive. Then again, when has Von ever been good at following orders?

The lightning split the sky above and thunder boomed like it threatened to tear the stone apart beneath his feet. Each step Von took along the moss-filled terrain sent the local wildlife scurrying away, whilst the predators remained just out of sight, watching his every movement with shining eyes through the violet hue. The Shadow took his chance to cloak himself within the veil of the Force and hid himself from the creature's sights. With a cautious pace, it wasn't long before the Dark Ruins of Dromund Kaas' temple emerged into view.

The horrid curse of time had not been kind to this place. All around the perimeter lay varying degrees of rubble that the jungles of the planet enveloped in their grasp. A bright, green glow illuminated the way inside. The Shadow swallowed the lump in his throat and ducked underneath the partially collapsed entrance to enter the temple. Inside, he observed that the condition was considerably worse.

The ceiling lay collapsed upon the ground and made the terrain its own obstacle to traverse. The only remnant of this site's ancient history was the diagonally split monument of a pure-blooded Sith being revered by a line of statues on either side of the room. A shiver ran down the Skakoan's spine as a cold breeze hailed from above. Yet, there in the centre of the chamber stood a man in bright red Mandalorian armor with a golden lightning bolt upon its chest plate.

Appius! Von thought as his spirits soared at seeing his old friend.

"COME ON!" the crimson-clad Mandalorian roared at the top of his lungs as he tossed a boulder aside with the Force. Lightning crackled above him in the sky and shone like the perfect silhouette to his armor. "There's nothing here! No secrets of the Sith. No artifacts of their dark power. And, no way of knowing how to become one of them! I need that power!"

One of them!? Ricmore shuddered at the thought. Since when had his friend fallen? He could sense the darkness within the Human bubbling like boiling water. The Shadow slowly paced closer to the Arcanist until he was just a few feet away. Why do you want to be like one of them, old friend? What happened?

"And as for you. You won't tell anyone I was ever here!"

Alarms rang through Von's mind as the imminent threat of danger shot through his consciousness. Appius felt Ricmore's presence through the Force and thrust an open palm in front of him. The Skakoan desperately tried to move out of the way before the attack could connect. Unfortunately for the towering Vizsla member, the terrain was inhospitable to his needs as he was thrown back by a hard gust of air, unveiling him while sending the Force Disciple crashing into one of the stone pillars that dotted the temple hall. The impact knocked the wind out of the Shadow's lungs as the collision toppled the pillar off its foundation, driving it towards the floor. Clouds of dust and debris filled the air, and it was at a time like this that Von was glad he wore the suit his species were known for.

As he returned to his feet, the Skakoan felt the warnings of the Force pass through him again. The roaring of a jetpack thundered in his ears and the distinct sound of a snap-hiss drew Von's attention above him. He quickly sidestepped the glowing green blades of a double-bladed lightsaber as its wielder descended to attack. Next, the Shadow grabbed his alchemically enhanced Sith Sword to block the follow-up strike as the lightsaber slid across the steel of Von's weapon.

"Appius! Stop!" Von screeched through his artificial voice box. "It's me, Von!"

The Shadow could suddenly feel the hesitation in the Arcanist and followed up with a vertical slash with his sword. Appius felt the attack coming and stepped back out of the way as the tip of the blade scratched his chest plate. The Taldryanite was pressed into the defensive when Von used his height to his advantage to thrust his blade at him, the Skakoan summoned the Force through himself like a powerful drug to boost his movement speed, hoping it would be enough to subdue his old friend before one of them was seriously injured.