Moraband, known in antiquity as Korriban, is a harsh, desolate planet that is indelibly linked to its history as the ancient homeworld of the Sith. Its barren landscape, which is covered by red sands and a crimson sky, sporting towering rock formations born from the remnants of temples and tombs. The planet itself is saturated with the Dark Side of the Force, the result of nefarious rituals once performed by Sith forefathers.

One area of particular interest on the planet is the Valley of the Dark Lords, a narrow area between two cliff walls into which ancient tombs have been carved for fallen Sith Lords. The sealed tombs once concealed mysteries and dark powers connected to legends like Exar Kun and Naga Sadow, though decades of scavenging from looters and wannabe acolytes alike have left varying amounts of debris across the sand, leaving it questionable as to what remains.

What is certain is the presence of a dark energy that seeps from these tombs that renders the air around their rocky surroundings still, suffocating, maddening – as if too much humidity somehow exists in the desert environs. The tales of Sith Spirits returning from the dead to prey on the meek and feeble don't seem like an exaggeration in this ancient landscape. One can only hope and pray that these stories aren't based on reality.

Korriban.

The familiar desert winds whipped through Sanguis’ raven-black hair as he walked within the shadows of the tombs-inlaid cliffs of the valley beneath the evening sky. Dark Force energy sizzled around him, a familiarity both welcomed and hated. The Nagai held no love for the world he once called home, but even he couldn’t deny the familiar hunger for power the world reignited within. The Sith tattoos adorning his skin tingled with energy, memories flashing of days past when he partook in some of his trials within the tombs.

I shouldn’t care about this place. Not after what they did to me, but I cannot help but miss the glory days. Back when...

Sanguis shook his head. That was a time when he had been more monster than man. A time when he played the game, killed his rivals, inspired fear, and was the blood-lusting Sith they had created him to be. The Marauder was free living in a new world and a new era with a new purpose. A purpose worth fighting for alongside Shadow, his beloved.

Yet, the old nature still lurked within, often awakening as a bloodthirsty, monstrous being eager to consume and destroy. Sanguis felt it clawing within him, the beast desperate to heed the dark, malevolent siren call of the nexus permeating the valley, desperate to satiate its thirst.

Focus, Sanguis. You’re not here just for yourself. You’re here for Tivran.

Sanguis looked to the darkening sky, seeking signs of his distant cousin’s arrival. He had trained the younger Nagai at the behest of his wife, and out of a personal obligation of honor he kept to himself. Despite their conflicts, Tivran was family, and the ancient Sith couldn’t deny his admiration for the flaming determination burning within the Shadow’s spirit. Their first trip to Korriban had proven Tivran’s tenacity, the young Sith having overcome his fears. Now, he would face a final test of skill and willpower. Consequentially, they both would.

Expecting his cousin to arrive soon, Sanguis walked over to the base of a crumbling statue and sat down within the shelter of its shadow. He closed his eyes and listened to the wind’s haunting, reverent wail. Echoes of spirits passed whispered within, welcoming him, promising unimaginable power, and tempting him to give in to the thirst. Here, his resolve and dominance over his bloodlust would be put to the ultimate test as they faced both spirits and nocturnal dangers that stalked the valley.

I will overcome this. The dark side will serve me. Not consume me. For Tivran’s sake and mine. For my family. I will last the night and greet the dawn as myself. I shall not fall.

Tivran’s shuttle landed next to Sanguis’ ship. He took several deep breaths to calm himself, though he’d fought hard to face the worst of his fears here, Korriban still caused him a great deal of anxiety. That coupled with not knowing what Sanguis had planned for him made him a little nervous. He finally managed to calm himself and stepped off the shuttle, thanking the pilot as he went down the ramp.

He saw Sanguis waiting for him so he quickened his pace and offered a greeting as he approached.

“Hello, Sanguis. What’s the plan for my training on this trip?”

Sanguis nodded in greeting, then pointed toward the tombs. “We’re going hunting. Hssiss hopefully, if not, at least we should find some Tuk’ata. And unlike Shadow’s Eqkaesyr, the Tuk’ata we find here won’t be so nice.”

Tivran nodded, swallowing hard and trying to control his emotions. He had encountered a Hssiss before and the beast absolutely terrified him. But, he knew it was just another round of Sanguis trying to help him face his fears. So hunting it was, and he’d do his best.

“No, I don’t imagine the wild ones would be very nice. Where do you suggest we start looking?”

“We’ll head toward the closest tomb, we should find something along the way.”

Tivran took his lightsaber off his belt to have it ready for whatever they found, or more likely, whatever found them first. Sith spawned creatures and those who were so steeped in the dark side energies of the planet were dangerous and unpredictable. Two Force users would be tempting targets for hunting Tuk’ata or Hssiss.

They made their way toward the closest of the ancient tombs. They had only gone about fifty meters when they heard growling and a pack of four Tuk’ata came out from behind a large rocky outcrop. The biggest beast lunged at Sanguis, the second went for Tivran, the other two circled, waiting for their packmates to bring the prey down.

Sanguis’ twin crimson blades snapped to life as the Tuk’ata leapt at him. The beast met crossed blades that scorched hide and fur, leaving deep wounds on the creature’s chest. It howled in pain and limped backward to study its would-be prey.

Tivran twisted to the side as the Tuk’ata lunged at him and brought his bright orange saber down across its back, leaving behind a deep slash. The Tuk’ata cried out in pain and turned to snap at Tivran and lunged forward again. Tivran took a step back and braced himself, striking forward with his saber to meet the new attack. This time he caught the beast squarely in the chest, running it through. The Tuk’ata fell, but a new one circled in closer to him.

Sanguis finished off his Tuk’ata, managing to take its head off when it ran at him again. The last Tuk’ata leapt at him, growling viciously. He dropped low, slashing at its belly. The Tuk’ata howled in pain and stumbled a couple steps and fell over.

He turned to check on Tivran and moved to help him finish off the last Tuk’ata. Tivran sidestepped and then spun around to drive his carnelian blade through the Tuk’ata’s side. It howled as it staggered a few steps before collapsing.

Tivran swallowed hard and glanced around before meeting Sanguis’ gaze, “You okay?”

Sanguis nodded, “Yeah, you good?”

Tivran nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s keep going. It’ll be dark soon.”

Sanguis grinned, flashing the tips of his fangs. “Maybe we’ll find a Hssiss after all. Let’s go.”

They continued on towards the tomb, staying alert for any signs of a Hssiss.

As they ascended the staircase, the duo reached the broken entryway left behind by past graverobbers. Sanguis squeezed through the gap, reigniting a lightsaber once inside for light before he gestured for Tivran to follow. Once the other Nagai was inside and ignited one of his orange blades, the Marauder led them into a wide, long corridor lined with barely recognizable statues. The sculptings cast long shadows on the walls illuminated by their sabers, darkening ancient carvings and runic inscriptions littering the ancient stone.

“Are you sure anything is still alive down here?” Tivran whispered. “It’s been ages since-”

Cl-clunk

The Shadow stopped as his foot connected with something on the floor. He looked down and found a jawless skull on the floor, bits of flesh still clinging to it. There was his answer.

Clickity click click thunk.

Sanguis froze at the sound of rock clattering against the stone floor. His gaze fell upon one of the statues, briefly catching sight of a tail clad with green scales disappearing behind the stone sentinel. He reached out with the Force, his mind clashing with a dark, malicious, semi-sentient consciousness before it vanished.

“Hssiss. Behind the statue.”

“There’s another one on the other side too.”

“Hmm, a mated pair perhaps. Focus on that one. Use the environment to your advantage.”

Both Nagai ignited their second lightsabers, the snap-hiss echoing in the chamber. A low growl resonated from behind the statue in front of Sanguis followed by an explosive cacophony of claws raking across stone and a menacing hiss as the vicious reptile launched itself at the Sith. Sanguis twisted out of the way to the left, his off-hand blade trailing through the air and catching the Hssiss on its face, scorching both scales and flesh.

Its wounded snarl aroused the second Hssiss into action, the giant lizard striking from the shadows at Tivran. The younger Nagai leaped back, avoiding a swipe of the beast’s venomous claws. Sanguis caught a glimpse of the Shadow parrying another swipe with his orange blade, trusting his cousin to handle himself.

Sanguis focused on the predator before him, tauntingly spinning his strong-hand blade just before side-stepping away from another lunge and bringing his blade down on the reptile’s right foreleg. The Hssiss shrieked in pain as its clawed-foot fell off, the beast stumbling and backing away momentarily leaving a trail of blood on the floor.

The Marauder hesitated, experience and his wife’s wise words reminding him that a wounded animal driven by desperation could become twice as dangerous. Yet, instinct told him to take advantage of the Hssiss’ momentary distress. He charged and Forced leaped to a statue before jumping back down on the Hssiss’ back, blades piercing through its tough hide.

The beast whirled around, its tail whipping through the air as it desperately tried to throw the Nagai off. Sanguis held onto his blades for dear life until the beast let off a pained shriek of defiance before collapsing to the floor dead. A sigh of relief escaped his lips, but there was no time for a reprieve.

He pulled his lightsabers free from its hide as he stood up, and was about ready to assist Tivran when he felt a prickling feeling in the back of his mind. He quickly whirled around, his red blade barely catching a new, larger set of raking claws aimed for his back. A flash of red eyes caught his gaze before the beast suddenly rammed its head into him, slamming him into the wall and knocking the air out of him.

A third? Where in the nine hells did it come from?

The hssiss lunged at Tivran forcing him to drop into a quick roll to dodge the raking toxic claws. Then he quickly twisted back around to drive his saber into the creature’s unguarded midsection. It howled in pain and tried to turn and snap at him but he slashed at its throat with his other saber and finally the beast fell silent as the life bled out of it.

He heard another roar and quickly turned to see Sanguis fighting a third, much larger hssiss. How many of these things were they going to have to fight? He didn’t have time to wonder, as he took a couple steps toward Sanguis intending to help him, his body froze.

“Don’t be foolish, stop fighting me boy.” Rang a voice in his mind and he felt the familiar and always terrifying touch of a Sith spirit.

“If you want to save him, let me help you. Give me control, don’t fight me. I can teach you things you’ve not even thought of yet.”

Tivran shivered from the cold he felt drifting through his body. He heard Sanguis grunt as the huge beast knocked him into a wall, hard. He had to help his friend and cousin, no matter what. There was no way he would face Shadow with bad news if he didn’t save Sanguis now. He relented, risking losing himself as he lowered his mental shields.

The Sith spirit took control of his body and he ran forward at the giant hssiss. “She’s the mother of the two you’ve slain, and she’s angry.” His voice sounded distorted to his ears as the spirit spoke through him to Sanguis. The spirit used Tivran’s body to distract the hssiss from Sanguis as the other Nagai was getting back to his feet. Tivran launched a powerful blast of Force lightning at the creature’s head, forcing it to back away. Tivran could tell the spirit was amplifying his Force powers, because the blast was far stronger than what he could normally manage.

The Spirit-possessed Tivran leapt to the beast’s back, slashing and cutting with his sabers. Maternal rage kept carrying the big hssiss onward, despite several grave injuries. Tivran leapt off her back and landed beside Sanguis.

“Use lightning while I use telekinetic strike. She’s weakened now. That should finish her.” His voice was still distorted by the spirit within him and Sanguis didn’t miss it.

“Are you alright, Tivran?”

“I am fine, let’s finish this.”

Together they both blasted the hssiss with powerful lightning and telekinetic strikes to her head and chest. It caused massive ruptures through the already wounded body. Finally, she dropped and her eyes went dark and lifeless.

As the Marauder caught his breath, Sanguis’ amber gaze darted worriedly to Tivran. He gripped his cousin’s shoulders tightly, forcing the Shadow to meet his gaze. He studied him, probing Tivran’s mind in the Force. He felt an echo of another being, proving his assumption.

“You shouldn’t let them in so freely,” he remarked as he released the other Warlord. “Especially in a place like this. They’re not your friend.”

“A thank you would’ve been nice,” Tivran retorted calmly. “I just saved your life.”

“And I appreciate that, but the last thing I need is your blade being shoved through my back.” Sanguis sighed. He didn’t mean to treat Tivran like a child, nor did he wish to dismiss his cousin’s good intentions, but experience and stories of fellow apprentices past weren’t easy to ignore.

“I want the both of us to leave this place alive,” he added before continuing in a lighter tone. “Plus, you and I both know my wife would kill me if something happened to you.”

Sanguis’ lighthearted remark eased the tension, a soft smile forming on Tivran’s lips. “Yeah, she probably would. But, I can handle myself, Sanguis. I know the risks.”

Do you?

Doubt nagged at Sanguis’ mind, but he held back from lecturing his relative further. “Just...be careful, Tiv.”

The Marauder held his cousin’s gaze a moment longer before he turned and retrieved his lightsabers from the ground from where they had fallen when he hit the wall. He reignited one for lighting, and clipped the other to his belt before continuing deeper into the tomb toward the burial chamber.

As they continued forward, his mind drifted to Tivran with concern. Old paranoia slowly resurfaced, and he found himself squeezing the lightsaber hilt in anticipation for an attack. He scolded himself for being wary of his cousin, and he knew the dark nexus of the tomb wasn’t helping.

Distracted, Sanguis nearly missed the chill that suddenly enveloped him as they neared the burial chamber. His hand immediately shot to his clipped weapon, his senses on high alert. The familiar echo he had sensed within Tivran touched his mind, becoming stronger in presence.

“It’s been a long time since you walked amongst us, Sanguis Caldiren, but you have softened.”

“Begone from me. I am not the monster I once was.”

“Not on the surface, but it's still there deep within you, isn’t it?”

Sanguis’ grip on the hilt tightened, unable to deny the truth. "I’m in control. Not the beast.”

“Why do you fear the thirst? Did it not make you a terror to your enemies? Did it not bring you glory?”

Sanguis wanted to argue that he didn’t have a need for glory and had something better, but he resisted. He steeled his mind, and continued without a response. The last thing he needed to do was give the spirit more information.

“I already know about her. Your wife. Your family. Your weakness. Your dear cousin’s mind revealed everything to me.”

Sanguis tensed, his teeth clenching with frustration. Tivran’s acceptance of the spirit had left him bare, like an open book, granting the entity a plethora of information while the younger Nagai was distracted with the fight. It was the last thing either of them needed.

Sithspit.

“Sanguis? You alright?”

Sanguis’ attention perked to his cousin’s voice. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he growled back.

“You traded power and conquest for what? A wife who holds you back? Another man’s children whom you refused to guide down the true path?”

Sanguis felt his choler rising, and did his best to keep it at bay. He didn’t answer, but kept moving forward, keeping an eye out for traps and creatures. However, the spirit persisted.

“You could be so much more. You could’ve killed her and taken that so-called empire for yourself. But no. You let love blind you, and follow a new philosophy that blinds you from your true destiny and the glory that could be yours. And then there’s your cousin...”

“Leave Tivran out of this.”

“I could consume him and take what I wish, but why do that when there’s you? A walking weapon of destruction. A living incarnation of terror and bloodlust? He is nothing compared to you.”

“Shut up. Tivran is far more gifted and capable than you give him credit for.”

“Oh, he has potential. All Sith do, but he is not you.”

The spirit went silent for a few moments, but as Sanguis expected, it didn’t leave him as it spoke again. “Why not consume his blood? Take his life, and revel in the satisfaction you’ve denied yourself. He trusts you, and he’d be easy to catch off guard. He’s just a distant relative, after all. You never hesitated from betrayal in the past, and Tivran has been a thorn in your side, hasn’t he? Constantly enjoying the favor of your wife. How long before he wins her over completely?”*

“Shut up. Rowan’s heart belongs to me as mine belongs to her.”

“Are you sure? What secrets do they whisper behind your back? Why does she always come to his defense against you? After all, he’s not the bloodthirsty monster you are. She could love him without fear.”

“You know nothing. She’d never-”

“The whispers between them. The secrets. The unseen exchange of affections when you turn your back.”

“I said shut up!” Sanguis could feel his fangs extending, the familiar thirst rising to the surface with his anger.

“Take his life! Drink his blood! Remove the thorn! Establish your dominance! Consume him!”

“Sanguis!”

“What?!” Sanguis shouted as he whirled around to face his cousin, his fangs bared and his eyes dilated with hunger.

Tivran flinched, his cousin’s hellish expression catching him off guard. “We...we reached the chamber.”

For a moment, Sanguis didn’t seem to register Tivran’s words until his expression softened with realization. He turned back and found that they had indeed entered the burial chamber, a large sarcophagus resting in the center of the ornate room. The nexus of dark energy was stronger, washing over the two Sith with a wave of cold, enticing power.

“Sanguis? What’s wrong?”

“I...the spirit-”

A chilling laugh thundered throughout the room, resonating through Sanguis as he felt the presence haunting him suddenly weighing heavily upon him. Several wisps of energy began to swirl in front of the sarcophagus, coalescing into an ethereal, humanoid form until at last an ancient Sith stood before them in archaic, robed armor.

“You know you want to give in, Sanguis. Give into the hunger. Take what you want. Be the Sith you were always meant to be. Blood has always marked your path. Do not shirk from it. Embrace it. Embrace who you truly are.”

The spirit’s beckoning for him to surrender to the bloodlust that once governed him was powerful, and Sanguis had to clench his teeth as his fangs ached with a need to pierce flesh to retrieve crimson sustenance. He wanted to give in. Wanted to let go. Wanted to become the terror he once was even if it meant taking the life of the man he warned would take away from him what was his and his alone. It would be so easy, and it would feel so liberating. No more restraint. Just pure bliss and bloody carnage.

“Sanguis, don’t.”

Sanguis turned his attention back to Tivran, the tension dropping slightly from the sight of his cousin’s pleading gaze. “Tiv...”

“That isn’t you. Remember who you are. You’re not that thing anymore. You’re someone better.”

The younger Warlord took a step forward. “Hold onto Shadow. Hold onto the love you both share.”

“Silence!” The spirit ordered, red, ethereal tendrils of dark power suddenly surging towards Tivran. “You will not interfere! He is mine!”

Before the dark energy could reach Tivran, it collided with a blast of Force lightning. Sanguis’ golden gaze was locked onto the spirit, a different kind of anger empowering him. The barrage of crackling energy pushed back against the attack until the tendrils dissipated.

“No one...harms my cousin,” he hissed, sparks still dancing around his outstretched hand. “And I am not yours.”