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. Occasional skirmishes have left debris scattered throughout the desert, and battles were fought here as recently as the Galactic Civil War. The planet is now under the control of the One Sith and is rumored to be full of all manner of priceless, ancient Sith artifacts.

The Dark Council has pushed forth to Begeren and the Grand Master, on his quest for ever more powerful items, has decreed the Clans and Houses seize anything of value. The unity shown by the Brotherhood during the beginning of this Crusade is fracturing, with the Clans and Houses growing tired and frustrated with the seemingly endless succession of battles. Tempers are flaring between former allies, with outright aggression no longer uncommon. Despite this, you have responded to the Grand Master's call—though whether it's to actually seize the items for the Brotherhood, destroy them, or use them for your own purposes, only you know.

You have followed the call of the Force to a stretch of desert wasteland, seemingly unremarkable save for the various rock outcroppings that dot the landscape. These outcroppings, though, hide a subterranean cave network, known to be a den of wraids. Though the entrances to the caverns are typically narrow and dark, these tunnels quickly widen. Below the surface, bioluminescent plants and lichen provide limited light.

You know that, despite reaching this place first, you won’t be alone for long, as an ancient Sith tomb is located deep within the caves the wraids now call home. Exactly what you’ll find in that tomb, you’re not sure—but it is something of great power, that much you can sense. You know it is your duty to find it, whatever it is, before any others can locate it. What you do with it when you find it… that is up to you.

As you near one of the entrances to the caves, you think you hear the sounds of footsteps, or maybe skittering, down below—and above ground, you hear the distant crunch of rock underfoot as someone else has found a different rocky cave entrance as well.

Andrelious had not accepted the mission to Begeren with much enthusiasm. He particularly hated looting dangerous items, only to have them confiscated by the agents of Lord Ashen. But, after failure on Bosthirda, the Warlord had decided that he would undertake this particular expedition in an attempt to redeem himself in the eyes of the Dark Council.

The ex-Imperial had spent the last three hours trekking across the desert. He had long since consumed the alcohol in his hip flask, and was beginning to struggle in the heat of the day. After entering the mouth of what appeared to be a small cave, Inahj had found himself in a much wider network of catacombs.

Andrelious craned his neck about at the variety of routes that were available to him, eventually opting for one that the Force guided him to. He had not got more than a few paces towards it when he heard the heavy footfalls of another being nearby. Somebody whose presence in the Force was strong enough that it generated an immediate sense of fear in the Arconan Rollmaster. Turning on his heels to see exactly who it was, Inahj was faced with an older man. His clothing, his lightsaber, even his hair, echoed fifty shades of green. Halcyon Rokir Taldrya. Dark Prophet. Son of Taldryan.

Inahj had not met the man personally, but was well aware of who Halcyon was. The two shared a common background as Imperials, and as Dark Jedi. But they now differed greatly. Halcyon was a powerful Elder and a former Deputy Grand Master. Short of the Grand Masters themselves, he was one of the most dangerous individuals in Brotherhood history.

“Prophet Rokir. What brings you to this planet? Surely the errands of Ashen are beyond someone of your stature.” Andrelious nervously declared. Unsurprisingly, the former Shadow Hand did not reply, choosing instead to arm himself with his lightsaber. His body language was enough to tell the Warlord that he had no interest in conversation.

“Are we not all friends here, Rokir? I have no quarrel with you. Put your blade away. Save it for when those weakling lightsiders turn up,” the Warlord continued, trying hard to budge the older man’s will. The Taldrya just shook his head, clearly unimpressed at the attempt to sway him.

Inahj, disappointed at his failure to avoid combat, drew his silver-hilted lightsaber, bringing its blade to life with a momentary snap-hiss.

Halcyon remained silent. With a simple swish of the Prophet’s hand, the Force lifted Andrelious, slamming him hard into a nearby wall. The Warlord bounced off the rock, landing on the ground almost as violently, deeply bruising his left wrist. Halcyon was on top of him in a flash, immediately forcing the Arconan to raise his own lightsaber blade defensively. Each parry and deflection caused Inahj to wince as the stress of the blows reached his now swollen wrist, renewing the pain that continued to ebb through his body.

Andrelious knew that keeping still was foolish. He took a few steps back, trying to get enough distance between himself and his opponent to at least partially heal his injury, but found that Halcyon was totally unrelenting in pursuit, giving the Warlord no respite from the constant attacks. Blow after blow from each fighter was blocked successfully in a fantastic show of crimson and emerald. Both were driven on by their loyalty to their clan, echoing the larger rivalry that had long existed between Arcona and Taldryan. Frustration began to mount as the duel dragged on into a fruitless stalemate. The similar combat styles, relying more on swordsmanship than on displays of acrobatics, further ensured that the combatants would continue to cancel each other out. Aggressive moves were met by vicious counter attacks, alternating the momentum back and forth between Rokir and Inahj.

Continuing to step back, Andrelious noticed a fork in the tunnel. Near the split of the fork lay a pair of large eggs. Inahj grabbed the nearer egg with the Force, pulling it towards himself at high speed.

“Catch!” the Warlord taunted, ducking as the egg approached. Andrelious moved away, finally able to heal his wrist as Halcyon redirected the trajectory of the egg, gently returning it to its nest. Moments later, a Wraid thundered in, regarding the eggs and the pair of Dark Jedi. It stared for a moment at Andrelious, then at Halcyon, enough to cause more than a passing concern that it would attack one or both of them.

As the two Humans stared back and forth at one another, unsure if to keep fighting or to wait and see what the Wraid would do, another, slightly smaller Wraid sprinted past. The first Wraid, clearly determined to protect the eggs, leapt high in the air, colliding with the sprinting Wraid and sending it flying into a wall. With a snarl, the smaller Wraid jumped back to its feet and turned on its rival.

As the beasts grappled, Andrelious slipped away down one of the tunnels, still following the call of the Force.

But Halcyon wasn’t far behind.

Halcyon kept an eye on the bobbing ruby light ahead of him as he chased after Inahj. His own blade had been extinguished, but the hilt still held firmly in his palm as he moved quickly through the winding tunnels, gaining on his prey. Inahj was running with a speed and ferocity that belied his height. The nature of what was chasing him may have served as motivation, but Halcyon followed at his heels, his own age not a factor as he relied on the Force.

With a jarring suddenness, Halcyon was thrown into darkness as Inahj turned his blade off. He quickly relied on his other senses, opening himself up to the Force and continuing on his path with only a heartbeat lost in between. Left, left, right, left. There was no hesitation as Halcyon flew further into the caverns, still hearing the footfalls of the other Sith up ahead.

Right

Halcyon went right, but immediately knew something was off. The footfalls he had been following suddenly began to taper away, their sound disappearing into the darkness.

“Frakking Arconan!” Halcyon seethed, angry at himself for falling for the trick, more than at Inahj. Danger flared all around him as the sound of skittering steps entered his location. With a flick of his wrist, the emerald blade of his lightsaber flared to light, bathing four angry and dangerous wraids in its glow.

“Wraids,” Halcyon grumbled under his breath. “Why did it have to be wraids?”

What appeared to be the alpha-male of the group launched itself at his head, propelled by its powerful forearms. The three smaller wraids rushed at him directly. A blast of telekinetic energy slammed into the airborne wraid, sending him back down the tunnel. With the Alpha temporarily out of the picture, Halcyon spun in place, his blade coming down like a scythe to cleave the first of the three other wraids to reach him. The blade easily tore through the wraid’s face, cleanly bisecting it. But this allowed the other two to get around the lightsaber and slam directly into Halcyon’s legs.

Halcyon stumbled backwards, falling toward the ground as the two wraids came leaping at him. With power fueled of his anger, he unleashed a torrent of dark side energy. The powerful, azure bolts slammed into the two wraids and sent them crashing back to the ground. The scent of smoke and burnt flesh billowed from their hides as writhed on the floor before going still.

Before he could catch his breath, the Alpha came lumbering back to the fray. It seemed to take in the scene, first looking at Halcyon who still sat on the ground, then at the slain members of its pack, then back to Halcyon’s outstretched hand. Before anything could be done, the wraid turned and ran toward another fork in the tunnel and disappeared.

Halcyon rose to his feet and took a calming breath to rein his anger back in check. Inahj had a large lead on him by this point, and may have already tracked the artifact down.

“One thing at a time,” Halcyon told himself. He reached out once more, spreading his senses throughout the caverns and tunnels. There was an essence lurking nearby, and Inahj had already caught onto the scent. He found Inahj’s presence first, but discarded it before clamping onto another, more powerful, source. It was like tripping a livewire as Halycon physically took a step back as a connection was made.

Left

“Fool me once,” Halcyon admonished as he began forward.

LEFT

He was taken aback by the strength of the suggestion. Inahj may have been somewhat skilled in the Force, but his influence could never hold the same weight as this. Instinct, and the Force, told Halcyon to trust this presence and, going against his saner side, he followed those instincts. He felt the artifact’s presence grow stronger as he followed the directions sent to his mind, finding himself clear of the tunnels and entering a large and spacious cavern. The cavern was lit by globes that dotted the perimeter of the room, their greenish-glow powered by an unknown source. An ornate altar stood at the far end. Set within the altar was the hilt of a sword, its design reminiscent of Revelation, the Sword of Ferran, that was secretly in the possession of Taldryan.

Power clearly emanated from the altar. Even one not immersed with the Force would know that there was more to it than just simple wood and metal. But, to a Sith Lord such as Halcyon, there were layers beneath the obvious. What had compelled him to Begeren in the first place was now before him. However, there was also something off with what he felt. The presence that had helped him this far had departed the moment he entered the cavern. It did not appear like it would return to help him at this juncture.

“How the frak did you get here?” Inahj yelled out as he came out of another tunnel. His breath was coming in gasps as rivulets of sweat beaded his forehead. A small smile played at the corner of Halcyon’s lips. He looked over at the other Sith and wrapped his fingers tighter around the hilt of his lightsaber.

Andrelious felt a mixture of dread and disappointment at the sight of the Son of Taldryan. He had hoped that Halcyon had become lost in the maze of twisty little passages that were all alike, or that he had met a grisly end at the hands of one of the many Wraids that stalked the catacombs.

For a moment, Inahj regarded the Sith sword. The Warlord had only heard of such artefacts through the legends of the Sith Lords of old. He suspected, though, that the Sith Lord he was currently facing off against was a lot more knowledgeable about the subject. In Halcyon’s hands, the weapon could prove most dangerous

I must stop him. He’s already a frakking Sith Lord. If he can get his hands on this weapon, Taldryan may rise again.

The two fighters began to advance on each other with a sense of urgency. With a crash and a shower of sparks, Andrelious’ blade collided with its counterpart as the Ektrosian Quaestor parried his enemy’s attack. The Prophet called upon the Force to help him coordinate his defensive movements, blocking everything that the younger Sith threw at him, whilst having plenty of time to offer attacking movements of his own. Inahj too proved a tough nut to crack, expertly operating his lightsaber to snuff out any openings that Halcyon attempted to expose.

Lurching forward, Andrelious swiped his blade downward, but noticed his opponent was no longer within reach. To the Warlord’s horror, Halcyon had called upon the Force to scoop him high into the air. The Arconan thrashed about desperately, but remained suspended where he was.

The former Deputy Grand Master smirked as he released the hold, allowing gravity to do its job and slam Inahj hard onto the rocky floor, a loud crack indicating that he had broken something. Without hesitating, the green Elder arced lightning from his fingers, increasing his rival’s pain tenfold.

With his right leg broken, and his body convulsing with discomfort from the electrocution that Halcyon had just inflicted upon him, Andrelious knew that the resistance he had offered was fast coming to an end. He had come on a hunt for an artefact that was now mere feet from his grasp, but it would be the Taldrya who would go away with the spoils. With one final angry glare at the victorious Prophet, the Arconan slipped into a deep trance, starting what would be a long and laborious healing process.

After briefly checking back at the downed Warlord, Halcyon wandered towards the sword. After deactivating and stowing away his lightsaber, the ex-Shadow Hand reached for the wooden hilt of the Sith artefact. As he lifted it from the altar, he immediately noticed the unexpected heaviness of the blade. This was a genuine article.

“Hmm. I’d better test this out,” the Quaestor muttered to himself. He headed over to Inahj, who was still deeply withdrawn.

Standing beside his former opponent as if he were his executioner, Halcyon lifted the sword high above his head, bringing it down in a neat arc to decapitate Andrelious. However, as the artefact headed towards the meditating Rollmaster, it spewed forth a fireball that flew with fantastic speed into one of the cavern’s walls. The shock of the incident was enough to throw the Taldrya’s aim off course, the sword hitting the ground inches from Inahj.

“What in the name of-” Halcyon began as the sword continued emitting fireballs. The walls and ceiling were beginning to crumble under the bombardment of concentrated heat, whilst the room darkened as the lighting was eliminated. The Prophet tossed the sword to the ground, and the fireballs ceased almost immediately. Halcyon realised that the artefact had somehow tapped into his own connection to the Force to generate the fireballs.

A loud rumbling sound came from above the head of the Elder. He craned his head upwards to see that the cavern’s roof was beginning to cave in. The Prophet grimaced at the concept of the room collapsing. As neatly as it would dispose of Andrelious, the idea of losing the precious antique he had only just discovered was not one that the Taldrya wished to entertain.

“I’m not leaving this frakking sword. Hmm..I wonder,” Halcyon mused. Within moments, he had tied the weapon to Inahj, using the Warlord’s cloak. The antique flickered, as if it were about to start up again, but managed only a few tiny flames. It appeared that Andrelious’ own use of the Force to heal his injuries denied the sword the power it needed to draw.

The Taldrya dragged his opponent slowly towards the tunnel he had entered the cavern through, eventually escaping the area. As he rounded a corner in the catacomb, Halcyon heard a series of loud crashing noises, indicating the cavern had collapsed. A smirk of relief crossed his face for a few brief moments.

The journey through the labyrinth was remarkably danger free. Wraids occasionally sprinted past, but seemed either disinterested or frightened of the emerald Human, even ignoring the unconscious Andrelious that he dragged behind him. Eventually, the Prophet spotted an artificial staircase that led upwards. At the top, the evening’s light poked through. Smiling at his successful recovery of the sword, Halcyon reached for his comlink.

“Justice, this is Vires. Two to pick up, plus one artefact. Prepare a high security cell. I have a prisoner,” the Prophet stated, removing the sword and throwing it to the ground.

It was a good day for Clan Taldryan. They would have the prestige of recovering a priceless artefact.

And Andrelious J. Inahj, Rollmaster of their hated Arcona rivals, was their prisoner.

Halcyon afforded himself a triumphant smile.

There was a heartbeat of silence as Inahj glanced at Halcyon first and then at the hilt of the artifact. He didn’t wait another heartbeat before suffusing himself with the Force and burst forward, making a beeline for the artifact as he mentally tossed two fragmentation grenades. The grenades made a straight line for Halcyon who, with a dismissive wave, sent them upwards into the ceiling. The grenades exploded on contact with the stalactites that hung far up into the cavern, sending a number of the sharp rock formations hurtling down.

Inahj wasn’t slowed, his arms waving away any of the stalactites that came near him. Halcyon gave chase, his senses easing him around the crashing rocks unscathed. Inahj was a dozen steps away from reaching the altar before an invisible fist slammed into the side of his chest. He was sent spinning into the air before falling back to the ground. He groaned in pain, a rib or two certainly broken along with whatever other contusions had occurred during the fall. From the corner of his eye he could see emerald light growing brighter. Instinct grabbed hold of one of his lightsabers and ignited the ruby blade in the path of the descending blow.

Inahj let out a howl of pain. The defensive maneuver had cost his body something. He bit his lip, fighting his body to hold together long enough to complete his mission. Halcyon pushed down harder eliciting another pained cry from Inahj’s lips. In anger and desperation, Inahj lashed out at the older Sith with his own telekinetic blow. Halcyon had felt the surge of Force energy before the blow was unleashed, but allowed himself to be attacked rather than make any defensive motions.

The attack was not nearly as powerful as it should have been. Inahj was too tired and hurt to focus the necessary energies, but Halcyon still sold the blow. He was propelled back a number of feet before hitting the ground and sliding a bit further. He quickly tamped down any pain before turning to his side and watching Inahj struggle back to his feet. He wanted the Arconan to retrieve the artifact, but needed to make a show of it. The entire energy of the cavern was wrong. Inahj’s senses were not nearly as finely-tuned, and he had missed the cues that Halcyon quickly grasped. Halcyon took his time rising to his feet. He could feel the energies of the cavern coalescing as Inahj reached out and grasped the hilt of the sword and pulled it out of the altar.

Darts infused with the Force shot out of the globes that surrounded the cavern. Halcyon was prepared, a shield of Force energy enveloping him moments before the trap was sprung. He willed the barrier to hold as a number of darts slammed against it. The power that guided them strained Halcyon’s efforts to hold the shield in place, but hold it did. Inahj had no such luck. Realization dawned on him too late as a handful of darts found their mark before his saber began weaving a temporary shield. He dropped the sword without a second thought, but the sword itself was just metal and nothing more. The Force had never touched it in any significant way.

The initial attack took only a brief few moments. Halcyon let down his guard and looked at the Arconan. Inahj still stood, but his body was riddled with wounds that oozed blood where the darts had struck. A sudden rumbling shook the cavern as the altar descended to the floor and the wall behind it opened. A boulder of massive proportions, runes etched throughout, came rolling out of the opening. Inahj stood directly in it’s path. He threw up a hand in desperation and called on all the reserves he had to stop the stone’s momentum. Whether through lack of power or focus, the boulder never slowed as it rolled over Inahj and continued forward. There was a sickening crunch as the boulder rolled over the body. Inahj managed only a small, strangled scream before he was crushed under the stone.

Halcyon was directly in the path of the boulder. He looked for an exit, but each one had been sealed shut the moment the darts were fired. The cavern itself seemed to have shrunk, with the boulder now enveloping all open space. Stalactites in its path were crushed into dust. Halcyon stood his ground. There was no time for him to make his own exit. His lightsaber was disengaged and placed back in its holster as he brought both of his arms up.

Reaching out with the Force, he grabbed hold of the boulder and pushed against it. The runes etched around the stone glowed with the same light that surrounded the cavern. It fought against him, slowing, but not stopping. Halcyon’s teeth ground together as he pushed harder. Sweat streamed down his forehead, matting his hair against his face. The runes pulsed in concert with Halcyon’s increased efforts. The pulses crescendoed before suddenly fading out with the stone stopping at the same time. Halcyon pushed the boulder back along its path before it was placed back against the wall it came from.

There was an audible crack and the various tunnel entrances opened once more. The altar rose back up, but atop it was now a triangular object. It seemed to be made of pure ruby with a silver casing surrounding it inlaid with Sith markings. With tentative steps, Halcyon walked over to the object. As he neared an image appeared.

“You have proven yourself a Sith of power.”

The voice was the same as the one that had helped him find the cavern.

“I am Lord Simus. This holocron is yours. What do you wish to know?”