Combat Master’s Note: Because you are matches against a member of your Clan, this battle takes on a unique format. You will be encountering Synin Torin with an ally. Treat Synin Torin as you would any other ACC opponent. You WILL be judged using the ACC rubric, so the person posting the best story will move on to subsequent rounds. If you wish to fight your Clanmate as well, you may, but this is not in any way a requirement.

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.

Begeren’s plunder has been rich, and the Clans and Houses have been bolstered, both by the favor they are currying with the Grand Master, and with their own triumphs against rivals. More fighting seems to have occurred between the Clans and Houses than against the One Sith, and the stream of priceless artifacts has slowed to a trickle as of late. The invasion of Begeren has now entered a wholly different phase, and though the end goal of capturing the world’s precious secrets remains the same, the methods of achieving it have changed. At least for now. The Dark Council has identified several settlements and key military objectives to seize, both for use as staging grounds, and to quell any revolts against Brotherhood authority before they begin. It has fallen to the Clans and Houses to seize these objectives, with large accolades and bounties to those willing to undertake dangerous missions, alone, into hostile territory. Despite the recent inter-clan aggressions, the Dark Council has made it clear that the bounties for taking objectives cannot be shared between units.

One such objective, a V-150 Planet Defender ion cannon, lies nestled in one of Begeren’s northern mountain ranges. The inhospitable and semi-arid region is known for its relatively cooler temperatures compared to the rest of the planet, and is home to one of the only active spaceports on Begeren. Though most of the region is patrolled by local militias, a sizable One Sith presence is thought to be in the area. An enormous feminine stone face, carved into the side of a towering cliff side, overlooks both the ion cannon and the neighboring spaceport, paying homage to a long-dead female Sith Lord.

You and an ally stand in a massive scree field beneath the adorned cliff side. The dark side is almost palpable here beneath the monument, but your true goal is the installation and the massive ion cannon immediately to your west. The installation is lightly guarded, and can be accessed by a natural, mountainous tunnel entrance. The entrance is well-lit and quite large for a tunnel access shaft, big enough for the heavy machinery needed to construct and maintain the massive ion cannon. The tunnel itself splits a few hundred yards in, leading to two separate objectives.

There are two main objectives: the fire control and targeting room, and the main power generators. Intelligence reports indicate that the fire control and targeting room is manned by two gunners and two-to-three militiamen from the local settlement. Intelligence also reports a light contingent of three guards and a slew of power droids around the power generators. Finally, there is a One Sith engineer thought to be working in the installation on some kind of upgrade, and he is likely to interfere with your mission. Which objective you choose depends, in part, on whether you wish to take or destroy the ion cannon. A barracks is not far from the ion cannon, and it’s possible that the One Sith could be lurking closeby should you arouse suspicion.

You and your ally cautiously enter the tunnels, unsure what exactly awaits you beneath the giant stone monument.

The rubble crunched and shifted under their feet as the two Arconans made their way into the cave. Slowly the crunching faded as they neared a fork in the tunnel. On the left, according to the signs, the larger path led to the generator room; the right, slightly smaller path ended at the control room, where the two had decided to attack.

Riverche rounded the corner and nearly bumped into a lone security guard. Shakily, he started to draw a pistol from a holster located on his upper right leg. “Halt, identify yourself!”

River slowly raised her empty hands, carefully moving towards the shaking guard. In a soft, reassuring voice, “No need for weapons, I’m unarmed.”

“No need for weapons, you’re unarmed.” Compelled to lower his gun towards his holster, “Who are you? What-”

A bolt sailed past River hitting the guard in the forehead, flinging him backwards against the cave wall. The guard’s pistol slid a short distance across the cave floor before coming to a rest near her foot, “I had that handled! You-”

“We have a mission to complete! No time for interrogations!” The Marauder informed her taking the lead. “You can interrogate any prisoners after the mission.”

“If there are any,” she retorted under her breath following Timeros.

They continued to march silently through the caves towards the control room. They paused every once in a while, just long enough to help a misguided guard find his way into eternal slumber in the Force.

The cave widened slightly into a small cavern. Around the edges, the rough walls were decorated with skeletons held up by shackles. The last of their possessions draped across their bones and the surrounding floor. On the far wall, a door opened to reveal a silver humanoid skeleton about two meters tall standing in front of a bank of computer terminals. A small remote eye with gold painted wings flew up and over the skeleton’s left shoulder. It exited the computer room disappearing behind the skeletons on the wall. The silver skeleton started to walk towards the two. The room’s door slammed shut on its own as the skeleton’s right arm opened revealing a red, glowing blaster cannon.

The blast scattered fragments of the cavern floor separating the two Arconans forcing them backwards. The Marauder quickly sprung to his feet and charged the silver droid; his lightsabers glowed to life. River drew her pistol from a holster hidden beneath her skirt. Carefully aiming at the silver droid, she fired a series of bolts hitting its chest piece.

As the last bolt bounced off the droid, a harpoon barely missed the Inquisitor’s right shoulder. On the recoil, she felt the metal harpoon scrape her shoulder. “Frak!”

The floating eye released a stream of fire in the direction of River. She instinctively dropped to her knees and rolled behind a nearby pile of bones as the flames arched overhead. Taking in a deep breath, she willed the wound to close. The blood slowed to a stop, but her shoulder continued to throb with a dull pain.

River stood to face the eye, but it had fled behind a skeleton, again. Noticing a slight movement to her left, she quickly aimed at the path of the movement and fired multiple bolts. The eye continued to move around the Inquisitor before one of the bolts shattered it.

Riverche turned to face Timeros just as he separated the silver droid’s head from its shoulders with his lightsabers. “Noooooooo! My droids!” echoed through the caves the Arconans had just exited.

The silvery, skeletal droid dropped to the ground with an echoing clang as Timeros spun around, sabers raised instinctively. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Riverche do the same, her blaster leveled at the sudden wails suffusing the cavern.

The Bpfasshi entered the room in a sobbing, spittle-flecked mess, face set in a rictal snarl as he surveyed the carnage that had befallen his creation. He was dressed in greasy robes, hands slick with lubricants. Behind him was another droid, this one black and jagged, sensors and injection needles jutting out from its imposing frame. It, too, was buzzing with indignation.

This must be the engineer mentioned in the briefing. One of the pretenders.

“You will pay for this,” the alien sobbed, beady eyes focused on the decapitated skeleton at the Entar’s feet. “You will suffer like my droi-“

Enough.

Timeros’ presence descended upon the room like a curtain made of lead, darkness and malice crashing into the Sith and smothering his voice into a babbling, incoherent mess. Even Riverche, to his side, seemed momentarily taken aback as the Elder’s hatred rushed by her, hands shaking ever so slightly under his relentless pressure.

Synin Torin threw back his head, erupting into a hateful laugh as terror clawed at his skull. The One Sith was radiating fright yet seemed oddly unaffected by the Arconae’s horrifying presence. “When I am done,” the engineer giggled hoarsely as he raised his hands, “you will wish you had let my droids kill you.”

Starbursts played across Timeros' mind instants before the lightning did, materializing from the One Sith’s hands. Barbs of power surged across the room, intent on transfixing those who had dared to harm the One Sith’s creations. The Arconae dove aside as lightning danced across the chamber, a frenetic burst of radiance so powerful it left a trail of scorch marks on the far wall.

Immediately, the lightning changed course, arcing away from the Adept…and straight into his Equite companion.

Riverche strobed with light, washing off of her in brilliant waves of white that sundered Timeros' sight. For a moment, all he could see was an awful radiance, a flash of murderous intent on the spot his fellow Arconan had occupied just moments ago.

When the Entar’s sight returned, he was surprised to see the Miraluka still standing, her eyeless face screwed up in concentration. The Force surrounded her like a cloak, lightning pressing against an invisible wall yet unable to penetrate. Without a trace of hesitation, the Priestess leveled her blaster and let loose a stream of crimson bolts at the furious engineer.

Torin’s sole remaining droid interposed itself with sudden intent, a green-hued barrier springing into existence as it did so. Bolts slammed into it one by one, yet its shielding held, prompting a triumphant laugh from its master.

“Yes!” the One Sith roared, beady eyes ablaze with pride at his modified creation. “Protect me while I avenge–“

The next instant saw the evaporation of Torin’s mirth. The spherical droid suddenly lurched aside, beeping in confusion, as Timeros smashed it with invisible hands, drawing upon the dark side with a mind far more detached and mechanical than that of the machine he fought. Before the One Sith could voice his outrage, however, Riverche fired another bolt.

Power exploded within Torin as long-disused combat reflexes came to life, lightsaber flitting from his belt and into the air, coming to life even before it settled in the engineer’s hands. He interposed the weapon with moments to spare, and the bolt ricocheted away, slamming into the cavern roof.

The Bpfasshi was granted no time to savor his survival. Moments later, Timeros’ sabers scythed through the cavern as the Adept assaulted him with all the subtlety of a charging rancor.

Torin fell into a defensive stance immediately, retreating across the cavern floor as he desperately drew upon the dark side, the frenzied glint in his eyes replaced by a sudden uncertainty. He stepped back, then forward again, weapon sawing back and forth in an effort to slow his foe.

Useless. Timeros intersected the gleaming blade with a saber of his own, then stabbed ahead with the other, arm and blade blurring together in an amethyst spear as he made for the gaunt Bpfasshi’s heart.

The One Sith kicked off against the floor, sailing across the cavern inches ahead of Timeros’ lightsaber. The Entar, grimly determined, readied himself to move forward and

Danger!

Timeros responded before his mind could fully register the cause, throwing himself across the cavern by instinct and the Force alone. As he did, he twisted around, and only then did he see the small, spherical object lying on the floor before him.

Instants later, the room behind him lit up in an explosion of light and sound as part of the cavern simply ceased to exist.

Thermal detonator, the Arconae thought, numbly. Across the sudden gap in the cavern, he could see Torin run away, trailed by his remaining droid.

“Are you alright?” Riverche’s voice seemed distorted, tiny against the explosion that still echoed inside his skull.

“I will live,” the Adept declared, as he righted himself. “We should pursue.”

Somehow, the Priestess contrived to offer him a skeptical look despite her lack of eyes. “The control room is the other way,” she offered.

“Nevertheless.” The Adept indicated the way back, towards the exit.

And the power generators.

The Entar did not voice his suspicions. If their brief exchange with Torin had shown one thing, it was that the engineer was utterly mad. He could not be allowed to run free.

“We should go,” he told her, just the barest hint of dread behind his words. Riverche stiffened for a moment, then nodded.

“One more thing.” Timeros raised an arm, letting invisible fingers grab the skull of the skeletal droid he had decapitated.

“What’s that for?” River asked distastefully.

The Entar’s lips raised fractionally in something that did not at all resemble a smile. “I have a plan.”