The settlement of Dreshdae was on fire. Most of the inhabitants had fled in the past few days as the fighting first broke out. By now the town had been held by Odan-Urr, Taldryan, and at present the Iron Throne's Nephilim had barricaded the streets. Snipers peered from broken windows and the soldiers of the Iron Throne rifled through every safe, databank and storage closet they could find. What they could not use, they burned.

Colyn Skybender stood with Scion Altera at the top of a ridge overlooking the town. The two men looked a little like long-lost brothers. Both wore military uniforms, both stood about the same height, and both looked on at the burning town with the hardened gaze of someone who has watched many men die.

"The scrolls aren't here, are they?" Scion's query hung in the air, but he already knew the answer before the other man said it.

"No."

"Any idea who has them?"

"Connor Grey. He's a relic hunter. Our sources tell us he was here trying to book passage off planet. I think he must have succeeded. We'll burn this town to the ground, then get back to the Valley."

Scion nodded in agreement.

"We'll get him," said Colyn. "He can't have gone far."

"I have no doubt."

Scion did not allow himself to smile. He knew that Connor Grey was, in fact, aboard the *Magnus Kaerner* being interrogated at this very moment. Last night's patrol had been successful, and the scrolls were now safely stowed in his office. His meeting with Lord Ashen's general, Colyn Skybender, was merely a formality at this point.

Darth Aeternus had made his way into the town a few hours ahead of the Nephilim. Taldryan forces still controlled it, but the battles in the Valley had required them to draw down their defense. Stationed in the hills near the town, scouting teams had kept eyes on the main roads and a few key buildings including the Drunk Side tavern.

Darth Aeternus had just walked up to the checkpoint, where he had said something very convincing to the post commander.

"I'm just here for an ale at the tavern," said Darth Aeternus. "You will clear me for passage into the town."

"You're just here for an ale, that's fine," said the Captain. "I'll clear you for passage into the town."

Aeternus smiled as the Captain handed him a set of papers.

"Thank you, Sir. Here's a few credits so you can get an ale on me when you're off duty. Have a good night."

The Tarentae passed into the town, disappearing into the shadows as soon as he was out of sight of the guard post.

"CIC this is Eternal. I made it inside the town. En route to the tavern now. Over."

"Eternal. We have not observed the target leaving the tavern. Please proceed as planned. Over."

"Affirmative. Over."

The Drunk Side was a large, duracrete construction. Booths lined the walls, and the bar was built as a large circular establishment in the center of the room. The walls were scrawled with graffiti, and there were only a handful of regulars sitting at the tables. Connor Grey seemed to be a few drinks in, speaking loudly to the Rodian behind the bar.

"That's **not** how you make a Sarlacc Pit! Where'd you learn to mix drinks, the spice mines on Kessel?"

The Tarentae slipped inside and walked up to the bar, next to Connor.

"Mr. Grey, I presume?" asked Darth Aeternus.

"Who wants to know?" Connor scowled at him.

"I'd like you to come with me," said Aeternus.

"Yeah, I bet you would."

A flash of light erupted around Connor, and Aeternus instinctively shielded his eyes. When he opened them, Connor was gone. He whipped around and was out the door in a flash, until he realized that he couldn't sense Connor's presence in the Force at all.

"Frak!" he muttered.

At this time about half a dozen men around the tavern had stood up from their tables and were staring at the man in the doorway. Their hands were all tucked inside their coats and Aeternus decided it would be prudent to duck out around the corner for a moment.

"CIC. I lost him. Did you see him leave the building? Over."

"Negative. No activity outside except for you, Sir. Over."

Aeternus frowned. *He must still be in there. Some kind of illusion?* The Tarentae ducked back around the corner and strode into the room, exuding confidence.

"All you mother-karkers are about to die, unless you bring Connor Grey to me. Right. Now."

Shots rang out. In a fluid motion Darth Aeternus activated his lightsaber. The cerulean blade caught the incoming blaster fire and effortlessly redirected it back to each of the shooters. In an instant he was on top of the nearest standing foe, his blade punched through the man's heart. Whipping around, he sent a massive shockwave into the bar, hurling the Rodian bartender over it and into the far wall. He was making his way across the room to the last man when a glimmer caught the corner of his eye. Planting his foot, he reached out to the last man with the depths of the Force and flung him with a considerable amount of force through the glimmer.

*grunt* "Ah, kark me!" exclaimed a voice. The Tarentae was on Connor in a second as he shimmered into visibility. "Don't stick me! I'll come quietly! You've made your point, mate!" Aeternus grimaced, and hit him hard on the head with the hilt of his lightsaber.

"CIC. I got him. Prepare for evac. Over."

Phase 2 fiction from pin 3160

GJW Round 2 Fiction: PRT DRACARYIS #13802

Dracaryis crouched on the small rock outcropping overlooking the Valley of the Dark Lords and surveyed the area carefully. It had been three days since his Master directed him to travel to Korriban to retrieve the ancient scrolls detailing the Rite of Immortality, and his search was turning up nothing of value. Carefully descending the cliffs, he made his way across the sands of the Valley and towards the ancient Sith Academy. Dracaryis had decided earlier that day that if was to ever track down the scrolls, he would have to begin at the place where they were originally uncovered.

This mission was incredibly risky, especially for a Protector armed with a training saber and a few undisciplined Force skills, but Dracaryis was not afraid. He excelled at working alone, and along with his keen intellect he was a natural detective; an obvious choice for this mission. “Find the Scrolls,” his Master said simply. “Find the Scrolls and retrieve them, so that your journey along the Dark Side may continue.”

Dracaryis approached the destroyed door at entrance to the ancient Sith Academy and stepped inside. He knew where the scrolls were found, and he was certain that he would find clues as to where the scrolls were if he examined the site. As he traveled through the dark corridors of the Academy he found himself in awe of its construction. The symmetrical halls, the sparse living quarters, the large training area; this had been a place where warriors were cultivated. He felt oddly comfortable as he walked the halls.

As he came to the excavation site, he became convinced that he was being watched. Though his Force training was still very unrefined, he was certain he could sense a strong presence watching his every move, waiting for him to drop his guard to in order to strike. He kneeled over the site where the scrolls were unearthed, and ran his fingers through the ancient soil, reaching out with his mind for some kind of sign that would point him in the right direction. He heard the hum of the lightsaber before he had a chance to react, and was lifted off the ground and thrown against the wall by an invisible entity. Dracaryis shook his head and attempted to regain his focus. As his vision returned, he found himself looking directly into the eyes of a female Ikotchi…he was face to face with Darth Necren.

“Who are you?” Necren demanded.

“I am Dracaryis, Protector and servant of Clan Plagueis.” Dracaryis replied quickly, but without fear. He knew how he spoke and interacted with Necren would determine whether or not he survived this encounter.

“Why are you here?” the Elder questioned.

“My master sent me in search of the scrolls defining the Rite of Immortality. I am to return them to him in order to continue my training.” Dracaryis replied. It was better to tell the truth to Necren than to lie, as she would know if he was lying anyway.

“Your master sent you to Korriban, with a limited knowledge of the Force and armed only with a training saber? “ Darth Necren asked skeptically.

“My master is confident in my abilities. I will find the scrolls, and I will destroy anyone who tries to get in my way.” Dracaryis declared, igniting his training saber. “I am not afraid of anyone or anything on this planet, including you.”

The words were out of his mouth before he could silence himself. He stood there, gripping his training saber and preparing for Necren to strike. Darth Necren surveyed the young Protector pensively, running her fingers along the hilt of her lightsaber. Suddenly, Necren burst into patronizing laughter.

“You have spirit, Protector, I will give you that, “ the elder laughed. “You would not stand a chance against me, but I believe you can be of use. I also seek the scrolls. Abandon your master and join me, and I will continue your training.

Dracaryis was taken aback by this offer. To serve under Darth Necren would be a great honor. But there was the concern of her potential loyalty to the One Sith. Dracaryis didn’t care too much about that, as he preferred to operate solo. If he could learn from Darth Necren and then eventually betray her and usurp her power as all Sith are expected to do, so much the better for him.

“I am honored, my Master…” Dracaryis replied. “What would you have me do?”

I hope .doc will work.

-SW Omega Kira

This was not right, I am Jedi, I should know better. Anger is something that I've learned to never let control me. But it was extremely difficult at the moment. I have felt anger before, it was part of my training. To recognize what it was and it’s allure to the dark side, something I’d want to watch out for. This was beginning to feel right and it was scaring me, but I was having trouble controlling it. My trip in to Dreshdae was frustrating, I tried to meditate to clear my thoughts and calm myself. That was proving difficult as every time that I closed my eyes and started to focus, my mind would drift back to the death of my sister. That would cause my anger to well up at Darth Necren and that Nephilim. After arriving at the small landing port just outside town, I had made my way into town to begin my search for Connor Grey, a rogue, arms dealer, relic hunter, and a liar and cheat. Though while he was not responsible for the death of my sister, he was the catalyst that lead to her death.
Having been in town before on numerous occasions, I decided to don an inconspicuous outfit. I call them my I-don’t-want-to-be-recognized clothes. The consisted of a pair of rugged brown pants with extra pockets added to the thighs to keep my lightsaber in. A button up blue long-sleeved shirt that I leave untucked. A simple black vest with only the bottom button fastened. I had decided to start with The Drunk Side, the local cantina that had survived for a few centuries, numerous owners, and several wars. This place was the place to learn anything about what is going on. If I knew Connor at all, he would be here learning what he could about any new relics that might have been uncovered in recent days. The road from the landing pads to the cantina was once an empty road with a few signs hanging. Now it seems that every buildings doorway had a sign above it, selling something. Between every other doorway there had popped up an outdoor stand that was selling souvenirs and replica relics of all kinds. Normally, there would be few to a couple dozen beings along this street visiting the shops and making deals of one kind or another. Now there seemed like there was hundreds crammed onto this street, buying, selling, making deals or just looking at the various wares.
Knowing that there will be dark jedi or all kinds, and maybe a Jedi or two, I decided to put up my Force Cloak to hide my presence to a degree to move about unnoticed. As I tried to focus to apply the Force Cloak, I felt blocked and couldn't focus completely. It felt just like the trip in, where it was difficult to meditate, and my anger would well up at the thought of Necren or the Nephilim. But even a partial Force Cloak was better than nothing. I was about to the cantina when I saw him coming out, because of his unique look, he is fairly easy to spot or follow. I continue walking past him and the cantina as though I’m going to a shop on the other side. I walk past him as he’s lighting another cigarette, and anger surges through me that my Force Cloak works a little too well and I bump into someone who should have been able to easily avoid me, had he seen me. Surprised at the action, my grasp of the Force faltered and my Force Cloak dropped, the person that I had bumped into had already recovered and was on his way. Not wanting to draw any more attention to myself, I acted like nothing was out of the ordinary and continued on my way away from Connor, hoping that he didn't see what had happened.
I had walked about two buildings from the cantina, stopping to lean against a wall to recover from that near ordeal. Taking a few breaths, I tried to calm myself to degree, and thought on the events that had happened, and realized that if I didn't get a handle on my anger then this would not go as planned. Finally getting myself somewhat calmed, I managed to get my Force Cloak up again, and turned back in the direction that Connor had gone. Walking past the cantina again, I get a strong danger sense. I take a quick look around to see if I could identify it, but don’t readily see anything that would give me pause. About three buildings further up, I see him coming out of the next building across the street so I slow down to stay behind him and see what he was doing. I continue to shadow him for another two buildings, while he was looking over the merchandise of an outside vendor, when I had that same danger sense I had back at the cantina, but this time it was stronger and somewhat focused. Feeling panicked, but not wanting to reveal myself, I casually scan the area to see if any being was paying extra attention in my direction.
That is when I saw him, the Nephilim, his armor very distinctive against the normal attire of those around him. He had his helmet off, for reasons only known to him, never seen one without their helmet on. A hard gaze from a seemingly harder face, leering at those nearest him. He probably forgot that everyone could see his face, as people quickly averted their eyes and gave him as much of a wide berth that they could on this semi-crowded street. I quickly scan the beings around him to see if Necren was in the area as well. And she was, turning out of a doorway to look over some relic merchandise for sale. Knowing that if I let myself panic while my anger seemed to be building, I would not be able to maintain my Force Cloak, and send up a nice big flare. Looking back at Connor, I see that he was still perusing at a relic stand. Either he was oblivious to Necren and the Nephilim or he knew they were there and didn't want to let on. Probably the latter as he was like that, seeming like he had no idea, but knowing all along. Realizing that time was now of the essence, I was going to have to hurry things along, and I hate rushing things, takes a lot of the fun out of it.
Trying to figure out how to get him someplace a little private so I could employ a little seduction to get information on the whereabouts of the actual writings. I see my opportunity when he moved on from the relic stand and entered the next building down. Taking a breath and putting on a smile, I follow him into the building, dropping the Force Cloak in the process, no need to alarm him just yet. “Connor my sweet, where have you been, I've been looking for you all over.” I say to him as I come up behind him, wrapping my arms around his chest, giving a slightly intimate hug. He had tensed when I hugged him, but was relaxing now that he had heard my voice. I could feel his excitement at me arrival, he always did like to see who could outdo the other whenever we all got together. I release him from my embrace when I feel him start to turn around.
“Well, hello,” he stammers when he sees that I am dressed in the complete opposite of my normal attire. He takes a moment to look me over, so I give him a little flirtatious pose. “That ‘s a new look for you, I like it.” He comments with a smile. “Gives you that adventurous look.” I always like to see him smile, but this time there was something missing, something off about him that I couldn't place. His cigarette, he wasn't smoking one at the moment, he must have tossed it just before entering. Looking over my head towards the door, he asks, “Where is your sister, didn't think the two of you strayed too far from each other?”
Killed at the hand of Necren! My thoughts screamed, betraying me at a most inconvenient time. I must have lost it for a moment, because the next thing I remember is hearing nearby objects settling back in place and Connor looking at me with a very concerned face. Anxiety and concern radiated from him through the Force, and I could feel that he had created a Barrier for some reason. “What happened?” he asked, his tone that of worried concern. “Something bad happened didn't it? Your whole Force presence has changed, it almost seems as if…” He looks me straight in the eyes as if he was looking for something. I can feel him probing me with the Force, and I’m able to block him at first, but my emotions and focus are unstable and all over the place, and he is able to break past them with ease. “Tell me what happened.”
Taking a deep breath to keep myself from losing control, I recap the story of this dreadful day. “We had heard that Lord Cotelin was seeking ancient writings on the Rite of Immortality. We thought that if we were able to attain these writings, we would gain favor with him. So we came here to learn the whereabouts of these writings, or who might have them. Nalia set up in the cantina while I donned these clothes and started making discreet inquiries into any information on the writings. We had spent about half a day listening and asking questions, Nalia learned that there had been one that had returned from the Valley of the Dark Lords with the writings and was seeking to sell them to whoever wants them the most. I had learned that there was a blonde male in a brown coat that was making inquiries if there were any beings that might be interested in the writings if they were found. We gathered that this person might be you, and that when we came to you earlier asking after the writings. You insinuated that you had them, then led us to believe that someone else had them, leaving us confused and certain that they had been found and were in town somewhere. Assuming that you had them and was looking to sell them to one of the three sides in the civil war that had currently gripped the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. We had heard that there was a strong ally of Lord Cotelin located at the old Academy, we sought them out to give what we had learned in exchange for returning to the fold.” The entire time that I was telling the story, I could feel my anger and hatred rising to the surface. Connors expression never once changed, but I could feel surprise, concern, and interest in me as I continued to talk. “What we got was captured by a Nephilim, and brought before Darth Necren. Nalia was knocked unconscious from a butt-stroke to the back of the head, then beheaded by Necren, as I was being dragged out of the Academy and ordered to find the writings or suffer the same fate as my sister. I need those writings, Connor, please tell me you have them or know who does.” I pleaded to Connor, intense sadness threatening to overwhelm me.
When I had finished, his expression changed to one of concern. “I’m sorry my dear, but that was what I've been doing since I returned from the Valley earlier. I was at the Tomb of Marka Ragnos, where a lot of ancient runes and writings could be found, but I did not have the knowledge to read or understand them. Plus there were three Krath Pontifices and a small group from Clan Naga Sadow there guarding them, and they wouldn't let me take anything. So when I arrived back in town, I heard that someone claiming to be me was spreading word around that I had the writings and was looking to sell them to one of the civil war factions. I've been trying to find this person and working to repair any damage he has done in my name.” He concluded, his face taking on a very dark tone when he inferred that someone could have had the audacity to impersonate him and ruin his image.
I didn't know that one’s heart could be crushed further than from losing a twin who had been murdered in front of you. It felt as though my whole world was falling apart. All I had now was my love and affection for my friends, and my anger and hatred for Darth Necren and that Nephilim. I was not going to allow A’lora and Liam to meet the same fate as Nalia. Even if that meant falling to the dark side. I knew that I only had two choices in the matter. To stay and continue to search for the possible non-existent writings and run the risk of incurring the wrath of Necren and endangering myself and my friends. Or escaping, warning A’lora and Liam of Nalia’s fate and the threat by Darth Necren, and getting stronger to take down Necren for what she did to my sister. Only the later made sense, disappearing and plotting my revenge. I was certain that I could get A’lora and Liam to help me. Yes, I am starting to see the beginnings of a beautiful scheme to bring down the Nephilim and Darth Necren for killing my sister.
Looking up at Connor, who looked taken aback at what probably seemed like a drastic change in my demeanor and Force presence, I raised up on my toes and kissed him on his right cheek. “Thank you love, there’s something that I must do now. Undeniably we will meet again, until then my sweet.” I say to him, then turn and give him a very flirtatious wave goodbye. Feeling more confident with each step, I give Connor one last parting gift, I use my new found confidence to add a little sway to my hips as I saunter through the door. Just before I pass out of earshot I hear Connor intone, “The power of the dark side……”, and I was out in the street and couldn't hear what else he might have said. Putting up a Force Cloak, I looked to my left to see if Necren or the Nephilim were still there, I don’t see Necren, but I find the Nephilim leaning up against a building a couple of buildings down on the other side of the street. He must have seen my enter and decided, or was told, to remain and see if I would do as I was told. Boy, was he going to be disappointed, as I warmly smile at him and step out and meld into the flow of the crowd, headed towards the landing pads.

Attached is my Round 2 Fiction. Enjoy.