The Chronicles of the Empire

Posted by Count Uebles on Year 5 Day 161

Onboard the Nebulon-B Frigate HAS Bladesinger at galactic position (0, 44).

(Excerpt from the Edition of Y12 D100, warped back in time through a rift in space-time)

A chill breeze came through the huge gap in the cliff and the valley beyond. Emperor Uebles stood quietly, his head tilted slightly to the left as if he would listen to some silent voices. Night fell quickly and one could almost watch the shadows growing as the distant sun sunk beyond the jagged mountain peeks. Around him lay the charred husks of what once had been Acolytes of the Sith Temple. The poor fools thought they could keep this a secret from him? probably he shouldn't have been so merciful with them, none took more then a few minutes to die under his Force Powers, but he had other things that occupied his mind now.

Another man stepped to his side, looking at the gaping, black entrance to the lost valley of the Sith. Not lost anymore, he corrected himself.

Are you sure you don?t want me to accompany you, Master?

The Emperor slowly directed his blind gaze on to his Apprentice, not without a certain pride. At last he was developing his real potential. One day he would be powerful enough and challenge him as it was the Siths tradition for uncounted ages. He would be ready for that day.

Yes. I sense a presence there, old. Very old and very powerful. You are not ready to meet it yet? Maybe nobody really is.

Vraith felt slightly uneasy at the thought that his Master obviously wasn?t sure if he would succeed. If he can?t, who else could?

And you really think this is it? The hiding place of the Dark Holocron?

Uebles smiled slightly while he reached into his pocket for a datapad he had prepared.

Yes I am. I can clearly sense it as I can sense it's guardian. Naga Sadows essence, it seems to have grown only more powerful in the millenia of its imprisonment, and I can also sense that he is not happy that we are here as well.

A grin briefly crossed his harsh features. Somehow he seemed to really enjoy the risk he was taking.

Here, take this.

He handed the Datapad to his Apprentice.

What is it Master?

Orders. Read them after I have left and act accordingly. You will know what to do.

Vraith bowed deeply, but couldn?t fight the bad feeling he had about all of this.

Uebles loosened his Lightsabers in his belt.

Heads up Gunther. See you after all it's over.

With a last nod he turned around and without hesitation walked into the darkness, down into the valley where his Predecessors lay and waited.

Darth Vraith was sitting in the shadow of a large peak watching down into the valley using an electronic monocular. The group of men and women approached the entrance to Sadows tomb slowly, almost turning around on more then one occasion.

'Cowards' he thought. His Royal Guards at least went into their deaths like men, and he knew they weren't less frightened then this MJ 12 thugs. Even the slaves the Acolytes had brought with them showed more courage. well they didn't had much of a free will left anyway.

He could sense the dark emanations even from here, almost a mile away, like an icy touch, wandering down his spine. It got stronger during the day, but at least the hunger in it got less. He hoped those down there would suffice to satisfy it, at least for the moment.

He patted the pocket with his Masters datapad. He still wasn?t sure if he understood everything completely. But at least this one part here was easy enough.

As he watched, the MJ 12 Agents entered the tomb. 'Damned snoops', he never liked them anyway. It took only a couple of minutes until he saw dark, blue light ripping through the shadows of the tombs entrance and felt the ripples of pain and fear disturbing the force around him - bringing up memories he would had preferred to remain buried.

Himself as he couldn't wait anymore and entered the valley with the first signs of dawn. The dark passages and the empty whispers that filled them. The dread he felt when he came close to the tomb itself and the relive when he couldn't feel a trace of Sadows essence. The shock he felt when he found the Dark Lord crouched over the Holocron, dark blue light engulfing him like an unholy halo. The eyes. Eyes where there shouldn't be eyes. Made out of an cobalt glow that caused him to shudder, he who saw more horror in his life, and caused much of it himself, then most people could even imagine. And the voice in his head. 'Power'. Overwhelming!? It was then when he turned around and ran.

But the voice remained in his head even after he left the valley? slowly he began to understand and he obeyed.

Another hour had passed and he saw a single figure emerge from the tomb and run like all of Hell was trailing it. He lifted the Monocular up and watched more closely, noticing an obviously female figure that carried something in her arms; something reminding him of the Holocron, could it be? One of the spooks, he thought 'how curious?' Why had she been spared?

He jumped up and spun around when he heard a low but raucous laughter close by; his Lightsaber was in his hand even before he himself had realised he had moved at all. A tall figure, tightly wrapped in a rugged cloak of faded black stood only a few feet away. Without caring for the Lightsaber it stepped forward and looked down at the running woman. The figure laughed again and whispered hoarsly.

Her panic is delightful isn?t it? Just like her pain was?You have to savour it like a rare wine my friend.

Still a bit shaky, Vraith switched off the Lightsaber and pushed it back into his belt.

But why let her go?

The figure turned around and in the deep blackness of the hood only two glowing, cobalt lights could be seen.

Because she will relieve us of a task. She will run back to Vodo and tell him what he needs to know. He will be delighted to hear what she has to say?

Laughing again, the cloaked figure began to descend to the valley and to the shuttle that waited for them.

Now come my Apprentice, I have much to tell you and we have much to do before it is too late?

But what about the Holocron? Was it the real one?

Is that important? They might never learn? and besides, I got from it what I wanted already?

Without further hesitation Darth Vraith followed him who once was his Master and would be so again as it seemed. He didn?t knew exactly whom he followed, but he knew he would find out sooner or later - and that knowledge might even be worth the risk.