CHAPTER FIVE
-3956 BBY-
"Lord Glovoc! A Republic fleet has entered the system!"
Focused as he was on the Dying Sun's systems as it scanned Nyriaan, Darth Glovoc merely glanced at the young bridge officer whom had disturbed him.
"How many ships?" the Sith Lord hissed.
"It... it's a very large fleet, my lord. Admiral Morvis', to be precise."
"I do not care whose fleet it is, officer," Glovoc snapped. "Dispatch all Sith fighters."
The officer's face paled. "All of them, my lord?"
"Do as he says!" Captain Oris snapped. As the officer carried out his duties, Oris glanced furtively at Glovoc. Though he would not admit it to the Sith Lord, he knew that their ship was doomed to fall at the Republic fleet's hands.
To his surprise, Glovoc did not seem to notice his building apprehension, too focused on the ship's scanners to be aware of anything around him....
-Present-
"Korr? Do I know any Korr?" The male Vultan running the information center at the city of Drom scratched his chin. "A Zaven Korr arrived here a few days ago, but he was a Zabrak. Could you be looking for Koyi Korr? Though she's a Twi'lek... and, well, a she. Your Korr is a 'he', right?"
"Yes," Kyle Katarn muttered, his patience waning. "His name is Jaden Korr, a male human in his forties, with light skin, brown hair, gray eyes...."
"Sounds like just about every human male I know," the Vultan said wryly. "But I don't know any Jaden Korr. He's not in Drom's records, and you kinda have to be to live in this city. Sorry, pal."
Kyle sighed. "That's quite all right. Thank you for your help."
Walking out of the center, the Jedi Master headed for a local diner to meet with his fellow Jedi Taana Di and Natia Dorn, as well as Rancor Squad, and find out what they had uncovered.
Which was absolutely nothing.
"I'm beginning to doubt that Jaden was ever here on Vulta," Commander Devon said. "Not just because we can't find any trace of him, but also this: why would he go here after leaving Korriban?"
"What are you suggesting?" Kyle asked.
"Perhaps he figured out where the Sith amulet thief is. Odds are, that thief is visiting other Sith worlds."
"But what Sith worlds are out here in the Mid Rim?" asked Natia. "Most of them were out in the Outer Rim, either near or within the Esstran sector."
"Not necessarily," Taana said. "The Sith used to have a library on Arkania in the Colonies up until the end of the Great Hyperspace War."
"All right, great. That's helpful," Arek said flippantly. "But what about here in this sector? What Sith world could Jaden have gone to here?"
The others didn't respond to him, for it was clear that no one knew the answer.
* * *
"Pathetic," Varon muttered as he cut down another guardian of Darth Glovoc's tomb. "If the man you are trying to protect saw your efforts here, he would be most disappointed. He would dismiss you as the scum you are."
"Lies!" one of the twisted sub-humans howled. "The Dying Sun recognizes us as his children! We shall defend him to the last of us!"
"That you shall," Varon said coldly. "Because I am going to kill every last one of you."
With that, he continued his massacre, dismembering the primitive guardians with great ease. With each one he killed, he inched closer and closer to the altar. Upon reaching the stone steps leading up to the temple, he had cornered the last remaining sub-human and had him at his mercy, his red lightsaber blade hovering inches from his neck.
"Before I kill you," Varon hissed, "tell me how to enter the tomb."
"Never," the deformed being spat. "I'd rather burn my own self to appease the Dying Sun."
"So be it." Ruthlessly, Varon swung his blade and ended the being's life. He then kicked aside the corpse and ascended up the steps to the altar, with Sao close behind him.
Finding no clear entrance, Varon began to gather his Force energy before releasing it in one, powerful burst. The stone exterior of the temple peeled away from the blast, crumbling and breaking down into pebbles. Once the dust had settled, Varon had a clear view of his objective.
Suspended in stasis within a translucent casket was Darth Glovoc. The numerous wrinkles creasing his pale face indicated his ancient age.
A wicked grin contorted Varon's face. Everything was proceeding well.
* * *
As the speeder carrying Jaden, Serra, and Master Nomante crossed the wild terrain leading into Nyriaan's Steamfields, Jaden suddenly felt the Force cloud around him, feeling as if he was being stuffed into a tight corner.
"I feel it too," he heard Nomante mutter. "Something's not right."
Without warning, Serra jumped out of the speeder and charged through the geyser-filled Steamfields, igniting her lightsaber. As Nomante brought the vehicle to an abrupt halt, calling out his great-niece's name, Jaden jumped out as well and ran at a fast pace, seeing what it was that Serra was headed towards.
Up ahead, placed atop a set of stone steps, was a large, metal casket standing upright. Its lid was translucent, allowing Jaden to see the ancient man which slept within. The dark side emitted strongly from the oubliette.
"Sith!" Serra shrieked, and before Jaden could stop her, she charged towards the younger man standing in front of the casket. The black-robed man whirled around in alarm and raised his left arm, unleashing a blast of lightning.
Serra raised her blade to deflect the Force lightning but the attack was too strong for her, and it sent her flying off her feet. Jaden moved to aid her but was suddenly lifted up from the ground by an invisible force, feeling his neck tighten slightly.
"I really have no time to play," the man muttered as he tossed Jaden aside with a mere gesture. Landing hard on the ground, Jaden found himself too weak to get up and he could only watch as the man approached the oubliette.
After he had pressed a series of panels, the casket's lid slowly rose up and the ancient man within stumbled out. As the younger man kept him steady while the old one took in his surroundings, the former flashed an unsettling grin.
"Good morning."
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