The turbulent atmosphere gave way to an orange glow, emanating from the planet's volcanic nature. On the horizon, Jedi Master A'Sharad Hett noted the silhouette of an ominous black castle, reaching up from the rocky terrain as if trying to claim the burnt orange sky as part of itself. Hett took his stolen cruiser low along the landscape of Bast, navigating through the rivers of flowing crimson lava and blackened outcroppings of jagged stone. If the planet's ruling master weren't enough of a deterrent for visiting Bast, the planet's geography certainly was. Hett again tried to hail any listening bodies over the comm channels, hoping to reach someone before Bast Castle's defense array began to pour a torrent of laser fire at him. "A'Sharad Hett, contacting Bast Castle. I seek an audience with Lord Vader," spoke Master Hett into his comm system. Again, there was no answer. It was as if the planet was deserted. Or worse yet, that they were expecting him. That last thought was unsettling. Hett reached out with the Force, feeling for any kind of clue, any hint at what awaited him at Bast Castle. While he could sense thousands of lives at the castle, what caught his attention immediately was the presence of a great darkness in the Force, an evil he hadn't felt in a long while.
Suddenly, as if they had materialized from the atmosphere itself, six Imperial TIE Defenders found themselves surrounding Hett's stolen ship. Their tight formation gave no room for maneuverability on Hett's part. They were clearly escorting him, and if he didn't like it, they would vaporize him without a second thought. He liked their style. Still, no one hailed him on his comms, and none answered his requests. It was silent, and he would trust in the Force. Soon, when Bast castle had gone from looming over the horizon to glaring in his viewscreen, it was evident where he was to land. The sextuplet of TIE Defenders prodded his craft to a landing platform atop a solitary spire. Hett gently sat the craft down, and looked out the viewscreen at the entourage awaiting him before he disembarked. An entire garrison of 501st Stormtroopers stood in perfect formation, almost as if they were welcoming him. As if they were waiting for him. This was unsettling, but not completely. As the landing ramp lowered itself, Hett gathered himself for the coming meeting with the man once known as Anakin Skywalker. Hett strapped his lightsaber to his belt and strode down the ramp. As he walked towards the castle, passing the cadre of Stormtroopers lined shoulder to shoulder, white armor pure as the snow on Hoth, Hett built up an intense Force shield, for whatever awaited him at the end of this procession. The evil he sensed was strongest there, though it bore no memory that Hett had of Darth Vader. Had he been corrupted so greatly by the Dark Side that he was no longer recognizable? No, it was not Vader he sensed, but a female, and not human. As Hett reached for his lightsaber, a helmeted voice broke the silence behind him.
"Do not reach for your weapon, Jedi. You won't be able to deflect this many blaster bolts, and you know it," said the Stormtrooper Commander. Hett turned his head slightly, and the sight was definitely something to behold. The entire garrison of troopers had closed in to flanking and sniping positions without hardly a sound. And if that weren't enough, an array of Shadow Guards had appeared to take the lead in any assault. A'Sharad Hett could not help but smile and be impressed.
"I do not come to battle," said Hett calmly, "I only wish to speak to Lord Vader about something that he will be quite eager to hear."
"Do you," came a chilling, growling voice from the shadows. "What makes you think you know something that Lord Vader does not? And what makes you think that Lord Vader would believe a traitorous Jedi such as yourself?"
"Because what I know has been covered better than any other secret in the Jedi Order. A secret that involves Kenobi and Yoda. Because if Vader knew, he wouldn't have hesitated to act on this," said Hett confidently.
A female Bothan came out of the shadows, cloaked in black silk attire, trimmed with crimson red accents. Her jet black fur laid neatly against her body, her eyes glowed a bloody red in their sockets. As she stood there, radiating waves of Dark Side energy, her yellowed clawed hands twitched with excitement. At her waist hung several lightsaber hilts, yet one in particular hung alone, clearly her favored weapon. "Lord Vader has been expecting you, Tusken. Come with me, and do not attempt anything foolish, as it will be the last thing you ever do."
As A'Sharad followed behind the Bothan, the Shadow Guards and 501st closed in around them, a tight cocoon of Imperial force enshrouding them both.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
"Bast? Are you serious?" shouted Vos from across the bridge? "Do you honestly think we can just waltz into the planet OWNED by Vader? Do you honestly think that we have any chance against what is sure to be an entire fleet of Imperial forces protecting the residence of Darth Vader?"
"Calm down, my Kiffar friend, it's not like we're trying to land at the Emperor's chambers on Coruscant," chided Obi-Wan. Vos often found Master Kenobi's wry smile and calm demeanor in the face of almost certain defeat annoying. It was though Kenobi didn't ever really consider the implications of his machinations. "We aren't going to just knock on his front door and try to sell him cookies and caf. Trust in the Force my friend, and we'll find our way. We have to stop Hett from contacting Vader. The fate of the Jedi Order rests in the secrets that must remain hidden."
"May I ask you something, Master Kenobi," prodded Quinlan Vos.
"Of course, old friend. Anything."
"You don't call him Anakin anymore, though you've known him since he was nine years old. He was your first and only padawan. He was your friend. He was your brother in arms. You had survived the Clone Wars side by side, and had maintained one of the tightest bonds of any Jedi among the order. And yet, you no longer call him Anakin. Only his new moniker. Why?
Master Kenobi stared out into the blackness of space, his hand stroking his beard pensively. His eyes became dark and cold as he stared into oblivion, or perhaps into his own soul. His features darkened as well, his smile gone as though it had never been. Vos could feel the effects in the Force, and they were chilling, even coming from Kenobi of all Jedi. Vos had never witnessed this sort of display from him, and he was immediately sorry that he had asked the question. At last, Kenobi spoke, "The man who was once Anakin Skywalker no longer exists, not only for me, but for the entire Universe. He was seduced by the Dark Side, and at that time, Darth Vader arose from the ashes that was once Anakin Skywalker."
"Listen, Master, I didn't mean-"
"If we are to interept Hett before he can do any harm, we have to sneak in under their radar," interrupted Kenobi forcefully. The topic had been closed, make no mistake about it.
"And that's where I can be of assistance," chimed in Captain Calpath in his thick Aqualish accent. "My ship's sensor and cloaking array is more than enough to get you planet-side, though we'll have to drop you a ways off from the castle itself."
"Good enough, my old friend," said Kenobi in his usual good humor, as if the previous events had not even taken place. "I don't suppose you'd have a speeder we could borrow from you as well, do you?"
"Borrow?!" bellowed Calpath with a laugh. "And just how do you intend to return it to me, Jedi? Must I remind you about the Battle of Bothawui, where you 'borrowed' one of my starfighters? And just where is my fighter, exactly, and when do I get it back?"
"Ok, fair is fair," chuckled Master Kenobi. "May I take a speeder, and repay you for it at a later date?"
"Of course, old friend. Go down below and ready yourselves. We touch down planet side in twenty minutes."
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
"Master Kenobi, what makes you think that Hett hasn't already told Vader all about your dirty little secrets?" inquired Master Vos carefully, hoping not to push the wrong button again.
"You can relax yourself, old friend. You had every right to ask the questions you have, and I must learn to better control my emotions surrounding...Vader," said Kenobi with his usual humor, obviously sensing Vos' apprehension. "And to answer your previous question, Vader is not here. At least not yet. I do sense another, however, and I sense that you do as well."
"Indeed I do. I believe that would be the Bothan Sith Witch I fought on Terminus. I wonder what she's doing here."
"My guess is, nothing good. I have a bad feeling about this," said Obi-Wan. He checked the settings and controls of the speeder one more time, ensuring it would be ready for immediate use upon touch down. It wasn't built for offense, that was for sure. But knowing Calpath, it was built for speed and defense, sure to make a decent getaway if need be. The MandalMotors LUX-3 landspeeder bore dark green body panels marred with blaster marks and rust spots. Deep gouges eroded into the hull of the ship caused from any number of confrontations throughout it's history. The amber hued lens of the cockpit showcased the blaster burns permanently tattooing the smooth glass. A few cursory blasters added to the landspeeder's shape, enough to prove a point, but not enough to fend off a full assault.
"Touch down in one minute and counting, Kenobi. Strap in and get ready for free fall," came the thick aquatic voice of the freighter's Captain.
"Well, I guess this is where we get off," joked Obi-Wan. He hopped into the pilot's seat and buckled in his harness, powering on the speeder's power systems. Vos sat beside him and followed in kind, checking the weapons and shield systems.
"Systems active, ready for deployment," said Vos calmly.
And with that, the bay doors opened, dropping the Mandalorian-designed landspeeder to the planet less than a quarter of a kilometer below. Just as the craft neared the ground, the repulsorlifts kicked in and kept the small ship from splattering across the landscape, jetting them across the ground towards the looming black castle on the horizon.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
"I smell the stench of the Jedi on you, yet I also sense the seed of the Dark Side inside of you," growled Cheai Xatal, the Bothan Sith Witch. "Have you flirted with the Greatness that is the Sith, and burried below the surface like a coward, or have you begun to realize the truth in the Force?"
"Make no mistake, Bothan, your beastly growls do not intimidate me. I have realized the failings of the Jedi, just as I have realized the triumphs of the Sith. Neither side is without fault, and perhaps both need to be eradicated. For now, I'm here to right a wrong, and nothing more," said Hett with a note of threat in his voice. Was this vile Tusken Raider actually challenging Xatal, seeking to draw her into battle? Or was he simply foolish enough to think he had any control of the situation. The Shadow Guards clearly felt something out of place, as their formation changed to an offensive one, readying themselves for a battle yet to come. "Enough with this posturing, Witch. I must speak with Lord Vader immediately, and I must do so in person. I sense that two Jedi that he would be most interested in have arrived planet side, and are heading this way."
"I sense no such tremors in the Force, Tusken," spat Xatal. "Either you are trying to fool me into believing such lies, or you have led them here. Both are foolish, and both will earn you your death!"
"I would not be so foolish to bring Jedi here," snarled Hett. "And do not think that your precious Shadow Guards and Stormtroopers will intimidate me. I have come here with the express purpose to speak with Vader about a matter that is personal to him, and will not be spoken down to by the likes of you. In fact, I sense that one of the Jedi has a history with you as well, so how do I know they aren't here for you afterall?"
Cheai Xatal drew herself up to her full height and allowed her feelings to flow in the Dark Side, searching for these so called Jedi that the Tusken claimed roamed the countryside. And there, now a glaring pock mark in the Force, was Jedi Master Quinlan Vos. What surprised her even more, was the presence of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was long rumored among the Sith Acolytes that Kenobi was Vader's Jedi Master before he had ascended to the Dark Side, and that Kenobi had not died on Mustafar as the Emperor had said. The hackles on her neck stood high on end, and for the first time in a long time, she felt true fear.
"What's the matter, Bothan? Cathar got your tongue," goaded Hett. I sense great fear in you, creature. Perhaps you are not as strong as you or your master believe."
"Guards, Troopers, leave us!" barked Xatal. The garrison at her command followed their master's wish obediently and immediately, leaving the two Force wielders alone in the great hall of Vader's Castle. The long hall had immense ceilings that seemed to be supported by an almost endless expanse of stone walls and pillars. The red carpet that covered the floor seemed to reflect directly the same ruby red hue that emanated from Xatal's already ignited lightsaber. The walls were adorned with various relics from the fallen Jedi Temples of Coruscant and Dantooine, trophies of Vader's victories over the weak Jedi. Xatal ignited another lightsaber, spinning them both in wide, sweeping arcs, creating a dazzling light show that only made Hett more eager to silence this creature's voice. Hett instantly recognized the second lightsaber as Master Windu's, it's purple blade glowing brighter than the red one that belonged to Cheai. Hett ignited his blade, it's red blade matching Cheai's. Using the Force, A'Sharad called another hilt from the display on the wall of the Great Hall and ignited it as well. A dazzling amaranthine blade sprung from the silenced hilt, and A'Sharad immediately recognized it through the Force as belonging to one of his first mentors, The Dark Woman. He had not felt her loss in the Force, but it was evident that she had gone, because no one had ever disarmed her before. Not even Masters Windu or Yoda had been able to take her lightsaber from her hands. Hett stepped backwards into a Form VII Vaapad stance and readied himself for the coming onslaught from the Sith Witch.
The warcry from the Bothan reverberated off the rock in the walls with a deafening crescendo, and it made Hett hungry for her blood. This would be a battle to be enjoyed.
