Morotheri, Callus, Revak

The Knights of Odan-Urr were quick to recover. The Dark Jedi may have thrashed them, but if there was one thing Jedi had proven over the centuries, it was that you had to kill every last one, or they would just return. Much the same could be said of the Sith and the many off-shoots of their perverted Philosophy, but it was especially true of the Jedi Order.

The Jedi Council deemed it prudent to learn more of their “allies”. By sending small groups of Knights to the Brotherhood’s capitol, they hoped to learn some insight into the thoughts and movements of the Dark Jedi. Not everything went according to plan however. Someone had warned someone else the Jedi were coming and had decided to make the first move.

With their shuttle brought down in the omnipresent twilight of Antei’s Wasteland, the knights found themselves hunted by a lone adversary. He was strong, he was cunning, and he wanted these Jedi dead.

Ooroo Abbey

Menat Ombo. The heart of new Tython was currently in a state of disarray. Angry protestors plagued the streets and hidden alleyways, led by a madman who called himself Cy. Below him, Morotheri could see through the Force the faint flicker of light, torches illuminating the chaos below. However, these events rarely troubled the Miraluka as he gazed out towards the horizon. The sun had long ago disappeared behind the mountains, leaving only a faint golden glow as night swallowed the sky. Morotheri stood at the balcony's edge, his knuckles turned pale white as he gripped the rail. Since his crash landing on New Tython that occured a year ago, the Miraluka had lost all recollection of his past, which have only recently begun to return to haunt him in his nightmares.

Behind him, the Miraluka sensed a presence he had grown accustomed to. Ji stood in the narrow stone archway of Ooroo Abbey behind the Miraluka, eager to present a task entrusted to only three individuals within House Odan-Urr's ranks. The Miraluka still surveyed the vast landscape surrounding Menat Ombo, seemingly in a daze. Morotheri had little sleep since being plagued by vivid nightmares, however, Ji had sensed that this task was exactly what the Miraluka needed to take his mind off of the memories haunting him.

"Master Ji." The Miraluka announced as he greeted the gand with his gaze still transfixed on the disappearing horizon. The Miraluka's dead gaze had often made other acolytes unconfortable at times, however, the High Councillor had grown used to it. "What brings you to this place?"

"Morotheri, I have come to you with an urgent mission, should you accept." The gand replied, seemingly slightly troubled by the chaos erupting in the streets of New Tython at this hour. Murder and prejudice had recently spilled into the streets, resulting in absolute madness. Such chaos only existed a few months ago, when the Brotherhood had united to destroy the Jedi of House Odan-Urr, leaving vast, war-torn footsteps in their wake. However, these attempts have failed as the acolytes of Odan-Urr pressed on, now stronger than ever. The restoration of numerous area were still ongoing, however the worst of the aftermath had already passed.

"And what would that be, Councillor?"

"Since the most recent attack beset upon us by the Dark Brotherhood, I fear for what they are planning. You will go to Antei, we must prepare ourselves for any coming conflicts. There, you will gather intel that will be of value to us, and perhaps deter any Brotherhood forces from attacking us, yet again. We cannot risk the fear of being unguarded during these times of dissent."

Morotheri smiled, delighted, it had been a long time since he was granted passage away from New Tython. The Miraluka was also surprised at this request, as it was to be his first major task in service to the Acolytes of Urr since rising as a Jedi Knight. Nonetheless, he was ready to prove himself.

"I accept, gratiously, High Councillor." The Miraluka replied as he loosened his grip from the railing, letting the blood rush back into his fingertips.

"There is one more thing, Morotheri. I have sent for both Callus and Revak to join you in this mission. You will meet them at the Ordain Vonoro Spacedock within the hour. I will brief them shortly."

I can't wait. thought the Miraluka as he made his way towards the spacedock.

Ji stood alone by the balcony.

And may the force be with you.

Revak made a left down a long, dark hallway. Moonlight shined though the windows like the sun that had just set. Thoughts raced through his head, “Why has Master Ji summoned me?” He turned down another moonlit hallway. “What could be going on?” At the end of the hallway was a large room with a long table and many chairs surrounding it. Sitting at the head of the table was a tall and dark figure.

“Revak.” The figure spoke.

“Callus. Have any idea why we are here?”

“I'm sure we will find out soon.”

Callus lifted his head to the sound of footsteps echoing through the halls. The footsteps where made with purpose, not rushed but not a slow stride. As the sounds got louder, Callus stood up.

“Master Ji. What can we do for you this evening?” Callus said as he gave a polite nod.

“I'm sure your both aware of the recent attack by the Brotherhood.”

Callus and Revak both nodded.

“I fear what they could be planning and we cannot be taken by surprise again. I need you both to meet up with Morotheri at the Ordain Vonoro Spacedock. Take a shuttle to Antei. Learn all you can about the movement of the Brotherhood. The fate of New Tython rests on the success of this mission.”

Callus nodded once more and started to head out towards the spaceport. Revak followed his lead. Callus walked with a strong determination. A seasoned warrior, the look on his face showed he was already running scenarios through his head of what he might encounter. Revak had a look of confusion. He didn’t know what to think.

The two walked into the hanger. Morotheri had just finished preparing the ship for the mission when he turned around to see Callus and Revak walking over to him.

“Gentlemen, shes ready to go when we are.” Morotheri spoke with subtle excitement in his voice.

“Nice ship; I’ll fly. Callus’ eyes looked the ship over thoroughly.

The three men gathered the rest of their things and walked up the boarding ramp. The blue glow from the engines illuminated the hanger. The ship rose into the air and took off into the night.

Master Ji Callus said to himself. The thought alone was laughable but actually saying it was enough to bring him to a fit of laughter. The gand was weak as were most of the members of Odan-Urr. The only reason Callus even affiliated with them was for his own gains. There was an opportunity for power here since none of the others here actively sought it, or at least never admitted to it.

This mission to Antei would be interesting to say the least, Callus thought as he entered the coordinates for Antei into the nav computer. He did this from memory, as he had been travelling to Antei for more than a decade now. The trip there was easy enough, that is before you actually get into the system and have to navigate through the strange nebulae and other anomalies surrounding the homeworld of the Dark Jedi Brotherhood. Upon seeing his quick entry of the coordinates Revak spoke up.

"That's not an easy feat, entering coordinates blind like that." Callus turned his head sideways as to keep an eye on the readouts and controls but also acknowledge the journeyman behind him.

"When you've been there enough you remember, just like your home address." Callus said as he pressed forward on the levers to engage the hyperdrive. With the lurch of psuedo-acceleration the stars became starlines and then transformed into the mottled blue of hyperspace. Callus locked the drive and started the countdown chronometer. "14 standard hours." Callus commented to no one in particular. "Wake me when we get there." Callus told the passengers as he laid back in his seat and shut his eyes. A little grin crossed his face as he drifted off to sleep these people were playing right into his hands.

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Callus was jarred from sleep by the warning klaxons aboard the shuttle. He had set the alarm to alert them just before they dropped from hyperspace so he could prepare himself to navigate through the treacherous terrain of the system. He silenced the alarms and stretched his neck and arms. The others strapped themselves into their seats and Callus did the same. The transition to real space was rough as callus tightly gripped the controls. "I need someone to modulate the shields so we don't get fried in here, just do what I say and we should be fine." Morotheri moved up to the co-pilots position and strapped in again. "Alright, hold on to your butts."

Callus engaged the sublight drive and dove the ship into the ominous cloud of space dust below. IT was tricky piloting, considering the age and condition of the shuttle, almost suicide but they finally made it through the nebulae and into the relatively calm space directly surrounding the planet. When they could breathe again Callus activated their transponder identifying them as allies of the Brotherhood. They dropped through the atmosphere and as soon as they were in the sky the missile warning began to go off. Callus cursed the age and clumsiness of the shuttle as he tried to pitch the bantha like ship on it's side to try and evade the attack but to no avail the missile was much to fast. The maneuver succeeded in causing the projectile to strike the belly of the craft instead of the cockpit but the strike was still more than sufficient to cripple the craft and send them into a dead spin.

Callus did all he could to right the ship so they wouldn't land on their heads but the ship was completely unresponsive. He shouted back into the ship "CRASH POSITIONS. GET READY!" Smoke began to fill the cockpit as more systems shorted out. Callus shut everything down and attempted to manually guide the craft, but this too was a failure. The shuttle wasn't designed for atmospheric flight, even when it wasn't damaged. Nothing was going to keep them from creating a massive crater in the ground but maybe they could survive if they could stop spinning. "REACH OUT WITH THE FORCE!" Callus screamed to the others "PUSH AGAINST THE GROUND WE HAVE TO SLOW DOWN!" Callus attempted to calm his mind as he extended his awareness through the force. He could feel the other two in the ship as they reached out. Revak was not ready or experienced enough to be able to make any difference in the outcome of the next few seconds bot Morotheri gave everything he had to help slow the descent. Callus felt the ship slow slightly and come out of the spin and then black.

Antei's surface, Dark Hall

The Dark Jedi grinned. It had been quite some time since an attack had been made against Antei. Just moments ago, he had been informed of an unauthorized shuttle preparing to dock on Antei's surface by an anominous tip, one that he would later investigate. However, he had a mission to carry out to alleviate the monotony present throughout Antei. More importantly, this task would aid him in gaining the respect of his superiors. The Dark Jedi approached the Dark Hall. The building stood tall, looming out from the constant shroud of the Dark Side imposingly. The large doors stood before him, monolihic as to give one a sense of apprehensiveness, which had been effective, given the Dark Jedi's anxiety. Two guards pushed aside the expansive doors, as they glided surprisingly easily open. Entering the Dark Hall always filled the Dark Jedi with wonder. However, this had not been the time to stand about admiring the stonework, he reminded himself. There was work to be done.

He strode into the expansive durasteel doors underneath the Dark Hall with long strides. This area was hidden, and served as a base of operations for the Dark Brotherhood. Even now, he felt a sudden upsurge of excitement as he approached a security official. The man was taken unawares by the presence of a Dark Jedi at this hour. The security official could barely make out the Dark Jedi's appearance, as he kept a hood up that ominously covered his facial features.

"Prepare the defensive measures, lieutenant. It seems we have an uninvited guest. Send him a warm welcome." The Dark Jedi declared. He had spoken as someone with authority who commanded great power at his discretion. "It will be done, my lord." The security official had blurted out, weary from the long hours he had been working. After this, I think I deserve a break.
The lieutenant turned towards anoth security offical, who had been in charge of the planet's defensive measures. The second security offical sat in front of a holoterminal, where he had patched in through to another one of the Brotherhood's lackeys. After a short conversation, the Dark Jedi could hear the man on the other end reply, "Yes Sir!" as he snapped a salute and closed the connection. Soon, it will be over. The Dark Jedi thought to himself, And I will have gained my lord's favor.

The Dark Jedi exited the structure, overhead, he could see the faint distant outline of a shuttle entering the atmosphere. In a matter of seconds, Antei's turolaser defenses opened fire on the shuttle, sending it crashing down in a roaring inferno of flames. As the shuttle made it's descent, the Dark Jedi had felt a sudden disturbance in the force. There are three of them? He thought to himself, as he pondered on the possible outcomes of this situation. No matter, the problem at hand will be dealt with, and they will play into my hands, accordingly. The Dark Jedi concluded as he turned to board his personal starship. Tonight, he would win the favor of his masters, and then he would continue in his path to achieve dominance.

Shuttle, Antei's atmosphere

Both Callus and Morotheri remained concentrated. The descent, although slowing rapidly was still going too fast to make a safe landing. With both Jedi concentrated on using the Force to slow the descent, Revak piloted the ship at the helm, making any attempt to level the ship by the slightest degree. Finally, the nose of the shuttle luched upwards slightly as the ship neared the barren surface of Antei. Revak watched as the two Jedi created a pillar of Force energy below them in an attempt to slow their descent enough that Revak would be able to create a safe course for landing. Morotheri had feared that this landing would result in a repeat of his previous encounter, in which he had been blown out of the sky above New Tython, erasing his memories and sending him into a deep unconsciousness. However, that was not to be the result this time, as he had both grown stronger in the Force and had the aid of Callus, a powerful recently redeemed Dark Jedi. Since their departure, Morotheri had often questioned the motives of Callus' recruitment into House Odan-Urr's ranks. Callus had still seemed to hold onto his Dark-sided ways, although he rarely spoke during the trip, Morotheri could see Dark Side energies radiating off of the Jedi. However, at this point, Morotheri knew Callus was to be trusted, both of their lives depended on it in this circumstance.

"Brace youselves!" Callus roared out, as the shuttle flew in close to the ground, sending a shower of dust upward in it's wake. The ship made contact, sending all three Jedi lurching in the cockpit. Morotheri had been drained momentarily of all Force reserves, his consciousness ready to give way to exhaustion. His brain felt as if it were searing, his skull ached. The shuttle had left a wide, gaping scar across the barren surface of Antei. Revak was the first to see the bleak, barren desert that now lay before them as he unstrapped himself from the pilot's seat. The sky roared as ceaseless ionized flashes of electicity darted across the perpetual night. To him, survival seemed like a dice roll, at best. "We've stopped!" Shouted Revak, now standing, addled by the sudden turn of events. All three Jedi gathered their belongings as they made their way to the shuttle doors. "I've lost my lightsaber!" Shouted Revak, as Callus tossed it to him. "Don't lose it. At the moment, these are our only form of defense against the many horrors we will now face." Callus replied, as they all left the ship, into the unknown terrain below.

Nearby, a lone probe droid snapped to life, surveying the barren, dry desert landscape. It had been programmed to detect anomolies and transmit co-ordinates to the security official residing below the Dark Hall. "Excellent" The lone Dark Jedi hissed as he closed the connection on his personal holoprojector. The crash had taken them farther than he would have liked, however, he now knew where to look. The Dark Jedi set his co-ordinates for Adas, the Shadow Lands of Antei.

The Jedi left the soft glow of the shuttle and walked into almost absolute darkness. As calm as the three Jedi remained during the crash, they were all relieved to be on solid ground. But this feeling soon subsided when they assessed their situation.
The planet radiated dark side energy. The ground felt hard and cracked from a lack of moisture. The only light came from the intermittent flashes of lighting by the storm overhead. Loud booms of thunder echoed from mountains off in the distance. Strong winds swept past them, the sand it carried stung as it made contact with their flesh, forcing them to seek shelter within the shuttle.

“The weather always this nice here?” Revak asked as he brushed the sand off of his robe.

“Yeah, the Brotherhood couldn’t have picked a nicer system.” Morotheri replied while looking at Callus.

Callus grinned as he brushed himself off, sat down and closed his eyes. He used the Force to see if he could detect any life forms in the area.

Morotheri sat down and used the Force as well. The dark side energy clouded his view. He knew this planet hindered his foresight but, unsure of Callus’ motives, didn’t bring that fact to light. Callus, on the other hand, seemed different. As if being back on Antei energized him. He seemed more focused, alert, and eager to begin. Revak watched as Callus scanned the area with his mind. Callus’s expression changed as if he had found something. He tried to focus in on it, but then realized he was being watched.

“Find anything, Callus?” Revak asked.

“No. The dark side is clouding my vision. Do two short-range sweeps then a long-range scan.” Callus instructed Revak.

Revak gave Morotheri a look of disbelief as he walked past him towards the front of the shuttle.

“Nothing in the immediate area, long-range is down.” Revak turned around to face the others. “I say we wait until the storm dies down. We won’t make it far fighting this wind.”

Morotheri and Callus both agreed. They settled in for the night.

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The Dark Jedi had to fight the strong winds in order to maintain control of his ship. The dark side energy that engulfed the planet enhanced his abilities. He could feel how powerful in the Force two of the Jedi were as he came closer to their crashed shuttle. He sensed a third, not as powerful, but still with much hidden potential. This one still hadn’t learned to let go of his feelings. The unknown Dark Jedi preyed on those with untapped power. Like his Master before him, he knew those individuals could be easily converted to the Dark Side.

The Dark Jedi slowed his ship and landed on a nearby ledge overlooking the Jedi’s shuttle. He sat in complete silence, eyes closed, breathing steady, using the Force to look inside the shuttle at his victims. A smile came to his face as he opened his eyes.

He thought of how pleased his Master would be when he hears news of his successful mission.

“Master would be pleased indeed. Three dead Jedi. Or… what should I do with the third? Hmmm.” He said out loud to himself. He pondered about the fate of the weaker Jedi.

The Dark Jedi assumed the Jedi where waiting for the storm to settle. He made himself comfortable and waited for their first move.

A few hours passed. A violent lighting storm raged overhead, but the winds had died down for now. The Dark Jedi sensed activity from within the shuttle. The side door opened and a figure stepped out.