Serran

Chapter 5: The Valley of the Dark Lords

"Really? Are you using the force to know how I feel?" Gossec said in a much more happier way.

"No, it's written all over your face. You look like you've seen a dead body for the first time." Serran said with a small chuckle. He looked out the window. They had arrived. As the ship was landing, Serran noticed something strange. When they had been flying through the planet to reach the Valley of the Dark Lords, the darkside energy was obvious and strong but now that they had arrived at the tombs, the darkside energy was almost completely gone and had left an empty energy behind.

Serran got up from his seat and marched to the door of the ship. He made sure he had everything which he did. He looked over at Gossec. He was still in his chair. "Are you coming?" He asked.

Gossec spun around. "I thought you didn't want me to accompany you." He asked, confused.

"I changed my mind. The darkside isn't strong over here. I doubt that we will be in extreme danger." Serran explained. Gossec got up eagerly and grabbed a blaster. Serran recognized the blaster of one that was used in the war by the Republic. He made a disgusted noise in his head.

Gossec pushed some buttons and the door opened and revealed an orange and grey landscape with a large stone temple. "If you die, it's your fault." Serran said to his partner.

"Same goes to you." Gossec laughed. They stepped out of the Nova Burst and headed straight for the temple. The temple looked like it was in bad shape; debri and rubble littered the ground, large cracks and holes marked the stone walls, and everything had a layer of dust. It was completely abandoned.

Even though there was little to no darkside energy, Serran sensed two objects that radiated darkside energy. He couldn't tell if they were people, animals or objects though. He kept a hand on his lightsaber hanging from his belt anyway.

Gossec walked in like there was nothing to be afraid of. He was eager to explore this ancient place. Serran followed him into the cold empty stone temple.

Serran thought it would be best to go to the areas that gave off the darkside the most. The Valley of the Dark Lords had underwhelmed him. He thought that it would've had the darkside rushing through it at an overwhelming rate where only the strong would have been able to explore it. Instead, it was just some empty abandoned temple with barely any darkside energy.

"Serran, these tombs are all empty." Gossec said. Serran whipped his head around.

"What?! They're empty?!" He accidentally yelled. That had been a mistake. He instantly sensed the presence of someone who was far stronger than the two of them combined.

Serran took out his lightsaber and ignited it, waiting for an attack. Gossec was oblivious to what was about to happen. "What's wrong?" He asked.

Suddenly, a red lightsaber was swung at Gossec's head, instantly killing him. Serran didn't expect this to happen. The red lightsaber illuminated the attacker. It was a tall muscular man with dark skin, blonde dreadlocks, black facial marking on his forehead and yellow eyes special to only those who walked the path of the darkside. He wore a black cloak, brown shirt, black pants and black boots.

"These tombs are all empty. Leave this place immediately." The man said in a menacing deep voice. Serran said nothing and prepared for a fight. "You're making a mistake, grave robber."

"I'm not a grave robber. I came here to seek knowledge about the ancient sith." Serran responded. He could already tell that he wouldn't win a fight against this man. If they fought, he would surely die. His only chance at surviving this encounter was to either run or talk it out with the man.

"I would be honored to be your apprentice." Serran said.

"Fool. You're a weak little jedi that got his hands on a sith's lightsaber. I bet that you're working for the republic to exterminate all of the remaining sith in the galaxy." The man countered.

Serran felt threatened by this accusation. His anger built itself up and lashed out. Serran sprinted at the man. He jumped up and bounced off the wall with his lightsaber ready to kill. As he went for the kill, the man thrusted out his hand and threw Serran against the stone wall. He squeezed his hand and started choking Serran with the force.

Serran dropped his lightsaber and kicked back and forth, not even coming close to kicking the man. He scratched at his throat, gasping for a single breath of air that he so desperately needed.

"Why are you here? This is your last chance." The man asked. He loosened his grip on Serrans throat.

Serran gasped for air. "I... need to learn the way... of the darkside. Please... teach me." He wheezed. The man dropped Serran to the floor. Serran coughed and gasped.

"The sith are dead. The few of us who remain have chosen to hide. Follow me. I'll show you what you came here to see." The man said as he walked away. Serran followed after him.

They walked through a hallway and Serran could tell where the other energy was coming from. They entered a large tomb.

"This is the tomb of Darth Bane, the Sith Lord that killed his own brotherhood. Because of him, we lost the war." The man said with a hint of anger.

"Why are you telling me this? You just tried to kill me." Serran asked.

"You're too weak to use any of this against me. And besides, you are a sith, aren't you?" The man explained briefly.

"Fair enough. I'm Serran. What's your name?" He asked the man. It would be good to be on first name basis. This would make it more unlikely that he would be killed.

"Kleptos." The man said.

"Kleptos... Tell me everything about this planet and the sith." Serran demanded. Kleptos stared down at him.

"Very well. You may open the sarcophagus." Kleptos said, careful about what words he chose to say around the suspicious individual who claimed to be a sith.

Serran reached out his hands and lifted the stone cover off of the sarcophagus with the force. He laid the stone cover gently on the floor and looked into the open sarcophagus. Inside was the corpse of a very tall and muscular man with a bald head and grey rotting skin. He gave off an undeniably powerful darkside energy that was almost overwhelming. Serran felt unsettled by the sheer power this man must've had when alive.

"Darth Bane's tomb is the last of them that hasn't been robbed or destroyed." Kleptos said. He put the cover back on the sarcophagus.

"Sit. I'll tell you about the sith if you agree to one thing." Kleptos said as he sat on the cold floor.

"What is it?" Serran asked as he too sat on the cold floor.

"Never tell a single soul about any of this. If you do, I will know and I will hunt you down and kill you." Kleptos warned. Serran nodded in agreement.

"I agree. Now tell me everything."