The Valley of the Jedi. The legendary location of the final battle under the surface of Ruusan, between the Army of Light and the Brotherhood of Darkness. The battle ended in an instant when Lord Kaan’s followers detonated the thought bomb in a reckless move to with the campaign, proving the catalyst for the Ruusan Reformation. Joining within the cavern that would be the site of a dangerous ritual, the Dark Lords were vanquished along with Hoth’s followers; the resulting vacuum consuming the souls of Sith and Jedi alike to be tormented for an eternity.

Standing near the edge of that cave, the tiered stone steps that circle the valley greet intruders with an otherwise unremarkable passage into its depths. The ground is rocky and uneven, sloping downwards towards the center. Stalagmites litter the floor, small outcroppings of rock thrust out from the ground like huge stone blades. However, those formations pale in size compared to the chiselled stone statues encircling the Valley in perfectly concentric circles. The sculptures seem almost alive, as if the faces of the dead had been perfectly captured in the carvings, still holding traces of the doomed souls they represented.

Inside the cavern lies the echoes of those who perished in the thought bomb’s detonation. Within its deepest recesses rests an oblong orb that floats just above the ground. Encased within the dreadful relict are the souls of those who were consumed at the ritual’s epicenter. Uneasiness radiates from the artifact as the helpless cries and echoes enter the minds of all those who enter the cave, driving most to madness before meeting death on the surface of Ruusan.

Target detected. 1,250 meters and closing. Database suggests subject is a Brotherhood agent. Should I continue to observe?

Arden shook his head at the message from his scout droid as it appeared in glowing blue letters on his datapad. The last thing he wanted was an interruption right now, even worse that it might be someone from the Brotherhood. He was on what most would call personal business on Ruusan, as he was checking on a mineral survey being conducted by one of the companies he’d invested in. While he’d planned to provide the data to Plagueis, he wasn’t above making a profit off the deal. While here, though, it was hard not to pay a visit to the famed Valley of the Jedi. Arden wasn’t exactly what you’d call a scholar of Force history, but he’d heard stories of the Valley. Originally, he’d just planned to meditate briefly at the base of one of the massive statues and leave.

Now, however, it appeared someone had other plans.

‘Yes, but keep your distance,’ Arden typed back to the droid as he stood up from his meditative position while at the same time pulling his rifle around from his back. After skulking a short distance, he settled into a shooting position behind one of the many large rocks in the valley. Looking down the scope, he focused on the lone figure that was strolling towards him. It took him a moment to make out the person’s face, but once he did, he couldn’t help but whisper to himself.

“Kriff, why him? Why Darkblade?”

Arden hadn’t personally had any dealings with Darkblade, but his name was still mentioned in Plagueis. From the stories he’d heard, the Anzat was not the sort he wanted to deal with now. He had half a mind just to shoot the Sadowan right now, but there was always the chance he wasn’t here to fight. That said, Arden really didn’t want him getting too close. Once the Sadowan approached within about 150 meters, the di Plagia squeezed the trigger of his rifle, sending a blaster bolt whistling past the Anzat’s right ear.

“That’s close enough, Darkblade. State your business, or the next one doesn’t miss!” Arden shouted without leaving cover.

The Anzat stopped and yelled back. “You really think you could hit me at this distance? I always heard you were overconfident, Karn.”

“I could have hit you when my droid first spotted you a kilometer away,” Arden retorted, his voice completely serious. “Last chance. State your business.”

Darkblade shrugged and answered. “The Voice sent me to make contact, as you hadn’t responded to his transmission.”

“You mean the one about Pravus taking a hike?” Arden had gotten the message but had purposely ignored it. “I’m not sure what Marick is playing at. If he wants to talk, he knows how to reach me directly. Until that, he can kiss my arse.”

“He said you’d probably react that way,” the Anzat shrugged as his hand moved towards his lightsaber. “He also said it wasn’t up to you. He needs you to come in.”

The di Plagia didn’t immediately react to the threat, taking a moment to size up the Seer and his “orders.” In the end, it really didn’t matter to Arden if Marick had sent Darkblade or not. He had his own concerns, and with little more than this Anzat’s word as proof, he wasn’t going to go anywhere except back to Aliso. Adjusting his aim slightly, Arden called out one last warning to the Sadowan.

“One step closer, and your plasma charred brains are getting scattered all over the rocks. Turn around and slither back into your hole.”