Dorn: A Star Wars Story

30. Legacy

I don't quite know how to begin to describe Moraband in a way that properly captures the pure desolate atmosphere of the entire landscape. I'll give it my best shot. The entire planet is a lifeless desert, and readings of predatory lifeforms completely permeate the surface outside of one area of the planet where nothing living seems to go. That, as Cai told me, was known to researchers and Jedi alike as The Valley of the Dark Lords. In that area, large structures burst forth from the canyons and cliffsides. Ancient pyramids engraved with mighty effigies of long-dead Sith lords jut straight out of cliff faces and give way to gaping entrances to deep underground tombs, creating enormous caverns of blackness that leads down into the depths of the planet below. The entire planet seems red and orange from the sand and dust, and there is barely a plant that doesn't look wickedly sharp and thorny, and it felt like merely being alive on the planet was some type of sin, almost like you had to earn it somehow - earn the right to attempt to survive.

Cai had a map that he was using to navigate the whole landscape and was leading the charge through the sand as though the impossibly hot temperature of the planet wasn't phasing him in the slightest. Being fair, I was in armor and dying while he was in one of those thick uniforms, but I was still in a state of amazement that he seemed to be dealing with the heat better than all of us combined.

We came to a halt in front of a cliffside and looked up to find ourselves confronted with a massive mausoleum built into the far side of the canyon. It looked newer than the other. Ancient, still, but not nearly as worn as the ones that we had seen further up on our way inside. Cai paused and looked up with a squint, "Ah, indeed! Here it is! Tomb Ninety-four seven thirty-six!" He just waltzed right inside. No hesitation. No second guessing. I was honestly just getting more and more afraid of him as time went on, frankly. I had never met a soldier with less fear than that archaeologist.

We followed him inside and were greeted with massive bas reliefs that stretched from the floor and up the walls. They were etched with ancient figures in masks like the one Occlus wore, each one staring into the eyes of another across from it. Nyra moved to stand alongside me as we passed under the looming visages of the long-dead ancient lords. "This place gives me the creeps, General."

"I know the feeling," I muttered. The energy there was like it was on Tund. There was an ominous aura that seemed to permeate the entire space and seep into your bones like a cold chill that was only made creepier by the sheer fact that the heat was nearly suffocating. The only sound in the whole space was the sound of wind careening through the high vaulted halls and the sound of our boots on the ancient stone floor. Once, the place must have been a grand sight to behold, rivalling even the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. It still was, in its own creepy old way. There was a vague sense of familiarity accompanied by the feeling of being watched that seemed to follow us as we made our way through the crumbling stone halls, all led by our intrepid archaeologist.

"Do be careful. These tombs were said to have once possessed many spirits," Cai nodded as we continued on our way.

"Sounds like nonsense to me," I heard Rook grumble in his deep tones somewhere behind me before Novaran piped up.

"Sith Spirits were said to have permeated the great temple located on the Sith capital planet of Dromund Kaas up until the days of the High Republic when Jedi set to cleansing them entirely. Here on Moraband, that would hardly be a surprise."

"You expect me to believe that there's a horde of dead Sith just running around this temple?" I heard Batsion ask with a dismissive snort. "Jehaat."

"Do remember that we are in the presence of a Dark Lord," Cai supplied matter-of-factly in front of us, and everyone collectively seemed to look over at me.

"I'm not it," I held my hands up as I felt a whisper of wind pass me by, and soon the misty apparition of Occlus materialized beside me, hands folded elegantly in front of him as those eyes burning behind the mask locked onto my squad.