Star Wars: The Exile

Chapter 5: The General

Darth Bandon slowly walked off his ship and onto the gloomy planet. He took a deep breath. The smell was absolutely revolting, but then again the entire planet was a swamp. As he began walking to the ancient temple while pushing the hovering cryo-tube, he could feel the presence of all of "them". The entire planet had been forgotten to the universe, but not to the Sith. As he stood at the entrance to the temple, the behemoth of doors slowly began to open. As dark fog was parted by some un-palpable wind, three figures emerged from within. All three figures wore a cloak that covered them head to toe, masking their faces and the rest of their bodies. The cloaks were such a deep shade of purple, that they almost appeared black. As the middle figure walked forward, the other two merely assumed guard-like stance behind it.

"Why... have you come?" Asked the figure in a raspy voice. Although it was hard to realize, the voice seemed to be a female. "We. Do not like. Outsiders here."

"I came here because of this." Bandon said pointing to the cryo-tube. As the cloaked figure approached the tube, it wiped the frost off of a piece of glass on the front. As the frost cleared, the figure looked a young human female frozen in the high tech sarcophagus.

"We felt her fall. And the power of the one who caused her to fall." The mysterious figure rasped with constant pauses. "It was most. Intriguing. Her body is destroyed, it would require... extreme difficulty."

"You are the cult of Ajunta Pall, the most mysterious of the Nightsisters." Bandon replied. "You specialize in... difficulty."

"Even so," the Nightsister replied, "surely you and your master know that only... "He" can do such a task."

"We do."

"Then you know," grinned the Nightsister, "what will. Happen. What must be. Done. She will never be the same. Nor will she serve you. She will serve the Last. Are you willing. For that to happen."

"I am." Bandon replied. He knew the fate he was sentencing the fallen Jedi to. With a motion of her hand, the Nightsister commanded the other two to bring the cryo-tube into the temple. As the three of them went in, Darth Bandon began to follow. By barely moving her fingers, the Nightsister sent Bandon flying back.

"This temple," she said angrily, "is sacred. No outsiders. Are permitted."

As Bandon rose to his feet, he sneered at her. He had never been treated like that, but he resigned himself. The Cult was more powerful than him and he knew it. Climbing back into his ship getting ready for takeoff, he took one last look at the oval shaped pod.

Goodbye Jex, he thought to himself, I am sorry for what awaits you.

* * *

I awoke as the hum of hyperspace died out, letting me know we had arrived. As I walked into the cockpit, I saw Lynn in the pilot's seat looking out the window. According to plan, Lynn piloted the Equinox onto a large asteroid that was relatively close to the space station above Yavin. We had arrived a few minutes before we were to deliver the crates and, luckily, we had landed on the asteroid undetected. As both Lynn and I sat watching the station on the viewer, a ship arrived out of hyperspace. To my surprise, it was a large Republic cruiser. With my heart skipping a beat, I immediately walked over to the Star Map, quickly trying to plot a course for hyperspace.

"We gotta get out of here." I said quickly, still in front of the Star Map. The Equinox shook as it surprisingly took off from the asteroid, as per Lynn's orders. As I turned trying to understand what she was doing, Lynn sat in here chair with her pistol pointed at me.

"What. Are you doing, Lynn?" I asked nervously.

"What needs to be done, Desmond." She answered.