On the planet Korriban in the Horuset system, the Valley of the Dark Lords is lined by huge, towering effigies and great temples that contain the mummified remains of many Sith Lords. These sinister tombs seethe with Dark Side energy, and the spirits of long-dead Sith Lords can be challenged and focused by Force-sensitive beings to reveal the secrets of the Sith

To further his knowloedge of the ancient Sith, the necropolis became a frequent destination for the Galactic Empire's Sith Lord ruler, Emperor Palpatine alias Darth Sidious.

The entrance of the valley is guarded by Dark Jedi. The valley itself is swamped by monsers like Shyracks which are large, bat-like avian creatures with razor like teeth. Terentatek are creatures who feed off the blood of Force-sensitives. These are mostly found in the tombs itself.

Once walking in the Valley it was silent as death itself. Kalin and Ayanna, Chris and other students walked around. Some of them were feeling afraid and very uncomfortable about this place. None of them had been there before except for Kalin. But even he was only here once before. It was still new even for him. Yet there was something familiar that he couldn't put his finger on. They passed by the large statues that were in homage to the ancient Sith Lords who once ruled the galaxy, or dominated it.

An eerie low based vocal humming could be heard from the statues, though how or why they did, was a mystery. It seemed that to some of them that the statues were alive and watching them. Giving the majority of the students the creeps. As they walked further, everybody could feel the presence, one that seemed to be invisible. Though some knew what this meant, Sith Hounds. They had to be very cautious to walk through the Valley itself. Perhaps it was too soon to bring these students to the valley but Kalin saw it as a good opportunity to teach them in their abilities in survival.

Training in the Academy was very difficult but it barely gave students the opportunity to be in a real fight.

Kalin spoke, "Be very careful, mind your surroundings..... feel what is around you.... And if you feel something, immediately act on your instincts..... Don't let yourself be caught by surprise....."

Ayanna was not comfortable in the valley at all. The wind blew hard, swirling the dust from their feet around. She seemed to hold her hands out ever so slightly. She was sensing what lay in the earth, deep below the ground. She then suddenly stopped in one spot and looked over to Chris smiling. With that, a dark brown weed from deep in the earth rose up his leg and spiralled around his waste and arms. The weeds were not strong, but Ayanna's control over them were. She was able to trap him for a few moment before Kalin suddenly shouted,

"Cut that out Ayanna! We're supposed to work together on this...."

"I wasn't attacking him.... Just wanted to test if I had a good chance to beat him in a plant filled environment.... I think I can safely say yes..." She grinned as the weeds then let go of Chris and returned into the ground.

She felt comforted to know there was something she could use to her advantage in this place.

Chris walked away at her, his face saying nothing, but his emotions actually wanting to punce on her, and annihilate her. He kept those emotions in check and went away from her. She might want to realise that there are more then plants in this environment. Eitherwise, she might find a hound chomping away at her while she is having her fun.
The student all seemed to feel afraid here, but Chris had a much different reaction. He enjoyed the dark presence that seemed everlasting and engulfing. His face remained a blank, but he was in a sense of happiness here.
Most would, of course, not react this way, but Chris felt more peaceful in the dark, and the wild suited him more then the controlled atmosphere of the academy. His eyes darted around at the tombs and statues, making him look like an animal searching for prey. There were many things watching them here. It was not just hounds, Chris could tell. There were other predators to fear.
But, the presences were not yet aggressive. Yet. Chris walked along, not disturbing anything around him, and merely enjoying the atmosphere of it. The constant threat of death seemed all around him, and he felt ready to pounce at any that did attack.

Kalin smiled, "You feel that? Prepare yourselves.... We're about to have some fun here....."

At these words, the Sith Hounds suddenly appeared from no where.

"Well the choice is yours..... You can either work together to kill these or work on your own..... But don't cry for help afterwards, if you refuse to work as a team....." He said while slamming his lightsaber through the head of a Sith Hound behind him.

Ayanna immediately grabbed to her lightsaber and decapitated one of the hounds that ran next to her. She looked over to where Kalin stood and worked her way over to cover his back. She knew that eventually they would be working together, so this was a good time to start practicing. The Sith Hounds kept coming from behind the rocks and from the canyons ahead of them. All were trying their best to work together but also to stand on their own.

Ayanna slashed at heads and limbs as the Sith Hounds kept falling one by one.

Kalin did not say much, it seemed that the presence of the Sith Hounds was more overwhelming than he had anticipated. Still, it wasn't something he couldn't handle. He still had a few tricks up his sleeves, should the situation get out of hand.

Chris movements were instantly active as the Hounds emerged. He used Lightning on several the beasts all at once. When he stopped, his lightsaber activated and he called out to Ayanna. "Use your plants, hold them down, then slam them with physical attacks." His voice was cold, but commanding. He slashed at one of the hounds, moving toward her position, hoping she would follow his instruction.

"Chris!! Don't use Lightning on them! It only makes them stronger! They feed on the Dark Side..... And don't try to boss the students! But yeah, Ayanna, if you think you have a good chance, take it...." Kalin shouted over the chaos.

Ayanna nodded to him, while still slashing with her saber in her right hand, with her left she stretched it out and with that, mutliple shoots of weeds and other plants sprung from the earth, grabbing onto the Sith Hounds in her area. With some she was able to strangle them and ones that were closer, she sliced them down, then moving on to the next.

Kalin himself tried to use as little powers as possible. He focused on his lightsaber training. kalin however, did use a Dark Technique also like Chris, but since he made his grasp on them so tightly, it crushed their wind pipes immediately.

Chris did not seem to react much, but was rather angry at Kalin. Chris decided to move back a bit, and out of the way. He could not really do much with them, therefore, he stould back and let the students and hounds fight on their own. He would, however, fight one.
It came at him viciously. He went into Ataru stance and slashed wildly, killing the creature with vicious slashes across it's neck and back. Chris' decision to stay back seemed to dissipate with the kill, and he rammed into the hounds, slashing wildly, viciously, mercilessly.
His face had changed slightly. It seemed full of anger, hatred and joy. He was now in Juyo stance, and the darkness flowed around him as he fought the hounds viciously, like a wild animal.

The Sith Hound numbers had now been shattered, and only a few remained but were heavily wounded and dealt with quickly.

After a few moments their bodies filled the Valley, Kalin ordered that their bodies be pilled up and burned. Two students which lay dead on the ground were also burned along with the Sith Hound carcasses. It proved only one thing, they were not ready and they were too weak. Their deaths were not mourned or considered as losses.

Later they proceeded to one of the tombs. It was filled with electricity. Kalin touched it and felt the Dark Side becoming stronger in him for a few moments. Whoever was capable of controlling the Dark Side, could touch the electricity. One who wasn't capable would be killed in an instant. He ordered the students not to touch it.

Chris was keeping away, in the back. He was trying to regain his unemotional state, but was finding it hard. He had been enjoying the slaughter, and felt it had ended too quickly for him, and had a look of desire for more combat. This was why he stayed in the back, and did not pay too much attention to much else that was going on. He stood in a crouched position, with his eyes closed, trying to calm himself.

Kalin shouted at Chris again, "Stay close! You don't want to get lost in these tombs.... You may loose yourself along the way..... Many have lost....." He looked down, watching to the skeletons that lay on the ground.

"Like I said, don't touch the electricity, but try to sense it.... But be very careful..... Try to consume it and you will feel a little weaker or a little stronger..... Depends on your connection with the Dark Side....."

Ayanna tried to do as he instructed, closing her eyes and sensing the energy around them. Once she could consume it, she felt the Dark Side swim through her body, lifting her inside. She felt a surge within herself.

Kalin noticed as she focused herself, other students tried the same. Some also felt stronger but some began to shake uncontrolably. Their connection with the Dark Side was not as strong as the other students.

Chris was becoming annoyed with him, but still did as instructed. He sensed it, felt it. He then started to consume it, and let the energy flow into him. However, he felt more of the violent urges surge into him as he did. He was falling deeper into a state of uncontrollable anger, and seriously needed to quell it.
He was torn between a desire of this dark energy, and a desire to stay in control of himself. His annoyance at his own instructor was not helping, either. His anger seemed to be stemming from that, and being around the man did not help his ability to control himself.

Kalin pointed out to the students to look to Chris, "That is an example pupils of one who is connected to the Dark Side, but wants more..... Too much that he can handle.... Because as you can see, he can't control it..... However, I think if he trains harder, he will come to that level.... But like I said, you have to train otherwise no one here will reach that level.... If I touch the lightning, I become stronger, but if I touched it for too long, I would be in the same state as Chris..... It is all about control...."

Ayanna listened carefully then looked back to Chris, she could sense he did not like Kalin one bit, she couldn't help but smile at it.

"Chris, I know this might anger you, but really, he's just trying to help... I wanted to gut him myself when I first knew him.... But I now see where he's coming from.... Just try to be patient and you'll get used to him.... But the more you reject him, the worse things will get..... You don't have to listen to me... Or talk to me at all if you want.... I'm just saying...." Ayanna said while shrugging her shoulders.

Kalin touched the electricity again but this time it went differently. He touched it longer then before and the electricity surged around his arm. Though it was out of control it began to shake violently and Kalin tried to keep it under control though with difficulty. He then fired it back against the wall with a crash.

"See? It's very consuming, even for me..... But that is how strong the Dark Side is inside these tombs...."

Chris focussed on her, his red, animalistic eyes gave a fierce look and he uttered a low growl. "His voice annoys me," he said, his voice making an odd hiss like a snake. "His body language annoys me. His personality annoys me. The more he talks, the stronger my own desire to rip his intestines out of him, prolong his agony, intensify his suffering, then rip out his longs and let him sufficate." He stopped for a moment and closed his eyes. "He wants to help? Then he can ignore me."

Ayanna couldn't help but laugh, "Yes, he has that effect on people...... But yeah, common, he can't ignore you.... You stand out too much..... Also, you're one of his students now..... I've worked with him before..... You'll get used to him....." Ayanna wasn't sure who she was trying to help, but perhaps she was just wanting to know someone else apart from Kalin at the Academy.

"There must be something else though I think.... Where you hatred comes from... Can't just be him....." She said, waiting for a response from him.

Kalin walked to Ayanna and Chris himself, he was tired of Chris' attitude towards him and the lessons.

"Look Chris, why are you acting like this?.... I know I can be harsh, but I'm just doing my job..... I'm just trying to make you stronger.... And if you reject that, then you will become the opposite.....you and I are not enemies...but if you continue like this...You're only provoking me to see you as one...Is that what you truly want?! I'll speak to you again when we're back at the academy...."

He turned around and spoke, "Okay, listen up people! We're gonna leave the tombs now. Follow me and keep in mind...Don't touch the electricity."

Kalin walked ahead of the studens as they walked down the corridor to leave the tomb. Then they were back in the valley. Once in the valley they felt the same presence as before however in a far distance.

"We have to hurry...I think we had enough training with those Sith Hounds for today. Climb up the hill so we can leave this place..."

The students climbed up ahead outside the valley. Kalin stayed a moment behind and took a final look. Only two Sith Hounds seemed to stay close and we're trying to reach the hil.l In one slash Kalin killed them to protect his students. Then he climbed up the hill himself to leave the valley behind...for now...

Kalin got permission again to enter the Valley of the Sith Lords. He climbed down the hill and to his surprise there was no presence of Sith Hounds. But there was another presence, a very dark presence. In the distance between the sand he saw a silhouette....A slim figure walked forward, until the sand cleared and revealed her face.

She was wrinkled, very pale and had some markings on her face. She just stared at Kalin, like she couldn't figure out who she was facing, though it seemed she already had seen Kalin. She had a very neutral face, a bit sad. She felt troubled by the past.

"I've been expecting you...."

Kalin was surprised at her words. How could this woman who he had never seen know he would be here at this exact moment.

"I knew I would see you again...I faced you on Yavin IV...I faced you on Coruscant...yet you thought you killed me on Boz Pity."

Kalin had no idea what she was talking about.

"I think you have me mistaken for someone else, old lady..." He said blunt.

Then she showed anger on her face.

"Don't be so arrogant, Skywalker! I have faced death more than you and I kept suriving only due to the Dark Side!"

"Skywalker?! No....the name is Thalis...Kalin Thalis!" He tried to explain to her.

"Don't lie to me!!!" She yelled as she drew her lightsaber.

Kalin was baffled....Why did she ignited her lightsaber all of a sudden? He never laid a finger on her.

"You're gonna pay, for all the pain you caused me, Jedi!" She said clenching her teeth.

"Jedi??? Wow let's get one thing clear! I'm not a Jedi!" Kalin protested as he ignited his lightsaber preparing for the possible battle that was about to come.

The valley itself became very silent, except for the humming of their lightsabers and a creepy sound coming from the huge statues. They ignored the sound like they were used to it.

In an angry tone she spoke to him threatening: "My powers are much stronger since the last time we met, Skywalker!"

Kalin got uptight. Why was she still calling him Skywalker. She must be insane or something. Her right-eye began to twitch. It looked very strange like it had no pupil.

"You got involved with the wrong person..." Kalin replied trying to scare her away as he had no desire to kill her, but the Dark Side was very strong in her. His words had no effect on her. Her long black dress made her look like a Dark Jedi, but he had no knowledge of who she was. She too carried a red lightsaber, and in coincidence a similar hilt to the one he gave to Chris.

She attacked in full rage. Kalin ducked quickly to avoid her attack. She was one of the strongest opponents that Kalin ever faced and he clearly underestimated her.

He stood up and turned around, barely able to block one of her attacks. He finally could pull himself together and blasted Lightning bolts at her. But she did the same which blocked his bolts. Now it was a battle of the strongest. Kalin clenched his teeth, focused and tried to pull his strength together. In the end the lightning of Kalin became to strong for the mysterious woman and she had to give up.


The lightning fired upon her, knocking her on the ground immediatly. Sparks of electrictiy filled her body as it laid on the ground. Kalin walked over to her, but didn't now what to do. She was too dangerous to be kept alive. She could become a potential threat against the Sith. He had to do what Vader requested of him. Kill all potential enemies against the Sith or the Empire. But he felt another evil presence behind him. It were Sith Hounds. Two of them, but they were just lurking around and had no interest in Kalin to his relief. He looked back to the ground, however the mysterious woman's body was suddenly gone.

Did she manage to escape? He didn't know, but there was something strange about her, yet familiar. He knew that this encounter would only make his investigation more complicated. There had to be a reason why she kept calling Kalin a 'Skywalker'. He had to find out. Passing silently past the Sith Hounds he left the Valley once again, heading back for the Sith Academy.

Ayanna asked Kalin if she had to leave

Kalin replied,

"You don't have to leave, you can of course stay, although I don't think there is much for you to do here...But I remind you...I know you have your own goals, but we live by the law of the one man we serve, Palpatine...I have violated some of those laws, cause Vader asked me to...but I am not too proud of that..."

Reaching the hill that led to the Sith Academy said.

"I too, am not fond of staying here any longer, but if I leave I'll have to make some decisions. I don't think I can take Chris as my Acolyte for example...He'll have to get a new instructor...which is maybe best for both of us...lately he has shown me the same hatred, he showed me when I took him first as an acolyte of mine..."

She smiled a little,

"Oh he's alright..... He's just a little mad I think.... Probably that ego of his consumed him...." She laughed, "I don't know what I will do now.... But don;t worry, I will always be aware of the duty I have towards The Emperor, I won't let it disturb my personal goal, but then again, I will try not to do the same for the opposite....... Honestly, I don't know what there is left for me to do..... I always think of finding.... Li.... I've been to afraid to enquire the last he was here..... He too was a Dark Jedi and will be following his duties...... But what I must know is, was it his personal goal, or his duty as a Dark Jedi that led him to killing my parents..... And almost killing me......"

She thought a little about the vision she had had in the tombs,

"It was scary to see the site again where it had happened...... And to see myself as a child..... Dead...... Although, it's more realistic to what truly happened, what the image would have been..... Because when Li left me, he left me for dead..... Just my injury was not as fatal as he had assumed......"

"If he was a Dark Jedi...I'm surprised you haven't looked up the terminal to read the archives...you might find some inside information of this Li person you are talking about."

She reached the top of the hill.

"Well go to your chamber...I have some final business to attend to, to make you ascension to the Sith complete."

Kalin was puzzled why he said that. It was almost the same Asajj Ventress said...what did the vision mean. Now he wanted to know more of what happened on Yavin IV...though he though it wouldn't give him any answers, just more questions.

Kalin and Ayanna arrived in the valley at night. They knocked out the security of the medical chambers, where Ventress still floated in her Bacta Tank. Now was the time to continue with Ayanna's plan.
In their luck Vader had some urgent business on Coruscant, but they knew he would return to Korriban someday.

"I must be insane for doing this..." Kalin sighed as he looked to the tombs inside the valley.

"You can do this, Kalin... I believe in you!" She said with a soft voice.

Kalin doubted about this whole plan. He still had a bad feeling about all this. Creating a quake by almost destroying the valley? This was truly crazy.

He concentrated cause this would demand a lot of him. He clenched his teeth and said to Ayanna, "Hold on... This will get messy!"

Then he quickly stretched out his arm, creating an enormous Force Push in the direction between the tombs as he didn't want to create to much damage. The result was what he hoped for. The rocky environment started to rumble. The walls near the tomb crumbled apart and fell down to the ground. All the destruction made in the valley, created a small quake. Kalin tried to keep his balance as the ground started to shake.

"We have to go back! This is the time where we have to kidnap Ventress!"

As a result the rocks blocked all the entrances to the tombs and nobody knew what the damage would be inside the tombs. Kalin shook his head as they ran back to the academy hoping nobody suspected something.