Nhagathul

[Dagon]

::Even before the shuttle landed, Nhagathul's dreadful influence could be felt. All across the comm channels were screams and insane rantings, voices speaking in tongues not meant to be heard by mortals. Dagon gripped his saber tensely but hid his fear from his apprentice. Though he would never admit it in front of the young man, Nhagathul scared the hell out of him. Of course, Nhagathul scared everyone except those too foolish to survive its evil, but Tethyn would need some assurance to believe that their task was plausible.::

 

Nhagathul is a tear in the fabric of reality created by an ancient evil. Think of it as the largest and scariest haunted house of them all, except everyone's trying to kill you. The last time I was here, there were demons, wraiths, cultists, and all manor of unpleasantries. I doubt they've left, seeing as how this place is like a wellspring of evil energy. We're here to find wraiths and seal them for transport back to Kamino. The sword that I gave you is capable of sealing them if you strike them, but be careful, wraiths have power here.

 

::Dagon lowered the ramp and stepped onto the surface. Grey flakes of ash were floating down from the sky like snow, reminders of the bodies burned here by the thousands.::

 

Let's move out.

[Dagon]

That isn't just an aura, apprentice, that's your gut realizing there is something seriously wrong with this place. One final note about Nhagathul, its geography is unstable. The city changes on its own whim, so be careful not to get seperated. The likelihood of your survival is near non existent should you find yourself on your own. Ahhh, up ahead, prowlers.

 

::Dagon pointed to a group of five lolling forms in the distance, flesh torn and rotting. They seemed oblivious to the new arrivals, dormant.::

 

They may seem slow now, but once they become aware of prey they're faster than most humans. Prove your worth.

[Dagon]

No, our sole objective here is the capture of dark side spirits. Not dieing would definitely be a plus though. If there was another objective, I would have informed you of it. Nhagathul is much too dangerous for such shadow games. The sooner we depart from this place, the better. As it is-

 

::Dagon's sentence was cut off as a murder demon leapt on his back and began hacking at his armor with a knife at inhuman speed.::

 

Back to the shuttle, I'll hold it off until you can fly over!

 

::Dagon flipped the demon over his head and onto the ground, sending powerful waves of lightning through its body to stun it long enough for Tethyn to run. Seeing the young man run, Dagon focused his full attention on the gathering dark forces around him. He would have to hold off the demons until Tethyn returned...::

[Dagon]

::Surrounded by demons and outmatched compared to their savage fury with their blades, Dagon's outlook was grim. But he was a Sith sorceror, he did not believe in odds or the natural order or a galactic system, he believed in himself.::

 

My will be done.

 

::Dagon's hands moved like lightning, drawing his pistols from their holsters...::

 

***

 

::Tethyn woke up unable to move yet acutely aware of his pain. His senses slowly returned to him, revealing himself to be strapped down on a table. Around him were half living bodies missing body parts like store mannequins or broken dolls. A door opened and the man felt a terrible presence, not through the Force but in a primal place in his mind and in his soul. It screamed for him to run, to hide, to curl up in a ball, but there was nothing in the Force, there was no Force here. The presence seemed almost diminuitive in person, short compared to Tethyn's standards, wearing a black leather apron and gloves, and a white porcelain mask.::

 

Stranger: You will find that despite the paralyzing effects of the drug you've been injected with, you will not be denied any of the pain I'm going to give to you. It's so rare that I get new playmates down here, I'm going to have to make sure that you don't go anywhere. This wire can easily cut through meat and bone...

 

::The stranger wrapped the wire around Tethyn's right leg and then began sawing with it until the limb was severed, giggling girlishly. She repeated the process with his left leg, laughing fully now. Tossing the legs aside, she pulled out a box of needles and began carefully penetrating Tethyn's chest at the most painful places...::

 

***

 

::Dagon finally saw the silohuette of a troop ship filled with the reinforcements he had called in for. Members of the uniquely gifted Shadow division, They were perhaps the most prepared to for the dangers of Nhagathul. Together, they set out to find the missing apprentice.::

[Dagon]

::In a sudden burst of movement the door slammed opened and Dagon along with a squad of Shadow division troops stormed the room. Dagon smashed the butt of his blaster rifle into the back of the pariah's skull, causing her to crumple to the floor.::

 

Get him to the med bay immediately. Congratulations apprentice, you managed to not die.

 

::Dagon injected the man with a shot of morphine and let him drift off as he was taken away on a stretcher, along with the bound pariah. A trooper adressed him while gesturing at the things that were throughout the room.::

 

No, I have other plans for them.

 

::Dagon reaped over a hundred souls from that place, and for the first time ever it felt like an act of mercy. Walking toward a pile of former belongings to the pariah's prey, he used the locator to find his sword, the sole reason he was able to find his apprentice. Picking it up, he left Nhagathul behind.::

[Dagon]

::A ship flies over the surface of Nhagathul, carrying two Sith. The master opens the landing ramp while the ship is still several meters from the ground.::

 

Be something other than dead when I get back.

 

::A firm kick sends Zad out of the ship and onto Nhagathul's surface, to face the darkness of Hell.::

[Dagon]

::The Darkwatch shuttle touched down only long enough for its passengers to disembark, before vanishing into the massive ash clouds. The pilots knew better than to linger. The ash clouds were blown about by powerful winds, sometimes puncuated by jagged shards of broken souls. The streets were long and winding affairs, easy to lose your way in. A mighty canal system of blood rivers cut through the city, spanned by great bridges. Throughout the city, the lost were transfixed on pikes, wailing in eternal pain.::

 

Be on your guard, there is no safe haven here.

[Dagon]

Find and subdue the Jedi. I want to know why he's here. Move quickly, he won't live much longer.

[Dagon]

Excellent work, I can sense his transformation is nearly complete. Revan, I have been informed that Nom Anorus has been spotted on Gala, where the empire is currently attacking the rebel base. If you hurry, mayhaps you can catch him.

 

Dominique, have your meat sack watch over the Jedi while we attend to other matters. Meat sack, if he tries to escape and kills you, I'm going to laugh at your corpse, then I'm going to laugh at his corpse too, because Nhagathul will destroy him.

 

::Dagon and Dominique travel deeper into the city of the damned, Dagon needed to speak to Nhagathul itself.::

[Dagon]

You're Nhagathul? The one who called us here? Explain yourself immediately.

 

::Dagon didn't dare draw a weapon on the powerful Dark Side entity, but he remained cautious. There was no telling what the thing was thinking or planning.::

 

I was once as you are now. I served as you do, but then the Darkness moved on to others, and I was left to my own devices as an anachronism.

[Dagon]

Welcome back, Kaylynn, I was beginning to think you left the galaxy entirely.

 

::Dagon took a deep draught of the chalice, feeling the darkness crawling through his insides as he did. The power became a part of him and it was good. He offered the cup to Kaylynn.::

 

Partake of this and join us.

[Dagon]

It's time to return to Silence. Thank you for the power you have imparted.

 

::And with that the two vanished...::