"Lord Xilen. I am to escort you to Korriban where my Master awaits."

Xilen's eyes shifted into the darkness, the crimson armor of the Sovereign Protector only partially within his view. He stroked his beard slightly, a brief nod preceeding his rise. He had heard rumors of the Sovereign Protectors, rumors that had lasted throughout generations of service each protector proving himself to be a worthy force. Nothing short of a walking leathal weapon, imposing to any that would challenge them, including a Sith Lord.

"I understand, Sovereign Protector. My Infiltrator rests on the outskirts of the fortress grounds."

Xilen's billowing robes flowed around his new body as he stepped forward into the brisk damp-darkness of the fortress followed by the Sovereign Protector, and the Dark aura of the Dark Lord of the Sith. The winding passages of the fortress seemed to extend forever, winding through the endlessness of the Ancient Fortress of Ziost. After what seemed to be hours, the eternal darkness of Ziost broke through, the dim lights of the Sith Infiltrator Black Widow glimmering against the cloak of darkness that had consumed the planet for thousands of years.

No words were spoken as Xilen continued to lead the way, up the docking ramp, and into the warmth, and light of the infiltrator. The blue haze of the engines ignited...

Her pale white painted face glimmered with the blood of the ancient guardians of the temples of the Dark Lords of the Sith, the crimson glow of her lightsabre shimmering against the darker red of her robes, flowing around her as she jumped to the left, her sabre slicing the sholder of one a blue beast that had charged forward, prepared to kill. An agonizing cry of pain shrieked through the valley as the beast slumped over, faint growls of defiance escaping it's mouth filled with jagged razor sharp teeth. She stepped forward, bringing the sabre across it's neck, it's head lopping off, resting a few feet away against the ancient steps of one of the Dark Lord's temples.

Ancient skeletons of long dead Space pirates continued their assault, a few ancient blaster rifles still within there boney fingers littering the sand before them with black blaster burns. And then, there was silence, the bones resting in respectful positions as a figure dressed in blood red robes approached them from behind, his stealth unsurpassed by any. Adriana stood vigilant with her lightsabre ignited, prepared for yet another fight should it come to pass. Another fight for the Dark Lord of the Sith, Maim.

"What is your business on this sacred planet, brother and sister of darkness?"

Her lips curled into a deep grin of suprise, her lightsabre flicking off as her defensive posture melted away. Her black lips still splattered with blood, she spoke. "The Business of the Dark Lord of the Sith is the business of any Sith, for he has returned. We've come to prepare his temple for his arrival. Might I ask who you are, and what you are doing here, brother of the Darkness."

Sedriss stood resolute and unflinching before the pale faced sith female hovering before him. Flicking a deadly gaze at her blood red lightsaber, the mans intense blue eyes bore into hers, reflecting a fiery defiance. The gentle breeze rustled his short spiky black hair, peppering it with sand particles from the canyon floor. The woman echoed an aura of power, which radiated intensely from her cold black heart.

As he prepared to confront her she asked, "Lord Sedriss..."I've been expecting you...."

A puzzled and wary look crossed the younger mans face. In response he activated his own silver hued lighstaber.

"How do u know me?" he asked, "I hid my tracks well. No one knew of destination."

The breeze also brought another element; a sweet, sickly smell, that reminded him of the burning and rotting carcasses of his parents on Balmorra. His reflection of that painful time, caused Sedriss to lose focus of his surroundings, momentarily dropping his danger senses. Before he could bring them back to bear on his surroundings, the sith woman lunged forward with her lightsaber.

Yet Sedriss sensed loyalty in this being and stayed his hand. Somersaulting out of her way, he turned to witness her red blade deftly slicing a blue beast of unspeakable horror. Obviously the creature had been stalking him sense he left his ship. He grinned as the beast's wail echoed through the valley, astonished that its bloody entrails splashed harmlessly onto the ground.

Clarity siezed the moment and Sedriss made a conscious decision to trust this woman.

I am in your debt, but i must ask you who you are and how did you know i was coming to Korriban.

She replied softly "I advise you to prepare yourself, Lord Sedriss. Korriban is more heavily defended than you would suspect." Extending her hand, she continued. "Adriana Quinn, at your service."

Before he could answer, hordes of ancient skeletons, in the guise of dead Space pirates, assaulted them from hidden chambers in the temple. Weaving his lightsaber in a dazzling display of skill and acrobatics, Sedriss lept head on into the fray. A pile of skulls and dismembered joints littered the sandy ground, as him and his dark ally Adriana, fought furiously to fend of the attack. In an instant the skeletons retreated leaving behind chaos and destruction, but even more, a sense of impending doom. The worst was coming.

Standing silently at the base of Exar Kun's illustrious temple, Sedriss was almost mesmerized by the intricate designs and the cold, expressionless face of the mans statue.

His first warning was a glint of red. Aware of a sinister presence, Sedriss now saw the flowing red robes lined with gold and blood writing, a foreign script to Sedriss, but the mark of a dark lord. The dark man made his way towards Kun's Temple, navigating his way through the bone littered battlefield. Sedriss steeled himself for another fight, glancing over at Adrianna only to see the same grim determination. The siths approach was deliberate and disconcerting to Sedriss. Obviosuly he felt at home in this Valley and some inkling in the force told Sedriss he was responsible for both attacks.

The duo felt the mans cold mind envelop them as he came to stand directly in their path.

"What is your business on this sacred planet, brother and sister of darkness?" he commanded.

Adriana retorted "The Business of the Dark Lord of the Sith is the business of any Sith, for he has returned. We've come to prepare his temple for his arrival. Might I ask who you are, and what you are doing here, brother of the Darkness."

Seething with anger Sedriss had a somewhat different response.

"I am Sedriss from Balmorra. I am also here to pave the way for the coming of the Dark Lord of the Sith. I can't explain it fully but over the years I have had dark visions of a shadowy spirit, telling me to come to Korriban and fulfill my destiny. It is confusing, I know, but nothing human, beast, or sith will inhibit me from completing my task."

Pointing the tip of his lightsaber towards the mans heart he added, "Especially you, since you are responsible for the attempts on our lives".

Using his force powers Sedriss gestured with his free hand, hurling the dead blue beast and his entrails at the feet of the dark man. The stinking corpse hit him at his ankles, splattering its blood and guts on the ornate robes the man wore.

"If you know what is best for you, you will call of these attacks, before the blood at your feet is your own."

She stood in silence, the crimson glow of her lightsabre still ignited at her side as she stood in a battle-ready stance. The pale white, and black makeup of her face didn't shift, or smear through the painful battles, though the splattered blood of the dead beasts that preceeded the new arrival still remained potent on her face.

Lord Sedriss spoke, his angry words ecoing throughout the Valley of the Dark Lords as the Priest stood before them, seemingly unamused by their actions.

"If you know what is best for you, you will call of these attacks, before the blood at your feet is your own."

With that, Adriana once again prepared herself fora possibly fatal battle. She felt hus aura swirling around them. An aura of ancient power, and authority, yet remained focused on her true goal... The Dark Lord of the Sith must return to Korriban in ultimate safety, or the Sith Religion, and race will be lost in the eternal sands of time.

The flight from Ziost to Korriban had gone uneventfully and, during those times that Protector Silk was not on the bridge with Lord Xilen he remained in the hold with a close eye on the cargo bound for Maim.

Silk garnered little impression from Xilen during their time in transit, in all they spoke perhaps ten words to one another. It was clear that Xilen was someone of importance, power and prestige but, Silk could not draw any focused impressions from the Sith Lord. Perhaps it was purposeful.

Either way, it was not his place to worry about such trivial things. He sensed no danger towards his Lord and Master from this new Sith and, that was parliament in most situations.

Dioan had long been out of touch, away from the galactic pulse and as such he'd played very little attention to political changes in the galaxy at large.

The Crimson Empire had expired... Traitors had split from the fold and run amok calling themselves the Crimson Rebels. Well, at least that much was true. They were rebels from the word of their sovereign charge, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Or, at least, that was how Silk saw it. Minds fevered with loyalty often see things differently.

Otherwise, he knew nothing of political developments. He knew nothing of this Lord Xilen and did not know the purpose behind this ceremony as well as some. Again, he relied on the command of his Lord, and the Master before that.

Silk wished only to fulfill the order of Dark Lord Maim. He wished to see the living body of his Master vital again.

Soon, the craft would descend to the Korriban surface and to the reunion of his Dark Lord

Extending himself to the Dark Force he called to his Master...
And, there were more.

Lord Thane stopped in his tracks when he saw the black robed man toss the corpse of the guardian, with the Force, upon Lord Maim's feet. It was a great sign of disrespect to the Sith Master, obviously, and Dravin felt the anger in the man that backed his actions and the words that he soon directed to Lord Maim. Shaking his head, Dravin turned around to his two beastly companions. Both creatures had strong, powerful bodies, covered in jet black armored scales; as well as a several rows of large, razor-sharp teeth upon their heads.

The two creatures lowered their heads when his gaze fell upon them. The Valley of the Dark Lords was no place for any of his personal protectorate. Reaching deep down into the two creatures' minds, he planted a thought, a command, for them to carry out.

'Return to the ship, quietly, and await me there.'

With a slight nod of their large armored heads, the two beasts retreated to the wall of canyon, and disappeared into the shadows. Dravin felt the two quickly climb to the top of the canyon with great stealth, and finally retreat in the direction of his ship, without drawing the attention of any of the valley's guardians. With that, he turned back around and continued towards the trio of Sith at the base of Exar Kun's temple, at a slow pace. He did not wish to be caught up in Lord Maim's wraith upon the two, if he so desired to punish them for their insolence.

Lord Maim looked to his feet, then to the lightsaber pointed to his chest. He was not amused. Reaching out with his armored hand, the High Priest grabbed the blade and watched as it shut itself down. Cortosis ore gauntlets and shields doing the work for him. His eyes then fell upon the other.

"I created many of the beasts here, that is true. However, I did not send them against you. They attack any who do not belong on this planet. You three would normally have no business here.

That being said, I am Diete Somir the Third known as Lord Maim, son of the Dark Lord, High Priest of the Sith, protector of the Sith Religion, Keeper of the Ancient Secrets, and guardian of the temples of old."

Turning his eyes once more to Sedriss he spoke to him in particular.

".. and if you ever disrespect me or this place again, I will feed your dead body to my pets."

Turning abruptly, he headed from the temple of Exar Kun and out into the valley once more.

"Follow me... now."

The Sith Lord quietly watched Lord Maim deactivate the dark man's lightsaber, as he walked up to the three. As he fell upon a few feet from the two Sith unknown to him, he stopped and gave Lord Maim a deep bow.

".. and if you ever disrespect me or this place again, I will feed your dead body to my pets."

It was known all to well to Dravin how the Dark Lord's first son had dealt with those who disrespected the Valley of the Dark Lords. He had witnessed several events in the past when a few Sith apprentices were punished, and Dravin did not wish his end to mirror their's.

"Follow me... now."

With that, Dravin stepped up next to the other two Sith and gave them both a curt nod with a slight bow, then followed Lord Maim into the valley, keeping a moderate distance between himself and the Dark Lord's son.

Sedriss glared intensely at the dark figure, fuming that the man had deactivated his lightsaber. The cortosis ore in his armor had done the trick. The dark wind that was howling in Sedriss's mind was cut off by the mans voice.

"and if you ever disrespect me or this place again, I will feed your dead body to my pets."

And if you underestimate me or threaten me again I will take your life he thought silently.

The dark power seeped into Sedriss's cells, filling him with rage. Peace irritated him. Life was struggle, pain, and violence. He adhered to these principles, for they gave him the dark power he commanded. He challenged the dark lord.

"Follow you? Who gave you such authority evil one. I am here to prepare for the dark lords coming. If you wish to lead I demand to know what gives you this right. Fancy titles are nothing to me. My vision was through the force. A dark spirit commanded me to come to Korriban and destroy all traitors who might threaten the safety of the Dark Lord of the Sith. How do I know you are not one?"

Looking at the man who had come next to him he added

"And what about you? Thus far Adriana has shown her trust and intent. Neither of you have."

Sedriss looked to Adriana to insure her he was not causing trouble but merely being safe and certain of the path they were taking.

"Answer me or I will kill you both."

The cargo was safe, Xilen was here... on Korriban. Now, he desired nothing more then the command of his Dark Lord.





"My Lord issues a command, your place is not to ask but to do."

The voice seemed to loom from nothingness, its arrival masked by more then the voices own skill in the Dark Force...

After what seemed and eternity, a figure stepped from shadow to match the voice. A figure imposing and passive all at once but, what made him truly impressive was not the well of darkness within him, nor was it the Force Glaive he carried in one hand. It was the touch of his Dark Lord, it gave the figure drive and determination that would reach far beyond the grave.

He was Dioan Silk, Sovereign Protector to Dark Lord Maim and those that came before. Silk was clad in the ceremonial armor of his regiment with the customary cloak of the Royal Guard, black and crimson contrasting his build. Behind him stood two tall and menacing looking creatures of bipedal nature, each well over seven feet tall and easily heavy enough to back up its size and, though the remained in shadow, their skin glistened in a silver hue.

Never would Silk ceased to be amazed by the presumption of the uninitiated. Those who came before Lord Maim without a clue of the risk they took. This was a man whose darkness, whose evil, had transcended generations and bodies. He denied death with sheer power, sheer will. Whole systems feared the mere mention of his name and, yet there would always be the cocky... the foolhardy. Silk, would always have work...

With slow and purposeful steps, Sovereign Protector Silk, moved to his Lords side to await further direction.